Brum Group News The Monthly Newsletter of the BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE FICTION GROUP MARCH 2021 Issue 594 Honorary President: CHRISTOPHER PRIEST

Committee: Carol Goodwin (Chair); Pat Brown (Treasurer); Dave Corby (secretary); Theresa Derwin (Publicity Officer); Carol Goodwin (Newsletter Editor); Ian Morley (Membership Secretary); Novacon 50 Chair: Alice Lawson & Tony Berry website: Email: www.birminghamsfgroup.org.uk [email protected] Facebook: Twitter: www.facebook.com/groups/ @BirminghamSF BirminghamSFGroup

Prof. Ian Stewart March 12th at 7:45 pm This month’s meeting, (which will be online) we are delighted to be able to welcome back a long-time member of the BSFG, Professor Ian Stewart. He was due to talk to us in March last year, but unfortunately was unable to appear due to the Coronavirus situation. He has talked to the group on previous occasions, and is always very interesting and informative. He will be talking to us about “Calculating the Cosmos”. This will look at the relationships between mathematics and astronomy. His talk will look at some of the highs and lows of their interactions, some of the more unusual

April 9th – SFF Author, Una McCormack astronomical discoveries of recent times, and problems with both the long-established Big Bang Theory and the search for Dark Matter. Professor Ian Stewart is a mathematician, science-fiction and science-fact author as well as being Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick. He has published more than 120 books and has five honorary doctorates and is an honorary wizard of Unseen University on Discworld. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and recipient of many awards and medals including the Royal Society’s Faraday Medal, the AAAS Public Understanding of Science and Technology Award, and the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science (awarded by Rockefeller University) which recognised scientists who have accomplished a significant literary achievement. He is an active research mathematician with over 200 published papers, and currently works on pattern formation, chaos, network dynamics, and biomathematics. In 1997 he gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures and repeated them in Japan. The final lecture began by bringing a live tiger into the lecture room! He has made nearly 450 radio broadcasts and 80 television appearances. He has also contributed to a wide range of newspapers and magazines including New Scientist and Scientific American, and was also the mathematics consultant for New Scientist. He is also an SF author, having a number of published short stories and has co-written a number of science fiction novels; WHEELERS and HEAVEN (co-written with Dr Jack Cohen), THE LIVING LABYRINTH and ROCK STAR (with Tim Poston) and JACK OF ALL TRADES. He has also collaborated with Dr Jack Cohen and Sir Terry Pratchett in producing the four The Science of Discworld books, of which the first was shortlisted for a Hugo. He and Jack Cohen were made “Honorary Wizards of Unseen University” by Terry Pratchett in 1999 at the same time as the University of Warwick gave Sir Terry his honorary degree. He tweets as @JoatStewart and further details are on his website, https://ianstewartjoat.weebly.com/ CG

ONLINE MEETING – HOW TO JOIN IN As some of you may be unsure or wary of using Zoom, Ian Morley has prepared a video on YouTube that shows how easy it is to join a meeting and we urge our members to take a look and have a go, and look forward to seeing you sometime, even if it is only virtual. The

2 video is accessible via the Group website or directly on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpeYaUHDU5w

The March 12th meeting will take place on Zoom. We will send an email with all the info you need to join the meeting to all members nearer the time. To login either copy the link into your web-browser or if you have Zoom, use the Meeting ID and Password.

BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS The 2020 British Fantasy Award winners were announced on February 22nd. The ceremony was online and you can watch a recording at youtube.com/watch?v=HRALc4pH3Sg Best Fantasy Novel (Robert Holdstock Award): THE BONE SHIPS by R J Barker (Orbit) Best Horror Novel (August Derleth Award): THE REDDENING by Adam Nevill (Ritual Limited) Best Short Fiction: "The Pain-Eater’s Daughter" by Laura Mauro (Undertow) Best Novella: ORMESHADOW by Priya Sharma (Tor.dot.com) Best Anthology: NEW SUNS: Original Speculative Fiction for People of Colour edited by Nisi Shawl (Solaris) Best Collection: SING YOUR SADNESS DEEP by Lauro Mauro (Undertow) Best Independent Press: Rebellion Publishing Best Comic/Graphic novel: DIE by Kieron Gillen & Stephanie Hans (Image) Best Artist: Ben Baldwin Best non-fiction: THE DARK FANTASTIC: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (New York University Press) Best Magazine/Periodical: Fiyah Best Film/Television production: US by Jordan Peele (Monkeypaw Productions) Best Audio: Podcastle Podcast Best Newcomer (the Sydney J Bounds Award): Ta-Nehisi Coates for THE WATER DANCER (Penguin) BFS Special Award (Karl Edward Wagner): Craig Lockley

