Children's Express journalists review what's on offer at the 2001 Belfast Festival at Queens.
| The intimate atmosphere made it easier to listen, to ask questions and to talk. |
Just because you write well doesn't necessarily mean that you will speak well.
And when two of the most accomplished Science Fiction authors in Britain meet to compare minds (BT Talks, November 2) what you don't expect is a humorous and intimate discussion of the genre.
But the philosophical personality of Stephen Baxter contrasted perfectly with the sharp streetwise wit of Paul McAuley.
Paul McAuley, author of the Confluence series, and Steven Baxter author of the Manifold series, both started out writing short stories and are now full-time novelists.
They also share a scientific background. Both are educated to PhD standard and worked in science before turning to books full-time.
But that is were the similarity ends. The authors' style is as different as the books they say inspired them to write in the first place.
Baxter revealed himself at the start to be a Jules Verne fanatic while McAuley is more of a Philip Marlowe man.
There was no particular agenda to the evening and the next two hours flew by as the authors' answered questions in a laid back style.
The intimate atmosphere made it easier to listen, to ask questions and to talk - for both the audience and the writers.
When asked about the emotional content of sci-fi books, Baxter was quick to reply he felt that the genre had matured over the years.
Gone are the days of one-dimensional characters he said. People are now more interested in the realism of events he said.
McAuley said he'd been working hard to develop characters and had taken inspiration from Elmore Leonard.
Neither McAuley or Baxter show any sign of slowing down their writing careers - their upbeat enthusiasm for the subject remains as vital as ever.
Their shared enthusiasm derives a lot from their science days. Like writing a PhD, each book requires a lot of research, something which Baxter says he relishes.
Both men base their fiction on science fact, the difference being they get to play with the future which has always been Baxter's lure to the genre.
Of course they did end with hints and tips for budding authors, McAuley stays in the mind the longest - like the start of the universe, always, start a book with a bang.
About the team
This article was produced by Chris McCartney, 15. It was published on the Belfast Festival website.
