Given Christchurch’s recent snow dump, thought a few photos might be in order.

The first one comes courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries and is snow in Christchurch ca. 1862.  Rather liked this one & the simplicity of Christchurch of yore.

The rest are what I returned to the other day, having been 10 days away in far more temperate–subtropical even!—climes, with the final day an enforced holiday due to all flights being cancelled (because of the snow.)

Snow in the backyard...

So here are a few snaps of what I found when I actually made it home after a ‘winter wonderland’ flight in across the Southern Alps and Canterbury Plains.

...and the front

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And the village green gets a dusting as well.

Civilian Reader is one of the blogs I have been following of recent times—you will find the link in the side bar. It’s newish on the books and genre scene, but then again, so am I… So it seemed suitably serendipitous to answer the Civilian’s call for guest posts on “Should You Read What You Write?”

Nor was I alone—writers as diverse as Gail Carriger, Mark Lawrence, Anne Lyle, and Jon Courtenay-Grimwood, amongst others, have all weighed in.

It would appear though, that I was alone in interpreting the question as: “Should You Read What You (Literally) Write?” as opposed to: “Should You Read What (/in the Genre That) You Write?” But hey, different drums and all that! 😉

Anyway, I think the responses are really interesting and well worth a read, right Here.

But in terms of what I “would” have said, if only I had gone for the second interpretation of da question, I did have a go via a series of tweets, as follows:

• ‘Read everything. Read like there’s no tomorrow-& watch films!’
• For me,it’s about embracing story in all it’s forms, so tv shows come in too & also music–total immersion…
• …It’s that bigger idea of the ‘verse of storytelling, the what-ifs the different tales told—and ways/means of telling ’em—can spark.

So I “think” that’s a decided “yes” to reading, not only in your genre, but way beyond, perhaps even as far out as the galactic rim… (Babylon 5 ref. ;-))

Yesterday morning, I woke up to the news that Ray Bradbury had died.

Since then tributes have flowed in, from President Obama to Margaret Atwood, Stephen Spielberg to Mia Farrow and Neil Gaiman. The range of tributes and people making them reflects Ray Bradbury’s contribution to literature and the world of ideas: Fahrenheit 451 is arguably his most well known work in this respect.

But I, like many others, have my own small, personal tribute to make, one that relates to my first encounter, in my mid-teens, with Ray Bradbury—in my case through a battered, secondhand copy, not of Fahrenheit 451 (although I read that in due course) but of a collection of short stories titled The Golden Apples of the Sun.  I can’t recall now how it came into my hands, whether I picked it up myself on spec, or whether someone gave it to me. I do remember that it came to me unrecommended though, but that I was favourably influenced by the title and the jacket (featured), while having no idea who Ray Bradbury was.

I recall, too, that reading it ‘blew my mind.’

I don’t think there was one story in there that I did not get something out of, sometimes in terms of language and character, but mostly in terms of ideas. Every story encapsulated an idea that fascinated, or intrigued, or made me think: “Yes, yes, wow!” They made me want to write similar stories—tales that sparked a sense of wonder and imagination and resonated with readers so that they, too, thought: “Ah, yes.”

I lost that original battered, shabby collection somewhere on my travels, but never my recollection of the stories. So when I found another copy a few years back I snapped it up instantly. I have other works by Ray Bradbury, most in better condition and more elegantly presented, but this small, well-worn volume of The Golden Apples of the Sun will always be the one I prize the most—because it was one of the defining works that cemented my love of science ficton.

A small tribute perhaps, but reflecting a profound influence for me as an individual. And to be honest, I cannot think of any writer currently who is putting out anything encompassing the same depth and breadth of ideas—and so feel doubly diminished by his passing.

Here in NZ it may be something of a truism, when someone well known dies, to say:

“E hinganga o te Totara haemata o te waotapunui a Tane: A mighty tree has fallen in the forest of Tane.”

But in this case, I think that it is really true.

