Shadows of the Apt

It hasn't actually taken me a week to get over Sci Fi London's convention atmosphere (1), but, here I am, and it appears to be May. That means a new story soon, but more of that later.   It was a cracking weekend. Both panels went tolerably well, and I made at least a valid pretense of saying something intelligent. My favourite […]

So this weekend is Sci Fi London's grand convention, which is looking exceptionally interesting, even without yours truly actually having a couple of spots there. Apparently there are tickets and other business about the panels, so if you are interested, best to go to their site and sort something out. On the Monday afternoon, at around 4, […]

Adrian Tchaikovsky's Amazing Circus of Self-obsessed Rambling. Well now. From the 29^th April to the 4^th May Sci Fi London are holding their eighth great big SF convention. It promises to be one hell of an event, with all manner of games, films and discussions from every corner of the hobby. Frankly, look at the programme and […]

I probably won't be able to keep up this kinden per month business that much longer, not because I'll have run out of kinden (several million left to go) but because it's an artificial restriction on the content of stories. I'll still pop back for the odd showcase, and more art from David, however. This […]

Another perspective on the Twelve-year War, starring the Roach-kinden Sfayot. This story has two influences: Conrad's Heart of Darkness (and Apocalypse Now that followed it) and the track "Mercutio's Death" from the 2^nd soundtrack volume (i.e. the primarily score volume rather than the song album) to Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, which only goes to show how […]

There are small city-states of Bee-kinden in surprisingly many places. They are a quiet, industrious people who do their best not to trouble their neighbours. Bees work tirelessly for Spider overlords in the south, and cling to the inhospitable western coast. Most of all, however, Bee-kinden are slaves of the Empire. They are an Apt people, […]

Possibly the oddest Shakespeare quote, out of context. Well, I did claim this to be Bee month, and it appears the Daily Mash agrees with me, with this article. The final paragraph about bees and wasps seems particularly appropriate. For the curious, this is a send up of a genuine news study, reported here. Viva insect superiority!

Because, every so often, I feel I should show that my geekery goes beyond RPGs or fantasy literature. There are plenty of links on this, within the somewhat clannish corridors of palaeontology, but I choose for reference this one. To declare, in tones of astonished wonder, "a Devonian anomalocarid!" is unlikely to prompt any great response, apart perhaps […]

Somewhat disjointed owing to the fact that I'm knee deep in the Blood of the Mantis (or at least its edits) at the moment, but nonetheless. This month is nominally National Bee-kinden month, and I have some more art from the talented David Mumford here.  However, as a very special treat, the story this month is the […]

This is a première for the Shadows of the Apt site: the very first guest writer's story. This month I give to you The Scent of Tears by Keris McDonald, who writes: "Keris McDonald is an established genre writer with 5 books to her name … Just not in this genre. And not her real-life name either, actually. She was […]