Timezone: Deadline

It’s been A Week. The news of Eugie Foster’s death on Saturday was a hard hit, especially as I was just starting to take a deep breath after the 2 weeks of hell that was the King Fire. The fire is now 98% contained, three weeks after ignition, with almost 100,000 acres of wilderness charred and smoldering around my hometown and the areas I grew up in.

Fortunately, it looks like I’ll be adding some travel to my still-hectic year–I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with Lee and Venetia, two of my absolute favorite people, and then down to California for a few weeks with Felicia. I can’t quite put into words how much I need to see it all for myself. There’s still a part of me that doesn’t quite believe it’s over, that wonders if people are just telling me my horses are okay when they really aren’t.

And, in the midst of all of that, some amazing professional stuff happening, and major deadlines. I got the first deadline in early this week, later than I wanted, but I’ve been struggling with enough grief, fear, and depression that I’m not even going to be mad at myself.

I’ve got today and tomorrow to get the 100 Year Starship paper drafted and off to proofreaders. It’s only about 2-3k, but when that’s crunchy nonfiction, thesis-type work, yeah, hahaha oh god.

And then it’s off to NYC for 48 hours, for the SFWA Reception, meetings with publishers and other industry folks, an all-day SFWA meeting, and, because Matt McElroy and I are just That Good, a 10am meeting to discuss Exalted fiction stuff in La Guardia airport as he flies in and I fly out. No, I have no clue how I’m going to manage all of that in 48 hours.

Then, back home to finish the paper and get stuff really moving for a couple of clients, and consultations with authors, and oh god the Genius Loci Kickstarter and edits.

Speaking of that, I’m waiting for the artist to finish up some header art, and the video is getting a little something cool added to it, and then we’ll launch. Need to get it done before the holiday travel season, but also need to make sure it succeeds–this isn’t a small anthology!

And it’s just in the beginning stages, but we’re rebooting Booklife Now. I’ll be taking over as Editor, and there’ll be a bunch of cool things happening with that.

And, so, that’s where all the things are, so it’s time for Random Things Jaym’s Fixated On Right Now.

This amazing piece about love. I’ve broken off a couple of relationships with great grief because they just couldn’t be fixed. It is very, very good to have a little reassurance that I’m not being entirely stupid.

The King Fire produced amazing photo opportunities, mostly from the air strike teams and backfire operations. Something about this one is just stunning. More here.

Karin Lowachee’s exquisite, heart-wrenching “Enemy State” went up on Apex’s site this week to promote War Stories.

Shanna Germain wrote a beautiful piece on depression and dark forests.

How the bloody hell did I not know about Eiko Ishioka’s costuming before now?

Ken Liu translated a stunning story from Chinese author Three Body: King Wen of Zhou
and the Long Night.

And, last but not least, the amazing history of the infamous 20-mule teams used in Death Valley’s borax business.

So, what cool things have YOU found this week! Share away!