But there's an urgent issue I have to write about right now. Namely, the July issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, in which (I may have mentioned) there is my new Jonathan Hamilton novelette, 'The Copenhagen Interpretation'. This marks, for me, a life long ambition achieved. You can read the start of the story here, but I tell you what, why not go the whole hog and download the issue? For between the very same covers you will find six excellent SF short stories (including one by Norman Spinrad, I'm in a magazine with Norman Spinrad!), a brilliant way to get a taste of the current genre, another novelette, by Chris Beckett, three poems, Paul DiFilippo's book review column, James Patrick Kelly's internet column, Robert Silverberg's awesomely wry column column (I'm in a magazine with Robert Silverberg!), an appreciation of Isaac Asimov himself and Sheila Williams' editorial. Don't take my word for it, take a look at the contents here.

How much does all this cost, you ask? Would you believe that you get all that for $3.99? (That's £2.46!) And you can download it in seconds to your iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader or probably any other portable reading device. You can find instructions on how to do that here. Or go straight to the Fictionwise site which offers multiple formats. Or if you've got a Kindle, then here's the site on Amazon. There's no problem for a UK reader in paying in dollars, your credit card does the math(s).

If you're someone who perhaps likes my work in other media, and was wondering if you'd like my prose SF, or if you're someone who'd just like to dip the tiniest of toes in the wonderful world of modern science fiction, then checking out this issue of Asimov's would be, I think, a good option. Sheila picks great stories, generally offering humane and identifiable ways in to the most extreme of situations, and the field recognises the quality of the magazine, with many award nominations. It could be your first port of call on a life-long journey, and I'd love to give someone that gift (well, if a gift can cost you $3.99). I've been downloading Asimov's for about a year now, and for me it's a monthly treat.

And if you're wondering where that lovely cover photo is from, it's the Eagle Nebula, shown via the link in greater detail.

You can tell I'm excited, can't you? In short, it's a great way in, I'm in it (I may have said), it's brilliant, please check it out.

And talking of brilliant things, I, erm, won an Eagle Award! It was for Best Newcomer (don't mock) and I was frankly astonished to have beaten such quality opposition. The Awards were given out at the MCM Expo in London last weekend, while I was in Phoenix, but here's my acceptance speech as shown on the night...

I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me, and when I get hold of the statuette, there'll be a photo. Anyhow, now I'm going to go and fall over. Cheerio!

I'm very excited to have my first work published at Vertigo tomorrow, as part of the Strange Adventures anthology, which also features friends such as Lauren Beukes and Jeff Lemire. You can see a couple of preview pages from my story here, and check out samples from the rest of the issue here.

And speaking of previews, also out tomorrow is Action Comics #901, the start of 'Reign of the Doomsdays', which you can check out the first four pages of here.

Sci-Fi Authors & Social Media: Authors today spend a lot of time online conversing with fans about their work and everything under the sun. How do they keep social media from taking over their lives, while making their online presence a good experience for them and their fans? Panelists: Cherie Priest, Jack Mangan, John Scalzi, Paul Cornell, Sam Sykes.
When: Fri, 10:30-11:30AM (Room 122 Sci Fi)

Paul Cornell Spotlight: Join writer-guest Paul Cornell for a freewheeling chat on all his various works, including his Doctor Who (and other British television work), DC, Marvel and Boom! Comics work, and his award-nominated original fiction. Panelists: Paul Cornell.
When: Fri, 3:00-4:00PM (Room 122 Sci Fi)

Just a Minute With Paul Cornell and Friends: Join Paul Cornell and special guests for a fun round of the British radio game show Just a Minute. Panelists: Paul Cornell and others.
When: Fri, 6:00-7:00PM (Room 121)

Getting Inside the Criminal Mind: Whether it's a horror story, comic or fantasy epic, you need to have a good antagonist for your hero. From serial killers to super villains, our panelists take a look at what goes into the creation of a good bad guy. Panelists: Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Paul Cornell, Weston Ochse.

