Like Mr. Lebling aka Vizcacha, I also ordered the
Dying Earth omnibus. The pleasure of these tales
remains undimmed though I first discovered them while
considerably shorter. But a spaceship? Heehee,
hopefully it will lead more people to sample its
riches than the magical spacecastle or something too
fantasyesque. Someone has probably already brought
this up, but there is a truly neato (and a bit
Wolfean) webpuzzle out there called Planetarium at
www.beholder.com (I think that's right-might be
co.uk). I think it will appeal to most denizens of
this list, since it involves surreal plot convolutions
and imagery, plus a bonanza of embedded and entwined
word and logic puzzles-whoopee! Best of all, it comes
in 12 weekly installments, so by the time you're
through, RTTW should be around. I surely have high
hopes for RTTW...the Short Sun series, while
undisputably the work of a master, has so far given me
brain cramps, as well as leaving me emotionally
chilly. Well, I suppose Wolfe had been spoiling me.
I do love the series, but it's a different sort of
love. BTW, I just read The Gift by Patrick O'Leary,
and then promptly reread it. Wow. Thank you, sir.