Tag: NewCon Press

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Best of British Science Fiction 2018

As trailed earlier in the year, I’m pleased that my story ‘Hard Times in Nuovo Genova’ is included in the latest collection of the Best of British Science Fiction. You can find the book here.

Best Of British Science Fiction 2018 cover – image is Les Edwards’ Chasing the Lightship

The book is out now. If you want to buy it (and you should, you know), consider getting it direct from the publisher – NewCon Press. Whenever anyone supports an independent publisher, another fairy is saved.

I was gutted that I couldn’t make it to the book’s launch, at the science fiction WorldCon in Dublin. But I hear the event went well, and the book sold out on the day (so that’s good news for Tinkerbell and friends).

Hard Times’ was first published in August 2018 in Orson Scott Card’s sadly now-defunct Intergalactic Medicine Show. It’s one of three stories published last year in the ‘Way’ cycle of tales of love and loss in alternate universes. To see it nestling alongside such great British Sf writers as Alastair Reynolds, Aliya Whitely and GV Anderson is such a thrill.

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‘Hard Times’ in Best British SF 2018

The contents list for the latest collection of the Best of British Science Fiction has just been published. You can see it here.

It would be an understatement to say I’m thrilled that my story ‘Hard Times in Nuovo Genova’ is included. It’s always a pleasure when an editor wants your story, but doubly so when it nestles alongside tales from such a crowd of great British SF writers, in a collection pulled together by Donna Scott. Can’t wait to read them.

‘Hard Times’ was first published last August in Orson Scott Card’s sadly now-defunct Intergalactic Medicine Show (I didn’t break it, honest). It’s one of three stories published last year in the ‘Way’ cycle of tales of love and loss in alternate universes.

This is two years in a row that I’ve had a story in the Best of British anthology. Last year it was ‘When I Close My Eyes.’ You’ll have to wait until August for the launch of the 2018 anthology, but you can still buy the 2017 version (and you really should). Preferably direct from NewCon Press.

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Starship Sofa – Podcast Debut

My story, “When I Close My Eyes” (see July 17th 2017) is the gift that keeps on giving. It earned me my debut in the rather wonderful Interzone magazine last year. Then it landed a berth in the recent (and also wonderful) ‘Best of British Science Fiction 2017’, edited by Donna Scott.

And now the story has popped up in a podcast – it features in episode 534 of Starship Sofa.

I confess, I was unsure how it would be, hearing my story read by someone else. But narrator Gareth Stack has done a bang-up job. I really enjoyed it, and I knew what happened! I heard little details in his narration that I didn’t even realise I’d put in the story.

Check it out, and subscribe to Starship Sofa while you’re at it. They’ve got a huge back catalogue of great stories, and it’s really worthy of your time.

The podcast is part of the District of Wonders stable, which also produces Tales to Terrify (if horror is your bag) and Far Fetched Fables (if you like fantasy)

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Back to Reality

Goodness, I’ve neglected to keep up to date here. Partly because there have been a lot of trips out of London recently, and by the time I was back home I seemed to need ages to recover. Encroaching age!

My first ever Eastercon was a fascinating experience. Follycon took place in the very grand Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, on the kind of grey and rainy weekend that England has specialised in this winter (and spring).

Continue reading “Back to Reality”

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Best of British SF 2017 – When I Close My Eyes

It would be exciting enough that a book is coming out, containing the best British science fiction of last year.

But I confess I am beside myself that my story ‘When I Close My Eyes’ has somehow managed to sneak into the book. Where you will find it gazing around in awe at the illustrious company of fantastic writers like Adam Roberts, Eric Brown, Jaine Fenn and Ken MacLeod…  and the list goes on.

The collection is edited again by the marvellous Donna Scott, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I loved the 2016 collection, and this one looks even better.

You can order it here, from New Con Press. Go on, you know you want to.

The story first appeared in Interzone #271 last summer. It was my ‘hardest’ SF story yet – with a bereaved astronaut trapped by a rockfall in a cave on Titan, encountering some fragile but peskily well-organised Titanian aliens. (He was however helped out by a ghost, so I guess it is not that hard SF!)