In one of his essays, Joseph Brodsky, talking about Osip Mandelstam, says this about our lives: Any poet, no matter how much he writes, expresses in his verse, physically or statistically speaking, at most one tenth of his life’s reality. The rest is normally shrouded in darkness. Is this admirable remark what we feel about… Read more: Friendships: Philip K Dick

Mention has been made of the Inklings. This was the literary group which met frequently in the aforementioned pub, The Bird and Baby. The leading members were C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. One was accustomed to seeing Tolkien bustling along in the Broad, clutching a copy of Sweet’s Anglo-Saxon Primer. Possibly he was then –… Read more: Friendships: J.R.R. Tolkien

Unlike many of the rest of us Brian states that he has one favourite novel – Tolstoy’s Resurrection. In fact he recently stated that it’s all he reads these days. Here are some exclusive notes from him on his passion for the book that has influenced him throughout his career. ——————————————- Count Leo Tolstoi’s final novel… Read more: Brian Aldiss: Thoughts on Leo Tolstoy’s Resurrection

Brian’s UK publishers The Friday Project is curating a series of short anecdotes that Brian has written about some of the many literary greats that he has been fortunate enough to know and meet over his illustrious career, and others that he has simply admired. In a short series here on Brian’s blog we publish… Read more: Friendships: Marie Bashkirtseff

(This post was originally published on aldissandmore.com) How about these beautiful pieces of poster artwork commissioned by NASA themselves to help inspire a generation to stay on board with the space discovery missions being run by NASA. Commissioned to look like art deco 1930’s era classic poster-work they certainly evoke memories of some classic science… Read more: New NASA Exoplanet Travel Posters

Brian’s UK publishers The Friday Project is curating a series of short anecdotes that Brian has written about some of the many literary greats that he has been fortunate enough to know and meet over his illustrious career, and others that he has simply admired. In a short series here on Brian’s blog we publish… Read more: Friendships: Aldous Huxley

On the 29th November, with my partner, Alison Soskice, I was one of the many who attended the last rites of that darling writer, DORIS LESSING. The ceremony was held on the outskirts of London, conducted by a woman of the British Humanist Association. So no religion there, then. placemats” I sat most of the… Read more: Doris Lessing’s Work

Brian was lucky enough to count Doris Lessing as one of his friends. I asked him for comment on her passing and he had this to say: She had a great sense of humour; I loved the woman… We were good friends and I often went round to her place until she fell ill. Related… Read more: Doris Lessing RIP

Brian is back in Brighton and back in his old stomping ground – the Metropole Hotel – for the World Fantasy Convention this weekend. His visit kicked off with a panel discussing the demise of the genre magazine. He was joined by equally greyed hair co-panellists Robert K Weiner, publisher of illustrated horror, William F Nolan, author… Read more: World Fantasy Con Visit #WFC13, Brighton – SF Genre Magazines

  I was very proud to be able to accompany dad to the launch party for his latest (and possibly last) science fiction novel Finches of Mars. Ahead of the evening’s festivities dad had a session signing books at the legendary Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue. Related posts: HarperCollins buys rights to entire Aldiss back… Read more: Finches of Mars Signing and Book Launch

Wednesday 13th March, 9-10pm (GMT) on Resonance 104.4 FM / www.resonancefm.com James DC interviews the legendary author Brian Aldiss, in the first part of a 3-hour interview, for Atomic Bark! on Resonance FM. Related posts: Bodleian Library to publish Brian Aldiss essays E-Reads Acquires Brian Aldiss Backlist Brian Aldiss wins SFX Magazine’s Outstanding Literary Contribution… Read more: Atomic Bark! with Brian Aldiss – ResonanceFM

Delighted to see that Mark Kermode has done a u-turn about his berating of the Spielberg-released movie AI which is based on Supertoys Last All Summer Long. Brian spent several long weeks working with Kubrick to create a screen play from this short story but in the end couldn’t find a solution to Kubrick’s seemingly endless desire… Read more: A.I. – Kermode apologises to Spielberg

The fifth instalment of exclusive short stories written by brian throughout September 2012. —————————- On a fine spring night, the moon was all but full. The countryside was hushed and a wind blew across Southern England. That wind carried unusual micro-organisms, brought from a Kent laboratory. The micro-organisms, harmless enough, induced a temporary increased intelligence… Read more: The Homeless Mind

Part 4 in Brian’s September 2012 short story series. —————————— Guy Beckersund flew down from Rio to Montevideo. He found there a capital city standing in crumbling magnificence. He liked it. His film-making habit told him that the city would make a wonderful background for a thriller movie. Related posts: The Homeless Mind Friendships: Philip… Read more: Various Ruinations

This is the third instalment of short stories from Brian’s month long attempt at writinga  short story a day for the month of September 2012. Enjoy —————————– Somewhere in an old dusty book written by a young woman, I came across a line of poetry which runs in English as follows: ‘In the village of… Read more: The Poetry of Vladimir Lenin

