Back in November I mentioned that I might possibly follow in Ed's footsteps and put together a "Best of Laelaps" collection. The only problem was that it was difficult to pick out posts I was proud of; I didn't want to put out an embarrassing collection of slapdash essays.
By the beginning of January I had nearly forgotten about the project. I didn't feel like I could put together something worth having. As of late, however, I have warmed to the idea of compiling a series of essays in book form. This isn't a matter of just picking some of my better posts, but carefully selecting pieces that I have written that exhibit my talent as a writer and some of the original historical research I have conducted.
Indeed, this is not going to be a collection of miscellaneous posts. I am taking the essay collections of Stephen Jay Gould as a model and specifically looking for essays that fit well together. With this in mind I have decided that the volume will primarily be focused on the history of science, and this is for two reasons. The first is that I think my historical essays are some of my best, and second is that I will be able to include many of the copyright-free illustrations I have already used in the posts. (I am intending on commissioning a few special illustrations for the book, as well as writing an essay or two that will not otherwise be available, but I will consider those aspects of the book in due time.)
My first task will be to make a list of my best essays and see if I can put them into some kind of order. This will be an ongoing part of the project, as there are some essays I have planned (particularly one about Devil's Corkscrews) that I will want to include but have not yet written. If there have been posts that you have particularly enjoyed, as well, please speak up in the comments. I am going to re-edit, and in some cases re-write, essays as I see fit, but it is helpful to know which posts readers of this blog have enjoyed the most.
I do not presently have a projected end-date for this project, but I would like to have everything ready before summer. I have not abandoned my other professional book project, but since I have hit something of an impasse, I am going to shift most of my efforts to a few short-term projects. With any luck, my essay collection should be ready by the end of May, but I have a lot of work to do before that can happen.
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Actually, I think Giant Killer Lungfish from Hell is a pretty good title. It might need a "stupendous" in there somewhere, but that's just me.
Good luck with both your projects. Writing isn't like bookkeeping. It has its own rhythm and its own timeline.
i'm glad that you've revived this idea, Brian. Your historical essays have been among my favourite posts, especially those dealing with the history of interaction between science and faith, where i've appreciated your irenic tone and insights. All the best!
I'm glad you're still doing this... best of luck with it!