I've been reading lots lately. Just finished The Speed of Dark. It's brilliant in parts, but falters completely in the final couple of chapters. I doubt I could have come up with a more graceful conclusion -- it's hard to imagine a satisfying resolution that would be true to the first three-quarters of the novel. Still enjoyable, though. I also read Phases of the Moon, the big Silverberg retrospective, which includes some of the best short SF stories ever written, so that was a pleasure. Now reading The Jane Austen Book Club, and liking it very much.

I haven't gotten much writing done these past few days. About 1500 words of reviews. Otherwise, just haven't been feeling very writerly, no urge to write more fiction or revise, though I keep scribbling little notes about possible novels. I think I'll write one more short story, then start circling in on a new book. I like writing novels.

My weekend was pretty fun. Had writing group on Saturday, and dinner with them afterward, along with Heather, who joined us. Sunday Heather and I went on a little shopping spree (because, you know -- sold a book). I'd been waffling over whether or not to buy a nice video game system for months, and suddenly spending a couple of hundred bucks didn't seem like such an impossible extravagance. So, after much thought, I bought an Xbox (I know, boo Microsoft, yes, but it's pretty). I bought Soul Calibur 2, natch, because it's one of my favorite games, and Heather got the second Buffy, The Vampire Slayer game. We've been playing the Xbox a bit, but so far it hasn't drawn me inescapably toward its dark addictive power or caused the utter disintegration of my work ethic or any of the other things people have warned me about. Suggestions for games are welcome. I like chopping up monsters, shooting things, and blowing stuff up. Heather prefers RPGs, but isn't opposed to chopping up monsters, and I'm not opposed to RPGs, as long as there's a chopping-things-up component. I've heard good things about the Hitman series...

We also went to the East Bay Vivarium (wonderful place -- there are few things as beautiful as an albino python) and bought tiny crickets and a wingless fruit fly colony, all to feed our little mantis Jack; we also got some advice on the care and feeding of mantids.

Good times. I'm mostly quite happy these days, and with Wiscon coming, this next weekend should be great fun, too.

Get ye to eBay and buy something in the HWA charity auction to benefit Charles L. Grant, who is terribly sick and lacks health insurance. There's some good stuff there, and I can hardly imagine a better cause.