Seriously Steampunk... or should that be Cyberpunk?

WARNING! SPOILERS!


WARNING! SPOILERS!


WARNING! SPOILERS!


GOT THAT? GOOD! Then , if you're sitting comfortably...

For a variety of reasons I didn't view the Doctor Who Christmas special The Next Doctor until this evening. All I have to say is, how cool was the CyberKing?

The colossal steam-powered clockwork Cyberman stole the show and the final segment where the CyberKing walks on London was amazing. And how much better was it better than previous years' specials which tried to shoehorn as many Christmas references in as possible (with the exception of the Sycorax Leader being defeated by a tangerine - that was cool)? This story was simply set at Christmas time in Victorian London and featured a much more subtle Christmas reference.

If you've not seen The Next Doctor already for yourself, you may want to look away now. If you have, then here for your delectation again is the Rise of the CyberKing.

Have yourself a very steampunk Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Yes, Christmas Day is here at last, and hopefully some of you are waking up this morning to find that Father Christmas has left you a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? in your stocking - or maybe even the latest Pax Britannia adventure!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and remember you can listen to me, Dom Joly and Danny Wallace deconstructing the midwinter feast on Radio 5 Live from 12 noon.

So we keep the olden greeting
With its meaning deep and true,
And wish a merrie Christmas
And a happy New Year to you.

(Old English saying)

Christmas Past

There's more news from Abaddon Books of a vaguely festive nature. However, what's probably of most interest to readers of this blog is that the fourth Pax Britannia novel (and the third featuring dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver) is all ready for a January release. And what's more, Human Nature comes complete with an original novella, especially commissioned for the festive season, entitled Christmas Past.

As if that wasn't enough to to save you from those post-Christmas blues, you can also meet me on 9 January 2009 at the Shaftsbury Avenue Forbidden Planet store in London, where I will be signing copies of Human nature from 6.00pm to 7.00pm. Maybe I'll see you there.

JG Forbidden Planet Pax Britannia signing

The book's in and edited, it's gone off to the printers and the news has been made public, so I can now tell you that I will be signing copies of my latest Pax Britannia novel from Abaddon Books, Human Nature, at the Forbidden Planet megastore - 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London - on Friday 9 January, from 6.00pm - 7.00pm.

Come along and say hello, find out what I've got planned for the future of Pax Britannia, and get your copy of this brand new steampunk thriller signed by yours truly or, if you can't make it, order your signed copy now by following this link.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Meet Radio 5 Live's Christmologist - at Acton Christmas Fair

I will be at Acton Christmas Fair, this Saturday, 6 December, from 11.00am until 6.00pm, selling and signing copies of my book, What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

I will also be happy to (try to) answer your Christmas questions. And you can hear me doing just that on Christmas Day, at midday, on Radio 5 Live's Dom and Danny Do Christmas.

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So, maybe I'll see you there.