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Home , Sexposition, The Quarry (Banks novel)

Nov 2013

1 REFRACTION #1 Contents

Cover Orbital Over The Forth Bridge – 1954 - 2013 3 Away – Iain Banks RIP, plus Walking and The Quarry 6 Boobs and Boiled Leather – 10 United State of Horror – American Mary and A Field in England 15 Is this Nottingham? – Novacon 42 Rear Doctor Who? Celebrating 50 years.

Every time I go to a con or similar event I too general for what I wanted. Although always come back fired up with plenty of I’ve used it before as a business name I enthusiasm. They will be a list of books, again eventually settled on ‘Refraction’ comics, films and musical performers to mainly due to the fact that I live not a check out that I will have gathered from million miles away from where Isaac panels and drunken conversations with Newton was born. I’d already dismissed a friends. Plus, usually whilst leafing through lot of apple, gravity or mathematical the zines I’ve picked up on the train home, related titles as too obvious and went for there will be the idea to write a zine of my something related to his optical own. Books and comics get discoveries. Plus this also read, films gets watched hints at one of the things I and music gets listened to want to do with this zine – but I’ve never actually got look at slightly odd and around to creating my own crooked things in a slightly zine, no how many odd and crooked way. times I tell myself (and other people) that I’m going Sadly this first issue is to do it. dominated by the death of my favourite writer – Iain So obviously, after the last (M) Banks and I start off Novacon where I had been with some reminisces on the telling myself (and other impact his work has had on people) that there was no me, the time I recently met way, no how, I was ever up with some fans to walk going to do my own zine, the route through London almost as soon as I arrived that one of the characters home I was typing up my takes in Walking on Glass experiences at the con and plus a review of his final then planning other things I novel, The Quarry. Then it’s could write about. This is a discussion of one of the the result. most prominent current television shows Game of Thrones which I used to enjoy writing reviews and longer led me to the series of vast books it’s essays/articles on books, films and tele- based on. There’s a look at two different vision for various places but I’ve kinda fringe horror films American Mary and A fallen out of the habit. Hopefully this zine Field in England by two interesting indie will be able to revive that. Plus it will be a directors (well, actually three… well, you’ll place to write up the odd fannish event see) and what they might have to say that I attend. And last, but definitely not about their respective countries. And finally least, it gives an outlet and inspiration to there’s a write up of Novacon 42… and produce more art and be more focused that’s where we sort of came in, so I’ll with photography. leave it there until next time.

I went through several titles – but they all Gary S Wilkinson seemed either too specific and in-jokey or [email protected] 2 Nov 2013 Away The Crow Road Iain Banks RIP

From my very first time I read him, Iain perfect and it could be argued that the Banks rapidly became my favourite author quality of the non-sf dipped slightly with – not only in sf with his ‘M’ books but as a the last few but he was to the end head mainstream writer as well. For many many and shoulders my favourite writer and The years I’ve looked forward to one book of Bridge and remain my either of these flavours coming out roughly favourite non-sf and sf books. every twelve months or so. I’ve read everything he’s written, much of it multiple His was one of the first, if not the first, times and he was one of the major book signings I ever went to and over the inspirations to start writing myself, both years I must have been to more Banks fiction and non-fiction (one of my first events than all other writers combined. He substantial pieces was a essay on his first was always a natural exuberant entertainer Culture novel, ). His on stage for the readings and question and typically black humoured announcement of answer sessions. In the last few years I’ve his illness earlier this year, followed all too tried to catch each tour to buy his latest quickly by his death, was a real shock. He’s plus get a back issues or two signed. The basically going to be impossible to replace. first time, bar a school trip, I went up to Scotland was mainly to visit some of the And I can still remember that first time. I places mentioned in his works – several had just bought this paperback called The Edinburgh pubs, the Forth Bridges and Wasp Factory from WH Smiths, enticed by Espedair St. I was lucky enough to be in its amazingly stark cover and intriguing the audience for one of his television reviews – many of which, good and bad, interviews and also when he appeared on had been quoted at the front of the book – The World Service radio discussing The and sat down to in my local library to read Wasp Factory. a bit before I returned home… ‘I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles Last year, as usual, I went to Nottingham’s the day we heard my brother had escaped.’ Waterstones for a signing of The Hydrogen And after that I was hooked and have been Sonata. The manager of the shop gave a ever since… reading each book as it came particularly heartfelt introduction – he was along, eventually switching to hardback obviously a real fan. During the Q&A I when I had the funds and could no longer asked a particularly rambling and ill wait for the paperback or ordered library thought out question based on a recent copy. twitter discussion I’d had (basically was the computer game in real or in the I’ve a couple of other prominent memories protagonist’s imagination?). As I got my of reading his work – devouring a chapter book signed Iain graciously batted away of Use of Weapons by candlelight during a my apology for my terrible query and we power cut and polishing off Complicity in had a short chat about computer games one day, only stopping briefly for and our past mutual Civilisation addiction. refreshment breaks. But of course it’s the As I stepped out of the shop into a dark writing itself that I mainly remember – and deserted Nottingham city centre I dark, witty, literary mainstream works and never for the life of me imagined that it great stomping mind-expanding equally would be last time I would ever speak to literary sf. Of course not every book was him. 3 REFRACTION #1 Walking Walking on Glass

