(Slightly risky using the p-word in a blog title, but hey, it might actually snag me some new readers.) I was sent this link to a painfully funny article from The New Yorker, spoofing the whole “authors must be proactive in promoting their books!” thing. At least, I think it's a spoof … Actually, as much …
Christchurch Arts Festival – [who] go[es] here
And keeping on with the theme of bringing you doom and gloom news, I read in this morning's Christchurch Press that the Christchurch Arts Festival is in serious trouble. A quote: The festival has evolved within a relatively short time from a $640,000 operation in 1995 to a $3.96 million enterprise in 2007. To date …
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Science Fiction (denial) is alive and well
I was sent a link to an interesting article about science fiction's position with the literary mainstream:Why science fiction authors just can't win. Posted using ShareThis I'd never really thought about how to classify books like The Handmaid's Tale and 1984, other than as “distopian” (which tends to acquire the suffix “fantasy” by default). (And …
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Noooooooooo! (it had to happen)
Oh dear. It's a first I wasn't looking forward to: The Summer King making it's debut appearance in a secondhand bookshop. Jason Books in Auckland have one of the review copies listed for sale. It would have been nice if whoever it was (I wonder who?) had reviewed the book before selling it! (Maybe they …
Free Workshop – Helen Lowe: Writing Fantastic Fiction
News just in of a very interesting sounding workshop for all of us who yearn to write that fantasy or science fiction novel: Award-winning author, Helen Lowe, runs a workshop on “Writing Fantastic Fiction”, focusing on Fantasy and Sci-Fi. The session includes discussions and exercises on the essential elements of 'fantastic world building', structure and …
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A Dark Feathered Art 