Space Stories Blog & Edinburgh Book Festival

I've just done a piece for The Guardian books blog about space stories - here's the first paragraph:

I write fiction for young people because I love the infinite imaginative space it offers. Children and young adults are incredibly open to the literature of the fantastic. So far this century, we've enjoyed stories about magic and wizards, vampires and werewolves, and post-apocalyptic dystopias. Yet the most fantastic subject of all remains unexplored territory: space.

Click here to read the full piece!

Also, I'd like to say a huge thanks to the Edinburgh Book Festival for hosting me today, and to everyone who came to my event and was involved in it - thank you all so much!   I hope you enjoy reading your new copies of Phoenix!

Lovely Review!

I just wanted to say a big thanks to Vincent Ripley for his lovely review of my new book Phoenix on his site, Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books.

"Just like the brightest light from the furthest star, this book is a creation to behold...  It is a breathtaking epic space adventure that will have you gripped in so many ways... If you particularly enjoy a good sci-fi space fantasy then this book is for you - it has certainly rocketed to the top of my favourite reads this year.  Even if you wouldn't normally enjoy this genre, I would still recommend that you try this book, as it really is that good."

Click here to read the full review!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: Lift-Off!!!

And so at last my new book Phoenix is published today!

It should now be on sale in all good bookshops, and all over the web.  The 'Buy Now' button on my publishers' page will take you to lots of places you can find it – including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

Happy reading everyone...

...and if you leave a comment on one of the images I've been posting in the last week, I will pick one comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 1

Only one day to go till the publication of my new book Phoenix!  A nice interview with me appeared today on SFFWorld.com - click here to read it.

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 2

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 3

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 4

An amazing review of my new book Phoenix appeared today in the Daily Mail, where Sally Morris described it as "a thrilling space/sci fi adventure...  fabulous, high octane stuff, with an uplifting ending, stunningly illustrated by the brilliant McKean"!

It's now just a week till publication, and Phoenix is officially available to order.  Have a look at my publishers' page, where the 'buy now' button links to lots of places you can order it, including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

To celebrate, I'll be posting one of Dave McKean's amazing images here every day.  Please please share these as widely as you can, and help spread the word...  And if you leave a comment on one of these images, I will pick a comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 5

It's a week till publication of my new book Phoenix, and it's now officially available to pre-order!  Have a look at my publishers' page, where the 'buy now' button links to lots of places you can order it, including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

To celebrate, I'll be posting one of Dave McKean's amazing images here every day.  Please share these as widely as you can, and help spread the word!

And if you leave a comment on one of these images, I will pick a comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

Ready?  Here goes!

First Reviews of Phoenix...

The first reviews of my new book Phoenix are beginning to come in.  It's a strange moment for me; having spent seven years writing the book, I have no idea at all how it will seem to someone reading it for the first time...

Vanessa Lewis in picks it as a highlight in The Bookseller's August preview, and says:

"I became totally immersed in the ethereal world created by SF Said in Phoenix... This is an evocative read that highlights the ravages of war while making us consider our place in the universe.  Dave McKean's illuminating illustrations add atmosphere."

And Jill Murphy gives it a fantastic review in The Bookbag - click the link to read the full piece:

"I loved this space quest of a story. It has great worldbuilding, sparkling characters and a thrilling plot. It's beautifully illustrated by the great Dave McKean, who gives the galaxy its rightful majesty.  

You won't find any spoilers here at Bookbag. We hate them. But I will say that Phoenix has a wonderful ending. It's sad but uplifting, grief-stricken but beautiful, and is and utterly, utterly appropriate culmination of the clever plot. I cried!

There aren't many space epics written for middle readers and after enjoying Phoenix so thoroughly, I can't imagine why. Kids love all the TV shows and films - Star Trek, Star Wars etc - and the genre allows for sparkling, nutty characters, so I'm at a loss to explain why this fertile ground isn't cultivated more. It should be. So hats off to SF Said for this fabulous tale. And to Dave McKean, for giving the magnificence and the glory of the galaxy such awe-inspiring artwork.

Phoenix comes highly recommended for all younger fans of sci-fi, a rip-roaring plot and who love a reluctant hero who never stops trying."

What a wonderful review, I really couldn't ask for more!  And I totally agree with her about space epics; I've never understood why there are so few for young readers...

Big Thanks!

