Adam Roberts's Blog, page 11

Itselfy Reviews

I'll do a 2015 round-up post on the eve of the New Year, I suppose; but until then let me note two reviews of The Thing Itself. One is by Alan Jacobs, who read my novel, and went on to read some Karl Barth, and juxtaposed the two on his blog. Of the novel he says: "The Thing Itself is all kinds of amazing, and very hard to describe: if you imagine a mashup of The Thing, Lewis’s That Hideous Strength, The Thirty-Nine Steps, and Kant’s metaphysics, you’ll … not quite get it. Just read it, please." He also poses this question:

"What if we thought of our current debates about God, our current confrontations between theists and atheists, as the inevitably sorry by-products of a failure to grasp what [David Bentley] Hart argues, what Barth argues, what Kant says when he presents us with his Fourth Antinomy? And what would happen to our conversations if we took seriously the possibility that we don’t have any real idea what we have been arguing about?"

That's a good question, I think. And then, in more conventionally SFnal mode, the estimable Paul Di Filippo reviews the novel over on the Locus Online website. He also brings in God, although in a much less Karl-Barthy manner: "God bless Roberts's craftsmanly productivity, which keeps us fans reliably supplied with a fresh annual fix, year after revolutionary year". I am blessed! Excellent. Di Filippo ends his review:

"In crafting the character of Charles Gardner, Roberts gives us an utterly believable antihero whose fumbling actions bespeak a completely human set of both virtues and flaws. Like some wounded Fisher King, Charles would like to redeem humanity, but is held back by his inner turbulence and angst. Ultimately, he pushes himself beyond his worst aspects into some kind of redemptive victory. And in Roy Curtius, Roberts gives us a Faustian figure who is neither wholly reprehensible nor vile, but rather a fellow seduced by the dark side of his own nerdy genius. Together, the two enact what is surely the best cat-and-mouse game of this nature since Frank Robinson’s The Power, a hidden template, I think, for this book.

In the end, though, Roberts transcends the simpler SF of Robinson’s era, and exhibits the same postmodern ramping up that he has brought to a dozen other different SF 'power chords.' If Greg Egan and Stanislaw Lem had conspired to rewrite John D. MacDonald’s The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything, the result might have been half as ingenious and gripping and funny and scary and invigorating as The Thing Itself."

The 'power chords' ref is especially neat.

Today’s the Day …

... my new novel, The Thing Itself, is released. You can buy it here, if you want to (here's a US equivalent of the same online bookseller).

But maybe you're not sure if you do want to buy? I can't blame you for that. Perhaps a review would help? Here, published today, on publication day no less, is Niall Alexander's tor.com review. What does he think? Well, he ends thuswise:

I never imagined I’d find myself so readily recommending a novel “about why you should believe in God,” but by the end of The Thing Itself, Roberts—an atheist, according to the Acknowledgements—has so perfectly framed his case that I—another non-believer, I fear—came away from it with my spiritual convictions variously shaken. No phrase of the praise I would happily heap upon the remarkable achievement this tremendous text represents could outstrip that there statement, so let’s call it a day, eh? Except to say that though The Thing Itself is many things, all of the things The Thing Itself is are evidence of Adam Roberts’ inimitable brilliance.

So there you have it.

And the other SFnal thing, less itself, that is happening today? We're off to see that tomorrow, as it happens.

Things Themselves

So: my author copies have finally arrived.

There have been some reviews, ahead of Thursday's publication date (hmm: I wonder if anything else sciencefictional is launching on Thursday?) It was discussed on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Review, where the three talking heads proved divided amongst themselves: one disliked the novel, saying it was too clever for its own good; one was on the fence about it; but one, John Tusa, loved it: saying 'I'm very very glad I read it' and that 'Adam Roberts has this extraordinary, restless mind'.

Other review news: the novel is the lead review in the latest SFX, where it gets four stars out of five. Upcoming4me called it 'a new genre in itself', and said it was 'deeply fascinating but hard to understand'. And the estimable Kate Atherton, over at her For Winter Nights blog, had this to say:

"The Thing Itself has a wonderful fluidity and grace. Its ideas are complicated but the novel is also accessible, lightness easing the complexity. There is humour and great character, real depth of emotion – fear, love, panic, guilt, terror, guile – and also enormous sin. Contrasting with the humanity on parade are the glimpses of something other worldly, slotting into each of the stories with such originality and quirkiness. I had to re-read several passages to check that I really had just read what I thought I had. I loved the strangeness.

