“Koyaanisqatsi”

Some films haunt you. Films like Koyaanisqatsi. What's that? You've never heard of it? Okay, I'll forgive you. I'd have missed it too, had I not tuned into BBC film critic Barry Norman's regular late night review show back in 1982. Norman's positive critique included an arresting clip from the film showing stunning timelapse footage … Continue reading “Koyaanisqatsi”

Revisiting Cinefex (38): Terry Gilliam

Ready to be enchanted? Then take a look at the front cover of Cinefex #38, which shows the fanciful hero of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) dancing an aerial waltz with the goddess Venus. The two figures are half-scale miniatures, though at a glance you'd swear they were alive. The chap on the back cover is … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (38): Terry Gilliam

Iain Banks 1954-2013

Iain Banks died yesterday, aged just 59. After his terminal diagnosis earlier this year, his final novel The Quarry was fast-tracked by his publishers for a June 2o release date, specifically so he'd get to see it on the shelves. Sadly, the cancer beat him to it, and we lost one of the true greats. … Continue reading Iain Banks 1954-2013

Ten Reasons to Write Science Fiction

"Why do you write science fiction?" It's a fair question, only slightly complicated by the fact that, personally, I tend to write more fantasy than SF. However, if I go down that road, I run the risk of getting sidetracked into the endless debate about what the difference actually is between science fiction and fantasy, … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Science Fiction

Revisiting Cinefex (37): Star Trek: TNG, The Fly II, Oxford Scientific Films

Putting the world's most iconic spaceship on the front cover must have helped shift a few extra copies of Cinefex #37. But wait a second. Isn't that the USS Enterprise from Star Trek - The Next Generation? What's a TV show doing on the cover of a journal that's all about cinematic visual effects? Maybe … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (37): Star Trek: TNG, The Fly II, Oxford Scientific Films

Revisiting Cinefex (36): Dead Ringers, Alien Nation, Die Hard, The Blob

Jeremy Irons playing dead might seem an odd choice of picture for the front cover of a visual effects journal. All becomes clear when you realise this is a still from David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers, a film that both advanced the craft of split-screen 'twinning' and allowed its director to indulge his fascination with 'body-horror' … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (36): Dead Ringers, Alien Nation, Die Hard, The Blob

Solaris Books to Publish “Talus and the Frozen King”

I'm thrilled to announce I've just signed up with Solaris Books, leading UK publisher of science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction, to publish my new novel Talus and the Frozen King. The deal was agented by Dot Lumley of the Dorian Literary Agency. What's that? You want to know what the novel's about? Oh, if … Continue reading Solaris Books to Publish “Talus and the Frozen King”

“HENRi”

Right from the opening voiceover I could tell that Eli Sasich, writer/director of the 20-minute indie science fiction film HENRi, grew up reading the same books as me. Anyone who talks confidentally about positronics and names his female lead Dr Calvin clearly knows his Asimov, and who else but a devotee of Philip K Dick … Continue reading “HENRi”

Revisiting Cinefex (35): Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow

Cinefex #35 contains behind-the-scenes stories on two big films of the late 80s, although both front and back covers feature just one: Robert Zemeckis's milestone marriage of live-action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? While the front is dominated by Roger himself - looking as manic as ever - the back is reserved for his … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (35): Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow

Your Free Writer’s Monologue

Suffering from writer's block? Fed up with that nagging internal monologue that distracts you from the process of writing? Fear not! I've created the Writer's Monologue®, a patent-pending system guaranteed to keep your fingers on the keyboard and your mind on the job. To use the Writer's Monologue®, simply record yourself speaking aloud the script shown … Continue reading Your Free Writer’s Monologue