Category Archives: opinion

Is Steampunk Elitist? A guest Post by Mat McCall

Posted on October 1, 2022 by darrack1

“Why do Steampunks always dress up as wealthy Neo-Victorians? What about the workers and the poor, why don’t Steamers dress up like them?” Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, books, fiction, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie novels, opinion, quotes, rant, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, guestposts, opinion, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

I’m not good, but who is.

Posted on September 28, 2022 by darrack1

When I was a kid at Pudsey park on the outskirts of Leeds, just across from the abandoned Traction Engine steam roller, in the main play ground there was a Helter-Skelter. It was a proper Helter-Skelter, a huge wooden construction. … Continue reading →

Posted in big questions, depression, dystopia, insomnia, mental-health, opinion | Tagged depression, mentalhealth, opinion | Leave a comment

Talking books…

Posted on September 27, 2022 by darrack1

“Are they available in audio…?” I get asked for the fifth time that day. At which point I start to explain, in my usual fluid, utterly self-confident, and in no way panic-stricken way that unfortunately they are not… I’ll go … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, fantasy, fiction, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, opinion, publication, rant, self-publishing, steampunk | Tagged amreading, books, indiereads, newreads, read, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 6 Comments

The one in five

Posted on August 22, 2022 by darrack1

This is slightly disingenuous, slightly, but on average one word in every five I write makes it to the printed page. It disingenuous because that figure is probably higher in the case of my novels, and maybe a tad lower … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fiction, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, bookblog, bookreview, books, reading, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Tentacles

Posted on June 30, 2022 by darrack1

Regular readers will be aware I review indie books when I read them. Or at least do if I love the books. If I don’t I keep quiet about it, because if I don’t like something it doesn’t mean others … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, blogging, book reviews, books, cthulhu, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, IndieApril, indiefriday, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, novels, opinion, pirates, reads, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadinghorror, bookblog, bookloversday, bookreview, books, call of cthulhu, cthulhu, horror, Lovecraft, lovecraftian, mythos, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Dinosaur wisdom

Posted on June 22, 2022 by darrack1

When you grow up, people stop asking you what your favourite dinosaur is. They don’t even care. This is perhaps the most heart breaking, horrific, and depressing things you can realise as an adult… Okay that maybe an exaggeration, but … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, dyslexia, errol the bookcase dragon, fantasy, fiction, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, mental-health, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, rights, writing | Tagged amreading, fun, humour, life, lifehack, patreon, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writerslife, writing | 1 Comment

Evolving Consciousness

Posted on March 29, 2022 by darrack1

‘Cogito, ergo sum‘ ~ Descartes As a pretentious Frenchman once put it, because if you’re use Latin you’re always being pretentious… Though in fairness it was probably less pretentious in 17th century when Latin was the lingau franca of scientific … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, reads, sci-fi, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, bookblog, books, future, reads, sciencefiction, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

The strange foray into afterglow

Posted on March 25, 2022 by darrack1

In less than a month I have managed to publish two books. Admittedly I expected to publish both of them last year and then didn’t… But still its been a busy time with years worth of work coming to fruition … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, novels, Nyarlathotep, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, self-publishing, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, call of cthulhu, cthulhu, Lovecraft, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

A failure to Beware!

Posted on March 7, 2022 by darrack1

A year ago I discovered an oddly entertaining fact. I was born on the day Howard Philip Lovecraft died. Why I found this oddly entertaining is a long story, but in essence, I’ve joked for a long time that I … Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, book reviews, books, cthulhu, dreamlands, goodreads, horror, humour, indie, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, Nyarlathotep, opinion, publication, reads, sci-fi, supernatural, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, call of cthulhu, cthulhu, Lovecraft, lovecraftian, mythos, Nyarlathotep, reads, sciencefiction, writer, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 2 Comments

And sometimes you just need to hear it…

Posted on January 21, 2022 by darrack1

This morning, as I got in the car to drive to work, the radio told me Meatloaf had died. Meatloaf, particularly when in combination with Jim Steinman’s lyrics, has long been part of my life. My older sister bought Bat … Continue reading →

Posted in opinion, Uncategorized | 1 Comment