What’s next?

It’s Christmas Day, and I’m taking a few moments to look at all the funky books I’m reading right now. I have so many on the list for the next few weeks that it’s looking very full indeed.

First, I have to finish Makers by Cory Doctorow. I’m only a little way into this one, so still not sure what’s really going on. It’s an odd book, with a very bloggy-internetty related feel to it.

Next up, Sam Sykes’ Tome of the Undergates which certainly is promising me a lot! I hope it can live up to it!

I’ve also got Stephen Hunt’s Court of the Air and The Rise of the Iron Moon to go through. I began Court of the Air some years ago and was enjoying it greatly, but then shifted jobs halfway through and accidently left my copy behind. This was very sad and it’s taken me so much time to get hold of new copies! I can only thank Harper for being so nice to me on that one.

Robert Rankin‘s Knees Up Mother Earth has also arrived, and I’m gagging to read that one, but I’m leaving it for the icing on the New Year cake. After all, I know now what to expect from that dastardly Mister Rankin – he’s going to try making me laugh my bones apart again! Horrid little man!

Intriguingly, I have only a little more to read that’s new after that. So far. I have two more Richard Morgan books to go through. By then a couple of other newbies should have landed on my desk.

It’s been an exciting year for me, in the reading department. So much fresh work, and so much revitalised passions. Sometimes, when you read as much as I do, you get a little phased. You start feeling it’s all too much the same. So, I encourage branching out into some wacky genres. Touch on Bizarro, or Slipstream. Give steampunk a go. Anything to add some new perspective on what you read.

I’d also like to thank some people for their support, kindness, and wonderful words of wisdom. Thanks first to Hachette Australia, for being enthusiastic and the wonderful Brendan Fredericks who shared his love of Richard Morgan and Scott Lynch. Also, Theresa Anns at Harper Australia for the kind support and enthusiasm. I’d like to also thank Jess Bullington, Eric Mays, Andersen Prunty, Jeff Vandermeer, Andy Remic (have a great AXMASS, Andy!), Eric Dando (may your garden produce in abundance!), and the nice folk at The Golden Sprout – Robert Rankin’s fanclub.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank Andrew Hindle (always reading my nonsense), Jess at my work (always listening to my nonsense), Ged Maybury (for much amusement), and as always, my ever-patient and wonderful wife, Kyungsil, who supports me in every element of my madness.

There’s whole movements of writing which is still a little underground, beginning to poke their little buds through the earth and bloom like wonderful little flowers with gnashing teeth for petals. They will crunch on your feet and eat your gooey parts while you scream and scream and scream.

And with that happy thought I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

If you do happen to get eaten by cannibals or zombies, or insane bikers on too much crack, then I hope you go out in style.

I hope you get one of them in the eye – Fulci-style.