Alastair Reynolds's Blog, page 9

Birmingham event and a gratuitous newt.

 On Friday April 24, I'll be in conversation as a guest of the Birmingham SF Group. The event takes place at Millennium Point and online via Zoom, from 7.45pm.

The Brum group has always been most welcoming to me (my first ever solo author event was with them, back in 2000) and I'll be delighted to return.

In another news, I'm thrilled to report that my newts have survived the winter. Here's one:

Last year the frogs were conspicuous by their absence (may have something to do with the newts) so I'll ...

Eric Brown

 I'm hearing that Eric Brown has passed away. It's devastating news. Although I'd known that Eric was very unwell, we had all been hoping for the best. Eric, in his typical way, clearly didn't want to make much of a fuss about it.

I met Eric for the first time about 32 years ago, when a gang of Interzone contributors converged on Harrogate for the 1991 Mexicon SF convention. I was already a great fan of his from the stories he'd written in IZ, which were fresh, sparky and written with immense con...

Teaching SF and F with Aliette

 I'm pleased to announce that, in conjunction with Literature Wales, Aliette de Bodard and I will be teaching an online course in writing SF & Fantasy.

https://www.tynewydd.wales/course/digital-course-sci-fi-fantasy/

This course will be held over four online sessions on the following dates:

Tuesday 14 November, Tuesday 21 November, Tuesday 28 November & Tuesday 12 December 2023 from 7.00 – 8.30 pm

Over four online sessions, Aliette and Alastair will address the peculiar challenges and opportunities ...

A thought.

 I'll believe in the validity of AI-generated art the day an AI withholds its art.

RIP Croz

 

A soul/funk classic to start the year.

 I heard this a couple of times over the last year or two on Trevor Nelson. Wow, what a tune! Dig that bassline.

Happy New Year everyone.

Merry Christmas

 

Best wishes to all at the end of 2022, and with good thoughts for 2023. Let's have a bit of Kylie (she's half Welsh, don't you know) with this festive banger.

Warm wishes,

Al

RIP Christine McVie

 The death of Christine McVie has been much reported. Here's a lovely track from the album she did with Lindsey Buckingham a few years ago.

I've finished a book

 Last week I delivered MACHINE VENDETTA, the third in the Prefect Dreyfus series. All being well, it should appear in 2023. I don't want to say too much more about it until at least the final round of editing (which won't be finished until well until next year) but here at least is the provisional cover copy, subject to change:

Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city states orbiting the planet Yellowstone.

Ing...

Greg Bear (1951 - 2022)

 I'm shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Greg Bear, following complications after surgery. His works meant a tremendous amount to me. Blood Music nearly cost me a degree: I was so enraptured by it that I had to tear myself away for last-minute revision. I adored Eon and its successors, Eternity and Legacy. All three stamped indelible images into my brain. The Forge of God kept me awake and focussed during the long grind of an observing run at the Anglo-Australian Telescope; its sequel,...