Tonight the glitterati of Australian science fiction will assemble at the Judith Wright Contemporary Arts Centre in Brisbane, Australia for the 2010 Aurealis Awards.  I am delighted to be nominated, and saddened that I can’t be there for what is sure to be a magnificent night. This is , I believe the final time that the Awards will be hosted by Fantastic Queensland and I hear they put on a wonderful, wonderful party. I would like to publicly thank Ron Serdiuk, the Awards administrator, for all of his hard and tireless work.  I’ve had a number of dealings with him over the years about the awards, and he has never been less than awesome.  I would also like to acknowledge the judges, who have a thankless task.  Regardless of outcomes tonight, I take my hat off to all of them.

And, finally, congratulations to all of my final nominees.  I wish everyone well, and hope the night is never less than sparkling for all.

Sitting on the back patio again, nursing a beer, reading rock criticism, and listening to Augie March. It’s been a wearing mid-January, but I persevere. I find myself tired, irritable, impatient, and not quite myself. Aren’t you glad you’re far away?

I can’t even say I’m reading. Started a few thins, but they all lie abandoned, and year’s best reading is anathema of the deepest sort. Maybe I am, at last, all gatekeepered out? Who knows. April will tell.

Till then, though, Robert Forster’s wit and thought make me wonder again, as I often do, at the sheer plod that is science fiction book reviewing. sigh.

 

The mighty John Berkey rocks the house with this awesome cover for the fourth in my series of year’s best anthologies for Night Shade Books. It is many, many different types of awesomeness!  You can pre-order the book, which I’m very happy with, here.  A big shout out to NS editor Jeremy Lassen, who’s overseen this rocking cover. I am delighted.

I have just emailed the submission manuscript of Life on Mars: Tales of New Tomorrows to my editor at Viking Pengiun, and to my agent’s office. If I didn’t feel so rotten with this virus, I’d be very happy. This book went through a lot (don’t they all?), but I’m happy with it and delighted to see it in the hands of the publisher.

I’m sure there will be questions about the table of contents. Just as soon as my editor has accepted the manuscript for publication I will post more information here. The book should be out in 2011, I think.

Sorry for not blogging. We had a great weekend, which was productive and fun (we bought a car!), but I was struck down (again) by the flu (or some other flu-like bug) on Sunday afternoon. Been tired, lackadaisical, and mostly useless since then. I think someone expects me to edit tomorrow, but that’s vanishingly unlikely. Back to the office, but don’t know how functional I’ll be.