It's been a busy few days, and some big thanks are in order!  First, to everyone I met at the London Film & Comic Con – the organisers, the brilliant Waterstones booksellers, and all the lovely people who came and bought advance copies of Phoenix – thank you!  It was a special day for me, because it was the first time I saw an actual copy of Phoenix, so thanks to everyone who's been part of that journey...  Here's a picture of Dave & I signing; and no, that Toblerone bar didn't last very long!

And today I had the great pleasure of visiting Taxal and Fernilee Primary School, where I met some awesome Varjak Paw fans, some fantastic young readers & writers, and some brilliant teachers!  It was wonderful to hear all your stories, thoughts, and enthusiasm for books; I hope you'll all keep on reading and writing...  And if you want to see the Phoenix book trailer I mentioned, click this link, or have a look at the next post down in this blog!

The Supernova is on YouTube!

Prepare to be amazed: Dave McKean has made an absolutely stunning trailer for my new book Phoenix!  Watch it on YouTube now - and please please share the link, we really need to get this out there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5yQjwqDFXA&feature=youtu.be

Recommended: July 2013

With my new book Phoenix now only a month away, it seems like a good time to share some inspirations.  So this month, I'm recommending Contact: a brilliant novel about the first contact between humans and aliens, written by Carl Sagan.  There's a film version too, with Jodie Foster, but I prefer the book – it's beautiful, original, thought-provoking science fiction, written by a scientist with a real gift for storytelling.

I first encountered Sagan through his amazing TV series, Cosmos.  I watched it as a child in the 1980s, and re-watched it while writing Phoenix.  It was one of my biggest inspirations.  Apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way.  Professor Brian Cox has said it meant a lot to him too – so if you liked his Wonders Of The Universe, or if you're at all interested in stars, galaxies and space, you should definitely watch Cosmos!  It's all up on YouTube: here's the first episode.

And here's a very silly but entertaining song that uses some of Sagan's quotes from the series – it became an internet phenomenon, and is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me!  But the space imagery in it goes to the heart of what I was trying to do in Phoenix, so I hope you enjoy it too...

The Supernova Is Coming To Edinburgh!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be doing a public event for my new book Phoenix at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year!  The event is titled 'Intergalactic War with SF Said' and it's happening on Tuesday 13th August, from 12-1pm.

I love what they've written about Phoenix on the official event page:

Adventure, space, destiny, aliens, explosions, starships, distant stars and galaxies. Whoa! Amazing! Come join S F Said to hear about his latest breathtaking book, Phoenix. Meet Lucky, an ordinary human boy who wakes to find an incredible power rising in him and a supernova coming, bringing with it a war between humans and aliens. Only one boy can save the galaxy – just as well he’s called Lucky!

Tickets are now on sale; here's a link to the booking page!  And of course there'll be copies of Phoenix on sale, which I'll be signing after the event.

I've had some fantastic experiences at Edinburgh in the past, and met some great audiences there, so please come if you can!  There are some wonderful writers doing events this year – some of my favourites include Julie Bertagna, David Almond, Meg Rosoff, Keith Gray, Garth Nix and Sally Gardner, who won the Carnegie Medal this year for her fabulous book Maggot Moon!  Congrats Sally – hope to see you there!

Phoenix: Interior Art Preview!

Have a look at this great feature by Dave McKean on The Guardian about his current work, which includes one of his amazing illustrations from my new book Phoenix:

This one totally took my breath away when I first saw it.  I hope you like it too... and if you do - please share it!

Phoenix To Launch At London Film & Comic Con!

I'm thrilled to be able to announce that Dave McKean and I will be launching my new book Phoenix at the London Film & Comic Con on Saturday July 6th!

Official publication isn't until August, but there'll be advance copies of the book on sale, and we'll be doing a public signing from 11am to 1pm - so come and get your copy first!

Full details and booking forms can be found on the official website.  It's going to be an amazing weekend, there are some incredible people coming – Peter Dinklage & Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones), Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Eve Myles (Torchwood), even Peter Mayhew & Kenny Baker (who played Chewbacca & R2D2 in the original Star Wars!)  I can't wait!!!

The Supernova Is Coming...

Exciting update on my new book Phoenix!  It's now just two months until publication, and we sent the final files to the printers this week – so I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to post the front cover here!

Hasn't Dave McKean done an incredible job?!  Just wait till you see the interior art!  I'll be posting some in the not-too-distant future, along with more updates, sneak previews, and announcements about events... In the meantime, please share this image (there are buttons below for facebook, twitter etc), and help to spread the word!