It is with great sadness that Bristol Review of Books reports the untimely passing away of Keynsham-based Science Fiction writer Colin Harvey who suffered a stroke in late August.
Colin had two novels published by Angry Robot (Winter Song and Damage Time) and was the editor of Future Bristol, a collection of short stories from local science fiction writers. His writing and editing credits are extensive, and whilst mainstream success eluded him it was surely just a matter of time. Making the timing of his passing all the sadder.
Colin worked at Unilever for over 20 years, his finest hour being the man responsible for launching Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in Iceland. In 2007 he became a freelance writer and reviewed science fiction for Strange Horizons, and served on the Management Committe of the Speculative Literature Foundation.
A popular member of the Bristol Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, it was whilst at one of these meetings that he decided that Bristol should have its own Science Fiction and Fantasy convention. As co-founder Joanne Hall recalls ‘He was the inspiration behind BristolCon. I say inspiration; he suggested it over several pints in the Commercial Rooms, then sat back and grinned at the chaos he had wrought’.
Colin was also a mature student at Bath Spa University which was where I met him. We worked together to get Colin’s journalism published outside of science fiction and we had some success too, but it is a rejection from The Lady magazine that I will remember the most. Colin always pitched high, which speaks volumes about Colin’s sheer bloody determination (his first novel had 72 rejections), but also his eternal optimism and his devilish sense of humour. We laughed at the reply which said his piece wasn’t ‘suitable for publication in The Lady’.
I would also mock Colin about his obsessive compulsion to record his writing and studying time in spreadsheets. In actual fact I loved this as it shows incredible dedication to his craft. He would often clock up sixty plus hours of studying for his creative writing degree. He had just completed his second year and was well on his way to graduating with a first degree and was planning on joining the MA. I used to tell him that he would be teaching himself one of these days, something he never quite believed, but I am certain that he had the passion and drive to make a difference to younger writers.
One of Colin’s many friends was fellow science fiction writer, Gareth L Powell ‘Colin was a much beloved figure on the local and national SF&F scene. He was also a good friend, and I will miss his friendship and his counsel’.
Colin’s enthusiasm and dedication to writing, as well as his rants against local bus services, will be sorely missed.
In July Colin posted an entry on his blog (www.Colin-Harvey.com) entitled ‘An Unsatisfactory Ending’, the opening paragraph of which seems almost prophetic now.
‘One of the drawbacks of real life when compared to the tidy plotlines of story, is that it refuses to be shaped into any kind of ending, let alone the uplifting ones beloved of Hollywood. When it’s the lives we’re living, where does one fade out, run the credits and play the epic power ballad?’
Colin leaves behind wife Kate and dog Alice.
