With springtime weather filling London with the scent of flowers and friskiness, it’s never been a more auspicious time to jump onto the Geek Chic wagon. And what better way to attract the attention of that sexy post-doc down the corridor than to flaunt your Renaissance Scientist credentials?
Fiction Lab, a book group dedicated to lab lit novels at the Royal Institution, is here to help you cultivate that aura. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Although all are welcome and we have new faces every month, the group has evolved a core of diverse and entertaining regulars who can trash the most beautifully written story with the surgical precision of a nano-scalpel. When we have occasionally had authors stop by to join in the discussion, words have not been minced.
March’s book, The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams, raised the hackles of a number of the group due to its unreliable first-person scientist narrator, although others, myself included, enjoyed the feeling of not knowing, even by the end, if her account was actually trustworthy. On balance, though, it is probably a good thing that Ms Adams’ agency didn’t deign to respond to our invitation to lay into her in person.
These same regulars have been nagging me for some time to put my own novel, Experimental Heart, under the knife. And, because resistance is futile, I have finally given in. If you want to join in the spectacle, please read the book and scrub in for 7 PM on Monday, 6 April. After doling out the usual preliminaries and introductions, I’ll retire meekly to the bar, out of earshot with a stiff drink, while everyone else lets rip under the firm grip of guest chair Stephen Curry. Later, I’ll join in on the wrap-up discussion.
I’m not as nervous at the prospect as I thought I’d be, now that’s it’s decided. This may be because I was pummelled by so many rejections on the long road to publication that I have long since learned not take criticisms personally – in fact, I actually crave any tips that might help me improve. Also, being hard at work on my third novel, the first invariably suffers by comparison – you can only write a first novel once, and there are things I would do differently now. Most of all, I’m keen to see what a group of people specializing in scientific novels for the past year make of what is, in many way, a type specimen of hard-core lab lit – especially as most of the group are not scientists.
There’s only one way to find out. Do join us!
Looking forward to it!
The good, the bad and the ugly indeed. As long as there are no riots!
I’ll bring my riot shield… because… I’ll be there! \o/
Excellent! Looking forward to your caustic wit…sort of.
Hm, I’d better read it then. In fact, I’d better suck it up and order it.
Although, truth be told, I absolutely despise lit-crit and would probably hate the entire Fiction Lab procedure. So perhaps I’ll just enjoy it on my own… once I buy it.
I swear it will float to the top of my extensive ‘pile of things Richard needsd to read sometime’. :)
And your sword of truth Richard?
I don’t think the RI will allow in hunting rifles.
How about the Howitzer of Honesty?
Needs more elephants.
How about quirkiness?
I am trying to remember if there was ever a book that everyone really liked. I suspect not. And then I started to wonder if there could ever be a novel that would find universal approval with a dozen or more people simultaneously. I suspect not, actually. In our group at least, one of the scientists will invariably find fault with the science.
looks at Curry
It’s certainly true that the discussions are much more fun when the book is seriously flawed. Let’s hope people don’t have too much fun on the 6th!
I think you’re most likely to have problems with RPG getting out of line. He may get all caught up in it and start defending the honour of Experimental Heart with that sword and riot shield.
Can you video it please?
PODCAST!!!
SECONDED!!!
I think that’s a great idea, as always. Shall I look into it? The Ri are usually up for stuff like that.
Definitely! I keep hearing about all these excellent events going on in London (see also Matt’s pub quiz – honestly, I’m a committed Northerner but you lot are almost making me want to move to London) and it would be great to be able to hear a podcast.
A podcast would be fun. There was reference earlier to some podcast that the eminent Dr. Grant did, but it has descended into the murk that is the NN archives and I despair of ever finding the link again.
I think Jenny is very
sillybrave for agreeing to subject her novel to this treatment.We’ve been talking about a regular LabLit podcast for a while—that’ll probably happen once I get to London and settle in. But podcasting the event on the 6th… ponders even if the RI don’t get into gear (whatever happened to the SciBlog’08 videos, anyone?) I’m sure I could figure something out.
It’s not a question of the Ri getting into gear – it’s a question of whether it will be permitted on the premises. I think I’ve sorted out the audio help I need; all I require now is a green light. Hopefully I’ll hear tomorrow.
I do confess of the thought of being trashed on tape is not as attractive as something more ephemeral. But I guess that’s what editing is for!
How about a NN podcast? A different pair or group of bloggers each episode, waffling on about science news or whatever else comes to mind?
Mwah hah hah. Ahem.
Heh. I can envision a podcast with various Londoners saying things about Experimental Heart, with every adjective replaced with a male Australo-Brit accented voice saying “FANTASTIC”, “EXCELLENT”, “DRAMATICALLY CONVINCING” and the like.
Nah, I want it to go out as a ‘representative sample’. I’m a big girl after all.
Good news all: the Ri will let us do it! Now I just need to find a few techy people to give me a hand and we’re good to go.
I just read that as “tetchy people” and wondered why you would want to do that.
Oh, plenty of those already! Maybe I should get a round of drinks in first.
That’s a superb idea, Jenny. Although ‘a few rounds’ might be better. I can see it now…
Yeah, don’t do it sober.
How did it go? Is there a podcast?
Even as we speak, LabLit’s new podcast producer is downloading the files from my brand-new Zoom H2 in preparation for editing. We’re just waiting for our composer to finish the jingle, and hope to have the podcast available sometime next week! I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, just to say that opinions were polarized but it went really well with vigorous discussion and we all had a great time.