Tag Archives: books

The post-con collapse

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Working a convention is exhausting. I am not alone in this. Almost every author I know has much the same story. Conventions are draining, much I suspect because writers tend not to be the kind of people who are naturally … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, books, cthulhu, Dear Edgar, humour, writing | Tagged amreading, author, books, fiction, reading, reads, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

Dear Edgar 34 # Three Sundays in a Week

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Occasionally, amid explorations of obsession and madness, horror and satire, existentialism and human frailty… You just need to tell a ridiculous tall tale or two to keep yourself amused. Nothing could be even slightly problematic about that could it… Well… … Continue reading →

Posted in humour, Poe, reads, retro book reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, books, Dear Edgar, fiction, Poe, poetry, reading, reads, writing | Leave a comment

New Book, Conventions, and an update

Posted on July 4, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Occasionally, just occasionally, everything all comes at once. Which is why I have an ear infection, am currently deaf on my left side, feel like curling up in a dark room under a blanket, just as I have the busiest … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, Harvey Duckman, indie, indie writers, steampunk | Tagged alternative history, books, fantasy, fiction, read, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writing | Leave a comment

Dear Edgar 33 – Eleonora

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Mark Hayes

The One remains, the many change and pass;Heaven’s light forever shines, Earth’s shadows fly;Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass,Stains the white radiance of Eternity, Our dear Edgar, as you are doubtless aware, was something of a romantic, or at … Continue reading →

Posted in Poe, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged amreading, book-review, books, Dear Edgar, fiction, literature, Poe, reads, writing | Leave a comment

Still Researching Lovecraft

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Mark Hayes

I am still engaged in a project involving a book about the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft. I originally mentioned this just over a month ago, in a post called Researching Lovecraft… This as you may have guessed is a follow on from that post, as people liked it and because I failed my sanity rolls, so had to crack on with writing the book…. Continue reading →

Posted in Nyarlathotep, opinion, reads, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, book-review, books, cosmic-horror, horror, Lovecraft, reads, writers, writerslife | Leave a comment

Maybe Tuesday

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Mark Hayes

In another universe, where a man in a small lab in China didn’t drop a non-descript vail on the floor (allegedly) on a Tuesday in late 2019, the release of my 2020 novel ‘Maybe’ might have gone differently. It must have been a Tuesday when he dropped the vial, these things always happen on a Tuesday. No one ever accidently changed the course of history on a Monday. Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, goodreads, indiewriter, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, book-review, books, fiction, reading, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Cogkneys, Minoan’s and Devilish Preludes

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Mark Hayes

Anyone following this blog over the years will be aware my taste in reading can be a tad ecliptic. Well buckle up buttercup, ecliptic was three turns back. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, druidry, fantasy, humour, pagan, steampunk, urban fantasy | Tagged book reviews, book-review, books, humanity, humour, pagan, paganism, reading, reads, steampunk, urban fantasy, writing | 1 Comment

Dear Edgar ~31 : The Colloquy of Monos and Una

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Mark Hayes

There are (in this tale) broad themes in regards to life, death, the impermanence of existence, decay both moral and physical.

It really is a bundle of laughs…. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, opinion, Poe, reads, retro book reviews | Tagged books, Dear Edgar, fiction, literature, philosophy, Poe, reads, writing | Leave a comment

Extra-dimensional conjurer…

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Mark Hayes

An interesting on fellow Harvey writer Ben Sawyers blog in which he accuses me of being an extra-dimensional conjurer… I’ve been called worse ( and I may add that to my BlueSky handle…)