Just finished Crisscross over lunch. Loved it as much as all the other RJ books, but I have a question. <Spoiler space follows>







How did Coop end up getting blown up? Jensen spotting his mangled remains shocked me, and I kept waiting for an explanation of what happened after Jack removed the bomb. Since it was still in the house to blow up on Jensen, I figured there would be more exposition.

Thanks for any input.

Hank Woolsey

1998
SIMS started when I saw a Times article mentioning that humans and chimps share 98.4% of their DNA. A story began to grow.

I mentioned it to Mitchell Galin (producer of "The Stand" mini-series) and he was interested.

1999
In January I wrote up a proposal for a mini-series. It went nowhere. Sometime in the fall, Rich Chizmar approached me for a story to add to Cemetery Dance’s series of novellas. I told him about the SIMS idea and he said go for it.

After starting the story I realized it was way too big for a 40,000-word limit. I told Rich the problem and he said, No problem. Write a series of novellas and we'll publish them as you finish them.

2000
In January I sat down and started “La Causa.” By the end of the month it was done so I started “The Portero Method and finished that in four weeks.

By April I was satisfied enough with them to send both to Rich. Then I started writing HOSTS.

Four months later, CD published SIMS-1 and it sold out.

I finished HOSTS in September, edited the HEALER galleys for Stealth, then started on “Meerm.”

Here I ran into a bit of a problem. I hadn't fully outlined the series (being one of those anal types who likes to travel with a map, I thought I’d indulge in a tightrope-without-a-safety-net approach), and now when I went back to the story I discovered things that I would have liked to put in the first two novellas. But it was too late: #1 was in print and #2 in galleys.

So I adjusted. I finished “Meerm” by mid-October and “Zero” by early December. “The Portero Method” had yet to appear.

2001
With the HOSTS revisions and proofing the ANEOTS galleys for Stealth, I didn’t get to Part 5: “Thy Brother’s Keeper” until February.

In April I sent parts 3, 4, and 5 to CD.

Still no SIMS #2. Rich said the art was delayed but was confident that the other four would be published in the next 12 months.

I wrote the Sims novellas with an eye toward collecting all five in one volume after CD published them. So I melded them, changing the order of some events for a smoother flow, and took the novelized version to Forge in July. They bought it but said it would be at least 18 months, maybe more, before they could schedule it.

Perfect. That gave a Rich a 6-month (“maybe more”) cushion beyond the year he’d told me it would take to get the novellas out.

Finally, in December, SIMS #2 appeared.

2002
SIMS #3 appeared in August – two full years after #1.
No sign of #4

2003
The novelized version of SIMS was published in April.
Still no sign of #4.

2004
Still no sign of #4.
September: SIMS wins the Prometheus Award just as the paperback is released.
October: the announcement that Sims #4 is at the printer.

I noticed a reference to Glaeken in The Haunted Air (I think that's the right one). The old woman said something like, there is another one but he is too old. I gather that she was talking about Glaeken, but why does he have to be too old? He is an amazing character, and Rasalom, Molasar, etc. keeps coming back, so why not Glaeken? It would be wonderful to see him again.
Actually, I haven't read Gateways or Crisscross yet, so I really don't know that he's not back. If the reason that he's gone is explained somewhere, someone please refresh my memory. The reference in THA has me wanting more Glaeken. . . . Not that Jack needs a partner, but a mentor would be good. Kinda like Master Splinter is for the turtles, he's old, but still kicks ass when necessary.

Well it had to happen. I finally shelled out for this book. I don't mean that to sound like it isn't worth it, it's just that it's pricey enough for a kid's book without taking into account getting it shipped to the UK! So I was over the moon to find it in the UK.
Anyway, I think it's worth it for the artwork alone. The whole book is beautifully presented. Haven't read it yet though - it'll be getting wrapped up for my son for Christmas. He's only two and a half but I might as well start him on The Man early.
Besides, I have to return the favour - last year he bought me The Fifth Harmonic!
Had a quick skim though - and had to laugh when I saw the 'instructions' telling me how to read the book aloud! Never used to get advice like that in the Mr Men books...!
Looking forward to Christmas now - and I'll be practising my 'reading aloud' voices too. Hopefully I'll be able to get the English accent pretty good!

Thought I'd re-read Gateways to prepare for the release of Crisscross (assuming Amazon.co.uk gets its act together and updates its Crisscross page. How hard can it be to buy something?! Is Crisscross just a joke? Is it actually never going to be released?! Okay, rant over!)
Anyway, I'm liking the book more than I expected. I mean, obviously I liked it first time around - it's by The Man after all - but it never got inside me the way other Repairman Jack books have. This time though... well it just seems to be working better for me the second time around.
Earlier today, I got to the bit where Jack is trying to figure out a French Press for his coffee and scoffs at the idea of ensuring the water is at the exact required temperature. What would Duncan Lathram think about that attitude, I wonder?

I didn't know that he was actor.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0124133/

Have you ever seen his movies?

better than I expected, and I never thought the last 10 minutes would be like they were. While a few things were obvious from the start, most of it was a confusing twist. I love suspense movies like that

The Battle of Pelennor Fields from LOTR:ROTK. Special mention goes to all scenes with Gollum-the most incredible CGI I've seen.

The opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Arc.

In The Exorcist -- when Fr. Merrin steps through the front door and we hear the demon call his name.