Tag Results: British SF
A few roundabout-Christmas things to report
By Adam Roberts | December 28, 2006
Categories: Book News, Short Fiction
The excellent new British SF press Solaris have issued a press release about my forthcoming new novel, Splinter.
It’s not out just yet, and won't be until September 2007, but I'm pretty thoroughly excited by this, I must say. No cover art as yet, but I'll post it up here as soon as I get a look at it.
One piece of cover art that has come through is for Farah Mendlesohn’s forthcoming collection of stories designed to bait the illiberal and ill-advised governmental legislation making Glorifying Terrorism an offence. Into prison, then, with people celebrating George Washington, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi or Boudica; starting with Alan Moore for V for Vendetta.
I got a chance to read the stories for this collection when I was sent the pdf of the whole thing in order to proof-read my contribution; and I can say that my piece is the least amongst a number of very strong reasons to buy this book when it comes out, amongst them pieces by: Ken Macleod; Gwyneth Jones; Hal Duncan; Charles Stross and Suzette Haden Elgin. You really need to get hold of this anthology, believe me. Start placing advance orders now. I command you.
New Publications
By Adam Roberts | October 4, 2006
Categories: Book News
And here you go.
A new parody. Doctor Whom, or E.T. Shoots and Leaves, about a grammatically correct time lord. He’s trying to keep the ‘grammar’ of time in order, so that trifling things like ‘cause and effect’ are not wholly undermined. That’s not a dalek on the cover, by the way. It’s something else. Something that does not in any way breach BBC copyright.
The book is in part a parody of Dr Who, of course (not an easy call, given that Dr Who is already, in itself, a kind of parody); but also a parody of a certain popular grammar book, the author of which has not proved happy to be parodied by myself or anybody else.
A story in Pete Crowther’s latest collection, Forbidden Planets. My tale is called ‘Me:topia’ and starts with a spaceship crashing onto an unknown and (as you might guess from the title of the collection) forbidden world. The writing's a little fancy, but as author I try to keep a weather-eye on maintaining the appropriate quota of explosions, chase, exploration and general sfnal excitements and brouhaha. [2007 update: Pete's Collection made the Locus Recommended List for 2006; and my story made the list too, under 'novelettes'. Which was nice.]
With today’s post arrived Paul Kincaid and Andrew M. Butler’s collection of critical essays on The Arthur C Clarke Award : one essay per Clarke Award winner, over the last 18 years. I’ve an essay in here on the stonking Fairyland by the estimable Paul McAuley which won the award in 1996 (Such a brilliant novel; such a gifted writer). But my essay on the novel is the least of many excellent reasons to buy this collection; quite apart from the range and insights of the other contributors, all profits go to the Serendip Foundation, which will help keep the Award alive. Buy the book, or go to the Foundation’s website and make a donation. I command you!