Good morning, one and all. A new podcast with Gary K Wolfe should be out this morning. We recorded yesterday and I’ll get it uploaded after breakfast, with a little luck.  I also was going to post here about the whole idea of no arguing with a book when writing a book review. I intend to do that, but we’ll see. Looking back over the period since I got back from my holidays I realise I’ve not been all that productive, editorially speaking.  My day job is definitely demanding more attention, so too the family, which means my mind is pretty much scattered for reading and the like. I’ve spent a lot of time either watching TV, doing family stuff, or just sort of letting time pass without commenting on it. Trying to get myself together, though. Lots to do this coming month, and no real excuse for not getting it done (also some nasty consequences if I don’t).

I have, as you know, been podcasting. I’m enjoying it. It’s fun and it seems to involve the least amount of preparation of any of the things I’m doing right now, so more of that. There are also a bunch of books I want to read, though I can’t seem to summon up the concentration for that lately. Hmm. Maybe I do need to go and get my prescription looked at.

Graham Sleight and I discuss his work on the short fiction of Joanna Russ, Gollancz Masterworks, and a few last comments on canon-building, in a short conversation on the Street. Although the push to get Joanna Russ’s short fiction back in print is alive, I’m likely to leave canon-building as a topic for a while. I’ll also likely take the rest of the week off podcasting to let you all recover. Many thanks to Graham for his thoughts and for coming onto the Street.

John DeNardo and the good people over at SFSignal.com discuss ‘What science fiction books should be in every fan’s library?“.  While I love SFSignal and think they do cool stuff, the question itself bothers me so I recorded a new monologue where I talk about canon building, making lists and so on.

Yesterday afternoon/morning (depending on your time zones) Cheryl Morgan and I joined the indefatigable Tony C. Smith on the sofa over at StarShip Sofa to discuss the Hugo voter pack, voting, the honor of nomination, and the fun of handicapping the awards.  We’d hoped to cover things in fifteen minutes, but it was so much fun it took a bit longer than that.  The ‘Hugo Special’ is online now.