The Banksoniain #21 An Iain (M.) Banks Fanzine February 2015

Editorial Poems

There is still much to report on in the worlds The announcement that fifty of Iain’s poems of Iain (M.) Banks. Even before his illness would be published came in a press release and death 2014 was shaping up to be an from his publishers on what would have been important Banksian year with his Guest of his sixtieth birthday, 16th February 2014. Iain Honour status at that year’s Worldcon, had mentioned his desire to have his poetry Loncon 3. That, of course, still went ahead published in interviews that he gave after his and Iain was honoured in memoriam, see diagnosis was made public. Stuart Kelly in pages #6 & #7, for reports on the activities (15th June 2013) quoted Iain there. “I've got about 50 I'm proud of. I've been trying to convince Ken MacLeod that he 2014 would also have most likely seen the should come in with me on this as I've always publication of an M book. Indeed early in loved Ken's poetry.” He also described it as 2013 Hachette (which owns both Iain’s “a bit of a vanity project” and said “I'll self- publishers Little, Brown and Orbit) were publish if I have to”. Publication was initially listing a book called Untitled New Iain M. set for 5th February 2015, but was moved Banks 2, for publication in hardback back to what would have been Iain’s 61st November 2014 and paperback July 2015 birthday. with the respective ISBNs 978-0-356-50147-5 and 978-0-356-50148-2. Banks did have a poem published in the first volume of New Writing Scotland which was There were a number of publications about published late in 1983 and therefore before Iain, both as a person and as an author, in The Wasp Factory. There were also a couple 2014 with more expected this year. The in Overload which was the name of the ‘Books about Banks’ section starting on page 25 Souvenir Book. Published in #3 covers these. 1995 it was edited by Martin Tudor and 2015 does see the publication of some of contained short works by , Iain’s poetry, alongside that of his long-time and Bob Shaw as well as Iain’s friend Ken MacLeod. The story of that is poems New and Debriefing. These poems also detailed in the next column and following saw the light of day in Night Shade Books page. The BBC adaptation of Stonemouth limited edition of which filmed at the end of 2014 is expected to collection in 2005. has a be broadcast “in the Spring”, probably in couple of poems at the beginning and end, March. See page #5. which purport to be from the “juvenilia and discarded drafts” of a character who is a poet. Once again there will be a A Song of Stone began as a poem Iain wrote at walk on Graham Park Day, 28th June, which Stirling University. this year is a Sunday. The walk follows Graham’s journey as described in the book, Ken MacLeod is a more established poet and then heads to some other places having his work included in anthologies such mentioned in it, and finally some places from as, Where Rockets Burn Through, which is Iain’s life when he lived in the area. Further possibly why Iain wanted the book to contain details in the Banksoniain calendar on page works by both. In autumn 2012 before he was #12. ill Iain had raised this topic with Ken when

The Banksoniain Issue #21, Page #1 the pair had been drinking in the Ferry Tap in short pieces within the novels. But he took his South Queensferry. Telling the story at poetry seriously and worked on it carefully, Huddersfield Literature Festival (15th March though he shared the results mainly with 2014) he related that he told Iain that his friends. Readers of Iain's novels will find in poetry could stand on its own, but that in these poems many aspects of his writing with Iain’s reply the phrases “human shield” and which they're already familiar: a humane and “covering fire” were used. materialist sensibility, an unflinching stare at the damage people can do to each other, a As there was no urgency to the project Ken warm appreciation of the joy they can give to slowly began collecting his poems together, each other, a revel in language, a geologically but Iain being organised soon emailed over informed gaze on land and sea, a continued his selection. Ken explained that Iain had meditation on what it means for us to be started writing poetry at Greenock High mortal embodied minds with a fleeting but School when they had been taught by Joan consequent existence between abysses of deep Woods who had taught them poets both on time. Ken MacLeod, Iain's long-time friend and off the normal syllabus. Ken recalled an and collaborator, has collected his poems early poem of Iain’s from that era, Memoires, according to his wishes, and they are which is not in the collection, it was from the published here - most for the first time - perspective of a retired solider (or mercenary) alongside a selection of Ken's own poetry.” and could easily be considered a pre-figuring of his later character Zakalwe. On a Guardian webchat (29th September 2014, see page #10) when asked at what stage Iain continued writing poetry at Stirling the poetry project was Ken reported that he University because he once explained to Ken “sent in the corrected roofs yesterday”, i.e. that was what English literature students did, 28th September 2014. but stopped when inspiration disappeared. Prose, Banks explained, could be written by The cover shows a section of the Outer putting your mind to it, but that poetry Hebrides mainly the sea between the islands required inspiration. In the early 1980s Iain of South Uist and Barra. Barra was one of had done an initial selection of his poetry and Iain’s frequent holiday destinations, and he written it out along with an index of first visited just a few weeks before he died. lines, dates and page numbers. It was titled Poems where the heart is, which Ken said was an indication of Iain's love of awful puns rather than sentimentality. It was some of these that were eventually typed up into a computer and were what Iain had emailed to Ken.

