Answers to various questions I’ve received relating to my own personal projects over the last several days:

1. Regarding That Project I Can’t Tell You About Yet: Sorry, still can’t tell you about it yet. Not trying to be a dick, I’m just not in a position to go into any detail about it at the moment. When I can, I will. In the meantime, just in case you’re feeling slighted, know this: Even my mom doesn’t know what it is. Sorry, mom.

2. What’s out next: I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve no problem going over it again: Between now and the end of 2009, I have four things of note:

• METAtropolis, in printed form, which will be out via Subterranean Press in the next couple of weeks;
• Stargate: Universe, for which I consult, will premiere on SyFy on October 2nd;
• The novella The God Engines, my first fantasy work, will be out in time for the holidays from Subterranean Press;
• “Judge Sn Goes Golfing,” a short story set in the Android’s Dream universe, will be available as a special chapbook, also in time for the holidays, also by Subterranean Press.

3. Hey, speaking of Stargate: Universe, here, have this here shiny, shiny trailer:

For the record, yes, I can see some of the stuff I advised the SG:U folks about in this trailer. Which rocks, if you ask me. Nice to see it on the screen. Not that anyone else will notice it, mind you; they’ll be focusing on the actors and stories and special effects. But, you know, that’s the point. If I’m doing my job right, you won’t see me doing it.

4. Yes, yes, you say. But what about novels? Well, I start writing the next novel on August 17 and plan to have it done by the end of the year. When it will be out to stores depends on various aspects of the publishing industry, but I wouldn’t expect it earlier than late 2010 or early 2011.

This is a fairly substantial gap in novel publication, which to be clear is in no small part my own doing, because I asked Tor to pull The High Castle off its schedule when it became clear to me it had structural problems. I’ll just have to hope people don’t forget I exist in the two and a half year gap (minimum) between Zoe’s Tale and the next novel. We’ll see, won’t we. That said, I do have plans for publishing short fiction in the interim between now and whenever the next novel hits (beyond “TGE” and “Judge Sn,” I mean), so you likely won’t entirely be rid of me.

As to what the next novel will be about, I still have to decide that. I have three story ideas that I’ve fleshed out enough that they’re at the writable stage, and now it’s a matter of picking one over the others. I think all three will be written eventually, it’s just a matter of which is next. I may flip a coin. With three sides, obviously.

And that’s where all that is at the moment.

I find it really hard to get terribly emotionally invested in the ups and downs of the health care reform legislation in Washington, not because I think we don’t need reform, but primarily because I find the play-by-play, who’s-up-who’s-down BS silly and perhaps a bit ahistorical as regards how legislation is done. I mean, really: What? The president is not getting 100% of what he wants out of Congress? What? The opposition is opposed? What? Some congressman with shaky re-relection chances is making a stink that looks good to the people back at home? What? Getting it all through the legislative process is taking longer than anyone expected? I am shocked and may become vaporous.

Seriously, this is what happens with legislation; moreover, this is what’s supposed to happen. It is not, in itself, terribly remarkable. I’m interested in the process and what’s coming out of it; I’m rather less interested in following it like it’s The Most Important Sports Championship Final Game EVAR. Watching commentators running around saying OMG the Blue Dogs are delaying the vote until September OBAMA’S ADMINISTRATION IS SO OVER or things of that ilk makes me want to reach for a firehose.

So: Deep breaths, everyone. When 2010 and 2012 come around, what people are going to remember is whether the health care reform package passed or didn’t, not whether there was a one-month delay in the vote. And even then whether it will KILL OBAMA is another matter entirely: HillaryCare imploding didn’t do much to keep Bill Clinton from getting re-elected in 1996, you may recall.

Those of you obsessed with the sidebars here might have noticed me fiddling a bit with them today, and here’s what I’ve done: I’ve removed the “Recent Posts” section and replaced it with a “Last 100 Posts” section, which now resides below the “Blatheration of Others” section. I did this because I think it makes it easier to casually look through the last month (or so) of entries, if one is of a mind to.

I may do more fiddling with the sidebars today as well, so if you see things moving around or changing, or if the site explodes, don’t panic, it’s just me, and I meant to do that. Yeah.

Sleeping in is its own reward.

Discuss.

The AMC column this week looks at famous evil computers in science fiction and asks: Are they genuinely evil? Or just misunderstood? And then asks you to post your own favorite example of an evil computer. That’s right, I crave your input. As I so often do.