Reading ‘Emergency Skin’

My favourite reading experience of 2023 was catching up with Emergency Skin (a ‘novelette’) by N.K. Jemsin (audiobook narrated by Jason Isaacs), published by Amazon Original Stories, 2019

Jemsin is an award-winning science fiction writer and this story (only one hour’s listening in audiobook form) shows her at her most skilful. Most stories are written in either the third person (he, she, they, it etc) or the first person (I, we, us), however Jemsin has tackled this story in the second person (you). Unlike other attempts I’ve read doing this, she’s got it to work brilliantly for the purposes of this tale.

We are following a man from another planet who has been sent back to Earth to collect the cell cultures that are needed to keep manufacturing the synthetic skin used to protect the humans on the other planet. However, the story unfolds as the AI implanted in the man’s brain tells him what to do as he goes about fulfilling the mission.

‘We should begin with a briefing, since you’re now authorized for Information Level Secret. On its face, this mission is simple: return to the ruined planet Tellus, from which mankind originates. When the Founders realised the world was dying, they …. Fled to a new world circling another sun, so that something of it – the best of it – would survive. …How brave you are to walk in your forefathers’ footsteps!

No, there’s no one left alive on Tellus. The planet was in full environmental collapse …when our people left. There were just too many people, and too many of those were unfit, infirm, too old, or too young. …so we did the only merciful thing we could: we left them behind.

Of course that was mercy. Do you think your ancestors wanted to leave billions of people to starve and suffocate and drown? It was simply that our new home could support only a few.”

N.K. Jemsin, ‘Emergency skin’, p.5 (… indicates ellipted words)

And so the story progresses. We never hear what the man thinks or says but, by the AI’s responses, we know what he is communicating. The AI responses also let us understand what the new world that the man has come from is like – a world where there is only one gender (people now being manufactured), and where a disposable man (like the man in the story) doesn’t have a ‘skin’, he has a ‘composite’ covering and his reward for making this journey to collect skin samples, is to have skin made for him – in the new world only those in power have skin.

My favourite quote is the protest from the AI to the man:

‘Only a few can have everything, don’t you see? What these people believe isn’t feasible. They want everything for everyone, and look at where it’s gotten them! Half of them aren’t even men.”

At one level, we see how the man’s views radically change through the increasingly petulant hysteria of his AI. At a deeper level, Jemsin invites us to realise that to care for each other and the world is not an impossible challenge.

Talk Fest!

In the last twelve months I have been talking about my sci-fi novel ‘Grey Nomad’ (Brio Books, 2023) non-stop (or so it seems). During the interviews, panel conversations, and interviews I have also learned all sorts of things about my book that I didn’t predict! For instance,

  • 30-something-year-olds love reading about an intrepid 70 year old
  • Knitters want a copy of the pattern for JT’s scarf (working on it!)
  • Satirical politics wins over non-sci-fi readers (who knew?)
  • Some readers come for the humour and some for the science. Lucky for me, the novel has both!

The world of writing festivals is filled with tireless committee members and wonderful interviewers who selflessly give their time to prepare and present these events. My thanks to everyone I had the good fortune to meet over the last year – it’s been a wonderful experience.

Here are a few more highlights to add to those I’ve talked about in this blog before:

Mudgee Readers’ Festival August 2023

At Mudgee Readers' Festival

This festival invites you to share the friendliness of the Mudgee community with food, entertainment, and of course reading. Sharelle Fellows, a retired history teacher, interviewed me in such an insightful and thorough way I really think she knew more about my book than I did.

The Book Lovers Club, Northern Beaches September 2023

This mega book club plays a large part in the community of the northern beaches of Sydney. My mum joined it back in the early 70s, so I was thrilled to be able to speak about her influence on me as a reader and writer when I talked there. Special thanks to Glenys Murray, librarian and beta-reader extraordinaire, for all her support.

Maitland Indie Festival October 2023

Whether it’s art or literature, if it’s independent and local then it fits the mission of this festival. I joined novelist Amber Jakeman (latest novel ‘Summer Beach’) to discuss the phenomenon of ‘cosy fiction’ with Meg Vertigan, author of ‘The Strong Dress’ (Puncher & Wattman, 2023). Our audience agreed with us that just because the story is ‘cosy’ doesn’t mean it lacks punch.

‘Pirate Purl’ – Katrina Kellett

What a legend! Katrina runs ‘Pirate’ Purl’, an independent hand dyed yarn business which produces a colour range that is both beautiful and environmentally sound. Throughout 2023, Katrina volunteered to host my book about knitting-mad Joyce on her sales tables at the many yarn and fibre festivals throughout NSW and Victoria.  I can’t thank her enough – though perhaps a sequel could include an indie dyer as a character??!! (stay tuned).

