Unreformed hoarder
I grew up in and around Burnley, Lancashire which is in the North of England. I spent a lot of time in the local library and the bookstore, mostly reading SF and Fantasy. Having taken so much from the genre, I think it's about time I put something back - at least that's what I tell my wife.
To dream is to connect to the fount of human invention. It's important to dream, but to bring it to life, there has to be a hard edge. My vision is that each bright fantasy, whether in space, or in a magic realm, is built on realism. I work with scientists and checking facts is a priority.
I've an extensive grounding in the literature. Writers like Dick, Heinlein and Herbert have set the bar high. Do I want to imitate them? Hell no. My objectives are to define a cosmogony, a future, an event, or a crisis in which to set my characters. A sandbox populated by humans and aliens. They must work their way out. No magic, cure everything gadgets.
I'm committed to writing realistic Science Fiction and Fantasy. I like big ideas infused with realism and I'm inspired by fantastic themes set within a realistic context; e.g. Sandman, Lucifer, Fables. These treatments fascinate me. I'm also a fan of Golden Age SF and admire works such as Dune, Starship Troopers and Lord of the Rings. Sometimes I showcase my stuff on my blog. I've no agent or publisher (diy doesn't count) and I write under my real name.
In a parallel life I'm a CIMA qualified Management Accountant which means I get to use spreadsheets (yippee!). I have four children, three dogs, two cats and a long suffering wife. For the really anal, I do process mapping, spreadsheet modelling, management reporting and costing systems
