The Banksoniain 17
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The Banksoniain #17 An Iain (M.) Banks Fanzine April 2012 Editorial Banks’s Next Book The publication of Stonemouth is upon us. Iain is writing, or hopefully just about Apologies for not publishing in 2011, but then finishing, an ‘M’ book at the moment. An again neither did Iain. This issue looks at the early public comment about it was in an build up to the new book, and also the next interview with Irish SF magazine Albedo Culture novel, The Hydrogen Sonata. There is One (issue 41) that was conducted in April a bit more film news, and over a year of 2011. At that point he said it was to be Banks’s public appearances to report on, as “written over Jan/Feb/Mar next year, and it’s well as the calendar of forthcoming Banks almost certain to be a Culture novel.” He events on the back page. added that, “I think I need to tackle the idea of Subliming; it has delighted us with its The Wasp Factory Film vagueness long enough.” This is a long and complicated story Early in January 2012 it got an ISBN, previously discussed in various editions of 9780356501505, and a listing on book selling The Banksoniain. There was a step forward websites calling it Untitled New Iain M. when on the Friday of Novacon 40 Banks 1. However, Iain said that the working (12/11/2010) Iain commented that a deal had title was, The Hydrogen Sonata, and this was been done, and on the night he mentioned confirmed when bookselling websites were Stephen Daldry. updated in late February. Daldry had previously been attached to The The Hope of Diamonds Wasp Factory as the director of a proposed production by Renaissance Films back in the Iain is the patron of a local (to him) charity mid-1990s. This was the one with an early called Safe Space. The Dunfermline based Purvis & Wade (the current Bond film writing organisation provides a free and confidential team) script, and Stephen Evans as producer. range of support services for people who have This time round Daldry is busy working on experienced sexual abuse. the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic One of the many ways that the charity works Games so is likely to take some sort of is by using creative writing as a healing tool producer role rather than director. However, getting the abused to write about their nothing official announcement has been experiences in a creative writing group. This forthcoming. helps the attendees to express and sort out There has been the off mention of the project. their thoughts and feelings as well as A February 2011 profile of New Zealand exploring and expressing their memories, and based writer, Neil Cross listed a number of enabling them to develop skills. projects he was working on, which included a They have produced an anthology of the “film version of The Wasp Factory”, and a work, The Hope of Diamonds, from their short biography of Stephen Evans on the writing group which has been published with Green Screen Studios company website, ends a foreword by Iain. If you would like a copy with the fact that he “is working with Stephen then Safe Space can be contacted via their Daldry on the film adaptation of Iain Banks’ website: http://www.safe-space.co.uk cult novel The Wasp Factory.” The Banksoniain Issue #17 Page #1 Media Scanner details of his musical choices as well as book choice and luxury. The database search allows Something that we missed when it was first users to search all aspects of the show, and so published is a fundraising cookbook that Iain it identifies that the only person (so far) to contributed to called, food for art’s sake. choose a Banks book was the Conservative This was produced by the Friends of MP, David Davis, who wanted the complete Kirkcaldy Museums & Art Gallery in around works of Iain Banks. 2006. It contains recipes from the likes of Ian Iain was interviewed for BBC Two’s The Rankin, Gordon Brown, David Steel, Alex Culture Show2 which had a special edition McLeish, Alex Salmond, as well as artists and about Alasdair Gray and his autopictography friends. (first broadcast 21/10/2010). There is a “comment” from Iain not a recipe. Iain made the cover of Visit Scotland’s A He wrote back thanking them for inviting him Traveller's Guide to Literary Scotland to contribute, but humorously explaining that which listed 60 places associated with writers his cooking skills were not really up to to visit, which was published in February actually requiring recipes, as they mostly 2011. involved Smash which he didn’t actually cook, just poured boiling water on. The entry associated with the Forth Bridges, says, “Iain Banks (b.1954), novelist, author of Copies were still available in the summer of numerous sensational works combining fluent 2011. The booklet is priced at £3.00 if you storytelling, political engagement and moral buy it at the museum, but it can be obtained indignation, and many science fiction novels.” by post (adding £1.00 for postage) from Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery, War