Thanks to Sanne for the wonderful chairing! It’s hard to do panels in the age of social distancing, but I love that we can reach a wider audience, with no geographic limits. This was a lot of fun (and I’m definitely fangirling over doing an event with MALORIE BLACKMAN!)
The winner of the YA Book Prize is announced on Thursday, and I’m so excited to see which of my amazing cohort has won!
I’ve also done a podcast about The Quiet at the End of the World and An Unauthorised Fan Treatise here.
If you’ve finished An Unauthorised Fan Treatise, THANK YOU! Your lovely reviews make me so happy!
Absolutely phenomenal. As a longtime fan, every chapter hit me like a gut-punch. The references to real-life fandom drama, the lingo, the way she could change her tone and cadence while writing not just as Gottie but as so many different commenters–just incredible. Ridiculous skillful writing and I’ll definitely be checking out more works by her. – Caroline on Goodreads
“An Unauthorised Fan Treatise is one of the most compelling serialised forms of media I’ve experienced in a good while, blending thriller, mystery and some slick plot twists into a deftly genre-defying homage to the toxicity of fandom. Chock full of footnotes, hyperlinks, screencaps, court transcripts, and even fake social media accounts, Lauren James has taken an insider’s experience of fandom and translated it into an unmistakable, even unforgettable experience.” – Tasha on Goodreads
I’ve done a long spoilery chat about the project:
And I’m sharing weekly snippets from The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker. Here’s the latest. (Preorder link here)
Recent reads!
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold – I’ve been diving deep into escapist genre fiction during lockdown, and this – number 15 in the space opera series the Vorkosigan Saga – was an excellent example of the form. A bit silly, with a comedy of errors, fake dating, embarrassing family members, a heist, underground tunnels, and fun space tech. I love these sprawling books about the ridiculous Vorkosigan family!
Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang – The second short story collection from the writer of Arrival (2016), these are thoughtful science-based stories about big concepts – the tendency of the universe towards entropy, the obsolescence breakdown of technology, the search for God in fossil records – that Chiang has humanised and explained through narratives. Characterisation isn’t always his strong point, but the science is fascinating enough that I would happily read his stories forever. It inspires my own writing hugely.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke – Wonderful. Lost memories and closed environments and unreliable narrators and untrustworthy companions. I won’t say any more than that, as I know this is greatly anticipated – and isn’t out for a while yet.
Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles – A 1920s romance about an ex-soldier who inherits a bookshop and, along with it, a hidden secret code that the War Office and many gangsters are very keen to get their hands on. KJ Charles is on top form here.
And two rereads from my childhood:
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – This is one of my favourite films, and the book is just as good, building out the story in surprising and unexpected ways. It cemented all of my reading tastes into place at a formative age: magical houses, dilapidated grandeur, found families, lush food, furious and feral ladies, spoilt wizards, charismatic monsters & unreliable narration.
Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley – A retelling of Sleeping Beauty that I’ve read approximately 50 times since I was a kid. So feminist and witchy and unexpected. As an adult and writer, I now have some qualms with the pacing/narrative style, but the characters are so important to me that I can forgive all.
Hope you’re all staying safe!
LAUREN JAMES 