I finally get a chance this week to collapse in front of the computer and talk to you lot. First up, and most importantly (and thanks everyone for their congratulations), my wife Caroline's been told that she passed her Selection Conference (a three day marathon of presentations and tests which thankfully didn't include anything about listing the Ten Commandments in order, which she can never do in pub quizzes) and will be training, from this autumn, to become a priest in the Church of England. This means huge changes to our lives in the next few months, but it also means we can have a proper holiday this summer before it all starts. It's been Caroline's ambition since she was fourteen. I hope being cloistered in academia will do good things for my writing life, and that it won't be like, you know, me as the lead in
I'm also aware that having someone in a dog collar at my side will make a difference in the various fandoms in which I move, with reactions ranging from happy curiousity and questions (always welcome) through the tiny added burden suffered in silence by the many kindly atheists we know (and I'm sure it does hurt a bit, and, you know, sorry!), all the way to complete bigotry. People tend not to say anything to Caroline's face, but, you know, the internet. I sometimes worry that all my work will start being examined by the more extreme sorts of fandom for signs that it's not ideologically pure, and that my rather confrontational way of coming at issues in fandom will also be read as ideological. When actually, I think Tolkien and Rowling got it right: representing your ideology directly in a text, rather than working it over and challenging it, just makes for bad books. But this is all mere paranoia on my part. By and large, people have been lovely, and in some cases have amazed me with their kindness for people who don't believe the same things they do. That, dears, is what the world is after.
Also, this week, I wrote 'The End' at the end of the novel manuscript (122,000 words, which is a reasonably slim volume). I still have to go back over it and smooth a few things out (I may have mentioned this a couple of blogs ago: I'm really scared of finishing and then having to, you know, show it to anyone). But I'm confident that I'll deliver it to my Agent for his notes at the end of the month. And then I look forward to getting into a whole new draft of editing.
I had a wonderful time hosting the Faringdon Arts Festival last weekend. Thanks to the prop makers (you know who you are) who turned up and entertained the audience so much, and to Phil Ford and Simon Guerrier, who became the latest authors to address the assembled masses. The bands were, as always, terrific, and the crowd held out even amid the rain on the Saturday night. Here, filmed by Sheila Donovan, is one example from the weekend, the terrific Emma Kennedy:
And yesterday, I was honoured to be a guest at the wedding of stand up comedian and actor Toby Hadoke, who decided to sort out tables at the reception by means of badges with different Doctor Who actors on them. 'Troughtons, any Troughtons out here?' called the ushers moving the audience towards the buffet. The speeches were, as you might imagine, quite something. I'm sure Toby and the lovely Katherine will have a wonderful life together.
So, right, stuff! Next Saturday, the 25th, I'm doing a signing at the Sub City comics shop, at Unit 5, West Essex St, off Dame Street in Dublin, from 2pm to 5pm. If you're going to be in the area, it'd be a delight to meet you.
Secondly, and very importantly, amongst all the other great stuff this week, it was announced that artist Tom Raney and I will be collaborating on a Black Widow miniseries to tie in with the Iron Man 2 movie. There are interviews about it here:
And here:
Which I think cover what I want to say. I'm hugely excited to do this, because I love the character, and it means I get to write a spy thriller again. To cover a couple of points raised: it'll be a techno thriller set right now, with flashbacks to various aspect of Natalia's past. Everything established will be included, nothing will be retconned. I've heard a couple of commentators say the plot sounds sexist (a threat to 'everyone Natalia has ever kissed') but that's not exactly what the deal is, and I'm not going to play it like that. My main aim is to present a non-powered female hero who's incredibly tough, mentally and physically, having been at peak fitness, continually learning new martial arts, for fifty years. Who was an equal partner with the Son of Zeus. She's the lead, she's in charge, they are, to some extent, defined by her. And I get to write a James Bond style 'pre-titles sequence'. I hope you enjoy it when you see it.
And of course, Captain Britain and MI-13 reaches its series finale, I mean, its final issue, this Wednesday/Thursday. I'm hugely proud of the way we tie up the story and go out. There's an eight page preview here, which I really should have asked them not to go with (as I did the previous issue) because it does give away one of our big final twists, but if you don't mind being spoiled, do take a look:
I'll be putting up a final issue blog, and letters page, midweek.
I'm into the 'excitement building up about Worldcon' phase of my Summer, which is especially keen considering I'll be having to fly the tuxedo over to Canada, since I'm presenting a Hugo Award this time round. My provisional schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Thursday 2pm: I'll be reading from my short stories.
Thursday 5pm: A panel about Fringe, glad to see that getting some attention.
Thursday, 9pm: Charades.
Friday, 11am: The Fantasy Music of Kate Bush. My own presentation, which I'm very excited about. It's basically going to be a lecture about how Kate presents fantasy topics in her music. More on this as the day approaches.
Friday 12.30pm: Snobs R Us: a panel about which texts genre audiences look down on (YA, media tie-ins, etc.) which I'm very much looking forward to.
Friday 3.30pm: I'll be doing a signing.
Friday 9pm: Just A Minute (which I'll be hosting).
Saturday 10am: Looking Forward, Moving Backward. 'How are current SF movies and TV shows reinforcing out of date attitudes and prejudices? It’s said that media SF is where written SF was a generation ago. In what ways is it pushing the genre forward?' (Again, just the sort of crunchy debate I enjoy.)
Sunday 9am: Stroll With The Stars. Me, Lou Anders, John Picacio, Mary Robinette Kowal, Farah Mendlesohn and Felix Gilman will be taking a turn around Montreal with everyone who wants to show up. It was great fun last year. It's something Stu Segal organises to encourage fitness within fandom. I hope my knees hold out.
Monday 10am: A United Planet? You Gotta Be Kidding. (About the way the concept of planetary government has always been popular in SF, but failed to catch on for real.)
Monday 11am: I'll be doing a Kaffeeklatsch, which is when a small bunch of folk who want to chat over coffee with an author can show up to do so. I think you need to sign up ahead of time.
I think I've been really lucky with panels this year. Great stuff. (I don't tend to name fellow panellists, although there are some delightful ones featured, until they've confirmed their own schedule.) Anyhow, I hope to see some of you next Saturday, and some of you in Montreal. Until then, Cheerio!
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