Shadows of the Apt

Slightly delayed, owing to technical difficulties (1), here is the second kinden short story, telling the tale of a Spider-kinden freebooter cut loose in the occupied Commonweal. (1) translation: I'm rubbish.

One of the reasons I’m so in awe of Gene Wolfe is the amount of very scholarly debate inspired by his work. Now, I’m not in his league when it comes to utterly, intricately baffling (1) writing, but hola, what’s this? Following the review at Eve’s Alexandria (an extended version of the earlier SFX magazine […]

In the "kinden" section (and also in the Art section) there's a new piece by David Mumford showing the Spider-kinden in their glory, and this will soon be complemented by a piece of original fiction that follows one such devious individual on a journey through the war-torn Commonweal. Spider-kinden don't make much of a showing in Empire in Black […]

There were just plain punks, of course. Still are, probably, if they can sufficiently distance themselves from Vivian in the Young Ones. The iconic hair and attitude are memes that has survived the actual subculture's descent into the voracious jaws of commercialism (1). Especially the attitude, and the curious legacy it left in the nomeclature […]

Because that's the point, after all. Stormtroopers with faces would be creepy. You might have to think a bit before you mowed them down in swathes. Because you've got to have orcs, right? Or insert your alternative — urgles(1) or cultists or zombies, demons, in short — minions. Dread legions of mindless (and most often useless) […]

My nefarious influence is slowly spreading throughout the net! (1) Patrick from Fantasy Hotlist has an interview here (2) which I encourage all right thinking party members to go see. Meanwhile, James at Speculative Horizons has picked up on some peculiarities with the cover of book 2 here — and he's right. The cover that he posts is the […]

Just a brief post. I promise a full scale rant in the near future, probably as a much-threatened sequel to this post (1) However, whilst out trawling the net (2) I came across this very informative little piece by James Long of Speculative Horizons. Fantasy authors who don't read fantasy. What is one to think? Now, as I hope that I've made […]

A new picture has gone up in the Art section, this by the very talented Daisy Abbott. The digital people at Macmillan are just setting up an email for the site, but thereafter I will be taking submissions for further book-based art, so any artists, or friends of artists, out there, watch this space. In other news, […]

Religion and Belief amongst the Kinden   They have no gods. This is the first thing. To the certain knowledge of the Lowlanders there are no insect churchs, no spider-priestesses or weevil-popes. Oh, perhaps there are savage peoples at the very edge of civilisation, ekeing out a living in the harsh places that history has left […]

Off indeed. My monster has now torn itself free from its bindings and, energised by the electricity of publication, is rampaging across the countryside, wholly beyond my control. Let us see what devastation it enacts. I'd like to thank (1) everyone who turned up at the booksigning in Reading. I hear we shifted a goodly number of […]