Interzone 216

The new issue of Interzone is here, including the results of the 2007 Readers' Poll.

As you already know, my story "Ack-Ack Macaque" came first in the poll, closely followed by stories from Grace Dugan and Alastair Reynolds.

Included with the results in the magazine this year are a selection of comments from the voters. There were a couple of complimentary ones about "Ack-Ack Macaque" - and only one negative one, which made me laugh out loud because it described the characters as "petty and unpleasant hipsters".

Coming first in this poll means a great deal to me, as it was my ambition for many years to sell a story to Interzone, and I'm absolutely delighted that now I've had two featured in the magazine, both have enjoyed an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the readership.

Science Fiction Invades The Mainstream

My sister drew my attention to this article in the Telegraph:

"Science fiction has always been interested in eternal questions about the nature of the universe, what constitutes reality, what it means to be human and so on. But genetic research, globalisation, environmental concerns, social breakdown are now pressing and familiar topics for everyone. If the literary world now thinks that JG Ballard is a mainstream writer and not a science fiction one, it is only because the rest of the world has caught up with the things against which he has been warning us for decades."

Stormtroopers On The Streets Of Bristol

I ran into this lot while dropping my sister off at the station this morning.

"Ack-Ack Macaque" Tops Interzone Readers Poll

I'm delighted to see the readers of Interzone have voted "Ack-Ack Macaque" as their favourite short story of 2007.

I'm very pleased and surprised with this accolade for three reasons: 1) because my story was up against some very strong writing from some excellent authors, 2) because Interzone's always been the standard against which I've measured my success, and 3) because this poll was voted for by the readers of the magazine, and shows there's an audience out there for the kind of stuff I'm writing.

This is the second year running I've had a story placed highly in this poll, and I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me.

You can see a list of the full results here: http://ttapress.com/441/2007-interzone-readers-poll-results

Last Reef Radio

Last night, I had a late call from a publisher, asking if I'd be willing to record myself reading a couple of pieces, for use as promotional downloads on their website. Now, I've been toying with the idea of offering audio versions of my short stories since hearing Alice Dragoon's reading of "Sunsets and Hamburgers", and so I agreed I'd give it a try. If it works out, I may record a few more, to promote my short story collection. I may even find some way to supplement this blog with a regular podcast...

Friday Flash Fiction 35

END OF THE WORLD
By Gareth L Powell

Michelle and I broke up over a lunchtime bottle of wine in a crowded bar by the river. We'd been seeing each other for eighteen months, and now it had to end.

She said, "So that's it?"

I shrugged. "I guess so."

She fiddled with the stem of her glass, looking angry and upset. The place smelled of garlic and spilled beer. We finished the wine in silence, and got up to leave.

As we stepped outside, the ground shook and the office blocks of Canary Wharf ripped free from their foundations, rising into the sky like rockets, trailing pipes and cables and loose bricks.

People were shouting and screaming. Michelle put a hand to her mouth. There were tears in her eyes.

"It's the end of the world," she said.

What Advertising Teaches Us About Fiction

Whatever your opinion of advertising or direct mail, it has a lot to teach us about the art of writing fiction. For instance, most advertising copy aims to:

1. Grab and hold the reader's attention
2. Keep them reading
3. Provoke an emotional response
4. Prompt them to act

In order to do this, advertisers (and direct mail letter writers) follow a tried and tested formula, known as AIDA – which stands for:

1. Attention (grab it!)
2. Interest (keep it!)
3. Desire (provoke it!)
4. Action (prompt it!)

Usually the headline and the first sentence are designed to grab the attention, and the second, third and fourth sentences are designed to hook you in, to keep you reading while the benefits of the advertised product or service are lovingly laid out before you, filling you with desire…

I have seen research that suggests an advert in a magazine has less than 3 seconds to catch the magazine reader's attention before they flip to the next page. Direct mail letters have about 5 seconds. That means the whole message needs to be communicated incredibly quickly using emotive, well-chosen words – words and phrases that will appeal specifically to the intended audience. The title needs to intrigue enough to make the reader read the first sentence. That in turn needs to draw them irresistibly into the second – and so on. Questions are posed and answered. Short sentences keep the pace brisk.

