I have completed and have had published (or definitively have had scheduled for publication) 16 books since November, 2000. This doesn’t include METAtropolis (which I edited and wrote one fifth of), The God Engines and The Sagan Diary; if you include them because they are stand-alone projects, it’s 19. That’s, you know. Not bad for a dozen years’ worth of work. And only one of them out of print! Which is even better.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I like that I get to be what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’ll keep doing this as long as I can.

I just signed the contract and mailed it in, so I’ll go ahead and announce it: Next year I’ll have a new non-fiction book out, namely a collection of my AMC/FilmCritic.com columns. The book will be out from NESFA Press, in conjunction with my appearance as Guest of Honor at the Boskone 49 science fiction convention in Boston, in February. I’ve already turned in the manuscript, which is in the process of being whittled down to manageable length. No title yet; I’ll have to think of something clever. But I’m happy about this book; I’ve had a lot of fun writing the movie columns so it’ll be nice to have them down in a permanent form.

More details about the book as it goes through the process — which is to say: this is what I have to announce about the book now, if it’s not addressed here the answer to the question you’re going to ask is “I don’t know yet.” Trust me, I’ll tell you when I know things. I am happy to say, however, that it does mean 2012 is a two book year, one fiction and one non-fiction. I like years like that.

In this week’s FilmCritic.com column I write an open letter to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. About what? About how it’s time they give Andy Serkis an Oscar, that’s what. My reasoning for this special Oscar is detailed there, so go and check it out, and always feel free to leave your own thoughts and comments in the thread.