“Here’s SpecFicNZ–Christchurch”: Featuring Elizabeth Gatens
Introduction:
Last week I heralded a new “mini-post” series on the blog, starting today, titled “Here’s SpecFicNZ-Christchurch.”
As I set out then, SpecFicNZ is the ” national association for creators, writers and editors of speculative fiction in or from New Zealand” and I thought some of my blog readers might enjoy “‘meeting” the members who live right here in the Christchurch area. As I also explained, effectively my fellow authors will be introducing themselves using a series of common headings:
Here’s Who: a short, first person introduction to the writer
Here’s Why: the writer writes speculative fiction
Here’s What: an example of the writer’s work
Here’s Where: you can find out more about the writer and their work—and I really hope you will!
So without further ado—please meet Elizabeth (Liz) Gatens.
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Here’s SpecFicNZ–Christchurch: Featuring Elizabeth Gatens
Here’s Who:
I’ve always known I’d never be an astronaut. Aside from the Yorkshire accent and even thicker glasses, the zero-gravity environment made me ponder the wisdom of white space-suits. With such practicalities in mind, I settled on the next best career and trained as a librarian. After five years of enabling prisoners to escape via their imagination I swapped hemispheres and entered the dangerous world of children’s librarianship. Recently, I’ve realised I’d wound up on the wrong side of the printed page. It’s the yet unwritten stories I’m hungry to explore. I now live in Christchurch with my Kiwi husband, and when I’m not procrastinating in my role as the current SpecFicNZ secretary I’m busy dreaming my way to distant realities.
Here’s Why:
I’m a magpie for the shiny bauble of what if. Ideas intrigue me, the possibilities of different futures and alternative pasts, but I need relatable characters to suspend my disbelief from. They don’t have to be kind, or particularly noble, and I often find the back-story for the villain more interesting than the suffering of the hero. Language and word-play tickle my funny bone, and I like every sentence to pull its weight, preferably more if a double-meaning can sneak in to twist the plot.
I’m currently working on my first novel, told from the viewpoint of an unreliable narrator who never lies. The idea for my latest short story, “Monocarpic Colony Blues”, started with a prince, but the heroine refused to be rescued. My other short story, “The Glitch Doctor,” developed from a common phrase being taken literally and projected into a cyberpunk future. The opening scene is below.
Here’s What: (Excerpt)
The Glitch Doctor (© Elizabeth Gatens)
My GPS went to hell on the first solar flare. It wasn’t an issue. I’d been around, knew my way through the rat runs, the obsolete streets dividing the millions of plugged-in, socially disconnected lives festering in their single-room sanctuaries from the real world. On foot, I trailed an automated delivery mule to an intersection where street signs flickered their scrambled directions against the dawn aurora, neon-blue against apocalyptic pink. Almost pretty, if you were into that kind of shit.
The corner church had long been hacked into tiny living units, sterile cells for a sterile existence. Usertopia. Dull as the grave, and just as lonely. The vicarage next door still promised an audience with God, or at least a conference call. My first job of the day. An ageing caretaker answered when I knocked, her distrust overruled by her surprise.
‘I thought you’d be a man.’
Me too. Disappointed, I tugged up the zip on my low-cut dress and stuck out my hand. ‘I get that all the time. I’m the technical support you requested. But you’re not the vicar.’
She didn’t shake my hand. The official health warnings about the latest pandemic had clearly ruined her manners. ‘He’s asleep. He has an important meeting today with all the civic leaders.’
Ah, yes, the much-promoted public debate, as in actually together in the same room at the same time, to discuss ways of clearing the docks of assorted lowlifes. I tried again, flashing an ID card from my coat pocket. ‘You called for my help. I’m the Glitch Doctor.’
…”
Here’s Where:
‘The Glitch Doctor” won first place in the 2011 Cyberpunk competition run by Shades of Sentience. It was published in “Award Winning Australian Writing 2012“.
“Monocarpic Colony Blues” will be published in the upcoming “Regeneration: New Zealand Speculative Fiction II Anthology”, by Random Static.
You can learn more about me here on the SpecFicNZ website.
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The “Here’s SpecFicNZ–Christchurch” series will be posting every Wednesday for the next six weeks.
Liz, you’re amazing. Xx I cant wait to read these stories Liz. Youre so talented!!!
Thank you, Rachel – you can read them anytime you want!
Hi Elizabeth
I’m from Yorkshire too. Us tykes have to stick together! Good luck with your writing.
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-Alan Robson
Hi Alan, or rather, ey up now then! Thanks for the good luck wishes.
Liz – Am so proud of what you have accomplished in the time I have known you!
You are so clever with words and wit – I miss that.XX
Thanks, Carolyn, that means a lot to me. The courage to actually submit a story is the hardest part for me, so here’s to being brave this year!
I can’t wait to see that first novel in print. It’ll be awesome. You do have a great talent for telling an enthralling story, Liz.
Hear, hear to all your comments and here’s to Liz, for her friendliness, good humour, quirky sense of fun, & ability to spin quite a yarn. 🙂 I’m thrilled to have you here on “…Anything, Really”, Liz.
Liz mate,
awesome excerpt. love the beautifully rendered Bio too … could here you telling me…
I hope you and that kiwi bloke are all well in chch!
Think of you often and wonder how your writing is going.Now I know….fantastic!!
lots of good wishes and abrazos
Lisa
Hear you of course—-and metaphorically at that!