Hello readers! Last week saw the release of Dune: Part Two in cinemas, and all the buzz around giant sandworms got me wondering – how do they move around? I’ll admit, I haven’t actually seen the film yet (partly because I’ve been too busy watching videos of actual earthworms), and so I’m working with what … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Sandworm locomotion
Free book weekend: 9th-10th March
Hello readers! This weekend, all my books will be FREE on Amazon (find them here). The Starlit Ship trilogy consists of three science fiction thrillers set in the far future on a distant planet, centuries after it was colonised by humans. These books explore the environmental and political consequences of a giant, unexplained ship arriving … Continue reading Free book weekend: 9th-10th March
Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games
Hello readers! This is an old post that I unearthed while tidying up the blog, so I have streamlined the structure and removed the spelling errors in order to share it once again. These calculations come from June 2023, and were originally tied to a post that discussed the properties of lava. At the time, … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games
Six-minute summary: Henry Cavendish
Hello readers! It’s time for another six-minute summary of a historical figure. This week, we’ll explore the life of Henry Cavendish, an eighteenth-century scientist best known for discovering hydrogen and measuring the density of the Earth. However, Cavendish kept many of his findings private, and much of his pioneering research only reached public attention decades … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Henry Cavendish
The obsidian sword
Hello readers! This week I thought I would share some concept art from my Highmoor book series. For those of you that haven’t read it, this is Joseph, one of the four protagonists, and he’s wielding an obsidian sword that makes its first appearance in the second book. Obviously, this is no ordinary sword; its … Continue reading The obsidian sword
Film review: Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
Hello readers! This review has been brewing for a while. I watched Rebel Moon – Part One soon after it released in late December, and the film has been lingering in my mind for all the wrong reasons. Let me be clear from the outset: Rebel Moon – Part One is not a good film. … Continue reading Film review: Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
What is science fiction? Part two: a discussion
Hello readers! Welcome to part two of my attempt to define science fiction. Last week I gave a brief history of the genre and mentioned some very old stories that have each been labelled “the first science fiction” by various academics. This week we will delve a bit deeper and explore the dividing line between … Continue reading What is science fiction? Part two: a discussion
What is science fiction? Part one: a history
Hello readers! I thought I would kick off the year with a somewhat philosophical post. What is science fiction? You’d think I’d know, given how much of it I create and consume, and yet it is a fascinatingly broad genre. If you go searching for science fiction books on Amazon, you will be offered a … Continue reading What is science fiction? Part one: a history
Film review: Godzilla Minus One
Hello readers! I have seen a lot of films over Christmas, but one in particular stands out from the crowd. Of course, it isn’t hard to stand out from the feel-good, easy-watching Christmas classics when you’re an epic kaiju film with subtitles, set in post-war Japan. In fact, Godzilla Minus One stands out as one … Continue reading Film review: Godzilla Minus One
The twelve wasps of Christmas
Hello readers! I present to you this week a haunting tale of home invasion. For the last ten days, an ominous presence has lurked within my house, detectable only through the slightest scuttling movements in the corner of my eye, or by a dull, incessant droning through the darkness. Locking the doors and securing the … Continue reading The twelve wasps of Christmas
C. W. Clayton 