Road Trip, Interrupted

.

I'm still traveling, and it's been a busy week. Two days ago I was in Washington, D.C, to give a talk at the Library of Congress. Then a quick interview taping for Fast Forward, and into the car and up to Pittsburgh on family business.

Along the way I caught the Louise Bourgeois show at the Hirshhorn. (http://hirshhorn.si.edu/exhibitions/view.asp?key=21&subkey=51) Wonderful stuff! If you get the chance, you should definitely go.

The big news, however, is that The Dragons of Babel (flogging which is the reason this blog exists, remember) is a top five finalist for best fantasy novel in the Locus Awards. So I am happy. Here's the category lineup:

• The Shadow Year, Jeffrey Ford (Morrow)
• Lavinia, Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt)
• The Bell at Sealey Head, Patricia A. McKillip (Ace)
• The Dragons of Babel, Michael Swanwick (Tor)
• An Evil Guest, Gene Wolfe (Tor)

Can you say apples, oranges, pine trees, bicycles, and engine blocks, boys and girls? A delightful set.

My collection is also up, as witness the following:

COLLECTION

• Pump Six and Other Stories, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade Books)
• The Drowned Life, Jeffrey Ford (HarperPerennial)
• Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link (Viking)
• The Best of Lucius Shepard, Lucius Shepard (Subterranean Press)
• The Best of Michael Swanwick, Michael Swanwick (Subterranean Press)

But the single most interesting category has got to be:

YOUNG-ADULT NOVEL

• Little Brother, Cory Doctorow (Tor)
• The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, Bloomsbury)
• Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan (Knopf)
• Nation, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK, HarperCollins)
• Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi (Tor)

To which I can only say: Wow.

You can check out the full list at:

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/04/2009-locus-award-finalists.html

*