Agatha Christie meets George Orwell ... a fascinating and original plot Publishers Weekly Another dystopian novel, for lovers of conspiracy and thrillers. The Dying Game is set in 2037 of an alternative future, and looks to have shades of And Then There Were None (by Agatha Christie) Take a bit of alternate history, a dose of The Hunger Games, a little Handmaid’s Tale, and dash of Orwell and Dave Eggers’ The Circle, and you’d have The Dying Game. Set in a near-future dystopia where the Soviet Union never fell, the novel centers on Anna Francis, a bureaucrat assigned to observe the participants of a top secret intelligence project. Six candidates are locked in a house and told a murderer is among them – who will take control, who will crack under the pressure, and more importantly is anyone safe? If you've read it let me know what you think. A deliciously creepy novel revolving around a terrific paradigm shift: The job you think you’re doing? That’s not the jo...

Welcome to Weekend Reads, the Science Fiction and Fantasy community had some sad news this week with the passing of Ursula K. Le Guin , probably best know as the author of A Wizard of Earthsea . She has received many awards including the Hugo, Nebula and National Book Award to name a few. You can find out more about her here on goodreads . The first article this week is from one of my favourite blogs, Tor.com and takes a look at Ursula K. Le Guin writings and gives you something to really think about. Next up there is an article on how NOT to read this year but Jon Bloom . In it he argues that what you read will shape not only what you think, but how you think. Life is short so you need to be discerning in what you read this year. Some food for thought it aligns with what I try to promote here on this blog. There is also a tech and science article which may blow your mind and change how you look at the earth and driver-less technology. So when it's time to relax this...

I recommend that you lay your hands on a copy. Ann Leckie Dystopian fiction has seen a rise in popularity over the last year and if you're looking for a dystopian novel which feels like it's doing something different, this may be the novel for you. Here is a story with an intriguing premise: objects in this universe have to be constantly recognised and named otherwise they disappear. They need to be labelled for their function otherwise they cease to be useful, for example, a chair has to be label 'chair' or it turns to goo. The residents have to be constantly vigilant lest they lose important possessions. In this world where physical objects are temporary the inhabitants react to this by creating a  rigid and unchanging society.  You've got to admit that sounds pretty interesting. An instant classic. Jeff VanderMeer

Welcome, I hope your all having a good week. This week I have a collection of articles about writing. There's one about who could possibily fill J.R.R Tolkien's shoes, or at least who is almost as good. Speaking of fantasy writers I've included 15 tips of writing advice from C.S. Lewis. There's also some articles I've found interesting about generating ideas (not something I have problem with) and some tips on how to create a writing habits (something I do have a problem with). So hopefully there'll be some interesting reading for both writers and readers alike. But before starting on these articles have a read of my latest post Cryptic, Ambiguous and Hypnotic - The Gunslinger , where I come to the conclusion that this is a book more for writers or aspiring writers, than readers. Enjoy!

The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. This is the first line of The Gunslinger and is an excellent summary of everything that happened in this book.

Welcome to the weekend! This edition of Weekend Reads is a bit of a mixed bag, an article to help you read more books this year, the things we trade off to reach our ambitions, and a philosophical look at the new season of Black Mirror, plus more. So find a comfy chair, grab your favourite beverage and have a read through these articles.

Welcome to 2018! Let's kick off a new year with a Weekend Reads: Science Fiction Special Edition.  This edition look at all things science fiction, from an article starting that Arthur C Clarke is still the king of science fiction even after turning 100 year old (?) to an interesting article on reading biases. The latter outlines a study which showed that if people were asked to read a story couched in science fiction terminology then they scored lower in comprehension skills. Is this study saying people who read science fiction are stupid? Well, no, my favourite quote is where the author writes "Science fiction doesn’t really make you stupid. It’s more that if you’re stupid enough to be biased against science fiction you will read science fiction stupidly.’ There's also a look at the history and impact of science fiction on our culture and another stating that from the study of space perspective, we need science fiction or at least can use it because it all...