The Embedding is a first-contact novel that centres on linguistics Ignatiev/Getty Images The Embedding Ian Watson, Gollancz The acclaimed British science-fiction writer Ian Watson, author of more than two dozen novels, died this April. His fame may have faded over the decades, but his debut novel The Embedding was greeted with acclaim when it was published in 1973. The Spectator declared it “the most spectacular thing in science fiction since the outstanding Solaris by Stanisław Lem”. Watson’s later work, both sci-fi and fantasy, included novels relating to Warhammer 40,000 games and a stint developing the script of A.I. Artificial Intelligence with Stanley Kubrick. To my embarrassment as a reviewer of sci-fi, I had never heard of Watson until his death and I decided to put that right, starting with his debut, which remains the best-known of his novels. The Embedding is a first-contact story that centres on linguistics. Chris is running an experiment on children in a British research institute.…