Damien Walter

Alt.Fiction 2010

It may not be the biggest Fantasy, Horror and Sci-Fi convention in the world, or even in the UK, but the Alt.Fiction festival (Saturday 12th June, Derby) is one of my favourites. If some festivals are like a leisurely stroll through SF fandom, Alt.Fiction is the equivalent of a high level triathlon. One day ofContinue reading “Alt.Fiction 2010”

End-of-the-world literature

I’m on the Guardian book podcast again this week, discussing literature of the apocalypse as the Angry Volcano God put us all in that frame of mind. At the end I call Kraken ‘H.P.Lovecraft via J.G.Ballard’. Not sure if that will make it into the final review, but it certainly has a ring to it!Continue reading “End-of-the-world literature”

Is fantasy just entertainment?

Just because fantasy is everywhere doesn’t mean it has to appeal to the lowest common denominator. We must keep sight of its roots in ancient storytelling and its power to transform. There are few things people love more then a well-told tale. We’ve been gathering around the fire (or that 20th-century equivalent, the television set)Continue reading “Is fantasy just entertainment?”

What have I kreeated!!

Three hours of writing in the library this evening (praise good for university libraries open until 2 am!) and I have found the ending of a new story! Kree Ah Tor has been sitting on my desktop, slowly accruing words for some months. The main sticking point has been the end. I started the storyContinue reading “What have I kreeated!!”

Tell the Truth

Two things happened over my Easter weekend. I went to Eastercon and had a bloody good time with members of The Speculators writing group as well as a number of friends old and new. And I read On Writing by Stephen King. I don’t think On Writing is a flawless essay on the art andContinue reading “Tell the Truth”

My Lovesick Zombie Boy Band

First published in Electric Velocipede #22/23. Podcast in Dark Fiction magazine. My Lovesick Zombie Boy Band by Damien G. Walter I am excavating an eight pointed star onto the pages of my text book when I catch the boy looking at me. I keep the pen moving, the shiny blue ink bubbling and frothing, soakingContinue reading “My Lovesick Zombie Boy Band”

Cthul-You

First broadcast on BBC Radio. Cthul-you by Damien G. Walter When I first heard about Cthul-YOU I was skeptical to say the least. Like most people I thought anything that promised so much had to be bogus. Like the sites for BDSM fanboys populated by 24,753 lonely I.T. technicians seeking submissive female slaves, and…NO submissiveContinue reading “Cthul-You”

Circe’s Kitchen

First podcast in The Drabblecast #55. Reprinted in Serendipity : Magical Realism. Circe’s Kitchen by Damien G. Walter Feliks Duda has eight weeks left in country on the morning the letter from the Home Office arrives. He fishes the ugly manila envelope from its hiding place amongst the glossy junk mail. 0% interest loans andContinue reading “Circe’s Kitchen”

Circe’s

First podcast in The Drabblecast #55. Reprinted in Serendipity : Magical Realism. Circe’s by Damien G. Walter Feliks Duda has eight weeks left in country on the morning the letter from the Home Office arrives. He fishes the ugly manila envelope from its hiding place amongst the glossy junk mail. 0% interest loans and 12Continue reading “Circe’s”

Chaser

First published in Pulp.net. Reprinted in Transmission #9. Chaser by Damien G Walter For four years I didn’t eat. Not like you eat when you really want feeding anyway. I nibbled at things. I took crumbs left on plates. I surreptitiously sipped from other men’s cups. Then when I was thin enough that I couldContinue reading “Chaser”

Momentum

First published in Electric Velocipede #13. Reprinted in Serendipity : Magical Realism and Arts & Things. Podcast in StarShipSofa #173. Momentum by Damien G. Walter When great uncle Peter came to live with our family in the house by the sea I asked my mother why it was he never spoke. My mother explained thatContinue reading “Momentum”

Horizon

First published in Murky Depths #6 Horizon by Damien G. Walter I am grown in a birth cell. Embryonic implantation, organ formation, neural development in the nutrient gel of the chamber floor. Only a day and an adult body dries beneath artificial light. They imprint consciousness with a series of complex stimuli. Music playsContinue reading “Horizon”