“Crown of Three” – Epic Collection

It's publication day for the Crown of Three Epic Collection, a box set of the complete fantasy trilogy for younger readers that I've been working on for the past couple of years. Publishers Simon and Schuster call it "a Game of Thrones for a younger audience" and I'm cool with that. The series kicks off with Crown of … Continue reading “Crown of Three” – Epic Collection

“String City” – Coming Soon

January 24, 2019 – put the date in your diary. Why? Because it’s the publication date of my new novel, String City. Huzzah! [UPDATE: Due to dimensional instabilities String City has a new publication date of March 2019.) Yes, I know, it’s months away, but the darn thing’s just popped up on Amazon, which means you … Continue reading “String City” – Coming Soon

Cinefex Diaries – Going Solo

My latest Cinefex story is Heft and Jank, an in-depth article on Pacific Rim Uprising, hot off the press in our June 2018 issue, Cinefex 159. I described the work that went into it in an earlier blog post – check it out here. Even while I was wrapping up the robots and monsters, however, I was … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Going Solo

Cinefex Diaries – Robots and Monsters

The visual effects industry is a global affair, which means that I conduct most of my interviews over the phone, desperately trying to remember which time zone the person on the other end is in. As I set out to cover Pacific Rim Uprising for Cinefex 159, however, I sniffed an opportunity. The majority of … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Robots and Monsters

“Annihilation”

Left to right: Natalie Portman and Tessa Thompson in ANNIHILATION, from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. “It’s making something new.” So says biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) about the alien infestation occupying an area of coastal swampland in Annihilation. ‘Something new’ is exactly what writer-director Alex Garland has delivered, in his adaptation of the acclaimed science fiction … Continue reading “Annihilation”

Cinefex Diaries – Dragons and Porgs

It's a weird feeling holding my shiny new copies of Cinefex 157. Since I joined the magazine staff over two years ago, this is the first issue that doesn't contain one of my articles. That's not because I've been slacking, I hasten to add. I spent a couple of months before Christmas researching and writing … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Dragons and Porgs

Cinefex Diaries – “Black Panther”

I’m excited to report that I’ve spent the first few weeks of 2018 in Wakanda. Actually, my trip to the fabled African nation began just before Christmas, when I started interviewing for my upcoming article on Black Panther, due to be published in Cinefex 158, out April. I have a confession. Before starting work on … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – “Black Panther”

Cinefex Diaries – The Rhythm of Captions

There’s a rhythm to life at Cinefex. No sooner do you get your teeth stuck into a new assignment than the previous one comes knocking at the door again. The new assignment in question is my article for our February issue. The movie I’m covering won’t be released until next year but my copy deadline … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – The Rhythm of Captions

Cinefex Diaries – “The Shape of Water”

Sally Hawkins in "The Shape of Water." Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved. We’re exactly a month away from the December 8 theatrical release of The Shape of Water, the latest offering from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Billed as an ‘adult fairy tale,’ this R-rated fantasy tells … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – “The Shape of Water”

Cinefex Diaries – A Little Homage to “Blade Runner 2049”

https://vimeo.com/239664700 Each time we publish a new issue of Cinefex, I produce a short promo video showcasing the magazine’s cover story, and share it on Facebook, Twitter and whatnot. The videos are frequently (sometimes deliberately) homespun. For issue 148, I got my daughter to paint her hand green and swipe her way through our Star Trek … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – A Little Homage to “Blade Runner 2049”