Connectivity is severely reduced for a few days, maybe more. If you’ve emailed me, or are trying to contact me, please be patient. Yes, it sucks. Makes me koo-koo, reduces my productivity. Working on it. Working also on a book review for Kyoto Journal (of a book on North Korea) and on reviews of several other books I’ve read for this here blog. Next review will be on Cyberabad Days by Ian McDonald, which was wonderful but which is proving thorny in terms of writing a fair, critical, and incisive review. Reading? Um… yeah, I’m working on it. And fiction-writing? …
Tag: update
Back!
One of the great tragedies of the film version of The Lord of the Rings, in my opinion, is the fact that the ending was left out. You know, the part where the story seems over, the world is saved, the journey finished, and then the characters get home and have a big mess to sort out there? That always seemed to subvert expectations in a way I respected, and seemed also to reflect the messiness of real life in a way that makes more sense than the kind of “one great act saves the day everywhere” kind of stuff …
Random Things
Over the last eighteen months or so, I’ve become pretty good friends with my co-worker Gwen and her husband Mike. Well, they’ve just had their first baby, a little boy! (I’ve yet to visit, for various reasons including a niggling cold I wouldn’t want to pass on — though don’t babies have a strong immune system? Er, I dunno. I’ll call and ask Gwen.) Anyway, congratulations to them! And suddenly, the balance of weight has shifted back to me being the one who looks more pregnant. This afternoon I’ll be heading across campus to sign my contract for my current …
What’s New?
Recent stuff you might have missed, or want to check out, in case you don’t notice it over in the sidebar: For those of you in the UK, the December 2008 issue of InterZone, containing my story “Country of the Young,” is now on shelves in the UK. It’s the first in a projected series of tales set in a future North Korea. The best future North Korea I can imagine, in fact. This one’s a train wreck of love, ideology, immigration, and biotech. It’s not available online, but it’s mentioned very positively in this review at The Fix. StarShipSofa …
Fleeting Update
Let’s see: Personal Stuff Lime got a job today! Short term (till mid-September), but she wanted that, while she studies for the Neverending Huge Giant Evil Big-Boss (for you arcade game fans out there) Exam. For two months she’ll be working part-time in a hospital near our home. We’re going to Hong Kong next week. Just for a few days, because Lime won’t be able to travel the rest of the summer. I’m bringing my computer and writing on the plane, and for at least an hour a day. But travel is still travel, right? Theere’s a Korean expression I …