Blackwells have organized an evening launch for Ken MacLeod's new novel The Restoration Game at the Pleasance Theatre in Edinburgh (on The Pleasance), at 7pm on Wednesday the 17th. Tickets are free from the front desk at Blackwell Bookshop, 53—59 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS.
Confusingly, the book in question isn't due out until July (these gigs are scheduled months in advance, so occasional whoopsies happen: in this case, the publication date slipped). But not to worry: Ken's doing a reading from "The Restoration Game", I'm doing a reading from "The Fuller Memorandum" (which is also not due out until July), and then there'll be a panel discussion on the state of Scottish SF chaired by The Scotsman's SF critic and reviewer Andrew J. Wilson. And there will be books on sale, a signing, and a retreat to the pub led by the survivors. Time traveling bibliophiles especially welcome.
Can't make it to Edinburgh, please do one closer to London - Don't mind paying to go.
If you're ok with the occasional gushy comment unrelated to your particular post, I've soooo enjoyed reading your books over the last couple of years. Thank you.
A retreat to the ? led by the survivors? I suspect you mean pub, but maybe you mean Tardis?
Saw "The Restoration Game" reviewed today in either the Guardian or the Times - sounds like the entire publicity machine is running 3 months early!
my kingdom for some kind of recording.
Yup, it's reviewed in the Guardian here.
If you check Amazon.co.uk, you'll see two listings; a paperback due on April 7th, with no cover shot, and a hardcover, due July, with a cover shot. The cover shot -- or lack thereof -- is significant. Remember, publishers always put out more expensive editions before cheap ones? What's going on here is that Amazon have two database entries -- an early one (no cover shot) with an incorrect publication date, and the actual real no-shit it's-going-to-be-a-book entry (with the cover photo and a revised publication date). They haven't deleted the incorrect one, unfortunately, but if you order it? You'll have your order cancelled by-and-by.
The Guardian review is a somewhat two-edged sword; four books in all, and all four reviewed as wonderful.
It may simply be that Eric Brown chose only to review books that he genuinely admired, but it would help if he said so.
Otherwise the fact that his own novel is out, as noted at the end of the article, may suggest to the reader that Buggin's turn is in operation.
Which would be a pity since Ken MacLeod is incapable of writing a bad book. Not that I'm being dogmatic about it, of course...
I've read "The Restoration Game". (I saw an early manuscript; suggested changes: don't know if Ken acted on them.) It's a pretty good book, near-future but not quite as dark as "The Execution Channel".
Great news that both you and Ken have books coming out in July. What an excellent month for reading it's going to be!
More off-topic. Have you seen that Marmite have brought out a savoury bar and Marmite baked cashews? The bus stop ads suggested that they also have a fabric conditioner.
I'm very jealous of anyone who can get to the reading... I was a student in Edinburgh about, um, 20 years ago and as I lived near the bookshop on South Bridge (then James Thin) I used to go round there in the evenings when the flat got too cold and quite often ran into author signings and readings. (Maybe brick-and-mortar bookshops should try the slogan "Amazon won't keep you warm"?)
Gee, and here I'll be in the states, toasting the queen with Irish Whiskey. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend St. Patrick's Day. But I'm not flying over just for a reading.
Wish I could make it but I won't be back home until September now.
@11. I studied there about 20 years ago too. I loved James Thin and was quite upset when I heard it had gone under. Weirdly I now work for Blackwell...
So, if anyone shows up asking you or Ken to sign the books you're reading from -- look to see if they are wearing nametags from the 95 Glasgow Worldcon, with the special ribbon for attending panels in the order they were printed in the pocket guide.
Pat @ 10
I frequently enjoy Marmite on toast at breakfast time, and was handed a free sample of the said "Marmite Cereal Bar" yesterday. I can only describe it as disgusting.
Meanwhile, back on topic, I think^Wknow I need to get my hands on a copy of The Trade of Queens, and this may involve a trip to London (since Birmingham has lost all (1) of its decent SF bookshops).
Bah! (Waves paw.)
Any idea how long it will go on for?
Miles: Ken and I are each reading for 30-40 minutes, it's probable that Andrew J. Wilson will also read for 30-40 minutes, and there'll be an on-stage panel discussion. I'd be surprised if the whole thing lasts less than three hours.
More like 15-20 minutes reading each, I hope!
Curses, I've got somewhere I need to be later in the evening. If you see somebody sneaking out the back half-way through, please don't be offended!
Ken, really? If so, shit. I've prepared a 35-40 minute extract.
Charlie, have you got a copy of that essay "Why it's not an entirely good thing that the internet is visible and potentially forever" to hand?
Ken - resist shock worker Strosshanovich's underhand attempts to set new higher work norms.
Thanks for an entertaining evening.
Passing aside, when thinking about some of what was discussed at the panel - the tendency of the media to report only bad news, the falling respect in society at large for science, it occurs to me that people might hold science in much higher regard if only they knew, for example, the full story of how we escaped a global SARS pandemic (something which I'd really known absolutely nothing about until you mentioned it) The crucial role played by advances in genetics, the understanding of the spread of disease. But people don't know about it because it isn't reported - whereas a few emails about the presentation of some data on climate change at the University of East Anglia...
I agree (Patrick @23), a very entertaining evening! I enjoyed all of the readings very much and the discussion afterwards was thought provoking and stimulating.
As another wee aside... Before the lassie in the audience responded to Charlie's comment about class, I was going to chuck in my two pence worth on the subject of media reportage and throw in a general comment about FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) tactics of both government and advertisers and how the media could be considered guilty of blindly (or cynically, perhaps) peddling FUD on behalf of these agencies because it sells more media.. (perhaps this is an ancient argument..)
Anyway, could it be argued that as a direct result of indiscriminate FUD, governments get more control over populations, news agencies sell more stories and producers shift more product.
In essence, FUD is a very good thing for some groups of people but does Joe Schmo (gasping at the latest story about the next killer super bug and rushing out to buy new-improved product X becuase the previous version won't work anymore) care and, when he does, might this bring the FUD machine to it's knees?
Kevb @24 - I very much doubt that fear, uncertainty and doubt is a conscious tactic of Government. I've worked for the Government for the last ten or so years of my life, and I've seen no evidence of anything like that degree of cynical gaming of the media (despite working in a policy area where you might expect that, if it was happening anywhere.) More likely, it's something the media itself do in order to sell more papers. Fear, uncertainty and doubt sell
And I'm not convinced that Governments are interested in itself, in controlling their populations - it's just that some of the things that Governments think (rightly or wrongly) that they should be doing (reducing crime, improving health, reducing unemployment and so on and so forth) are things that they believe can best be achieved via steps which give Government more control over the population.
Still, an interesting thought. It was a shame that considerable time was lost to the young woman's comments about class - given Charlie was doing no more than using "middle class" as a term to mean "comfortably off" though to be fair, if she got from sink estate to medical school, then a certain bloodymindedness is probably something which has stood her in good stead