It’s been a bitter cold winter here in London, complete with various nasty illnesses decimating the LabLit nerve center. But I’m happy to report that spring finally seems to be on its way – even though the thermometer still doesn’t reflect it.

I also had eye surgery in the new year, which put a stop to most of my reading endeavors. I did trial out an Audible eBook, and while I enjoyed the experience, I decided that it was just too expensive to carry on. So until my eyes get a bit better, I’m going to be living vicariously through the discussions at the London Fiction Lab book club..

Our most recent piece up at LabLit comes from our regular contributor Anne Burke, who’s been inspired by an interview with Margaret Atwood to muse about the difference between science fiction and speculative fiction that happens to come true some time in the future.

Finally, I’m pleased to report that we’re gearing up for a major upgrade of the LabLit List, going live in March.

In the meantime, I wish you all a cosy, warm and happy ending to this long, cruel, flu-ridden winter! I’d love to hear what you’re reading to survive in good cheer.

Our fiction series The League of Imaginary Cats continues with An attic recluse, a fine flash fiction from Helen-Frances Pilkington – with a rather abrupt ending.

As the cold and grey January trundles on here in our neck of the woods, I hope that everyone is escaping in novels and stories and looking forward to the coming spring.

Well, that was quick: and another year has gone by. Here at LabLit.com, we’re approaching our 13th year of existence, and our 1000th article. It’s hard for me to believe that we’re still going strong, and that interest in the project remains high.

To wit, over Christmas I was interviewed on NPR about a few recently published lab lit books. Most aren’t on the List yet, because we’re still in the process of preparing our Spring upgrade. So consider this broadcast a sneak preview!

In other news, we’ve just published another fine, one-word-titled short story from our fabulous repeat offender João Ramalho-Santos: Statistics. João’s stories always have an autobiographical feel and tend to be steeped in melancholy, but with a humorous edge. Do check it out – and take a look at his back catalogue when you’re finished.

From all of us here at LabLit.com, we hope the new year brings you everything you need and want!

The twinkling lights of LabLit

I’m pleased to report that here in the LabLit nerve center, we are officially off for the Christmas holidays. This means family time, down time, not-thinking-quite-so-much-about-science time. And of course, reading time, at long last.

There are quite a few books on my pile. But at the moment I am devoting all of my spare time to the pre-publication flurry surrounding my own upcoming lab lit novel, Cat Zero. There are galleys to proof, dedications and acknowledgments to write, puffs to solicit, advance review copies to be optimistically posted to various outlets. The big day is 1 February 2018, but the novel can be pre-ordered on Amazons near and far already (UK and USA).

We are delighted today to publish two new pieces on the site. First we have “Geeks at play“, a brief review by our chief lab lit sniffer, Dom Stiles, of some of the main science-y board games. So if you’re strapped for a last-minute Christmas gift for that scientifically-minded loved one, do check it out. And second, we’ve published “Along the edge“, a fantastic flash fiction from Maura Yzmore (the pen name of a professor in the physical sciences at a large university in the US). Her day job, according to her bio, involves “quantum mechanics, dry-erase markers, geeky puns, and lots of technical writing.”

How can you possibly resist? Get in.

From all of us at LabLit.com, have a wonderful and restful holiday season!

What do cats have to do with pH? you might well ask.

Actually, according to Fiction Lab regular Richard Marshall, not a lot. Instead, in “Wyndhams“, he claims that the inspiration behind those coloured pH strips familiar to those of us who have spent any time at all in the chemistry lab was not so much feline, as piscine.

The trouble with lichen is that it all smells a bit fishy.

And I’ll let you into a little secret: ‘Universal Indicator’ was the working title for this series, before we settled on “The League of Imaginary Cats”… for reasons that may or may not become apparent in a few installments’ time.

No cat, but a strange take on various heroes of genetics from Rachel Rodman.

We hope you’ve been enjoying our series that’s not entirely not about cats so far.

There is a cat in the next piece. Who is the cat and what it has to do with anything is not for me to say. But do look out for a rather interesting and whimsical tale (if not a tail) to come.

When the LabLiterati first toyed with the idea of doing “something better“, one of the pressing questions was, naturally, “what can I write about?”

Richard Marshall said I should write “A short poem about n0thing”. I could hear him pronounce the zero.

“A short poem about nothing?” I asked.

“A short poem about n0thing,” he said.

So I wrote a love poem—as I am wont to do—and it’s called “Zero“.

I hope this is what he meant, and that he enjoys it.

Our most recent Editorial says it all – but just to note that we have added 29 new titles to our Lab Lit List and there is a wide variety of science in fiction to check out. So get in!

As winter trundles ever onward and distressing world events tug at our attention, it’s great to have fiction as an escape.

Following on from Alison Frank’s debut story Los Muchachos Observatory, about strange goings-on at a remote mountain-top telescope, we are pleased to present regular contributor Becky Nesbit’s most recent story, A night in Trump Tower. Many scientists leave academic research to take on roles in the pharmaceutical industry, but it’s rare to see a fictional account of the unease that some feel in that role.

Meanwhile, our intrepid curator, Asa, has just filed our near-final upgrade of the Lab Lit List, so we hope to have this published within the week. There are quite a few titles on it, so we are very excited to turn the spotlight on yet more science-in-fiction!