Ken described Iain's poetry as being very varied, both in length and in theme. Some of them being meditations on landscape and relationships, some of them are specifically addressed love poems, some are polemical targeted at politics or religion, and some are just short witty squibs.

By the middle of September 2014 the blurb from the insider flap was added to the online listings for the book. This read: “ the literary novelist and Iain M. Banks the Poems by Iain Banks and Ken MacLeod writer are too well known to UK Hardback: 978-1-408-70587-2 need introduction, but Iain Banks the poet has eBook: 978-1-408-70588-9 hitherto been almost undetected: a single poem was published in a magazine and three For Stuart Kelly’s review see page #9.

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #2 Books about Banks the title The Rat Factory Speech. Caveat Emptor. Iain Banks: The Biography - NOT me and IAIN BANKS

Craig Cabell the author of the book Iain August 2014 saw the publication of a Kindle Banks: The Biography that was due to be only memoir by “jane d’oh!” of her affair published in June 2014 released a Kindle only with the author which took place in the period work on 16th February with the title, Iain 1988-89 when Iain had split with Annie and Banks: Student Without Portfolio. Cabell was had returned to live in on his own. had previously written book on James It is also the at times, amusing, but mostly, Herbert, , the JFK assassination horrific story of the author’s own attempts to and Frederick Forstye managed to get more be published while studying for an English mentions of those in than he did of Ken degree and struggling with drug addiction, MacLeod. It garnered two reviews, one with alcoholism and eating disorders. ASIN: two stars (mine) and another with just one, B00LRRORFY. and by September 2014 had been removed from sale. You may still be able to find references to it on the Internet by searching for the ASIN it was given, B00IGYKE8K, including my review at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1159TYO254W6V

The planned paperback has not been published by John Blake Publishing, but no explanation of this has been forthcoming. Instead in October 2014 Mr Cabell’s issued another Kindle publication, this one under the title Iain Banks: A Biography. The description for this mentioned that “This work was briefly released as a proof copy to mark Banks' 60th anniversary (titled Student Without Portfolio), and here updated and corrected for formal release in October 2014.” It was a pity that the original work did not make this completely clear. The new version was given The cover photograph is credited to the author a three star review by the only reviewer who and was taken in Edinburgh in 1988. managed to do so before it became Critical works on Iain (M.) Banks unavailable with the Amazon notice below appearing on the page. For future reference Polish academic Katarzyna Pisarska has the ASIN for this version is B00OTLJCZK. published a study of the non-Science Fiction works of Banks as the first in the ‘Mediated Fictions’ series from publisher Peter Lang which has the subtitle “Studies in verbal and visual narratives”. The book builds on her thesis and previous chapters on Banks and takes The Wasp Factory as a blueprint for his later fictional worlds picking out four themes: Alternative Worlds, Community Worlds,

Mythical Worlds and Apocalyptical Worlds. On 23rd October 2014 there was a launch The six chapters of the book set all the Iain event for this “virtual biography” along with Banks novels into one of these groups except the one Cabell wrote about James Herbert at a for The Wasp Factory which gets the first bookseller in London, and it seems the speech frame-setting chapter to itself and Mr Cabell gave is available via Kindle under

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #3 which occupies the final chapter called Coda. the title, The Generation Starship in Science Of the other books: Walking on Glass, The Fiction: a Critical History. He currently Bridge and make up the works at Full Sail University, and was Alternative worlds. , The interviewed about the book by Kirsty Harding Steep Approach to Garbadale, Espedair of Paper Tape magazine1 where he said he Street, and Stonemouth are her Community proposed the book in December 2012 but that worlds. , , and The Iain’s illness and death put a hold on his Business are classed as Mythical worlds, with researches until the publishers asked about it. A Song of Stone, , and Dead the Apocalyptical. Hardback: 978-3-631-62614-6 eBook: 978-3-653-02006-9

