Tim Major's Blog, page 15

My writing year 2018

This year I wrote about 135,000 new words – more than any other previous year (I usually average around 125k, and in 2017 this fell to fewer than 80k as much of my free time was taken up with moving house, twice). About 85,000 of those words were towards a novel and the rest were short stories plus a couple of pieces of fiction.

I wrote:

Hope Island – novel, in progress (currently 85,000 words) ‘Red Sky At Morning’ – weird short story (2800 words) ‘Throw Caution’ – Mars SF short story (3000...

Favourite albums of 2018

[image error]My favourite album of 2018 is Double Negative by Low. Low are a fine band with a discography built up over 25 years that, while unshowy, must surely make any other band weep. Like the songs of, for example, Leonard Cohen, beneath what may appear like superficial gloominess has always been a beating heart of optimism and beauty. Double Negative is a departure, and my favourite Low album since Secret Name. Alan Sparhawk’s and Mimi Parker’s ordinarily ice-clear harmonies are buried within fuzz a...

Cover reveal: SNAKESKINS

Everyone, look! SNAKESKINS, my first novel for Titan Books, has a(n incredible) cover… It was created by the amazing Julia Lloyd, the book will be released in May 2019, and I am very very excited. See this Barnes & Noble blog post for a little more information about the announcement.[image error]

Machineries of Mercy

My first novel for young adults, an SF adventure called Machineries of Mercy, is out now in the US and Canada, and will be released in the UK on 15th November. It’s published by ChiZine, through their YA imprint, ChiTeen.

See here for more information, a book soundtrack and purchase links.

And today I received my author copies!

[image error] [image error]

Les Vampires (Midnight Movie Monographs)

Yesterday I returned from FantasyCon. From about the halfway point of the convention I started feeling quite overwhelmed – but not in the what-am-I-even-doing-here? sense that I used to feel at such events. This time I was overwhelmed because I felt comfortable, and because the people I was speaking to are no longer intimidating but are my friends, and because those same people are so very, very talented. Each time I looked around at the faces in a reading room, or a panel session, or at the...

My FantasyCon 2018 schedule

[image error]

I’m finally getting around to thinking about my FantasyCon plans. Mostly, those plans involve chatting, but I will have some fixed points in amongst the socialising:

Friday 5pm – PS Publishing launch – My hybrid non-fiction/fiction book about the 1915 film LES VAMPIRES will be available for the first time, alongside other Electric Dreamhouse Press titles by Tim Lucas and John Connolly, AND new PS Publishing books by Ramsey Campbell, Tim Lebbon, Paul Kane, Stephen Volk, Ian Whates and Thana N...

Taking stock

[image error]Now feels like as good a time as any to take stock.

I’ve been writing stories and novels since 2011. Before that point, I liked the idea of writing but put down barely any words – the classic error of waiting for ‘inspiration’. I was an idiot back then.

So now it’s seven years later. I guess that’s quite a long time – my wife and I had two kids during that time. We moved house twice and moved town once. I got a promotion, then quit my editorial day job to go freelance. But on the other hand,...

My four-year-old wrote an SF book

At pre-school yesterday my four-year-old told his teacher that his dad wrote stories, then they looked up some of my books on the class tablet, then he dictated and illustrated his own SF book.

I couldn’t  be prouder.

[image error] [image error]

[image error]

[image error] [image error] [image error]

Publication announcement: SNAKESKINS

So… here’s something I’ve been keeping under my hat for a while:

I’m very pleased to announce that my SF novel SNAKESKINS will be published by Titan Books in spring 2019. Huge thanks to Gary Budden at Titan for picking it up.

Also, a related development: I’m now represented by Alexander Cochran at C+W literary agency.

Here’s a blurb:

Caitlin Hext’s first shedding ceremony is imminent, but she’s far from prepared to produce a Snakeskin clone. When her Skin fails to turn to dust as expected, s...

The Best Horror of the Year Volume 10

[image error]

My contributor’s copy of THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR VOLUME TEN just popped through the letterbox! Having a story included in it is a very big deal for me. I’m very grateful to Ellen Datlow for selecting my Greenland Shark story, ‘Eqalussuaq’, which was originally published in Not One of Us magazine.

You can buy BEST HORROR 10 now from Amazon in a variety of formats: paperback, ebook, audio CD and audio download.

[image error] [image error]