Now, let's apply all this to fiction.

When we submit a short story or a novel to a publisher, we are competing with many other manuscripts. We need to grab attention fast, and hold it. The title needs to simultaneously set the mood for the story and be intriguing enough make the publisher want to read the first sentence… And the tools we use to do it are the same ones the advertisers use:

• Know your audience and write for them.
• Start with a killer title that they can't resist
• Hook them in with the first sentence and don't let them go.
• Get them emotionally involved as soon as possible. Make it personal. Give them a reason to care.
• Use as many short sentences as possible to create pace.
• Use evocative words that conjure impressions in all five senses – smell, taste, touch, sound, and sight.
• Be clear and say what you mean. Don't bog the narrative down in long-winded description that adds nothing to the text's momentum. Say what you need to say as quickly and efficiently as possible, and move on.
• Avoid clichés.
• Use positive, action-packed phrases to make your prose come alive.
• Say what something is, not what it isn't. Instead of saying "The car wasn't very clean" say "the car was filthy". Instead of saying "Jake wasn't very pleased" say "Jake was furious."
  

꼭 성공하기를 바랄 뿐입니다.

It's possible some of my stories will shortly be translated for a Korean audience.

Illuminations Reviewed At The Fix

The Friday Flash Fiction Anthology, Illuminations, has been reviewed by The Fix, in an epic article by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro that manages to comment on every one of the sixty-six stories included in the book. And considering that the book was conceived, edited, designed and published in a ridiculously short period of time, I think it stands up pretty well. His comments on my nine contributions are quoted below, along with links to the online versions of the stories, for your reading pleasure:

William observes a “Snowball” from a dome on the surface of the Moon. The pacing in this very short flash piece is effective, the setting works, and, most importantly, the revelation of the last line is entirely consistent with what we know (and don’t know). This poignant, speculative outing is as fresh as snow.

Contemplating “The Point Furthest from the Sun” may lead one to inaction, even as a loved one is having a rough time. I missed the significance of the title, which, based on the skill of the writing, I’m sure was chosen with care. I found it intriguing. The repetition contained in the last two sentences certainly emphasizes the importance of what we’ve learned, but I’m not sure it heightened the experience for me.

The narrator of this tale learns of the horrors inflicted on some “Fresh Meat.” The attention to detail in this very compressed narrative, in conjunction with the sparse, polished sentences and strong rhythm, worked to make it a chilling experience.

A simple misunderstanding at an Amsterdam “Coffee House” informs this quiet, observational piece. It vividly captures a moment in the interaction between two characters and, through implication, portrays the characters and setting more vividly than might appear at first glance. Perfect coffee house reading.

Ed, on his way to take pictures of a crash site, stops at a roadside café and sparks up some conversation with the waitress, “Natalie.” There is an almost Ballardian sense of fragmentation and despair in this well-written tale, which artfully utilizes technological imagery to build tension in the setting and refract the character’s inner selves. An impressive feat given the space, this riveting piece transcends “flash” and approaches a less formalized version of the Ballardian “compressed novel,” in the best possible manner.

An unplanned hyperspace return to Earth provides Diego and Carla with a direct glimpse of cosmic “Lost Toys.” Powell again manages to imagine an intriguing situation and justify it with a rationale that is not only dramatically plausible but also thought-provoking. Some descriptive details, in particular, stand out. A tale to be found and enjoyed.

The revelation that ensues the narrator’s “Thai Curry” dinner with Nina is conveyed with elegance and emotion in this charged, biting, sad tale. With skill aplenty, Powell artfully builds not only a situation, but a mood, and places it in a broader context. More bittersweet than curry, but just as delectable.

