Looking Forward to 2016

Yes. Yes. The intention here was for me to write about book releases for the coming year. But since this is New Year's Day and you are either A) still asleep or B) hung over, I am comfortably certain the sole person reading this blog post (and noting that I'm punting the rules) is my mother. And her philosophy can be summed up thusly: Write what you want.

So yeah.

What am I looking forward to? Not books. Not movies. Not TV shows. Because that way lies disappointment and bitter tears. I'd rather not get my hopes up for something only to have them dashed to pieces. I'd rather be pleasantly - even fantastically - surprised rather than tossed into the pit of missed story opportunities despair. This is a relatively recent thing for me. I *used* to get all worked up in advance for events (books, movies, TV) but, alas, I've been betrayed a few times and now, I hoard my emotional energy for losing my shit at the time I read/see/experience something. That said, I have tickets to the January Sherlock event. I am secretly looking forward to it. If my expectations are crushed beneath Benedict Cumberpatch's period boots someone may have to talk me down from the cinema's roof.

The real thing I'm looking forward to in 2016 is the SCIENCE. 2015 was a stellar year for science. Water on Mars. Amazing images and geology from Pluto. Earth 2.0. In 2016 I desperately want a fossil from Mars - a single celled organism would be fine. Don't care. A LIVE critter is too much to ask just yet. Unless the Big Foot rock decides to take a stroll across Curiosity's field of view. I'd love confirmation of those proposed ice volcanos on Pluto. I'd kill for hints of pollution in the atmosphere of Earth 2.0. Eh. Listen to me. Getting all greedy again. Yes. I want to be alive when life is found out there in the universe. So hey. Why not this year??

I'm also looking forward to each of you having a healthy, prosperous New Year full of joy.