Shockwaves of Possibility: Essays on Science Fiction, Globalization, and by Phillip E. Wegner was published in September 2014, and chapter 9 is called Alternate Histories, Periodization, and the Geopolitical Aesthetics of Ken MacLeod and Iain M. Banks. The book is volume 15 in the Ralahine Utopian Studies series and the author is president of the Society for Utopian Studies. It is a reprint of a similarly titled essay in CR: The New Centennial Review vol. 13, no. 2. The chapter is mainly concerned with The Human Front by MacLeod and Transition by Banks.

Softcover: 978-3-0343-0741-3 At Loncon 3 Paul Kincaid mentioned that he eBook: 978-3-0353-0642-2 had recently signed an agreement to produce a There are a couple of critical works in the volume in the ‘Modern Masters of Science Fiction’ series about Banks. The series is pipeline. First to hit the shelves looks like published by the University of Illinois Press being Simone Caroti with Series of Iain M. Banks a Critical Introduction. and “is devoted to books that survey the work of individual authors who continue to inspire ISBN: 978-0-786-49447-7. 2 and advance science fiction” This obviously focuses on the ten books in the although the description of the Authors already covered include William Gibson and John Brunner, with ones on Ray book at the publisher’s website does say that it “covers Banks’ origins as a writer, the Bradbury and Lois McMaster Bujold development of his politics and ethics, his forthcoming. Kincaid’s book is not scheduled to be delivered until early 2016, and he struggles to become a published author”, and expects publication later that year. continues, “Banks was a complex man, both in his everyday life and on the page, and this Paul Kincaid’s book, Call and Response, has work aims at understanding the Culture series been nominated for a BSFA award in the not only as a fundamental contribution to SF “Best Non-Fiction” category, which he won in general and in particular, but in 2011 for his Blogging the Hugos: Decline. also as a product of its creator's responses to In 2006 he was given the Clareson Award by the turbulent times he shared with the rest of the Science Fiction Research Association. us.”

Dr Caroti is Italian but has lived in the United 1 States since moving there in 2002 to pursue http://papertapemag.com/2014/11/06/interview- simone-caroti/ his postgraduate studies in literature. His 2http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/find_books.php? Ph.D. thesis was published as a book under type=series&search=MSF

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #4 Greenock yesterday”, adding “they will also Unwritten Banks be at various Gourock locations including BBC Stonemouth Adaptation Albert Road, St John's Road, Adelaide Street,

The announcement of a television adaptation Bath Street Burgh Walk, and the gym at of Iain Banks’s 2012 novel Stonemouth was Gourock Pool” before they made the one amongst many that took place at the connection with Banks having lived in the Edinburgh International Television Festival in town in his youth. The next month it reported August. (29/11/2014) it reported on filming “in the woods at Ardgowan Estate, Inverkip.” The accompanying BBC press release3 (21/08/2014) said that it would be two hour- Also in November there was filming in long parts with David Kane writing the script Macduff, one of the two towns on Banff Bay and Charles Martin in the director’s chair. in Aberdeenshire. The Banffshire Journal Slate North were named as the co-production (28/10/2014) quoted a BBC spokesman as company and their managing director Andrea saying “Macduff was selected as the main Calderwood was previously at BBC Scotland location for the outdoor scenes in the fictitious town of Stonemouth.” where she commissioned The Crow Road. Andrea was quoted as saying that “David has The Press & Journal (22/11/2014) reported really captured the unique spirit of Iain's that the location manager, Michael Higson, writing in his adaptation” indicating that the visited Stonehaven, Peterhead and project had been in development for some Fraserburgh before choosing Macduff. Higson time before the announcement was made. also commented on the reception from the Indeed although no casting details were locals and the council. “We’ve had a better revealed the fact that filming was due to begin response from the people of Macduff than we in October was mentioned. do in the central belt. There’s an enthusiasm

The main casting announcement from the here for it that we don’t get down there, BBC came on 20th October 20144, with perhaps because there’s a novelty value.” The further details mainly coming out via Twitter interest may also have been because the production recruited many locals as extras, from the actors (or their agents). 5 some via a Facebook group which invited Stewart Gilmour those interested to an open casting call. Ellie Murston Charlotte Spencer Don Murston Filming in South Queensferry, just over the river from where Iain lived, took place Connie Murston th Grier Murston Naomi Battrick according to a 14 November 2014 post on the Facebook page of Port Edgar Marina Ltd.6 Fraser Murston Kevin Mains Mike MacAvett The two, sixty minute, episodes are expected Jel MacAvett Joy McAvoy to be shown in March on BBC One Scotland, Powell Imrie Brian Gleeson but on BBC Two in the rest of the UK. A still Fergus Chris Fulton from a trailer is shown below. D-Cup Gerard Miller

Filming took place in October and November in various locations around Scotland and the local papers gleefully reported sightings, whilst local council websites reported road closures.