In “The Red King’s Nursery,” Lawrence is vastly outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned by an enemy which, in the form of a talking remote, seems overly chatty and casual to be truly menacing. The whys and wherefores become revealed by the tale’s end. Though there were some clever moments and engaging writing, I didn’t find myself caring enough for the character to make this piece work on the psychological front, and I couldn’t ignore the weakness of the ending enough to make it work on a plot level either.

On his six-month watch aboard a starship forty years from its destination, with the remainder of the crew asleep in their pods, Kurt finds himself on “The Long Walk Aft” and the terrible fate to which it leads. The un-subtle situation is described in the no-frills manner in which its protagonist experiences it, and the detachment and realism only serve to strengthen the inevitability of its ending. It brought to mind Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations.” I enjoyed the image of a book being recycled for food; that seems somehow appropriate, under the circumstances.

On the whole, a pretty good review, I thought. You can read the whole thing here: http://thefix-online.com/reviews/illuminations/

In other related news, that cheeky scamp Shaun C Green has done a great impersonation of my flash fiction style over on his blog: http://www.nostalgiaforinfinity.com/?p=127

Silversands Cover Sketch

I am excited this afternoon because Vincent Chong has sent over a preliminary concept sketch for the cover of my novel, "Silversands". The novel is due next year from Pendragon Press, and I'm very glad to have Vincent on board, as I've been a fan of his work since he illustrated my short story "The Last Reef" when it appeared in Interzone.

Details Of Short Story Collection Now Online

The Elastic Press website has now been updated with details of my forthcoming short story collection, "The Last Reef", including the cover art, some blurb, and an extract from the title story:

http://www.elasticpress.com/lastreef.htm

From the back cover:

"Gareth L Powell’s first collection of short stories is stuffed with mind-bending ideas and unforgettable characters. Ranging from the day after tomorrow to the far-flung future, these fifteen stories are perfect for anyone with a craving for intelligent and thought-provoking adventure."

Best Space Opera

On the Asmiov's forum, editor Rich Horton has posted the proposed table of contents for a new "Best Space Opera of the Year" anthology, including my short story "Six Lights Off Green Scar".

Unfortunately, he also says the book has been cancelled...

Dates For Your Diaries

Regular readers will know that my debut novel - "Silversands" - is going to be published next year by Pendragon Press, with a cover by the award-winning SF artist Vincent Chong. Pendragon supremo Christopher Teague has already described the book as: "a damn thrilling tale of planetary politics, espionage and subtefuge" - and today he sends word that he intends to launch the book in time for next year's Eastercon, which takes place on 10th -13th April in Bradford.

In addition, the launch event for my short story collection - "The Last Reef" - will almost definitely be 9th August this year, at a venue in London - exact time and place to be confirmed nearer the time.

Fans And Mergers

I've just been contacted by someone describing herself as "a huge fan" (you know who you are). This is the first time this has happened to me, and it's simultaneously gratifying and weird to realise I might have "fans".

On another note, things are hectic at work at the moment (due to an ongoing merger), so my writing schedule is all shot to hell. I am currently 2,600 words into a new story but don't know when I'll have time to complete it. I'm just trying to write as much as I can whenever I get the opportunity.

Internet Catches Car Thief

From Slashdot: a group of car enthusiasts find a stolen car, then use Facebook and Google Maps to locate the driver.

Full story: http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/12/1712258&from=rss

Friday Flash Fiction 34

VICTORIA ROOMS
By Gareth L Powell

Darren and Kate are sitting on the steps of the Victoria Rooms, above the fountains, holding hands. It's late. It's been raining and the pavements are wet.

“What time is it?” Kate says. She has tinsel in her hair and she's left her underwear in the toilets of an Indian restaurant on Park Street.

Darren shrugs. He doesn't have a watch. He's drunk and uncomfortable on the cold stone steps. “I don't think I can go back,” he says.

