IMG_20130116_110425This column is a bit short and lacking in flair because one, I am siiiiiiick, and two, it’s my birthday! And apparently I celebrate by reading unreleased Catherynne M. Valente books rather than working on my column. So here we go.

1. An awesome comic teasing Neil Gaiman about his amazing success.

2. An excerpt from George R.R. Martin’s upcoming The Winds of Winter. It is due out sometime this year.

3. And here’s some video documentaries about The Wheel of Time:

The Wheel of Time: The Last Chapter

and

The Wheel of Time: Legacy

4. A fascinating diagram of the most and least likely developments in the next 150 years. Is science fiction getting it right?

5. A fantastic list of books to look forward to in 2013. This list focuses on more literary science fiction and fantasy, and I have to say, I already had several of these on my list, and I’ve added several more.

6. Since I suffer from depression, I am always interested in how other people deal with the illness. Here, Catherynne M. Valente discusses her ongoing dealings with the disease. As more and more people speak out about mental illnesses, I hope the stigma can be removed.

And now I need cake. Mmmmmm, cake.

Author

  • Ruth Arnell

    RUTH ARNELL (on FanLit's staff January 2009 — August 2013) earned a Ph.D. in political science and is a college professor in Idaho. From a young age she has maxed out her library card the way some people do credit cards. Ruth started reading fantasy with A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — books that still occupy an honored spot on her bookshelf today. Ruth and her husband have a young son, but their house is actually presided over by a flame-point Siamese who answers, sometimes, to the name of Griffon.