I’ll have at least one more research trip to the Mark Twain Papers in Berkeley between now and December (before I present at MLA on Twain’s love of sea adventure novels). I’m hoping to work a Bay-area bookstore appearance in there to discuss and (sign copies of) Gears and God. More to come.

I’ve also learned that my review of Jason Heller’s Strange Stars—the most enjoyable non-fiction book I read last year–will be delayed a little longer before it appears in SFRA Review. Again, I’ll post more when it comes in. For fans of pop music and science fiction (esp. David Bowie but also soooo many others), it’s a must read.

I was bummed that Strange Stars didn’t get a Hugo nom for the Best Related Work category, even though I applaud the expanding definition of that category (beyond just books!) to include things like this year’s winner, Archive of Our Own, and other multimedia projects like the Mexicanx Initiative at San Jose Worldcon.