I've been invited to speak to the MA Science Fiction group (+others) tomorrow at Liverpool University, and am very much looking forward to the experience. Andy Sawyer, the MA course leader, also runs/ collates an incredible resource known as The Science Fiction Foundation Collection, and the website is http://www.liv.ac.uk/~asawyer/sffc1.html. I recommend you check it out this minute!!
I have been promised the fee of beer and pizza. Ha! If only they knew how much I can drink (and indeed, eat). I have not been continually referred to as "fat chump" for nothing.
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Sounds like it'll be an awesome lecture! Wish I could come but I'm in Cali. I'm hoping to study at U of L though for my MA. I met with Professor Sawyer in March while in England. He's an interesting guy and a joy to talk to.
Do you know if there will be an audio recording? I'd be interesting in hearing what you to say if at all possible.
Yeah. Andy Sawyer is a really nice guy, and the talk went well, with about half an hour of Q&A afterwards. The following Greek meal at a local restaurant was very welcome, and the accompanying Hen Party behaved themselves impecably. However, never have I seen SO MUCH money spent on hair!! (with such ill effects, haha). Sorry, no audio recording available, but you can always send me your own Q&A if there's anything you would like to know. :-)
Haha. Sounds like you had a blast. Glad it all went well. I wouldn't feel remotely adequate to send you my own Q&A as I've not actually read your work yet. You're on my list though, which is a good thing. I subbed to your blog when I saw your name popping up everywhere, which is a good sign. That's how Jay Lake got on my list :P. Hopefully I'll get some time in summer to really dig into all the books I've bought and haven't read yet, as well as all the books I have for review.
I guess one question I could ask is: what sort of talk was it? Was it a general sort of talk or more on the academic side? I'm becoming increasingly interested in SF for my graduate work and can't keep my hands off the non-fiction literature, so I'm really fascinated by analytical approaches to SF, especially from authors.
Anywho, glad you had a good time there. Next time I'm in England I'll have to see if you're floating around. Hopefully I'll fly out there again around December, if not then, then spring break again. I like England :P. And whoever said that the food is terrible there was way wrong. England has the most amazing bacon EVER.
Okay, I'm done wasting your time :P.
In answer to your question, I read an extract from War Machine (where Franco attempts to break from a mental institution), followed by a talk on my works, military SF in general, my influences (from Star Wars in 1977 right up to Iain M. Banks) and a Q&A grilling. All that's left for you to do now is read my stuff :-) and let me know how you get on.
Which of your works would you recommend as a good start?
War Machine for action far-future SF, Spiral for a kind of deviant James Bond near-future adventure/SF. :-) War Machine is the best I've written so far (until Biohell, that is).
War Machine it is then. I'll read it this summer, since I won't be taking any courses over that period of time.
Read it, and if you thinks it's shit, I'll buy you a pint; if you like it, you can buy me one :-). Hope you enjoy!!
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