Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

Some of you may have heard that Colin Harvey passed away suddenly last week. He was more recently published by Angry Robot. I had the pleasure of meeting Colin at Anticipation, the World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal, Canada, in 2009. His book Wintersong was launched there, along with the imprint and the books of my friend, Kaaron Warren and Lauren Beukes. I recall also Andy Remic’s Kell’s Legend may have featured at the launch.

Sometimes you meet someone and they touch you in a way you remember and cherish. Colin was one of these people for me. I didn’t know him well, but I managed to keep in random contact via Facebook and Twitter and he came to have dinner with us when we were in Bath last year.I was very impressed because he caught a bus. We also caught up with him in Bristol, when the lovely Cheryl Morgan organised for us to attend the William Gibson talk.

He was cheerful, gracious, supportive and a lovely man. He was a talented writer. In our talk over dinner and wine last year, we learned a bit more about Colin. Mostly it was that he was happy and doing what he loved. (and surviving on a low income doing what he loved)  He was published with Angry Robot and had another book out, Damaged Time. He had retired from work some time before and was studying creative writing. He was editing an anthology, Dark Spires, with Cheryl Morgan and he lived with his wife Kate.

I read Wintersong after worldcon and wrote a review of it on my livejournal blog.

Here is the text of it:

Winter Song is an sf novel published by the new Harper Collins imprint Angry Robot.

Karl Allman lives in a post human world. His body is augmented by nanophytes and he can interface with artificial intelligence. Its a galaxy where humans terraform other worlds to make new colonies and where there are factions and wars. Karl’s ship is attacked and he crashes to the iceworld of Ishiemur, a failed terraformed planet, inhabited by Icelandic colonists. That Karl survives his spectacular landing is the first amazing thing, then that he survives his injuries is another.

Bera, a young girl, mourning the loss of her new born child, tends to Allman as he recovers. Living in a small community, her pregnancy, has drawn criticism and scorn from the other women in the settlement and her foster father, Ragnar. Icelandic traditions, culture and legends loom large in this colony and as it has been isolated for long in has devolved as well and technology is rudimentary. Scarcity of food and resources is a fact of life for the colonists. Most of the flora and fauna are toxic to humans and Allman is required to work off his debt, the food and care he received while recuperating. For some reason, Allman alternates between being rational and being another person, who the locals name Loki. He is either mad or a seer. It soon becomes apparent that Ragnar is not ever going to be happy with repayment and Allman has to make a choice to escape and send an SOS.

What follows is Allman and Bera’s journey across this harsh world to find a way to send a signal. Ragnar will not relent and the chase is on.

Winter Song is a fairly fast and satisfying read. Allman’s plight and Bera’s drew me in and I found I was fascinated with the relationships Bera manages in her claustrophobic community. As the story unfolds, Bera comes to terms with rape and I think Colin handles the feminist themes here quite well and sensitively. There are things that Bera would like to do and cannot because she is female in a strongly patriarchal society. She is also an intelligent and sensitive character that hides a secret to keep the peace and in doing so injures herself. Winter Song is the story of how Bera finds herself and learns to love. In this sense, Allman is an agent for change. He crashes into the planet and into the lives of the Isheimuri people and that change expands like a snowball rolling down a hill. In some ways, Allman is too indestructible and that can lessen the impact of his suffering and need.

Not all the threads of the story are tied together by the end. Trolls are examined and analysed in a satisfying way, but the legendary shapeshifters disappear from the narrative. Ragmar undergoes a change after much carnage. Yet I think it is Bera that has been most affected.

The Icelandic setting added a layer of fantasy-like dressing, horses, sword fighting and legends and gods and the cultural layers also represent as authentic. I felt that Colin had done his research. The prose style was strong and didn’t draw attention to itself and there was the occasional nice turn of phrase.

I bought Damaged Time and will read it now.

Here are some photos from that fantastic convention in Montreal. Colin with my partner, Matthew Farrer at the book signing table.

Colin and Matthew booksigning

Here is one of Colin, signing book plates. As his book had only just launched there weren’t many people lining up.

Colin signing

And one last one with Lee Harris, Editor, Angry Robot Books.

I’ll remember you Colin. Rest in peace.

Colin and Lee