Who Reads My Books? Andy Chaytor.

Next one in the rogues' gallery:

Hi Neal, I work in a bank - as you can probably guess from my web address. It's my job, amongst others, to work out what is going on with markets and how clients - pension funds, asset managers, hedge funds and government entities - should be positioned. It's been a fun couple of years as I'm sure you can imagine!! I started doing this 6 years ago having got a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

Reading-wise my passions are sci-fi first and foremost but also I enjoy crime novels - especially Agatha Christie; what I look for from a book is some level of escapism. The point about a good book, I think, is that it allows your mind to escape when you are reading it AND when you are not, as you mull over the ideas and thoughts that have been presented to you. That's what makes you my favourite author - more than anyone else I have ever read, your books (the concepts and thoughts within them) stay with me long, long after I have finished reading.

Keep up the good work!!

Andy

Orbus Paperback Cover

Here we have a stonking good piece of artwork from Jon Sullivan. The man certainly reads the books because there is no doubt that this is Vrell:

Who Reads My Books? Matthew Reece Ford

A while ago I chatted to a guy called Matthew Reece Ford via either Face Book, this blog, or somewhere else. He is fan of my books and noting I live near Chelmsford wondered if I’d be on for a beer the next time he came down to visit his brother. I pointed out that though Chelmsford is in my postal address I don’t actually live there, but in a village some 13 miles away. Turns out that village is precisely where his brother lives. I couldn’t see him last year, when this conversation took place, but since he was down here this Christmas I said why not, and met him in the local for a pint. “So what do you do?” I asked. “I’m a scientist,” he replied.

It’s this meeting, and others like it (many in the virtual world) that’s led me to a little idea for a few posts here. I’m fascinated to know who reads my books, and in this case quite tickled when it turns out that whilst I dream about the future there are those who read my books who are actually making it.

I have been an avid reader for over 3 decades. Favourite newer authors: David Gunn, Tony Ballantyne, Neal Asher, Alastair Reynolds, Peter F Hamilton, Greg Egan, Robert Reed, Richard Morgan, Charles Stross, Robert A Metzger, Chris Moriarty. Favourite classic authors: Clarke, Asimov, Brin, Baxter, Stapleton, Silverburg, Wyndham

BSc Biochemistry (with sandwich year, worked at Celltech in Slough for a full year) at Canterbury 1990-1994. PhD Biochemistry at Canterbury and Leicester (1994-1998).
Employed 1999 to present at Cobra BioManufacturing, as a senior scientist.

At Cobra I have worked on viruses (adenovirus, lentivirus, reovirius), proteins (for treatment of a variety of disorders, such as anti-transplant rejection proteins and monoclonal antibodies) and plasmid DNA (for vaccines) at large scale. All inside our clean rooms for phase I and II clinical trials.

Now, to continue this, I’d like to hear from other readers. I’d like you to tell me about yourselves for posts like this one. Don’t be intimidated by the qualifications of the guy above, and remember that until 2001 I was still cutting grass and hedges and strimming dogshit!

And here's Matt's book collection:

 

 

Winter Scenes.

The view out the back out our house now, what with the temperature climbing to a balmy 0.8 degrees, and Caroline's method of dealing with it all.

D & E are for Dickson & Eddings

SAMUEL DELANY	BABEL-17
GORDON R DICKSON	TIME STORM ANCIENT MY ENEMY MASTERS OF EVERON
PHILIP K DICK	SOLAR LOTTERY
THOMAS M DISCH	UNDER COMPULSION
STEPHEN DONALDSON	LORD FOUL’S BANE THE ILLEARTH WAR THE POWER THAT PRESERVES GILDEN-FIRE THE WOUNDED LAND THE ONE TREE THE WHITE GOLD WIELDER
DAVE DUNCAN	A ROSE RED CITY SHADOW THE RELUCTANT SWORDSMAN THE COMING OF WISDOM THE DESTINY OF THE SWORD
DAVID EDDINGS	PAWN OF PROPHECY QUEEN OF SORCERY MAGICIAN’S GAMBIT CASTLE OF WIZARDRY ENCHANTER’S ENDGAME

Video Clip Questions

Okay, let's have some more questions for me to answer in another video clip. Same format as before. If you ask questions I've answered ad nauseum I'll reply in the comments, otherwise I'll answer them on the video clip. Might be a little delay on this -- got to shake off a cold first.

