Watto’s Wisdom by Ian Watson

Book Review

Pauline Morgan

Once upon a time, SF conventions were smaller and there were less of them. It was possible to know, or at least recognise most of the attendees. They were places where writers could meet their readers and hang out with them in the bar. Many of the writers started out as fans and were happy to produce articles for fanzines. Often these pieces of writing were forgotten unless a dedicated fan kept them. With some writers dedicated fans/academics have, after the author’s death dedicated themselves to searching out every single bit of their output regardless of quality. One is reminded of the multiple volumes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s scribblings collected together after his death for publication.

            Ian Watson has been a fan and acclaimed author a very long time, and he is still alive. He attends cons and supports fannish endeavours. In 1953 the Trans Atlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) was created to send a fan to a World or Easter Con across the Atlantic, the direction alternating. It is still going and the funds are raised within the fan community. The proceeds from the paperback sales of this book, Watto’s Wisdom, are destined for the fund.

            Watto’s Wisdom is a selection of Watson’s non-fiction writings from 1977 through to 2021. They cover a range of topics, the best of which are anecdotes of people and places. ‘Plumbing Stanley Kubrick’ relates the offbeat working relationship Watson had with Stanley Kubrick during an attempt to create a script for the film A.I. based on Brian Aldiss’s short story ‘Super-toys Last All Summer Long’. Though the film was finally produced by Spielberg, it was largely Watson’s script with concept illustrations by Chris Baker (better known as Fangorn). Watson’s friendship with John Brunner is celebrated in two pieces. ‘A Personal Appreciation of John Brunner’ from 2002 and ‘A Truly Generous Chap’ from 2012.

            As an enthusiastic con-goer, Watson has been a speaker at a number, sometimes as the Guest of Honour, such as at Yorcon II the UK Eastercon in 1981 reproduced here as ‘Believing SF’ and following his journey from child reader to SF author. He is particularly fond of Eurocons, which have allowed him to visit places on the Continent and meet with fans who perhaps wouldn’t have been able to visit the UK or America. On several occasions, he gave a talk as an impersonation of H.G. Wells, complete with Victorian dress. ‘H.G. Wells in Timişoara’ is an entertaining piece (as it was intended to be) in which Watson is not afraid to mock himself. Articles encompassing his travels give tantalising glimpses of the places he has visited and the characters that have made the experiences memorable, such as in the ‘fictionalised’ account on ‘A Daffodil Jacket, or the Misadventures of Sebastian in Kyiv’

            People often want authors to talk about their work and inspirations. ‘The Journey to Chekov’ relates the kind of research Watson did during the process of creating his novel Chekov’s Journey. ‘One Finger at a Time’ considers the problems writers faced before computers became essential tools.

            In his time, Watson has been active in the political arena, standing (and losing) for the local council. Some of these pieces have a political slant, and interestingly, it is easy to see how attitudes haven’t changed in the decades since he wrote them. There are philosophical articles here as well, and reviews.

            Since the span of these writings is decades, it is inevitable that there are some things referred to more than once, showing the importance the memories have been in shaping Watson’s career, such as the nodding ostrich in the shop window forever drinking from a glass. In some ways, Watson is that ostrich, forever drinking from fandom and being refreshed by it.

            This is a book well worth having to dip into, giving insights into the mind, beliefs, and enthusiasms of a respected SF author. There is an ebook available, but by purchasing a print copy, you would be supporting the fandom that Watson believes in and brings us readers closer together.