… here are a few more photos from UnCONventional, the National Science Fiction Fantasy Convention & Sir Julius Vogel Award ceremony last weekend.

Grace Bridges of Splashdown, with several titles from her list

This time I thought I’d focus on shots of authors  in the signing room &  a couple more photos from the Sir Julius Vogel Awards.

Beaulah Pragg with her debut novel "Silver Hawk"

Kevin of author duo, KD Berry, with "Dragons Away" (Bluewood Publishing)

Mary Victoria signing...

... havin' some signing fun 😉

Fan GoH Lorain Clark presents the Sir Julius Vogel Fan Awards

June Young & Simon Litten with GoH, Trudi Canavan, at the Sir Julius Vogel Award party

A few more photos from the UnCONventional Natcon last weekend, to go along with those I put up on Saturday, here, and Monday, here.

Firstly, a shot of the “Vampire” panel early on Day 3:

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Fan GoH Lorain Clark with "The Gathering of the Lost"

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And a few photos from the Signing and Readings sessions on the afternoon of Day 2:

Mary Victoria with 'Chronicles of the Tree' reader, Ross Temple

Double Author Trouble: Mary Victoria & I share a moment

with Felicia, a young 'Wall of Night' series reader

Authors, friends & Sir JV Award winners, l-r: Alicia Ponder (Short Story); K Berry (Best New Talent); Lee Murray (Novel-Youth); Mary Victoria (Novel-Adult)

In case you were wondering, the second Sir Julius Vogel Award that Mary is holding was won by her husband, Frank Victoria, for the Best Professional Artwork award, which he won for the cover of her third novel, “Oracle’s Fire.” The same cover is currently a finalist in the Gemmell “Ravenheart” Award for best book jacket/cover art.

Homing

He hears it, in every slap

of wave against wood,

as the ship cleaves water

like a seabird, hears the word

that he has hungered for

through the lost years,

whispered to him now

by the sea as it bears him up,

speeds him on like a lover

to the consummation

of his long-held dream

of home:  home, lilts the sea,

soft as a lullaby, and home,

sings the wind, slipping

through rigging, soothing

him to rest, not to wake

even as a clear dawn

pares away night, reveals

rocky shores and a green crag

rising, not even to stir

when they lift him

over the bulwark and down,

splashing through shallows

to leave him on shadowed sand,

tender as a child smiling

in his sleep, and dreaming,

dreaming still

of the long returning.

(c) Helen Lowe

Published in JAAM 26 2008 (Aug/Sept)

—

To read the poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and all the poems featured in the sidebar from fellow Tuesday Poets around the world, please click on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

The "plot hole" panel

It’s taken some time, but here it is at last—the report on my Day 2 at UnCONventional, the national Science Fiction Fantasy convention, and the Sir Julius Vogel Awards for excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror

I started Day 2 by checking in with my partner, Andrew, on the “Plot Holes” panel,  chaired by Russell Kirkpatrick, where they were discussing, well,  holes, in the plots of movies and books—with some enthusiastic input from the audience. Clearly this was a subject that sparked interest and debate, but the overall feeling of both panel and audience seemed to be that readers would generally overlook plot holes so long as the flow of the story remained unbroken.

"Promoting Your Book"

Then it was on to the “Promoting Your Book” panel with Trudi Canavan, Stephen Minchin of Steam Press and Grace Bridges of Splashdown Books where the discussion focused on the efficacy of social media and there was general agreement that a website or blog was essential. Trudi stressed the importance of having all essential information on a website/blog for ease of access for other writers, booksellers and readers, while Grace also emphasised that the most important thing for a writer to do was to write the next book. All the panelists underlined the importance of differentiating between the public and the personal when using social media for promotion.

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Signing...

The afternoon was given over to book signing and readings, where the pictures probably speak a thousand words… But in terms of the reading I read from “The Gathering of the Lost”: from the chapters “Across the River” and “The Wolfpack” as well as the section that brings in my “Tuckerization” character from the launch of “The Heir of Night”—Jan Butterworth.

