“Fire City: The Interpreter of Signs” – Review

Demons walk among us, feeding off our misery. But we cannot see them. To us, they are ordinary human beings. To them, we are their next square meal. That's the premise of Fire City: The Interpreter of Signs, the feature directorial debut of Tom Woodruff Jr, an Academy Award-winning creature-maker whose track record includes films like Aliens, Predator … Continue reading “Fire City: The Interpreter of Signs” – Review

“Talus and the Frozen King” Sneaks into the ALA

I was delighted to discover today that I’ve got an honourable mention on the American Library Association’s list of the year’s best genre fiction for adult readers. While the “Mystery” category was won by Ashley Weaver’s Murder at the Brightwell, you’ll find my neolithic detective novel Talus and the Frozen King sitting proudly in the … Continue reading “Talus and the Frozen King” Sneaks into the ALA

“Interstellar”

Make no mistake, Interstellar is a big film. Big ideas, big images, big heart, all driven by the big ambitions of writer/director Christopher Nolan. Interstellar relies on what might, in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, have been a too-familiar series of science fiction tropes (doomed Earth, maverick ex-pilot, the perils and wonders of space). … Continue reading “Interstellar”

“Rusalka” – Free Short Story

Rusalka is a reimagining of the traditional Russian myth of the water nymph, or mermaid, of the same name. Depending which version of the legend you consult, Rusalka herself is variously an undead spirit, a lost soul, or a seductress bent on revenge. When you've read this short story, you'll know which aspect of her character appealed to me most. If … Continue reading “Rusalka” – Free Short Story

“Ear Wax Picker”

The earliest models of humanoid robot were so desperately primitive that they were unable to pick out their own ear wax. Hence this retrofitted device, which did the job for them. When I started drawing this latest piece of Birotech, I imagined it was some kind of futuristic hyperdrive. Then, halfway through, I tweeted a questions asking people to … Continue reading “Ear Wax Picker”

Revisiting Cinefex (Almost) Illustrated

In their original form, my Revisiting Cinefex articles, reviewing the first 40 issues of the classic journal of cinematic illusions, were just plain text. They contined no images except for the cover of the issue under discussion. Once I'd concluded my retrospective odyssey, I broke the articles into headed sections (one for each movie) and set myself the task of … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (Almost) Illustrated

“Talus and the Frozen King” – First Draft VS Final

At what point does homage become pastiche? That's the question I came up against when I wrote my Neolithic murder mystery Talus and the Frozen King. While the novel is unashamedly inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories about Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes, I was determined that my tale of ancient crime and punishment … Continue reading “Talus and the Frozen King” – First Draft VS Final

“Limb”

Here's another doodle in what I like to think of as my "Birotech" series. Why the funky name? Because I draw them with a Bic biro. It's called "Limb" for no other reason than that it looks to me like some kind of robot arm. Maybe. The truth is, I've no idea what it is, … Continue reading “Limb”

Construction Kit Junkie

When I was eight years old, I became a shipbuilder. The ship I built was the RMS Mauretania. It wasn't the actual ocean liner, you understand, but a 1:600 scale plastic kit made by UK model manufacturer Airfix. The kit had been a gift from a kindly relative and, despite having no particular interest in … Continue reading Construction Kit Junkie