Guest Post: “Genre Mashups” by Tim Major

April 6, 2021March 31, 2021 Civilian Reader Guest Post Mars, Mystery, NewCon Press, Sci-Fi, Tim Major, Universal Language

Perhaps all novels are genre mashups, in some sense. Or at least, any novel has several key influences circulating within it, informing its tone, the tendencies of its characters and the directions of its plot. Few romantic novels are exclusively about the mechanisms of two people becoming a couple. Few SF novels concern solely scientific concepts.

But the pitch for my novella Universal Language is more overt than most. It’s an SF murder mystery. I’ll be honest: it’s refreshing to be able to pitch one of my books in such simple terms. You like SF? You like murder mysteries? Come over and take a look! Continue reading →

Guest Post: “Writing During Lockdown” by Dan Coxon

March 29, 2021March 26, 2021 Civilian Reader Guest Post Alison Moore, Aliya Whiteley, Dan Coxon, James Everington, Jenn Ashworth, Lockdown, Out of the Darkness, Simon Bestwick, Tiffani Angus, Tim Major, Unsung Stories, Writing

Until 8 April, Unsung Stories are crowdfunding a new anthology called Out of the Darkness. The theme of the anthology is mental health – with contributions from writers like Alison Moore, Jenn Ashworth, Tim Major, Aliya Whiteley and Simon Bestwick – and all royalties and my editor’s fees are being donated to charity Together for Mental Wellbeing. The Kickstarter campaign has meant that my attention has been turned towards mental health more than usual, and at the same time the topic is frequently in the news, as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are felt. Everyone has struggled to cope during the lockdowns, and often during the more ‘open’ periods in between, and writers are no exception.

When the first UK lockdown was announced in March 2020, I saw several comments online about all the free time we’d have – and in particular (given the circles I move in) the amount of time to write. The everyday distractions of the outside world would be behind lock and key, and we’d finally all have time to ourselves, to let our imaginations run riot and our pens (or keyboards) flow freely. We’d have so much time, so the supposition went, that there would be a flood of new novels and short stories once the lockdown was lifted. I almost believed it myself. Continue reading →

Interview with TIM MAJOR

July 23, 2020July 23, 2020 Civilian Reader Interview Hope Island, Horror, Sci-Fi, Tim Major, Titan Books

Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Tim Major?

I’m an SF/horror writer. I live in York in the UK with my wife and two sons, and I’m a freelance editor by day and a writer… well, also by day, actually – I need as much sleep as I can get, with two young kids in the house. I’ve published four novels, a short story collection, and a non-fiction film book about the 1915 silent film Les Vampires, as wells as lots of stories in various places.

Your latest novel, Hope Island, was published recently by Titan Books. It looks really interesting: How would you introduce it to a potential reader?

Different readers have described it in quite different ways. I’d say it’s about a mother trying to reconnect with her daughter on a remote Maine island, who encounters a bunch of strange things: creepy island children, a strange artistic commune that has a mysterious archaeological find on its property… and lots of dead bodies. But there’s a lot about sound and silence, which some readers have really responded to – I suppose the book’s a bit unusual in that respect. A lot of the horror elements revolve around sound. Continue reading →

Excerpt: SNAKESKINS by Tim Major (Titan Books)

May 10, 2019May 3, 2019 Civilian Reader Excerpt Sci-Fi, Snakeskins, Tim Major, Titan Books

Today, as part of the blog tour marking the novel’s release, we have an excerpt from Tim Major‘s Snakeskins. Here’s the synopsis:

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, she must decide whether she wishes the newcomer alive or dead.

Worse still, it transpires that the Hext family may be of central importance to the survival of Charmers, a group of people with the inexplicable power to produce duplicates every seven years and, in the process, rejuvenate. In parallel with reporter Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler, Caitlin must prevent the Great British Prosperity Party from establishing a corrupt new world order.

Read on for just a small taste of this intriguing novel.

Continue reading →

New Books (October)

November 11, 2017August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books Adam O'Riordan, Andy Weir, Asa Avdic, Bill Willingham, C.L. Polk, Christine Schutt, Christopher J Yates, Colin Sinclair, David Annandale, David Baldacci, EJ Swift, Gareth L. Powell, Gregg Hurwitz, James Alan Gardner, Jane Robins, Jeffrey Cranor, John Sandford, Jon Skovron, Joseph Fink, Julian Benson, K.B. Wagers, K.J. Parker, Karen Ellis, Kevin Hearne, Liz Ziemska, Mike Lawson, Myke Cole, Paul M Sammon, Paul McCauley, Seanan McGuire, Spencer Ellsworth, Tim Major, Tom Doyle

Featuring: David Annandale, Asa Avdic, Myke Cole, Jeffrey Cranor, Tom Doyle, Karen Ellis, Spencer Ellsworth, Joseph Fink, James Alan Gardner, Kevin Hearne, Mike Lawson, Paul McAuley, Seanan McGuire, Adam O’Riordan, K.J. Parker (x3), C.L. Polk, Gareth L. Powell, Jane Robins, Paul M. Sammon, John Sandford, Christine Schutt, Jon Skovron, E.J. Swift, K.B. Wagers, Bill Willingham, Christopher J. Yates, Liz Ziemska

Continue reading →