When: Sat, 12:00-1:00PM (Room 124A Sci Fi)

The Pages According to the Writer: How does a writer go from a blank page to published words? Learn from Tom Hutchison, Eric M. Esquivel, Michael Kessler and Paul Cornell how to transform ideas into comic books. Panelists: Eric M Esquivel,Michael Kessler,Paul Cornell,Tom Hutchison.

When: Sat, 1:30-2:30PM (Room 126A Comics)

Talking Comics: DC: Join our comics guests to find out about their recent and current work on DC comics and what they can tell you about what's coming up. Panelists: Dave Beaty, Ethan Van Sciver, Jim Calafiore, Joel Gomez, Paul Cornell, Scott Clark.
When: Sat, 4:30-5:30PM (Room 121)

Cool Things I'm Reading: Well-read authors and bibliophiles discuss what they've been reading of late and recommend new works for you to read as well. Panelists: Cherie Priest, Maryelizabeth Hart, Paul Cornell.
When: Sun, 10:30-11:30AM (Room 122 Sci Fi)

The British Comics Invasion: Join Brits Paul Cornell and Mike McKone for a talk about the British comics industry and a look at British superheroes, such as Captain Britain, Judge Dredd and Knight & Squire. Panelists: Mike McKone,Paul Cornell.
When: Sun, 3:00-4:00PM (Room 125 Comics)

I'll also be helping out with the auction on Saturday night, and I'll be spending a lot of the rest of the time at table #645, so do come over and say hello.

I'm swiftly ploughing through a rewrite on the novel, using up all those notes I made during the last draft of things to add, cut or correct. It's the most satisfying thing I've ever done, but it's immensely tiring. I may well keep on going during the gaps in Phoenix. So if you see me with my netbook at my table, that's what I'm writing.

Wish me luck for the Eagle Awards on Saturday evening. I doubt I'll win Best New Writer up against that amazing field, but those of you who are going to be there, please let me know how it goes. At any rate, I hope to see you soon. Cheerio!

The panel is part of Out of this World, the Library's amazing new exhibition devoted to SF, which opens tomorrow and runs all summer, and which I'm looking forward to taking a leisurely stroll through. The BL has already been very supportive of the Clarke Awards, and this exhibition adds to this season's interesting sense of encounter between our genre and mainstream culture. I hope I'll see you there.

Speaking of SF, I also contributed a bit of punditry to the Handicapping the Hugos issue of the fanzine The Drink Tank (the link takes you straight into it), which, with the aid of Lauren Beukes, Mike Carey and Bryan Talbot, attempts to set odds on who might win this year's Awards. If only a bookmaker would do the same. I'd lose a fortune.

And finally, as a couple of you were kind enough to note in the comments, Dr. Faiza Hussain, my character from Captain Britain and MI-13, is mentioned in this edition of the radio show Here and Now.

I'll blog my panel list for the Phoenix Comic Convention after this weekend. I think that today I may very well get to write 'The End' on the novel, although the real end will come a long while later, once I've gone back through the book dealing with a huge list of issues. On Friday night, we're flying off for a weekend in Moscow, so those on the Twitter feed may see some pictures. Until next time, then, Cheerio!

The issue of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine with my novelette in it should be on newstands and in subscriber's hands now, but I'm waiting to make another fuss about it when the e-edition is available.

Two or three exciting things have happened in the last week or so, which I look forward to telling you about, but the source of most excitement for me is that I'm closing in on the end of the novel, writing 2000 words a day as the marathon turns into a sprint for the line. I've got three pieces of paper on which I'm compiling things to remember: 'list of things to watch for in rewrite', which is a list of everything I want to tweak when I'm going back through the book, immediately after I write 'the end', and can see everything in context; 'places to visit', which is a list of places in London I want to pay a new visit to now that I've written about them, to add a few more details and to make sure they haven't changed; and the third list has a title which I won't reveal to you just yet. I'm doing justice to my comics work at the same time, but the novel is eating my life at the moment, and I couldn't be happier, it's the state to which I've always aspired.

Anyhow, I look forward to seeing some of you in Bristol. Until then, Cheerio!

To celebrate Free Comic Book Day, by the way, I'll be doing a signing this Saturday, from 11am or so, at Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham. Do pop along. Until then, Cheerio!