More than half of Brian Aldiss’s autobiography deals with his childhood at
boarding schools and his war years in Burma, and their effects on him: “. . .
why, I was hardly fit for human society. Thus destiny shaped me to be a
science-fiction writer.” The Twinkling of an Eye is an often humorous, often
painful, but always fascinating and beautifully written account of Aldiss’s life
as a writer and critic, and more revealingly as a son, comrade, friend, lover,
husband and father. Published by Little Brown, £20, ISBN 0316647063.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Long covid reveals the harm of one-size-fits-all medical treatment
Leader

Mind
What to read this week: The 21st Century Brain by Hannah Critchlow
Culture

Space
Ann Leckie continues to shine with new sci-fi novel Radiant Star
Culture

Comment
Is an AI version of Mark Zuckerberg – or any boss – a good plan?
Regulars
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
100-year-old assumption about the universe may soon be overturned
2
Thought-provoking photographs capture what it feels like to have ADHD
3
Weird 'transdimensional' state of matter is neither 2D nor 3D
4
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
5
We may finally have a cure for many different autoimmune conditions
6
The bombshell results that demand a new theory of the universe
7
Simple treatment tweak drastically reduces blood loss from severe cuts
8
Largest-ever octopus was great white shark of invertebrate predators
9
Why dinosaurs lived much more complex lives than we thought
10
How I pay almost nothing to power my house and electric car