Dang, those Brits know how to put together an awards shortlist. The good folk over at the British Science Fiction Association have announced their 2005 Awards Shortlists. The novel category includes Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s 9Tail Fox, Charles Stross’s Accelerando, Geoff Ryman’s Air, Ken Macleod’s Learning the World, and Justina Robson’s Living Next Door to the God of Love.  It’s as good a shortlist as I’ve seen for any award in recent years. I’d hate to have to pick a winner amongst them – they’re all very fine books – but the Ryman and Stross books are both extraordinary.

It was a lovely sunny day here, so it didn’t seem that I’d get the chance to stay inside, nurse my incipient flu, get some reading done, and watch the cricket. Out of fairness to the little people, and at the suggestion of the youngest, Marianne did a quick web search, located a fair out near the beach, and off we went. A good time, with chocolate icecream, was had by all.

 

 

Looking for the perfect gift. This line of plush microbes (via coolhunter.com) looks to be a lot of fun. Imagine giving someone a plush ebola virus? Fun.

Okay, well, I’ve decided I can’t be bothered maintaining multiple blogs and all that, so I’ve shut down the old address and will only be maintaining this one. The re-direct, hopefully, will move most folk over to here, and the LJ feed should move over soon too. If you know anyone who reads the blog, please let ’em know that we’ve moved.

I’ve known Martin Livings for years, certainly ten or more, and for most of those years, he has been working, honing his craft, striving to become a better and better writer.

Yesterday he got some wonderful news. Lothian Books (who are now owned by Time/Warner) have just bought his first novel, Carnies. It’s a horror/dark fantasy novel, and I couldn’t be happier for him. Now, that just leaves Keira…