Walking on Glass was Iain’s second novel. fell on a Friday this year and it was decided It builds on the gothic strangeness of the that it was more convenient for us to meet Wasp Factory - being not quite realism, not up on the Saturday. quite sf, not quite fantasy - that reaches a peak with after which Banks split his work into ‘M’ and non-‘M’ varieties (until the recent ). There are three stories or plot strands in Walking on Glass, that while at first seeming quite separate, slowly start to come together as the novel progresses. In one a young art student Graham Park walks from his college in the Bloomsbury area of London to his girlfriend’s flat while he chats with a friend for part of the way and then thinks back over his relationship. Meanwhile another character, Steven Grout, who possibly has some form of mental Dave Haddock leading the route derangement, is fired from his job and takes a journey of his own. The third strand is more obtuse to the others and takes place in a possible parallel dimension The weather on the day was bright and or universe or just the far future or past of sunny. I actually bumped into Dave and his this one with two more characters Quiss wife before the walk when I wandered into and Ajayi playing an endless series of a small park close to the start to eat a bizarre games in a vast castle. lunchtime sandwich before I set off. Turned out they had had the same idea. In the end, fourteen of us set out. Dave guided us through the walk, pointing out where particular events of the novel happened and also other prominent places like the solicitors’ office where Iain used to work. The was an extra moment of melancholy during one of the pub stops on the way when I found out a frequent poster at the Iain Banks forum has also died recently.

The walkers gather

Park’s journey is clearly laid out in the novel with each of his chapters headed by the particular street or road he is walking down. Also I think it’s unique in Iain’s work in that that it is set on a particular named day – 28th June. I had been meaning to do the walk for years - on the specific day, of course - but had never got around to it. But after Banks made his announcement I made the decision to definitely do it this year. Others obviously had similar feelings and gathering was organised via The Iain Banks Forum, led by Dave Haddock who writes the Banks’ zine Banksonian. The 28th Journey’s end… almost 4 Nov 2013

Parks girlfriend’s flat was at Half Moon Street which now no longer exists having been redeveloped as a housing complex. However that was not too much of anti- climax as Park goes on to a finish his journey (and that novel) at a nearby canal which we then headed over to. We also included a few locations that Grout visits, plus a couple of stops peripheral to the novel like the offices of estate agents residential consultants Hotblack Desiato, the name of which Adams used for a character in the Hitchhiker series. We finished at The Hope And Anchor pub that happened to be Iain’s local when he wrote The Wasp Factory. After a quick look at the nearby house that Iain shared back then, we said our goodbyes.

The next day, before returning home, I decided to check out the Kensington Walking on glass museums as I’d not visited them for a number of years. Whilst in the Science heritage below. When I was halfway across Museum, shortly after looking at a model of I suddenly realised that this walkway was the Forth Railway Bridge, I walked over made of toughened glass. I was actually another bridge-like walkway, high above walking on glass. I could not help but the displays of scientific and industrial smile.

The Quarry

I realised, going in, that this was never Frank, with his worldview constructed going to be an easy read. It would be, after around his weird homemade religion but all, the last time I would ever read an Iain Kit, who is just bit off on the Asperger’s Banks book for the first time. And then of spectrum and needs only a temporary course there is that much talked about plot escape from the reality via an online World thread; that one of the main characters is Of Warcraft like video game. Kit’s odd dying from cancer. Banks apparently views of the world, his relative innocence started the novel unaware of the fact that and the way he interacts with others gives he had cancer himself and it was all a a few much needed sparkles of humour to horrible coincidence. However it is all but the book. impossible not to be affected by it, especially some of the scenes that surely The events of The Quarry take place over a must have been at least bolstered after the weekend when the father’s old university fact, where the stricken character is raging friends come over to say their last against the dying of the light. goodbyes. They were all on a film and media course and would make spoof films In a way The Quarry is a quiet reflection on together. Another reason for the gathering Banks’ first novel, the much more is to try and find one particular video tape boisterous The Wasp Factory. The location which apparently could prove embarrassing is equally as isolated - not a single house to them all if it were ever to surface. The on an island but one perched on the edge search for this MacGuffin and what might of a northern quarry that is due to be actually be on the tape plus, to a letter demolished. There’s also an emotionally extent, the identity of Kit’s mother form distant father (the character dying of the basis for the slight plot. cancer), an absent mother and an odd young male protagonist from who’s first However plot is not really the main thing person viewpoint the novel is written. here, it’s more a character study of the However we don’t have the gothic various friends – one’s a corporate solicitor homicidal monster of the Wasp Factory, and prospective MP, two who have coupled

