The Banksoniain #4 An Iain (M.) Banks Fanzine November 2004 Editorial News Issue #4 is upon us and with it nearly a year The second half of 2004 has been a busy time of existence – well at least in my head. for Banks fans. The major event has been the Although issue #1 was released to coincide publication of his new SF book – The with the twentieth anniversary of The Wasp Algebraist. This was accompanied by a three Factory in February 2004, there was a proof week UK tour along with radio and TV of concept issue #0 in December 2003 to appearances, which are reported on page #2. encourage others to contribute that began life about a year ago. The Crow Road television series was released on DVD by Second Sight Films on October The focus of this issue is, of course, on the 25th. It is reviewed on page #9. NEW book, The Algebraist, but also on Consider Phlebas – as we have reached The audio book of Raw Spirit has been Banks‟s first SF publication in our series of released, details on page 10. A large print retrospectives. The Media Scanner column edition of this title is planned for publication is directly followed by a special review of the in December from ISIS (ISBN: 075315305X). publicity tour for The Algebraist; and we also No word on the US editions of The State of have two sections on the reviews it has the Art from Night Shade Books which are garnered from the print media on the back still listed on their website for publication in page and online on page #11. Consider September. A cover image has been posted Phlebas gets the centre spread, and also a and is a painting by the British artist Les good proportion of this issue‟s Critical Edwards called Aristarchos. Prints available Banks article. from http://www.lesedwards.com eBayWatch as usual covers the most Front page news, as Media Scanner was interesting of Banksian items recently offered already full. The Scotsman (28/10/04) whether they sold or not, and Banks in announced the opening of voting for the Translation looks East to Japan. Banks Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards 2004. Obscura heads to an art gallery as well as Iain was mentioned as a potential “Top Scot”, detouring to the Guinness Book of Records, but was not nominated in the Writing and the new Robert Rankin, whilst Not category. Online voting at: “THE” Iain Banks takes a rather risqué turn http://www.glenfiddich.com/spirit this issue. We also take look at the background to the well-worn phrases “Space Opera” and “Widescreen Baroque” that are Banks’s Next Books frequently applied to Banks‟s M work. Iain is now entering a period of writing Thanks for this issue to; Andi Evans, Barry hibernation. His next contract will be a three Marsden, Chris at Second Sight, Jessica at book deal over four or five years. First will Orbit, and, of course, Iain M. Banks himself. be a mainstream one, then, to the delight of many, a Culture book and then another If you wish to contribute an article, even an mainstream. At the end of October the deal idea for an article any suggestions, comments had still not been signed but “is very likely”. and corrections can be sent to: [email protected] The Banksoniain Issue #4, Page #1 with Christopher Brookmyre, who the next Media Scanner day had to get up early to get back to Iain has become a semi-regular guest Edinburgh as he was attending the opening reviewer on the BBC digital radio channel having let slip to his mother that an invitation 6Music show Rocket Science hosted by Mark had arrived she would not let him turn it Riley and broadcast on Saturdays between down. Iain has not made that mistake. 14:00 and 17:00, and also available online. Iain pops up in the last twenty minutes of the The Daily Mail (17/10/04) just after the show every four or five weeks to review three publication of The Algebraist caught up with albums with Mark. A quick chat usually the August publication of the paperback informs us how Iain‟s flying lessons are edition of Raw Spirit with a review by Simon progressing and then it is on with the music, Shaw who praised Iain‟s knowledge of but the first news of the proposed musical whisky and the suitability of his prose style to version of Espedair Street does seem to have this subject and the landscape of Scotland. broken on the show. The review ended with a question to Banks Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music asking why he though the book would be “enhanced by ranting about Bush and Blair The bid for Edinburgh to be recognised at a and weapons of mass destruction”. World City of Literature was accepted by UNESCO on 14th October 2004. Part of the Scotland on Sunday (24/10/04) gave Banks bid was the production of two books by the opportunity to say what he would do if he Redpath Design, one about the bid and the ruled the world. Iain‟s first action would be other called We Cultivate Literature on a to limit his term of office to four years and Little Oatmeal that “takes the reader on a after that he produced an eclectic mixture of fascinating journey through the city‟s great the amusing and serious. December would be literary heritage” by using extracts to convey the only month when cover versions of pop “Edinburgh‟s wealth of literary figures, from songs would be allowed, so the unoriginal Harry Potter to Peter Pan and from Iain Banks could buy something for Granny. Otherwise to Rabbie Burns.” “all tunes would have to be the composer‟s own”. Football would be reduced to just a The contents of the, Why Edinburgh? book penalty shoot-out, saving time and bringing can be found in PDF format on the website: more luck into the game which would http://www.cityofliterature.com/whyedin.html hopefully help the current Scottish side. Iain‟s books The Wasp Factory and The Crow Although he said he was an “enthusiastic Road are mentioned in the text along with the carnivore”, Iain would enforce vegetarianism fact that he has an alter ego that writes science to ensure the world produced enough food to fiction. A picture of Iain also appears in go round. Weapons that “the average female which he is shown reading to children at the can‟t lift with one hand” would be banned and Edinburgh Book Festival – not from one of the money saved spent on space research. As his own books I hasten to add. “I don‟t trust people without a weakness” he Iain was invited to the opening of the new would, “make at least one drug compulsory”, Scottish parliament building but turned the but you would get to choose your own. opportunity down, speculating about the Finally, he would end PLCs and their limited “joined up government” that had not passed liability, a debt is a debt, he says and “you on the fact that he had cut his passport up and should damn well pay”. sent it to the Prime Minister in protest at the BBC2 Scotland has been showing an eight second Gulf war. Nearer the day he was part series called Writing Scotland. The quoted as saying that he did not like to attend second programme explored the making and events where royals were present as it only breaking of personalities through the use of encouraged them, and he preferred to regard the fantasy genre and took a journey from himself as a citizen rather than a subject. Hogg, through Stevenson, Barrie and Gray to The day before the opening Iain appeared at Banks, and specifically The Bridge. he first Inverness Book Festival in a session http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/arts/writingscotland/ The Banksoniain Issue #4, Page #2 but that when he did get one his earnings went The Algebraist up 300% even after her 10%. The Publicity Tour The publicity continued from that reported in An interesting titbit came about when asked issue #3 with a major interview published in what SF he read. He said he has a the magazine section of the Glasgow based “professional obligation” to read but Herald newspaper (25/09/04). Iain again unfortunately he is not a fast reader, and then received an above the mast head picture teaser admitted that an early idea he had for The – along with a controversial quote. The Algebraist was abandoned after he mentioned interview ranged widely from politics to it to Ken MacLeod in the pub who said it flying (Iain has a Cessna 152 based at Fife sounded like X‟s latest. Later he was asked airport near Glenrothes) to the book. The which book he wished he had written and quote that drew a response in the letters answered Tiger! Tiger! by Alfred Bester column of the paper was where Banks (a.k.a. The Stars My Destination) for the sheer described the Prime Minister. “I think Blair amount of energy in the book “it must have is a genuine Christian nutter”. This, the been fun to write” he commented. correspondent complained (29/09/04), was an The usual questions about influences, films insult to the insane. and spaceship names followed before Iain The official publication date was Monday 4th seemed taken aback by a question about the October which was marked by a signing at the influence of Dan Dare on him.