Tim Flanagan's Blog, page 7

Philip Marlowe – Typical Hardboiled Detective

Today’s post is about Raymond Chandler’s detective Philip Marlowe. In a lot of ways the stereotypical detective was a big influence in my character Lawrence Pinkley, but, far from being “hardboiled”, Pinkley is the complete opposite. Two sides of the same card. And that gives the opportunity for humour to come from “larger than life” criminals,… Read More

Bacterial Evidence of Life on Mars – Meteorite AH 84001

Space is fascinating. Is there life on other planets? In The Moon Stealers series the whole story is based on the possibility of bacteria from another planet arriving within the core of a meteor and growing to become the dominant species on Earth. But how far fetched is this? Well, it’s not impossible… Mars is… Read More

Circus Freaks – When Two Become One

A couple of weeks ago I released an article about some incredible humans that, despite their disabilities have managed to achieve some amazing things. And, that’s the basis for my latest book, The New Savants – humans who were not conventionally normal. This week I’m taking a look at two pairs of conjoined twins. Modern… Read More

The Day of the Triffids

A different type of blog post today – I want to tell you about a book that inspired me as a child and still inspires me as an adult. In some ways this book was ahead of its time in genetic modification and the impact it can have on the human race, and I recommend you… Read More

London’s Secret Spots

My latest book, The New Savants, is based in London, a city with a wealth of history and intrigue. Here’s an interesting bit of research about 5 different secrets you might not know about England’s capital city. As Britain’s capital city, London is always a hustling, bustling centre of entertainment and culture. The popular places… Read More

Circus Freaks – Unexpected Talent on Display

Whilst writing The New Savants I undertook some research into humans who were not conventionally normal. I truly believe that the human body is capable of much more than we give it credit for – people who have “superhuman” abilities including photographic memories and telekinetic powers. But, one of the other things I came across was… Read More

Whitby – A Small Town with a Big History

For those of you who enjoy the comical antics of teenage detective Lawrence Pinkley, you will know that his crime-busting adventures are largely based around Whitby. Whitby is a small fishing town on the north east coast of England. Here’s some other interesting facts about it: Whitby is a maritime town and historical port located… Read More

Nitrogen Breathing Animals – Single-Celled Animals that will Survive at all Costs

As a writer I try and provide some sort of possible reasoning behind my stories – I feel it makes them more realistic and plausible and the “what if” factor is a great thing to leave with a reader long after they’e finished the book. So that the bacteria that arrive inside the meteor in… Read More

Doors to Other Worlds – Possible Transportation to another Place and Time

In the series “The Moon Stealers” I use the concept of teleportation through a door into a parallel world. But how realistic is that? Well, you may be surprised to find some people take it very seriously. In 1931, Charles Fort, an American researcher into anomalous phenomena, began making reference to teleportation spaces and places… Read More

King Arthur – ‘The King that was and the King that Shall Be’

King Arthur is the subject of many legends and stories that have survived throughout the ages. The king became an influential leader during his reign in the 5th century, gaining the title ‘The One True King of the Britons.’ This was because the kingdom he left behind believed that he would return to defend the… Read More