Somnambulists
Allen Ashley’s work inhabits landscapes ranging from the killing fields of the Somme to an alternative – and altogether more unsettling – London, taking in the tombs of Ancient Egypt and the Parisian tunnel where a certain Princess met her fate along the way. Poignant and poetic, edgy and urban, Ashley uses multi-authorial positions with great craft and conviction, subverting our expectations to devastating effect.
Ranging in tone and atmosphere from the expansive to the uncomfortably claustrophobic, Ashley’s skill as a writer is to take the reader irresistibly into the worlds – and minds – of his creations. Challenging our perceptions of what is real and what is imaginary, he guides us – unnerved but thrilled – through the nebulous half-world somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, populated with uncertainties and shadows. In short, the world of the somnambulist.
Contents:
- Somme-Nambula
- Sequel
- The Saurian
- Oh Four
- Downsize
- Life and Trials
- Things Seen, Left
- Life Under Water
- Pumpkin Coach
- The Locust People
- Siberia
- In Search of Guy Fawkes
- The Twilight
- Harmonic Excursions
- Matthew Saint
- State of the Ark
Readers also enjoyed
Allen Ashley
One of the most distinctive voices in modern literature, Allen Ashley has been published in dozens of books and magazines in the UK, USA, Canada and Spain and has now passed his first century of short story publications. Allen is a highly respected author equally adept at novels, short stories, poetry and lyrics. He is also well known for a wealth of critical commentary and non-fiction articles and, more recently, as an acclaimed and award winning editor.
Allen has run successful writing workshops in Newham and Tower Hamlets libraries. In October 2005 he gave two readings at the Norwich Fringe Festival. In November 2005 he was the special guest of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group. In May 2006 he ran a writing workshop in Derby as part of the very first "Alt. Fiction Day". On 2nd June 2006 he was the Guest of Honour at The British Fantasy Society (BFS) Open Night at The Devereux Arms, London WC2. On 7th July 2006 he compered the annual BFS "Showcase" evening, also at The Devereux.. At Fantasycon 2006 he moderated a panel on "Independent Versus Mainstream Editing" and was also thrilled to receive the BFS Best Anthology award as editor of "The Elastic Book Of Numbers". At Fantasycon 2007 he moderated a panel entitled "The Small Press - Building and Maintaining an Audience".
More books by Allen Ashley
