Wednesday 2 March 2011

Collaboratorium

Been working on a piece of collaborative fiction recently, which is something new for me. We started talking about it two years ago, but as is so often the case, life got in the way and we didn't get traction on the story until early last year. Then ... well, life got in the way again, as it tends to do. After Christmas, though, we decided to return to the story and see if we could finish it.

Right now I think it's about 15,000 words and I think I'm about finished with my side of the writing - there's a beginning, middle and end but still a few rough edges. It's a very far future piece, set on Earth, with a kind of Jack Vance/Gene Wolfe vibe to it. Once my colleague has finished with their side, we'll need to fix a title onto the thing and then we're done. As to where it'll appear, that's already "sorted", so to speak, but it's not going to be a publication that will be easily obtainable unless you are or were signed up for a particular convention. Given the limited distribution, though, I think we'll try and get it out to a wider readership at some point.

Anyone care to take a guess at the other writer in the collaboration? First correct answer will bag a copy of the story, once it's available, and I'll endeavour to get it signed by both of us.

[Edit - strictly one guess per respondent, people (although I'll not penalise those who've already commented). And I'll give it a couple of days before announcing the "winner"]

57 comments:

  1. For no other reason than that they were the first names that popped into my head, Iain M Banks or Stephen Baxter?

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  2. I've no idea who you're friendly with author wise so I'll go with Peter F Hamilton as you are my favorites and a collaboration would be interesting!

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  3. I'm wrecking my brain here! There are so many writers that pop into my mind. And I don't want to make a guess that will make you say "pfff, no way am I gonna collaborate with that illiterate!".
    So how about a hint?

    thanks!

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  4. Peter Hamilton...please please please... :)
    or Stephen Baxter (ok with two guesses?)

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  5. Zoltan - SF and F is a pretty friendly scene, so it's unlikely I'd take offence at any suggestions. No clues, though...(yet).

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  6. oooh...
    So not Peter F Hamilton and not Iain M Banks...how about William Gibson? Man, that would be cool!

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  7. I'll go with William Gibson.

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  8. OOooo i think its Paul J. McAuley Hard Sci fi

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  9. Sam - the right answer may already have been given. Or it may not.

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  10. My guess is Adam Roberts.

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  11. OK, than... Iain M. Banks, or Neal Asher (I think you should!)

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  12. Paul McCauley

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  13. I say Gibson!! I love far future stories!

    Regards,
    Adrian

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  14. I'd like to see a collaboration with William Gibson - is it him?

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  15. Charlie Stross? That would be blammo!

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  17. Off-topic : why do not you would develop a coherent universe, a backdrop for your novels ?

    Do you address again the subject of archeology, as in Revelation space ?

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  18. John Meaney (as you are meeting at bristol-con)?

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  19. I'm gonna guess (out of the blue) Walter Jon Williams?

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  20. Peter F Hamilton! How cool will that be... here's hoping I'm right...

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  21. Off to bed myself, but there have been no correct answers so far.

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  22. I swear I saw Al and China Mieville at Aussiecon 4 with their heads together all tucked away in the corner hurriedly scribbling ideas down, with the occassional punch-up then make-up hug, further scribbling...wait a sec. that was in my dreams! But China's my pick.

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  23. I'm taking a stab here, but Larry Niven is pretty awesome and is doing a lot of collaborations the past ten years. So I'm guessing Larry Niven.

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  24. Paul Cornell - picking up on the Bristol angle for no particular reason except that I was there (I did think first of Joe Abercrombie for the same reason but decided against it).

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  25. Stephen Hunt, with the setting he would make a good fit, and after Terminal World his use of steampunk and yours would work well together. And as a second guess how about Dan Abnett, a very good author with that same kind of background.

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  26. China Mieville ?

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  27. ok, new day, new guesses...

    could they be Welsh?

    I know you like Doctor Who how about
    Russell T Davies
    or
    Terry Nation

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  28. oops, just read your edit..oh well, probably wrong... :)

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  29. hmmm - as a second guess, I'd say someone like Kim Stanley Robinson

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  30. ...and we have a winner!

    Congratulations to Andrew, who correctly named the other author as Liz Williams.

    Actually it wasn't a super secret as Liz and I mentioned the collaboration at last year's Eastercon. But unless you were there, and paying attention...

    Thanks everyone for playing along, and more news on this when we have a title. Andrew: drop me your contact details (dendrocopus@yahoo.co.uk) and I'll the story to you when it's published.

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  31. Great! That's made me a very happy chap.

    It was an educated guess, I checked to see who was with you at last years Eastercon and had not been mentioned yet. Was not there myself.

    I have sent you an email.

    Thanks!

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  32. Yeah, actually I was going to say Liz Williams, but I forgot to take off my gloves and mistyped it for Richard K. Morgan... damn gloves!

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  33. Are you sure it wasn't Larry Niven? I had visions of Kzinti armed with whiphounds.

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  34. Gareth L Powell

    I have another idea but you only allow one.

    All the best
    Phil Ackerman

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  35. Anthony Pooley6 March 2011 at 22:02

    I was going to go for E.E Doc Smith...and then I woke up...

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  36. Salman Rushdie!

    Damn... too late.

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