Hello, my name is Caitlín R. Kiernan, and I am not here to write stories that make you feel good about yourselves.

But it's sunny and warm here in Providence.

Please comment today...

Yesterday, I wrote 1,402 words on "Our Lady of Arsia Mons," which will be appearing in Sirenia Digest #81 (SUBSCRIBE!). I hope the issue will be out by Wednesday, at the very latest. The story will include an illustration by Vince Locke, and there will be a special Alabaster: Wolves feature.

I have to say I'm disappointed there were so few comments regarding the 10th anniversary of Farscape's untimely cancellation. But I learned long ago that my loves are not the loves of others. Anyway, as coincidence would have it, on this day 46 years ago, the original Star Trek first aired. It lasted only three seasons. But, as we know, the story didn't end with that cancellation. A few good things have come from Star Trek's survival: Star Trek: The Next Generation, tribbles, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Alice Krige as the Borg Queen, a Klingon translation of "Hamlet," the Cult of Leonard Nemoy, and the stunning J.J. Abrams film. On the other hand, we got Voyager, Enterprise, icky sex between Deanna Troi and William Riker, and....I'll stop there.

Okay, so...Round One of the eBay "pay the taxes" auctions have begun! Please bid if you can. Thank you.

Last night, more GW2, and Saga Millasdóttir reached Level 12. Though, truthfully, the game is sucking me in to a point I hardly think about leveling. I just want to see and allow the character of Saga to become a living entity. But, you know me. I'm like that. Fuck stats and what have you. Also, some good RP in Cox, which was unfortunately cut short by technical difficulties. I'm tying up loose ends between my character and one of stsisyphus's before NCSoft shuts the game down. I thought last night would be my last time in, but now I think there will have to be one more.

I read Jeffrey Ford's "The Trentino Kid." Another ghost story, and one in which the ghost is the more traditional sort, an actual revenant. But Ford makes it work. The story is wonderfully atmospheric. And there's this bit I wanted to quote, because it's almost verbatim what I have stated as my attitude towards swimming in the sea:

"There are really only two things you need to know about the water. The first is that you always have to respect it. The second, you must never panic, but always try to be sure of yourself."

Also, "...You don't need a boat to get where it's deep." So, yes. Fine story.

Now, back to Mars.

Counting Her Spoons,
Aunt Beast