5 REFRACTION #1 off and work for the same Google like IT gothic excess few writers would be also company, another’s a dogsbody in local able to see the poetry in a traffic jam as government and there is one who has Banks, via Kit, does here. brought along a boyfriend from outside the group. We see them all from Kit’s clear eyed viewpoint, seeing how they react with each other, and with their past histories and their current situations – and the realisations that life has not quite work out like they would have wanted it to. Like much of Banks’ work it clearly reflects the time it is set in, how Britain is right now; not just politically and socially but also the current state of technology and how this will quickly change. On the latter point I was reminded of the table-top space invader game in the Wasp Factory – which are now already pretty much forgotten but The Quarry at the quarry were a definite thing at the time. There’s punning aplenty and a Dead Air vibe to I’m not right on the edge, but there is an some of the various character’s rants. actual quarry a few minutes walk from where I live. So of course it seemed Overall The Quarry is a quiet note for appropriate to take a walk out there to Banks to go out on, especially on the back read the first couple of pages of The Quarry of the Hydrogen Sonata which also had a in reflection on how I first read The Wasp somewhat melancholy and downbeat Factory in my local library all those years atmosphere – a reflection and commentary ago. In the time between Banks work has on the normal heroism of space opera. provided me with hours of pleasure and no However I think in time The Quarry will be doubt with hours more to come with the seen as, thought a minor work within inevitable rereads and for that, all I can Banks overall output, a subtle and mature finish with is: Thanks Iain; slàinte. book. For all his wide screen baroque and Boobs and Boiled Leather

Game of Thrones

If I could travel back in time to meet as the best programme there has ever younger me, say as a teenager, and tell been from either side of the Atlantic. Many them about the future I don’t think it’ll be of these new ‘golden age’ series are crime the ubiquity of mobile phones or the orientated but other genres have been internet that they will be most shocked by explored, like the Western Deadwood, or but the fact that I now watch so little even non-genre or at least not easily television. Plus the fact that a great deal of categorisable like Mad Men or Six Feet what I do watch is American. While there Under (neither of which, by coincidence, have been very rare outliers of quality I’ve seen). Fantasy is represented by Game material – Like Hill Street Blues and Twin of Thrones, adapted from the book series A Peaks – in the past, for the most part, Song of Fire and Ice written by George R. American television in the UK was basically R. Martin. Saturday evening filler, stuff like The A Team, Knightrider and The Incredible Hulk. I’d not read the books before I started However things started to change when watching the show. I know I planned to shows like Oz came along which, although give them a go at some point but had not rather hit and miss, acted as precursor to got around to it. My impression beforehand programmes like that for the was that they were a long way from most part was easily as good as the best of Tolkienesque consolatory fantasy - that British television. And of course there was there were pretty adult with a lot of The Wire which could be reasonable argued violence, a bare minimum of magic and

6 Nov 2013

Daenerys Targaryen, one of the representations of fire in Game Of Thrones...

7 REFRACTION #1

… and Jon Snow, one of the representations of ice.

8 Nov 2013 loosely based on the War of the Roses. director Neil Marshall was brought in on short notice When the television series came around I decided to give it a watch as the advanced As well as the violence the show is publicity indicated that it was going to be notorious for its sex scenes. There have very good indeed. I think the placing of the been many online jokes about boob counts first few minutes – the prologue that takes and ‘sexposition’ – where scenes of passing place in the icy forbidding world north of on information are livened up with copious the Wall, the coldest of cold openings – nudity. I’d like to think that I’m the last to was a masterstroke as it definitely pulled be prudish but it probably gets a bit too me in. much at times. It is a bit of an HBO thing, but some shows seem to have more of it However the first episode proper was a than others. slight struggle to get through due to the enormous number of characters. When Overall the show has gone from strength to they find the dead dire wolf and it’s ‘seven strength through it first three series and puppies for seven children’ I audibly shows no sign of dipping in quality. groaned – what another seven characters Unfortunately that’s not something you can I’ve got to keep track of? However I say about the novel series it’s based on. managed to find a handy guide online with character photos in the family trees of the I started reading the books after the houses. I remember having the same second series of the television show had problem when I first watched Twin Peaks broadcast because I found myself and the solution to that had been a similar accidentally seeing too many spoilers guide published in the Radio Times. The online for events in forthcoming books. brilliant title sequence, replacing the Though the whole series is longer than the ubiquitous hand drawn map that you find Bible and it took a fair of time, I found it at the front of nearly every fantasy novel fairly easy to get through, chugging with a fly-over of a CGI animated faux through them a chapter or so a day. I had clockwork contraption of a map, taking in already experienced Martin before via his the locations that would be visited in this Wild Cards series. I read the first half week’s episode, all but eliminated any dozen of this series when they were been location based problems on where things published in the UK. Wild Cards is a shared might be happening. The great direction world anthology where, just after the and cinematography that the prologue had Second World War, there is an alien virus had continued into the main episode itself. outbreak in New York. Most of those Plus there were some excellent casting affected by the virus were killed but some choices. Peter Dinklage steals just about became ‘Aces’ – essentially superheroes every scene he is in. And for once the child but more became ‘Jokers’ – hideously actors are not overly stage schooly or cute. deformed. The series examines the idea of Apparently the girl playing Arya even went superheroes in a way that has much more so method as to use her non natural left depth and is more adult than the vast hand to sword fight to match her character. majority of comics or superhero films. The first episode finished with a violent There is much sex and violence, though shock and the series would build on that. they are not quite as brutal as Game of Death is often and merciless. It’s like Thrones. However I have heard they got Martin deliberately wants to be as cruel as more extreme on that front as the series possible with his audience. In some ways I progressed beyond where I read up to. find that refreshing. It reminds us that medieval conflict was not all chivalry and I’ve already mentioned the initial problem I involves horrible bloody things happening had with the number of characters in the to people. television version of Game of Thrones. With the books this problem is magnified by The first series builds up to a war breaking several orders of magnitude. I lost count at out which reaches its climax with The trying to add them up via the dramatis Battle of Blackwater. Although this is personal at the end of one of the books trimmed down from the book it is probably once I got up into the several hundreds. one of the best battles depicted on screen It’s fairly easy to keep track of the major especially given the fact that the episode’s viewpoint and secondary characters but

