Sci-fi’s impact on the mainstream is surely stronger than it has been for a long, long time – but let’s hope that the in-depth characterisation that elevated the SF of yesteryear isn’t sacrificed on the altar of beautiful surfaces. Take the mega-success of Squid Game, the survival-game dystopia with a strong anti-capitalist theme that has, ironically, […]
It’s always a good day out, of course, but it’s a particularly great time to visit Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre in Cheshire at the moment. Crisp weather and few crowds make for a relaxed, unhurried and still relatively socially distanced experience, and the grounds surrounding the radio telescope are also showing off the winners and commended entries […]
Need to focus on writing while ambient and electronic sounds wash over you? Here’s my go-to Spotify playlist… stick it on shuffle for minimal vocals, maximum dreamy ambience, SF-themed electro, synthwave, headphone electronica and more. I’m a science-fiction writer, so there’s a broad theme of space and futuristic SF stuff running through my selections. When […]
Dystopian fiction just became even harder to write today, as reality upped its game considerably with Amazon’s announcement of the Astro domestic robot… This 20lb, two-foot-tall domestic surveillance droid is designed to offer its owners “peace of mind” – ‘in exchange for you handing over every last scrap of you and your family’s privacy forever’, […]
Settle down people, because this month has been all about waiting out the countdown to the release of Aliens: Fireteam. I think it’s excellent, delivering exactly what it says on the tin. You’re one of a three-person team (preferably multiplayer for best experience) comprising character tropes from the Cameron film, the vibe of which it nails from the […]
Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers is my favourite SF story. Day by day, its main thesis – that we’ve all been replaced by emotionless simulacra who look, sound and think alike – becomes less of a sci-fi idea and more of a prediction. An example: a number of podcasts I’ve heard recently featured authors arguing about […]
Here’s the latest in what’s becoming something of a series of recommendation posts, offering my latest picks from internet space-radio specialists Soma FM’s Groove Salad and Deep Space One channels – always my preferred pick for ambience when I’m writing. It’s also the kind of stuff I imagine that Avion pilot Vonya of Ok’cuu from […]
I’ve been working my way through the much hyped and then equally maligned Cyberpunk 2077 on PC of late – it’s another of those sitting-at-a-time type open-world type games I like to pick up, play for a few hours and put down again, and I thought it was worth a few words. I’m also going […]
I can’t overstate the importance of some decent background tunes when I’m working – they just help me tune out the distractions that bit more and generally oil the gears of whatever I’m up to. Over the last year or two my go-to for new sounds has become Soma FM, who offer commercial free, completely […]
Everyone has at least one zombie novel in them, or so the saying goes. Here’s mine… My Time As A Shadow is a brand-new near-future dystopian survival thriller, out now to buy on Amazon. The background… I’ll read, watch or play anything with a zombie in it. But as well as the thrill of the […]