…and I’ll be on a plane headed for LA and the Writers of the Future workshop week and awards ceremony.

I’m trying to keep my excitement in check at least until next Monday, when my passport (after much delay) is scheduled to arrive.

Please God–let it be there.

But that also means I have two weeks to finish my project: to have read at least one book by every judge of the Writers of the Future contest before I meet them.

Now, even before I’d entered the contest I’d read at least one book by most of the judges. But some I hadn’t read (or hadn’t read in a long time), hence the project. The books that remain to be read with two weeks to go are:

Greg Benford – Timescape (I’ve read some of his more recent works, but this is the one he won the Nebula for).

Nina Kiriki Hoffman – A Fistful of Sky

Dave Wolverton – On My Way to Paradise (a novel expanded by the author from his Gold Award-winning story in the 1987 Writers of the Future contest)

Between the Stars – Eric Kotani (WOTF judge) and J.M. Roberts

Expiration Date – Tim Powers (I’ve read other books of his but as he’s one of the judges teaching the course I wanted to read everything I could of his. Ironically, it’s also allowed me to find something that Wikipedia DOESN’T have a full article on yet. Once I’m done, I think I’ll write one and contribute to the Codex of All Human Knowledge, err, Wikipedia).

I must confess I’m not that fast a reader, so wish me luck!

– S.