Wednesday, 13th of February, 2002

This week’s New Scientist has a review of Schild’s Ladder by the world’s pre-eminent science-fiction fan-writer (himself an excellent author and critic), David Langford.

Well the great and unbeatable Greg Egan has a new novel, Schild’s Ladder and I for one can’t keep still with anticipation! He also has a new short story coming (novella in fact) in the February issue of Interzone magazine, which is the best science-fiction magazine in the world (yep, even better than Asimov’s!) which I also can’t wait for! I’m a subscriber, so I should get that sometime in early March (it’s sent by international surface mail from the UK) - and I’m going to get the new novel by hook or by crook as early as possible. It’s published by Gollancz/Orion in the UK and comes out in hardcover/trade paperback there on February the 21st - but it’s not out here (through Allen & Unwin) until April! Oh the agony!

So in the meantime all of us impatient people will have to settle with a passionate and superlative (as ever) essay he’s just written on refugees, called No Sugar - entirely on the money as usual, and it’s political commentary, not hard science fiction ;)

In case you were wondering, Philip Ruddock is a twat. I apologize for the undelicate use of slang for a woman’s reproductive part, but he really is. Well ok, metaphorically maybe.

How about this: When I get hold of Schild’s Ladder and read it, I shall review it here, and shall at that point give the site an overhaul, put up lots of new listening and reading recommendations and all that! I hereby promise!

Hey! Stop laughing!