Hello readers! I recently finished reading The Last Man, a dystopian novel written in 1826 by Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. I first learnt of this book’s existence when I was researching the origins of science fiction, as The Last Man is often listed as the earliest example of the dystopian, apocalyptic genre. The … Continue reading The Last Man (1826) is a miserable read…
Updates and a Lego cathedral
Hello readers! Apologies for the recent lack of posts, but I have been very busy with work – not only of the “earn-money-to-stay-alive” variety, but of the “unpaid-but-career-imperative” variety. Thankfully, I’m still enjoying my somewhat quirky real-life job, but there can be no denying its erosional effect on my free time… I’m working on the … Continue reading Updates and a Lego cathedral
An 18th century map that changed science
Hello readers! It’s time for some more historical science. This week, we’ll explore how the creation of a map in 18th century France changed the way that scientists viewed the world. The map covered the Auvergne region, which contains the Chaîne des Puys – a line of conical hills that are now known to have … Continue reading An 18th century map that changed science
Free book weekend: 7th-8th June
Hello readers! This weekend, all my books will be FREE on Amazon! My current series, Highmoor, is traditional high fantasy, and the first three books are now out (with the final instalment in progress). These books follow the adventures of three brothers caught up in a conflict between the nations bordering their forest home. It … Continue reading Free book weekend: 7th-8th June
New concept art: Nia
Hello readers! Just a short post this week, announcing the addition of another character to the Highmoor series “art” collection. This is Nia, one of the four major protagonists with perspectives that drive the story. She is the most headstrong of the main characters, in that she speaks her mind plainly and abruptly, and won’t … Continue reading New concept art: Nia
Science fiction and the future: Part Two
Hello readers! In the previous post, we explored the challenges associated with setting a speculative science fiction story in a particular future year. The writer must choose a date that feels plausible to the reader, or else their credibility will be eroded, the foundations of their fictional world will be shaken, and their otherwise carefully-crafted … Continue reading Science fiction and the future: Part Two
Science fiction and the future: Part one
Hello readers! I’ve been pondering the science fiction genre again – specifically, science fiction stories which are set in our universe, with some connection to our world. I haven’t done a thorough survey, but I get the impression that most science fiction falls into this category, rather than being pure science fantasy. And within this … Continue reading Science fiction and the future: Part one
Another Lego creation: Trekja’s Rest
Hello readers! Another Lego model has joined the collection. Just like all the previous models, this is a micro-scale rendition of a fictional location from my Highmoor series – although my hope is that anyone can enjoy the intricacies of these tiny Lego pieces, even without knowing the source material. This is the first time … Continue reading Another Lego creation: Trekja’s Rest
The perils of productivity simulators
Hello readers! Just some miscellaneous waffle from me this week. I’ve been doing a fair bit of book writing recently, but I don’t have much to say about it – nothing entertaining, anyway. From an outsider’s perspective, book writing must appear to be very mundane: just a figure staring at a screen, sometimes hammering out … Continue reading The perils of productivity simulators
Free book weekend: 18th-20th April
Hello readers! This weekend, all my books will be FREE on Amazon (find them here). My current series, Highmoor, is traditional high fantasy, and the first three books are now out (with the final instalment in progress). These books follow the adventures of three brothers caught up in a conflict between the nations bordering their … Continue reading Free book weekend: 18th-20th April
C. W. Clayton 