Ken MacLeod's comments.
The title comes from two quotes:
“If these are the early days of a better nation, there must be hope, and a hope of peace is as good as any, and far better than a hollow hoarding greed or the dry lies of an aweless god.”—Graydon Saunders
Contact: kenneth dot m dot macleod at gmail dot com Blog-related emails may be quoted unless you ask otherwise.
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Carol’s funeral
More people came to Carol’s funeral than there were seats in the crematorium chapel: our families, her friends and mine, some of whom had travelled a long way. The funeral directors, P B Wright and Sons, took care of the arrangements kindly and professionally. Catriona Miller, the humanist celebrant, conducted the service and delivered a warm and accurate tribute to Carol. I spoke about Carol’s life with me, and Michael spoke for himself and Sharon about Carol as a mother. Two hymns were sung that had also been sung at our wedding. The closing music was a song Carol had played countless times: ‘Stars’ by Simply Red.
The Order of Service booklet featured a fine recent photograph of Carol by Michael, and some of Carol's own photographs of Gourock's sunset skies.
The collection was for two charities that Carol had actively supported: the RNLI, and Medical Aid for Palestinians. It raised £1138.50, which yesterday I rounded up to £1200 and divided evenly into two donations in her memory.
Many, many thanks to all who attended, and to all who contributed so generously, at the collection and online. Thanks also for the many messages and cards of sympathy, for which I and all the family are deeply grateful.
Carol Ann MacLeod, 11 February 1952 to 16 August 2024
She was the centre of my world, and she's gone.
There will be a funeral service at Greenock Crematorium, on Monday 2 September, at 2 pm, to which all family and friends are invited. Family flowers only please. There will be a retiral collection in aid of Carol's favourite charities.
My Glasgow Worldcon Schedule
As some of you may know, I'm a Guest of Honour at the Glasgow Worldcon. I haven't said enough about that here, I know. I'm well chuffed about it, needless to say. Here are time/places where you can be sure to find me.
Autographing: Ken MacLeod, Thursday 8 August 2024, 13:00 GMT+1, Hall 4 (Autographs)
Opening Ceremony, Thursday 8 August 2024, 16:00 GMT+1, Clyde Auditorium
Morrow's Isle - Opera, Thursday 8 August 2024, 20:00 GMT+1, Clyde Auditorium
Iain Banks: Between Genre and the Mainstream, Friday 9 August 2024, 11:30 GMT+1, Alsh 1
Luna Press Book Launch Party, Friday 9 August 2024, 13:00 GMT+1, Argyll 2
Guest of Honour Interview: Ken MacLeod, Friday 9 August 2024, 16:00 GMT+1, Lomond Auditorium
Table Talk: Ken MacLeod, Saturday 10 August 2024, 11:30 GMT+1, Hall 4 (Table Talks)
The Making of Morrow's Isle - An Opera, Saturday 10 August 2024, 14:30 GMT+1, Argyll 2
NewCon Press Book Launch, Saturday 10 August 2024, 16:00 GMT+1, Argyll 3
The Politics of Modern Scottish SF, Saturday 10 August 2024, 20:30 GMT+1, Castle 1
Reading: Ken MacLeod, Sunday 11 August 2024, 10:00 GMT+1, Castle 2
Autographing: Ken MacLeod, Sunday 11 August 2024, 11:30 GMT+1, Hall 4 (Autographs)
An Ambiguous Utopia: 50 Years of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed, Sunday 11 August 2024, 14:30 GMT+1, Meeting Academy M1
2024 Hugo Awards Ceremony, Sunday 11 August 2024, 20:00 GMT+1, Clyde Auditorium
Stroll with the Stars - Monday, Festival Park, Monday 12 August 2024, 09:00 GMT+1, Outside Crowne Plaza
Writing Future Scotland, Monday 12 August 2024, 13:00 GMT+1, Lomond Auditorium
Chengdu Worldcon: Meet the Future
This historic Worldcon has already been very well covered by others, e.g. Nicholas Whyte and Jeremy Szal. For lots of coverage of events, guests and so on, see the con’s Facebook page.
But I’ve been back over a week, and here’s my overdue account.
Last month I spent far too few days in China, at the Chengdu Worldcon, to which I was invited as an international guest. My travel, and accommodation for me and my wife, were covered by the Committee of the 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Convention, for which much thanks.
We had a wonderful time. The convention was a smashing success and easily the biggest, and most publicly celebrated, Worldcon ever.
We arrived at Chengdu airport in the early evening of Wednesday 18 October and quickly met volunteers at a stall near the exit, from which were immediately hurried to a minibus that took us to the Sheraton Pidu. Along the way we saw advertisements for the Chengdu Worldcon lining the highways, and the robot panda mascot at numerous intersections. We met the volunteer who was looking after us, Zoe, who was unfailingly sweet and helpful throughout. Our luggage was whisked inside and we were back on a bus for a short drive to the venue.
This combined a traditional Worldcon opening ceremony...
The other ceremonies – the Galaxy Awards, the opening of the Chengdu International Science Fiction convention, the Hugo Awards, the Hugo after-party, and the closing ceremony – were likewise spectacular: a primary school choir sang in one of these, an entire symphony orchestra took the stage in another, and so on.
Thousands upon thousands of people passed through the venue, including many primary-school classes there for the day. Lots of young people, and lots of families. They weren’t just there for the toys and for the impressive tech exhibition hall.
There were hundreds of volunteers, some minding the international guests, others helping visitors to the venue, acting as guides in exhibitions, or adding some elegance to the ceremonies.
Our good friend Fan Zhang, who looked after us so well in Beijing in 2019, now has an important post at the Fishing Fortress college of Science Fiction. He took us out to dinner with two of his staff, and had some interesting proposals for next year, which I’m seriously considering.
We had one side trip organised by the convention for guests: a visit to Chengdu’s famous panda research centre, truly unforgettable.
On our final day, Monday 23 October, Carol and I went on our own to the Wuhou Shrine, a historic site and major tourist destination set in a great park which opens to some old streets, now lined with gift shops and street food stalls.
And on Tuesday we began the long journey home. We had met old friends and made new ones, and it was a pang to leave.
We owe thanks to many people – the organisers and volunteers, especially Zoe, and a special thanks to the indefatigable Sara Chen.
Cosmia Festival
£10 for the day, with a great range of authors, plus workshops and exhibitions: details and bookings here.
Moniack in a Month – Writing Science Fiction
I’m delighted to say that bookings are now available for an online course on writing science fiction which I’ll be teaching this September. Details are here. The wonderful Justina Robson has kindly agreed to be our Guest Reader.
Lightspeed trilogy publication news: UK and US
A day later came the US publication of the first book, BEYOND THE HALLOWED SKY, by Pyr Books and available via Simon and Schuster, with links to Amazon and other online bookshops.
This book has had kind words from North American authors:
Ken Macleod does things nobody else does and this is a terrific read. – Jo Walton, multi-award-winning author of Among Others and What Makes This Book So Great
Sure, some writers knock it out of the park but with Beyond the Hallowed Sky, Ken MacLeod knocks it right out of the solar system! Too often, space opera throws science out the airlock, but MacLeod has given us a believable faster-than-light adventure that will have you racing through the pages at superluminal speed. – Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative
An exceptional blend of international politics, hard science, and first contact.
- Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series.
