My mystery novel, Smoke-Filled Rooms, written under the pen name Kris Nelscott, has just appeared in Greek from Kedros publishing. The cover is quite lovely, as you can see below.

If anyone can translate the Greek title for me, I would appreciate it.

I’d heard that Fox didn’t want to approve New Amsterdam , about an immortal New York homicide detective, although I didn’t hear why. I was afraid that they didn’t greenlight it because the show was bad or stupid or poorly acted. Those are often the reasons. Then the writer’s strike came along, and Fox greenlighted (greenlit?) the show.

I’ve been watching since the first episode. Aside from the really stupid device that they used to make John Amsterdam immortal (really, they could’ve thought of something else. This one is a 1970s trope, vaguely racist, extremely illogical, and…oh, never mind…just ignore that part), the show is marvelous. It’s a surprise at all times.

Instead of an immortal filled with ennui, like so many immortal shows, Amsterdam is very much alive. And even though he can’t die, he is fully human, which is also unusual in immortal shows. (I also liked the reference to Highlander: “What happens if someone cuts off your head?” someone asks him. “I don’t know,” Amsterdam says with surprise. “No one’s tried that yet.”)

This one is recommended.

I’m pleased to be nominated for a Hugo award for this story. A number of you have asked how to get a copy. Asimovs magazine has just posted this one and their other Hugo nominees on their website. You can find “Recovering Apollo 8″ here .

While you’re at the site, you might want to subscribe to Asimovs. It’s one of the best. Fiction magazines can always use the support. You can subscribe here .

Yesterday, I had jury duty. I live in a large county, and the county seat (along with the court house) is about 30 miles away. I brought a book; I always do because jury duty can be long moments of tedium followed by great frustration.

I figured I’d be home by mid-morning since the trial was a criminal one, and for some reason attorneys don’t like mystery writers on their juries. But the defendant’s car broke down (the judge said, “Yeah, right”), and we were asked to reconvene at 1:30 in the afternoon when the defendant surely would show up.

The inexperienced jurors–who had sat around for 1.5 hours looking bored–mentioned that they wished they had something to read. Most looked like they couldn’t afford to go to a nearby store and buy a book. (I live in a poor region of my state.)

The jury coordinator, who has apparently heard this before, gave them all directions to the library. They could get a card because they were residents of the county.

When I got back to the courthouse at 1, I found a dozen people with JUROR buttons, reading library books. Now that was a cool moment.

(What were they reading? Thomas Harris, Danielle Steele, and Orson Scott Card. Scott’s book, Ender’s Game, is the City of Newport’s book of the month. The entire town (which is where the court house is) is being encouraged to read the book and discuss it in April. Fantastic, right? I think so.)

Lou Anders, editor of the original anthology series Fast Forward, has just posted the contents for Fast Forward 2 which I’m lucky enough to be part of. Two of the contributors are podcasting parts of their collaboration. I haven’t listened yet, but it sounds like it’s worth the download. Check it out here.