It’s been quiet over here for a while as I’ve been busy finishing up AUTUMN: EXODUS, but I just wanted to post to mark the sad passing of the wonderful RAYMOND BRIGGS. Many people here in the UK will know him best for that Christmas staple THE SNOWMAN, or for FUNGUS THE BOGEYMAN, but to my mind his greatest work was WHEN THE WIND BLOWS.
I wrote about the film adaptation on this site several years ago – if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, I implore you to do so. Released in 1983 at the height of the (first) Cold War, it’s the tale of Jim and Hilda Briggs, an elderly married couple. As World War III looms on the horizon, they make preparations in accordance with the UK government’s woefully inadequate PROTECT AND SURVIVE guidance, fully expecting the next conflict to be similar to the last World War they remember.
Briggs had a unique and immediately recognisable style that was equally suited to heartwarming and heartbreaking stories. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS is a masterpiece of apocalyptic writing.
While I wait to be able to share with you the HUGE news I’m currently sitting on, I’ve been looking back at a few of my older books. Last weekend I managed to inadvertently wind up a climate change denier talking about STRAIGHT TO YOU, which was interesting. Never mind that a) the book is about the sun dying, not the earth’s climate changing, and b) the temperature here in the UK hit 40 degrees centigrade this week for the first time since records began, apparently I’m in the pocket of the WEF, I’m a corporate pig for having worked in a bank after leaving school, and I’m being paid by dark forces to push forward a narrative. You couldn’t make it up. Except, that’s exactly what I do for a living!
Anyway, at the risk of enraging another group of conspiracy theorists, today I’d like to talk about aliens.
I find it hard to believe, but it’s 10 years this week since I relaunched Infected Books and released TRUST, my ‘anti-science-fiction’ novel.
I shut down the original iteration of IB after the AUTUMN and HATER novels were acquired by Macmillan. IB was born in the early days of the Internet and independent publishing and it proved to be very successful. I couldn’t resist the idea of returning to indie publishing with the knowledge and experience I’d picked up from working with traditional publishers. It’s proved to be a hugely satisfying adventure, breathing life into more niche novels and projects that might otherwise not have seen the light of day.
“TRUST is a slow-burner and all the richer for it. The layers of characters and details of the story play out perfectly when matched with an ending you’re not likely to forget. It’s an outstanding novel, delivers in more ways than one, and is worthy of a place on the discerning fan’s bookshelf. 10/10″ —Starburst Magazine
“TRUST is the latest in a long line of thought provoking, intelligent novels… For new readers this is an ideal starting point to discover this major British talent who despite his innovations and successes of the last decade, you get the feeling is only just getting started.” —Shadowlocked
“Forget the idea that this is an anti-science fiction novel. It has aliens in it and it’s a treatise on how the ordinary person copes when the world which they are familiar with changes beyond all recognition. In my mind, that makes it very simply, a very good science fiction novel.” —Geek Syndicate
Well, that went fast! It’s a year today since AUTUMN: DAWN hit the shelves. To say I’m thrilled with how the new AUTUMN books have been received is an understatement. I was worried how fans of the original series would take to the new trilogy but, by and large, you seem to have approved! THE LONDON TRILOGY is different in terms of scope and scale, but they retain the same gloom-filled atmosphere as the earlier novels. If you haven’t yet had chance to read them, please click the links to find out more. I can particularly recommend the audio versions – AUBREY PARSONS‘ excellent narration adds a whole new dimension to the story.
Now that both AUTUMN: DAWN and AUTUMN: INFERNO have been out for a while, I thought it was about time I provided an update on AUTUMN: EXODUS, the final book in the trilogy. To me, EXODUS feels like a hybrid of both series, combining the pace and attitude of DAWN and INFERNO with the quiet desolation of the original books. The writing process is progressing well and I’m hoping the book will be released in late November this year. ??????? ??? ????? ????? As always, please keep an eye on this site for updates. ????? ???? ?????
Until then, here’s a hint of the direction the story takes…
In the ashes of London, the survivors of the Great Fire wait to make their move. But even now, days after the inferno that consumed this once great city, the dead continue their relentless advance, hunting out the last of the living.
The survivors are going to have to risk everything to escape here, and then risk everything again as they attempt to reach Ledsey Cross, a fabled safe haven at the other end of the country. Every step they take will be fraught with danger. ?????????? ????? There will be no short cuts and no easy options. To have any chance of staying alive, the group will need to trek hundreds of miles through the harshest of winters, across a land ruled by the living dead.
Very pleased to announce that I’ll be appearing (virtually) at my friend Joseph Freeman‘s MIDSUMMER MACABRE event alongside Peter Atkins, Tim Lebbon, Alison Moore, and Joseph himself. It takes place online from 1pm UK time on Saturday 25 June.
