About
I was the first boy in Britain to meet a Dalek in the flesh (so to speak) when my Dad took me to the BBC workshops one dark January night in 1964. That early experience probably explains quite a lot. After a childhood spent daydreaming about aliens and vampires, I discovered Marvel Comics and happily gave up all connection with reality to immerse myself in the marvellous worlds of Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, John Romita, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams. Every Saturday I used to head doggedly from newsagent to newsagent, searching out the latest Iron Man or Spider-man comics, which I would buy for 10d each (that’s about 4p in your fancy modern digital money). Since those halcyon days I've written a lot of books. Really, a lot. If you put a copy of every one of my books in a suitcase then you’d need to get a friend to help you lift it. My favorites among my own books are Heart of Ice, a sci-fi interactive adventure story where the Côte d’Azur is a jungle and the Sahara is covered in snow, and my current project, Mirabilis, a comic book epic in the making. I'd say that my fantasy writing has been most influenced by Lord Dunsany, Jack Vance, Mike Mignola and Neil Gaiman, but I should stress that none of those gentlemen is personally to blame.
Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p><span><span>Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.</span></span></p>
Story Behind The Book
These fragments of correspondence addressed to the Royal Mythological Society have been recovered from the Society's archives and restored by Mr Leo Hartas and Mr David J Morris, in whom the copyright of this work resides.
For further adventures, escapades and entertainments relating to the year of wonders, may we direct your attention to the following location on Mr Babbage’s International Network: www.mirabilis-yearofwonders.com
Reviews
<p>"<span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:normal;font-size:small;">A magnificently creative meld of stiff-upper-lip, MCC, Stalky-and-co Edwardianism and the undercurrent of legend." M. Terentius Varro (on Amazon)</span></p>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:normal;font-size:small;">"</span><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;line-height:normal;">A glorious selection of tongue in cheek fantastic stories." Matt Kelland (Amazon)</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;line-height:normal;">"I</span><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;line-height:normal;">nvaluable tips ranging from Atlantis wine, dealing with doppelgangers, lost dogs and Roman mosaics, and the dangers of buying cars at goblin markets." Smudge (Amazon)</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;line-height:normal;">"G</span><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;line-height:normal;">reat fun! I have it by my bedside." Jamie Thomson</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:normal;font-size:small;">"Eruditely droll... top-hats off to its collators." Cousin Jack</span></div>
