I’ve been invited back to program the NSW Writers’ Centre Spec Fic Festival in July 2017. This time we’re open to submissions – details here!
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Charles N Brown
As reported by Locus, Charles N Brown died peacefully in his sleep on the way home from Readercon. I was privileged enough to have my own small share of adventures with Charles, both in Australia and the USA. I never visited his house but he visited mine during one particularly memorable blazing bushfire season. Here he is with Aussie friends at a party at Justine & Scott’s place back in January 2005. Photo by Steven Dunbar. Back row: Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Richard Harland, Aileen Harland, Louise Katz, Robert Hood, Cat SparksMiddle (wearing black t-shirt) David LevellFront row: Donna Nelson, Kate Forsyth, Charles Brown, Margo Lanagan, Josephine Pennicott, Claire Nicholls & Peter Nicholls.
Australian speculative fiction: a rant
The ACT Writers Centre asked me to write an article on Australian SF for their October newsletter. Thought I might post it on my blog too in case anyone’s interested in my most recent thoughts on the subject:It seems like now is one of the best times there’s ever been to be an Australian speculative fiction writer. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a golden age – that’s one of those terms best applied by future academics peering lovingly back on a bygone era, judging it by the literary middens it leaves behind. No, I won’t call it golden. The term that springs to my mind is blossoming. Australian names are popping up all over the international scene – and not just the usual suspects either. Writers like Ben Peek, Stephanie Campisi, Anna Tambour, AM Muffaz and Kaaron Warren are regularly scoring spots in classy anthologies and…