I think we’re entering a three month period of near total meltdown. Gack. If I can find time (and motivation) to post on a regular basis, you’ll have the chance to see one man spontaneously run around in circles again and again, until all that’s left is a little smear of butter.

This morning John Clute reviews Jay Lake’s Mainspring over at SciFi.com. I’m still reading, and enjoying, the novel, so I’ve not hit the bit where he suggests that the spring winds down a bit, but I agree that it’s a very good book. I’m enjoying it a lot, and you should check it out, if you haven’t. Makes me wonder if he’s going to write any ‘Mainspring’ short stories. Adventures on board the Bassett could be fun.

I was also more delighted than I can say to see that Small Beer (hi Gavin!) is going to publish John Kessel’s next collection, The Baum Plan for Financial Independence and Other Stories, in April next year. I’m an unabashed lover of Kessel’s short fiction, and can’t wait to get him to write something for one of my projects. In the meantime, everyone has to buy this book. Go and pre-order it. Now. Go on.

Tonight I’ve got to finish editing this month’s Locus columns – I’m running late – and book my travel to the US for World Fantasy. I think, maybe, I’m beginning to get excited about it. I know where I’m going, I know when, and I’ve decided I’m not renting any suits when I’m there, so it should be fun. And I’ll get to see CHARLES and Liza and Amelia and Jason and Sharyn and just lots of people. I can’t wait.

Well, the Conflux Minicon starts up in about two hours, with Keith Stevenson leading off. Keith is a terrific writer and editor who should be fascinating to chat with. I’ll certainly be popping by. In case it’s not been widely published, the direct address for the Minicon is:

Continue reading Conflux Minicon – Go on, you know you want to… →

I know no-one’s actually hanging out for this information, but I thought I’d note it here, if only so I could find. In the coming 12 months or so, I’ll be attending these events:

• Conflux, Canberra, Australia, 28 September – 1 October 2007
• World Fantasy Convention 2007, Saratoga, New York, USA, 1-4 November 2007
• Swancon 2008, Perth, Australia, 20-24 March 2008
• Denvention 3, 66th World SF Convention, Denver, Colorado, USA 6-10 August 2008
• World Fantasy Convention 2008, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 30 October – 2 November 2008

if you’re going to be at any of these events, come up and say hi.

As part of the lead-up to Conflux in Canberra this September, the convention is running a taster, a Virtual Minicon. All sorts of cool people are going to be involved, and it’s both free and easy. Every hour, starting at noon this Saturday and running through till noon this Sunday, a variety if people like Garth Nix, Simon Brown, Sharyn November and others will be online, chatting, answering questions, and generally hanging out.  I’ll be there at 9.00am Eastern Standard Time on Sunday. Which means I have to remember to set the alarm clock, because it’ll be 7.00am here. Actually, I want to get up at 6am so I can see what Sharyn has to say. This should be a lot of fun. Please drop by.

The nice folk over at Strange Horizons review The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 1, mostly favorably. I’m in the midst of work on Volume 2, as I write.