In the Shadow of a Star... OR... The Wind Beneath My Wings! - September 2002

On Monday 9th September, I appeared at the monthly Borders SF&F event in Oxford Street with fantasy master Raymond Feist. Here's how it was for me!

Arrive in Oxford Street about 1pm - I know, only slightly early! My daughter's birthday is on Wednesday and her current obsession with everything of the 'Punky Fish' label dictates a long stay in Top Shop! As a distraction technique, looking at hundreds of multi-coloured tee-shirts with little fish embroidered on has to score pretty highly. Quite by accident, I also discover that Carnaby Street is just round the corner - for someone as geographically challenged as me, London is full of surprises! I buy a vaguely 'gothy' watch from the Storm shop, deciding not to go for the one with actual silver spikes. Am shocked to hear myself muttering, 'how impractical' and immediately feel about 100 years old or, at least as old as my mother!

Already footsore and sweating in a rather unlady-like way, I meet a friend for dinner before going to Borders for the signing. Too late, we realise the crowd alienating potential of the garlic bread! Oh well, it was delicious and if the worst should happen and some of Raymond's fans are vampires I am well prepared... dunno why Buffy does not employ the same technique, it would save a lot of grief...

Arrive at Borders in plenty of time thinking my calming mantra; 'There won't be many people - there won't be many people...' to be confronted by at least 50 Raymond Feist fans (wonder if there's a collective noun? Feisters? Foo Feisters?) The shop has not put out enough chairs and some fans are already sitting on the floor. Some friends have turned up for moral support: Darren Nash, Marketing Manager for Earthlight, Jessica Gulliver, Publicity person, Jon Courtney Grimwood, mega-star SF writer and James Hartley, All Round Good Egg! I smile wanly at them and indulge in some chat but am already regretting the garlic bread...

Raymond is fashionably late. I go and sit on the leather sofa next to Pat Cadigan - La Diva Loca - who organises the event each month and whose birthday it happens to be today. The fans are a bit fidgety by now and I have a horrible image of a riot if Ray doesn't turn up. The headline - 'Promising New Writer Clubbed to Death with Big Fantasy' is just flitting through my mind when the man himself arrives.

He has the calm self-assurance of someone who has been writing with huge success for many, many years. He's funny and witty. After some preamble Pat asks if he will do a short reading - and he says 'no.' Apparently he doesn't do readings because of an eye problem but prefers just to talk to his audience so, I am asked to read first.

Pat "birthday girl" Cadigan dreams of jelly and ice cream
while Ray "I don't do readings" Feist tries to remember
where he left his body-clock...

It's a funny thing, but all nerves disappear when I'm reading to complete strangers. I have chosen an action piece because it reads aloud well - my long-suffering husband had to listen to 3 different sections before I chose the one I felt best about reading. It goes well, I have some fun with it. I receive a round of applause which is polite and borders on the enthusiastic! It's very gratifying as I'm well aware most of the crowd have come to see Ray. Many of them have already bought books to be signed and some have brought piles of books from home. Pat fields a short question and answer session and of course, no one asks me anything - but I don't mind as I am as interested in what Ray has to say as anyone in the audience. This does leave my friends hopping from foot to foot rather as I've primed them all beforehand to ask me something - anything! - and they'd come up with some fairly inventive stuff... Never mind guys - thanks for the thought!

Miller wonders whether bursting into a cover of Gareth Gates'
cover of 'Light my Fire' would be a Good Thing or not...

One of the few perks of being the support act is that I get to skip the signing queue and Ray signs a couple of books for me. I notice that he takes time to chat to each of his fans and gives the impression of being in no rush - this is most impressive for someone who only arrived at Heathrow an hour or so earlier and it gives me a warm fuzzy glow to think that we SF&F writers are a pretty great bunch of people (if I say so myself!) and I am honoured to include myself in such esteemed company.

Anyway, myself and 'the usual suspects' adjourn to a nearby hostelry as is traditional on these occasions. But I won't bore you chaps with the vague, disjointed, gin-soaked ramblings of a very merry evening. Suffice to say that it was a learning experience; I learnt that the blue Aftershock tastes decidedly like drain cleaner (I imagine!) and the red like Benelyn!

Slange!
Miller Lau

© Miller Lau September 2002

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