Post-Publication Fun

  • Launch at Toronto Library, NSW on 11th February 2023

Launching a novel turned out to be one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and that was down to the enthusiasm radiating from everyone who came along.  There had been a huge gap between the time I sent the final, final, final version of my novel (Grey Nomad, Brio Books, 2023) and the date set for the official release of the paperback version. I had spent a lot of time telling people that it was on its way, so to finally be able to crack open the champagne was wonderful.

(Lots of chatting going on!)

GenreCon23 in Brisbane, 18-19th February 2023

After all the staring at the blank page, scribbling, and revising, it was a peak experience to have the opportunity to participate in a panel presentation at GenreCon23 in Brisbane on 18 February.

Most writing festivals are designed for readers (and, of course, for publishers to sell their authors’ books).  As such, we eagerly go along to hear directly from the writers of the books we enjoy as well as to be introduced to books we have yet to read.  However, GenreCon23 was a conference that was all about writing. 

GenreCon is run by the Queensland Writers’ Centre and held in Brisbane each year. It focuses on what have become known as ‘genre’ novels, e.g. crime, speculative fiction (including science fiction, fantasy), historical fiction, romance, and the many wonderful books that blend some or all of these.  Like other writing festivals, GenreCon invites selected published authors to present, or to be interviewed ‘in conversation’ with another writer, or to participate as panel members to discuss a topic, or to run workshops. However, for GenreCon, the focus is on the many and varied aspects of the writing process.

GenreCon23 attracted over 200 participants. I had been invited to participate in a panel discussing ‘Putting the Sci back in Sci-Fi’, hosted by another recently published author, Bryn Smith (Magnus Nights: The Helios Incident, Hawkeye Press, 2021).

With renowned authors Garth Nix and Jay Kristoff also on the panel, it wasn’t a surprise to see a large audience in the auditorium.

Garth Nix was the keynote speaker for the event and is a widely known Australian author of many young adult fantasy novels (e.g. the Old Kingdom series which commenced back in 1995 with Sabriel, Harper Collins).

Jay Kristoff is another Australian author with an international following in science fiction and fantasy (e.g. Nevernight series which began in 2016, St Martins Press). 

As daunting as it was to sit alongside these two authors, the upside was that they ably helped new writers like Bryn and me to sound knowledgeable! The audience asked lots of questions and later it was most gratifying to have people randomly tell me how much they enjoyed it.

As a newly published author, I was thrilled to see my novel (Grey Nomad, Brio Books, 2023) sitting on the bookstand for sale, let alone have the fun of people approaching me every so often during the event to ask me to sign their copy. As many of you know, my main character in the novel is 70 year old Joyce, keen knitter and CWA member, so it was fascinating to me that most of those buying the book were the many young twenty-somethings.

(Book sales of novels by authors who were presenting at GenreCon23)

In his keynote address, Garth Nix won many writers’ hearts by talking about preparation aka reading for pleasure and how, if you want to learn to use semi-colons, read Lord of the Rings! He was a constant supportive presence for all the writers, attending as many talks as he could, even when not a presenter.

Many of the sessions were held concurrently, so I couldn’t get to all of them but there was something for everyone, e.g. Nalini Singh (romance, paranormal), Natasha Lester (historical fiction), J.P. Pomare (crime), and R.W.R. McDonald (crime). I extended my boundaries and went along to the panels on fairy tales (which included an amazing retelling of Bluebeard!), and horror (in which writers of horror turned out to be exceptionally funny people).  

By the end of the two day event, I felt rejuvenated and was itching to get back to writing. Next year, GenreCon24 will feature an overseas keynote for the first time: Patrick Ness, an American-British author of Young Adult fiction (e.g. Chaos Walking trilogy, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, A Monster Calls). I can recommend the experience to anyone interested in writing.

My Favorite Books of 2022

1.

Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St John Mandel (narrated by Arthur Morey, Dylan Moore, John Lee, Kirsten Potter) – Picador, 2022

If you liked her ‘Station Eleven’ (now also a TV miniseries) then you’re going love this. Her beautifully lyrical writing weaves a number of seemingly separate events from the past, present and future together to a cosmic conclusion.

2.

The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See – Simon & Schuster, 2020

I came to this story with woefully little knowledge about Korea during World War II and in the years that followed. Neither did I know much about the women free divers of the island of Jeju, so this story of the lives of two young girls growing up and working in their diving collection was both gripping and illuminating.

And as a bonus,

3.

Exiles, by Jane Harper (narrated by Steve Shanahan) – Macmillan Australia, 2022

It was such a delight to follow the detective we’ve met in her earlier novels in this cold case mystery.

