Once a psychic spy, James Morgan wants nothing more than to explore Osaka in peace. But when a chance encounter with a gang of yakuza ends in bloodshed, he is cast out into the cold. Can a psychic find a place in a world of machines? — ONCE A PSI is the prequel of my […]
Babylon Without Christ
Babylon is an unapologetically Christian series. The set-up is perfect for it. The world is in the grip of false gods who war with each other for control of souls. They twist their worshipers into slaves and meat puppets, turning them into pawns and soldiers for their forever wars. Humans are nothing more than prizes […]
3 Lessons From Writing A Female Protagonist
Babylon Red was my first attempt at writing a novel-length work anchored by a female protagonist. Unlike other modern fiction, I sought to write a female character, not a man with breasts. She had to think, talk, act and feel like a woman. How she sees and interacts with the world and other characters is […]
Nipping at the Heels of Gods
By conventional standards, the action scenes I write are unconventional. Many action scenes in pop culture follow the same tired formula. Lone hero picks up a machine gun, wades into a group of bad guys and blows them all away. Barbarian hefts his blade and cuts down a horde of lesser foes. Gongfu hero takes […]
Babylon Red Chapter 2
With 11 days to go, BABYLON RED stands at 75% funded! To celebrate, here’s chapter 2 of the titular novel! In this chapter, Yuri Yamamoto must deal with the authorities in the aftermath of a monster attack—and the New Gods. — 2. No Victims Here The Special Tasks Section was founded for a singular purpose: […]
Babylon Through the Eyes of Mundanes
When embarking on a new series, I have a simple rule: do something new. With the Babylon series, I wanted to play with perspective in storytelling. Babylon Blues has one main character and five viewpoint characters. While Yuri Yamamoto, leader of Team Black Watch, is the star of the story (and the series), he doesn’t […]
Architecture and Horror
Architecture is the visual language of habitation. Through design, colours, shapes, textures, the architect reveal the aesthetics of his soul, and the values of his times. In fiction, architecture establishes setting, tone, mood, history, culture. It evokes atmosphere by provoking the audience. And it tells you what characters can, cannot, must and must not do […]
The Machinations of Lesser Gods
The New Gods dominate Nova Babylonia, but in their shadows skulk a host of lesser powers. Tutelary deities, minor spirits, demons and other creatures, they squabble among themselves to sweep up what little the New Gods leave them. Following the cataclysmic events of Babylon Blues, these lesser powers have a chance to step into the […]
The Case for Polylithic Evil
Most stories keep things simple. There is the side of Good, represented by the protagonist. There is the side of Evil, represented by the antagonist and his minions. Postmodern fiction tries to spice it up, with gray versus gray or gray versus black morality. Having just two sides is the norm. If there are multiple […]
Babylon Red Chapter 1 Preview
The IndieGoGo campaign for Babylon Red has reached 38% of its funding goal! To celebrate, here’s chapter 1 of the exclusive novel! — Movement was meditation. Meditation was movement. Embodying these twinned concepts, Yuri Yamamoto walked the streets of ArcoShanti. Designed in reverence of the human form, it was a town disguised as a neighborhood, […]
Ingredients of Action Horror
Action horror. A fiction contradiction if there ever was one. Action stories are about agency: the character’s ability to act on the environment, to overcome all odds, to destroy all foes in his path. Horror relies heavily on a lack of agency: the inability to directly confront the horror, and with it, the despair that […]