Short story number 2 in a series taken from a month’s long attempt at writing a short story a day in September 2012. —————————— It was Sacred Day 35 by our reckoning and I was so proud. To me was awarded an Aspects of Resistance, Second Grade, by the Master Insuffaller himself. I swore to… Read more: The Silent Cosmos

We’ll be publishing some exclusive new short stories on the blog. Right now Brian is just finishing up on a months’ worth of writing a short story each day so look out for plenty more! ————————— Derek Barnes paced back and forth, thinking joyfully how wonderful he was. Never had he felt such delight before.… Read more: The Inextinguishable Fire

From ereads.com With Life in the West, E-Reads launches Brian Aldiss’s Squire Quartet, back in print after thirty years and available in e-book for the first time. Thomas C. Squire, creator of the hit documentary series Frankenstein Among the Arts, one-time secret agent and founder of the Society for Popular aesthetics, is attending an international media… Read more: The Squire Quartet is Reissued

Barely the twinkling of an eye on planet Helliconia, planet Earth has enjoyed 30 years reading the trilogy of Helliconia’s, the Spring edition of which was now first published by New Wave grandmaster Brian Aldiss back in 1982. To celebrate, the Aldiss estate in conjunction with literary agents Curtis Brown and publishers Gollancz will be… Read more: 30 years of Helliconia

Brian launched his latest publication – An Exile on Planet Earth – at a evening at the Bodleian Library, publishers of this most recent piece of work. A good audience assembled to hear Brian read passages from the essays contained within, and to hear responses to their own posed questions. Wine and a signing followed.… Read more: Bodleian Library Publishes An Exile on Planet Earth

Old news we know but here are two lovely photos of Brian collecting his SFX 2012 Outstanding Literary Contribution Award and a standing ovation from the 4000-strong audience. Related posts: E-Reads Acquires Brian Aldiss Backlist Kennington Literary Festival Review Atomic Bark! with Brian Aldiss – ResonanceFM Bodleian Library to publish Brian Aldiss essays

Here’s an article in full outlining the fantastic deal struck by literary agent Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown for a very large chunk of Brian’s entire back catalogue of work. Congratulations to Harper Collins! Related posts: E-Reads Acquires Brian Aldiss Backlist Atomic Bark! with Brian Aldiss – ResonanceFM Bodleian Library to publish Brian Aldiss essays… Read more: HarperCollins buys rights to entire Aldiss back catalogue

The second piece of great news in a week! To celebrate dad’s donation of his archives to The Bodelian Library, Oxford, they are publishing a series of his essays. Related posts: Bodleian Library Publishes An Exile on Planet Earth E-Reads Acquires Brian Aldiss Backlist Atomic Bark! with Brian Aldiss – ResonanceFM Brian Aldiss: Thoughts on… Read more: Bodleian Library to publish Brian Aldiss essays

The family is very pleased to finally hear the announcement of a deal with Harper Collins for rights to Dad’s entire back catalogue. Below is a press release in full (19th Jan 2012). Related posts: HarperCollins buys rights to entire Aldiss back catalogue Bodleian Library to publish Brian Aldiss essays Brian Aldiss: Thoughts on Leo… Read more: E-Reads Acquires Brian Aldiss Backlist

This is a guest blog post by the organisers of the Kennington Literary Festival. The Friends of Kennington Library were delighted when the legend that is Brian Aldiss accepted our invitation to speak at our village literary festival. Sylvia Vetta, the Chair of the Friends of Kennington Library had the privilege, in February 2010, of… Read more: Kennington Literary Festival Review

Brian spent last weekend in Brighton to attend the 2011 Fantasycon. It was a well organised event if a little more low key compared to the great memories I have of the Worldcon’s that last happened in the Metropole hotel in Brighton (Dad was guest of honour at Seacon 1979, and I remember fondly seeing… Read more: Fantasycon 2011, Brighton

Extraordinary news this week from NASA that their Keplar probe has discovered a planet with 2 suns in the distant Cygnus constellation. Christened (for the time-being) Keplar 16 B the planet has both an orange sun and a red sun, and is thought to be a mostly gaseous planet the size of Saturn about 200 light years… Read more: NASA probe Keplar discovers Helliconia!

What an enjoyable evening at The British Library watching Dad (Brian Aldiss), Michael Morcock, Norman Spinrad and John Clute talking about Science Fictions’ apparent heyday, and the so called New Wave Aldiss, Morcock and Spinrad belonged to back then. Roz Kaveney did a great job of chairing the evening, and opened by asking Aldiss about… Read more: An evening with Aldiss, Morcock, Spinrad & Clute #outofthisworld

Here’s an old Times article that’s worth reviving. The article argues that as a genre science fiction is overlooked for a number of reasons. It also features one of my favourite quotes: a definition of Science Fiction as “Hubris clobbered by Nemesis”. It was published in 2007… do you think much has changed? Related posts:… Read more: Hubris Clobbered by Nemesis

If you are interested in guest blogging on www.brianaldiss.co.uk please contact Tim Aldiss. Related posts: Atomic Bark! with Brian Aldiss – ResonanceFM Fantasycon 2011, Brighton Kennington Literary Festival Review Doris Lessing RIP