Writing

The Roads

Short though The Roads is, it began as what briefly seemed like the start of something far longer about how things might have developed differently after World War One. So, you can trace the origins of The Summer Isles back to this story, if you wish...

Song of Time

I’ve recently finished my latest novel. Unlike my two previous works, Song of Time’s not an “Aether” novel, and covers the lifespan of a woman — a concert violinist named Roushana Maitland — born near the start of this century, who lives through many strange and changing times to witness the end of it. The book deals, amongst other things, with life, death, resurrection and the afterlife, as well as love, music, and the existence of god, or gods. If that sounds ridiculously ambitious, I think you’ll find the end result is as quietly mysterious as it is wildly apocalyptic. Think Daphne Du Maurier meets J G Ballard at the same crossroads where Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil. This extract from the start of the book might give you a better idea…

Tirkiluk

This is one of my favourites amongst my own stories. It’s been split into two parts here for speed of loading.

Alternate Londons

This article first appeared in The Independent. Of course, The Light Ages itself, and, to a somewhat lesser degree The House of Storms, are my own small contributions to this distinguished sub-genre.

Old Maps of Hell

This article, which originally appeared in Interzone, looks at "New Maps of Hell" by Kingsley Amis.

Me and the Mushroom Cloud

As our current obsession with the terrorist threat grows, my thoughts have returned to the heady days when all we worried about was the end of the world.

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