9 REFRACTION #1 with the many many tertiary characters, unmanageable amounts of flashbacks and it’s basically impossible. However I was other exposition. However in removing this reading the kindle versions so I was able to time gap he seems to have had some do searches to remind me who was who difficulty in thinking of other things for his and what they looked like. protagonists to do. Frankly there is rather too much of characters just wandering As a writer Martin has a lot of strengths – about in the books and many other plots his characterisation and plotting are very being reduced to crawl speed or just not good and keep you reading. However he is advancing at all. Plus the cast has now no prose stylist and has a certain number grown so large that only half of the main of ticks that regularly keep coming up such characters are in each book with events as the plentiful descriptions of what people taking place simultaneously. To be honest I are wearing and eating. Admittedly this was glad to get them over with and if I had does add to the atmosphere of the books known how disappointing they were going but can get a bit much at times. He also to be I would have stopped at the end of concentrates rather a lot on obscure parts book three. However I am still hopeful that of armour and especially on heraldry – Game of Thrones’s producers will be able dozens and dozens of different shields and to create a decent adaptation. They have other heraldic devices appear. I like to already filed off a few problems with the think I have a pretty wide vocabulary but I novels so far and I think will be able to sort had to turn to a dictionary once I got much out a good solution, perhaps by deviating beyond ‘bend sinister’. Plus Martin reuses a more from the text than they have in the certain number of descriptive terms and past. I look forward to seeing were the phrases – such as ‘boiled leather’ armour – series goes anyway. I also hope that Martin so often I was practically playing bingo can improve where the books have being with them. going – though I anticipate it will be a while to find that out. The television series has so far depicted the events that are covered by the first two I also have some hope that some of the and a half books with the next one finishing gold that has come out of American can off book three. That was basically, for me, rub off over here. For me the quality of UK the high point of the books so far. Sadly I television drama had really dipped since found books four and five a bit of a slog. the nineties with the last truly great Apparently Martin wanted to leave a gap of programme being Our Friends in the North. several years in the narrative at the end of But very recently things have started to the 3rd book to allow the child characters improve with series the totally sublime (and dragons) to get a bit older. However Utopia earlier this year and the currently when he came to write it he found he was being broadcast Peaky Blinders. Fingers having to fill in too much back story with crossed for the future. United State of Horror

American Mary and A Field in England It’s an interesting coincidence that two of However American Mary is something the best films I’ve seen recently - American almost entirely different, a real step up in Mary and A Field in England - have all aspects of filmmaking that pushes the happened to have the names of countries conventions of the horror genre into in their titles. What might they both say unusual directions ending up almost an art about their respective locales? film with a touch of the indie thriller and perhaps strains of a real old school Although with American Mary, strictly Shakespearian tragedy. Whatever it is, it’s speaking, it’s not actually a purely good. Very good. American film in that it was filmed in Canada and directed by the team of The Mary of the title is Mary Mason (played Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska, by horror queen Katherine Isabelle of aka ‘The Twisted Twins’. Mary is their Ginger Snaps fame). Mary is a medical second film; their first was the the grind student aiming to be surgeon (or ‘slasher’ house inspired Dead Hooker In A Trunk. as one of the other characters puts it). 10 Nov 2013

