New Story at Scarecrow - "Cops"

I've got a new story, "Cops," up at Lee Rourke's Scarecrow. Enjoy..?

Recession Session - fallout

So, the post-quake rumblings from the Recession Sessions slowly die down. You can look at the prepossessing bunch of wordniks who read here (I chose Paul Ewen to illustrate my piece here cos of his sad eyes) or alternatively you can read Sam Jordison's "review" here (although I must warn you that it's mainly about how much his shoes hurt and how much nicer Norwich is than London). You can also read the story I read (and many of the pieces other people read) at Beat The Dust. Whateva.

"Tale" - new story on 3:AM

Another (very) short story up this week, this time over at 3:AM. I am pumping 'em out, though hopefully without any dreadful and catastrophic drop off in quality. Anyway, enjoy...

The Worms - new short story

I have a new short story up at Dogmatika. It's called "The Worms" and, the first time I opened the page, Google had helpfully added an advert for vet services for dogs, hence allaying my fears about the awesome artificial intelligence they are building. Anyway, have a read, enjoy or fail to enjoy, complain vociferously abut the minutes of your life I have wasted. That alone should make it worth your time...

Tony White, Albertopolis & Green Beer

Went to the launch last night of a new pamphlet/book/story which Tony White has written as part of his duties as Writer-in-Residence at the Science Museum. Tony is probably best known for "Foxy T," which is generally considered to be one of the best books ever written about London. He is perhaps less well known for "Charlie Uncle Norfolk Tango" which is one of the best books ever written about ignorant, evil grunt policemen being abducted by aliens. His new story, "Albertopolis Disparu," is a sly and funny little pastiche of steam-punk, taking in Moorcock, difference engines, early telegraphy and the idea of the Listening Post (derived from this excellent installation, in front of which the launch took place and which the story is partly a response to). Five thousand copies have been printed, to be given out free at the Science Museum, but you can also get a pdf of it here. But that is not all (no that is not all). Tony also ran a series of workshops with writers during his residency and four of them read from the work that resulted. I haven't read them in their entirety yet, but the tasters were good and you can also download them from the same place. Ended up going to the pub afterwards, witnessing the horror of green beer and arriving home drunk and hungry. My stomach is a cauldron of regret.

James Lasdun on't radio

It's not often you hear anything that doesn't set your teeth on edge on Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. However, last night I happened to hear a short story called "Annals of the Honorary Secretary," brilliantly read by Bill Paterson. It was superb. You can listen to it here, plus Monday's story. There are also three more to come this week, at 10.30pm each night, or on the same link. The stories are by James Lasdun, who I think I have confused in my head with someone who wrote airport novels about samurai. I don't really know anything about him, but he apparently won the National Short Story Award last year and lives in New York. His new book is called "It's Beginning To Hurt" and seems like it should be worth a look. Though, as he's all over R4 he hardly needs me to tell you that...