The Early Days of a Better Nation

Monday, April 14, 2025



Fame at last

It seems I’ve become a local celebrity, because I was asked to officially open the new Sue Ryder charity shop in Port Glasgow on Friday. The staff, management and volunteers were most welcoming, and cutting a ribbon is much easier than it looks. (George Munro's pic, in the Greenock Telegraph article linked above, caught the exact moment.) The charity’s photographer Andy Catlin was there to record the occasion and he offered me these pictures for my blog. The shop is large, well-stocked, and right in the main shopping centre, so it should do well.

As the press release put it: 'Every item you purchase, every donation you make, goes towards helping Sue Ryder support people through the most difficult time of their lives. Whether that's dealing with the grief of losing a loved one or a terminal illness, your contribution can directly help fund the care and support the charity offers.' A worthy cause which I'm more than happy to promote.

I bought a copy of Longitude by Dava Sobel, a book I’d always meant to read, and did over the next couple of days. Highly recommended, and duly passed on to another keen reader.
2 comments | Permanent link to this post

Thursday, April 10, 2025



Stuff I’m doing

I’m working on my next novel, provisionally titled Empire Time. It’s a space opera. That’s all I’m saying about it for now.

Apart from that…

Usually, I don’t read science fiction while I’m writing it, and especially not in the sub-genre I’m writing in. But sometimes you have to make an exception. I read or re-read a stack of science fiction recently, to compile lists for the Scottish Book Trust’s Book Subscription: Science Fiction. There’s a choice of three or six months, with a book a month, attractively packaged and with a note from me saying why it’s worth reading. If you’re new to science fiction, or just starting out in the genre, you should find it a good overview. The selections cover a wide range: long books and short, classic and recent, from space opera to alternate history to near future.

I’m very much looking forward to going to Reconnect, the Belfast Eastercon. (Eastercon is the annual UK science fiction convention.) Despite my late decision to go, I’m on the programme, for which much thanks. With over 800 attending members, it looks like this Eastercon will be a good one.
0 comments | Permanent link to this post

Home