Sleeve notes

[altariel]

Over the weekend, I was at NewCon in Northampton, a gathering of SF writerly types, with guests Iain Banks, Ken McLeod, Storm Constantine, and Paul Cornell. Thank you to Ian Whates and Ian Watson for organizing. I felt like I was at a big party with excellent company and the most welcoming of hosts.

Saturday night saw the launch of Subterfuge, the latest anthology from award-winning independent publishers NewConPress. It contains "tales of misdirection, of finesse, of wilful sleight of hand, stories in which not everything is always as it seems", from authors including John Meaney, Neal Asher, Pat Cadigan, Tanith Lee, Tony Ballantine, Juliet McKenna, Gary Couzens, and Neil Williamson.

There's also one by me: The Great Gig in the Sky. It’s a story about a band, and their tribute band, and it’s my own tribute to three things that I love: the unreal city I haunt, folk music, and sensitive young men. I had a playlist while I was writing; more about that under the cut if you’re interested.

NB: Links go directly to YouTube videos.

Syd Barrett, Golden Hair
Cambridge’s most famous lost son at his most ethereal.

Robert Johnson, Crossroad Blues
It’s said that blues musician Robert Johnson met the Devil at a crossroads and sold him his soul in exchange for mastery of the guitar. Which modern Faustian tale suited my theme of what we are prepared to do to nurture our talent.

Led Zeppelin, Communication Breakdown
Because shy people don’t often find it easy to talk and noisy rock can fill the gap nicely.

Fairport Convention, No Man’s Land
From their second album What We Did On Our Holidays. They all sound so young and hopeful on it – sorry I can’t find it online anywhere for you to hear.

Nick Drake, Time of No Reply
Another lost boy. This is how I wanted the songs in the story to sound.

Gryphon, The Unquiet Grave
Prog-folk. Mm, crunchy.

The Holloway Brothers, Night Sky
The Holloway Brothers are a blues band who busk around the south east. Here they are in the unreal city, earlier this year. The track I was listening to is off their CD Creekside.

Chris Thomas King, Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
Song in a sad time.

Fairport Convention, Rubber Band
I can’t find this anywhere online either, alas, but I did my best to convey its utter brilliance in a post a while back.

Richard and Linda Thompson, Night Comes In
Working on the assumption that all Richard Thompson songs are happy songs, this one always makes me feel hopeful after I’ve been sad.

Pink Floyd, The Great Gig in the Sky
Of course.

Nick Drake, Fruit Tree
A beautiful meditation on transience:

Forgotten while you're here
Remembered for a while
A much updated ruin
From a much outdated style.

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the con was so enjoyable! How was your panel?

I must keep the playlist for when I read the story.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think the panel went well - there were some acoustic difficulties which meant that not everyone could hear (we were first on, so it was only as we talked that the problem became apparent). But I enjoyed myself while it was happening, and my head didn't fall off or anything like that, so I think it counts as OK. I might post about it later.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

my head didn't fall off or anything like that

I'm glad to be reassured on this point. I'm sure it was excellent.

[scottpearson.livejournal.com]

"Working on the assumption that all Richard Thompson songs are happy songs, this one always makes me feel hopeful after I’ve been sad."

That's a mighty big assumption, isn't it? ; )

[altariel.livejournal.com]

The man himself said it! In an online interview that I can't now find!

[scottpearson.livejournal.com]

I know that "She Twists the Knife Again" always sets my toes a-tappin'. It makes "On the Sunny Side of the Street" seem like a funeral dirge!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

'Nothing at the End of the Rainbow' has me clutching my sides.

[gair.livejournal.com]

I believe that I read a draft of this story, and so therefore I win and am the B-est NF of altariel.

Glad the con was good! Hooray!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

You did read a draft, god bless you! I think you should have a special hat with "I WIN" on it.

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the publication!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[sugoll.livejournal.com]

Glad it was good. And hurrah for your head not falling off. Always a plus point, that.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

My head did me proud, I think.

[dkpalaska.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! But hey, how come your name isn't on the front cover?

