Neil Clarke

The December 2012 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine is now available. You can get the issue:

• Online at www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
• Via podcast subscription (free)

or help us pay the bills by purchasing Clarkesworld:

• Via subscription at Amazon.com
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NONFICTION
The Corpse of the Future: Jane C. Loudon’s The Mummy! and Victorian Science Fiction by S. J. Chambers
A Thousand Words You Can Hear All at Once: An Interview with Todd Lockwood by Nayad Monroe
Another Word: The Echo Chamber by Daniel Abraham
Editor’s Desk: Getting off the Roller Coaster by Neil Clarke

PODCAST
This month’s stories will be released in audio form on the 1st, 14th and 21st. Read by Kate Baker.

COVER ART
The Lost City by David Demaret

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Thanks!

The November 2012 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine is now available. You can get the issue:

• Online at www.clarkesworldmagazine.com
• Via podcast subscription (free)

or help us pay the bills by purchasing Clarkesworld:

• Via subscription at Amazon.com
• Via subscription at Weightless Books
• or as a single issue ebook from B&N, Kobo (soon), Weightless, Wizard’s Tower and direct from us at Wyrm Publishing

NONFICTION
Foundation and Reality: Asimov’s Psychohistory and Its Real-World Parallels by Mark Cole
The Art of Brutal Prose: An Interview with Mark Lawrence by Peter Hodges
Another Word: It Gets Better with SFF (but SFF has to Get Better, too) by Lev AC Rosen
Editor’s Desk: I, Cyborg by Neil Clarke

PODCAST
This month’s stories will be released in audio form on the 1st, 14th and 21st. Read by Kate Baker.

COVER ART
New World by Ken Barthelmey

If you enjoy what we do, please consider supporting us by spreading the word about our subscription options on Facebook, Twitter or your blog. Your subscriptions make everything we do possible.

Thanks!

I previously mentioned the health adventure I had during Readercon. That post left you with the update that post-heart attack, I ended up in a second hospital with a kidney stone. Normally a stone is a simple procedure, but after a significant heart attack, two stents and a lot of blood thinners as required medicine, a stone is a significant complication. I spent several days in the CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) in Morristown as they filled me with the few painkillers I can tolerate. They had hoped the stone would pass naturally, but after five days, they grew concerned about the lack of progress and possible side-effects of staying on the painkillers. Much debate between my doctors ended with a decision to take the risk on a procedure to go in and zap the stone with a laser in a manner I care not to speak about. The procedure was partially successful. The stone was lodged and wouldn't have passed naturally. A stent was put in place, but the attempt to destroy the stone was suspended because of the amount of blood found and concerns of further damage while on blood thinners. The stent prevents most of the pain and if you've never had a stone, nurses described it as worse than childbirth. It's definitely the worst pain I've even experienced. Now, it can be managed with Tylenol until my heart has recovered enough to do the full procedure.

They let me come home Wednesday night and that was the first time in two weeks I slept in my own bed. I crashed early and woke up frequently, but I was home. Each day since has been a little better, but I came out post-stone (well, technically the beast is still in there) feeling worse than I did after my brief release post-heart attack. This week, I start meeting with doctors about my path to recovery. Currently, I'm banned from driving, going to my day job, lifting things, and a host of other physical activities.

Since several people have asked…. Chicon. I was looking forward to attending this year and catching up with friends I don't get to see all that often. I have to admit that as a first-time nominee for the Hugo Award for Best Editor (short form), I was particularly looking forward to attending the Hugos and the Hugo Losers Party.  I haven't made a final decision yet (which will really be made by family and doctors), but I have to face the fact that I nearly died this month. It's not very likely that I'll be able to attend and I think I'm just delaying the inevitable as a coping mechanism. In the grand scheme of things, a trip is really a silly thing to focus attention on. I have much bigger fish to fry.

I just want to add my voice to the many of others who are currently upset about Readercon's inability to follow their own rules and the effect it is having on people's ability to feel safe at the con. You can find the details about the situation here. Genevieve is a friend and one of the amazing people who helped us out while I lay in the hospital recovering from my heart attack. Some of the trouble even occurred as she was helping me out. I'm sickened by this whole thing.

I expected better from the Readercon board. In my experience, the overwhelming majority of people attending Readercon are good. This decision surely doesn't reflect the attitude of many of us and will cause several people to turn away, greatly diminishing us all. The actions of the board place a large dark cloud over the con. If they value the community that we've built over the years, they need to start listening and implement their policies as stated at the time.