Tansy Rayner Roberts's Blog, page 189

Too Damn Hot

There are many jokes about Tasmanian weather. I suspect this is because a great many mainlanders manage to arrive on a rainy day and assume it's like that all the time. (an agent once rejected a manuscript from me, complaining among other things that my Hobart-based novel did not properly convey a biting sense of cold)

Today was one of those days that makes us wish we had air conditioning. There aren't usually that many – maybe half a dozen at most over the summer. Hobart days generally heat ...

Sky Lights Up

A couple of months ago, my editor at HarperCollins asked me for some initial thoughts on type of cover that might work for The Creature Court. We talked about potential themes, subjects and the choice between iconic/illustrative/character-based covers. I 'm still waiting to see what I end up with (not my job, out of my control, and yet and yet and yet IMPATIENT).

I wish I'd seen these images of electricity photographed by Hiroshi Sugimoto before I was asked for my imput, though. More...

Writing While The House is Messy

There are people who at times express surprise at how much I manage to do. Looking after a small baby, a school-age daughter, writing books, blogging, running a small business, etc. Sometimes they ask my secret, and I say 'well, I'm a really bad housewife.'

Jeff VanderMeer has cued up a discussion on women, writing, guilt, and domestic responsibility, both at the Booklife blog and on his own (the really good comments so far are on his own blog). Rachel Swirsky also comments on the issue at...

This Thing You Call Weekend

It's been an odd sort of a day – stress and phone calls, mostly. Every time the phone rang, I lost a little bit more of my equilibrium. My iPod came to the rescue, and I had Radio Free Skaro podcasts running for most of the day. I finished a quilt top I've been working on for some time, and picked up a different quilting project that's been abandoned for months, without even hesitating. Yay for podcasts.

I've been nibbling away at Cabaret of Monsters in Scrivener – labelling and rereading...

Hoping to Understand Joanna Russ (Part I)

One of my projects for this year was to educate myself about Joanna Russ, a major figure in the history of feminist SF. I have read quite a lot about her, but very little of her actual work.

I started with On Joanna Russ, edited by Farah Mendlesohn, and only a few essays in, I'm thoroughly mesmerised. At the same time, I ordered a pile of paperbacks, including The Adventures of Alyx and How to Suppress Women's Writing.

I read the first story of the Alyx collection, "Bluestocking," immediately u...

More on Realms of Fantasy

This one didn't turn into a proper internet flamewar, which is absolutely a good thing. I've been interested in a lot of the discussion surrounding the RoF special women's issue (there's quite a lot of buzz at Jim Hines' journal though a lot of it saddens me, particularly the "reverse sexism" brigade), and it's particularly worth noting that very few people have a single reaction to this discussion – many are torn between different reactions. It's been thought provoking, at least!

Updated...

Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon Hale & Nathan Hale

I requested this one – a graphic novel written by YA author Shannon Hale – for my birthday. I'm a big fan of stories which take fairy tales and worldbuild so that the often-illogical details of the original story suddenly make sense. Robin McKinley is the mistress of this genre, covering nearly all the most famous stories, but Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted and Margo Lanagan's Tender Morsels (veeeery different books, don't get them mixed up) are some good examples. Also, Juliet...

Realms of Fantasy: now for Ladies!

There's been some reaction to Realms of Fantasy's recent announcement of a women's special issue in 2011. Celebrating women in fantasy, it will contain fiction and art entirely produced by women, and preference will be given to stories that engage with gender, sexism and um "other areas important to feminine speculative literature." Across the internet, some women are welcoming the issue, while others are decrying it as an anachronistic way of dealing with a real problem (or indeed arguing t...

Five Years of Doctor Who Blogging in a Single Post

I've finally managed to see both parts of Doctor Who – The End of Time, which is such a relief. I managed to escape with minimum pre-spoilerage and I thoroughly enjoyed watching both episodes. Now I can go back and read all those 'I hated it and this is why' posts from my friendslist.

Cutting for ALL OF THE SPOILERS, especially of THE END OF TIME Parts I & II, be warned, I mean it, don't read unless you have seen it, or if you genuinely hate/don't care about Doctor Who. In which case, why...

Overland #197

I've pretty much spent most of my twenties, resolutely avoiding anything to do with (comtemporary) Literature or 'the literary scene' as my few attempts to dip my toe into that particular puddle have only left me feeling befuddled and alienated. Or, you know, bored. There are some exceptions. I have occasionally been deeply moved/entertained by a poetry reading, or have found points in common with a fellow reader (such as, for instance, my Dad) whose literary preferences are mostly...