Category Archives: fiction

Literature Long Read: Utter Dismemberment in House Of Leaves

There is a very strange and small subgenre of literature that is so esoteric and self-reflexive that conventional attempts at categorisation seem to be powerless to define it. The Norwegian academic Espen Aarseth, in attempting to define the outer limits of literary potential made possible by advances in electronic media, noted such texts as ergodicContinue reading “Literature Long Read: Utter Dismemberment in House Of Leaves”

Creativity in orderliness

Continuing my thoughts on the nature of the creative personality from last week, I’ve been considering how creativity can stem from orderliness. I believe it’s worth diving into these topics, because it’s well accepted that we are creatures of narrative. We all respond to the power of narratives and storylines when they are well toldContinue reading “Creativity in orderliness”

Literature Long Read: You Better Watch Yourself

In the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill 2 the titular character Bill, played by David Carradine, delivers a withering critique of Superman, saying that Clark Kent – a clumsy, skittish, slightly nerdy and shy figure – is Superman’s critique on the human race; that that personality is what’s needed to fit in. It’s a flawedContinue reading “Literature Long Read: You Better Watch Yourself”

Guest blog: On Narcissism, by Stephen Palmer

To celebrate and promote the launch of his new novel Monique Orphan Stephen Palmer is currently doing a blog tour, and has kindly dropped by here on his travels around the blogosphere. Stephen recently recorded an episode of Chronscast, and amongst other things we got onto the topic of narcissism. An ancient personality trait –Continue reading “Guest blog: On Narcissism, by Stephen Palmer”

November Roundup

November was very busy! The SFF Chronicles podcast, Chronscast, continues to get ready for our January launch, and we recorded another episode at the back end of November. This second episode was with the lovely Jo Zebedee, author of the Abendau Trilogy and Inish Carraig. We discussed Klara And The Sun, which I wrote aboutContinue reading “November Roundup”

Literature Long Read: Service with a Smile in Klara And The Sun

One of the great things about being a fiction writer – or any sort of artist, I suppose – is that we have the ability (one might almost say the obligation) to present the world not in terms of scientific logic but in terms of intention, orientation, motivation, and choice. But we still have toContinue reading “Literature Long Read: Service with a Smile in Klara And The Sun”

The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapters 10 & 11

This week, I’m publishing a double-header of the final two chapters as I bring this novella to a close. Last time, Antonios was confronted with the true nature of the terror sleeping in the deep, awoken by the folly and nihilism of others. Now, in the endgame, Antonios tries to make good his escape fromContinue reading “The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapters 10 & 11”

The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapter 9

After coming to the terrible realisation that the dire events that have played out in the archaeological dig are mirroring the ancient fate of the Giants, who were doomed by their own hubris, Antonios ploughs on through the darkness for answers, and meets somebody he does not expect, in terrifying circumstances. I inched along theContinue reading “The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapter 9”

The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapter 8

Last week two terrible catastrophes befell the dig party. As the survivors survey the wreckage of the calamity, Antonios tries to find his friends among the rubble, and as he has a violent confrontation he comes to a terrible realisation of what links the history of the Giants to the tragedies afflicting them in theContinue reading “The Gigantomachy Of Antonios Costas, Chapter 8”