Tag: Random House Australia

Sour Ears

All right, creative people the world over – it’s time to give up. We, as a species, have reached the pinnacle of inventiveness, the utmost reaches of imagination, the zenith of ingenuity. We can go no further. Writers, artists, musicians, everyone may as well down tools; our work here...

The Rise of the Super-reader

Reading has become a more stratified activity than ever. Imagine a Healthy Food pyramid, but instead populated by readers. At the bottom, sadly, are people who don’t read at all. I’ll leave analysis of whether this section of the community is growing or not to people with massive research...

YA/Teen Robot Reading List

In the lead-up to the publication of Machine Wars in April, I thought a little pre-reading might be in order. Helped by the intelli-swarm via Facebook and Twitter, here’s a range of books that feature our mechanical friend, the robot. For Younger/Middle Readers Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot – Isaac...

Machine Wars Back Cover Reveal

And we now have a back cover for Machine Wars, due April. In the spirit of all good back cover blurbs, read and be tantalised.                          ...

Machine Wars Book Trailer

And here it is, a teaser for Machine Wars – my 34th book, due April from Random House Australia.     The metal menace emerges....

‘Think Ahead’ at Scienceworks

Scienceworks, Melbourne’s science museum, has just opened an amazing new long-term exhibition called Think Ahead. The launch was on 4 December and I was lucky enough to be invited along because my association with this extraordinary project goes back to early 2013. Not long after 10 Futures was published,...

Five Top Hard SF Books

I was inspired by Linda Nagata’s thoughtful article to write this one. Hard SF can be a hard sell. Of all the multifarious and diverse aspects of Science Fiction, Hard Science Fiction is the one most likely to get non-readers recoiling in horror. It’s the SF sub-genre most parodied,...

Character Vs. Characterisation

I’m about to make a distinction that is bound to be argued with, disagreed with and flat out rejected but, nevertheless, I’m going ahead because I think it’s useful, especially for beginning writers. Character is one of the vital aspects of storytelling – this isn’t the controversial bit, by...

Melbourne Writers’ Festival

Here’s my schedule for the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, which I’m looking forward to greatly. It’s always a superb occasion with so much to see and do. Hope to see you all there. Making Magic with Michael Pryor – Saturday 24 August 2013 at 2.30 pm. ‘Create complex, believable worlds for...

Ten Steampunk Novels I Haven’t Had a Chance to Write Yet

Force 10 from Westminster The Disraeli Identity Mary Shelley, Princess of Power Gilbert and Sullivan and International Domination Have Pith Helmet, Will Travel The Revenge of the Colonies Dirigibles, Digging Machines and Great Big Tanks The Funicular Network Giant Cats Destroy London via the Underground (some work needed on...