3 BSFA AWARD NOMINATIONS – Novels The shortlist for the British Science Fiction Association Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced at ConFusion (Eastercon 2021) online from 2nd - 5th April. Details for other categories can be found at www.bsfa.co.uk/the-bsfa-awards-2020- shortlist/. (NB There was a multiple tie for fifth place. The committee decided that all nominees would be included).

THREADING THE LABYRINTH by Tiffani Angus (Unsung Stories) PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury) THE SUNKEN LAND BEGINS TO RISE by M John Harrison THE CITY WE BECAME by N K Jemisin (Orbit) LIGHT OF IMPOSSIBLE STARS by Gareth Powell (Titan) THE MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit) CLUB DED by Nikhil Singh (Luna Press) THE DOORS OF EDEN by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor) COMET WEATHER by Liz Williams (Newcon Press) WATER MUST FALL by Nick Wood (Newcon Press)

AND WHAT DID YOU THINK? THE LETTER COLUMN OF ‘BRUM GROUP NEWS Anything to say about the Group, meetings or SF in general? Email your opinions or queries to me at [email protected]

STAR TREK CONTINUES IAN MORLEY Readers might be interested in the following fan-based rehashing of Star Trek: TOS called Star Trek Continues. Episodes are on YouTube (link below). I know that the word fan conjurers up visions of a poor execution. However, it is brilliant, it looks and feels just like the original, with famous guest stars in minor roles, and James Doohan’s (“Scotty”) son playing Scotty. I thought it might be some entertaining fake nostalgia for our members to finish off lockdown. www.youtube.com/results?search_query=star+trek+continues+full+episodes

RED FLAME PUZZLE VERNON BROWN While waiting for landing permission, Red contacted his next client and arranged to be picked up at 1pm. However, landing formalities went quicker than expected and Red was at the spaceport exit by 12 noon, so he 4 decided to walk to meet his client, who knew him, along the road. They met and arrived back at the client’s office fifteen minutes earlier than had been expected, with the client’s car travelling each way at a steady 30mph. How fast had Red walked, to the nearest whole number? (Answer is on a later page)

FORTHCOMING BOOKS (NB Prices given are Recommended Retail Price and may be available at cheaper prices). At the moment, given the situation, many publishers are changing the release dates on new books at short notice. The publication dates given below are correct to the best of my knowledge, but may change.

WHAT ABIGAIL DID THAT SUMMER (Rivers of London) by Ben Aaronovitch / Gollancz / 208 pgs / £12.99 hardback / ISBN 978- 1473224346 / March 18th. Aided by talking foxes, Peter Grant’s cousin, Abigail searches for who or what is luring away teens in Hampstead.

SKYWARD INN by Aliya Whiteley / Solaris / 336 pgs / £15.21 hardback / ISBN 978-1781088821 / March 18th. SF. Two veterans of interplanetary war run a remote inn. But secrets from the past threaten their peaceful retreat.

THE FALL OF KOLI (The Rampart 3) by M R Carey / Orbit / 560 pgs / £9.99 paperback / ISBN 978-0356513508 / March 25th. SF. Koli and his allies unearth truths about an ancient war… that may never have ended.

SPACEWORLDS: Stories of Life in the Void 17 edited by Mike Ashley / British Library Publishing / 336 pgs / £9.99 paperback / ISBN 978-

5 0712353090 / March 25th. SF. A collection of classic SF stories themed around spacecraft and space stations.

