Category Archives: sci-fi

A Squid on the Shoulder

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Mark Hayes

Queen Victoria is in the 200th year of her reign, and her Glorious British Empire faces a grievous threat due to the Machiavellian machinations of that most notorious instigator of insurrections Herbert George Wells. No longer an agent of The … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, sci-fi, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amwritingsteampunk, books, Canadian steampunk, reads, sciencefiction, scifi, scifiscarbrough, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writing | 1 Comment

Proof copies of joy

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I don’t generally post a lot of pictures of things, well not my own at any rate. My medium is generally words. The exception to that is when I type set a book, which for complicated reasons to do with … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, blogging, book reviews, books, cthulhu, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, mythos, novels, Nyarlathotep, reads, sci-fi, steampunk | Tagged amreading, books, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, sciencefiction, scifiscarbrough, steampunk, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Dystopian Forrest’s and the Merrily Method

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I’m not a great believer in self-help books… I always find them a suspicious offering. I suspect the only selves ever really helped are the ones selling the books. Which is ultimately the point of them, to make money. It … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, druidry, fiction, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, books, distopian, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writers, writerslife, writingtips | 6 Comments

Return of the Hopeless Kickstarter

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Mark Hayes

Its no great secret to any regular reader that I have a certain love for the Island of Hopeless Maine. The fictional collaboration begun by of Nimue and Tom Brown. A collaboration that generously extends to others whom get to … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, books, Canadian steampunk, cthulhu, druidry, fantasy, fiction, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, pointless things of wonderfulness, rites, sci-fi, steampunk | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, books, hopeless, kickstarter, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writing | 1 Comment

The Hydrogen Cigar

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Mark Hayes

‘Helium is a bit of a sticky wicket you see. Had you requested Hydrogen that would have been easy,’ Sir Robert had been informed by his chief science officer. The scientist, whom Sir Robert suspected was a man who would … Continue reading →

Posted in books, fiction, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amwritingsteampunk, fiction, indiereads, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk | Leave a comment

Books of the year

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Mark Hayes

It may be slightly early, as there is a fair chance I’ll read a couple more before the end of the year, but now seems as good a time as any to do my annual Passing Place Blog Books Of … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiefriday, indiewriter, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural | Tagged amreading, books, goodreads, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife | 1 Comment

A touch of yellow…

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Those who have followed my blog previously will know that aside from the odd post about writing in general, book reviews, talking about my own work, and the occasional pondering on the inner workings of the universe, mental health and … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, cthulhu, goodreads, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, rites, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, horror, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 3 Comments

Five years of Passing Place

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Five years ago my personal favourite of my novels, and the one I will grudgingly admit to being most proud of Passing Place was release. I say grudgingly because all my novels are little slithers of my soul and, excepting … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, Esqwiths, fantasy, fiction, goodnews, goodreads, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, Passing Place, publication, reads, sci-fi, self-publishing, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, fantasy, newreads, novels, reads, sciencefiction, speculative fiction, steampunk, urban fantasy, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 1 Comment

Sailing on an Hourglass Sea

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Not too long ago I reviewed Mat MaCall’s The Dandelion Farmer. I was I think now perhaps a little too gushing in my praise of the novel, the first of a trilogy of which the second The Hourglass Sea is … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, publication, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, bookreview, books, reading, reads, reviews, sciencefiction, scifi, steampunk, writerslife, writing | 4 Comments

Returning to the Passing Place

Posted on November 22, 2021 by Mark Hayes

One of the odd questions one gets asked when one is stood around at an event by a display of books you have written is ‘which would you recommend?’ I have strong feelings for all my novels, for a variety … Continue reading →