Explore the Worlds of Tomorrow ...

I'm not a betting man (I'm far too pessimistic), but if I were, I'd be ready to lay odds on the next big trend in children's and 'YA' publishing being Science Fiction. That's why, when Sarah McIntyre asked me to co-chair a SF event for the Society of Authors, I suggested 'The Rise of Sci Fi' as a subtitle*. Here's a link to her blog, where you can find all the information you need about the evening, which will take place at Foyle's in London's Charing Cross Road on 22nd May.  I'll be writing more about it here soon.

*I rather like the term 'Sci-Fi', having been drawn to the genre in the first place by its hoky, fun, fantastic elements.  Of course, a lot of serious Science Fiction folk loathe hearing it called that!  But it's certainly true that modern children's SF tends more towards the Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy end of the genre.  It's difficult to think of a popular modern equivalent to hard SF 'juvenile' books like Robert Heinlein's Have Spacesuit Will Travel - although I hope that's about to change.  Perhaps this is one of the subjects we'll touch on at the event...