Benjamin Hope: Author of The Procurement of Souls
Benjamin Hope author of fantasy novel Procurement of Souls
Objectivity. It’s not really possible when it comes to your own work. You’re just too in it. Of course, you can develop editorial skills and nurture the ability to identify what works and what doesn’t. But that only takes you so far. For those working with a view to self-publishing then, who does one turn... Continue Reading →
Genre: Steampunk Publisher: Snowbooks When Gideon Smith’s father mysteriously disappears at sea, he unwittingly embarks on a journey worthy of his beloved penny dreadfuls. This rip-roaring adventure brims with narrative verve: the alternate-Victorian setting is nicely realised; the gothic well integrated. It smacks of YA but Bram Stoker, vampires, mummies, zeppelin-flying-sky-pirates, and automata all add... Continue Reading →
I found the blog My Growth as a Writer (A Personal Perspective) by sci-fi and dark fantasy writer @kmarkhoover very thought-provoking. It got me reflecting on my own writing journey to date and the inevitable trials and tribulations that every writer (aspiring or established) goes through in a lifetime, no matter the particular stage they are... Continue Reading →
Genre: Mystery; Gothic Horror Publisher: Penguin (Modern Classics) A family poisoned by arsenic. Two surviving sisters made pariahs of their community. The tension spirals; the atmosphere grows thick with a leaden dread. This a mystery heavily laced with gothic horror: in the Blackwood’s sprawling, ramshackle grounds; in Merricat’s superstitious rituals; in the insidious, underlying violence... Continue Reading →
It’s interesting. When qualifying my novel The Procurement of Souls as a Victorian-gothic-steampunk crossover (which it is!), my wife tells me, it’s off-putting. To who? To me, she says, steampunk cheapens it; it’s much more than that. Well, I happen to love quality fiction within the so-called steampunk sub-genre and by being specific, knowing our... Continue Reading →
Genre: Gothic horror, Naturalism, Psychological Publisher: Penguin (Classics) This is the stuff of nightmares. A quick but far from easy read, such is the power of Zola’s narrative which he weaves with classic 19th-century gothic themes: psychological terror and madness; violent power-play; the supernatural; transgressive sexuality. The narrative is suffocating and Thérèse and Laurent’s world... Continue Reading →
Writing my recommendation for Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke reminded me of the 2015 BBC adaptation. Now, this is not a diatribe on the failures and pitfalls of book-to-screen adaptations (I’m just as much a fan of great movies and gritty TV as the next person) nevertheless… Books Are Always Better, Aren’t... Continue Reading →
Preview chapters 1-3
Genre: Alternative Historical Fantasy Publisher: Bloomsbury 1806 and magic returns to England with the unravelling relationship between two contrary magicians. This book draws you in and immediately swallows you whole. Gothic-horror overtones and 19th century-pastiche prose conjure one enchanting read and the exquisitely detailed world practically steams from the pages. Pure sophistication: the ‘thinking wo/man’s’... Continue Reading →
My last writing blog ‘Writer’s Block: It’s in Your Head, Isn’t It?’ got me thinking about the writing environment and the perfect setting for creative flow. And so, to: Cigars and Dry Martinis Well, I’m not a smoker. Nor am I a heavy drinker, for that matter. But fate (actually, my wife’s career) was such... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Hope: Author of The Procurement of Souls 