Torque Control

Trees in the forest

Trees have been falling in the BSFA’s metaphorical forest, but I haven’t had the capacity this summer to keep Torque Control updated to tell you about them; so I am particularly grateful to Tony Keen who has been doing so.
As BSFA members will know, the summer Vector didn’t happen; life intervened in a variety of ways which collectively waylaid the issue for both me and those involved in laying out the issue. I’m delighted, therefore, that the London & SF issue of Vector is due to come out in October, at long last, in the BSFA’s fourth mailing of the year. I already have much of the material in-hand for January’s issue as well, for that matter.

My much more finite-than-usual time in particular was the result of having offspring. Little Grouting-in-the-Fields (as we’re calling her online) has been inadvertently teaching me a great deal about time management: nap whenever possible time comes in small, valuable units, and without prioritization and seizing those moments, I won’t get anything done. I never quite appreciated that routine, generic advice to the degree I have recently. Vector won out over Torque Control. I couldn’t previously have told you they were even in contention with each other.

Ian Whates has generously arranged for a series of posts to be hosted here, beginning with one on the Kitchies.  I’ll be posting them, and, if necessary, passing on comments back to him. If I’m really organised, I’ll be posting more regularly in my own right too.

Special BSFA Meeting: Han Song interviewed by Lavie Tidhar

On Wednesday 10th Octber 2012, Han Song (Chinese Science Fiction author) will be interviewed by Lavie Tidhar (Israeli SF writer), with Antoaneta Becker translating.

Although little of his work has been translated into English* Han Song is one of the most prolific of Chinese SF writers, and has won the prestigious Galaxy prize six times.

*One recent exception is the short story ‘The Wheel of Samsara’, published in 2009 in The Apex Book of Science Fiction, edited by Lavie Tidhar.

This event is supported by the British Council in collaboration with the Chinese organising committee as part of the China Market Focus 2012 cultural programme at The London Book Fair.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

Please note that this is now the new permanent venue of BSFA Meetings.

FUTURE EVENTS:
24th October** – Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison
28th November – Paul Cornell, interviewed by Roz Kaveney
(There is no BSFA Meeting in December).
23rd January 2013** – TBC

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

September BSFA Meeting: Robert Shearman interviewed by Simon Guerrier

On Wednesday 26th September 2012, Robert Shearman (author, playwright, Doctor Who writer) will be interviewed by Simon Guerrier (Doctor Who writer).

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Argyle Public House, 1 Greville Street (off Leather Lane), London EC1N 8PQ. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central Line).

Please note that this is now the new permanent venue of BSFA Meetings. It would be nice if we could get a good turnout for the first meeting.

FUTURE EVENTS:
10th October – Special Meeting: Han Song, interviewed by Lavie Tidhar
24th October** – Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison
28th November – Paul Cornell, interviewed by Roz Kaveney
(There is no BSFA Meeting in December).
23rd January 2013** – TBC

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

London in 2014 party

The London in 2014 Worldcon Bid are holding a party on Sunday 2 September, to coincide with the announcement of the 2014 site selection. It’s at the Green Man & Porter’s Bar, on the corner of Great Portland Street and Euston Road, from 4 pm onwards. You are encouraged to arrive promptly, as the announcement is expected soon after 4.

The BSFA supports the London in 2014 bid.

Details here:

http://www.londonin2014.org/content/london-party

August BSFA Meeting: Shaun Tan interviewed by Judith Clute

On Tuesday 28th August 2012, Shaun Tan (artist, illustrator, author, film-maker, Academy Award winner) will be interviewed by Judith Clute (Canadian/British artist).

Please note the date change!  This event is taking place on the fifth Tuesday, due to the availability of Shaun Tan.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome.)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Melton Mowbray Public House, 18 Holborn, London EC1N 2LE. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
26th September – Rob Shearman, interviewed by Simon Guerrier
24th October** – Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison
28th November – Paul Cornell, interviewed by Roz Kaveney

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

July BSFA Meeting: Roz Kaveney interviewed by Pat Cadigan

On Wednesday 25th July 2012, Roz Kaveney (multi-talented writer) will be interviewed by Pat Cadigan (award-winning author and critic).

The event is the UK launch of Rhapsody of Blood 1: Rituals, Roz Kaveney’s debut novel and the first volume of her new fantasy tetralogy.

Roz is also a poet, critic, editor, political activist, and author of Reading The Vampire Slayer (2001/2003), From Alien to the Matrix: Reading Science Fiction Film (2005), Teen Dreams: Reading Teen Film and Television from ‘Heathers’ to ‘Veronica Mars’ (2006), and Superheroes! Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films (2007), and others.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome.)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and if early, fans are in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Melton Mowbray Public House. 18 Holborn, London EC1N 2LE. Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
28th August* – Shaun Tan, interviewed by Judith Clute
26th September – Rob Shearman, interviewed by Simon Guerrier
24th October** – Nina Allan, interviewed by Niall Harrison

* Note the date change.  This event is taking place on the fifth Tuesday, due to the availability of Shaun Tan.