Inverclyde Now (29/10/2014) commented that “A film crew was on The Esplanade,

3http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/st onemouth 5https://www.facebook.com/stonemouthextras 4http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/st 6https://www.facebook.com/portedgarmarinauk/posts/4 onemouth-casting 20372018114179

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #5 Worldcon Wrap-up arachnids, plant roots. She has continued to develop the piece and it was exhibited at Iain was announced as a Guest of Honour for London Art Fair in January 2015. It has been the 2014 Worldcon (aka Loncon 3) in nominated for the BSFA “Best Artwork” September 2012. After the announcement of award, the result of which will be announced his illness and subsequent death that status at later in 2015. was confirmed and he was honoured in memoriam. There were many panels Edward James created the chair from Use of concerning his work as well as a whisky Weapons using a plastic skeleton intended for tasting and videos. medical study.

The artist Tessa Farmer was commissioned to create a wasp factory for the Loncon 3 Exhibits Hall, and as it was an exhibit rather than in the art show it was possible to take pictures of it.

If you would like to own the chair then The Banksoniain can put you in touch with the maker. It is fragile and currently located in North London.

Edward also oversaw the Whisky map which Tessa’s website has a gallery for the piece at: saw a heroic effort (that was only completed http://www.tessafarmer.com/new-gallery-4/ whilst the exhibit was being installed) on which reveals the materials that make it up. behalf of fandom to provide an empty bottle Antique clock, crab claws, worm shells, from each of the distilleries mentioned in glassware, Venus fly trap, old clock parts, Iain’s book, . These were stacked resin, lighter, plastic tubing, bones, insects, on shelves and connected by a ribbon to a

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #6 map of Scotland indicating their location and play as well as talk about Azad she designed a illustrating the effort Iain went to when set of four programme items which started researching the book. with a discussion and then through workshops and the enthusiasm of a dedicated set of gamers and Banks fans culminated in the playing of a game of Azad on a board we could walk around and modify mid-game.

Photograph by Chris Pak

Each of the GoHs has a themed “rest area” The story is told better and in more detail than where exhibit visitors could sit and The Banksoniain could have managed at: contemplate. Iain’s was designed by Jude https://storify.com/RaygunGoth/azad-at- Roberts and was based around a beach given loncon-3 that both The Wasp Factory and Consider The whisky tasting was run by Billy Abbot Phlebas, and other books of his feature who was inspired by Iain’s book Raw Spirit beaches. to look for a job in the industry. Again a more comprehensive write up than The Banksoniain would have done is at: http://malt-review.com/2014/08/18/iain- banks-memorial-whisky-tasting/

Gary Lloyd composed a tribute to his friend and collaborator for the Worldcon concert. It was called Redux (In Memoriam Iain Banks) and performed by the Worldcon Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Keith Slade.

On the desk was an interactive bibliography of his works illustrating the cover art used on Banks’s book from around the work, along with a display of different editions of The Wasp Factory. Around the walls were pictures of Iain and on the right hand wall was a board with metallic Marain alphabet symbol pieces with an explanation so people could leave messages in the language of The Culture. In an interesting cross over the first There were also more tradition science fiction message I saw and decoded read “One ring to convention talks and panels discussing Iain’s rule them all”. the way his work used politics, music,

Loncon 3 had a strong set of panels on the architecture, his use of the M initial, what the topic of gaming curated by Esther other GoHs felt about him as well as the man MacCallum-Stewart Ambitiously wanting to himself.

