How am I supposed to think of new science fiction ideas when the rain effectively prevents me from charging up the hills and long tours? It’s rained every day for two weeks, which is refreshing and reduces air pollution and pollen counts – yippee – except that wet roads = bike slipping, reduced visibility for car drivers to see me, and uncomfortable bike clothes. Oh well, if it wasn’t raining I’d probably find myself on one of the 10 most dangerous roads in Britain. Data released today tell us which they are and I discover that I’ve ridden my bike on 6 of them!!!!! The A54 from Congleton to Buxton is a high level twisting road in the Pennines. I’ve cycled it both directions a few times to reach the Youth Hostel in Buxton. I suppose I must have been lucky or skillful in timing my cycling to avoid the commuting rush hour and nighttime, both of which are the dangerous times. It didn’t occur to me it was so dangerous or I might have had to keep looking behind me for those mad drivers!
At least all this rain has given me time to add extra thousands of words to my science fiction novel Exit, pursued by a bee. I might keep that title after all, at least as a working title. As Neil Marr commented to me with regard to titles for his BeWrite Books published books, if a title matches another book, play or film then searches for one can throw up the others in mutual benefit – swings and roundabouts. The only concern is that it sounds a bit too comical for a serious-ish book. Owen Handford suggests that since the main theme concerns time decoherences then that could be in the title. Well it would make it unique! In one scene a character sings ‘Singing the decoherence blues’, so that could be the title – except it too is rather comical. Funny how some book titles come really easily and others refuse to emerge.
