The anthology Anywhere but Earth, by the Coeur de Lion Australian publishers (who also published that great anthoX6), has accepted my latest short, "Lisse." I'm thrilled about this, as they were my first choice for this story, not to mention the fact that Lisse was written and critted in December, subbed the first week of January and then accepted on my first submission. It's the quickest turnaround I've had yet, and makes me feel like I'm doing something right, or at least I stumbled upon something right with that story.
Speaking of X6, I can't believe I didn't blog about it. I purchased it the end of March last year, and it was one of the highlights of my year in reading for 2010. I looked on the Fragment forum to see I had written this about it (which I have now edited slightly, for public eyes):
I liked the Lanagan, which made me weep, (the Sparks was a little predictable although enjoyable, the others weren't for me) and the Haines, which made me so angry I wanted to bash my head into the wall, and I had to remind myself that buying a ticket to Australia and approaching Haines wouldn't fix my anger nor the problem, which of course was just in a story. Mostly. And him writing this novella doesn't make him a terrible, evil man who should be punished in a chasm of screaming nettles heaped with fiery coal and brimstone and emasculating poisons. It instead makes him an amazing writer, to be able to tap into such unbelievable gender issues, and make them so vivid for one reader that she's about to go all ape-shit on him.
I will never, ever forget the Haines, and probably never the Lanagan, for her lovely take of selkies, and I encourage every SFF writer to buy that novella anthology. I'm very happy that "Lisse" will likely be among good company in this new anthology.
In the meantime, Harvester-book writing & edits are ticking along, as is the new little human seedlings story; both a little too slowly, as I've been procrastinating, doing Lightspeed stuff, and real work, probably in that order. Both John and I feel like we're in a holding pattern, waiting for what happens next - getting that acceptance letter for him which will determine if and when and to where we're moving, in addition to all the other subs I have out there, and the Clarion applications.
It's Friday. Which means lots of shadow priest playing in WoW, and sleeping in, and I'm going to try to make bread, and get creative about meals without meat. More on the process of becoming a vegetarian later, when I'm certain it's right for me.
Reading! I didn't care too much for the latest Realms of Fantasy - just didn't do anything for me, story-wise. Finished Holly Black's Poison Eaters, which ended a little weakly for me, although I'm willing to concede and say it's me, and perhaps my preferences are changing. And I am LOVING Dan Simmons' Hyperion. Loving it, to my honest surprise. It was a little slow to get going, but the priest's tale was WONDEROUS (yes, it deserves caps), as was the lieutenant's. The poet, not so much - I'm having some trouble getting into it, but I'm still hopeful.
A Karen Joy Fowler collection is coming in the mail. That's up next.