THE DIFFICULT LOVES OF MARIA MAKILING by Wayne Santos / Solaris / 160 pgs / £12.99 paperback (Signed Ltd Edition) / ISBN ?? / March 26th. Maria is a videogame concept artist, a Philippine goddess, and in love. Being in love is her biggest problem! (Solaris Satellite novella)

SISTERSONG by Lucy Holland / Macmillan / 416 pgs / £25 hardback / ISBN 978-1529039030 / April 1st. Set in an ancient, magical Britain, a tale of three siblings and three deadly sins.

THE BEST OF WORLD SF: Vol 1 ed by Lavie Tidhar / Head of Zeus / 624 pgs / £18.99 hardback / ISBN 978-1838937645 / April 1st. SF. Twenty-six SF stories by authors from 25 countries and five continents.

THE LOOP by Jeremy Robert Johnson / Titan Books / 368 pgs / £8.99 paperback / ISBN 978-1789097252 / April 6th. A small group struggle to survive the night when a science experiment goes wrong. CG

FILM RELEASES Although cinemas are closed at present some films are still being released. They may possibly be shown on streaming channels. Listings should not be necessarily taken as recommendations. Release dates are very subject to change.

THE CROODS 2: A NEW AGE– Release date March 26th. Comedy Animation. A prehistoric family are challenged by a rival family, who claim to be more involved. 6

GODZILLA VS KONG – Release date March 26th. Two iconic creatures confront one another.

NEWS IN BRIEF Actor Ronald Pickup died in February after a long illness. He made his TV debut in 1964 in an episode of Dr Who, and went on to have many successful roles in TV, films and on the stage. He appeared as many historical characters, and in crime programmes. His genre appearances included roles in JEKYLL & HYDE (1990), SUPERNOVA and PRINCE OF PERSIA. He also appeared as the voice of Aslan, in four of the BBC Narnia stories productions …. Another familiar face, Frank Mills died aged 93. Latterly probably most familiar in Coronation Street (“Billy Williams), he made an early appearance in the BBC Quatermass And the Pit serial. He also starred in M R James THE TREASURE OF ABBOT THOMAS (1974), Dr Who, THE FRIGHTENERS, RENTAGHOST and THE AVENGERS (the original not the Marvel version) …. Voting for the Locus Awards in June is open to all at https://poll.voting.locusmag.com/ …. One of the planned GoH’s for the forthcoming DisCon III (Worldcon), Toni Weisskopf has been uninvited. This followed problems with “Baen’s Bar”, an online forum on the Baen Books website, which was denounced for extreme right views and advocating political violence. As publisher and editor of Baen, her response to the situation, that “Baen was not interested in the censorship of lawful speech” was not felt to be adequate by many, hence the removal of her invite. The Baen Bar forums have been suspended pending investigation…. Following last month’s announcement that PS Publishing would take over the publishing of Interzone magazine, the deal has fallen through. Ian Whates (Newcon Press) and PS Publishing intend to produce their own digital-only magazine, ParSec …. Author C J Cherryh has been awarded the 2021 Robert A Heinlein Award for works that inspire the human exploration of space …. Mars has been the focus of much space news. The United Arab Emirates Hope spacecraft reached Mars and sent back images in early February. On the 18th February, NASA’s Perseverance rover survived landing and is sending back images. One of its aims is to search for past microbial life. It also has onboard a small helicopter, Ingenuity which if successful, will become the first aircraft to fly on another planet …. Finally, for all of us who have dreamed of going 7 into space, a Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa has invited eight members of the public to join him for a trip around the Moon on Elon Musk’s SpaceX flight. He will even pay for the entire journey! Applications are open online at https://dearmoon.earth/ …. CG

