At long last: The Cyber Puppets!

Have just this second bought the brand-spanking squeaky new Kindle edition of Angus McAllister’s The Cyber Puppets from Brain In A Jar. For me this is where ebooks come into their own, making available books that for whatever reason previously missed their chance. I first ordered The Cyber Puppets – I don’t know – ten years […]

More on the muse

Reading back yesterday’s thoughts on Hal’s marvellous muse post, there’s the possibility that readers might see an implied criticism along the lines of being too precious about one’s “art” when a professional writer should be more concerned with seeing to the requirements of one’s “business”**. Obviously, that’s not what I meant. Not at all. Every […]

The trained MonkeyBrat

Just read on Hal Duncan’s blog possibly the most accurate and entertaining description of muse-wrangling and dealing with so-called writer’s block Every Committed To The Page**, and it delighted me almost as much as the awesome news that he’s finally finished TESTAMENT. There is SO much truth in what Hal says. It is *most* true […]

Novels, and me

Following this morning’s reading post, I had a nice twitter conversation with Juliet McKenna about how one of the greatest skills a novelist can learn is to hide their Grand Plan sufficiently to make the characters’ actions seem naturalistic throughout the book. You’re saying: “of course it is, that’s obvious!” I know you are. And […]

January reading

Kicking off last year’s monthly feature where I attempt to jot down some notes on what I’ve enjoyed reading-wise during the month. During February and March I’m going to attempt read the BSFA shortlisted novels, but January’s selection was a bit more of a lucky bag. The Sword Of Rhiannon by Leigh Brackett – a […]

Neilogism of the day

Hal Reads

Hal Duncan fans who’ve been missing their fix lately (I hear he’s busy writing a novel!), might like to click over to youtube and watch the arch word scamp himself reading from his recent story “Styx Water And A Sippy Cup”. (Hey, I think I spot one of the Pinata Of Apocalypse in the background […]

Celebrating The Return Of Unusual Genitals – Welcoming Brain In A Jar

Really pleased to hear about the launch of Brain In A Jar ebooks, a new venture by SF novelist Gary Gibson. The ethos behind the company is much the same as that for Infinity Plus books, to bring out of print writing back into public view. Gary’s dusted off his skills as a graphic designer […]

The Situation

Several years ago, at a convention, I went down for an early breakfast with one of the books I’d bought during the weekend. The breakfast was huge, which was just as well because the book completely captivated me. Read it until the toast was soggy and the tea cold. The book was PS Publishing’s edition […]

Well Loved

I know I’ve mentioned this before but there was a definitive moment in my life when I made the decision to try writing fiction. A moment, a place, a time. A story. I remember it with absolute clarity. It was 1990-91 and I was living in Shepperton. Sharing a house next to the film studios […]