Geoff Ryman – författare

A cult classic in the making. 253 is the novel about everyone you’ve ever met and wished you hadn’t or wished you could again.252 passengers and one driver on the London Underground. They all have their own personal histories, their own thoughts about themselves and their travelling neighbours. And they all have one page devoted to them.Some characters are tragic, some are inspiring, some are mad/proud/foolish/infuriating (delete where appropriate) and some are just like the person near you right now. You’ll meet Estelle who’s fallen madly in love with Saddam Hussein; James, who anaesthetises sick gorillas for a living; and Who?, a character that doesn’t know where, or what, on earth he is. It’s a seven-and-a-half minute journey between Embankment and the Elephant & Castle. It’s the journey of 253 lifetimes…This is the full text of the celebrated interactive novel that startled the Web when it first went on line. Only it can’t crash, the downloading time is quicker and you can read it on the Tube, the train, the bus,, the plane, by foot – even by car, so long as you’re not driving.

A great king brings peace to a warring nation. Centuries later his writings will bring hope to those facing the tragic legacy of modern Cambodia’s bloody history.When archaeologists discover a book written on gold leaves at Angkor Wat, everyone wants a piece of the action. But the King, the Army and the UN are all outflanked when the precious artefact is kidnapped, along with Professor Luc Andrade, who was accompanying it to the capital for restoration.Luckily for Luc, his love and respect for Cambodia have won him many friends, including ex-Khmer Rouge cadre Map and the young moto-boy William. Both equally determined to rescue the man they consider their mentor and recover the golden book, they form an unlikely bond. But William is unaware of just how closely Map's bloody past affects him.The book contains the words and wisdom of King Jayavarman VII, the Buddhist ruler who united a war-torn Cambodia in the twelfth century and together with his enlightened wife created a kingdom that was a haven of peace and learning. His extraordinary story is skilfully interwoven with the tales of Luc, Map and William to create an unforgettable and dazzling evocation of the spirit of Cambodia and her peoples in all their beauty and tragedy.

"One of the sturdiest monuments of 'Humanist' SF" - The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction"Beyond incredible ... a must read, regardless of whether you like sf or not" - Goodreads ReviewerIn a semi-tropical London, Consensus governs. Society is informed by the viruses which people carry. Information and culture, law and politics are now biological functions. Non-conformism is unthinkable. Milena, while resistant to viruses, is one of the most extraordinarily gifted women of her age. She is awakened to the power of music, and with the help of her genetically engineered friends, embarks on a journey to share her creative talents with the world.

"AIR is wonderful...Ryman is a true, graceful writer and this is a novel you move into and inhabit for as long as you can make it last" - Kit Reed"This book constantly surprised me ... great for a lot of seriously original ideas and a deep dive into the consequences" - Goodreads ReviewerMae Chung lives in the rice-farming village Kizuldah, in Karzistan. She's a self-styled fashion expert, guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyle, which makes her an informal village leader.When the UN decides to test Air - a radical new technology that works without power lines or machines - Mae finds herself with the memories of a deceased village elder, Mrs Tung. Struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, Mae works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.Geoff Ryman's triumphant return to science fiction is a powerful, evocative story of information technology in a changing world.

WAS is the story of Dorothy. Orphaned as a child in the 1870s, she goes to live in Kansas with her Aunty Em and Uncle Henry. They face drought and poverty. They face each other. Alone, abused, Dorothy meets an itinerant actor called Frank and inspires a masterpiece.From the settling of the West and the heyday of the Hollwywood studios to the glittering megalopolis of modern Los Angeles, WAS is the story of all our childhoods."Every once in awhile I remember just how f***ing good Was by Geoff Ryman is, and I get all sniffly all over again. I wish more people read it. You should be more people" - Catherynne M. Valente

Stories for Chip brings together outstanding authors inspired by a brilliant writer and critic, Science Fiction Writers of America Grandmaster Samuel R. "Chip" Delany. Award-winning SF luminaries such as Michael Swanwick, Nalo Hopkinson, and Eileen Gunn contribute original fiction and creative nonfiction. From surrealistic visions of bucolic road trips to erotic transgressions to mind-expanding analyses of Delany's influence on the genre—as an out gay man, an African American, and possessor of a startlingly acute intellect—this book conveys the scope of the subject's sometimes troubling, always rewarding genius. Editors Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell have given Delany and the world at large, a gorgeous, haunting, illuminating, and deeply satisfying gift of a book.

