It’s been a while since I produced one of my end of the month science round-ups. However, recently a few items have grabbed my attention as a science fiction writer. As always these are not in any order of scientific importance. However, as any writer knows it’s these sort of things that start you asking questions that lead to… well who knows where. 
We read a book and we put ourselves in that world, whether it’s Roman Britain, the court of Henry VIII or vast spaceship ploughing its way through a distant galaxy. That’s one of the joys of reading, escaping to places in our imagination that we can never, ever visit in person. I use those examples because not so long ago I read Wolf hall, then on my recent holiday another in the excellent ‘Macro and Cato’ series by Simon Scarrow. The last example is because I write (and read) science fiction and if you want a great example of that particular scenario try Iain M Banks. I know everyone’s vision of those places is personal and different to everyone else’s. However, I do enjoy a writer that puts me in the scene and allows me to form that mental picture.
The joy of a holiday to me is that I’m away from all those little chores that have to be done and in a world of things I want to do, which I have to admit on holiday is not a lot. Yes there are places I want to see, otherwise why travel somewhere new? One or two are must see’s, the rest, well it’s all new and interesting to me.
In my last blog I discussed the science of science fiction and how as writers we deal with it or don’t deal with it. Bottom line? I know how to use my HD TV, my pc, mobile phone and digital camera. I might have some very basic idea how they work, but that’s it. So I think it’ll be the same in the future, we’ll know how to use all that incredible technology, but as today you don’t have to understand it.
In my last blog I questioned if blogging was wasting my time. I concluded it was, but it wasn’t all the time if that makes sense. I don’t want to stop blogging, I enjoy it. However, I did need to reassess my blog, content, timing, frequency etc. so that it both works for me and of course provides entertaining and interesting content for the reader. So having taken a little blog holiday I’m back. And for this first in a new era I thought I should go back to the beginning and explain why I feel compelled to write science fiction. http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1nj
In a recent series of blogs I described my experience of taking the James Patterson master class on writing. This was triggered by the simple fact that I’m not selling many books, despite the fact that those who have read them have enjoyed them. And yes, taking that master class has changed the way I think about my writing and book construction. So having, I feel, made positive progress in that direction I am now looking at the other activities surrounding my writing. Top of the list is marketing and part of that is blogging i.e. this blog.
seem to be appreciated. So here we go with this month’s selection: