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In May this year, I had the great pleasure of launching Michael Pryor’s middle grade science fiction novel Machine Wars. The launch took place at Merri Creek Primary School in front of a room full of upper primary kids and their teachers. Here’s what I said (without all the ums and ahs and unplanned pauses […]

‘Once Upon A Christmas’ dedicated to:-

SANTA CLAUS!

Launched in the heritage courtyard of Balmain Library with community, kids, parents, fabulous librarians on a balmy Sydney night.

Compiled and edited by Beattie Alvarez who did a brilliant job – it contains the funny, joyous, quirky stories, poems, snippets, illustrations of some the best known authors and illustrators about Christmas:-

Ursula Dubosarsky, Libby Hathorn, Duncan Ball, Kate Forsyth, Sally Rippin, Michael Pryor, Kim Gamble, Adele Geras, Pamela Freeman, Stephen Axelson  ……my small anecdote ‘Grandma’s Christmas’ remembers my children’s Grandma and Grandpa … I can’t wait to give it to my family at Christmas.

Melina Marchetta joined in with her daughter

‘Once Upon A Christmas’ is the brainchild of the multi-award winning author Sophie Masson and Christmas Press and the Christmas Press team – Beattie Alvarez, gifted illustrator David Allen and Fiona McDonald.

Fabulous authors Jesse Blackadder and Melina Marchetta came along to cheer on the launch.

Room to Read Writer Ambassadors were there spreading the word about literacy for the kids of Asia and Africa.

Who sets up a new publishing house in this crazy publishing climate? Sophie Masson of course. With its first title last year, it’s already selling out.

Called Christmas Press

A small press with big ideas..

Born in the early months of 2013, Christmas Press specialises in beautiful picture books for children, featuring traditional tales–folk tales, fairy tales, legends, myths–retold by well-known authors and stunningly illustrated in classic styles that reflect the cultures the stories come from. We also publish special anthologies, full of wonderful stories, poems, memoirs and illustrations, with the first of these, Once Upon A Christmas, just released now for Christmas!

The post Who’s Coming down the Chimney? Santa Claus! appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Can’t believe it was 12 years ago when the Newington festival started.

I met Sue Richer the then school librarian for Newington College at the beginning of this fantastic new venture for the College in Sydney

This is the first year that it’s been run my the new head of the Lirbary Ann Jagger and Sabine who have done a brilliant job.

There’s been a feast of authors – from Archie Fusillo, Arnold Zable, Oliver Phommocanh, Deborah Abela, Barry Jonsberg, Richard Harland,  Simon Higgins, Felice Arena, Michael Gerald-Bauer, Michael Pryor ….. so many others.

and the Newington boys are fantastic.

I was deeply moved by their assembly where the Principal, chaplain, Sean Corcoran Head of Teacher Education , head of swimming…. supported by a brass band … gave such support to the Literature Festival, environmental protection and Room to Read – www.roomtoread.org – bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.

Arnold Zable acclaimed author launched the festival.

LOVED speaking to the boys. LOVED judging the the writing competition. Loved sharing my books with Newington College.

I’m a science fiction fan. I have been since primary school. As a kid I used to almost exclusively read science fiction. These days I read of mix of things — but, no matter how far my literary interests may wander, I still find myself being drawn back to science fiction.

The book that started it all for me, in primary school, was The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron. (I wrote about it earlier this year for Michael Pryor’s blog — see post.) And in my teen years, it was John Christopher’s trilogy The Tripods that was my most re-read favourite (see “Tripods Rule!“). These days, I would still probably list that trilogy as my all-time favourite literary SF. In terms of visual SF it is, of course, Doctor Who.

For this post I thought it would be interesting to ask three other authors what their favourite science fiction books were.

I started off with Michael Pryor. Although he is probably best known for his steampunkish alternative history series The Laws of Magic, he also writes science fiction. In fact, his latest book is science fiction. 10 Futures is a book of linked short stories, exploring ten different possible futures in which the only constant is friendship. But what is Michael’s favourite science fiction book?

My favourite Science Fiction book is Dan Simmons’ Hyperion. It’s audacious (recast The Canterbury Tales in an SF mode? Why not?), scary (the Shrike monster haunted my dreams for months after I first read this book), philosophical (not just one, but half a dozen of the Big Questions are tackled in this book), pacey (the chase and battle scenes are first class), moving (heartbreak, romance, parent/child loss, this book can make you cry), and written with a supple, dancing prose that sings with every sentence. Great book.

Next up we have Simon Haynes. Simon is well-known to SF fans as the author of the Hal Spacejock series. More recently, he has ventured into science fiction for younger readers with his Hal Junior series. There are three books in this series so far: The Secret Signal, The Missing Case and The Gyris Mission. I am reliably informed that he is working on the fourth at the moment. Here are Simon’s thoughts on his favourite SF…

Choosing a favourite SF novel is all but impossible, so I’m going to cheat and nominate my fave SF novel from my childhood years.  William F. Temple was a British SF novelist who once shared an apartment with Arthur C. Clarke. He wrote a number of novels for adults, but it’s his series for teenagers, written in the mid-50′s, which really captured my imagination. The first in the series was Martin Magnus: Planet Rover, featuring a crusty troubleshooter aged in his 30′s, who hated authority and bureaucracy, yet was smart enough and skilled enough to get away with being abrasive to just about everyone. However, he also had a big heart and would go to the ends of the Solar System to help someone he genuinely liked. The technology in the books has dated, of course, but the stories are still inventive and great fun.

