So… Yon Hugo Awards voting deadline is nigh upon us, as Thor would say.  And I am a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer!  My chances of winning are not so hot, given that I’m a wee widdle short story writer up against some very talented folks with multiple published novels.  But ‘if it wasn’t for disappointments I wouldn’t have any appointments,’ or something.  Which is to say, if you’re registered for Worldcon (or have paid/are willing to pay the ‘vote only’ version of registration) and are thus eligible to vote for the Hugos/Campbell, I’d love love love have your vote.  My Campbell page, with links to my fiction, is here. Voting closes on July 31st — and please keep in mind that there’s a time zone difference involved for many of us.

Thanks!  Now it’s back to ‘that old time is money kick’ for me…

Also, to answer a few questions I’ve been asked several times:

– DAW President and Publisher Betsy Wollheim will be my editor (lucky me!)

– The plan right now is for each of the three books to be released first in hardcover, then mass market paperback

– The likely release for the first hardcover will be late 2011 or even early 2012

– Working title for the first book is THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON

– The books will be multi-POV with a (small) ensemble cast, but the ‘main’ character is the fat old ghul hunter Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, who first appeared in my short story “Where Virtue Lives.” Adoulla, incidentally, just got a nice little shout-out from superstar editor Lou Anders in sfsignal.com’s recent discussion of the meaning of sword and sorcery, where he was mentioned alongside the likes of Solomon Kane, Elric, Conan and Hawkmoon.  Color me honored!

So, that should clear some things up.  We now return you to the sound of Saladin bouncing off the walls with glee.

I am happy to report, in my usual dignified and composed manner, that I –

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Ahem!  That is to say I have signed up with legendary SF/F publisher DAW books, who will publish three books set in my 1001 Nights-inspired heroic fantasy world The Crescent Moon Kingdoms (the setting for my short stories “Where Virtue Lives” and “Judgment of Swords and Souls”).  While selling my first novel to any major publisher would be a thrill, DAW represents a particularly exciting –

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A-HEM!  Seriously, I can’t describe how huge a moment this is for me, so I won’t even try.  I’ve been reading DAW books for twenty years now — since I was fourteen.  I couldn’t be happier with the home my novel has found.  The balance of enthusiasm and professionalism that –

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Ok, I give up.  I’m incapapble of rational coherence right now, so I’ll just do the happy dance in the corner over here, where my flailing arms won’t hurt anybody.  Then it’s off to feed the twins and get crackin’ on book II!

This one’s for the New Yorkers out there — and for those who will be in NYC in early July.  I’d mentioned this on Facebook, but realized I should do so here as well: I will be reading with ass-kicker/name-taker Paolo Bacigalupi at the the New York Review of Science Fiction’s Reading Series on July 6th.  Paolo is a top-notch novelist, Jim Freund is a wonderful host, and the new-ish SoHo Gallery For Digital Art is a *very* cool space, so this should be all kinds of fun.  If you’re in the area you should come on by!  Here is ye olde press release, with all the details:

*****

The NY Review of SF Readings
presents
Saladin Ahmed
Paolo Bacigalupi

Tuesday, July 6th — Doors open 6:30 PM
SoHo Gallery for Digital Art
138 Sullivan Street (directions and links below)
$5 suggested donation

Just when you thought the 20th Anniversary series was over, we keep coming up with surprises. But with a lineup like this, we just had to extend for at least one more month.

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Saladin Ahmed has been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award, the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, and the Harper’s Pen Award for Best Sword & Sorcery/Heroic Fantasy Short Story. His fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Clockwork Phoenix 2, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Drabblecast, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and the Portuguese F/SF magazine Bang!. His poetry has earned fellowships from the University of Michigan, Brooklyn College, and the Bronx Council on the Arts, and has appeared in over a dozen journals and anthologies. He was born in Detroit and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and twins. His Web site is http://saladinahmed.com/

Paolo Bacigalupi’s writing has appeared in High Country News, Salon.com, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. It has been anthologized in various “Year’s Best” collections of short science fiction and fantasy, nominated for three Nebula and five Hugo Awards, and won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best sf short story of the year.

His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, has won the Nebula Award and was nominated for the Hugo. His short story collection PUMP SIX AND OTHER STORIES was a 2008 LOCUS Award winner for Best Collection and also named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. His most recent novel, SHIP BREAKER, has just been released from Little, Brown. He currently lives in Western Colorado with his wife and son, where he is working on a new novel. His Web site is http://windupstories.com/

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The New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series is celebrating its 20th season of providing performances from some of the best writers in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, etc. The series usually takes place the first Tuesday of every month, but maintains flexibility in time and place, so be sure to stay in touch through the mailing list and the Web.

Admission is by a $5 donation. If circumstances make this a hardship, let us know and we will accommodate you.

Jim Freund is Producer and Executive Curator of The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings. He has been involved in producing radio programs of and about literary sf/f since 1967. His long-running live radio program, “Hour of the Wolf,” broadcasts and streams every Saturday morning from 5:00 to 7:00. The broadcasts are also available as a stream ‘on-demand’ for 2 weeks after broadcast at http://archive.wbai.org/

The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art (http://sohodigart.com/) is dedicated to re-establishing SoHo as an international center for the development of new artistic forms, concepts and ideas. A screens-instead-of-canvases approach allows a wide selection of art from around the world which would otherwise never make it to the City. The SGDA is available for private gatherings and events of all kinds. For bookings call (800) 420-5590 or visit http://sohogallerynyc.com/

- Beneath Ceaseless Skies has turned my story “Mister Hadj’s Sunset Ride” into a PodCast, and they’ve done an excellent job!  Go on over and give it a listen, IF YOU DARE!!

- I’ve recently received kind shouts-out on two different fantasy-oriented blogs: The first is a very thoughtful mini-profile at new-ish site The Dreaded Sword, which is dedicated to “Heroic/Historical Fantasy” (a subgenre very dear to my heart).  The second is a brief nod at the massively popular Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, which is a particularly awesome honor, since Pat’s is the first fantasy book blog I ever read.  Thanks for the signal boosts, O valiant bloggers!

Just like the post title says:  My weird western story “Mister Hadj’s Sunset Ride” is now live at Beneath Ceaseless Skies.  It’s short and it’s free, so please go on over and check it out — and, if you’re so inclined, drop a comment as well.