My story Reading By Numbers won third place in the Fantasy Magazine reader poll.

I really enjoyed the story that won first place – Jessica Lee’s Superhero Girl.  It’s her first published story.

The Winners of the Best Fantasy Story of 2009 Poll and Contest
http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/02/the-winners-of-the-best-fantasy-story-of-2009-poll-and-contest/

The Death of the Slush Pile
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703414504575001271351446274.html

For The Love of God, People, The Slush Pile Isn’t Dead
http://therumpus.net/2010/01/for-the-love-of-god-people-the-slush-pile-isnt-dead/

A long, but interesting article on James Patterson (who has more NY Times bestsellers than anyone else).
James Patterson Inc.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24patterson-t.html?pagewanted=all

Mystery visitor to Poe’s grave is a no-show
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100119/ap_en_ot/us_poe_mystery_visitor

The monetization paradox (or why Google is not my friend)
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/01/the-monetization-paradox-or-wh.html

The Future of Air Travel

The Secret Cities of Yemen
http://trifter.com/asia-pacific/the-secret-cities-of-yemen/

The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu
http://www.cheryl-morgan.com/?p=7612

Do You Thinking Teaching Fighting Skills Could Honor the Lord?

Video game success may be in the mind, study finds
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8471182.stm

Tehani Wessely has announced the table of contents for the forthcoming 12th Planet Press kids’ sf/f/h anthology, Worlds Next Door.

http://editormum.livejournal.com/218142.html

I’m fortunate enough to be sharing the table of contents with two of my Clarion South classmates, Angela Slatter and Angie Rega.

Beware of Science Fiction
http://wayoflife.org/files/2fd19aa02a25c87c4946a653a20f1344-486.html

Jeff VanderMeer on Seven Points to Consider When Submitting Short Fiction
http://booklifenow.com/2010/01/booklife-seven-points-to-consider-when-submitting-short-fiction/

5 Lies Writers Believe About Editors
http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2009/5-lies-writers-believe-about-editors/

Don’t Eat the Marshmallow…Yet

Random Bizarre Photos from around the Japanese Interwebs
http://qjphotos.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/random-bizarre-photos-from-around-the-japanese-interwebs/

100 Games Cupcake Game
http://www.steelheadstudio.com/100cupcakes/

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski
http://www.runleiarun.com/lebowski/

Ten Things You Need to Stop Tweeting About
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/twitter_stop

100 Extraordinary Examples of Paper Art
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/05/100-extraordinary-examples-of-paper-art/

2009 was one of the best years of my life.

At the start of the year I was fortunate enough to spend 6 weeks attending Clarion South (a science fiction writing workshop) in Brisbane.  I learned a lot and made some wonderful new friends.  After that I went on to sell two stores to a SFWA-level professional market.  I also had other stories and articles published.

In the middle of the year I spent 3 months backpacking in Asia and Eastern Europe.  I visited my friends in Japan, took the boat to China, the train through Mongolia and then the Trans-Siberian Express across Russia.  Then I spent a while wandering around the Baltics and the rest of Eastern Europe.  I’ve now managed to visit the grand total of 73 countries.

Asia & Eastern Europe 2009:

In November I returned to Melbourne and got myself a job programming for a government department.  I enjoy the work, my co-workers are great, the pay is good and I only work 4 days a week.  So I can’t complain.

I also found an apartment to rent in South Yarra and moved in at the end of the year.