"AIR is wonderful...Ryman is a true, graceful writer and this is a novel you move into and inhabit for as long as you can make it last" - Kit Reed"This book constantly surprised me ... great for a lot of seriously original ideas and a deep dive into the consequences" - Goodreads ReviewerMae Chung lives in the rice-farming village Kizuldah, in Karzistan. She's a self-styled fashion expert, guiding the village women in dress, make-up and hairstyle, which makes her an informal village leader.When the UN decides to test Air - a radical new technology that works without power lines or machines - Mae finds herself with the memories of a deceased village elder, Mrs Tung. Struggling with information overload, the resentment of much of the village, and a complex family situation, Mae works fiercely to learn what she needs to ride the tiger of change.Geoff Ryman's triumphant return to science fiction is a powerful, evocative story of information technology in a changing world.

"[Ryman] has not so much created as revealed a world in which the promise of redemption takes seed even in horror."-The Boston Globe "Sweeping and beautiful...The complex story tears the veil from a hidden world."-The Sunday Times "Inordinately readable ...extraordinary in its detail, color and brutality."-The Independent "Ryman has crafted a solid historical novel with an authentic feel for both ancient and modern Cambodia." -Washington DC City Paper "Another masterpiece by one of the greatest fiction writers of our time."-Kim Stanley Robinson "Ryman's knack for depicting characters; his ability to tell multiple, interrelated stories; and his knowledge of Cambodian history create a rich narrative that looks at Cambodia's "killing fields" both recent and ancient and Buddhist belief with its desire for transcendence. Recommended for all literary fiction collections." -Library Journal Archeologist Luc Andrade discovers an ancient Cambodian manuscript inscribed on gold leaves but is kidnapped-and the manuscript stolen-by a faction still loyal to the ideals of the brutal Pol Pot regime.Andrade's friends, an ex-Khmer Rouge agent and a young motoboy, embark on a trek across Cambodia to rescue him. Meanwhile, Andrade, bargaining for his life, translates the lost manuscript for his captors. The result is a glimpse into the tremendous and heart-wrenching story of King Jayavarman VII: his childhood, rise to power, marriage, interest in Buddhism, and the initiation of Cambodia's golden age. As Andrade and Jayavarman's stories interweave, the question becomes whether the tale of ancient wisdom can bring hope to a nation still suffering from the violent legacy of the last century. Geoff Ryman is the author of the novels Air (winner of Arthur C Clarke and James Tiptree awards) and The Unconquered Country (a World Fantasy Award winner). Canadian by birth, he has lived in Cambodia and Brazil and now teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester in England.

Geoff Ryman writes about the other and leaves us dissected in the process. His stories are set in recognizable places--London, Cambodia, tomorrow--and feature men and women caught in recognizable situations (or technologies) and not sure which way to turn. They, we, should obviously choose what's right. But what if that's difficult? What will we do? What we should, or ...? Paradise Tales builds on the success of his most recent novel, The King's Last Song, and on the three Cambodian stories included here, "The Last Ten Years of the Hero Kai," "Blocked," and the exceedingly-popular "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter." Paradise Tales includes stories selected from the many periods of Ryman's career including "Birth Days," "Omnisexual," "The Film-makers of Mars," and a new story, "K is for Kosovo (or, Massimo's Career)." To complement this first full-length short story collection, Small Beer Press is reprinting Ryman's backlist: Was, The Child Garden, and a book of four novellas, The Unconquered Countries, with new introductions to continue to build the readership of one of the most fascinating writers exploring the edges of being, gender, science, and fiction.Geoff Ryman is the author of the novels The King's Last Song, The Child Garden, Air (a Clarke and Tiptree Award winner), and The Unconquered Country (a World Fantasy Award winner). Canadian by birth, he has lived in Cambodia and Brazil and now teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester in England.