Book Shelves

Here are some more book shelves. The first shelf comes from James Devine after a tidy up for which his wife is grateful. The second is from Andreas Stahlbock, who tells me, "It's now about ten and a half years since I bought that yellow paperback on the left by one more or less unknown author "Neal L. Asher". I'm glad I did." I'm glad he did too. Incidentally, there are books here I know some would kill for: The Parasite, Mindgames: Fool's Mate...

 

 

Batman Dark Knight.

When Heath Ledger got an Oscar for his role as the Joker in Batman Dark Knight my reaction was a sneer. Here we go, Hollywood grief-fest and insincerity, and doesn’t everyone now love to take part in a bit of public grieving to demonstrate how sensitive they are? Doubtless if the man had lived his chances of getting that award would have dropped through the floor. Nothing quite like snuffing it young to translate you direct to the halls of fame.

It was, therefore, with a degree of cynicism that I sat down to watch the Batman film. Again that disjointedness, close shaky camera on the action, but, bloody hell. This was the best Batman film I’d seen and Heath Ledger gave us a superbly lunatic Joker. I guess he deserved his Oscar, in fact more than many other who’ve been presented with it. But does it mean much? The whole award has been devalued by being presented to a certain hypocritical money-grubbing politician.

Star Trek & Terminator Salvation

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So, whilst in Crete we sat and watched the new Star Trek movie. I’d heard some bad reports about it and later, when back here, I read the same on the Internet from various people in the SF world. Apparently it was crap, and the film we should all be praising is Moon. I have to say I did dislike the modern tendency in it of getting in close with the shaky camera, and I disliked a certain disjointedness to the story and action, but…

Recently we sat and watched Terminator Salvation. In some parts it didn’t flow very well and, in an attempt to give the action more impact, clarity was sacrificed, but…

I do understand the reaction to these films from some quarters of the SF world. The former film had plenty of exploding spaceships, phaser fights and a planet-busting weapon, whilst the latter had too many lethal robots and too much ball-busting action. Both films didn’t contain sufficient angst, liberal-left didacticism or enough politically-correct homilies. They were, therefore, insufficiently worthy.

I loved them both and will watch them both again. 

Book Sale

Here's a list of the books I have for sale, so it's the price you see below plus postage and packing. To the USA that's usually the price of the books again. In Britain postage and packing for a first class packet for one large hardback is about £3.50. I can be contacted at ndotasheratvirgindotnet. And, of course, I'll sign these and inscribe anything you want in them!

13 Gridlinked MMP 1st American £5.00
5   Gridlinked HB 1st American £17.00
6   Gridlinked HB 1st Book/Club £15.00

3   The Skinner TPB 2nd English
1   The Skinner HB 1st American £17.00
2   The Skinner HB 1st Book/Club £15.00

2   The Line of Polity MMP 1st English £7.99

18 Cowl MMP 1st English £7.99
9   Cowl MMP 1st American £5.00
12 Cowl TPB 1st American £9.50

9   Sable Keech MMP 1st English £7.99

5   Brass Man MMP 1st English £6.99
1   Brass Man TPB 1st English £12.99
17 Brass Man HB 1st Book/Club £15.00
6   Brass Man TPB 1st Tor £9.50

9   Polity Agent MMP 1st English £7.99

3   Hilldiggers MMP 1st English £7.99
12 Hilldiggers MMP 2nd English £7.99
8   Hilldiggers HB 1st English £17.99

11 Line War MMP 1st English £7.99

5 Shadow of the Scorpion TPB 1st English £11.99

12 Prador Moon MMP 1st English £6.99
6 Prador Moon HB 1st English £14.99
24 Prador Moon TPB 1st Nightshade £9.50

ART COMPETITION 2010

Right, I have been procrastinating about this but Robert A. McGregor (whose picture here of a gabbleduck took one of the runners up prizes) has shoved me into motion by providing a forum to which the artwork can be posted, and where it can also be discussed. Quite appropriately, I think, he's called it Subminds.