Finally, I asked Paul Collins, author of dozens of books, including the science fiction series, The Maximus Black Files. In his enthusiasm for the genre, however, Paul was unable to contain himself to one paragraph. So he gets his very own guest post.  Come back tomorrow to find out what his favourite science fiction book is.

Catch ya later,  George

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Latest Post: DVD Review & Giveaway  — Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos, Special Edition

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Kingsley Ward is in dire trouble. Instead of thrilling the audience with his death-defying escapology, his first performance ends in disaster when his hidden wolfish nature bursts free. That same night, his father is abducted and his home ransacked.

To find Dr Ward and redeem himself, Kingsley braves the Demimonde, the mysterious world that exists alongside our own. He is soon the target of two warring factions: immortal magicians whose diabolical plans will create mayhem at the 1908 London Olympics, and the last Neanderthals, whose vengeance will wipe out humankind.

Kingsley needs help. The famous author Rudyard Kipling -will assist, but why is he so interested in Kingsley? Evadne Stephens, juggler and weaponsmith, is a Demimonde expert but what does her mercurial nature conceal?

By the author of the Laws of Magic books, The Extraordinaires is a series which begins in 1908 and follows the adventures of  seventeen year old Kingsley Ward as he tries to fulfil his longtime ambition to become a stage magician. His introduction to the world of the Edwardian theatre is made all the more difficult by his mysterious background, found orphaned in India, rescued by a British academic and brought to London.

Author Michael Pryor describes the series thus: ‘The Extraordinaires is full of dash, adventure and more than a little exploration of what makes us who we are, as well as the serious considerations of the benefits and problems of civilisation. In a world of manners, morals and changing times, such considerations are more than timely.’

Fans of everything from Phillip Reeve and Phillip Pulman to Arthur Slade’s excellent Hunchback Assignments series will love this book.

I don't normally go to Supanova. There are only so many "pop culture expos" you can go to in a year. I've been attending Armageddon with my friend and workmate Jasna and her son Chris, because it's generally cheap and has guest speakers I want to hear. Peter David was there a couple of years ago, the author of those lovely novels about King Arthur coming back and running for Mayor of New York, then becoming President of the US and having a whole lot of fantastical adventures while he's about it. He also did some Trek novels, but that's not why he was invited either - he's gone into graphic novels! There are actors as well and last year we went to hear Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, though the poor sods had to compete with a very noisy event going on in another corner of the hall. They managed well, I should say. They must have had to put up with a lot of weird stuff in the course of attending conventions.

This year, though, I'm also going to Supanova, because my publishers at Random House asked if I'd like to come along and promote Wolfborn. There will also be the delightful Michael Pryor, who wrote those gorgeous steampunk novels I've reviewed on these pages and Marianne De Pierres, who is actually on the con's guest list, but will presumably pop over to the table at the dealer's room as well. I'll be there from Saturday afternoon, after coming from my mother's place, and spend all day Sunday as well, except I'm going to the one-man Lord Of The Rings at the Comedy Festival late Sunday afternoon, so will have to leave by about three.

Anyone want to come and get their copy of Wolfborn signed? Better still, buy one, for a family member or friend if you have your own? :-) Plenty to see and do, even once you've been to the Random House table.

There are going to be some fabulous writers and actors there - more writers, in fact, than at Armageddon - though I'm not sure if I'll get to see any of them except Marianne, because the Random House bunch will probably just get me a dealers' room pass. That's fine. I have Swancon only a week later and there will be plenty to see and do there - and, yes, my book to promote and Fantastic Planet will be bringing copies, so I don't have to lug them myself.

And then off to the one-man Lord of The Rings!

There’s a war on in the Edwardian alternative universe of The Laws Of Magic. Aubrey Fitzwilliam, son of the Prime Minister of Albion, and his friends George and Caroline, who have spent the last four volumes trying to prevent it, have been recruited as part of the Albionish secret service. War is bad enough in itself, but if this one proceeds for long enough, it will lead to the immortality of the evil Dr Tremaine, former Sorcerer Royal, who has no problem with wiping out as many lives as it takes to perform the magic ritual that will extend his own.

The trio returns to Gallia, scene of their earlier adventures (Heart Of Gold), this time to set up a base for a team of remote magical observers. But nothing ever goes the way it’s meant to go in Aubrey’s world. All bets are off when the three find out what is being manufactured in a Holmland factory belonging to Baron von Grolman …

If you’re worried about this delightful steampunk series going downhill, as series novels tend to do, don’t be. The fun and the action are there, as always, the characters as likable as ever. Aubrey can be worrying about his team-leading skills one moment and how he’s going to tell Caroline his feelings the next. George is still Aubrey’s solid support. Caroline is elegant and deadly; she doesn’t lose control even when in the presence of Dr Tremaine, who killed her father. And she’s still capable of reducing Aubrey to mush with a word.

George, Aubrey and Caroline have come a long way since Blaze of Glory. They have a little way further to go, with one more novel in the series. It will be sad to say goodbye to these characters, and I suspect I will end up going back and reading it all over again.

There is a new cover; the whole series has been re-packaged to appeal to the young adult audience for which it was originally intended, and to have more of a science fiction feel. The brooding Aubrey on the cover looks quite menacing for a young man who hates carrying guns and prefers to use his intellect and his magic, but it’s very striking and should gather a new set of fans for the series.

If you haven’t read this series yet, what are you waiting for? Go and get the lot, with the great new covers!

This a is a shout out to Michael Pryor, author of the ‘Laws of Magic’ series. Time of Trial, the fourth book, has just landed in the shops. And sports a rather flattering dedication to the Centre for Youth Literature and its staff. So thanks, Michael, that’s the first time we have had a salute [...]