Open Book on SF

[coalescent]

I've discovered that whilst I was away, I missed this:

Mariella Frostrup explores the world of science fiction with literary luminaries Doris Lessing, J.G. Ballard and Iain M Banks amongst the line up of guests. Why does SF, as afficianadoes call it, get such a bad press. Why do writers who write both mainstream and science fiction get derided for their forays into the world of fantasy? When it comes down to it is science fiction an exclusive genre which only a select few can appreciate? Open Book opens up the world of hard sf, cyberpunk, and fantasy fiction with studio guests Pat Cadigan, Stephen Baxter and Francis Spufford. A historical guide to what is best to read in the world of science fiction, from the its earliest beginning with H.G. Wells War of the Worlds to William Gibson's Neuromancer. And celebrates the wealth of contemporary science fiction writing in Britain today.

Frustratingly, though, I can't seem to find a way to actually listen to it. Can anyone spot whatever it is I'm missing? Failing that, did anyone hear it and was it any good?

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Looks like it's fallen off the Listen Again service...

[hddod.livejournal.com]

> Frustratingly, though, I can't seem to find a way to actually listen to it. Can anyone spot whatever it is I'm missing?

This sounds like my department :) What you missing? What errors are you getting?

[wg.livejournal.com]

'listen again' only works for a week for most shows i'm afraid, which is why you can't hear it - i heard somewhere, i think to do with the proposed open archive of BBC programmes, that it took them a year to clear all the rights to make radio programmes available for a week after broadcast, which seems excessive. But as i listen to almost everything on radio 4 except news that way, i'm very glad.

Anyway.

It began rather unpromisingly, trying not to scare people away from the frightening genre books in what seemed a very patronising way, to me. There was a nice, if very speedy, history of sci-fi for those who know nothing about it, and the interviews and chat was okay, if none of it desperately illuminating if you are already into it.

[hddod.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, what they said. I have access to the archive though. Not that I'd do a thing like that... *cough*

Email me?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

If I could find your email address, I would. It doesn't seem to be in your profile or on your webpage...

My email is sax{at}urchin earth li.

[(Anonymous)]

Mariella Frostrup? Mariella Frostrup? I thought i'd come across some pretty stupendously mind-stretchingly brainfucking stuff in my time, but Mariella Frostrup?

Sounds like a good programme, though.

-- Tom