11 REFRACTION #1

Academically she’s a high flyer but is scrubs, masks and gleaming instruments – struggling to support herself financially. perhaps a direct nod, given the directors’ After having her phone cut off and are twins themselves, to Cronenburg’s desperate for money she applies for a job Dead Ringers. You can also see the as a stripper. Before the interview has influence of classic Italian horror and finished – when the club owner finds out Japanese films such as Audition. about her skills - she is offered a big lump sum of cash to patch up some unfortunate For a low budget film American Mary does in the club’s basement. He’s been so badly look extraordinary. It is incredibly well lit beaten that he’s missing an eye. and confidently filmed and the makeup and Afterwards a shocked Mary grabs her other effects are basically flawless. The money and leaves, planning to never go acting, especially by Isaballe as Mary, is back. However she is contracted by one of fantastic. The director’s themselves appear the club’s dancers, Beatress, who has had as the ‘Demon Twins of Berlin’, who will be extensive surgery in order to look like the the human canvas for Mary’s masterpiece. cartoon character Betty Boop. Beatress has Although Mary aims to break it’s a friend, Ruby Realgirl, who wants a couple restrictions of budget, going big and of even more extreme procedures… At first operatic, among all the extravagance there Mary is repelled but more money, plus her are also real subtleties going on here. Look professional pride, draws her into the world at how Mary’s hair and make-up change as of extreme body modification. the film and her character arc progresses Unfortunately her surgeon tutors get the and the clever use of mirrors and cameras wrong end of the stick and think that showing how the characters see Mary’s new wealth and friends come from a themselves and how we see them. move into prostitution. Mary is invited to a party where she is drugged then sexually There are also some though-provoking assaulted. Traumatised, Mary drops out of religious themes. We have Mary’s name medical school but goes on to use her and God gets referred to. Is Mary damned surgical skills to enact her revenge as she because she is going against how God goes further and further into the world of made us? May be. But there is also a, blink body mod, becoming ‘Bloody Mary’ to her and you’ll miss it, reference to the biblical customers and fans. verse ‘If thy right eye offends the, pluck it out’. The phrase obviously has more At first through Mary’s eyes we are metaphorical meanings in is biblical context shocked and more than little repelled by but it’s interesting to see it here (especially the body mod practitioners. However we when you think of it also coming up at the soon see them as a new family for Mary end of trash sci-fi classic The Man with the and in fact it is her doctor superiors who X-Ray Eyes) are the real monsters. American Mary is not perfect and the Towards the end of the film Mary herself plotting get’s a little loose in the final third realises that in extracting her revenge she but it is miles better than the average is becoming a monster herself… is it too ‘cattle prod’ teen-aimed horror that seem late to change? to flood the multiplexes. The Soskas’ love of dress-up and their fun quirky personas The idea that what might appear to be odd, (one collects tarantulas) that they put on strange or indeed ugly on the outside need show at their frequent appearance at cons not be so ugly on the inside (and might lead you to underestimate them, but occasionally the reverse might be the underneath they are skilled and creative same) is an old trope of horror going right film making feminist terminators that take back to Frankenstein and has been used in no prisoners. I’ll confidently predict here many places since such as Freaks to The that very soon the Soska sisters will be Fly but it is interesting to see a new, producing a film that will come to be seen feminist twist on it. But that’s not all. as a true classic in the genre. American Mary has a number of other touchstones. Given the directors’ heritage At the very start of American Mary we see it’s perhaps no surprise that there’s the Mary practising her stitching on that all- body horror of David Cronenburg here - American symbol of the turkey and the film there’s a great deal of medical fetish in the is the American dream as nightmare. You

