good karma

Here's a very good thing, for those who don't already know about it:

Ticonderoga Publications is joining in the effort to raise funds for Paul Haines.

Ticonderoga will donate $10 from the sale of each of its titles sold in August through its online store.

Paul Haines, a much-loved member of the Aussie sf community is going through a tough time. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, having sections of his bowel removed and enduring six months worth of chemotherapy, he has recently discovered he has spots on his liver. Paul has met this news by reloading his guns and is going to fight it with two other forms of chemotherapy for cancers like his, combined with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Avastin, however is not part of Medicare or the private health system's funding at this stage. It costs $20,000 to do it. Money that he doesn't have.

Ticonderoga Publications has not set a limit on its donation, and hopes to raise in excess of $1000.

More info on Paul's fund can be found here.

And here's a wonderful review of Magic Dirt from Aurealis, for anyone teetering on the brink:

( This is a book no self-respecting lover of Australian speculative fiction can afford to be without. )