March ‹ 2015 ‹ Ian Whates

The Story of Beth and Bones

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: March 5, 2015 | No comment

Long before I became a writer I was a reader. I’ve always been uncomfortable with the question ‘who is your favourite author’ because that changes frequently depending on my mood, what I’m into at the time, what I’ve read most recently and want or don’t want to read more of just now, and a dozen other less definable variables. However, one writer who is always there or thereabouts is the late Roger Zelazny. Something that has stayed with me is a note that Zelazny included in a collection regarding one of the constituent stories, where he explains that he would often jot down scenes...

Read More

A New Novel: Pelquin’s Comet

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: February 23, 2015 | 3 Comments

My latest novel, Pelquin’s Comet is released this April. I’m shocked to realise that this will be my first novel since City of Light and Shadow in January 2012. I refuse to say anything as clichéd as “where does the time go?” but… This is the first in a space opera series, ‘The Dark Angels’, but is set in a completely different milieu to the Noise books with no connection between them, other than, well, space; and spaceships, of course. I had a lot of fun writing this, essentially an interstellar romp, though I trust I’ve introduced worthwhile...

Read More

Nine Worlds and Worldcon: Can’t Wait!

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: August 7, 2014 | 1 Comment

As those who know me will testify, I love conventions. I mean, weekends (often long weekends) spent in the company of good friends, people with similar interests, listening to authors I’ve long-admired and other industry professionals talk about their craft, socialising, drinking, and partying long into the night… What’s not to love? Except that I also work at conventions. I invariably man a table or two in the dealers room, promoting (and hopefully selling) both my own books and NewCon Press titles. As a rule, I only escape the dealers’ room when I’m taking part in programme items...

Read More

No Such Thing As Normal

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: July 8, 2014 | 4 Comments

We went to a wedding recently. I didn’t know anyone there, which presents a wonderful opportunity to meet new people – food and drink to any writer. After the ceremony the guests gathered in the garden (it was a lovely day) to sip bucks fizz and be shuffled back and forth by the official photographer. Helen became deeply involved in a conversation with friends and former work colleagues – all nurses – that she hadn’t seen for a while, catching up on gossip and putting the world (or at least their respective places of work) to rights. I found myself nattering with a couple of the menfolk...

Read More

Without A Hitch

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: June 16, 2014 | 1 Comment

In the past few weeks the anthology ‘End of the Road’ (Solaris, edited by Jonathan Oliver) has been shortlisted for both a Shirley Jackson Award and a British Fantasy Award. The following offers some insight into how my story for the book, “Without a Hitch”, came about. A few years ago I had reason to visit Stephen Baxter at his home in Northumberland. The journey is a long one but not especially complicated – involving, for the most part, a two hundred plus mile slog along the A1. As I set out from Stephen’s for the return trip, RDS kicked in to warn that a major accident...

Read More

Fermi Paradox and All that Jazz…

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: May 15, 2014 | 9 Comments

So, to commemorate the return in 2014 of the World Science Fiction Convention (or Worldcon, which is much easier to say) to London after far too many years, I decided to put together a special anthology. Initially I just had a vague concept of ‘original SF stories set in space’ and a determination to rope in the biggest genre names...

Read More

Why Go To Conventions? World Fantasycon and Bristolcon.

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: October 20, 2013 | 1 Comment

I enjoy conventions. This statement still surprises me sometimes, because I never thought I would and when my newly established friend Ian Watson first suggested I should attend one back in 2004 I baulked at the idea, saying, “Not for me,” but in the end I relented. (That Mr Watson has a lot to answer for!) I went, and I had a ball, and I’ve kept going back… Conventions are many things. They’re an opportunity to promote myself as a writer. They’re an opportunity to promote NewCon Press as a brand and to sell NewCon books to both new and existing customers. They’re an opportunity...

Read More

David Gemmell and Legends

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: August 28, 2013 | 7 Comments

I will always regret never having the opportunity to meet David Gemmell, who passed away while I was still finding my feet in the genre community. I first discovered his writing while going on holiday (in 1990?), buying The Last Guardian at the airport on impulse. The book stayed glued to my hand throughout the flight and was finished during my first day in the sun. The thing is, I didn’t come away thinking ‘wow, that was fantastic’ but rather ‘that was an enjoyable read; I might try this author again’. And I did, devouring all the Sipstrassi Tales and then the Drenai...

Read More

Iain and Debs

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: June 10, 2013 | 6 Comments

It’s an odd experience seeing the national news carry extensive reports on the passing of somebody you know rather than someone you merely know about. I can’t claim to have been bosom buddies with Iain Banks, but we exchanged emails from time to time and had chatted over a dram or two in the occasional bar, and he even came to Northampton for a long weekend when I invited him to be Guest of Honour at a convention… Iain was someone I both liked and admired. When he first announced his illness back in April, I emailed him. I didn’t do so with any expectation of a response,...

Read More

Another Eastercon… Can’t Wait!

Posted by: Ian Whates Tags: Posted date: March 23, 2013 | 2 Comments

I'm really looking forward to the Eastercon weekend – always a great chance to catch up with folk and meet new friends, and this year’s promises to be good one. In addition, I'm launching three books I'm really proud of through my own NewCon Press, plus the anthology Solaris Rising 2, and my second short story collection, Growing Pains (PS Publishing) is set to be unveiled. I’ve now received my schedule for the weekend and it’s nice and varied – two book launches, one reading, one ‘meet and greet' signing...

Read More