…oved too far back in time, it began losing its interest, going over old ground, and failing to climax in anything intense enough to justify the backward arrow. The only book I can compare this with is Ian M. Bank’s superb Use of Weapons, where the backward narration culminates in a very nasty twist that echoes back into the present situation. Here, we just have scenes that feel extraneous because they only reveal what we have already inferred thro…

…ering in the bar downstairs from 5pm onwards (I’ll likely be in the bar around 5pm because I’m arriving pretty early in London). This is a free event, and you don’t have to be a member of the BSFA to take part (non-members are welcome, in fact!). The interview will start at 7 pm. There will be a raffle (£1 for five tickets), with a selection of sf novels as prizes. I’m also quite happy to sign anything that has my name in it (ok, not blank checks…

…House of Binding Thorns is now complete. Now for filling in all the inconsistencies and getting it into shape for beta-readers… Have a snippet: In the House of Hawthorn, all the days blurred and merged into one another, like tears drops sliding down a pane of glass. Madeleine couldn’t tell when she’d last slept, when she’d last eaten– though everything tasted of ashes and grit, as if the debris from the streets had been mixed in with the fine foo…

…ar transition was always rough, but I think I’ve got it right now). Next stumbling block is likely near the ending, so most of the work this afternoon should be filling in the research holes. Went to the Opera Wednesday, to see Verdi’s Macbeth, a very impressive, modern production with an equally impressive soprano playing Lady Macbeth. (first time at the Opera, ever, courtesy of the BF). And now I shall be off to do some cooking (more on that lat…

…r Science Fantasy month. Thuy’s hands have just closed on the gem—she can’t feel its warmth with her gloves, but her daughter’s ghost is just by her side, at the hole in the side of the ship’s hull, blurred and indistinct—when the currents of unreality catch her. Her tether to The Azure Serpent, her only lifeline to the ship, stretches; snaps. And then she’s gone, carried forward into the depths. Read more/audio…

…n case you had any doubts). My thanks to everyone who read and voted in the awards and to everyone involved from the BSFA. I was also honoured to be part of two very strong shortlists and highly suggest you check out the other finalists. Me with Gillian Redfearn and John Berlyne in the bar shortly afterwards….

…is the time it takes the soul to cross through Hell and be reborn in Buddhist thought; a hundred days is “the end of tears” (not as important as the 49 days or the year anniversary, but there’s a ceremony for this). The mourning period for a parent is three years–for a civil servant like Quang Tu, it used to be a three-year sabbatical under the Empire, which is rather devastating for a career, and there’s plenty of tales of officials manoeuvring…

Just a quick reminder that today is the last day for Hugo nominations (you have until 11:59pm Pacific time, and you can nominate if you’re a member of Sasquan, MidamericonII or Worldcon in Helsinki). You can find the nomination form here. Please do nominate even if you feel you haven’t read widely enough: if you loved something, just put it on your ballot. This isn’t a quiz on the state of the genre, it’s a vote for things you liked in 2015 (and…

…Pratchett). Delivery deadline is end of May, just in time for a wonderful summer of not sleeping… For those wondering: The House of Binding Thorns has shifted a bit due to, erm, the wonders of the first trimester, but hopefully nothing major (sayth she, knocking on major bits of wood). I’m also looking like a beached whale at the moment and seriously considering two months of non stop Netflix streaming (alas, I’ve got a few things to do. But it’s…

…s sense, there isn’t a big community there), but it does have awesome dim sum, yummmmm 1847 makes great vegetarian food To everyone whom I hoped to run into/who hoped to see me–I hope I managed to be at enough of the con that I could be grabbed/chatted with/listened to. I was always more tired than I expected, and being able to rest in the room made a big difference to levels of fatigue (yes, I know. Anyone could have told me I would be more tired…