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #7 Media Scanner that it is “full of interesting observations and he describes things that have happened to me Nathan Filler winner of the 2013 Costa Book so I related to it.” The article neglected to Award for his debut novel The Shock of the mention he had played the lead character in a Fall was asked about influences on it in an BBC radio adaptation. Later in the year interview in the Financial Times (26/09/2014) Jay Rayner was asked to do the (01/02/2014). First on his list was The Wasp same and included The Crow Road which he Factory followed by Vernon God Little by described as “I adore Banks's commitment to DBC Pierre, The Curious Incident of the Dog narrative drive and this was his masterpiece.” in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and JD The National Theatre of Scotland staged Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Blabbermouth a 12-hour celebration of The Observer’s literary top ten for March 2, Scottish music and word between midday and 2014 was “Evil Children” and Frank midnight on September 17th, the eve of the Cauldhame was included along with others independence referendum. The premise of the like Damien Thorn from The Omen and event was that whatever was performed had to Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones. be written by a Scot. Colin McCreadie, the actor known for his role in Taggart, read the Violinist Nigel Kennedy interviewed in the opening chapter of The Crow Road. Mail on Sunday (27/04/2014) and revealed he was re-reading The Wasp Factory and had Also in connection with the referendum The “forgotten how brilliantly weird” it was. Herald (04/09/2014) picked 10 Scottish political novels “that may help you put things Iain’s will was reported on by many papers on into perspective”, and included Complicity in (02/05/2014). The Daily Mail quoted his the list. estate’s value at £3,640,011, and noted that the bulk went to his widow. Iain’s archive of The Glasgow Evening Times produced a list manuscripts was valued at £300,000 by of “Top 10 Modern Scottish Authors” which auctioneers Bonhams. Amongst the bequests was: Janice Galloway, Christopher to friend were his boat and Mini to school- Brookmyre, Denise Mina, , friend Les McFarlane. The paper also Irvine Welsh, Val McDermid, William revealed that had Adele pre-deceased Iain the McIlvanney, Iain Banks, Ian Rankin, and estate would have gone to Oxfam. Alexander McCall Smith.

A survey to find the Scottish “nation’s A list of “12 Games from Science Fiction and favourite writer of all time” was carried out to Fantasy we'd love Real versions of” produced 7 publicise the 2014 National Young Writers’ by io9 included Azad at #7, commenting that Award. The results were released in May it “was pretty much the ultimate Board Game 2014 and Iain Banks was fourth after: Ian - an entire Empire was built around it.”

Rankin, Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur 5,500 words of Jude Roberts interviews with Conan Doyle, and just ahead of Robert Burns Iain carried out when researching her Ph.D. Rankin wrote about Banks as “his hero” for thesis on the Culture books was made rd the books section of The Guardian available on 3 November 2014 as part of the (14/06/2014). He remembered the Iain he funding drive for online magazine Strange 8 occasionally drank with in the Abbotsford on Horizons .

Rose Street in Edinburgh “arching back his Scottish Book Week (24-30 November 2014) head to let loose a guffaw at some joke or ran a poll to find “Scotland’s greatest literary comment”, and having a “childlike gleam in character of all-time” starting with a shortlist his eye”. He also wrote that Banks “went of fifty that included Prentice McHoan from about his death the way he had lived his life – The Crow Road and Bascule from Feersum filling every waking moment to the brim” 7http://toybox.io9.com/12-games-from-science-fiction- included Espedair and-fantasy-wed-love-real-1651309832 Street in his six best books when asked to list 8http://strangehorizons.com/2014/20141103/1banks- them by the Express (27/06/2014), saying a.shtml

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #8 Endjinn. The Banks vote thus being split saw to Scribd9 and Tweeted about. Transform is Francis Crawford of Lymond from The described on their website as “a charitable Lymond Chronicles, created by Dorothy think tank that campaigns for the legal Dunnett crowned just ahead of Begbie from regulation of drugs both in the UK and Trainspotting, then Rebus and Sherlock internationally.” Iain was sympathetic to their Holmes. Harry Potter surprisingly only came aims, and the interview talks about drug use equal ninth. The shortlist had included a in his novels and real life. It ends with banks number of oddities by taking a definition talking about the book he was then working based on the writer rather than the character on saying “people who have read the Culture which meant it included the likes of The books might gain satisfactions from Gruffalo, Peter Pan and Judge Dredd. denied to those who haven’t.”