I do appreciate a novel that makes me think while also entertaining me. The Thing Itself marries the two to perfection. There is so much packed within these pages and, without doubt, it’s one of those memorable novels that will stand to repeated readings over the passing of time. A book of the year for me, for sure."

The IceThing Cometh

According to my publisher, this book now actually exists, as a tangible thing. I haven't seen a copy yet, but still: looks good! Full of Kant-y goodness, you know.

Sledge-Lit 2015: Derby, 21st November

I'm appearing at this one-day event on Saturday, alongside the estimable Alison Moore, Charlie Stross and Rob Shearman. The schedule of the day is here.

Derby is a fine town. You should come along, say hello, and so on.

Spindles: Stories from the Science of Sleep (Comma Press 2015)

My author copy of this handsome-looking volume, edited by Penelope Lewis and Ra Page, arrived today. My story, 'Raveled Sleeve of Care', closes the volume, and has an afterward by the editor, Dr Lewis, herself. It is about the sinister Dr Slechterschlaf, and his proposed cure for sleep.

More, including purchasing information, at the Comma website.

Chinese Jack

British Fantasy Award Winners 2015

Winners were announced this afternoon; the full list is here.

Sibilant Fricative was nominated for the non-fiction prize, but the winner of that category was Letters to Arkham: The Letters of Ramsey Campbell and August Derleth, 1961–1971, ed. S.T. Joshi. Well deserved, no question.

So continues my unenviable history of winning no awards at all, and garnering next-to-zero nominations, for my SF/F non-fiction writing: reviews, essays, monographs and critical books, all that. It's an honour to be nominated, of course; but the larger picture is clear enough. Awards are indices of genre and community esteem, and my non-fiction is not estimable. If I look for explanation, Ockham's razor suggests that this is because it's not good. Earlier on in my career as a writer, I might have, and to be fair to myself largely did, take this as painful incentive to do what I do better; but at this latter stage I can probably stop fooling myself, here, and put my energies elsewhere. This will have the secondary benefit of preserving my ego from annual knocks and buffets, which will be nice. And I'm in a fairly unfettered position as far as that goes, since my SF nonfiction publishing commitments are few. I still have to finish the expanded second edition of my Palgrave History of Science Fiction for 2016 publication; and I still plan to write a short book about the fiction of Ian Watson. The first edition of the Palgrave didn't trouble the compilers of award shortlists, so the second edition certainly won't; and the Watson book is still a few years off. After that, we're home free.

Memory, Natural and Unnatural

The Nature of Memory

Perspectives from Art, History and Neuroscience



6.30 – 8pm | Tuesday 29 September

Sheikh Zayed Theatre, London School of Economics

Speakers

Jessica Bland, Principal Researcher in Policy and Research, Nesta

Sebastian Groes, Senior Lecturer in English Literature (University of Roehampton)

Adam Roberts, Science Fiction Novelist and Professor of Nineteenth-Century Literature (Royal Holloway, London)

Barry C Smith, Professor of Philosophy (Birkbeck, University of London) and Director of the Institute of Philosophy

Chair: Hugo Spiers, Senior Lecturer in Experimental Psychology (UCL)

Our ability to recall the past is a fundamental feature of what makes us human. While neuroscience has advanced our understanding of memory, how do these insights relate to memory as understood in the classics, literature, philosophy and art?

British Fantasy Award Shortlists

An award with a distinguished lineage, but not one I have troubled before. This year, however, my collection Sibilant Fricative is shortlisted for the non-fiction prize, which is gratifying and surprising in equal measures. I don't expect to win, given the strength of the list, but I'm very pleased to have been nominated! The winners will be announced at this year's Fantasycon in October.

