{"id":1883,"date":"2019-12-24T14:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T14:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/?p=1883"},"modified":"2019-12-24T16:14:03","modified_gmt":"2019-12-24T16:14:03","slug":"blog-another-year-bites-the-dystopian-dust-onward-to-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/?p=1883","title":{"rendered":"BLOG: Another Year Bites the Dystopian Dust \u2013 Onward To 2020!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

My apologies for my absence from here for so long. Health issues and the demands of living have taken their toll, but hey, here I am again, 18 months later\u2026
Much news of note to update, for 2019.
In September, Luna Press<\/strong> <\/a>published a collection of my short stories, alongside three essays and three new previously unpublished stories as LEARNING MONKEY AND CROCODILE<\/span>:<\/a><\/strong> (with a glorious cover by Yorkshire artist John Cockshaw<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n

The TOC of LEARNING MONKEY AND CROCODILE is<\/strong>:
Of Hearts and Monkeys.<\/em><\/a> First Published in PostScripts<\/strong> <\/em>22\/23, 2010.
The Girl Who Called the World<\/em><\/a>. First Published in Fierce Family,<\/strong><\/em> 2014 Thandiwe\u2019s Tokoloshe.<\/em><\/a> First Published in African Monsters<\/strong><\/em>,<\/a> 2015.
Five Hundred Photons<\/em><\/a>. First Published in 365 Tomorrows<\/strong><\/em>, 2017.
God in The Box.<\/em><\/a> First Published in Interzone<\/strong><\/em><\/a> 187, 2003.
Bridges<\/em><\/a>. First Published in Albedo One<\/strong><\/em>, 40, 2011.
Azania<\/em>. First Published in AfroSF<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, 2012.
Lunar Voices (On the Solar Wind).<\/em><\/a> First Published in Redstone Science Fiction<\/strong><\/em>, 4, 2010.
African Shadows.<\/em> First Published in Infinity Plus<\/strong><\/em>, 2003.
Mindreader<\/em><\/a>. First Published in Escape Velocity<\/strong><\/em>, 2, 2008.
The Paragon of Knowledge<\/em><\/a>. First Published in The Future Fire<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, 33, 2015.
Case Notes of a Witchdoctor.<\/em><\/a> First Published in The World Science Fiction Blog<\/strong><\/em>, 2013.
Dream-Hunter<\/em><\/a>. First Published in Omenana<\/strong><\/em>, 6, 2016.
Thirstlands<\/em><\/a>. First Published in Subterfuge<\/strong><\/em>, 2008.
The Guardian of the Grain<\/em> (original to this collection)
A Million Reasons Why<\/em> (original to this collection)
Beautiful Meat<\/em> (original to this collection)<\/p>\n

The three original non-fiction essays are:<\/strong>
Writing Ourselves and Others<\/em> \u2013 On Writing \u2018Diverse\u2019 Characters
The Sticks and Stones of Becoming \u2018Disabled\u2019<\/em> \u2013 Writing while Disabled.
Writing Speculative Fiction for Personal and Socio-Political Change<\/em> \u2013 Writing to Make a Better World.<\/p>\n

In November, I edited (along with Prof. Nimisha Patel<\/strong> at the University of East London) a special issue of the Clinical Psychology Forum<\/em> (323) on RACISM (within clinical psychology). For any interested, free digital copies are available from the British Psychological Society\u2019s website here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also in November, Vector<\/em>, the British Science Fiction Association\u2019s critical magazine, posted my article on South African comics: A personal perspective on South African Comics: From Superheroes to Ordinary heroes<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This special issue of Vector<\/em> (289) has a wealth of fascinating information on AFRICAN SCIENCE FICTION<\/strong> and is well worth a look through, if you can access a copy.<\/p>\n

WATER MUST FALL<\/strong><\/span> is due for release next year at EasterCon<\/strong> 2020<\/strong>.<\/a>\u00a0 (GOH include the mercurial Tade Thompson<\/strong><\/a> et al.)<\/p>\n

The glorious cover for WATER MUST FALL<\/strong> is by Cape Town artist Vincent<\/strong> Sammy<\/strong>. <\/a><\/p>\n

The art has already been revealed by my publisher NewCon Press<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Cover blurb will be as follows:<\/p>\n

IN A DESICCATING WORLD, WHO GETS TO DRINK?<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
The year is 2048. Climate change has brought catastrophe and water has become the most precious commodity on Earth. Water companies play god and determine the fate of millions.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
In Africa, Graham Mason struggles to come to terms with the changing world and save his marriage to Lizette, who is torn between loyalty to their relationship, and her people.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
In Northern California, Arthur Green battles to find ways of saving water and root out corruption, even when his family are threatened by those he seeks to expose.<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Seeking to uncover the truth on two continents, Graham, Liz, and Art are caught up in a new uprising, a desperate attempt to challenge those set on appropriating the world\u2019s remaining water for their own gain. In the FreeFlow Corporation they face a common enemy, but do they have any hope of prevailing – against a power that is so ruthless, and so entrenched?<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
As the planet continues to thirst and slowly perish, will water ever fall?<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

In today’s world, dystopian fiction is redundant. We need fiction for revolutionary change and new hope for the many, not the few (to borrow a recent phrase!) WATER MUST FALL has become even more relevant \u2013 set in 2048, it references the Republic of Scotland. Britain has gone, in a puff of BREXIT.<\/p>\n

A Luta Continua<\/a><\/strong>,<\/em> as Miriam Makeba<\/strong> sung so many years ago.<\/p>\n

To 2020<\/strong>, but first, a tribute to my father, Chip Wood<\/strong>, who died this year. He was an accountant while working, but always wanted to be known as a poet. Here<\/strong> <\/em><\/a>he is, winning a poetry prize only a few years ago. I miss you very much, dad!<\/em><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My apologies for my absence from here for so long. Health issues and the demands of living have taken their toll, but hey, here I am again, 18 months later\u2026Much news of note to update, for 2019.In September, Luna Press published a collection of my short stories, alongside three essays and three new previously unpublished […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,14],"tags":[43,41,42],"class_list":["post-1883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2019blog","category-blog","tag-african-futurism","tag-african-sf","tag-science-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1883"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1910,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1883\/revisions\/1910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickwood.frogwrite.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}