12 Nov 2013

13 REFRACTION #1 try and get on but the establishment will hidden away in his tent, proceeds to cast keep you down and you are better off some sort of spell on Whitehead or perhaps seeking your own path in the underground. indulge in just plain torture, or a But be careful you don’t go too far off into combination of the two. Whatever, judging too dark areas. That’s also a lesson of A by the screams and Whitehead’s Field in England. expression afterwards, whatever happened inside the tent must have been one of the American Mary is low budget but A Field in most horrific things that could be done to a England makes it look like some bloated person. Now on the end of the rope, and blockbuster. Directed by Ben Wheatley and running like a dog, Whitehead finds what written by is long time partner Amy Jump, he says is the location of buried treasure. it’s a period piece set in the middle of the O’Neil forces the others to start digging. English Civil War filmed in black and white, Whitehead at last succumbs to the in what appears to one location with mushrooms and has apocalyptic visions. basically only five characters. But like Soon they all descend into madness, terror Mary, Field pushes against and breaks free and violence; together and alone, above of its limitations. and below the earth, waking and dreaming, they enter a world between reality and The plot is somewhat opaque - we have nightmare. Whitehead (played by Reece Shearsmith of The League Of Gentlemen), a self admitted An unsettling Brechtian atmosphere is coward who deserts from a battle and created by dividing the film into crawls through a bramble hedge into the unannounced chapters when the characters field of the title. There he is joined by long form motionless tableaux. Having the film suffering Jacob who seems to be inflicted in black and white creates a direct link with by every aliment known to man, ex-cooper past making it look both old and out of Friend, who at first seems at first seems time. simple-minded but will later prove to have hidden deaths and Cutler, a button seller Again there are religious themes here but from London. Which side they are on, they are much stronger and Christianity is whether they are roundheads or cavaliers, combined with a more primitive mystical is never spoken about, beyond hints that magic. We have the symbol of the black they were probably not all on the same sun in Whitehead’s visions and this was a side. It’s something that just doesn’t time when someone can claimed to have matter now. Cutler tells the others that he summoned a person to a location against knows of an alehouse offering booze and their knowledge without being immediately women on the other side of the field and laughed at and the threat of turning the others join him on his trek to the place. someone into frog is not ludicrous but It seems a lot better choice than where utterly terrifying. they are or what they have just left or at least as Friend puts it, at least it offers ‘a Each of the characters shows different better class of suffering’. They are delayed aspects of Englishness. We have the in their quest by a meal of mushroom stew troubled relationship with Ireland via O’Neil that Cutler has been cooking up on his fire. and questions of class and money and high Whitehead, on a fast, refuses. It soon and low culture are addressed. Whitehead becomes obvious that the mushrooms are at first appears to be part of the newly most likely of the magic variety. They are arising middle class but he will be later perhaps hallucinating to some extent when seen to be just as oppressed as the others, they come across a rope lying in the field not just by O’Neil but by his absent master. that Cutler tells them to pull. Soon O’Neil (played by Michael Smiley, who like There is even a hint of Mary’s feminism Shearsmith is another comedy veteran and here despite the all male set of characters. has featured in a number of Wheatley’s One of them remakes on the lack of the films) appears at the other end of the rope. ‘civilising influence of women’ and the He’s an Irish alchemist and magician. It ensuing brutalism indicates he is right. turns out that Whitehead is actually after him for stealing some of his own alchemist England is still a big enough country that a master’s papers. But O’Neil soon bullies person can be displayed and lost from his Whitehead into acquiesce. O’Neil then, origins by war with little chance of

14 Nov 2013 returning home, an horrific prospect. Plus, for farming but a place of dark woods and although the economy was largely desolate fields and hostile villages soaked agricultural the countryside itself can be in witchcraft and powerful forces from seen as hostile and in fact Cutler hates it prehistory. Past, present and future are and wants to return to London as soon as shown to be one in a countryside that possible. despite changes in agricultural methods, has basically unchanged for hundreds, if Director Ben Wheatley seemed to have not thousands, of years. improved from film to film since his film Down Terrace, which at the time I could It seems the future of the film, at least not really get in it. He hit his stride with interesting grown up film, is increasingly in the films Hit List and Sightseers that both low budget offerings like American Mary have a touch of the subgenre of rural folk and A Field in England – the big budget is horror that A Field in England brings to the spent on teen block busters and the middle fore. It’s a subgenre that can be seen in ground has been ceded to television. At films such as The Wicker Man, Blood on least with filmmakers like Wheatley and Satan’s Claw and Witchfinder General The Soskas coming through it looks to be where they rural countryside is not a nice in good hands. place to visit or even just a practical place Is this Nottingham?

Novacon 42

Friday

So I decided on a ridiculously late municipal park – which turned out to be membership (like on the Wednesday the ‘Forrest’ park and ride… sorry ‘glide’. before) and sorted out a room at the last After that it was just a ten minute or so minute (literally via Last Minute after the hoof to the hotel - all on the flat. official room allocation was used up… which I think technically made me a mundane at After booking in and unpacking I was back the con). down in the foyer just as Registration is opening. I took my bumf into the bar but - I broke my usual con going habit and did horror of horrors! - the Black Sheep wasn’t not arrive ridiculously stupidly early but on yet so I was forced to suffer just fairly early, coming into Nottingham by Boddingtons. There was no one in the bar I train around the middle of the afternoon. I really knew to talk to, so pint finished and jumped on a tram at the station. I had convention panels roughly planned out I been planning to walk to the hotel, like had wandered down the hill back into town as done the last Novacon, but then dusk descend I walked through the city remembered it was it was pretty much all centre over to the Nottingham up hill all the way and it seemed it a bit too Contemporary Art Galley, which I always much of a slog at the time. The previous try and visit whenever I’m in Notts. The Novacon had coincided with a large, multi- place does not have a permanent venue, art exhibition – whilst walking out collection, so it’s always different each time to one of the locations that was not a I go. This time the exhibition was Haitian / million miles away from the hotel I had Voodoo art - mainly primitive naive remembered crossing tram lines. I like paintings which does not really appeal to trams, they always feel a bit retro but also me (or decidedly disturbing carvings which weirdly futurist, but I rarely get to travel definitely do not). I walked back to on them. So even though I did not know Waterstones to check out their version of exactly where the nearest stop would be I Iain Banks’ The Hydrogen Sonata… I had decided to risk giving the tram a punt. finished the novel a couple of days before, but mine was the standard version from Luckily I managed to spot a local landmark Amazon and I had found out that that I remembered from my trip out to the Waterstones had their own version with an art venue - a large car park at one end of a added interview (and appendix) in the

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the dark. It was at that point that I regretted quaffing the pint of Boddies before the off, as my legs didn’t like the hill much with the beer sloshing around in them. Still I make it to the hotel (and the bar) without too much trouble to see Dave Haddock who introduced me to some ZZ9 people. Then it was time to settle into some proper drinking interrupted by the Opening Ceremony where I meet up with Doug Bell and Christina Lake.