And the evening, of course, was all about the Sir Julius Vogel Awards—with some wonderful success for friends and fellow authors from SpecFicNZ. The awards are given for excellence in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror written or produced by New Zealanders or those resident in New Zealand. The full list of winners will appear on the Sir Julius Vogel Award website in due course but here are some of the awards made last night:

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Mary Victoria

Best Novel: “Samiha’s Song” (Book Two, Chronicles of the Tree) by Mary Victoria

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Lee Murray

Best Novel — Youth: “Battle of the Birds” by Lee Murray

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Best Novella:  “Steam Girl” by Dylan Horrocks

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Best Short Story: “Frankie and The Netball Clone” by Alicia Ponder

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L-R: Kevin Berry, Trudi Canavan, Lee Murray, Mary Victoria, Alicia Ponder

Best Collected Work: “Tales for Canterbury” edited by Cassie Hart & Anna Caro, Random Static

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Simon Litten & GoH Trudi Canavan

Best Professional Artwork: The book jacket of “Oracle’s Fire” (Book Three, Chronicles of the Tree) by Frank Victoria.

Best Dramatic Presentation: “The Almighty Johnsons” TV series

Best New Talent: KD Berry

Services to Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror: Ripley Patton

Best Fan Writing: Simon Litten

This is just to say… that Natcon Day 2 has been a full day of events, including the Sir Julius Vogel Awards—but we’re right on the midnight hour so I’ll bring you the full report some time tomorrow!

Watch this space … 😉

Well, I suppose Day 1 was really last night when the Con launched, but today has been the first “full on” day where I both attended and participated in panels, as well as attending a reading by fellow Christchurch author, Beulah Pragg.

L-R: Lyn McConchie, Mary Victoria, Trudi Canavan, moi

The panels I participated in were “Women in Fantasy and SF” with fellow authors Trudi Canavan, Mary Victoria and Lyn McConchie, where we discussed how the roles of women in Fantasy & SF writing have evolved, as well as the scope available to women authors writing now and thoughts for the future—with a brief side foray into that perennial favourite, cover depictions!

L-R: Trudi Canavan; myself

Points of interest included the importance of publishers’ perception of the market for female led Fantasy & SciFi, but also of keeping the focus on “character”, as well as a discussion of what motivated the respective authors on the panel when writing female characters.

The second panel, on World Building, comprised Russell Kirkpatrick, Trudi Canavan, Simon Petrie and me—three authors at the epic end of the Fantasy spectrum with Simon carrying the flag for hard SciFi.

L-R: Russell Kirkpatrick; Trudi Canavan; myself; Simon Petrie

This led to an interesting and wide-ranging conversation on topics as diverse as what motivates us when we world build and also how we approach it, with processes varying from the structured and planned to the “instant spark” and subsequent evolution of the world from that point. Discussion also covered the forces that shape world building, from environment and culture to magic and the laws of physics, as well as the extent to which the mechanics of a world, whether scientific or magical, need to be explained.

The power of successful world building to create the standout Fantasy & SF that sticks with us was canvassed, with examples such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings cited. But also raised was the inherent dichotomy that no matter how fascinating a world, if the characters fail to achieve the same level of interest, then the story and the world building ultimately may not succeed.

Overall I am enjoying the Con and meeting up with a range of people involved in the SFF scene in NZ, and to a lesser extent Australia.

And tomorrow, of course, as well as a further round of panels and readings, we also have the Sir Julius Vogel Awards for excellence in Science Ficton and Fantasy. Although I am not up for anything myself this year, I know plenty of people who are and am looking forward to the award ceremony tomorrow night.

On May 21, Wen Baragrey guest posted, here, on the “Help Baby Jayden” fundraising campaign and also discussed the online charity auction to commence on June 2.

And of course it’s now June 2, which means that at some stage today the online auction will commence with all the auction items going up progressively over this coming week.

The auction will take place on Jayden’s blog, so if you check in today things should be starting to happen.

Here’s the link: http://helpbabyjayden.wordpress.com/