Reinventing Space Opera: The Kefahuchi Tract Trilogy & Other Work
Harrison continued to publish short fiction in a wide variety of magazines through the late 1990s and early 21st century. Such tales appeared in magazines as diverse as Conjunctions ("Entertaining Angels Unawares", Fall issue 2002), the Independent on Sunday ("Cicisbeo", 2003), the Times Literary Supplement ("Science and the Arts", 1999) and Women's Journal ("Old Women", 1982). They were collected in his major short story collectionsTravel Arrangements (2000) and Things That Never Happen (2002).
In 2002, his science fiction novel Light (first of the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy) marked a return to science fiction for Harrison after what had been perceived as his long absence at work in 'mainstream' fiction, though in fact almost all Harrison's work contains elements of the fantastic. Light was co-winner of the James Tiptree, Jr. Award in 2003. Its sequel, Nova Swing (2006), won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2007 and the Philip K. Dick Award in 2008.
In 2003 Harrison was on the jury of the Michael Powell Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
In 2006 Harrison published the second novel of the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy, Nova Swing, a knowing crossover between science fiction and noir fiction. As with Light, this novel brought him further acclaim and several awards.
In 2007 Harrison provided material for performance by Barbara Campbell (1001 Nights Cast, 2007, 2008) and Kate McIntosh (Loose Promise, 2007).
He has taught creative writing courses in Devon and Wales, focusing on landscape and autobiography, with Adam Lively and the travel writer James Perrin.
In 2009, Harrison shared (with Sarah Hall (writer) and Nicholas Royle) the judging of the Manchester Fiction Prize.
Harrison's current partner is photographer Cath Phillips.
On 6 June 2009, Harrison wrote on his official blog that he had three major works in progress. These were: "(a) a third Light novel, which will collide A.E. van Vogt with all sorts of other unlikely people". This novel, announced under its working title Pearlant, for publication in April 2012, was published in Aug 2012 under the title Empty Space (which had been a working title for Light, the first of three Kefahuchi Tract novels);
Other work in progress Harrison mentioned on his blog 6 June 2009 included (b) "a collection of short stories, some of which will be voiced in a familiar way, some of which won’t;" and (c) "something I would describe as a literary seaside concept-horror novel if four-word descriptions weren’t a betrayal of everything I stand for…".
Read more about this topic: M. John Harrison
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