Shawn Speakman on the Suvudu blog at Del Ray/Spectra answers a couple of fan inquiries and speculates as to why GRRM has taken so long to complete the fifth ASoI&F installment, A Dance with Dragons.

Coincidentally, book reviewer Matt Hilliard posted his thoughts on the first four books at his Yet There Are Statues blog. I think he makes some solid points though his overall lukewarm attitude to the series is no doubt partially a result of having waited so long to read it. After sixteen years of hearing how great something is, is there anyway it can live up to the hype? Especially after, as Hilliard admits, he's read so many other authors influenced by GRRM's style. I've got some more thoughts on this, but when I'll get them put together and up here, I can't say. It'll be before GRRM finishes A Dance with Dragons, though. (Come on, man, prove me wrong!)

On a similar note, I hope to get some notes up on my thoughts on The Jewel in the Skull up before Thursday's meeting. Likely to be quick and dirty, considering how short the time's become.

Author of The Quiet War , Paul McAuley is one of the class leaders for the Science Fiction Foundation's fifth annual Science Fiction Masterclass in sf criticism. The classes are at Middlesex University and cost £180 per person. So, if you're gonna be in London next July, you might want to make plans to drop by.

Here's a short article about Ray Bradbury at the LA TImes genre blog, Hero Complex. That's a site you may want to watch next week as their going to have more coverage of Bradbury's 90th birthday next week. A number of celebrations are planned throughout LA.

Lastly, to go along with the recently released images of Kilowog and Bzzd from the upcoming Green Lantern film, comes a shot of the Xudarian Tomar-Re , GL of Space Sector 2813, neighboring our own, 2814.