Tag: science fiction

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My Double Life: Fifty-One Book Launch

It seems a long time ago now (been a bit busy!), but the UK book launch for Fifty-One was such great fun that I can’t neglect to post about it.

We were hosted by Blackheath Bookshop, who do a fantastic job promoting local authors and books with local connections. The venue was apt because (as those of you who have read it know) a large part of Fifty-One takes place in Blackheath and neighbouring parts of south London, both in the 1940s, when London was at war, and in the 2040s, from whence my time travelling protagonist comes.

The shop very kindly laid on drinks and snacks, and pretty much handed over the whole shop to us for our event. The net result was a crowded and happy bookshop on a lovely summer evening, with lots of books signed and sold and (I confess) many of us ending up in somewhat ‘cheerful’ condition in a local pub!

Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, Laura Cunningham and Chris Barnham

It was lovely to see so many friends and book-lovers, and I was immensely honoured that our fantastic newly-elected Mayor, Damien Egan, came along to say a few words – particularly praising the bookshop for their support for local writers.

Damien also referred to my double life – as local councillor and writer. It is a strange existence: a lot of the time, I operate in a world where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s fantasy; where no one can be certain that the rules of reality apply; and where people can choose to believe the most unlikely things.

The rest of the time, I write science fiction.

(Missed the book launch? Never mind, you can still buy Fifty-One, including here. )

 

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Book Launch: Blackheath Bookshop 22 June

Excitement rising Chez Barnham as we look forward to the official UK launch of Fifty-One this coming Friday 22nd June.

Thanks to the generosity of the Blackheath Bookshop – who are hosting – we’ll be launching the book right where a lot of the story is set, in Blackheath Village.

The fun starts at 6pm, with drinks and nibbles. If you’re in the area (and in a book-buying mood) come along.

The address is 34 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, London SE3 0AX.

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New Story Out Now: Sigmund Seventeen

The latest issue of online speculative fiction magazine Electric Spec is out now. And I’m pleased to say it features one of my ‘Way’ stories: Sigmund Seventeen.

I wrote about the ‘Way’ story sequence last month (see May 9th), and there’s more about the background to this and its sister story ‘Once There Was A Way’ in the blog that accompanies Electric Spec. If you’re interested, you can read that here. Also completely free.

Look out for more ‘Way’ tales before long.

[Featured image – from the latest Electric Spec cover – is copyright Brian Malachy Quinn.]

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Hard Times in Nuovo Genova

It’s always lovely to be able to let you know that another story has found a home. And this time I’m really thrilled that I will have a story in Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show  probably in August.

The story is called ‘Hard Times In Nuovo Genova or How I Lost My Way’ (sadly, titles aren’t part of the word count!). It’s one of a series of what I think of as my ‘Way’ stories. I’ll write about the series soon, when I’ve got a bit of time, because a couple of other stories from it are also coming out this year.

The story takes place in one of a number of different versions of Chicago, in this case one where North America was largely settled by Italians (Columbus having got funding from his native Genoa instead of Spain). It’s a simple enough tale: guy meets girl, guy loses girl, but with multiple universes.

As I say, it’s due in August, so plenty of time to brag yet!

 

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Starship Sofa – Podcast Debut

My story, “When I Close My Eyes” (see July 17th 2017) is the gift that keeps on giving. It earned me my debut in the rather wonderful Interzone magazine last year. Then it landed a berth in the recent (and also wonderful) ‘Best of British Science Fiction 2017’, edited by Donna Scott.

And now the story has popped up in a podcast – it features in episode 534 of Starship Sofa.

I confess, I was unsure how it would be, hearing my story read by someone else. But narrator Gareth Stack has done a bang-up job. I really enjoyed it, and I knew what happened! I heard little details in his narration that I didn’t even realise I’d put in the story.

Check it out, and subscribe to Starship Sofa while you’re at it. They’ve got a huge back catalogue of great stories, and it’s really worthy of your time.

The podcast is part of the District of Wonders stable, which also produces Tales to Terrify (if horror is your bag) and Far Fetched Fables (if you like fantasy)

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Now in Physical Form for UK readers: Fifty-One

Fifty-One is of course available through various channels – Google Play, Amazon Kindle, and so on.

But I’ve found that I’m embarrassingly old-school: it’s only when I see the actual, physical book – preferably in an actual, physical bookstore, among other lovely books – that I admit to myself the book properly exists.

So I’m really pleased that the book is now properly available in paperback in UK bookshops.

A reminder of what the book’s about:

Jacob Wesson is a timecop from 2040, sent back to 2nd World War London to stop the assassination of Winston Churchill. The assignment plays out with apparent ease, but the jump home goes wrong, stranding Jake in war-ravaged 1944. Jake’s team, including his long-time girlfriend, is desperate to trace him before something else goes wrong.

Stuck in the past, Jake must pull from his training and blend in. He clings to the one familiar face he can find, Amy Jenkins, a war widow whose life he saved during the assignment. Drawn to each other by their loneliness and thrown together amid the terror of war, Jake and Amy look to a future together.

But Jake’s future cannot let him go. And when his bosses finally find him in 1944, Jake faces a terrible choice: risk unraveling the modern world, or let Amy die.

To celebrate this moment when Fifty-One becomes fully available in the non-digital realm in the UK, I thought I’d bring together in one place all the ways you can now get it, should you choose to do so. Take your pick below:

Amazon UK (Kindle or paperback)

Amazon US (Kindle or paperback)

Google Play (ebook)

Waterstones (paperback)

(And, if you’re in the USA, consider doing independent publishing a favour, and ordering from … Filles Vertes Publishing ebook and paperback)

For me, there’s no substitute for finding books in bookstores, so I’ll be giving a plug on here to any stores where I spot it on sale. And look out for a launch event, coming soon, appropriately in a place that features in the story.