The Banksoniain #21 an Iain (M.) Banks Fanzine February 2015
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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 the Guardian (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 Novacon 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 Harry Harrison, Iain’s poetry, alongside that of his long-time Brian Aldiss 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 The State of the Art which filmed at the end of 2014 is expected to collection in 2005. Use of Weapons 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 Walking on Glass 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: “Iain Banks the literary novelist and Iain M. Banks the Poems by Iain Banks and Ken MacLeod science fiction 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 Edinburgh on his own. had previously written book on James It is also the at times, amusing, but mostly, Herbert, Ian Rankin, 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.