Recent News

Zone of Revolting Bricks

31 March 2023 (updated)

I’m delighted to announce that Interzone Digital has published my SF short story, Feet of Clay. (Now free to read!)

If you’ve ever wanted to know how a bunch of sentient bricks foment a revolution, this one is for you!

This is my 54th published story. The wonderful illustration by Richard Wagner evokes the story perfectly.

Dusty Shoreline

19 March 2023 (updated)

I’m delighted to announce that Shoreline of Infinity has published my flash-length short story, Dust Bunnies, in issue 34 of this award-winning Scottish magazine. It is now available to order in print and electronic editions.

If you have concerns about what might happen if you buy a network-ready robot vacuum cleaner, you definitely need to read this story.

Dust Bunnies is my 55th published short story.

Too Late to Vote Early… Still Time to Vote Once!

19 February 2023

If you are a BSFA member and feel inclined to vote for the 2022 Awards shortlist, my story Those We Leave Behind is on the longlist for best short fiction. Read my story here (free, plus it’s quite short). The voting form is here.

Raconteur Supplied

2 February 2023

I’m delighted to announce that the Planet Raconteur team has done an excellent job of producing my third “Reeves” story, Supply and Demand in the Post-War Economy, in audio form. It’s the final item on their recently released podcast (season 2, episode 13), which is free to listen to here. The podcast is also available from other podcast streaming and download sites.

This story was originally published in Daily Science Fiction.

Thanks, Ralan

1 February 2023

Ralan.com has closed, permanently.

If like me you’ve been writing genre fiction for a long time, then you’ll almost certainly have used Ralan.com to research markets. True, I have referred to it much less since services like Duotrope and The Submission Grinder appeared. Nevertheless, for much of my writing life Ralan.com was the go-to website for market information. Some of the publications I found listed there even accepted my stories! So I am immensely grateful to Ralan Conley for all of his hard work over the twenty six years and 57 days he maintained his website.

On Nom Day

21 January 2023

I’m surprised and delighted to learn that Radon Journal’s editors have nominated my story On This Day for inclusion in the Best Small Fictions Anthology (for 2022) to be published by Sonders Press later this year. Although this story was a reprint, the editors have assured me it is eligible because this was its first publication in a journal (as opposed to online).

On This Day was originally published by Nature Futures.

Long is the Joy of Those Not Left Behind

17 January 2023

I’m delighted to announce that my short story Those We Leave Behind has made the longlist for the British Science Fiction Association Awards for 2022. This is only the third time one of my stories has been recognised in this way.

Voting for the shortlist (BSFA members only) closes on 19 February. My story, which was published by Sci Phi Journal, is free to read here.

There are many fine works on the longlist. If you are a BSFA member, please read or view as many as possible before you decide which ones to vote for.