I chose one of my foulest, seediest short stories to read (it’s one from THE LAST BIG THING collection, if you’re interested), and recorded it in an empty attic a couple of months back. It’s a suitably grubby, audio-visual treat! ivermectin anemia
I need to start with an apology. I’ve had a few messages from folks wondering if everything was alright because I’d disappeared. It’s true. I’ve barely left a mark online recently. This iteration of my website has been running since 2008 – more than 1000 posts in total – and April 2022 was the first complete month I didn’t post anything in all that time.
There are a few reasons why. You might or might not be interested, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Some are more personal while others are writing related. I’ll apologise in advance for the length of this post, however I promise a picture of cats and big writing news if you make it all the way to the end.
I have a few very quick updates to share. I have some BIG news coming soon, but I’m not allowed to talk about that just yet…
First, I used to keep a set of my books at my mum’s house. My brother and I are in the process of selling the house, so I’m having to sell the books too. There are a few rarities available, so I thought I’d list them here:
HATER trilogy – US first edition hardcovers SOLD
HATER – Infected Books original release (very rare!) SOLD
HATER trilogy – UK first edition hardcovers SOLD
AUTUMN 1-5 – UK first edition hardcovers SOLD
ONE OF US WILL BE DEAD BY MORNING – US hardcover SOLD
AUTUMN 1-3 + THE HUMAN CONDITION – rare Infected Books original releases SOLD
AUTUMN 2-5 – Gollancz (UK) first edition large format paperbacks SOLD
Next, in case you haven’t seen it yet, can I draw your attention to the new INFECTED BOOKS ETSY STORE. It was originally set up to make it easier to sell signed Infected Books titles from the UK to folks in the EU (thanks for nothing, Brexit), but readers have really taken to it. Click here to visit.
Finally, the paperback edition of THE LAST BIG THING has been updated. It’s now available from all the usual places online (links below) and you can order signed copies direct from INFECTED BOOKS or the ETSY store.
I try and post about this initiative every year. Last year I wrote about how important eBooks were to me in the early days of my career (they still are today). When we’re talking about eBooks, the conversation often focuses on how convenient they are, usually culminating in a debate between those who’ll read in any format, and those who insist on print. There’s no right or wrong answer, and I still do everything I can to give my readers the choice of how you want to read (or listen) to my books.
But there’s another facet of eBooks that often goes unspoken, and that’s how accessible they are to authors. There must be thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of novels that have been released electronically over the last couple of decades which would otherwise have remained unread. It makes you wonder how many magnificent pieces of work have been lost over the years because they didn’t appeal to the right publisher, editor, or agent at the right time.
So that’s as good a reason as any to keep supporting READ AN EBOOK WEEK. For a couple of quid you could take a chance and download something from a new author. If you enjoy it, let them know. I can’t tell you how much that means to an author starting out. If folks hadn’t taken a chance on the free download of AUTUMN back in the day, and if those folks hadn’t got in touch with their feedback, then things could have turned out very different for me.
On this darkest of days in Europe it doesn’t really feel appropriate to be posting about my nonsense books, but a number of people have worked very hard to make this happen and I’m keen for folk to hear this new release. The audiobook version of AUTUMN: INFERNO – narrated by the awesome AUBREY PARSONS – is now available from Audible, Amazon, and Apple.
The book is also available in print and as an eBook – links below. You can get hold of signed copies (and there are a few of the limited edition hardcover still available) from www.infectedbooks.co.uk.
As some of you will know, I like to give away copies when new audiobooks are released. I have a limited number of download codes (UK and USA only, I’m afraid) for AUTUMN: INFERNO and a number of other books. Use the form below to make your request (*terms and conditions apply).
Terms and Conditions:
You can request promo codes for some of the above titles using this form. All I ask in return is that you review the book(s) you listen to and/or tell your friends. Thanks in advance!
You can use this form to request any of the books shown above
You can make multiple submissions for multiple books
Numbers of codes available for each books vary and are strictly limited, so some or all of your requests may not be successful
If a particular book of mine is not listed, no codes are currently available
It’s less than three weeks now until AUTUMN: INFERNO is released. I thought you might like to read an excerpt. The book opens with an army of survivors setting out to reclaim the streets of London from the dead – the battle of Wapping. Click the link below to read it.
Can’t wait for you to read this one. And while you’re doing that, I’ll be hard at work on AUTUMN: EXODUS. The last book in the series will be nothing like you’ve read before.
I was sorry to hear that Raymond Briggs has died. He had an immediately recognisable style that was equally suited to heartwarming and heartbreaking stories.
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