07.10.01

July 10, 2001

Posted in General at 6:50 PM by Jack Chalker

Again, not a while lot to report except that Kaspar’s Box is well on its way to completion and should be in (late, as usual for this series for some reason) within a month. I’m trying out new web software as well (various things) which is why some things look a bit different this time out. I’ve finally decided that the only way to get a lot of newcomers to get to the main page is to make it impossible to go elsewhere, so I’ll be slightly redoing the initial page to remove said other choices. I’d rather not, but it’s becoming a bit of a pain to get email after email asking me questions that are answered on the site, not because they were too dense to find it themselves but because they never saw it. Some of the new software may produce unintended other consequences, though, such as abnormally slow load times for folks with slow modems, so I’d appreciate anybody having problems to please write and let me know. Who knows? By next time I may even have Radio Free Chalker up and running (or maybe even Chalker Video).

     Really interesting reaction to Melchior’s Fire among the critics. PW didn’t like the first one much but really liked Fire; Kirkus ignored the first one but gave Fire a likewarm positive review which anybody familiar with Kirkus knows is close to a rave. Well, rest assured that characters from both one and two are very much involved in Three, although the main action is carried by yet another bunch. Serpent is also now out in mass market paperback.

     Not the most exiting of summers so far—too chilly in the east for July for one thing, and with Eva working for a contractor at the Agency Formerly Known as HCFA, Steve at day camp, and Dave working late for Looney Labs, the game company, it almost seems like any other time. We do hope to take off for a few days on the water—the Chesapeake’s water temperature is now over 82°F, which is closing in on bathtub temperature. Then we start preparing for Convention Season once more, with me at Moscon in Idaho the weekend before the World SF Convention in Philadelphia, then flying back for the worldcon with just enough time slack to do the laundry.

     Also, if you didn’t notice, Midnight at the Well of Souls returns to print in a new package in February, 2002 for its (argh! I’m getting old!) 25th Anniversary, with the next four to be repackaged over the next year or two. If these generate new readers and sales, I won’t say you’ve seen the last Well book. But, no, no interest in finishing the Dancing Gods yet, sorry (interest from me and you, but not from the folks who pay my bills).

     I’ll be back when I have more news or next month, whichever is first. In the meantime, go out and buy a few good books, mine or other’s, find a nice warm spot, maybe on a beach, leave the cell phone and wireless internet behind and just enjoy the summer! jlc

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