Talking speculatively

One area of the book world that I’ve not spent enough time investigating is the burgeoning microcosm we call podcasts. The reason for this is pretty simple, I don’t get a lot of dedicated time to listen to things and what I do have is given over to music or audio books. Which is frustrating, […]

2018 Roundup

Time for the annual yearly roundup again and, wow, I have to tell you 2018 was an utter git of a year for achieving those artistic aims. For a variety of reasons, finding the time, energy and focus for writing and music was a struggle. But we all go through those periods and then it […]

The Jackal Who Came In From The Cold

Been a while since I announced some publishing news. You might have been thinking, what’s he doing these days? Lying low? Off on some secret mission or other? Abducted by a foreign power?** Well, I can’t possibly confirm or deny any of those rumours, but I do have a bit of news. I have a […]

Fantasycon 2018

This weekend I’m going to be heading to Chester for the latest instalment of Fantasycon. As always there is a programme full of panels, talks and other events on all subjects relating to the fantastical genres. I had a wee look at it over the weekend, actually, and marked out a few things that I […]

Memoirist price crash!

Hey, folks. For one week only you can get a copy of my near-future SF surveillance state novella, The Memoirist, for absolute buttons because Newcon Press are having an Amazon price crash on selected titles from their novella range. On Saturday, October 13th, the price will crash to £0.99 (UK) / $0.99 (US), but […]

Interviewing: Christopher Priest

Back when I joined the Glasgow SF Writers’ Circle I asked the members, who were clearly much better versed in the genre than I was, for recommendations of authors to read. The suggestions I received formed the basis of an excellent education, both in the history of SF and in my own tastes. I discovered, […]

Like a Satellite

If you’re in the West of Scotland over this weekend and you enjoy Science Fiction, you might enjoy spending a day or two at the Satellite 6 convention being held at the Crowne Plaza hotel. The guest of honour this year is the most excellent Paul McAuley, and it’ll be worth coming along to hear […]

The Importance of Warm Socks

I’m currently coming down from Follycon, the 2018 edition of Eastercon, which was held this year in the pretty (if sodden and sleety) Yorkshire town of Harrogate. I always find Eastercons a revitalising experience as a writer because you’re in place where people are genuinely interested in how you’re getting on. What have you written […]

The FAWM experiment

So, we’ve got to the end of February already and I’m happy to say I managed to get through my first attempt at February Album Writing Month (or FAWM as it’s known – think NaNoWriMo for songwriters) more or less successfully. I say more or less because, while the aim of the challenge is to […]

Some upcoming events

There follows a short round up of some stuff I’m really pleased to be doing over the next month or so: Feb 5th : In the guise of Bert Finkle, with my criminal accomplice Markee de Saw, I’m going to be performing at Spangled Cabaret’s 10th birthday show. Spangled has been a main artery of […]