GenreCon 2023

The GenreCon 2023 program is now out! I’m very excited to take part in one of the panels at the 8th ‘GenreCon’ coming up on 18-20th February 2023!

GenreCon is hosted by Queensland Writers Centre and takes place at the State Library of Queensland (with some sessions available online).  The program is their usual fabulous mix across genres: sci-fi, fantasy, horror, historical fiction….

The panel I get to contribute to is on the topic ‘Putting the Sci in Sci-Fi’ and is on Saturday 19th February from 2.30 – 3.30 pm. Really looking forward to meeting many favourite authors at the event, including those on the panel: Bryn Smith, Garth Nix, and Jay Kristoff!!

‘Grey Nomad’ – early eBook release!

The paperback version of my sci-fi novel ‘Grey Nomad’ is due for release in early 2023, but you don’t have to wait that long — the publisher has released the eBook version ahead of schedule!

Here’s a taster….

‘There, turn left,’ she shouted. ‘Left!’

The caravan hit the side of the road in a grinding flurry of gravel, and grit strafed the windscreen. Bruce wrestled with the steering wheel to stop them rolling. With a jolt, Joyce’s head hit the rest as the car stopped. Dust swirled and only the clatter of her knitting needles falling to the floor rattled the sudden silence.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing, shouting at me like that?’ he roared. ‘I don’t know what’s got into you lately.’

‘You missed the turn, that’s what,’ Joyce said tersely. ‘The sign was huge—“Viridian Spaceship” in letters as high as a house. How did you miss it?’

Even if you don’t usually read science fiction, I think you’ll enjoy reading this story of Joyce, a stalwart member of the Country Women’s Association, who at seventy years of age gets abducted by aliens and thrust into the middle of an intragalactic war that threatens Earth. You may have heard of the genre of ‘cosy crime’ – well, I think I may just have written a ‘cosy sci-fi’ book. Alternatively, my editor jokes that ‘Grey Nomad’ is a coming-of-age story!

Anyhow, I’d love you to read my novel – if you like it, then it would be really great if you wrote a review for it on Goodreads, and/or on the site from which you downloaded the book (Apple books, Booktopia, Google Play, Kindle, or Kobo).

Alison

One hundred ways to get writing …

Start a new page, take another step, ask for help, think again, try again

Take a break, sigh, breathe, lie on the floor, try again

Consult a book, click a link, sketch a diagram, dot some points, try again

Clean the bath tiles, go for a walk, sit, do a jig, try again

Type a word, sharpen a pencil, write a list, make a spreadsheet, try again

Sleep, waste some time, tell a friend, tell a stranger, try again

Dunk a tea bag, brew a coffee, eat a biscuit, eat another, try again

Do a course, watch a how-to video, analyse a show, review a book, try again

Join a group, attend presentations, offer feedback, listen to critique, try again

Write ‘the’ as many times as it takes to get bored, write rubbish, free associate, write a paragraph for a genre you hate, try again

Write more rubbish, make a folder called ‘crap’, make a folder called ‘ideas’, fill the folders, try again

Identify a book you love, pick a paragraph at random, read it aloud, ask yourself why it works, try again

Write a paragraph in the style of a favourite author, do that again for an author your spouse likes to read, do it again for a different author, and another, try again

Look back at your ‘ideas’ folder, list the ideas in order of ‘do-ability’, in order of challenge, in order of excitement, try again

Explore the internet for writing competitions, identify a match with any of your ideas, write the deadline on a post-it-note, stick it somewhere you see every day, try again

Rough out some ideas while telling yourself you’re ‘not really writing’, start writing out some sentences and paragraphs among your rough ideas, keep filling in the blanks, smarten up the rough draft so the sentences make sense, try again

Ban yourself from looking at the damn draft again for at least a few days, congratulate yourself with a treat of your choice, write something that ‘doesn’t matter’ just for fun, go back to your rough draft, try again

Bring your draft to a critique group, read your work while someone reads it aloud, underline where they stumble in their reading, keep notes on the listeners’ feedback, try again

Re-draft, re-draft, re-draft, put it away for a day, try again

Submit, breathe, rest, smile, keep trying.

When I’m not writing…

Poetry is always a stretch for me but, inspired by a great workshop by Ed Wright from The Creative Word Shop, this emerged!

‘When I’m not writing, I’m knitting’

My mind is tangled yarn.

I rip my knitting off its needles.

Wool trails from the bin onto the floor,

where lie the fragments of paper from unfinished drafts,

where the vacuum cleaner can no longer go.

If I leave,

If I close the door,

Will my mind unravel?

(Alison Ferguson, 11 June 2022)