Maxton Walker wrote about his love of The Stuart Kelly reviewed Poems in The Crow Road and how well the book stood up Scotsman (18/01/2015) highlighting that they 25 years on as part of a series about Families dated between 1973 and 1981 when Banks in Literature for The Guardian (30/12/2014) was aged 19 – 27. He argued that “does not make this juvenilia” as “there are frequently Series 10 Episode 11 of Waterloo Road the striking images and sharp insights”. He BBC drama set in a school broadcast on 5th praised Banks for tackling the “Big Issues of January 2015, saw the headmaster, played by God, Love and Politics”, but that this Neil Pearson, get back to teaching English. produced some “concomitant drawbacks”. He He said to a colleague that “he thought he noted that “this selection excludes Feu de would hit class S5 with The Wasp Factory”. Joie, the long poem originally intended to be Later in the episode he introduced the book to Uncle Rory’s poem on the floppy disks in The the class by saying it was about, “a sixteen Crow Road and subsequently reworked in year old called Frank who is a murderer, is prose as A Song of Stone.” friends with a dwarf and he has absolutely no genitalia.” Continuing he explained it was There was also a review in The Independent about “identity, gender and alienation” and (05/02/2015). Further coverage of the book said that it was Scottish which raised a cheer can be found in The Sunday Times from the students. Originally set in Rochdale (15/02/2015) see page #10, and the New series 8 of the programme moved the school Statesman (13/02/2015). Ken also blogged to Greenock which is also where Iain Banks about it10 rounding up links to the press was a sixth-form student as his local school in coverage. Gourock did not teach to that level. The BBC’s production of Stonemouth has been commented on a number of times in the Scottish Parliament where its Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee have been looking into the creative industries in Scotland. In evidence given on 21st January 2015, Ewan Angus, the head of commissioning for BBC Scotland, mentioned it as an example of a successful joint commissioning process with London. A week

later Natalie Usher, the director of film and It looked like there was a mind map of the media at Creative Scotland; listed it as one of book drawn on the white board, with green the television programmes her organisation headings saying: Controversy, Genre, had assisted with funding. Unconventional Themes, Gender, Murder, Violence and Death, along with some further notes that I could not make out. 9https://www.scribd.com/doc/254065769/1998-

A 1998 interview that Iain did with Transform-interview-with-Iain-Banks 10http://kenmacleod.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/poems-by- Transform magazine was recently uploaded iain-banks.html

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #9 Guardian Bookclub The “Lost” M

The Guardian Bookclub read The Bridge In Iain’s last television interview with Kirsty during the month of September 2014. This Walk that took place in mid/late May and was precipitated a number of articles and many broadcast in June 2013. He did mention that it comments on the paper’s website. was a possibility that he would write an outline of the “next” Culture novel so that he Setting the scene was Sam Jordison who was not caught short if he survived, or he posted a video of the selection process which could hand it over to someone else. was to draw one of the titles that had been Unfortunately Iain died only a few weeks suggested for Scottish referendum month out after the interview took place. of a hat11. The short description of the book described it as a “hymn to the Forth road Ken MacLeod cleared up the situation in the bridge, lament for the ills of Thatcherism and Guardian webchat, writing, “he told me after story of a fatal car crash”. It also noted that his diagnosis that he had an idea for a Culture Iain’s opinion of it was “the intellectual of the novel that if he didn't live to write he'd leave family”. the notes and outline to me to write in my own way (not a pastiche of his style or A week later the first article was headed anything). Sadly he didn't live long enough “How Iain Banks’s Bridge crosses into even to leave notes, beyond one basic idea Alasdair Gray’s Lanark”12 commenting that which I can't do anything with.” “With its parallel and overlapping narratives, and its concerns with modern Scotland, this The subject also came up in an interview that novel’s debt to Gray’s masterpiece is MacLeod did with Gillian Bowditch that was inescapable”. There were over 100 comments published in The Sunday Times as new and old readers of Banks traded (15/02/2015). Ostensibly about the joint theories, and, for once, the comments on a publication of Poems the next day the article newspaper post are well worth a read. also covered Bank’s illness. On the subject of writing a Culture novel MacLeod added “I The Bridge as a link between Iain’s was very reluctant to agree even though Iain mainstream and SF work was the next focus 13 was insistent”. of discussion . Sam’s article cited blogger Tom Bell’s assessment of the book as a The penultimate paragraph was McLeod’s “secret Culture novel” but also cautioned answer to being asked about Iain’s legacy. “I readers not to fall into the temptation of think that some of his literary novels will be viewing “The Bridge as a kind of mystical read for a long time. I think he’ll be key to the rest of his career – the vital piece in remembered as a major science fiction writer, a multiyear plan.” probably more the case than we realise now. He is one of the few true originals. How many A webchat with Ken MacLeod was arranged authors have created a utopia in which most for 13:00 on 29th September 201414. This of their readers would love to live?” quickly moved away from the topic of the book as Ken was game to talk about anything. In The Scotsman (15/02/2015) Ken reiterated One of the more important things that he that “Iain left not even notes I could work mentioned is picked up in the next column. from. If he had managed to get through the summer, he hoped to leave enough notes 11http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/s for me to work from if I wanted to.” He added ep/09/september-reading-group-the-bridge-iain-banks that he would have conflicted if Iain had left

