I’m conscious that there are a lot of empty spaces on this site right now. The HATER and AUTUMN series are all but finished (though not quite) and the serialisation of TRUST is well underway, but other than that I don’t seem to have many updates to share with you right now. That’s largely because I’m working on a number of new projects, and there’s not a lot to tell about any of them just yet. In any event, I thought I’d give you the barest of details to try and whet your appetites and keep your interest. It also might explain why I’m not around here as much as I’d like.
In no particular order then, here are the projects I’m currently planning/writing/developing/working on…
17 DAYS
A brand new novel which I hope to have written by the end of September. Those of you who’ve been following me for a while might remember MARK THANE – an aborted serialised novel from 2005/6 (I think). 17 DAYS takes the germ of Mark Thane’s story and beefs it up by adding a few healthy dollops of social breakdown and urban terrorism into the mix. It’s actually broader in appeal than anything I’ve written before, I think, and I love it.
THE SPACES BETWEEN
A five (and a half) book series set in a dystopian future not too far removed from today’s reality. Greg Dawson is an armed social worker and one of the few remaining people who still genuinely gives a damn about anyone else. Many of the social and political problems we’re facing today have continued to fester, and the UK has become a dangerous place to live (unless you’ve got power and/or money, and 99% of the population have neither). Dawson’s work brings him into contact with the extremes of the social spectrum, and a series of diverse cases results in him uncovering things no one should have to face. There’s a rumour the world’s going to end soon, but that’s the very least of Dawson’s problems. This one’s going to take a while to see the light of day – it’s an intricate story, so all the individual books have to be fully mapped out before I start writing. With a little luck, I’ll be writing the first book in the series – tentatively titled TOMMY – in early 2013. Think CHILDREN OF MEN meets QUATERMASS, and you’ll start to get an idea of the direction I’m taking with this one.
STRAIGHT TO YOU
I’ve been really pleased with the reception TRUST has had, so I’m going to continue the resurrection of Infected Books by dusting down and re-writing my debut novel from 1996. The plan at the moment is to have the book reworked by early 2013, and to serialise it next year in the same way I’m currently serialising TRUST.
STRANGERS
A quick, dark and dirty horror novel. A really nasty little number. As close to a vampire novel as I’m ever going to get (with absolutely no fangs, capes or sparkly teens). This book is currently being scoped out with a view to (hopefully) trying to bash it out at speed in 2013.
AUTUMN: THE HUMAN CONDITION
Pretty much all of the stories which made up the original release of THE HUMAN CONDITION are now available online at www.lastoftheliving.net. But there’s more… new stories were written to accompany DISINTEGRATION and AFTERMATH, and to further expand the AUTUMN universe (did you read JOE & ME?). I’d like, therefore, to produce a definitive version of THE HUMAN CONDITION (mass market paperback, eBook, limited edition hardcover) which collects up EVERY additional AUTUMN story. ETA – the second half of 2013.
ISOLATION
A brief final word about Isolation, which I announced at the beginning of the year and have so far completely failed to update you about. It is happening. It will be made. We have a great team working on the project but, inevitably, it’s having to take second place to all our other (paying) commitments. It will be worth the wait, I promise. We’re going to be meeting in the coming weeks to get things moving. More news soon.
So there you go. If I’m not posting much on here, that’s why. I am busy, honest!