You can find Subminds here.

So what's this competition about? I want to see pictures of scenes and characters from my books - characters including all the weird and wonderful life-forms, the drones, AIs, Golem, whatever takes your fancy.

What do you win? Jon Sullivan, who is the excellent artist presently producing my covers for Macmillan, has suggested signed prints of those same covers, and there'll be signed copies of the latest book pubilshed by Macmillan too. Sorry to be vague about this, but we've yet to sort out precisely what will be on offer, and maybe we'll be able to sort out some more goodies. Also, you get your art out there - you get to advertise your skill. Mr Sullivan will also be the judge of this competition, so take a look at his website to get some idea of who will be judging you.

The duration of the competition will be one year - the winner and runners-up selected by January 2011.

Get drawing and painting!

Orbus Stuff.

Thank you 'Walker of Worlds'!

Definitely the best space opera released this year and a superb finale to the Spatterjay series. Neal brings all his usual flair and unique aliens to the mix in what can only be described as one of his finest novels to date.

Update:

Also The Gabble is in the top ten on Next Read...


I’ve decided this is my ideal form of a short story collection. Like A Touch of Dead (but in a completely differently league) This collects together stories set in the Polity universe. I found it a wonderful introduction to both Neal Asher and the Polity. I am now a firm fan of Gabbleducks and think that you should be too.

Books books books

Just done a massive sort-out of my own books up in the loft. All sorts of things coming to light: trade paperback Night Shade editions of Cowl; Book Club (USA) editions of Brass Man, Gridlinked, The Skinner; plenty of 1st edition mass-market paperbacks of all my latest books, a quantity of 1st editionn hardbacks (USA) of Gridlinked & The Skinner... I've also noticed odd things, like I never received my copies of the mass-market paperback of The Gabble from Macmillan.

Very shortly I'll be putting a list of those books up here, so if anyone wants copies of them, signed, they can get in contact. It'll be cover price plus postage.

Don Hasmat Suit and Jump in!

I’ve been sampling around the Internet from articles, essays and rants on the subject of the ‘death of SF’ and ‘relevant issues’. Some interesting points raised but, good grief. Apparently SF must do something, it must re-invent itself, update itself and, wait for it, it must become more socially relevant. Apparently it is conservative, racist and sexist, runs away from present science and pitches itself into the far future to escape that (?), it’s behind the curve, only highlights present ‘issues’ by visualising dystopian crashes resulting from them … on and on.

Bollocks. Science fiction is updating itself continuously. Neuromancer is a case in point (as de Vries pointed out), bringing things up to date and thereafter incorporated. Nanotech is in the fold, so is biotechnology, quantum mechanics, brane theory … in fact point at any present day science or technology and an avid SF reader will be able to point at a book in which it is included or extrapolated. Science fiction isn’t running away from present day science (hard) but leaping to a future where that science isn’t the territory of a few experts, some learned journals or struggling from the laboratory, but out in the real (or unreal) world.

There’s also the danger here of chucking out the baby with the bathwater. To be more relevant should SF, as some seem to think, discard its own history? Why should old ideas become less relevant? Arthur C Clarke wrote a paper once about satellite communications, but that’s so old, let’s get rid of it and start polishing up the new shiny thing. We should dump the lasers too, and someone needs to tell Boeing to stop shooting UAVs out of the sky with them. Spaceships, they gotta go, are you listening Branson?

