Stephen Gallagher's Blog, page 6
April 24, 2019
Chimera ARC Prize Draw
The random retweet picker has laid its blessing on Kulvinder Gill and Øddli, God of Snacks for the CHIMERA paperback ARCs.
They'll be sent out as soon as the address details are in via Twitter DM.
They'll be sent out as soon as the address details are in via Twitter DM.
April 15, 2019
Easter Promotion
Selling the backlist has diverted me from banging the drum for the historical novels, but now's my chance to correct that. Here's an ebook promotion for the coming Easter weekend:
On Friday April 19th (Good Friday), for ONE DAY ONLY, the Melody James novella will be available as a FREE DOWNLOAD.
Then on Saturday 20th the ebook price of The Authentic William James will drop from £5.75 to £0.99.
At 1pm on Sunday 21st, Easter Sunday, the price will rise to £1.99.
On Easter Monday it will rise again, to £2.99, finally returning to the regular price on Wednesday the 24th.
Melody James: More information about the novella Melody James: the ebook
The Authentic William James: more about the novelThe Authentic William James
And details of all Brooligan Press titles can be found at www.brooligan.com.
On Friday April 19th (Good Friday), for ONE DAY ONLY, the Melody James novella will be available as a FREE DOWNLOAD.
Then on Saturday 20th the ebook price of The Authentic William James will drop from £5.75 to £0.99.
At 1pm on Sunday 21st, Easter Sunday, the price will rise to £1.99.
On Easter Monday it will rise again, to £2.99, finally returning to the regular price on Wednesday the 24th.
Melody James: More information about the novella Melody James: the ebook
The Authentic William James: more about the novelThe Authentic William James
And details of all Brooligan Press titles can be found at www.brooligan.com.
Talking Point: Chimera
My pal and sometime collaborator Malcolm Brown was sorting out some old VHS tapes and came across this, an off-air recording of an ITN News studio discussion between Dr Bob Williamson and me. John Suchet was in the chair. The year was 1990 and the occasion was the screening of my ITV miniseries based on the novel.
We talked about my culpability or otherwise in sensationalising emergent gene therapy and I pled guilty, but with purpose. In a three-decades-on esprit d'escalier what I might have concluded was that we both wanted the same thing - Bob didn't want to see his science abused, and neither did I. Lively though it was, it was a discussion without acrimony and I believe we parted on good terms.
I was subsequently asked to argue the case again, in an event organised by the Wellcome Trust; there the post-event discussion in the hotel bar would lead, eventually, to the creation of pro-science drama Eleventh Hour.
I'd never seen the clip before. Didn't want to know how much of a dork I might seem on TV.
But I don't care what anybody says, I had GREAT HAIR.
(Apologies for the sound. If a better clip emerges, I'll switch it in)
We talked about my culpability or otherwise in sensationalising emergent gene therapy and I pled guilty, but with purpose. In a three-decades-on esprit d'escalier what I might have concluded was that we both wanted the same thing - Bob didn't want to see his science abused, and neither did I. Lively though it was, it was a discussion without acrimony and I believe we parted on good terms.
I was subsequently asked to argue the case again, in an event organised by the Wellcome Trust; there the post-event discussion in the hotel bar would lead, eventually, to the creation of pro-science drama Eleventh Hour.
I'd never seen the clip before. Didn't want to know how much of a dork I might seem on TV.
But I don't care what anybody says, I had GREAT HAIR.
(Apologies for the sound. If a better clip emerges, I'll switch it in)
February 22, 2019
Gollancz Gateway
I'm happy to announce that the good folk at Orion Publishing have acquired my ebook backlist for their Gateway imprint, with title releases taking place over the next few weeks. It's a move that will considerably widen availability across platforms beyond Amazon to include Apple, Google Books, and Kobo.
You can find all the titles listed with their respective release dates on the Gateway author page here.
First up, these two:
And March 2019 will also see publication of the Brooligan Press paperback edition of Chimera. More details and a link soon, but for now, here's a preview:
You can find all the titles listed with their respective release dates on the Gateway author page here.
First up, these two:
And March 2019 will also see publication of the Brooligan Press paperback edition of Chimera. More details and a link soon, but for now, here's a preview:
February 16, 2019
Casting the Runes: Sci-Fi Bulletin Review
"The original was chilling enough; what’s done with it here ratchets that up considerably. 10/10"Click here for the complete review on Sci-FiBulletin.com
December 31, 2018
Casting the Runes
If you're still waiting for this, so am I; the plan was for a December Audible release but it's been pushed to early in the New Year. I can't tell you any more than that, but I can tell you this; I've heard the finished show and I'm really happy with the way it's turned out. Just look at the headliners in our powerhouse cast:
Anna Maxwell Martin, Reece Shearsmith, and Tom Burke in Casting the Runes
If you need to scratch your Jamesian itch while you're waiting, Neil Brand's 15 Minute Drama adaptations of five M R James stories are available on BBC Sounds until January 18th. And if it's the straight text you want then Audible itself carries several Casting the Runes readings, most of fine quality.