And here are all the nominations:

Best anthology

The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic 2, ed. Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber (The Alchemy Press)

Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease, ed. by Joel Lane and Tom Johnstone (Gray Friar Press)

Lightspeed: Women Destroy Science Fiction Special Issue, ed. Christie Yant (Lightspeed Magazine)

The Spectral Book of Horror Stories, ed. Mark Morris (Spectral Press)

Terror Tales of Wales, ed. Paul Finch (Gray Friar Press)

Best artist

Ben Baldwin

Vincent Chong

Les Edwards

Sarah Anne Langton

Karla Ortiz

Daniele Serra

Best collection

Black Gods Kiss, Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)

The Bright Day Is Done, Carole Johnstone (Gray Friar Press)

Gifts for the One Who Comes After, Helen Marshall (ChiZine Publications)

Nick Nightmare Investigates, Adrian Cole (The Alchemy Press and Airgedlámh Publications)

Scruffians! Stories of Better Sodomites, Hal Duncan (Lethe Press)

Best comic/graphic novel

Cemetery Girl, Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden and Don Kramer (Jo Fletcher Books)

Grandville Noël, Bryan Talbot (Jonathan Cape)

Saga, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image Comics)

Seconds, Bryan Lee O’Malley (SelfMadeHero)

Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

The Wicked + The Divine, Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (Image Comics)

Best fantasy novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)

Breed, KT Davies (Fox Spirit Books)

City of Stairs, Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher Books)

Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children’s Books)

A Man Lies Dreaming, Lavie Tidhar (Hodder & Stoughton)

The Moon King, Neil Williamson (NewCon Press)

The Relic Guild, Edward Cox (Gollancz)

Best film/television episode

Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Alejandro González Iñárritu (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Black Mirror: White Christmas, Charlie Brooker (Channel 4)

Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (Marvel Studios)

Interstellar, Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (Paramount Pictures)

Under the Skin, Walter Campbell and Jonathan Glazer (Film4 et al)

Best horror novel (the August Derleth Award)

The End, Gary McMahon (NewCon Press)

The Girl With All the Gifts, M.R. Carey (Orbit)

The Last Plague, Rich Hawkins (Crowded Quarantine Publications)

No One Gets Out Alive, Adam Nevill (Macmillan)

Station Eleven, Emily St John Mandel (Picador/Knopf)

The Unquiet House, Alison Littlewood (Jo Fletcher Books)

Best independent press

The Alchemy Press (Peter Coleborn and Jan Edwards)

Fox Spirit Books (Adele Wearing)

NewCon Press (Ian Whates)

Spectral Press (Simon Marshall-Jones)

Best magazine/periodical

Black Static, ed. Andy Cox (TTA Press)

Holdfast Magazine, ed. Laurel Sills and Lucy Smee (Laurel Sills and Lucy Smee)

Interzone, ed. by Andy Cox (TTA Press)

Lightspeed, ed. John Joseph Adams (Lightspeed Magazine)

Sein und Werden, ed. Rachel Kendall (ISMs Press)

Best newcomer (the Sydney J. Bounds Award)

Edward Cox, for The Relic Guild (Gollancz)

Sarah Lotz, for The Three (Hodder & Stoughton)

Laura Mauro, for Ptichka (Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease)

Den Patrick, for The Boy with the Porcelain Blade (Gollancz)

Jen Williams, for The Copper Promise (Headline)

Best non-fiction

D.F. Lewis Dreamcatcher Real-Time Reviews, D.F. Lewis (D.F. Lewis)

Ginger Nuts of Horror, ed. Jim McLeod (Jim McLeod)

Letters to Arkham: The Letters of Ramsey Campbell and August Derleth, 1961–1971, ed. S.T. Joshi (PS Publishing)

Rhapsody: Notes on Strange Fictions, Hal Duncan (Lethe Press)

Sibilant Fricative: Essays & Reviews, Adam Roberts (Steel Quill Books )

Touchstones: Essays on the Fantastic, John Howard (The Alchemy Press)

You Are the Hero: A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, Jonathan Green (Snowbooks)

Best novella

Cold Turkey, Carole Johnstone (TTA Press)

Drive, Mark West (Pendragon Press)

Newspaper Heart, Stephen Volk (The Spectral Book of Horror Stories)

Water For Drowning, Ray Cluley (This Is Horror)

Best short story

'A Change of Heart', Gaie Sebold (Wicked Women)

'The Girl on the Suicide Bridge', J.A. Mains (Beside the Seaside)

'Ptichka', Laura Mauro (Horror Uncut: Tales of Social Insecurity and Economic Unease)

'A Woman’s Place', Emma Newman (Two Hundred and Twenty-One Baker Streets)