As pointed out to me by an internet puppy

5000 miles? Is not too far away to boggle, apparently.

Christopher Priest takes issue with the Clarke shortlist. At length.

We have a dreadful shortlist put together by a set of judges who were not fit for purpose. They were incompetent. Their incompetence was made more problematical because the overall quality of the fiction in the year in question was poor. They did not know how to resolve this. They played what they saw as safe.

They failed themselves, they failed the Clarke Award, and they failed anyone who takes a serious interest in speculative fiction.

*blinks*

(This is UK SF, and it's a small world: we all have dogs in this fight. There are books I would far rather have seen on the shortlist, and writers I would far rather have seen nowhere near it. 'Twas ever thus, with any award drawn from a busy genre. Nevertheless. Two of the judges are personal friends of mine, and I know how smart they are and how hard they worked; to call them incompetent is ... let's say absurd, and stay polite here. Also, yes: Chris Priest's own novel was submitted for the award.)

Amazon wedding registry

Okay, people: I have bowed to the demands of distant masses (you know whom you are) and set up a wedding registry at amazon.com - you will find it here. (Tho' I was sorely tempted to title this post "Work in Progress", as it is very much that; Karen is out being fitted for a nuptial gown, while I slurrup wine and cackle and cry "Ooh, we'd like one of those!" with mad abandon. Keep an eye on the thing, it'll probably grow like redwoods in springtime.)

(Also, I am very much open to suggestions. "Chaz, we'd like to buy you such-and-such, so put it on your damn list" would do fine.)

(People in the UK: I hope this works for you. Let us know if it doesn't, and we'll tear our hair etc.)

(Also also, as before: there is no obligation. Send us love and a pretty card, that's all we look for.)

(Also also also, we could make a game of guessing which items I listed, and which were Karen's choices...)