** Note that this is a month with five Wednesdays. The meeting will be on the fourth, not the last, Wednesday of the month.

June BSFA Meeting: Paul McAuley interviewed by Paul Kincaid

On Wednesday 27th June 2012, Paul McAuley (multi-award winning author, most recently of In the Mouth of the Whale) will be interviewed by Paul Kincaid (BSFA Award winning critic).

Due to circumstances beyond the control of anyone involved, Tanith Lee will be unable to appear at our June meeting. We will make every effort to book her for a future meeting. Please accept our apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience.  We are grateful to Paul for stepping into the breach to appear as our guest in June.

ALL WELCOME – FREE ENTRY (Non-members welcome.)

The interview will start at 7 pm. We have the room from 6pm (and fans in the ground floor bar from 5ish).

There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes.

Location: Cellar Bar, The Melton Mowbray Public House. 18 Holborn, London EC1N 2LE . Map is here. Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane (Central line).

FUTURE EVENTS:
25th July – Roz Kaveney (interviewer TBC)
28th August* – Shaun Tan (interviewer TBC)
26th September – Rob Shearman, interviewed by Simon Guerrier

*Note that this is event is taking place on the fifth Tuesday, due to the availability of Shaun Tan.

BSFA/SFF Mini-Convention and AGMs

Tomorrow is the BSFA/SFF Mini-Convention and AGMs with Guests of Honour Marek Kukula and Aliette de Bodard.

The venue is the Royal Astronomical Society at Burlington House on Piccadilly in Central London, halfway between Piccadilly Circus and Green Park stations. It’s the first door on the left once you’ve entered the courtyard.

Hopefully many of you will be able to be there.

Here’s the schedule:

10:00 am Welcome (SFF)
10:05 am Marek Kukula Talk
10:55 – 11:05 Break
11:05 am Aliette de Bodard interview with Edward James
12 pm – 12:45 SFF AGM
12:45 pm – 1: 45 pm Lunch
1:45 pm – 2:30 pm BSFA AGM
2:30 pm – Astronomy Q&A with Marek Kukula
3:25 – 3:35 – Break
3:35 pm – SF & Colonialism panel with Aliette de Bodard, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Lavie Tidhar, and Sophia McDougall (moderator)
4:30 Concluding Remarks (BSFA)

Food and Drink – with the exception of water – is not allowed on site. There are many nearby cafés, drink and snack shops, restaurants and pubs.

The designated pub for the day is the King’s Head, located approximately behind the Royal Astronomical Society, at 10 Stafford Street, W1S 4RX.

Imagining London

I apologise for recent silence around here. On top of various bits of Life, I was thrown by the resignation of Martin McGrath.

If anyone could have been said to have been doing too much for the BSFA, it was he, inasmuch as he was single-handedly dealing with a good half of the organisation’s day-to-day business, from editing Focus, to storing any extra publication copies, to mailing out new member’s packs, to doing all design and layout for all of the BSFA’s publications and liaising with the printer. (And that’s not all.)  It’s far more than any one person should need to do for one organisation, and it’ll take at least three new committee members to replace him!

Insofar as Vector is concerned, his resignation meant that the publication schedule for the next issue (due out in June or early July) was put in doubt, as at least some of its contributors are aware.

The good news is that we now have a volunteer, as a one-off, to do layout for this next issue of Vector: so this issue definitely happening, and on schedule too at this rate! And I’m excited about the contents – this issue has articles from an exciting group of contributors! (To whom I still owe many edits – coming soon, now that the issue is back on track!) (This is no guarantee that the following issue of Vector will be coming out on time, however. That depends on one or more additional, as yet not-found, volunteers.)

However, as a caveat, it’s up to me, as features editor, and any other willing volunteers, to track down, volunteer, and recruit any and all images to be used in this issue, from the cover art to all the interiors. Without imagery, the issue can still go ahead – but it will look notably image-free!

The theme of this forthcoming issue is “London & SF”, as proposed by James Bacon, as a tie-in to the London in 2014 Worldcon bid.

The cover art will be in full colour, but otherwise, reproductions will be in black and white.  Do you have drawings, photographs, and paintings you’ve made yourself and can grant permission for their use in this one issue of Vector, whether in print or PDF?  Suggestions of artists who might be willing to contribute to this issue? Ideas of other legal and appropriate ways to illustrate this issue?

Can you help?