The editing process usually takes place behind closed doors, but at The Butcher’s Shop – a regular event hosted by Bad Idea magazine – the chopping and changing comes into the open, as an editorial team goes through amateur short stories on screen in front of a live audience.
The latest do, Future Human, has a rather SF theme, focusing on transhumanism – the process of modifying the human body with technology. The guys behind it say it “will explore the utopian possibilities of the human body, and how and why science fiction is rapidly being overtaken by science fact”, so the possibilities should be wide. The first half of the evening will be spent editing a couple of short stories based on the event’s theme. But it’s not all about watching short stories being pulled apart as the second part of the night will feature a discussion of the transhumanist topic with top writers Cory Doctorow, Gwyneth Jones, Ian Watson and Matthew de Abaitua.
The event takes place at the Old Operating Theatre in London on Thursday 10 September between 7-9pm, and tickets (priced at £12) can be bought here .
If you fancy putting your own transhuman story forward for submission, you have until the deadline on Thursday 3 September. You need to send it to info@badidea.co.uk – remember, it must be under 350 words long, and be based around the theme of making technological modifications to the human body. The best two will be edited live on the night, and the best five will receive a limited edition poster featuring artwork commissioned especially for the event.
