That’s how Wired.com describe this year’s WorldCon or LA Con IV in a brief write-up of the current event. LFS will announce the 2006 Prometheus Awards on the 26th, or Saturday. I was there 10 years ago at LA Con III. I won’t make it this year, and even had I planned on attending I would have arrived in somewhat reduced form, as I’ve been smacked around this week by a cold and stomach virus at the same time. Throw in lack of sleep as the kiddo keeps us off guard, and the end result would have been grumpiness all around. At some point writing will take place and postings follow.

I use my blog almost as a memory device. When I forget to post something it’s nearly impossible to go back later and trawl through the web for the same story. Last item that caught my attention was news that new stories are planned in the Babylon 5 universe. Far better that Star Dreck, this show peaked in seasons 2-4, especially the latter half of 3 and first half of 4. I had started a mini B5 marathon a few months ago, but had to set it aside after the early episodes of season 4. I’ve probably seen most episodes three or four times, and enjoy most aspects of the show immensely. Still, I could not help laughing when I watched the Finnish web movie Star Wrek: In the Pirkinning. They nailed some of the main characters’ worst traits quite well.

I’m way behind the curve, but while the baby in the house works his way through a schedule change, blogging and web-surfing remains light. Here, on the other hand, is the indefatigable Sunni Maravillosa with some mini-reviews of the 2006 Prometheus Award finalists from her July Salon. I find myself in accord with her on the Mosely, Stross, and Goodkind novels. As for the Wolfe/Zelman book, this is perhaps 1/3 or 1/4 of a novel, not a complete work in my opinion. That said, I reserve my opinion until the story concludes. As far as The Black Arrow, I found that I really did not care for this book. The characters failed to move me, the story perplexed me (to put it lightly), and the tone concerned me. I also enjoyed MacLeod’s novel slightly more, and while I agree the resolution lacked the impact of the rest of the novel, the other 99% of the story retained my interest over the span of several well-spent hours.

I stumbled upon this post from June 18 about an auction to benefit Robert Anton Wilson, who’s recovering from some health issues. The post also includes a detailed and lengthy bibliography of RAW’s works.

A very interesting article from the NY Times on the Postal Service and the internet. It seems like only a few years ago commentators derided the USPS as “snail mail.” Yet while the shipment of letters and cards through the stamp monopoly have declined, packages actually increased. This is mainly due to ecommerce sites like amazon.com and eBay. Alas, it would be great if private companies were able to compete and ship packages in the same manner, instead of having to focus on “express” mail services a la FedEx, UPS, and a host of smaller companies. Instead of the internet killing off this ugly state monopoly, it’s actually proved to be a major influx of money. Yet the lines remain long and service remains unfriendly.

A brief posting of comments from actor Andy Garcia on Castro over at Reason seems to have split quite a few libertarians. Editor Nick Gillespie’s posting mentions a few anti-communist movies that I may need to check out on DVD.

More often than not that combination is deadly. BBC reports of a 16-year old girl executed in Iran for “crimes against chastity.” She was hanged, lifted in the air by a crane, for having been raped by a man three times her age. The rapist received a few lashes, the girl received death, her true age masked by court documents. She had the courage to spit in the face of the judge and legal system when she realized her case was hopeless. Atefah Sahaaleh is a martyr for liberty.

A neat book review of Pippi Longstocking over at Sunni’s Salon. I, too, remember Pippi and Astrid Lindgren from my childhood, and now that I’m introducing her stories to my daughter as well, I find that adults as well as children can appreciate her character.

Fans of Victor Milan will be happy to learn he has a new novel, due out shortly. Solomon’s Jar, a shred adventure tale in a series called Rogue Angel, under a group pseudonym. Milan promises “serious butt-kick adventure” with the female sword wielding protagonist, Annja Creed.

This time it’s your college records.

Let just cut right to the chase and barcode everyone right now.

I broke down and ordered a new Jack Vance collection today. Well, there are no new stories, but its possible they’ve gone through the Vance Integral Edition process and emerged somewhat different from the stories in my Underwood-Miller collections. The book does contain a preface by Vance, which by itself might be worth the $38, though I am sure Vance will be terse as usual. Years ago I collected all the editions of the Underwood-Miller books, over forty hardcovers, many limited and signed. Many of these I bought well below retail cost, other at collectors prices. They are, perhaps, my most treasured tangible possessions. In all I own 54 U-M books (combined and under separate imprints). That makes me a qualified Vance fanatic, I suppose. When the Vance Integral Edition was announced, I signed up as a volunteer and as a customer, but I backed out of both due to time constraints, and also a strange loyalty to the U-M books. I can’t say I was happy when the VIE combined some books within the same cover. And, yes, the steep price deterred me from completing the purchase. That act qualifies my fanaticism. There are handful of Vance books I don’t have in hard cover, and at this point I doubt that will change, unless some other publisher comes out with dust cover editions of those five or so books. But, if you’re a stranger to the fiction of Vance, this collection from Subterranean Press will open your world to perhaps the greatest craftsman of science fiction and fantasy of the 20th century. Jack Vance truly is nonpareil.