Mosaic of Air was the book that kicked off Arachne Press. Here, Arachne owner, editor (and in this case, author) Cherry Potts talks about the how and why of that, and reads from two of the stories, with assistance from Alix Adams.
Cherry Potts reads her very first published story (Fantasy, of course), Penelope is No Longer Waiting which is in Mosaic of Air.
As part of the run up to our celebration of our fifth anniversary we are highlighting our first five books, all available for £5 each from our shop
Also available to bona fide libraries and book charities free please contact us to enquire.
Number Four: Mosaic of Air
Originally published twenty years ago, the sixteen short stories in Mosaic of Air reflect and explore Lesbian life in the 1980s through myth, history, fantasy and science fiction. Delving into lecturing spiders, Helen of Troy, seaside libraries, computers that fall in love, murder and memory; but most of all humour, and a delight in all that women can be.
Praise for the first edition:
Cherry Potts writes with economy, punch, panache.
Ellen Galford
Definitely about women in space, not the usual glossy tomboys of standard sf.
Gwyneth Jones
Delightful … both a hilarious spoof of one-man-and-his computer myths such as 2001, a Space Odyssey; and a reflection on the limits of love and power.
Zoë Fairbairns
From the foreword:
Sometimes I think that I would write these stories differently now, and then I think, would I? Yes, the world has changed, these days many of the scenarios played out by characters in the contemporary stories wouldn’t now happen in Britain; but there are plenty of places in the world where these stories would still happen. Sadly they have not dated as thoroughly as I might have hoped.
High points
‘Mosaic of Air’ is an interesting parable featuring a proto-post-feminist lead, a computer programmer whose programme becomes sentient which surprisingly encases an abortion debate.
If you read nothing else in this book you must read ‘Arachne’s Daughters’; this takes apart a myth about Arachne (a human) challenging Athene (the goddess): ‘”Now, can you believe anyone would be so stupid?” ‘. It’s set as a speech given at a women-only meeting with a clever twist on why so many women shouldn’t fear spiders despite the extra legs and pincers ‘ “Forgot something though didn’t they?…[Men]… How many Cancers and Scorpios are in the audience?”.’
audio of readings:
LGBT History Month at Walthamstow Library
We are having a PARTY on the 8th September. Come along! free, but ticketed
We have a great fondness for LGBT history month at Arachne Press, and we are also exceptionally fond of libraries. As a result the combination definitely works!
Our last outing for February was to Richmond lending library, one of the oldest public libraries in London (lovely building, glass roof, unfortunately on the flight path for Heathrow…)
Here are some readings from that evening, mainly from Cherry Potts, but with assistance from Alix Adams on the first one. The sound isn’t wonderful (those planes…) but it’s better than what we managed on the video camera.
In order of appearance:
Arachne’s Daughters from Mosaic of Air (Cherry Potts)
Death & Other Rituals from Solstice Shorts: Sixteen Stories about Time (Tannith Perry)
A Place of Departures from Stations (Cherry Potts)
The Other Side of Sleep from the anthology of the same name (Kate Foley)
Tasting Flight from Lovers’ Lies (Catherine Sharpe)
The third Arachne organised event for LGBT History month, (see Lewisham Library and North Kensington Library for video of the first two) and actor Sarah Feathers joined Cherry Potts at Walthamstow to read extracts from Mosaic of Air and Lovers’ Lies.
I’m afraid the recordings sound like they were made in the Ladies, owing to a resoundingly echoey room and a huge fish tank burbling away in the background.
Sarah reading from Tasting Flight by Catherine Sharpe
Cherry reading from Mosaic of Air
Sarah reading from Dara by Jessica Lott
Cherry & Sarah reading from Baby Pink/Electric Blue (from Mosaic of Air)
Cherry will be on the radio on Tuesday 18th February sometime between 6.30 – 8.30 pm, on Out in South London on Resonance FM.
An absolutely lovely review from Sabotage!