Kate stiffens. "Look, I'll call you a cab, okay?" She doesn't want him crashing at her place. She pulls out her mobile phone and Darren folds his arms.

"Don't be like that," she says.

Faking An Organism

This is simultaneously cool and creepy: http://cubo.cc/

Now Reading

• The Call of Cthulhu and other weird stories - HP Lovecraft
• Celebration - Ed. Ian Whates
• The IDM Marketing Guide - Ed. Robin Fairlie
• The Portable Jack Kerouac - Ed. Ann Charters

The Last Reef

I've been sent the typeset version of my short story collection, The Last Reef, to look at and check over for errors - and it looks great! The book is due from Elastic Press in August, and contains fifteen short stories written by me between 2003 and 2008 - a total of around 60,000 words of fiction - plus an introduction from Interzone co-editor Jetse de Vries.

Illuminations Available At WH Smiths and Blackwells

I discovered today that Illuminations is now available to order online via both WH Smiths and Blackwells:

• http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails-Illuminations+-9780955866203.html
• http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/jsp/id/Illuminations/9780955866203

Mundane SF

Recently, there has been a debate raging in Sf circles around something called "Mundane SF" - a brave experiment by some writers to produce valid SF stories without resorting to the standard SF tropes of artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, alien intelligence, or alternate universes - instead building their stories using only the real world technology available at the time of writing.
On the face of it, this sounds like an interesting exercise. But because the Mundanistas have presented the idea as some sort of manifesto, it has led to a division among SF writers and fans between those who support it as a new movement, and those who see it as an attack on traditional SF.

As Interzone 216 will be a special "Mundane" issue, I thought I'd take this opportunity to state my own position - which is very simple:

Some of the stories I have written could be classed as "mundane", others as "cyberpunk" or "space opera". And that's what "Mundane SF" is - another setting, another background against which to tell stories.

I find writing "Mundane SF" an interesting exercise, and I wish nothing but success to other writers taking up the challenge. But at the same time, there's no way I'm going to limit myself to exclusively writing "mundane" stories. Why would I? SF offers such a vast panorama of ideas and possibilities, it seems perverse to confine yourself to the here-and-now.

I like "Mundane SF" and I applaud its attempt to create a new branch of SF. I have no doubt that I will write some "mundane" stories. But for me, the canvas is wider and I will continue to go wherever my imagination takes me.

Rather than setting up artificial divisions in the SF community, we should be celebrating its diversity.

Squidpunk

http://www.squidpunk.com/

This has to be an April Fool...

New Projects

With Eastercon out of the way and the short story collection and flash fiction anthology both complete, it's time to turn my attention to some new projects. I didn't write as much as I wanted to last year, so I'm hoping to make up some ground over the next few months.

First on the list is a 5,000 word short story called "Gas Mask Girl". This is for a new anthology edited by Colin Harvey, and needs to be submitted by the end of June. I have written the outline and some character notes, now I need to get the story itself down on paper.

Second, I have written the opening 900 words of another 5,000 word short story with the provisional title "Caesar Murphy" - a sequel to my previous short story "Six Lights..." - and I'm hoping to enter it in the BSFA 50th Anniversary Short Story Competition. The closing date for that is 5th September.

I also have notes for a third short story called "Frankie" which I expect will stretch to around 3,000 words.

And over and above all of these is the next novel, which I hope will weigh in at around 100,000 words. I've written an outline and a whole box file full of notes, and now I just need a little time to clear my head and actually start writing the beast.

Flash Fiction Workshop

This is a photo from the FFF workshop at Orbital 2008. Left-to-right: Gareth D Jones, Martin McGrath, Paul Graham Raven, Neil Beynon, Gareth L Powell, Justin Pickard, Shaun C Green. Photo courtesy of Gemma Morgan.

Friday Flash Fiction 33

GOD’S GIFT
By Gareth L Powell

Jack’s upstairs neighbour really was the world’s greatest lover.