 B O O K R E V I E W S  (REVIEWERS please note: - all reviews should be emailed direct to me at [email protected] Deadline for each issue is 14 days prior to the date of the monthly meeting. RADIO LIFE by Derek B Miller Jo Fletcher Books /496 pgs / £16.99 hardback / ISBN 978- 1529408584. Reviewed by Carol Goodwin In the well-known SF classic, A CANTICLE FOR LIEBOWITZ (1959), a group of monks are dedicated to preserving knowledge after a global disaster, by collecting the writings and artefacts of the 20th century. Their hope is that this will allow future generations to regain the heights of science and technology. Taking this idea as an openly acknowledged inspiration, Derek Miller has written the modern equivalent. In this future however, the task is much harder. Before the apocalypse, much knowledge had been transferred onto digital media or the internet. How can a society rebuild knowledge, when much of it is now inaccessible? Some generations after a global war, where many people died from bio-engineered disease, the people of the Commonwealth are dedicated to rediscovering lost knowledge. They have set up home in an old Olympic stadium. It was originally built to showcase renewable technology, so it still uses solar, hydroelectric and kinetic energy (the energy from people walking on floors etc) to generate

8 electricity. Outside the stadium, there are small independent settlements and nomadic tribes, with whom they have mostly amicable relations. Nearby are the ruined towers of the Gone World, buried when the land lifted and only the top storeys now visible. But now a new group, the Keepers are banding together. They fear that the old knowledge will bring back disaster, and are gathering against the Commonwealth and are determined to destroy permanently its Archive of knowledge. Elimisha, a young Archive Runner in fear of her life from Keeper pursuers, is chased into one of the Gone World towers. When they throw grenades after her, she is trapped behind rubble. With no choice but to go deeper, she finds an ancient shelter, with preserved food, water and a working computer hub. This gives her access to the damaged but still functional Internet and a vast wealth of data. It becomes a race as to which party will reach her and her “treasure” first – Keepers or Commonwealth. This desperate conflict below is mirrored by the larger one on the surface as the Keepers besiege the stadium. The novel presents a credible and well-structured view of how societies might develop in a post-apocalyptic world, some centuries onward from the original disaster. Decimated and fragmented populations have slowly rebuilt themselves, with differing degrees of success and technology. At first, the reader knows only what the remaining descendants do, mainly consisting of passed- down survivor memories, and observations of the remnants of the old world, though more is revealed as the narrative progresses. There is a believable range of different groups from nomadic hunter gatherers, through small settlements and all the way up to the comparatively technologically-advantaged Commonwealth. The author also shows the networks of trade and resources between groups which would be necessary, with the Commonwealth in particular trading surplus food and water for ancient technology and soft power to an extent. While the book is an adventure, and one I thoroughly enjoyed, the author does improve the book by also digging deeper and they examine to some extent the philosophical differences between the two main groups. The Keepers are not presented as evil,

9 but rather as people with a fundamental belief that digging up the past could bring back disaster, whereas the Commonwealth believe it to be vital. Indeed, the main theme of the book is essentially that debate. Beyond that initial question, when Elimisha and Alessandra (one of her putative rescuers) have the opportunity to bring back a vast store of knowledge, this issue is further extended. While both women agree that it is beneficial in principle, they disagree over whether what they have should be censored or not. Does some knowledge have too much potential for harm and should humanity be burdened with the prejudices and mistakes of its past? However, this is not just a plot-driven book. The characterisation is excellent and it is gratifying to me as a reader to see a range of ages still with agency. These range from the young Archive runners, to a happily married couple of explorers, all the way through to Lily, who fifty years ago brought back a knowledge cache and has shaped and influenced the Commonwealth’s structure and aims ever since. To summarise, ultimately and refreshingly, this is an optimistic book which I liked reading. It is excellent, well-written SF read that will appeal to many. CG (Review copy kindly donated by Jo Fletcher Books)

FORTHCOMING EVENTS All details are correct to the best of our knowledge, although we advise checking nearer the date. Any information about forthcoming SF/Fantasy/Horror events is always welcome – please send to Carol at [email protected]

EVENT HORIZON, 11th March. Online. Celebrating International Women’s Day. Hosted by SF author Laura Lam. Stories, poems, music. Free. Register at www.shorelineofinfinity.com

FANTASY WORLDS: BEN AARONOVITCH & NAMINA FORNA, 16th March. Authors chat with Patrice Lawrence. 7:30 pm. Tickets £11 with THE GILDED ONES, £15 with WHAT ABIGAIL DID .... At www.waterstones.com/events/fantasy-worlds-ben-aaronovitch-namina-forna- and-patrice-lawrence/online-events

