Gary K. Wolfe reviewed The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 1 in the March issue of Locus. I was delighted with the long review and now, thanks to Gary and CHARLES, I’m able to post it here. Because it’s long, I’ve placed it on it’s own page. And, if you don’t already, consider subscribing to Locus. I know I’m biassed, but I think it’s a terrific magazine.

Today I baked a cake. I am rather insufferably pleased with myself. It’s Easter, and it’s an Easter cake. It looks to have come out just right, and all I have to do is decorate it and I’m done. Heh. Also made Easter muffins, with chocolate caramel egg centres. Also pretty pleased about that.

Another cool review for The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, this time from Booklist, who say:

The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year #1. Strahan, Jonathan (editor).
Apr. 2007. 478p. Night Shade, paperback, $19.95 (9781597800686).
REVIEW. First published April 1, 2007 (Booklist).
This is an excellent sampling of some of the most interesting contemporary voices in sf and fantasy, including Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow, Kelly Link, and Paul Di Filippo, tackling a pleasingly wide range of subject matter. Jeffrey Ford’s “Night Whiskey” concerns the strange customs of a small town and the terrible things that sometimes come out of the unknown. Christopher Rowe’s “Another Word for Map Is Faith” concerns a future in which the faithful of Christendom traverse the earth, “correcting” geography to conform to the errors on maps. The volume closer, Ian McDonald’s “Djinn’s Wife,” is a lovely fairy tale of the future about a dancer who marries an AI; as the narrator observes, even if it doesn’t have a happy ending like a Bollywood movie, it has a happy enough ending. Editor Strahan has selected a lot of winning stories here, well worth revisiting, often more than once. – Regina Schroeder

This follows on the earlier review from PW, and a good Locus review. All in all, the book’s been very well recieved, and I’m delighted. Now I just need to get to work on Volume 2.

Well, the Ditmar nominations are out. You can see the list here. The awards will be presented at the Australian National SF Convention in Melbourne this June. My congratulations to all of the nominees.  I once was nominated for, but didn’t win, a Ditmar that was presented at someone’s backyard BBQ. It was a nice evening, otherwise, though.

The ever kind and generous Jeff VanderMeer has interviewed me over at SF Site. He makes me look good, which is a not inconsiderable achievement.