There’s a bit of backstory here, but for a couple of years, Chicago’s inventive and forward-looking Shanghai Low theatre group have been developing a stage version of my story Diamond Dogs. I’ve been very excited and impressed with the work so far, and was pleased to hear that a staged …

So what’s the deal with this new website and blog, you may wonder? The short answer is, I’m a hypocrite. Over the years, many kind people have offered to revamp or otherwise improve my existing website. But I’ve always declined – politely, I hope – because I have preferred to …

You can catch me discussing “What Scientists Read” at the forthcoming Edinburgh International Science Festival at 5.30pm on Thursday 17th April. Here’s the blurb: What DO scientists read? And what role does literature play in contemporary scientific thought and practice? Drawing on results from the ongoing What Scientists Read project, acclaimed …

Or thereabouts. After gaining my degree in astronomy from Newcastle in 1988, I moved to Scotland to begin my postgraduate studies in St Andrews. I was to spend three years working toward my PhD in optical astronomy, during which period I also made my first professional sales as a writer. …