I don’t know which bit of that title has me shitting my pants with excitement more. Read more »

Posted October 24, 2008 Comments(1)

I don’ t do much politics on this site, but as the last surviving member of the Labour Party (alright, it only feels like that sometimes) one of the hardest things to stomach over the last few years is all the stuff about how the party has done nothing to narrow the gap between rich and poor.

Those of us who pay attention to the details of the statistics of these things kept pointing out that apparent lack of movement was an artifact of the time lag between action and the the collection of data.

Well, at last, and probably too late to do this government’s reputation any good, the statistics have started to catch up with the fact that Gordon Brown has overseen the only sustained attempt at using the tax system to achieve redistribution from rich to poor in the history of British politics. For all their other achievements, no Labour government – not Attlee, Wilson or Callaghan – ever attempted anything on the scale of Brown’s effort.

• The amount governments spend on taxation and redistributing wealth across developed countries and in the UK is higher than at any time in history.

• Income poverty – that is, a household with less than half the country’s median income – fell from 10% to 8% in the UK between the mid-90s and 2005
• For the first time since the 1980s, the UK poverty level is well below the OECD average
• The number of children living in poverty fell from 14% to 10% between the mid-90s and 2005 – the second largest fall, behind Italy, during this period. But child poverty rates are still above levels recorded in the mid-70s and 80s

Is the record perfect? No.

Could more be done? Yes.

Would anything like it have happened under the Tories? Would it fuck.

Of course the question is, can it be sustained now that the economies around the world have turned to shit. Well, at least one party would try.

Politics is slow and messy and takes ages – and most of the time, most of the people assume that the achievements happen by magic rather than through long, boring, slogs for justice by people who never make it on to the cover of Hello! But every advance won by working people over the last century has been fought for by organised labour – and for the most part that means it has been delivered by the Labour Party (for all its faults) and opposed by businesses and their mates in the Tory Party.

Anyway, here endeth the lesson.

Posted October 21, 2008 Comments(0)

My latest, despicably late, review at The Fix is online now - it’s a look at the short stories in the PARSEC anthology Triangulations: Taking Flight.

I’ve just sent Niall Harrison an essay on John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War books (for the Vector after next) – it’s the first time I’ve done an essay for Vector (and the first time I’ve done a serious piece of critical writing about a novel since English A Level (when Thatcher was still in power and we took recessions for granted). It was harder than I expected.

Posted October 16, 2008 Comments(0)

On my about page I have added a list of my published fiction including, for the stuff that’s still online, a link directly to the story and, otherwise, to the magazine’s site.

I’ll update it as more stuff gets published and eventually I’ll get around to putting some of the older stories that were in print magazines or defunct webzines on this site (except for “Men of Ulster”, which will never appear anywhere, ever. Let us never speak of it again.)

That is all.

Posted October 14, 2008 Comments(0)

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.

Read more »

Posted October 13, 2008 Comments(1)

This is a quick note to all who know me.

I’ve just discovered (well, it’s now 4:50am, I found out about midnight, I’ve been trying to fix it find out what’s wrong since then) I’ve been having problems with my email account and my ISP – messages not being sent or getting bounced back and not getting informed as to their status and the messages apparently disappearing into a bottomless black hole.

Which is annoying.

AFAIK it only seems to have been a problem with outgoing mail, but at the minute I’m not sure how long it has been going on or how many people are affected – but if you’ve been expecting email from me and haven’t received it, could you let me know.

Posted October 3, 2008 Comments(0)

Okay, so it’s been a while since I contributed anything to the Friday Flash Fiction round – to be honest, I ran out of ideas and time. But I don’t see why that should mean that this blog can’t still run occassional bits and pieces – especially when they’re of really high quality and they’re not written by me.

Today I’m pleased that Welcome to my world is able to present an exciting new piece of work by an author who, I’m positive, has a long future ahead of her – and may the gods preserve all those who get in her way.

So, I am forced proud to present the first ever published fiction by my daughter, Niamh McGrath (aged 5).

THE GOOD DOG

One day a dog went to the shop.

And what to you think she saw?

She saw sosijis. [In the words of that sage Roy Walker, "say what you see"]

She ran out of the shop with the sosijis.

But she didn’t steal them. They were free.

She was a good dog.

Of course other critics may be tougher but I particularly admire the strong moral code running through the piece. She gets that from her mother.

Posted October 3, 2008 Comments(2)