John Mullan picking his ten best locked Memorial Gardens, Abbotshall Road, rooms in literature in The Guardian Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 1YG (26/03/2011), included Angus’s study from The Wasp Factory in a list that works by Another blast from the past occurred in early Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde and CS Lewis. in 2011 when the BBC put a comprehensive database of Desert Island Discs guest online. The BBC’s attitude to genre fiction in the This included a not inconsiderable number of corporation’s coverage of 2011 World Book episodes which includes Iain’s from August Night was questioned by author Stephen 3 1997. It can be downloaded to as well as Hunt . The fantasy author organised a letter 1 streamed from the webpage , which gives 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vhflj 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert- 3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts- island-discs/castaway/c5a41e86 13128769 The Banksoniain Issue #17 Page #2 signed by 84 colleagues including Banks. The changed around when Margaret Thatcher took letter particularly complained about the the Conservative party to the right. He then “sneering tone” of a programme called The said it was the fact that the English fell for it Books We Really Read. when the Scots did not, which meant the end of “one nation” and led to the rise in tactical BBC Radio’s magazine show Saturday Live4 voting in Scotland that has reduced the Tories has a feature each week called ‘Inheritance to one MP. After Tony Blair “did the same Tracks’, where someone discusses a piece of trick with Labour” Iain said that he voted music they have “inherited” from their “Green, Scottish Socialist party, Lib Dem or parents and one that they wish to pass on to SNP”, but eventually increasingly for the the next generation. Iain’s choices were latter as they “were more progressive, more broadcast on 21/05/2011, and he spoke about left wing, more fair”. He would still prefer a Shenandoah by Paul Robeson and For A socialist UK to an independent socialist Dancer by Jackson Browne. The contribution Scotland, but pragmatically sees the second as had been recorded back in November 2010 a more likely eventuality than the former. during the publicity round for the hardback publication of Surface Detail, but did not get Iain appeared on an episode of Channel 5’s on air until the paperback was released. The Gadget Show (Season 16, Episode 6, first broadcast 23/09/2011) where he judged In a live chat hosted on the Guardian5 the attempts of Suzi Perry and Ortis Deley to website (08/07/2011) and Iain answered many create their own interactive e-books, questions, saying, amongst other things that respectively revamping two classic novels: he wouldn’t write for Doctor Who as the Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days “monster has to go back inside the box”, and and Bram Stoker's Dracula. The two that he had no plans for “Another Big War” in presenters came up with the concepts to the Culture. Asked what he really thought of enhance their chosen books, and had help to Michael Moorcock he said “a great guy”. Iain realise their ideas, before pitching to Iain who continues to maintain that Frozen Gold are a got to decide the winner. “cross between Led Zep and Abba”. Iain was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland’s Tom Morton Show6 (17/08/2011). He chose three tracks to play and talk about: Frank Zappa, Peaches en Regalia, was Iain’s first pick, which he admitted that he had effectively used as a soundtrack to one of his early unpublished novels. Second choice, The Hooters, Satellite, was described by Iain as “prime Americana” with a moral point. Of the final track, some French electronica from Martin Solveig & Dragonette called Hello, Iain said that he loved it as “unpretentious pop”. He also Iain judging on The Gadget Show talked about generally being more interested in melody than lyrics, with beat a poor third. Musician Raymond Meade blogged7 The Guardian (28/08/2011) asked the (10/10/2011) that he recently spent an question “What future for the Union?” of a afternoon with Iain Banks working on a track number of prominent Scots including Iain. for his new album. Further details were Banks’s essay talked of his early feelings of revealed in an article in the Evening Times being more British than Scottish which (28/10/2011) stating that the musician had been working on a track called Carnivores 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0118bgr 5 http://tinyurl.com/67sc48g 7 http://raymondmeade.com/2011/10/october- 6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0139l2z musings/ The Banksoniain Issue #17 Page #3 which he realised would benefit from having interview finished with his top tips for writers something spoken over it and remembered a which boil down to: 1) Read more, 2) passage from The Steep Approach to Practise, Practise, Practise and 3) Get to the Garbadale.