Category Archives: Writing Journal

Not World Con 1

The programme for Not World Con 1 is starting to take shape thanks to contributions from around the world! The programme is very much still open, so please add your suggestions! Check back regularly for programme updates. GoH / Reading List Boneshop by Tim Pratt Richard Morgan’s Thirteen Anything by Neil Gaiman Talks & Panel DiscussionsContinue reading “Not World Con 1”

The Booker longlist is ignorant and bigoted

The long list for the Booker prize has been announced today, and has dashed my hopes that following the victory of Interzone’s Chris Beckett in the National Short Award, The Booker would foil its many critics (myself included) and include some of the great works of speculative fiction published this year. In previous years IContinue reading “The Booker longlist is ignorant and bigoted”

Why do we write this SF stuff?

Today I bought a table. Its the final piece of furniture for my new home. Which is the first real home I have had since I was eighteen. Thats my own damn fault, for taking thirteen years to realise that a home is made, not found. The table is important, because it is where IContinue reading “Why do we write this SF stuff?”

WorldCon vs. World Fantasy

If you could go to only one, which would be and why? Answer below. I am caught in indecision. I can afford to do either WorldCon (Montreal) of World Fantasy (San Francisco) this year. I had almost settled on World Fantasy because of the higher concentration of writers and editors in my favored milieu ofContinue reading “WorldCon vs. World Fantasy”

We need more beautiful magazines

Mary Robinette Kowal made a wonderful point on tonight’s Sofanauts. In a discussion on the iPhone as e-reader Mary argued that e-books and online ‘zines would not kill printed publications. But the publications that survive will be the ones who understand the value of the physical object they are producing. I could not agree more.

iPlayer and the Sofanauts

My short story Cthul-You is repeated on BBC iPlayer this week. Whenever the beeb repeat this story I start getting hits on the blog ‘damien g walter’ along with ‘disturbed’, ‘sick’ and ‘evil’. Its the only real horror story I’ve tackled so I’m glad it had the intended effect. Tony C. Smith has invited beContinue reading “iPlayer and the Sofanauts”

A Circumnavigation

Excellent fantasy author Catherynne Valente has taken action against the economic meltdown of the western world by asking readers to support the writing of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. As I write Valente’s initiative has already generated enough support to alleviate the financial crisis she was facing, but pleaseContinue reading “A Circumnavigation”

30,000th Birthday

A little earlier this week this blog crossed the 30,000 hit barrier, only eight months after crawling over the 20,000 mark in October. To celebrate this wonderous news, a few random statistics for your bemusement. Total Posts: 363 Best Month: March 2009 with 1,960 hits (An average of 63 hits a day, which this month is onContinue reading “30,000th Birthday”

Pain and the Soul

I saw Seamus Heaney interviewed about his translation of Beowulf tonight on the BBC documentary about the ancient epic. He said the most beautiful thing, that Beowulf was born into life as an intelligence and shaped by pain into a soul. An idea I  must remember. Elsewhere.. Jetse de Vries gives some statistical feedback onContinue reading “Pain and the Soul”