But the rest, outside of real science in my terms but in the territory of ‘soft’ science in others is that ‘social relevance’. Nothing new then. Just another New Wave slopping on the beach to deposit its flotsam of liberal guilt, its need to shove away real science and get deep into humanities man. Having an interest in hard science, a preference for sensawunda and a stonking good story is conservative, apparently. Telling a story without sufficient sexual or racial diversity is sexist or racist, except, if your main character is a black woman and you’re a white male writer, you’ll get pilloried for that too. (Oh, and apparently SF awards need more positive discrimination. Call me old fashioned, but I always thought awards should be given on the basis of the product, not the colour or sex of the producer. To positively discriminate is hugely patronising and is sexist and racist in itself.)

Damn, every single point in all these debates (just like the death of SF itself) has been bludgeoned into insensibility over forty or fifty years. Do they serve any purpose, do they help to inject new life? Usually each essay, article or rant is just the vehicle of the prejudices of the writer concerned (like here) but, applying Sturgeon’s Law, something of interest or use can be found, you just need to put on your hasmat suit to go and find it.  

An Evening with Ray Bradbury 2001

This is good stuff.

More on that Premature Autopsy on the Corpse of SF.

In the comments to a previous post in which I deride those who keep on telling us SF is dying, Jetse de Vries notes from the bestseller list of 2008:

…basically *one* SF novel in the top 100 (and it barely scraped in), and 5 in total in the top 150. Two of those by very well-established authors (Stephenson and Card), three of those media tie-ins. Fantasy? Already starting with Stephenie Meyer at number 3... Make no mistake: fantasy is selling better than SF, *much* better. Look at the 2010 catalogs of genre publishers, from Tor to Pyr: all predominantly fantasy titles.

I have one little problem with this and with others, like Mark Charan, who make a comparison between fantasy and science fiction sales, or cite science fiction’s proportion of the market, as proof that science fiction is in decline, dying, whatever. Why do they assume it’s a zero sum game? Why do they make the illogical leap that because fantasy is selling well science fiction must be doing badly? Do people assume that because sales of teen vampire books are on the increase, thriller sales are decreasing?

I guess what you really need to do is get data on year on year sales of SF back over six decades and plot trends. You’ll probably find all sorts of lulls and highs, so would have to be careful about making assumptions upon seeing a present upward or downward trend. Possibly science fiction sales have never been as good as they were in the Golden Age, but are they worse than they were 20 or 30 years ago? Maybe someone could put together a computer model to check all this out, in fact, I know just the guys who could do this, and give you whatever answer you wanted.

Nation -- Terry Pratchett

Another excellent book from Mr Pratchett. As most readers of Pratchett will be aware, this is not one of his Discworld books, but of course he couldn’t resist injecting a touch of the fantastic. It seems as if he started out with all good intentions then by chapter two just couldn’t resist sticking in one of his footnotes – this one about a tree-climbing octopus, then later on we get the sail-fin crocodile. The fantastical elements are quite sparse, however, on a parallel Earth where Moby Dick is a true story and where the weight of history, of the dead Grandfathers, has power to affect the present … or maybe not.

If you like Terry Pratchett’s stuff you’ve probably already bought this. If you don’t get it, then possibly not, though this one is perhaps the one in which you will ‘get it’. There’s wry humour here and, as always, wisdom. And if you haven’t heard of Pratchett I have to wonder what cave you’ve been living in for the last 30 years.

The Day of the Triffids (again).

Yes, it’s yet another remake…

The triffids, apparently, are a source of fuel to supplant fossil fuels and have thus saved us from global warming. We get some thankfully understated lectures about how we fucked up the environment, with the implication that we’re getting what we deserve. This of course glosses over the fact that the disaster is due to a stellar event blinding most of the population. Maybe the ozone hole we created let the light in?

