I iz about to be a published author!!!

[purplecat]

Obviously I already am a published author of articles with exciting titles like A Semantic Framework for Socially Adaptive Agents: Towards strong norm compliance and Plan-indexing for State-Based Plans but as of very soon I will be a published author of fiction for which I will have earned the princely sum of enough to buy two books on Ancient Sumeria (tangentially relevant to the story) and a glass of Lidl champagne.







For those interested in knowing more, it is a short story in Furthest Tales of the City (available for pre-order from http://obversebooks.co.uk/product/furthest-tales/). The City of the Saved stories are, well, a spin-off of a spin-off of a spin-off of Doctor Who*, published by Obverse Books and edited by infinitarian (otherwise known as Philip Purser-Hallard) who created the concept. All of humanity has been resurrected in a vast city that exists at the end of our universe and in which death is impossible. Furthest Tales of the City seeks to showcase stories of inhabitants of the city who chafe against even its apparently limitless possibilities.

*put like that its amazing my fee ran to two books and a glass of champagne. Though, given where the money ended up, I think it actually all got spent on yarn.

Comments

[isis]

Yay you! Though I would have held out for a full bottle.

[purplecat]

Well it wasn't exactly a negotiation. The pitch guidelines said "I can only afford to pay £15 for each story, sorry" (or words to that effect). Though I think there was a vague promise of a drink should I ever meet the editor in person.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!

[purplecat]

Thanks! I'm ridiculously excited - all things considered.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I think it's wonderful news. I'm pleased and perhaps presumptuously proud.

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

Ooh, spiffing!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[eve11]

Congrats!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[daniel-saunders.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[a-cubed.livejournal.com]

How is the concept different from Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld?

[purplecat]

Well it's a long, long time since I read a Riverworld book, but the city is a lot more connected. My memory of Riverworld is that it forms a sequence of communities with separate governance and minimal links between them - just the river. The City is one large city with a city-wide government, modern communications and an interconnecting train-like network.

Also, if memory serves, in Riverworld you can die, you just get resurrected again while the City's protocols completely prevent injury (and time travel - though it is not immune to the effects of people time travelling outside the city).

However, at heart, I'd say the basic concept is the same but the City is about a city while Riverworld is about communities linked by a River and that makes a big difference to the world-building.

[purplecat]

Actually, thinking about it further, and based on what I know of PPH. I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the basic idea behind the City wasn't to put Riverworld into the Doctor Who writers' sandpit (or at least the Faction Paradox sandpit - that being the spin-off at the next level up).

[a-cubed.livejournal.com]

The basic idea seems very similar. Of course as with all fiction, the basic ideas are only a small part of it. What one does with those ideas makes a world of difference.

[hiddencait.livejournal.com]

Congrats!!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Yay! Well done you, that's really exciting (and two books and Lidl champagne seems quite an achievement!)

[purplecat]

Yes, given its more or less glorified fanfic, I feel two books and a glass of champagne is a good return on the time invested.

[shivver13.livejournal.com]

That is absolutely amazing! Congratulations!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[kargicq.livejournal.com]

Well done you! -N

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

Ooh, awesome! Congratulations.

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[knitekat.livejournal.com]

Congrats

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[fredbassett]

Well done! It was a great story.

[purplecat]

Thanks for your help with the pitch. I was going to thank you in the author bio, but I've not been asked to supply an author bio, so I'm a little mystified and suspect you mayl not be receiving any official thanks, which is a shame.

[cordeliadelayne]

Congratulations!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

Well done!

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Er - wow! I shall look forward to reading this.

[purplecat]

Thanks!

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Ooh, congratulations!

[purplecat]

Thanks!