Tim Lebbon – horror and dark fantasy author

I haven’t been around here a whole lot lately, and for that, apologies.  I’ve just come out of one of my most intensive writing periods ever, during which I haven’t had much time to breathe, let alone blog.  But things are calming down a little now (which means that I’m just insanely busy instead of apocalyptically busy … and to be honest, I wouldn’t have it ay other way), so I’ve got time to pop along here and catch up a little.

My story Every Wrong Turn appears in the new anthology Hellbound Hearts, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan and inpsired by Cliver Barker’s Hellraiser mythos.   I’ve only seen the book briefly in passing, but it looks fabulous and is receiving some rave reviews.  Dead proud to be included in this one.

I’ve been working on a screenplay and a TV series pitch … more news about them when there is some.

And today I delivered a new novel pitch to my agent.  It’s a zombie novel, but with a difference.  News on that, too, when it comes in … but I’m very excited about the book.

Some stuff I’ve been reading and listening to:

The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough – a shattering, beautiful, insightful novella about death and how we approach it, obviously written by one who knows.

Vardoger by Stephen Volk – an exceedingly spooky and clever tale of an unusual haunting, that’ll keep you guessing until the end.

Old Man Scratch by Rio Youers - an excellent novella from this new writer.  He’s so good I may have to kill him.

Resistance by Muse – disappointing.  Got a few good toons, but it’s nothing compared to Black Holes & Revelations.

White Rabbit by Nathen Maxwell and the Original Bunny Band – now this is more like it.  My album of the year so far, this laid back (until you really listen to the lyrics) reggae-inspired album from the Flogging Molly bass player is a revelation.  Don’t expect celtic punk.  Do expect insightful lyrics and wonderful music.  Top notch.

Muse were right, it seems.  There’s a giant black hole at the centre of our galaxy, so current advice is to turn left when you reach Alpha Centauri, not right.  That way lies a world of hurt.

I love stuff like this.  I was just chatting with my family about it over dinner, and as Ellie is learning about the Solar System in school, we started talking about the planets and their distances from the sun.  She mentioned how heavy the sun was, and got some of her units confused.  “It’s like one hundred and fifty, er, thousand …. kilometres … high … or something?”

Whereupon my boy Dan chimed in with the correct measurement.  “It’s big!”