Well, of course, there's the matter of Taking the Hype Too Seriously, which isn't always a bad thing, since it is, after all, Hype. Which means it's next door to lying, and in this case about something we all care about deeply, or we wouldn't be on this list, at least.
The series should be called MICHELE SLUNG, OTTO PENZLER AND SOME SELLING "NAME" CHOOSE THEIR FAVORITES AMONG AN ARRAY OF CANADIAN AND US SHORT CRIME FICTION MOSTLY PUBLISHED IN LITTLE MAGAZINES THOUGH OCCASIONALLY IN THE CRIME-FICTION MAGAZINES AND ELSEWHERE COVER OR COPYRIGHT-DATED LAST YEAR, but that isn't the best commercial choice. A bit less shying away from the "traditional" markets wouldn't be a bad thing, but like Ron Clinton I'm always happy to see Clark Howard appropriately respected, and a collection of his shorter work is Way Overdue, indeed.
I have picked up my copies of the Gorman/Greenberg (well-produced by a small publisher...one of Greenberg's enterprises?), the year-delayed newest Jakubowski THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST BRITISH MYSTERIES (sic--and notably heavily published in the US magazines, inasmuch as the only UK magazine specializing in the form right now is CRIMEWAVE, no?), and the Penzler annual, the first one to be co-edited by a writer I don't respect as a writer (and Deaver's big anthology of suspense fiction some years back wasn't close to the best possible job, either), but damn he apparently sells, so I hope to get to all three and the other annuals gathered shortly.
Todd Mason
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