Glasgow’s Aye Write book festival boasts a cracking night for science fiction fans among its many events this year. Ken MacLeod points us to the The Early Days of a Better Future evening (extra brownie points to those of you who get the double reference in that title) on Sunday March 7th at 8pm, which, frankly, is a showcase of some of the brilliant SF&F talent residing in Scotland right now – along with Ken himself there’s Richard Morgan, Hal Duncan, Deborah J Miller and Mike Cobley in discussion with Andrew J Wilson.
“Can things only get better or do we have to look over a mountain of rubble to see beyond the next fifty years? Scottish writers are leading a renaissance in British speculative fiction, but does our national identity have any future at all?” If you’re going to be in Glasgow then that’s a brilliant gig to get along to, my own bookshelves all have space dedicated to each of those writers and I’d recommend them all (I find it amusing that Morgan who established himself with hardboiled SF has now moved into hardboiled fantasy while Cobley who made a name in fantasy has now moved into an excellent SF series). Brit science fiction in general has been producing some simply fabulous work in recent years – as with a lot of recent comics we’re spoiled with an embarassment of riches to choose from – and for reasons we’ve never quite understood the Scottish scene has been particularly spectacular. Must be something in the water. Like the single malt.
You should check out the programme because there are some great authors appearing during the festival, including Bryan Talbot who will be in conversation with Denise Mina on Friday 12th of March at 7.30pm; check the Aye Write site for full details of all events
February 25th, 2010 at 6:56 am
In case anyone’s still on tenterhooks – the title’s a reference to a slogan Alasdair Gray puts on most of his books “Work as if you lived in the early days of a better nation”, which is itself a reference to a poem by Dennis Leigh – Civil Elegies – which goes: “And best of all is finding a place to be/in the early days of a better civilization.”
I demand my brownie points.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Gavin, Brownie points indeed! And for extra credit Ken MacLeod also adapts part of it as the name of his own blog. Vive Alasdair Gray!