JOHN MEANEY

8.7.04

OUT & ABOUT

I'm teaching an object-oriented analysis & design course to a government department this week. Always fun. We've just been discussing interfaces, design patterns, and other concepts designed to make heads explode.

I'm away from home, and I need to keep fit, but I don't need a gym: that's one of the advantages of Combat Conditioning, Matt Furey style. There ya go -- I just turned into an advert. (You might not agree with his political views -- I don't -- but go to www.mattfurey.com and take a look anyway.)

Anyway, last Sunday I taught part of a karate class for the first time in 15 years. When I trained in the Marshall Street, London, dojo of the late great Enoeda Sensei, I was there as a student, nothing more. No low grades, no kids. Suddenly, I have to remember that you can't manhandle kids these days, and stuff like that... So, I don't know if you're interested in this discussion, but I worry about kids in martial arts. In Context, there's a little story about a young carl called Haresh who gets damaged while sparring with one of the bigger, adult warriors. Did you think I was making that up? I knew a fourteen year old black belt who sparred with the adult dan grades because their belts were the same colour as his. The back-fist (uraken) which dropped him during sparring appeared to cause minimal damage at the time. Later that evening, the subdural haematoma caused him to collapse, and his heart stopped (several times) in the ambulance en route to the hospital...

On the other hand, if the little tykes do train in the arts, they turn out as better people. Otherwise, why do this stuff at any age?

Take care, Pilots. Be careful, be tough, be wise. There's always room in the Labyrinth.

1.7.04

CLASS OF '92

I am proud and very honoured to be an Interzone alumnus, class of 1992. The best SF writers in the world sprang fully formed from David Pringle's forehead (and I tagged along): he is the Zeus of Science Fiction.

Worldwide, the genre benefited from the British resurgence. (I know, because Gardner Dozois said so.) So many of us Brits made our first sales to Interzone magazine, and were nurtured in its hothouse environment. (Always with a sense that ya gotta try hard, and the story better be good.) Who knows how many writers would have fallen by the wayside without David's towering presence?

Thank you, Mr Pringle, for 22 years of outstanding service to SF.

David has stepped down as editor, but Interzone continues under the TTA banner (and the best of luck to all involved). At the 2005 World SF Convention in Glasgow, we'll have to find some way to honour David for his sterling contributions. It'll be insufficient thanks, even so.

Thanks, guv.

Keep your trajectories straight, Pilots. Take care.