Journalhttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/en-GB2010-03-12T10:03:55ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)All Free!http://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2010/3/2/all-free.htmlIcarus2010-03-02T13:15:10ZFree FictionIt seemed like a good idea at the time ... invite people to join with the promise of more stuff if you take out a membership and log in. That might work when I'm as famous as Iain Banks or Alistair Reynolds but for now, it just aint sticky enough.

All content on the site is now open and you can read it without membership. That means the stories that have been published and have reverted to me, things I like but can't find a home for in print and some stuff that I like and just want to give away!

Enjoy.

]]>Ə ... the commonest sound in English ...http://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/11/30/the-commonest-sound-in-english.htmlIcarus2009-11-30T22:55:12Z... is the schwa, which is the same noise made by a gorilla.

Figures.

]]>I died and went to heaven.http://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/10/3/i-died-and-went-to-heaven.htmlIcarus2009-10-03T09:09:38ZSitting in the new Cambridge Central Library in the cafe drinking an expresso. Yes drinking an expresso, using the free wifi, perched up high over the shoppers. This is an awesome place and a fabulous reaction to the way that the world has changed. Suddenly every library I've ever been in before feels like something from the papyrus era. I know it's had its detractors, but they have a fan here and I don't care how sad it is to get all enthusiastic about a library.

]]>Wrestling with the Octopushttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/9/21/wrestling-with-the-octopus.htmlIcarus2009-09-21T20:59:22ZWrestling the Octopus

My hour a day writing in the coffee shop has suddenly expanded. I appear to have unexpectedly acquired some free time. My first thought was: I can finish Songs of the Eyeless.

Hah!

It's never that easy is it? I'm going to start updating the site with more info and perhaps excerpts from the books. I'll blog the process.

]]>Alan Turing apology - about ****** time toohttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/9/11/alan-turing-apology-about-time-too.htmlIcarus2009-09-11T07:33:49ZThe BBC is reporting Gordon Brown's apology for the despicable treatment of Alan Turing. About time too. Imagine fighting for freedom from fascism and then finding your own government is just as full of hatred and prejudice. Alan Turing was not the only victim here. His talents made Britain pre-eminent in the world of computing and we should have stayed that way, but the narrow minded hatred of a few morons in Whitehall threw it away along with a few other things, our place in the space program for example.

The source article is here in the Torygraph. The Downing Street petition is here.

]]>J.G. Ballardhttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/4/19/jg-ballard.htmlIcarus2009-04-19T19:35:23ZJ.G.Ballard rests in the arms of his muses.

]]>Guardian best novelshttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2009/1/22/guardian-best-novels.htmlIcarus2009-01-22T12:44:20ZThe Guardian has a 1000 best novels feature running this week. Today it's the turn of science fiction. Unfortunately, you can only see it if you buy a copy of the paper. How 21st century. I could be going mad, but I couldn't find any Ursula Le Guin in there.

]]>RIP Oliver Postgatehttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2008/12/9/rip-oliver-postgate.htmlIcarus2008-12-09T19:37:59ZObituariesOliver Postgate, creator of The Clangers, among other things has died.

Oliver Postgate's site BBC wiki

]]>Nimbyhttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2008/10/13/nimby.htmlIcarus2008-10-13T21:44:17ZFree Fiction

The Mundane SF movement seems to have gone on hiatus, but not before quietly publishing all of the rejected stories for the Mundane edition of Interzone on the internet by accident. Including mine.

Not to be outdone, I've decided to publish my submission -Nimby- completely free. Its a bit darker than the other stuff here.

Enjoy.

]]>New Scientist - favourite sci-fi book and filmhttp://www.icarusquay.org/journal/2008/10/7/new-scientist-favourite-sci-fi-book-and-film.htmlIcarus2008-10-07T20:17:44ZNewsI renewed my New Scientist subscription and as a thank-you they are running a Sci-Fi special in November, just for me. Details here.

The are also running a couple of 'best sci-fi ever' surveys.

New Scientist Best Sci-Fi Novels (my own list is here)

New Scientist Best Sci-Fi Movies

To add extra blog value, here are links to the one-page lists of comments which make interesting reading: novels and films.

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