As I contributed one of the 26 stories contained within the covers of this collection, I feel I can only make my comments public here, on my blog. As a reviewer who has signed the True Review Pledge, it would be unethical for me to review it elsewhere. However, I feel I have a right …
Continue reading To Hull and Back 2015 Anthology, Edited by Christopher Fielden, Reviewed.
This novella, a mix of fantasy and soft science fiction, is a romance set in a dystopian society. Told from the points of view of the male and female leads, it manages to get inside both characters and express the experiences, emotions and thoughts of each. The book is one of a series set in …
Continue reading To Buy a Wife, by KC Klein, Reviewed.
Novelist, playwright, journalist, writer of fact, or simply a 'writer'? I'll bet, whatever your specialism, you’ve at least been tempted to try your hand at that gem of creativity, the short story. I’m not going to go into definitions, since theories suggest the short story is anything from 6 to 20,000 words. For me, a …
Continue reading Short on Success?
A short while ago, I entered a short story into a contest. As usual, I then forgot all about it. A few days ago, I received an email to tell me my story, whilst not a winner, had been shortlisted and was to feature along with 25 others. It’s a collection of humorous stories written …
Continue reading Featured in a New Anthology.
This short book is a mix of fantasy and soft science fiction that works well. It paints a picture of a world both disturbing and intriguing. I suspect that the author will, or maybe has already, feature the world in further fiction. It certainly has potential. The story moves the main character through a learning …
Continue reading The Ships of Aleph, by Jaine Fenn, Reviewed.
And what a weekend it was! I first mentioned it in an earlier post, find it here. This was the second fantasy/science fiction convention I've attended. Both events were organised by my amazing publisher, Dan Grubb of Fantastic Books Publishing. The first was in Hull, last year. This year's event took place in the Country …
Continue reading A Weekend at #FantastiCon 2015.
This book, as the subtitle suggests, is the beginning of a story. For me, it is, as with so many 'books' in the current market, not what I understand to be a book. It's a scene setter. It follows a marketing technique that's been used in other industries for years but one I feel is …
Continue reading The Island (Part 1), by Michael Stark, Reviewed.
My publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing has published my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain in a limited edition hardback version alongside the digital version. The book, all copies of which will be signed by yours truly, is due for launch tomorrow, 24th October at Fantasticon 2015. See the previous blog post, here, for full details …
Continue reading Launch of The Methuselah Strain in Hardback
What is it? It's a different kind of fantasy/scifi/gaming convention open to anyone and everyone with an interest in these popular topics. A place to take part, rather than simply a market place (though there are things to buy for those who want them, of course). And if you're a Dr Who fan, you'll find …
Continue reading Fantastic Fantasticon 2015:
Fantasy embraces many styles, subjects and themes. This short is a great example of what can be done when a writer has imagination. It's a piece with charm. Amusing, insightful, and caustic, it pokes fun at the idea of leaders. There's some repetition, and one or two small editing faults, but these are easily forgiven …
Continue reading The King of Fools, by M.R. Mathias, Reviewed.
Many writers welcome the sharing of ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies and other questionable writing devices. But, reading this and nodding wisely in agreement won't do. We need …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 03.
This is a science fiction short based on the Oolite space trading game. No, I'd never heard of it, either. But you don't need to be familiar with this created Ooniverse to understand and enjoy this clever tale. It's a multi-layered piece, with many themes, in spite of its brevity. But it can also be …
Continue reading Nine, by Drew Wagar, Reviewed.
Modern readers may find this short novel too wordy, which is a shame, as it's a well-told story. But it is undeniably written in the style of its age, with a good deal of description and not a great amount of action. The central characters are all very fully drawn and their interactions are beautifully …
Continue reading The Man Whom the Trees Loved, by Algernon Blackwood, Reviewed.
Many writers welcome the sharing of ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies. (I had hoped someone perspicacious might point out that the first post title in this series used …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 02.
Here it is: the hardback print version of my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain. All copies will be signed. Dan Grubb, owner of Fantastic Books Publishing, suggested we launch this at the great fantasy/scifi event, Fantasticon 2015, in the region where I was born. It takes place over the weekend of 24/25 October in …
Continue reading The Methuselah Strain in Hardback.
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Antidote to the Novel
Stuart Aken 