I have a new short story on BBC Radio 4 on Fri 9 June at 3:45pm. It's called Companions, and it features a robot and an imaginary grandma. Big thanks to Jeremy Osborne at Sweet Talk Productions for commissioning me, and actor Lee Ingleby, for making it sound so terrific. The story will stay on the iPlayer for the next 30 days. … [Read more...]
My night in a sleep lab
Earlier this year, I got to spend a night in a sleep lab at Manchester University for a new story commission. It was for Spindles: Stories from the Science of Sleep - the latest in Comma Press's series of science-inspired fiction. When I first found out I'd get to have electrodes glued to my head and be part of an experiment, I was so excited, but … [Read more...]
Will buildings grow on trees in 2070?
My scientist thinks they will. I say my scientist, because all of us writers attending the artificial life conference in Sicily got one. Mine was Professor Susan Stepney, a computer scientist at the University of York, and she's working on an incredible project to grow buildings from seed. Yes, buildings (that we live and work in), grown from … [Read more...]