High points
‘Mosaic of Air’ is an interesting parable featuring a proto-post-feminist lead, a computer programmer whose programme becomes sentient which surprisingly encases an abortion debate.
If you read nothing else in this book you must read ‘Arachne’s Daughters’; this takes apart a myth about Arachne (a human) challenging Athene (the goddess): ‘”Now, can you believe anyone would be so stupid?” ‘. It’s set as a speech given at a women-only meeting with a clever twist on why so many women shouldn’t fear spiders despite the extra legs and pincers ‘ “Forgot something though didn’t they?…[Men]… How many Cancers and Scorpios are in the audience?”.’
More video from the launch of our to new sci-fi/fantasy books Weird Lies and Mosaic of Air.
Alistair Lock reads from Peng Shepherd‘s tale of extreme workplace stress, Free Cake
and Henrietta Clemett reads from Richard Meredith‘s wonderfully weird Museum of the Future
As usual Cherry Potts couldn’t manage to video herself, so here’s a recording instead: A snippet from the title story of Mosaic of Air.
All photos © Andrew Petrie 2013
A few pictures from the launch of Mosaic of Air and Weird Lies at the planetarium at Royal Observatory Greenwich (who were absolutely LOVELY) . We had a glorious star show (hence the incredible lack of light in the reading pictures) and we had a song from Summer All Year Long, and some weird and wonderful stories.
The full gallery of photos can be found here
Big thank you to Andrew for managing to get such great pictures in next to no light.
watch this space for video – need to edit it first!
Cherry Potts, Arachne author and founder, with partner Alix Adams, in celebratory T-shirts
It’s finally arrived. After all the writing, choosing, naming, negotiating, cover planning, blurbing, AI-ing, blogging, forewording, typesetting, printing, marketing …
and all the other things that make a book happen, it’s time to announce TWINS!!
Two books on the same day: Weird Lies our latest collaboration with Liars’ League, and Mosaic of Air, a reprint of Cherry Potts’ first collection, are officially published today.
More weird stories than you can shake a spaceship at.
The e-book versions are slightly delayed, on account of the Towersey adventure, but it was worth it. They should be available in about a month, if not sooner.
We aren’t actually doing anything today to celebrate, beyond this blog, and this rather silly picture, but we are launching in style at The Royal Observatory next Tuesday. If you are planning on coming and haven’t yet responded to your invitation, please do so asap, as we are close to maximum numbers, and may have to open a waiting list. We are doing another set of readings in the more relaxed atmosphere of the Misty Moon Gallery on Saturday 5th October.
I would like to thank Alix (pictured, right) for her stirling support of Arachne. When first mooted, she was asked if she wanted to be involved, and a firm no came back. Nonetheless, she comes to almost all the events, sells books, chats to the audience, fields the occasional phone call and drags me away from the computer when I start cursing. Mosaic of Air was dedicated to her when it first came out twenty odd years ago – it still is.
Tuesday 1st October The Planetarium, Royal Observatory Greenwich, SE10 9NF
Drinks in the foyer from 6.05 (building opens at 6), readings of Science Fiction stories from both Weird Lies and Mosaic of Air from 6.45 in the Planetarium with star show.
RSVP to reserve your place, this is essential because the Observatory is in the middle of Greenwich Park, and access in the evenings is controlled and we need a guest list, and to alert you to how to get in (and more importantly out!) It’s an adventure – space suits not required, fortunately.
We will be reading:
James Smyth: Let There Be Light (read by David Mildon)
Cherry Potts: an Extract from Mosaic of Air
Andrew Lloyd-Jones ChronoCrisis3000 (read by Cliff Chapman)
Peng Shepherd Free Cake (read by Alistair Lock)
Richard Meredith The Museum of the Future (read by Henrietta Clemett)
Hope to see you there!
(Huge thanks to Marek, Rob and Ed at the Observatory for all their help setting this up, and to Sophie for the idea.)
