re:mote voices

I admit it. I spend far too much of my time as a writer trying to work out what the fuck is going on? How do stories work? Which is why the first notes from the story that became Occupy Midnight are from 2018. I was “working” on a series of stories, all set in the Glasgow area, as is often the case, all featuring witches, as is often the case. I figured I had at least 4 stories, of which there are drafts of a couple of those, and scraps of others. And along the way, I was thinking, there could be an opportunity to combine them, like a bridge novel, or something?

Which is where the idea for “The Midnight Track of the Conference for Witchcraft In The Anthropocene,” came from. The idea of the Midnight Hour for witches, a Conference of Witches, and of course, the undeniable influence of the Anthropocene and related climate change, to collapse, that impacts our lives. Ideas persist, even while I stray, writing other things, getting on with life. Watching covid happen, watching COP 26 arrive at the very venue I planned to set my story in.

The idea did persist, but always felt just a little beyond me. Until late 2022. I’ve been a member of Glasgow’s SF Writer’s Circle for over a decade now. We did an anthology for the 30th anniversary of the group, Thirty Years of Rain, and another to raise money for charity in 2020, Flotation Device – both of which I have stories in. By 2022, we knew that the Worldcon was going to return to Glasgow in 2024, that it was going to take place at the SECC again. So, we decided to do an anthology for 2024.

And with that, I knew I had to write this story. A story set at a conference at the SECC, covering the idea of environmentalism/Anthropocene where COP26 had failed, and the wishful thinking that magic might save us all? I had to write this story and I had to submit for inclusion in this anthology. And so, I had the first version ready for critique by the GSFWC by January 2023. At that point it was called The Midnight Track and was maybe 3000 words.

With a deadline for submittals, for what would become Gallus, of Easter 2023, I took the comments provided by the GSFWC and reworked The Midnight Track. Complete scenes were thrown away, new characters added, a lot of tweaking and shifting towards something. By the time submissions came around it was now called Occupy Midnight, having played with a number of other titles along the way. At this point the story had a map, a timetable, a QR code, and was over 8000 words. To say I had dived into the deep end would be an understatement.

Through the rest of the year we were back and forth, the editors and I, trying to help me find the best version of the story. The story continually mutating, so that actually I wasn’t upset by the loss of the map, etc., they made sense to me in a previous version, but not this version. The closer we got to something special, I remained frustrated on how to pull off the ending. I think we got there. When it could take a fucking miracle to change the world, and with the best magic in the world not being enough, what do you do?

Gallus is a labour of love. I didn’t take this journey alone. As I’ve detailed above, the conversation for this started years ago, each of us coming up with our own ideas, bringing them together for this one anthology. Working together to get the best of ourselves, to celebrate Glasgow, to celebrate genre, to celebrate the return of Worldcon to Glasgow.

Gallus launch at Glasgow Worldcon, Friday 9th August 2024
Gallus open launch at Waterstones, Argyle St, Thursday 29th August 2024
Gallus: Twenty-five stories, a cover by one of the writers that in turn went through so many mutations to reach a joyful end stage, this book exists. Come and get it.

Gallus:
“A Scottish adjective – bold, daring, high spirited.”
Edited:
E.M. Faults, Briain M. Milton, Neil Williamson
Cover:
Jenni Coutts
Contents:
Out in the Sticks - C.J. Henderson
The Tale ae Wee Gwion - Hal Duncan
In The Dry Sea - Philip Raines and Harvey Welles
A Gift and a Curse - Annabel Campbell
Waking Nightmare - Laura Elise Jenkins
Gods of the Deepwood - Cameron Johnston
The Girl Who Cried - Heather Valentine
The Janitor in Black - Ian Hunter
The Grey - PS Livingstone
The Sarry Heid Free Press - Robin CM Duncan
When Greens Grew Legs and Walked Away - T.H. Dray
Flourish - Richard Mosses
The Badger - Ruth EJ Booth
A Most Promising Day - Alan Laird
Pearl and the World - E.M. Faulds
A Shepherd’s Responsibilities - Brian M. Milton
Earworm - Stewart Horn
Set Things Right - Sophie C. Baumert
On the Ocean Wave - Elsie WK Donald
The Pitfalls of Foresight - Don Redwood
A Visitor By Rainlight - Neil Williamson
Wayward Dolls - Jenni Coutts
The Last Captain of Vestelyn - Ewan Lawson
Data Slot 162 - M. Nesce Drake
Occupy Midnight - Peter Morrison