This blog is different to all my preceding ones, in which I have talked about reading and writing, for the most part. Here, for the first time, I talk about my body. It’s a body I’ve carried around with me for more than 52 years on this Earth currently and has generally served me well. Growing ...

This month, a few things to mention. Firstly, I’m pleased to have sold a short story follow up to ‘Of Hearts and Monkeys‘ called ‘The Girl who Called the World‘ to the Crossed Genres’ anthology “Fierce Family“:  http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/fierce-family/  This anthology will in all likelihood be out in 2014. In addition, it looks likely Tade Thompson and my joint ...

Further to my previous post on AfroSF, two interesting and further reviews of the first African writers of SF anthology: SLIP: http://slipnet.co.za/view/reviews/o-brave-new-world-that-has-such-discourse-in-it/ Brittle Paper: http://brittlepaper.com/2013/06/african-science-fiction-comeback-review-afrosf-matt-omelsky/ Also of note were three Afro SF ‘Honorable Mentions’ by Gardner Dozois in his (2012) ‘Year’s Best Science Fiction’ (30th Edition!) http://boingboing.net/2013/07/23/dozoiss-years-best-sf-turn.html Sarah Lotz – Home Affairs Efe Okogu – Proposition 23 Nick (ahem!) Wood – Azania Another valuable, exciting ...

I am pleased to report that the reception of AfroSF, the first anthology of African science fiction from African writers, has been generally very positive. http://www.amazon.co.uk/AfroSF-Science-Fiction-African-ebook/dp/B00AEUH112 I have included a broad range of links from online reviews since the publication of AfroSF, all of which make for interesting reading – often going on to contextualise the ...

Cape Town and the Buzzing Genre Scene: I‘m just back from an autumnal feeling Cape Town, visiting family and friends again, and noting just how much the local genre scene is buzzing. I finished reading Cat Hellisen’s ‘When The Sea is Rising Red,’ a sharp fantasy book mixing up some familiar tropes (e.g. Vampires, but as seen ...

A post concerning my book Azanian Bridges as (I hope!) ‘The Next Big Thing’ Thanks to Gary Budgen linking to me on this topic from: http://garybudgen.wordpress.com/next-big-thing-interview/ The Next Big Thing: 1)    What is the title of your next book? Azanian Bridges 2) Where did the idea come from for the book? Memories of working in a legally designated ‘black’ psychiatric hospital ...

Just a brief, early update, to wish you all a good 2013! For those perhaps interested in story podcasts, my story Lunar Voices on the Solar Wind has been beautfully captured by Redstone SF here: http://redstonesciencefiction.com/podcasts/RSF4-Podcast-Lunar_Voices.mp3 The Beam Me Up podcast also covers the same story, in two episodes http://www.beammeuppodcast.com/beam-me-up-266-luna-voices-on-the-solar-wind-pt1-nick-wood-dark-inspectre-episode-13-jason-kahn/ Finally, many thanks to the artist Kofi Allen, who has kindly supplied me ...