C L CLARK & TASHA SURI, 16th March. Q&A and Conversation. 7 pm. Online. Free. Register at https://bit.ly/2PxsnsW 10 AN EVENING WITH ALIYA WHITELEY & M R CAREY, 29th March. Authors read from and discuss their latest releases. 7 pm. Free online. Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-aliya-whiteley-and- mr-carey-tickets-142485868067

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS by Andrew Lound, 22nd April. A presentation on the book and its various interpretations. 7pm. £4 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-war-of-the-worlds-tickets-138861820443

LONDON FIRST THURSDAY SFF GROUP, Online. Virtual first Thursday. At https://medium.com/@BohemianCoast/first-thursday-london- sf-fan-virtual-drinks-5232021e961f

CONVENTIONS and EXHIBITIONS STOKERCON UK (Now Renamed as CHILLERCON), New dates tba, Scarborough. International Horror Convention. Guests of Honour Mike Carey, Kim Newman, Grady Hendrix etc. At the Grand/Royal Hotels, Scarborough. £115. https://chillercon-uk.com

CONFUSION (EASTERCON), 9th – 11th April 2021, Birmingham. Online only. Guests of Honour Dan Abnett, Nik Vincent, Dave Lally. At the Hilton NEC. Membership £70/ £50 online at www.confusion2021.uk

SATELLITE 7, moved to 21st – 23rd May 2021, Glasgow. Guest of Honour Aliette de Bodard, Margaret Walty. At Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. Membership £70. https://seven.satellitex.org.uk

CYMERA SFFH Book Festival 2021, 4th -6th June, Online. Festival of SF, Fantasy & Horror Writing. Weekend Pass £25 until April 2nd. Individual events £5-6. www.cymerafestival.co.uk/cymera2021

FANTASYCON, 24th – 26th September, Birmingham. At Jury’s Inn, Broad Street. Further details to be announced.

BRISTOLCON, 30th October 2021, Bristol. Guests of Honour Adrian Tchaikovsky and Anna Smith Spark. Doubletree Hotel. £20. Details at www.bristolcon.org

NOVACON 50, November 2021, Nottingham. Guests of Honour: Chris Baker, Emma Newman, Claire North, Christopher Priest. Mercure Nottingham Sherwood Hotel. Details at www.novacon.org.uk

11 FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE BSFG For 2021 meetings are online until further notice. Some dates may change. April 9th – SF author Una McCormack May 14th – SF and Urban fantasy author Carrie Vaughn June 11th - tbc July 9th – SFF Author and Gamer Danie Ware August 13th - tbc September 10th - tbc October 8th - tbc November 5th - tbc

December 10th - tbc

number.

52½ minutes. He therefore walked at 4.3 mph or four mph to the nearest whole whole nearest the to mph four or mph 4.3 at walked therefore He minutes. 52½

also mean that they met at 7 ½ minutes to 1pm so Red had walked this distance in in distance this walked had Red so 1pm to minutes ½ 7 at met they that mean also

At 30mph this would represent 3¾ miles from meeting place to port. It would would It port. to place meeting from miles 3¾ represent would this 30mph At way.

place to the spaceport and back if they had met as arranged i.e. 7 ½ minutes each each minutes ½ 7 i.e. arranged as met had they if back and spaceport the to place

Fifteen minutes would have been the time taken to travel from their actual meeting meeting actual their from travel to taken time the been have would minutes Fifteen

Red Flame Answer Flame Red

BRUM GROUP NEWS #594 (March 2021) copyright 2021 for Birmingham SF Group. Articles, artwork and photographs must not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the editor and/or the respective authors. This issue produced by Carol Goodwin ([email protected]). Thanks to all the named contributors. ABOUT US... The Birmingham Science Fiction Group meets on the second Friday of each month. Membership is £25 per year per person (or £35 for two members living at the same address). This includes the 12 free issues of the Newsletter plus reduced entrance fee at each meeting. Details of how to join/pay can be obtained at a meeting or by email to [email protected]

12