Next episode we can look forward to the hero of the hour uttering the immortal line, “Mother nature is reclaiming the planet”. Doubtless this will all end with homilies about how we should adopt a communal socialist agrarian lifestyle, sit around supping cabbage soup and farting out the tune of the Red Flag … but I’ll withhold full judgement until I’ve seen the second part.

Update:

Well, it didn’t end with the homilies but it was seriously bad. Yes, I said, this stranger appearing out of the night is going to turn out to be the hero’s dad. Why did that girl shoot at our hero, did he look like a triffid? Ah, reunion between hero and female lead, oh good grief, they’re dancing to an old gramophone record. Now the hero will have to go off on some silly mission to collect the head of a male triffid. Oops, that just got well telegraphed: the dad’s a gonner. Nope, they haven’t left that place yet because they’ve got to hang about waiting for a final confrontation with the bad guy. Ah, so pouring triffid poison into your eyes through an old African wooden mask makes triffids ignore you? That makes sense … not. And of course, the bad guy must get his just desserts from a triffid.

Lots of spoilers here, but then this – as Caroline described it – great pile of poo couldn’t really be spoiled. It was all over the place, disjointed rubbish that failed to suspend disbelief, and in which I felt absolutely nothing for the characters. Amazing how such a cast of very good actors simply couldn’t rescue it.

Translation Button

I do like this. Here's a bit about the Romanian translaton of Cowl, that bit translated...

Cowl is the fourth novel by British author of a scale that quickly builds an international reputation for master of SF literature. Neal Asher will be the next big name SF's.

Dominion Heliotan reigns in our solar system. Cowl, heliotanilor worst enemy, being created by forced progress Artificial escaped - while, in the past.Running to save lives, Polly gets up and dragged her in the past. Tack discovers that her cruel pursuers snippet tor, which he implanted in wrist wear is the only bonus in the eyes of mysterious heliotani. And his journey in the universe has just begun their destructive ...

Cowl's pet, beast-tor is growing and becoming more dangerous.

Hypochondriac Science Fiction.

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If you have a preoccupying fear of having a serious illness you most likely suffer from hypochondria or hypochondriasis. A person with hypochondria continues thinking he is seriously ill despite appropriate medical evaluations and reassurances that his health is fine.

When I noted in my final point of the previous little rant, I'm betting there was some plonker declaring the death of SF the moment Sputnik beeped or just after Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon, I hadn’t checked, but it’s nice to be proven right.

First comes a link from Gary Farber:  

Who Killed Science Fiction? won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 1961. The Fifties were rife with talk about the death of science fiction, and Earl Kemp's symposia of so many sf pros and prominent fans summed it all up.

And over at Asimov’s Dave Truesdale comes up with:

"Anthony Boucher (co-founder of F&SF, with J. Francis McComas), in his introduction to the classic A Treasury of Great Science Fiction , explains it this way (remember that the then USSR had successfully launched Sputnik into orbit on October 4, 1957, and the Space Race had just begun):

"When man entered the Space Age two years ago, the writers and editors of science fiction, who had so long been living in this new age, hoped for a fresh surge of reader interest, an expression of gratitude for accurate prophecy in the past and of interest in the possible accuracy of other, as yet unfulfilled prophecies.

"It seemed a logical enough expectation, but it was a fallacious one. The new readers did not arrive—to some extent, at least, because they were put off by the cry of the press (never happier than when it can claim a miracle and coin a cliché): 'Science has caught up with science fiction!'"

. . . "But facts are impotent against loud and frequent assertion. Readers believe that science has 'caught up'; and somehow the very fact of s.f.'s accurate prophecies turns into a weapon against it, as if a literature of prophecy should become outmoded the instant one of its predictions was fulfilled."

Note that in full context, Boucher was not claiming that SF was a literature of prediction, only that sometimes it turned out that way.

Why the hypochondria? Probably because there are those who love science fiction so much that the thought of it dying terrifies them, and they must continually prod and poke it to check its health. The mere fact that debates like this kick off and elicit so much of a response demonstrates that science fiction is in rude health.