Monthly Archives: February 2013

Farewell to Iphigenia

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Frank

I want to conclude this flurry of posts about Iphigenia with a quote from the lass herself: If Artemis is minded to take this body, am I, a weak mortal, to thwart the goddess? Nay, that were impossible. … give … Continue reading →

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Iphigenia in England

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Frank

Following on again from my recent post In the annals of ancient Crete… Boccaccio’s story of Iphigenia was adapted by the Seventeenth Century (Restoration) English poet (and Poet Laureate) John Dryden as Cymon And Iphigenia, and this was set to … Continue reading →

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Writing Iphigenia – A Love Story

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Frank

During the first few months of 1998 I immersed myself in Late Bronze Age Aegean archaeology and Greek mythology, and struggled to create a coherent genealogy and timeline of events leading to the Trojan War. A couple of years before, … Continue reading →

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The Illustrated Vampire

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Frank

When I started writing Kings of Infinite Space, my friend Sylke was reading the early chapters and providing feedback, and this influenced both the plot and characterisation. She also did some illustrations for me, including a map, and these can … Continue reading →

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The 10th Muse

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Frank

Last year’s Divine Women by Bettany Hughes had a powerful effect on me and it certainly influenced Suzie and the Monsters. At the start of the second episode, Bettany Hughes visits the Sackler Library in Oxford to study a new … Continue reading →

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More Free Vampires!

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Frank

Free on Amazon for Kindle for five days! (21-25 February, 2013) My new release – Hrana, a vampire-fantasy novella (est. 94 pages) – is a more-or-less standalone extract from my epic-fantasy novel Kings of Infinite Space. This part of the … Continue reading →

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In the annals of ancient Crete…

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Frank

For some reason I remember Day 5 of The Decameron starting: ‘In the annals of ancient Crete’. Clearly this is impossible. What is just possible is that I read a translation that started: ‘In the annals of ancient Cyprus’, but … Continue reading →

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Pansensual, Non-bisexual Vampires

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Frank

I have just been reading Megan Cashman’s post on my favourite subject (see, e.g., here and here): The Ambiguous Sexuality of Vampires. I want to pick up on a couple of points. Interview With The Vampire People keep giving this … Continue reading →

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Choosing a cover

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Frank

I’m planning to publish an extract from Kings of Infinite Space as a more-or-less standalone novella. While the full novel is a long (184000 words) epic fantasy with some vampiric elements, the extract (approximately 30000 words) is the story of … Continue reading →

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Oxford Blood

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Frank

Georgiana Derwent’s Oxford Blood, published October 2012, is the first book in The Cavaliers, a trilogy about an elite society of vampires based at Oxford University. The story of Harriet, the main character, is loosely based on the author’s time … Continue reading →

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