12http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/s the notes, adding “in a way I am relieved that ep/16/iain-banks-bridge-alasdair-gray-lanark never happened.”

13http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/23/iain- banks-the-bridge-link-mainstream-literature-science- So there are no notes written by Iain for the fiction Culture idea that he had in 2013, and 14http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/s therefore Ken MacLeod will not be using ep/29/iain-m-banks-reading-group-webchat-ken- them to continue the Culture series. macleod

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #10 Banks’s Backlist Baran Özbek, and publishing company İthaki Yayınları. ISBN: 978-605-375-376-6.

A small extract from The Wasp Factory was In Russia in 2014 there were editions of translated into Icelandic and published along Улица отчаяния () ISBN: with an article about Iain Banks back in 1990. 978-5-699-71354-7, Чистый продукт: В Issue 9 of Teningur (which translates as поисках идеального виски (Raw Spirit) Cube) and had the tagline “Vettvangur fyrir ISBN: 978-5-699-72428-4 and listir og bókmenntir” which means Platform Несущественная деталь () for Arts and Literature, also included extracts ISBN: 978-5-699-76195-1. from novels by Julian Barnes and Timothy Mo. The article and translation were by Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson who has subsequently had some of his work translated into English. The article concentrates on The Wasp Factory but does discuss Walking on Glass, The Bridge and Espedair Street with a brief mention of and The Player of Games.

The extract is under the title, Vespusmiðjan, and covers Frank and his father talking after Diggs has visited to tell them Eric has escaped. Here is a little taster of what the Icelandic looks like.

The cover is by В. Половцева (Vasiliy Polovtsev). More of his art is available at: http://coverbook-book.blogspot.co.uk/

Audio Book News

Hachette Audio is now releasing MP3 CDs of A French paperback edition of Patrick the unabridged audio books previously only Dusoulier’s translation of La Sonate hydrogène available as downloads via Audible. Possibly from Le Livre de Poche was published in because Hachette is in dispute with Amazon November 2014. ISBN: 978-2-253-18350-1. (the owners of Audible). Earlier in the year Calmann-Lévy had published Retour à Stonemouth. ISBN: 978-2- September 1 2014 saw the release of 7021-5590-5. , The Crow Road, Complicity and The Quarry at a price of £20. Surprisingly the Turkey now has its own edition of Cebirci CDs soon turned up in the discount store The (The Algebraist) courtesy of translator Kemal Works at £3.99 each.

The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #11 SpaceX Droneships Banksoniain Calendar

Elon Musk the billionaire and amongst other 2015 things CEO and CTO of SpaceX caused a bit of a stir with a series of tweets (23/01/2015) Monday 16 February concerning the names of the company's Poems, UK Hardback. autonomous spaceport drone ships which are Little, Brown ISBN: 978-1-408-70587-2 intended to be used for the recovery of rocket stages. After a test in January resulted in what Sunday, 28 June was described as a “hard landing” the drone Graham Park Day. Come and follow the ship needed extensive repair work. Musk's walk from Walking on Glass and see where it first tweet was at 4:39pm and read, “Repairs intersects with Iain’s own life. almost done on the spaceport drone ship and Email: [email protected] have given it the name Just Read the Instructions”. This was followed almost Friday 31 July immediately by “... In honor of IMB, RIP.” The Culture Series of Iain M. Banks a Critical Later he revealed that “West Coast droneship Introduction under construction will be named Of Course I McFarland & Co ISBN: 978-0-786-49447-7 Still Love You”. Both these names come from The Player of Games where they are General 2016 Contact Units. Less than a week later he tweeted a photograph showing the name Thursday 4 February painted on the repaired craft. Poems, UK Paperback, Abacus ISBN: 978-0-349-14056-8

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The Banksoniain Issue #21 Page #12