Thursday, October 1, 2009Disasters real & imagined

Part of my novel Spin is set in the Indonesian city of Padang, which was devastated by a powerful earthquake yesterday.  I've never visited the city -- doing that kind of intercontinental research was out of the question back when I started writing the book -- and in any case it was a near-future Indonesia I was trying to imagine.  Nevertheless I feel a certain connection with the city.  Not sure what anyone can do to help, and I gather the situation is still fluid, but donations to the Red Cross or a similar relief agency would surely be welcome even if the money isn't pinpointed at Padang.

All of which puts our fictional apocalypses into perspective, but if you're interested in my review of Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood, it's up at the website of the Literary Review of Canada.

Yet another review of Julian Comstock has been posted, this one at Sci-Fi Dimensions.  "It's like Margaret Atwood meets The Wild Wild West -- "  Yikes!  And BSC has a thoughtful review here.

Next month I'm off to France, doing some appearances in Paris to support the release of Axis and at the annual Utopiales convention in Nantes.  Hallowe'en in Nantes again!  Galettes and cider, yum, though I admit I'll miss the pumpkin pie and the eight-year-olds dressed as axe murderers.