In the evenings, Jack had to turn his TV up to hide the bumps and giggles from above. One time, a lump of plaster fell off the ceiling and smashed his glass coffee table.

In the mornings, there would usually be two or three ashen-faced women in the communal stairwell. Some were lost, some shell shocked or euphoric. Some were reassessing their lives and relationships in the light of the previous night’s events. Jack would take them in and make them coffee, call them cabs or get them cigarettes, that sort of thing.

He liked the company. He liked being useful. And sometimes, one of the girls would stay a few days.

They used him to wind down, to ground themselves. Sometimes, they just needed to talk. And when they left, as they inevitably did, it made him sad.

He would rinse out the empty coffee mugs, clean the ashtrays, and then fetch himself a beer from the fridge. Then he would settle himself on the sofa again, rest his feet on the coffee table frame, and turn the TV volume wa-ay up.

Photos & Reviews of Orbital 2008

Some photos from the weekend are already starting to appear on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/orbital2008/

Plus, there's a photo of the Friday Flash Fictioneers and a nice summary of our workshop over on Gareth D Jones's blog: http://garethdjones.blogspot.com/2008/03/and-jolly-good-time-was-had-by-all.html

Other Orbital reviews from the FFF crew can be found here, here, here, here, and here - including the story of how Martin McGrath assumed upon being introduced to her that Interzone author Aliette de Bodard was my wife.

Orbital 2008

I've spent the last few days at Orbital, this year's Eastercon, in the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow - and what a few days it's been...

I travelled from Bristol on Friday morning, with Colin Harvey, author of Lightning Days and The Silk Palace. We got to the hotel at luchtime and pretty much launched straight into the thick of things - the highlight of the afternoon being an energetic panel discussion on the future of the UK short fiction market.

I also met up with some of the Friday Flash Fictioneers, and finally got my hands on a copy of our anthology, Illuminations - which looks absolutely awesome.

We launched the anthology Saturday afternoon at a flash fiction workshop, which went very well. But by that time, I had started to feel ill - a feeling that would only get worse as the weekend progressed.

I met some old friends, such as Jetse de Vries and Roy Grey from Interzone, Andrew Hook from Elastic Press, Neil Williamson, fictioneers Gareth D Jones, Justin Pickard, Martin McGrath, Neil Beynon, Paul Raven, and Shaun C Green - and some new ones, such as fellow Interzone author Aliette de Bodard, Dev Agarwal, and Christopher Teague from Pendragon Press.

But by Sunday morning I had begun to feel really dreadful and had to miss the guest of honour speeches by Charles Stross and Neil Gaiman - but before I retreated to my hotel room with some rice cakes and bottled water, I did manage to stop by the art auction and buy the original artwork for my short story, Ack-Ack Macaque, drawn by SMS.

Friday Flash Fiction Anthology Now Available To Download

Now that the paperback version of Illuminations is on sale, Out Two Out have also made it available to download as a pdf, in return for a small donation to charity.

Follow this link to download your copy: http://www.oddtwoout.co.uk/buybooks.html

Arthur C Clarke Dies

Damn. The BBC are reporting that Arthur C Clarke just died in Sri Lanka, aged 90. Along with Robert Heinlein and Larry Niven, he was one of the first science fiction writers I ever read. I remember reading a copy of his collection 'Of Time And Stars' in the school library at an impressionable age.

For those who don't know who he is, there's an obituary here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2358011.stm

Warren Ellis Plugs Friday Flash Fiction Anthology

On 14th March, Warren Ellis wrote:

"... if you go over to Velcro City today, you’ll find details of a collection of flash fiction by sf writers, released under Creative Commons and donating all its profits to the NSPCC. Nice one, Paul. Includes work by Gareth L Powell, the author of the terrific “Ack-Ack Macaque” story I mentioned a couple of months back."

SF Signal calls it:

"A Internet experiment done right"