Judith Barrow has given me the chance to talk about the place where I grew up and to entertain everyone with a joke. If you don’t groan, you’re not human. Thanks, Judith
Category Archives: history
The Cold Dead Hand of the Written Word
The pen is mightier than the sword. There is an element of truth in that. The moment words are written down, they somehow acquire a power that can be quite overwhelming, as if they instantly become Fact. “I read somewhere…” “The newspaper say…” “Look, it’s written here in black and white…” Written words can beContinue reading “The Cold Dead Hand of the Written Word”
History, Legend, Myth and a Broken Obelisk
There have been many occasions when I have seen or heard something, a single image, that immediately inspired a potential story. There’s the ruined cottage two fields down from my garden. There’s the dark lane I used to walk along, coming home from Junior School, where all sorts of unpleasant people might be lurking. There’sContinue reading “History, Legend, Myth and a Broken Obelisk”
Illustrious Ancestors
One of my ancestors was made a freeman of the borough of Pembroke. I know this because it’s recorded in his parish register. Now what I know about people being granted the freedom of the borough is that it is a significant honour reserved for those who have done something of great value to theContinue reading “Illustrious Ancestors”
Tales my Great Aunt told me. 2: fame and infamy.
My colourful great aunt in Cardiff passed on many tales about my Welsh family, and I quickly concluded, even as a child, that they were mostly fairy tales. Her stories did not begin with “Once upon a time,” and end with “They all lived happily ever after.” They were more hints, a word or sentencesContinue reading “Tales my Great Aunt told me. 2: fame and infamy.”
A Shadow on the Lens – Sam Hurcom
Originally posted on Crime Cymru:
This week Sam Hurcom gives a taster from his excellent debut novel – a gothic, wonderfully dark tale. This extract has been taken from my first gothic crime novel, A Shadow on the Lens, published by Orion in 2019. The novel follows Metropolitan police special investigator and forensic photographer, Thomas…
War, Law and Survival
My latest Science Fiction book, Making Waves (sequel to Inside Out), came out last months and, like Inside Out, it’s an adventure story, focussed on a handful of characters, with a bit of humour and some hopefully thrilling action. But underneath all that, it’s a story of claims to territory by a superpower armed withContinue reading “War, Law and Survival”
Tales my Great Aunt told me. 1: rape and high treason
This post has been moved to my other blog for non-literary matters. Find it here.
Location, Location: Devil’s Acre
I’ve spent a lifetime researching my family tree. It was never in the hope of finding an aristocrat, statesman, general or explorer among my ancestors. I just wanted to connect with generation upon generation of ancestors, probably all ditch-diggers and swineherds, who had clung on through thin and thinner, back into the mists of history.Continue reading “Location, Location: Devil’s Acre”
Style, Design and the Future
How futuristic does futuristic science fiction have to be? How do we imagine our descendants will be living, five or six generations down the line? Judging from science fiction on films and TV, we do appear to be convinced of one thing – that doors will be a very odd shape in the future. Personally,Continue reading “Style, Design and the Future”
Thorne Moore 