Voodoo After that things get a little hazy but I do remember staggering from the bar back to the con room for the book launch party back. I scanned through the interview (the (switching from beer to wine). I also appendix was basically just a list of remembered a late night very fannish character names), then popped upstairs to conversation covering music, fanzines, have a quick look at the sf art books. cons, ghod with among others Ian Sorenson and some more friends of Doug’s Afterwards I walked back up to the hotel in before crashing out around 2am.

Saturday

After breakfast I started the day with a I soon spied a Lidl which meant it cost a lot stagger out to the nearby shops, to get less than I had expected for my shampoo. I some fresh air and also to buy some also stepped into a Co Op to buy a couple shampoo (the free stuff in my room being of bottles of Irn Bru for hangover / lack of incredibly fiddly dinky little cuboid bottles sleep recovery (to try and keep what is left with hangover proof tops I could not be of the teeth in my head I only buy the Bru arsed faffing with.) on visits to Scotland – but count conventions, wherever they are, as I was just passing a road junction when a honorary Scottish) couple in a car waiting in a queue of traffic called out to me. I was ready with a ‘I’m Back at the Con there was more sorry, I don’t actually live here, just here bewilderment with the proper science talk, for the weekend, can’t help you, etc, etc…’ ‘The Real Science Behind Parallel reply. But as their question was: ‘Is this Universes.’ Even before the lecture itself Nottingham?’ I found myself answering started I had a moment of déjà vu when I with a somewhat confident ‘Er… Yes.’ (I did walked in before realising I’d just seen the wonder for a moment if it was sort of trick lecturer the day before on a youtube video question). To the follow up question: ‘Is talking about Graham’s Number (A totally there a shopping centre or something?’ I enormous mind-boggling huge number… gave a: ‘Just keep going that way,’ with a you might think it’s a long way to the wave of my arm towards the city centre shops etc etc) The lecture was really which luckily just happened to be in the interesting but did left me wondering if the direction they were heading as the traffic con actually existed and I wasn’t just a started to move off. Boltzman Brain floating off in space somewhere. Though, to be honest, that’s In another life I’d once worked at a place not actually an uncommon feeling at sf where you would get passing motorists cons. coming in and asking for directions and I would be amazed at just how lost some The rest of the day was spent in the bar people could become: ‘Well basically you with a brief trips out for a wander around gone about a hundred miles in the wrong the art show and the dealers’ room. In the direction’. I thought with today’s satnavs latter I pick up some sf art books (including and smart phones that sort thing was long a couple I used to own before The Great in the past, but obviously not. Ebaying – those spoof encyclopaedias with lots of pics of spaceships in them that were

16 Nov 2013 kind of popular back when I was kid). They with Doug, Christna, Bellis, Clarrie, Tim were nicely priced and Roj Payton on the and some other fans whose names escape next stall grumpily indicated I had got real me and apart form the usual complications bargain (“He’s got them far too cheap, of courses and bill paying ,it was pretty should be ten quid each.”) much okay (a tasty if basic Mixed Grill followed by sugar rush Pecan Pie). We exit Back in the bar I was introduced to a few to much commotion at the bar as it seems more new fans including this very shy and there’s a problem with the Sheep Dip / retiring chap called Anders Bellis. Black Sheep and a crowd about three deep has formed. Due to this I go into the ‘The Good Old Fashioned No Holds Barred Undignified Alcohol-Sodden Novacon Game Show’ feeling, if not exactly sober, then definitely not drunk enough, and with no beer to hand. Still, the events prove entertaining enough. Naturally I keep my vast knowledge in check and don’t answer all the questions out loud so as not to appear a show-off.

Bellis — Half Greek, half Swede… all rock god

At some point Doug tells me and Clarrie an utterly horrific slash crossover story between Star Wars and Transformers he’d read about (You really do not want to know what happens to R2D2 in it) which leads to mass hilarity and a loss of innocence I Doug has a sock-off before the ‘The Good know I’ll never be able to fully recover Old Fashioned No Holds Barred Undignified from. Alcohol-Sodden Novacon Game Show’

Partially to recovered from that I retired to my room for a while to fill in the GCSE sf The bar is back to normal when we get out test that came with the welcome pack. I’m and several beers and whiskies lead to not saying exams are getting easier but it’s convivial (if barely remembered) talk until the first time I’ve thought it worth the at 3.30am I realise I’ve been staring at one effort of filling it in (or perhaps just the particular wall light for about twenty first time I’ve not been lazy.) minutes and not really taking part in any of the conversation, so it’s time for bed. In the evening I eat in the hotel restaurant

