The Positive Side of Rejection

If the writing business is famous for one thing it's the rejection letter. Despite having eight published novels under my belt and two more under contract, plus a handful of short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, I continue to have work rejected on a regular basis. Rejected by my wife, who tells me … Continue reading The Positive Side of Rejection

Locus reviews “Best Horror”

Congratulations to editor Ellen Datlow on another positive review of The Best Horror of the Year Volume One, this time in the December issue of Locus. According to the review: "The 19 horror stories and two poems Datlow has selected as her top picks for 2008 are as eclectic a mix as the contents she … Continue reading Locus reviews “Best Horror”

“Moon” — Intelligent Ideas and Neat Twists

I finally watched Moon on DVD last night. Very glad I did. Director Duncan Jones has been true to his old-school influences (Silent Running, Solaris, 2001, Alien et al) yet created something genuinely fresh and thought-provoking. At the heart of the movie is Sam Rockwell's stunning performance as Sam Bell, sole operator of a lunar … Continue reading “Moon” — Intelligent Ideas and Neat Twists

Plotting the Novel

I'm plotting three novels at once and it's melting my brain. In a good way, of course. The best way really, because in some ways plotting is the most exciting part about writing fiction. At this stage of the game, anything goes. To explain, I'm between books in a ghostwriting project that's taken up most … Continue reading Plotting the Novel

The Author Trail

You know how it goes. You read a book by an author you never read before, get hooked and then find yourself following their trail forever after. It's a kind of literary stalking. We've all done it. There's no shame. The Author Trail has three distinct paths. First there's the Backlist Path. This is where … Continue reading The Author Trail

Green Man Reviews “Best Horror”

There's another great review for The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One, edited by Ellen Datlow, this time over at The Green Man Review. All the stories in the anthology get a mention. Here's mine: "Graham Edwards's "Girl in Pieces" is a SF-myth-noir mash-up about a P.I. investigating the murder of a young woman … Continue reading Green Man Reviews “Best Horror”

“Best Horror” Reviewed in Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly has posted an excellent starred review of Ellen Datlow's The Best Horror of the Year 1. Here's an extract: "After 22 years of pulling the horror content for the now-discontinued Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series, Datlow (Lovecraft Unbound) goes solo with this stellar start to a new “best of” annual. As in … Continue reading “Best Horror” Reviewed in Publishers Weekly

“Fever” — The Demonic Dressing Gown

One of my earliest adventures in fantasy film-making was the epic Fever, made in collaboration with my friend Phil Tuppin. It was a four-minute horror movie made with a Standard-8mm clockwork camera and entered for the BBC's Screen Test Young Film-Makers of the Year competition. And, yes, it actually got broadcast in the Highly Commended … Continue reading “Fever” — The Demonic Dressing Gown

“Ran” — A Samurai Fantasy

I just watched the DVD of Ran, Akira Kurosawa's epic reimagining of Shakespeare's King Lear. It occured to me (between marvelling at Kurosawa's crystal-clear storytelling, epic staging, beautifully defined characters and jaw-dropping art direction and cinematography) that for the average western audience, the Orient is pretty close to being an fantasy environment. No coincidence, then, … Continue reading “Ran” — A Samurai Fantasy

“Lightning” — A Six Word Story

For another of my occasional pieces of flash fiction, check out my latest zombie blink-and-you-miss-it story at Six Word Stories: Lightning strikes graveyard. Defibrillation occurs. Run!