Welcome to my blog!

As this is my first post, I'll start by explaining that I want to use this site to post on a range of subjects related to SFF, including reviews, articles on writing and publishing, and information about my writing. You can get a flavour of my tastes by glancing at the list of my favourite twenty SFF novels on the left - that one took much headscratching to cut down from a much longer list. As you will see, my preferences cover a wide range of both science fiction and fantasy, old and new. As I did most of my reading in the 1960s and early 70s, books from that era still have a strong (if sometimes nostalgic) appeal for me. In my view, SFF is about all about creating that "sense of wonder" (if you'll excuse the cliche) , and I find that tends to be particularly strong in earlier books. Many modern novels often have more literary merit and superior character development, but I don't regard that as adequate compensation if it results in a slow and uninspiring story. As a writer of fiction, I see myself as a storyteller first and foremost - I write the kind of books I like to read.