So, what do we bring to the table? A new and contemporary take on the story is something I've been wanting to tackle for some time, and when Simon Barnard at Bafflegab Productions offered me the opportunity, I went for it.
The idea had been cooking for a while. I've always been a fan of Night of the Demon, in which Bennet and Tourneur brought the tale forward in time to a '50s setting to produce a remarkable movie and a classic of the genre. There's an underlying power in the story that doesn't only survive translation, but energises the retelling.
I revisited the film before I tackled the script (one of the joys of the job, and you get to call it research). But that was for the sole reason of ensuring that I took nothing from it.
I was there for the day of the recording in West London. It went well. If you want to know anything further, you'll need to give it a listen.
(You can read about Audible's free 30-day trial at audible.co.uk; if you leave Audible you get to keep your purchased material, so technically you could get the download for nothing. When I signed up last year it was to get hold of Adam Roche's remarkable podcast series The Secret History of Hollywood , only to find that Audible-exclusive podcasts are bundled in with your membership at no extra charge. So I got my free stuff and stayed to graze, on items like Bafflegab's own award-winning production of Blood on Satan's Claw; which is why such offers make commercial sense, I suppose.)
As soon as I get that firm release date, I'll post it here and on Twitter.
(Cast photo by Lisa Bowerman)
Anna Maxwell Martin, Reece Shearsmith, and Tom Burke in Casting the RunesIf you need to scratch your Jamesian itch while you're waiting, Neil Brand's 15 Minute Drama adaptations of five M R James stories are available on BBC Sounds until January 18th. And if it's the straight text you want then Audible itself carries several Casting the Runes readings, most of fine quality.
So, what do we bring to the table? A new and contemporary take on the story is something I've been wanting to tackle for some time, and when Simon Barnard at Bafflegab Productions offered me the opportunity, I went for it.
The idea had been cooking for a while. I've always been a fan of Night of the Demon, in which Bennet and Tourneur brought the tale forward in time to a '50s setting to produce a remarkable movie and a classic of the genre. There's an underlying power in the story that doesn't only survive translation, but energises the retelling.
I revisited the film before I tackled the script (one of the joys of the job, and you get to call it research). But that was for the sole reason of ensuring that I took nothing from it.
I was there for the day of the recording in West London. It went well. If you want to know anything further, you'll need to give it a listen.
(You can read about Audible's free 30-day trial at audible.co.uk; if you leave Audible you get to keep your purchased material, so technically you could get the download for nothing. When I signed up last year it was to get hold of Adam Roche's remarkable podcast series The Secret History of Hollywood , only to find that Audible-exclusive podcasts are bundled in with your membership at no extra charge. So I got my free stuff and stayed to graze, on items like Bafflegab's own award-winning production of Blood on Satan's Claw; which is why such offers make commercial sense, I suppose.)
As soon as I get that firm release date, I'll post it here and on Twitter.
(Cast photo by Lisa Bowerman)
December 22, 2018
THE SPIRIT BOX 2-day promotion, free download
From midnight to midnight (Pacific Time) over Sunday December 23rd and Monday 24th, you can download The Spirit Box from Amazon at no cost. Zilch. Zero.
Update: extended to the end of Christmas Day, December 25th.
Click here for your region's Amazon link or scroll down and click on 'Buy the ebook'.
“The finest British writer of bestselling popular fiction since le Carré … Gallagher, like le Carré , is a novelist whose themes seem to reflect something of the essence of our times, whose skill lies in embedding those themes in accessible plots.”—The Independent
Rachel's in trouble. She's a ticking bomb. A couple of co-workers bullied her into stealing a radical new drug from their employer, and now it's lodged inside her. They're watching her like hawks and her time's running out. John Bishop runs security for the company; as a father who once lost a teenaged daughter to an accidental overdose, his drive to hunt down the thieves and rescue their victim grows more intense with every lost minute. He can never bring his own child back. But he can save someone else's. Then his superiors realise that if the swallowed package bursts and Rachel dies, their secrets are kept safe and their problem goes away. Though Bishop's on the trail, he's an easy man to cut loose and discredit. But now he's Rachel's only hope.
"Gallagher's hardboiled style is pitch-perfect for the tale's grim events, but he leavens it with dislocating moments of powerful emotion that draw the reader irresistibly to the characters. The novel packs a wallop that should make an impact on fans of both suspense and horror fiction."—Publishers' Weekly
“Stephen Gallagher has carved a highly individual niche with his distinctly psychological approach to the genre.”—Yorkshire Evening Post
“His prose is clear and diamond-sharp, his imagination dark and vivid... a terrifying walk along the edge of nightmare.”—Time Out
“One of Britain's most exciting writers of literate, nerve-shredding thrillers.”—Starburst
“Perhaps the finest contemporary British thriller writer.”—GQ
“Gallagher has quietly become Britain's finest popular novelist, working a dark seam between horror and the psychological thriller.”—Arena
Buy the paperback
Buy the ebook
The Spirit Box Stephen Gallagher Paperback: 292 pages £7.99 Publisher: The Brooligan Press (7 Nov. 2017) Language: English ISBN-10: 0995797374 ISBN-13: 978-0995797376
Update: extended to the end of Christmas Day, December 25th.
