To Buy a Wife, by KC Klein, 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 …

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Launch of The Methuselah Strain in Hardback

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 …

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Fantastic Fantasticon 2015:

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 …

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Nine, by Drew Wagar, Reviewed.

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 …

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Science Fiction in Print

A short announcement. The dystopian science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain, will soon be available in print form. Copies will all be signed. This is a limited print run, so you'll need to get your order in quickly. The book isn't launched yet, but you can pre-order by clicking on this link. More on this …

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Monster of the Apocalypse, by C. Henry Martens, Reviewed.

This dystopian science fiction novel grips from the start. Set in the not-too-distant future, it portrays a world devastated by plague. The few inhabitants left alive display all the emotions, characteristics and personality types that exist in the real world, so it's easy to empathise with the players here. The story is different from many …

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A Renewed Regime.

Way back in 2014, that's last year in case you're not sure, I was writing fairly regularly and working on a couple of projects. But, in the middle of that year, we made a momentous decision: we would move house from our domain of 14 years and settle in an area of the country where …

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The Prey, by Andrew Fukuda, Reviewed.

This science fiction novel was found in the small library of the hotel where I holidayed on the Greek Island of Thassos. Although this is the middle book of a trilogy, it stands quite well on its own. The depictions of both a world strangled by the genetic mistake of a fanatic and a sub-society …

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Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro, Reviewed.

Discovered in the small hotel library whilst holidaying on the Greek island of Thassos, this book was one I'd always intended to read. I'm glad I did. It's an imaginative, moving and subtly horrifying romance about organ donation based on the use of clones. Told in 1st person by Kath H, it begins by recounting …

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Do Androids Dream, by Maureen Turner, Reviewed.

Science fiction romance with a different sort of premise. This book tells the story of a frustrated and downtrodden woman whose life is altered forever when her uncaring husband brings home an advanced android for her to teach idiomatic English. The characters are well realised; the android is especially well drawn, which is quite an …

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Like Being on TV; only Different.

Yesterday, 10th June, I spent an hour in live conversation online with Sally Ember. Sally is a writer and writing tutor who has ventured into the world of Google+ Hangouts in a way beneficial to readers and writers. She invites writers to share their thoughts with readers in her weekly show, Changes. I choose to …

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Live Online, Talking Books, Fiction, and Much More

Tomorrow, Wednesday 10th June, I’ll be live online in conversation with author Sally Ember, Ed.D on her talk show at *Changes*. It’s not so much an interview as a chat between authors and bloggers, covering topics of mutual interest. We’re both interested in writing in different genres, especially science fiction and speculative fiction, as well …

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Diamond Rain, by Michael Gallagher, Reviewed.

This is science fiction by an author who knows how to tell a story. It’s a complex thriller with elements of the spy genre coupled with a background romance and set in a not-too-distant future on an Earth where nanotechnology has developed in frightening directions. The characters are all well drawn and totally credible. Settings …

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For All Kindle Lovers.

It takes a little while sometimes. Fantastic Books Publishing put my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain, into their store at the beginning of this week and placed it into the hands of Amazon at the same time. I removed my old self-published version, since the new edition is improved and enhanced. After a period …

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Running and Writing for ME/CFS no. 31

Running: Wednesday, I was due a 10-minute easy run and trotted through the village, covering just a little more distance than the last time. Friday was a 15-minute run, but the morning had been disrupted by a delivery and we then spent the afternoon in the garden, laying paving stones, so I was too knackered …

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