Theres no place I can be since I found...
Sep. 14th, 2005 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
threemonkeysI achieved a few things today. Which do you think means the most?
Finally got some answers to my work questions which will finally let me get on with some stuff.
Went to dentist who painlessly fixed some nasty looking decay (The x-rays were scary). And it turns out the decay didn't reach the nerve so no longer term risk.
Negotiated a share in a couple of inexpensive quality wine purchases - a few bottles from cases ordered by co-workers ordering from www.blackmarket.co.nz.
Finished off Agog Smashing Stories edited by Cat Sparks. Good collection of mainly darkish stories. Interesting to note that this collection of Aussie fiction contains a story by a Kiwi. No point in saying more because Cat seems to have run out - for the moment anyway as I don't know reprint status.
Went to Phoenix where real live mathematician/astrophysicist Matt Visser gave a fun talk about wormholes. Matt has some serious cred and has his name on a rather famous wormhole paper and other top level publications. The physics was ladybird book level, so nothing new but still well worth it.
Wore my Continuum 3 t-shirt and got lots of comments, thus vindicating the purchase.
Picked up my ticket to the Serenity preview.
No contest really.
Finally got some answers to my work questions which will finally let me get on with some stuff.
Went to dentist who painlessly fixed some nasty looking decay (The x-rays were scary). And it turns out the decay didn't reach the nerve so no longer term risk.
Negotiated a share in a couple of inexpensive quality wine purchases - a few bottles from cases ordered by co-workers ordering from www.blackmarket.co.nz.
Finished off Agog Smashing Stories edited by Cat Sparks. Good collection of mainly darkish stories. Interesting to note that this collection of Aussie fiction contains a story by a Kiwi. No point in saying more because Cat seems to have run out - for the moment anyway as I don't know reprint status.
Went to Phoenix where real live mathematician/astrophysicist Matt Visser gave a fun talk about wormholes. Matt has some serious cred and has his name on a rather famous wormhole paper and other top level publications. The physics was ladybird book level, so nothing new but still well worth it.
Wore my Continuum 3 t-shirt and got lots of comments, thus vindicating the purchase.
Picked up my ticket to the Serenity preview.
No contest really.
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Kiwi in Agog...
Date: 2005-09-19 01:54 am (UTC)Say away - how do you reckon "Seven Wives" stacked up? Cat (no relation) Sparks nominated the story for an Aurealis award, but she entered it in the Fantasy section rather than the SF section.
Re: Kiwi in Agog...
Date: 2005-09-19 03:03 am (UTC)Fantasy, really? I suppose it reads like a fantasy when you first start in before the cloning ethics stuff kicks in. It gave me a genuine "oh!" moment of realisation that it wasn't a fantasy (well I was more leaning surreal actually). It also gave me a "Hmmmm" moment when I started to think about the issues. An "oh" and a "hmmm" together in one little story is really good going, I can see why Cat entered it for the award. It, or at least your more recent stories, are probably eligible for local awards as well.
I see you got published in ASIM as well - which issue? (issues?)
Good to see another Kiwi author getting published. Are you interested in contacting other local SF/Fantasy authors? I can give you a few names. Likewise information about SF events in NZ - not much in Christchurch anymore though unfortunately.
Re: Kiwi in Agog...
Date: 2005-09-19 07:45 am (UTC)Thanks very much for the props, chap. In my opinion, that counts as a REVIEW so I've duly quoted you on my blog (http://bastinadoes.blogspot.com/).
I'm constantly surprised by how strong the Australian writing/small press scene is, and how seemingly non-existent the NZ scene is. Although I recently discovered Silver Bullet Comics web site is hosted from here in ChCh.
I'd love to get pointed in the direction of other writers if you know some. Ditto NZ awards - I've had three near misses with Writers of the Future in the US, but the only NZ award i've come across is the Julius Vogel award, but you need someone to nominate you and I don't know anyone in the NZ scene.
I'll give you $5 if you nominate me, man!
Re: Kiwi in Agog...
Date: 2005-09-19 11:53 am (UTC)The SJVs are probably the only game in town but it might not be proper for me to accept payment since I'm on the board of the organisation that administers said awards - alcohol or chocolate on the other hand...
I can certainly nominate you although actually I'm pretty sure you can nominate yourself. Nominations will probably open in January for works published in '05. There are some details on the SFFANZ web site - http://sffanz.sf.org.nz/
The NZ scene is not strongly populated but a few writers come to mind - Russell Kirkpatrick, Lyn McConchie, Peter Friend, Philip Mann, Dale Elvy, Margaret Mahey, Douglas Van Belle and others that will come to mind when I have had some coffee in the morning. There are some small presses that have been known to publish genre works and there have been a couple of abortive attemps to get 'zines off the ground but that is about it. I have contact info for quite a few of the writers as well as writing support type groups here in Welly and in Auckland. Drop me an email at the address on my info page if you want more details.