Season's Greetings | The Fun of the Future

Four years to the day my time with Tigana compelled me to launch this blog, 2014 is here, and though I'm still very much in holiday mode, and of course, horribly hungover, I wanted to take a second to say: welcome to the future, folks!

I can only hope it's as bright as Orange promised.

So what's to come in 2014? Well, one wonders. For me at least, not knowing is perhaps half the fun of the future — and I don't, in any great detail — but plenty, I expect, including a few fairly major changes. 

Before all that, though, stay tuned for Top of the Scots. I already have my lists locked. All that remains is for me to explain, because I imagine my choices might surprise some of you. Expect more on that momentarily. And in the meantime?

Sincerely, readers dear: I hope you all have a happy New Year. :)

Status Update | A Lion King Christmas

I don't know about you, but with Christmas day just a week away, I'm finally feeling festive.

Not least because last night I realised a dream more than a decade in the making, when the entirety of my family got together to attend a performance of The Lion King live. Simba's spotty performance did not ultimately undermine what was a wonderful show overall; a real visual feast that I'm so pleased to have seen.

I've been humming 'Be Prepared' ever since leaving the theatre, and this morning it occurred to me that I could do worse things in life than take Scar's advice.

Which is my way of saying that though I'm usually one of the very first folks to bang on about the year's best books — Top of the Scots has in the past happened in early December — in 2013 my other obligations have regrettably had to take precedence. I've had to stockpile columns, including this morning's edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus, and ready a fair few reviews to run on Tor.com over the holidays. Truth be told, I've been so busy in November and December to date that it only just hit me that Christmas is coming.

And you know what? I want to enjoy it, so instead of spending the few days remaining to me this year putting together Top of the Scots, I'm going to give myself over to the Christmas spirit. To wit, I warrant you won't be hearing a whole lot from me over the holidays, but when I do get back to blogging, it will be worth the wait. Scots honour!

For a sneak peek at a few of my favourites, check out the Tor.com Reviewers' Choice, in which I count down the three best British books I've read in 2013. I've contributed to another end of year feature as well: Strange Horizons has a few hundred words from me about the books I've gotten most lost in this year.

Now to lose myself in festive merriment...

You all have a brilliant Christmas, and a happy New Year, you hear?

Season's Greetings | Happy Thanksgiving

So I hear a bunch of you all are on holiday this weekend, the better to celebrate something called Thanksgiving...

I kid, of course. As a matter of fact, I've incorporated writing exercises inspired by Thanksgiving into all the classes it's been my pleasure to teach this week, thinking it would be no bad thing to make a few folks aware of all they have that they should be thankful for, rather than moping in the Great British tradition over what they do not.

Today, in any case, it's my turn. Because I do not do what I do in a vacuum. I could not. I would not. To wit, I'd like to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am.

To my fellow readers and reviewers, then: thanks, first of all, for continuing to visit The Speculative Scotsman, and for pointing me in the direction of some terrific new reading material. For talking to me in the comments, and for engaging elsewhere in debates that could make the publishing industry a more positive place.

To the editors who make my work a little prettier, and to the publicists who make the inevitable administrative bit of this business a pleasure as opposed to a chore: I say thankee, sai.

Last but not least, I'd like to give thanks to the authors whose wonderful worlds make my own that much more interesting. I can't imagine my life without you and the work you do.

So whether you're in North America or not: happy Thanksgiving, guys. Do enjoy your food... and your fake football! :)

Season's Greetings | Happy Independence Day

Oddly enough, a fair few of my students have been working on essays about independence of late. That is to say, these past weeks, the idea of an independent Scotland has been on my mind more than ever before. And honestly, I don't want it.

Perhaps that's a minority opinion, but I stand by it. By itself, what could Scotland achieve, really? Ours is a lovely country, but it's awfully small; were we to declare ourselves an independent nation, rather than a part of something greater - something like Great Britain - I can't help but think we'd be consigning ourselves into insignificance.

But The Speculative Scotsman isn't a political blog, is it? So I'll stop short my diatribe there. I only bring it up because today, as most of you must know, is a special day for our American friends. It's a day on which they celebrate their country's hard-won independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain... with fireworks! And barbecues!

Why?

I'm not the guy to ask, alas. Maybe check in with me again next year, after I've played Assassin's Creed III. :D

In any case, as established in March and April, America is awesome - I want to go to there again! - so if the folks over there think this is an occasion worth celebrating, and 250 years later they evidently do, then I'm all for echoing the sentiment.

I hope you'll all join me, then, in wishing our American friends a fantastic Fourth of July! Maybe your fireworks be bright, and your barbecues a delight.

If you have any awesome tales of Independence Days past or present to tell, please: share away. You know where.