So here we are in the heart of convention season, and I have just about recovered from my excesses and lack of sleep at Orbital (Eastercon 2008) in time for Alt Fiction later this month.
In all honesty, I think the pressure of getting the BSFA’s media magazine, Matrix, online a couple of days prior to the con meant that I was pretty shattered even before I arrived at Orbital. It’s always nerve-wracking to be involved in implementing change, and folk were understandably reticent. Thankfully, the new format was welcomed with overwhelming enthusiasm. I also got to indulge a personal passion of mine via my article on rock star, film and video director, vegetarian, comic book illustrator and author, graphic artist, shameless self-promoter, and ruler of a worldwide merchandise empire, Rob Zombie…so that was a bonus.
Matrix Online successfully launched, Del and I headed off to Orbital, Jack and Gin in hand. The hotel was pretty damn big, and might have been lovely if only the heating in our room had actually worked. Luckily we didn’t get to spend much time in those particular four walls, opting instead for the customary circuit of intellectual debates/drunken ramblings with friends, old and new.
Friday night kicked off with the joint book launch of Celebration - the British Science Fiction Association’s 50th year anthology- and Myth-Understandings from Newcon Press. I’m delighted to have short stories in both anthologies, and it was great to meet folk at the signing afterwards – even if I did forget my pen!
Saturday morning I moderated a panel on ’Supernatural Romance’, and was joined by fellow panellists, Tanith Lee, Jo Fletcher and Pagan Stone. While I would not class myself as a romance writer, I was intrigued to learn about this very popular genre and to spend time on a panel with Tanith, one of the writers who first inspired me to want to put pen to paper. Later, I took part in a deliciously heated panel on ’Religion and Science Fiction’. I have to confess to being slightly daunted, but as is often the case, the anticipation proved far worse than the reality – which was that I had a blast, and hopefully didn’t ruffle too many feather with my hippy pagan ways.
Saturday night was dominated by the BSFA awards. And here are the results:
BEST NOVEL:
’Brasyl’ by Ian McDonald (Gollancz)
The award was presented to Ian McDonald by Neil Gaiman.
BEST SHORT FICTION:
’Lighting Out’ by Ken MacLeod (from ’disLocations’; Newcon Press)
The award was presented by Tanith Lee and accepted for Ken MacLeod to Ian Whates, the editor of ’disLocations’.
BEST ARTWORK:
’Cracked World’ by Andy Bigwood (cover of ’disLocations’).
The award was presented by Charles Stross.
BSFA FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY AWARD: BEST NOVEL OF 1958
’Non-Stop’ by Brian Aldiss.
The award was introduced by Rog Peyton and presented by China Miéville. Jo Fletcher from Gollancz, which now publishes ’Non-Stop’ in the SF Masterworks range, accepted the award on Brian’s behalf.
So all that remained for Saturday night was to get horribly drunk and dance to the Bangles’ Walk Like An Egyptian…and, yes, I do suspect there is photographic evidence.
On Sunday, I dragged my aching carcass out of bed for the launch of Sarah Singleton’s latest YA novel, The Amethyst Children. Sarah gave a fascinating reading and then let us slurp red wine while going wild over the contents and the cover. Del, bless him, got stuck manning the BSFA table…that’ll teach him for sitting down and opening up his laptop! Sunday night repeated the same pattern as Saturday, if with more evidence of eyeliner and PVC given the evening’s theme of Dark Fantasy. A divine time was had by all…even if I could hardly write my own name on Monday.
Then it was back off into London to collect Scarlet and home. Exhausted, exhausted, exhausted…but happy.
Since returning and giving my liver a rest (yeah, right), I have finished a new short story called ’Johnny and Emmie-Lou Get Married,’ so kitsch as to be untrue, but I had fun. Steampunk, hot rods, urban landscapes, cute chicks and dirty boys…what else could a girl ask for? I’ve also started work again on the plot of my second novel, and am very happy to find that I am much further on than I had thought. Another four chapters or so should see the outline done and dusted. In between, I really must find time to work out what I’m going to cover in my workshop on ’Dark Fantasy’ at Alt Fiction. Don’t worry boys and girls, I’ll pull something out of the bag.
Other news? Went to see Derren Brown live at Derby’s Assembly Rooms on Monday night. I can not even begin to explain how the man ’reads’ minds. Very disconcerting. And last weekend Scarlet bought a Venus Fly Trap. I took comfort in the thought that I might be able to feed it plant food, but oh no, it only eats bugs. Maybe I’ll have to dissect the tarantula and scorpion she keeps on her bedroom wall?
xxx