Speaking Science Fiction

(l to r) Edward James, Candas Jane Dorsey, Andy Sawyer, Professor Philip Love, Brian W Aldiss and (front) Josef Nesvada.

Major international conferences on science fiction are not so frequent in Britain that they can be overlooked and 'Speaking Science Fiction' which was held in the University from 11-13 July was the first of two this summer, the second of which was held in the University of Luton in September.

'Speaking Science Fiction' brought together around 70 people from Britain, Canada, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong and elsewhere to hear papers given from academics and writers from an equally varied background. Guest speakers were writers Brian Aldiss (Britain), Josef Nesvadba (Czech Republic), Candas Jane Dorsey (Canada) and Edward James, editor of Foundation (Britain). Well- known figures in sf scholarship, including Brian Attebery, Istvan Csiscery-Ronay Jr., Veronica Hollinger and George Slusser, attended, as did a number of other names in British sf including writers Gwyneth Jones and Sue Thomas, Andrew Butler of Vector and the Academic Fantastic Fiction network, and Roger Robinson and Caroline Mullan of the Friends of Foundation. Stephen Baxter was due but cancelled at the last minute with the best of all possible excuses - he was urgently summoned to Kansas to receive the John W Campbell Memorial Award for his novel The Time Ships.

The conference was welcomed to Liverpool by the Vice-Chancellor and a conference dinner was followed by readings from Brian Aldiss, Candas Jane Dorsey and Gwyneth Jones. After a day's presentation of papers, the conference was welcomed to Liverpool again by the Lord Mayor.

'Speaking Science Fiction' brought together a number of friends and colleagues, but more importantly it linked together people working on various areas of science fiction and fantastic literature and film who were only barely aware of each other's work. Several people stayed on to research in the Science Fiction Foundation Collection in the University Library.

Liverpool University Press plan to issue a volume of papers presented at the conference, edited by David Seed and Andy Sawyer.