It's very cool - congrats again, and your writing so deserves it!

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

how come your name isn't on the front cover?

We can all fix this when we get our copies. Or indeed sneak into shops with name stickers.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I like my friends.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am very fond of this story and I am really glad that it found a home.

[kerravonsen]

This sounds like coolness.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It was all good fun :-)

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

Well done, you. :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-)

[thanatos-kalos.livejournal.com]

Glad you had a great time! :)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

(And I will email later today but, in the meantime, all will be well and *hugs*)

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that it was so good - that does sound like the best kind of con.

Having your head not fall off in a panel is always a point in your favour, though I'm pretty sure that there were plenty of others, too.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'm pleased with how my head performed. It really rose to the occasion.

It was fun and relaxed. Definitely enjoyed myself.

[katlinel.livejournal.com]

Yay and hurrah and all manner of joyous noise unto altariel!

I've only just got round to ordering your last publication and here you are with another one already, you prolific person you!

If your head had fallen off in the panel, I would expect you to carry on in your own inimitable style, in the spirit of the Blitz, because worse things happen at sea, mustn't grumble etc.

Glad it went well and had a good party feel.

Are your sensitive young men angsty, dark-haired and cerebral?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Let the trumpets sound! Yes, my head would probably just keep on talking while my body blundered around trying to bring the mike over to it. BRAINS IN JARS!


Are your sensitive young men angsty, dark-haired and cerebral?

Ooh, interesting question. A little angst. Yes, dark hair. Not so much of the cerebralitytudinessment.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that story sounds great. I love sensitive young men too. To be totally shallow, did you meet Iain Banks? What was he like?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Well, Zaphod's just this guy, you know... I didn't meet Iain Banks but he was entertaining on panels, and he came across as very unaffected and one of the guys.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear that! Were the panels any good? Were you talking on any of them?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I was on the first panel: Does the Future of SF lie in Media other than Traditional Literature?. Alas, the acoustics were a bit flaky, and it wasn't until after our panel that we got that sorted out. Which at least means that if I did say anything stupid, nobody heard. (The venue was a big L-shaped hall that used to be a fishmarket: high ceilings and hard walls.)

I enjoyed panels on Science Fiction Non-Fiction: What's the Point? and Where would SF Be Had No Britons Ever Written SF? Paul Cornell did a very lively question and answer session, and also there was a preview of his radio adaptation of Iain M. Banks' novel The State of the Art, which was jolly good.

I stupidly didn't go to the panel with Iain Banks and Ken McLeod, which I gather was excellent, but it was Sunday afternoon and my energy levels were flagging slightly.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, all of those sound pretty great. Sad about the acoustics, that sounds like a fascinating topic. Did fanfic get a mention, or were they just talking about how more people watch TV these days?


I have to just say, because I am spilling over with rage, I HATE DAN SIMMONS. Do you hate Dan Simmons? He's a repellent human being and I don't understand why a book by him is on the syllabus of a course I have to teach on.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I banged on constantly about fanfiction, and Paul Cornell talked a bit about it too. I'll post my notes at some point, it was an interesting topic.

Now I remember quite liking Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, but it is almost twenty years since I read them, and I was an entirely different person then. Tell me why I must loathe him (which I am quite prepared to do purely on your advice).

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, please do!

You must loathe him because Ilium is misogynist, has homophobic undertones, is massively pretentious, badly written, sickeningly violent and ON MY SYLLABUS. I am going to post extensively about this, maybe with quotes. I'm also going to go see the professor today and ask WHY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Aha, I never read as far as Ilium. Hating-mode initiated, and please to be posting a magnificent rant.

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, as I have dreadfully failed to say it - WELL DONE on getting a story into that volume! That's wonderful! First, anthology from award-winning independent publishers NewConPress, next, the world.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, the world is definitely on the agenda. Perhaps not immediately, as I have a DS9 novel to finish, but from January I should have a hand free :-D

[toft-froggy.livejournal.com]

You should wait until after the American election to step in anyway, I'd say. But don't leave it too long, it could be too late...