Click here for your region's Amazon link or scroll down and click on 'Buy the ebook'.
“The finest British writer of bestselling popular fiction since le Carré … Gallagher, like le Carré , is a novelist whose themes seem to reflect something of the essence of our times, whose skill lies in embedding those themes in accessible plots.”—The Independent Rachel's in trouble. She's a ticking bomb. A couple of co-workers bullied her into stealing a radical new drug from their employer, and now it's lodged inside her. They're watching her like hawks and her time's running out. John Bishop runs security for the company; as a father who once lost a teenaged daughter to an accidental overdose, his drive to hunt down the thieves and rescue their victim grows more intense with every lost minute. He can never bring his own child back. But he can save someone else's. Then his superiors realise that if the swallowed package bursts and Rachel dies, their secrets are kept safe and their problem goes away. Though Bishop's on the trail, he's an easy man to cut loose and discredit. But now he's Rachel's only hope.
"Gallagher's hardboiled style is pitch-perfect for the tale's grim events, but he leavens it with dislocating moments of powerful emotion that draw the reader irresistibly to the characters. The novel packs a wallop that should make an impact on fans of both suspense and horror fiction."—Publishers' Weekly
“Stephen Gallagher has carved a highly individual niche with his distinctly psychological approach to the genre.”—Yorkshire Evening Post
“His prose is clear and diamond-sharp, his imagination dark and vivid... a terrifying walk along the edge of nightmare.”—Time Out
“One of Britain's most exciting writers of literate, nerve-shredding thrillers.”—Starburst
“Perhaps the finest contemporary British thriller writer.”—GQ
“Gallagher has quietly become Britain's finest popular novelist, working a dark seam between horror and the psychological thriller.”—Arena
Buy the paperback
Buy the ebook
The Spirit Box Stephen Gallagher Paperback: 292 pages £7.99 Publisher: The Brooligan Press (7 Nov. 2017) Language: English ISBN-10: 0995797374 ISBN-13: 978-0995797376
December 20, 2018
Seriously, eBay?
I reckon Putin's people must have hacked eBay and now they're trolling me. I searched for a nice old hardback copy of Boris Pasternak's counter-revolutionary classic Doctor Zhivago, and now when I log in these are my literary 'recommendations':
The map puzzle book is the hardest to explain, unless it's an unsubtle message for me to 'get lost...'
But then you can always rely on family for support.
The map puzzle book is the hardest to explain, unless it's an unsubtle message for me to 'get lost...'
But then you can always rely on family for support.
November 28, 2018
Doctor Who, Season 18 on Blu Ray
The 'as-yet unscheduled' limited edition Blu Ray release of Doctor Who season 18 is now on the schedule for a February 2019 UK launch. It includes a feature titled The Writers' Room, filmed in a secret location (okay, it was a rather fine pub in Stoke Newington) where Chris Bidmead, Andrew Smith, John Flanagan and I got together for a summer afternoon of chat and Who memories.
Andrew has described the get-together as a highlight of the year, and I entirely concur. If you enjoy watching it half as much as we enjoyed making it... well, then I guess we'll have had twice as much fun as you.
Other new bonus features include commentary tracks with Tom Baker on The Leisure Hive, and Lalla Ward and Rachel Davies on State of Decay, both moderated by Matthew Sweet, while Warriors Gate gets a surround sound mix masterminded by sonic supremo Mark Ayres. Along with the new material comes the stuff previously compiled for the DVDs.
Oh, and I expect there are some shows on there as well.
And while I've got you here, don't forget this:
Pre-order the Blu Ray Set
More on the Audio Novel
Andrew has described the get-together as a highlight of the year, and I entirely concur. If you enjoy watching it half as much as we enjoyed making it... well, then I guess we'll have had twice as much fun as you.
Other new bonus features include commentary tracks with Tom Baker on The Leisure Hive, and Lalla Ward and Rachel Davies on State of Decay, both moderated by Matthew Sweet, while Warriors Gate gets a surround sound mix masterminded by sonic supremo Mark Ayres. Along with the new material comes the stuff previously compiled for the DVDs.
Oh, and I expect there are some shows on there as well.
And while I've got you here, don't forget this:
Pre-order the Blu Ray Set
More on the Audio Novel
November 22, 2018
Yeah, it was the 'Sixties
Blagged my way into all kinds of places. Can't remember much of what I got up to but I'm sure I had a good time
