Birthday Launch: Terra
Today is my 47th Birthday!
And, on this day, the 4th book in the Fractal Series is released!
Fourth episode in the Fractal mini-series, building on the heavily-praised worlds of Fearless and Resilient set in 2118AD, now accompanied by an awesome soundtrack.The aftermath of the Atacama incident. An investigator tries to piece together clues on who might be to blame as corporations move in to exploit the situation and cover up the evidence. As she gets closer to the truth, she gets closer to danger.
Terra was very interesting to write. I've noticed that I have a tendency to like mystery plots in my science fiction. Investigations are a nice vehicle. They give your protagonist a clear function. Sometimes that follows all the way to a nice reveal and solve of the case, but it can also be used to discover chaos, events that quickly escape the control of the investigator.
Each Fractal episode expands on a specific element of the world context in 2118 AD. Terra explores the nature of human consciousness. How it is created in this future world and how it is valued. The events provide a little more insight into what is going on.
Again, if you are new to the series, you can read Terra first if you want to. All of the episodes can be the first book you read, or a continuation from one of the others.
Winter time is interesting for me. University teaching has always tended to be busiest in the first semester from September to December, with the second semester a little like 'going downhill' to quote a particular walking tree.
I don't tend to write in the winter. Instead, I get the job done and find myself living in an increasingly smaller part of the house as work priorities take up more and more of my time.
However, this year, the Fractal Series requires that I write in the winter. So, every day, I'm juggling the work tasks to make a little evening time to work on Vigilance. As I said in the previous blog article, the challenge of writing a book that concludes some of the story when you have eight previous publications in the series as opposed to two, as I'd originally envisaged, is quite a thing. In some ways it's great to be able weave little continuances from the episodes into the novels, in others, it's an exercise in keeping track.
My previous work on computer games, my Ph. D. and my Government research has involved ways in which you can keep track. Writing support documents to co-ordinate huge collaborations between games and books. These macrotexts sit behind all the shiny new publications. They are often sprawling and messy, but they are a map and they help, particularly when you aren't sure about something. The last thing you want as a writer is your hesitation to end up in the writing.
However, there is also an argument for keeping it in the brain. There is an immediacy I get when I'm thinking about the elements of this sprawling story that I want to tell. I've mentioned before that the Fractal books are written without much of a plan. I used to plan more with other stories, but for me, the specific, first person present style doesn't led itself to allowing much planning. I have a few notes, but that's it. Instead, I write as fast as I can and then tidy up in the second draft.
Other news this week was our annual excursion to Dragonmeet. The British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society has run a table at the event for the last three years, mostly because Karen and I attend with the gracious support of John Dodd, the event organiser. It is great fun and a nice change of pace, with a chance to spend a day looking at boardgames and roleplaying games. This year was particularly nice as Flame Tree Press were in attendance along with the BSFA events team, Zoe Mantas and Robyn Moore.
What was also nice was that I got to pick up a copy of this: What Boardgames Mean to Me was published in America in November and arrives in the UK in January. There was a panel on the book and the writers who have contributed to it are a veritable who's who of boardgaming and roleplaying. It's an absolute prvilege to have my little piece: 'Board Games are a Story, Not a Destination' right there in the middle alongside, Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone, Alessio Calvatore, Gav Thorpe and many others who have been luminary names for me throughout my life. My little piece was inspired by my regular boardgame evening in Andover with my old childhood friends. Going back every so often really does remind me how important those shared moments really are. It doesn't matter whether you win, lose or draw, you get to spend time with people you care about.
