This whopping collection of 53 stories is just over a quarter of a million words long, and explores the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and all the mash-ups in between. It was published to raise money for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the first good reason to buy it. The second […]
Here are some black science fiction and fantasy authors who have influenced me with their wisdom, generosity, inventiveness, and a calm in dealing with cretins online that I do not have – perhaps because as a middle class white Englishman I do not have to. If you haven’t already, please buy, enjoy and then review […]
Here is Ashel 5, grumpy superwoman, penitential antagonist and big-hearted, heavily-armed lunatic. Isn’t she beautiful? I love all my covers, but wanted to go in a different direction with a new heroine. It was also important that the new cover scream science fiction, but in a way we haven’t seen before. The design is by […]
I knew there was a reason I’ve never liked plague sci-fi: it’s because it’s always dull and not really sci-fi. Just substitute the plague for any other calamity and it’s just a set of standard disaster tropes. Plague is a tedious antagonist because it don’t make choices based on opportunities afforded by technology, it simply […]
THE SHORTLIST There are always oddities – Simon Stalenhag’s The Electric State for example. Was it a novel? Did the pictures matter? Did it have enough words? Were we coming up with reasons not to shortlist it because we think we should? The fact was that we all loved it, it used a novel form […]
PART ONE: THE PROCESS I’ve been a fan of the Clarke Award for a long time, having enjoyed both the winning books and those on the shortlists. Not all my favourite books for that year end up shortlisted, but it’s never less than interesting. I’d harboured secret ambitions to be a judge ‘when I was […]
I interviewed F.D. Lee for the BSFA in November, and we covered subjects like how to write time travel fiction properly, climate change science fiction and fact, useful fantasy tropes and how to successfully commercialise your genre fiction. Click here to watch!
I’m an experienced performer and narrator, having worked in theatre, comedy and radio for many years. As a writer myself, I understand the rhythms and cadences necessary to bring your work to life, and have access to a professional studio that will ensure your production meets Audible’s rigorous quality control standards. To get an idea […]
I’ve posted previously about my short Virtual Futures pieces, and included films shot on phones. However, the following links will take you to the same London performances shot with hi-def cameras and sound recording. The performances were part of a series of events exploring the ways technology is influencing society, and included subjects like AI, […]
Distilled from a panel at Hillingdon Literary Festival at Brunel University on Saturday 5 October 2019, devised and moderated by F.D. Lee. Left to right below: F.D. Lee, Andrew Wallace, Kirsten Irving & Suzie Gray Science fiction has always embraced the edge; that liminal creative space where established forms break down and new meanings and […]
Life in Sci-Fi 