Sunday

I make breakfast again and then I was on a The bus pulled up at a stop a couple back bus into town for entirely boring reasons (I from the Victoria centre and the driver had a voucher I wanted to use in Smiths turned the engine off. Had we broken and would not have had any other chance down? I was about to get off with some of to cash it in before it ran out). I had the other passengers before I was contemplated walking in but, after a non- reminded by a fellow passenger that it was standard 7 hours-ish kip Friday night, my the two mins silence. I knew it was ‘can’t sleep at cons/strange hotels’ problem Remembrance Sunday but had entirely had kicked in and I was feeling a bit wibbly forgotten the time. wobbly after only about 4 hours sleep. At the other end of the Victoria centre,

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There were a few number of people hanging around the central square and I found out the armistice parade was due soon. I found a prime spot in front of the town hall, largely to take a few photos, but it turned out I found the parade to be actually quite moving.

Clock and Christmas tree… not really worth Armistice parade the effort after visiting Smiths, I paused to take a Back at the Con and a quick trip back into photo of the decorative water clock. I the dealers room where I came out with a asked the security guards if it was okay couple more books. Whilst I was browsing I (they had not even noticed I’d taken a found an odd shopping list that had been photo already) and as usual was treated used as a bookmark but sadly no cash. like a complete criminal for wanting to snap a picture. The ‘In Her Image’ panel about book “It’s all right to take photos, right?” covers proved to be a bit haphazard (not “What of?” helped by tech failure at the beginning). I “That!” I said pointing to the clock and found myself disagreeing with a lot of the Christmas tree. panellist’s opinions and it was one of those “That’s alright as long as it’s not panels I wished I’d been on rather than members of the public.” (with an ‘you utter just sat in the audience. weirdo’ stare) The next panel was on short fiction, which I I walked on into the centre of town to went to largely because Christina was on perhaps get something to eat and was met the panel but it proved to be very with the rather sobering reality of a section interesting and made me think I should of the Square cut off and police doing a really try and read more short fiction – fingertip search. I learned from nearby something I’ve not done a lot of since I onlookers that there had been a stabbing stopped reading Interzone. Though via the the previous night. magic of the internet I’ve found I have been reading the short lists of the major awards in the last few years, which I suppose is at least something.

Then it was the ‘Awards Ceremony’ (Not the ‘Closing Ceremony’ because Novacon never ends). Yet again I was cruelly overlooked as best Fan Writer/Artist, and I didn’t win owt on the raffle either.

It was time for the beer tasking and convention meal. I managed to fit in a quick shower and a chance of clothing (I Police search put on my Kappa t-shirt which I’d bought

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that gave time to get stuck into the beers. I selected mine based on a cryptic Grant Morrison style plan - ‘I’ve been there on holiday’, ‘that name’s a good slogan’, ‘that’s a cool label’ to try and rustle up some sympathetic magic. Eventually food was served. I helped myself to what I thought was a normal portion but then I saw people coming back with what looked like Beano-sized heaped-up platefuls, so I was first up to do an ‘Oliver’ with ‘Please Sir, can I have some more?’ This was Beer tasting—before because I wanted to get proper value for money and not because I’m greedy or for a couple of quid in a sale. Sadly it anything. It’s also not because I’m greedy would turn out that people would not be that I came back to the table with two impressed by my designer elegance… puddings but confusion over if I would be heathens.) I was a bit shocked that the able to eat the coconut and mango food would not be served until 8pm. cheesecake (another boring bit – I like Despite my fairly true cries of, ‘I have a fresh coconut and dried coconut, but not medical condition which means I must staff desiccated – due to the sweetener in it. I my face soon!’ – the agony was extended asked the chef what sort it was and he just by bringing up the tables one at time and gave me two puddings to be on the safe ours was a long way from first. Still at least side). At this point anyway, I was glad I had a t-shirt on that had plenty of room for expansion.

Meal over it was time to get stuck back into the beers again. I’m sure over the course of the night they were moving the ale table further and further away because it became harder and harder to stagger back for more booze. Also I found I needed a couple of trips out into the chill night to say hello to the smokers to wake myself up. Eventually, after switching to water for a couple of pints and a chat about cons past, Beer tasting—during (I was too tired and it was crashing out time. emotional to do an ‘after’)

Monday

I trudged out of the hotel into miserable People and Heat magazine… I flicked rain with half the dealer’s room in the through them with conflicting feelings of rucksack on my back to catch another tram amazement, bafflement, shock and horror… back to the station. On the train home I is this really the real world? Roll on the found discarded copies of the Sunday next con…

So I managed to get through without Please send letters etc to: mentioning Dave Langford in a dressing [email protected] gown and/or making a Hitchhiker joke about it… oh Belgium! All art & text © Gary S. Wilkinson 2013. A Bad Spelling production for Refraction Created via several Breaking Bad bootleg Publishing soundtracks, various 80s and 90s singles, Count Arthur Strong and G.F. Newmans’ Refraction will return at LonCon3… The Corrupted on Radio 4

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