Iain Banks
The author Iain Banks (aka Iain M Banks) died, age 59, on Sunday 9th June 2013. A witty, intelligent and very able writer of “mainstream” and SF, as well as a defender of humanism, in all senses of that word.
Back to Pompeii – a book review
Book review of Back to Pompeii by Kim M Kimselius (trans. Jennifer Lee) – a book I would happily put in the hands of any 10-to-13-year-old.
The Camelopardophant in the Zoo of Heraldic Beasts
The camelopardophant isn’t the most cheerful of the heraldic beasts in the zoo. Flash Fiction for the Friday Fictioneers.
Atropos and Mnemosyne – a poem about memory loss
His same question, my same answer, again and again. Atropos and Mnemosyne, a poem.
A pride of princesses
A Pride of Princesses. Penny the tomboy gets the boys to join her and dress as princesses. A piece of flash-fiction for the Friday Fictioneers group.
Porphyrophobia – afraid of purple?
Porphyrophobia: a person with an irrational fear of the colour purple. Irrational fears of certain skin colours lie at the root of so much evil. But purple?
Surreptitiously – a seasonal Twitter haiku
“Surreptitiously” is a Twitter haiku about winter and spring, age and youth. The illustration is probably a bit of wish fulfillment.
Hanging on the telephone – flash fiction
An angry woman on the telephone – inspired by Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone”. You wouldn’t want to get a call like this.
Insouciance
Insouciance – a poem in which Narcissus prefers to descibe his manner as insouciance. The alternative seems somehow self-centred. Besides – daffodils!
Through head-high grass – flash fiction
A hot, summer’s day and the boy is climbing the hill through head-high grass, but then he awakens something, and it’s not snakes from hibernation.