Back from NewCon 4 today - congratulations to everyone involved in a pretty great little convention - Iain Banks, Ken MacLeod, Paul Cornell and Storm Constantine were excellent gohs and Iain Banks in particular seemed in fine form. Add to that an unscheduled, brief but very gracious appearance from Northampton’s most famous son, Alan Moore (who seemed genuinely amazed that there were other people interested in science fiction living in or willing to visit Northampton - though having spent a little time in the town, I think I understand what he means, no offence to any Cobblers out there) plus some good debate, cider, three very different bands on Saturday evening, a BSFA birthday cake (very tasty) and lots of familiar faces (and a chance to put some faces to familiar names - Hello Geoff Nelder!) and the even really exceeded my expectations.

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Posted October 13, 2008 Comments(1)

I am absolutely delighted to be able to say that “Eskeragh” - a longer version of the story that recently got me into trouble with a lake - has been bought by the fine, fine folk at Albedo One.

I’ve been trying to sell those buggers fine gentlemen a story for years, so I’m particularly pleased with this sale and delighted that it is a story that has a strong personal meaning.

No word on when it will be published, but it might be a while.

Posted September 26, 2008 Comments(2)

So the good news this morning was the announcement that Scalpel Magazine was online - a fine journal of very respectable sf criticism marred only very slightly by their decision to publish my review of Adam Roberts’ novel Gradisil on their opening day. Foolish boys.

Nobody told me Mr Roberts was also writing a piece for the magazine - probably just as well. At least he can have the satisfaction that, while I was a bit disappointed by his novel, there are more typos (all my fault) in my review than in his entire book…

Then the second piece of good news arrived this evening in an email from the sagacious Lee Harris at Hub Magazine, who has exercised his awesome editorial skills and accepted my story “Home Protection” for publication - probably in August or September. Sign up and get a free McGrath story in your in-tray. How could you possibly resist?

In between I found a shop just outside the door to our offices in London that had Death Ray in stock - none of my usual WH Smith’s haunts on the way to work have had copies - so I can read that now. I also picked up Starburst, which I haven’t read in ages - actually, I’d assumed it had gone the way of the dodo years ago - as it’s celebrating 25 years of publication with the new issue (no. 350!).So that’s all cheered me up.

Posted May 15, 2007 Comments(0)

There, now at least the first post won’t be sitting on its own for ever.

I’ve spent the last few days working on my website, which I hope to get up and running in the next few weeks - it’s going to feature details of my short stories, some of the better reviews that I’ve done over the years for Matrix and Vector and a couple of other bits and pieces. Nothing overly flash (or even slightly Flash) but I think it’s coming together nicely. Now all I have to do is get my head round PHP.

I’ve just sold a story - “Be Aware” - to Forgotten Worlds, which I’m chuffed about. It’s a story set in pre-war Germany - there’s an element of alternate reality and an element of the fantastic but it is mostly a story about science and technology as much as it is narrowly a science fiction story (though I would and do argue it is sf) so I’m delighted that the editors have taken a chance with it - I know they spent a great deal of time thinking about it. The magazine has just shifted from monthly to quarterly production so “Be Aware” won’t be published until September, but that’s cool too.

Posted March 24, 2007 Comments(0)