Teachers, Librarians, Festival Organisers… Lend me your ears. ‘Cause I love talking! In fact, if you give me a microphone and an audience, it can be hard to shut me up. And I am always on the look out for new speaking opportunities — presentations, workshops, keynote addresses… whatever. With only a couple more speaking […]
I’m a professional writer. More importantly, I’m a slightly obsessive fanboy. If ever my writing world collides with my fannish obsessions, it makes me deliriously happy. It’s happened a few times. I’ve been lucky enough to write in, amongst others, the universes of The X-Files, Night Terrace and Doctor Who, as well as the world […]
It’s been over a month since the release of Monster Island and I’ve had some pretty great feedback. The reviews from grown-ups have all been awesome, saying things like… “The action comes thick and fast, and George Ivanoff has done an excellent job of making the reader feel as though they’re right alongside Bernie and […]
Today, my new middle-grade novel, Monster Island, roars onto bookshop shelves across the country. I am SUPER EXCITED! To celebrate, I baked some dinosaur cookies! Reviews have already started to come appear… “This is an incredibly fun and exciting adventure that you won’t want to put down.”Books & Publishing “Filled with dinosaur facts, famous mysteries, […]
It all started with the pandemic. We were in lockdown so I couldn’t get out for a haircut. Then promotional possibilities took over. I decided to keep growing my hair and add a beard to achieve a wild aesthetic for the promotion of The Supernatural Survival Guide. Once the publicity was all done and dusted, […]
Despite the constant threat of Covid, 2022 saw everything opening up and a return to face-to-face festivals and school visits. It was good to be back! On the publishing front, I had one novel, four school readers and a number of short stories come out. A very satisfying year! The Mystery of Lucy Wilson: Memories […]
After two years of lockdowns, school visits via Zoom and cancelled festivals, it’s been so nice to once again connect with readers in person. I was lucky enough to attend two amazing youth literary festivals in the latter part of this year — Scribbler’s Festival and Once Upon A Festival. A HUGE thank you to […]
Random Vanishing Info This is the final blog post in my series examining all the stuff that got cut out of The Supernatural Survival Guide before its publication. In this installment, I’ve collected together some bits of info from the book’s final section EVERYTHING ELSE (ALL OF IT WEIRD). Chapter 17: Nothing is what it seems, […]
Spooky Stuff That Disappeared Another blog post in my series examining all the stuff that got cut out of The Supernatural Survival Guide before its publication. In this installment, I’ve collected together my favourate bits that disappeared from the book’s third section FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE. First up, here’s a bit of historical info that […]
Abducted information THEY CAME FROM OUTTA THIS WORLD… MAYBE is the first (and longest) section in The Supernatural Survival Guide, and contains lots of information about UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects), including reports of aliens abducting people. Well, I’m not sure about alien abduction, but I had to abduct and remove some info from this section […]
The Hazel Edwards Interview The first completed draft of The Supernatural Survival Guide contained an interview with well-known Australian Children’s author Hazel Edwards. It appeared along with the Fact File about the Westall UFO Incident in Chapter 2: Look! Up in the Sky! In 1966, Hazel was a new teacher at Westall High School and […]
The Deleted Chapter Early drafts of The Supernatural Survival Guide contained a chapter that is no longer there. Yes, that’s right. I ended up cutting out an entire chapter. This was originally going to be the final chapter in the BEASTLY STUFF section. But in the end, I decided that its focus on mythological creatures […]
Cutting Words The first completed draft of The Supernatural Survival Guide was several thousand words over the ideal word count. What can I say? I was so into the topic and my research was uncovering heaps of really cool info… and… well… I got a little carried away. So there was a great deal of […]
Who would’ve thought that we could get a year more challenging than 2020? Ah well… with that year having been a practice run, at least I was better equipped to handle 2021. I had two books published this year. .. My entry into the Lethbridge-Stewart range of Doctor Who spinoff novels, Fear Frequency, came out […]
AUSTRALIA READS is an initiative to get more Aussies reading, more often. As an avid reader, as a parent of avid readers and as an author, this is something that means a great to me. Reading is not just an important life skill, it’s not just a gateway to learning, it’s not just a way […]
The following article was recently published in the CBCA Vic Branch Newsletter. OTHER WORLDS in the classroom Each year the Book Week theme opens the doors of possibility, giving teachers and librarians an opportunity to get children engaged with reading. But more than that, these themes can lead to classroom discussions on a wide variety […]
They’re here! They’re finally here! I was so exited when my Lethbridge-Stewart novel, Fear Frequency, was released. So it was an odd feeling not having my copies. Due to Candy Jar Books being in the UK, and the vagaries of international deliveries, it was over three weeks between publication and my copies arriving. I had […]
Here it is folks… the cover for THE SUPERNATURAL SURVIVAL GUIDE, which will hit bookshops on 28 September 2021! Meanwhile, the covers for the first two GUIDES have been shortlisted in the Australian Book Designers Association awards in the Children’s/Young Adult Series category. The first book was a collaboration – Bruno Herfst and Tony Palmer […]
What does an author do when there’s a snap Covid lockdown? Make more videos, of course! This time around I’ve gone for short (under 10 seconds), sharp little promos for The Human Body Survival Guide that can be used on social media. I’ll be uploading them to Instagram, Twitter and FaceBook… but I thought I’d […]
I am super excited to reveal the cover for Fear Frequency, my upcoming novel in the Lethbridge-Stewart range of Doctor Who spinoff books. The cover artwork is by the wonderfully talented Adrian Salmon (check out his blog). This is all finally starting to feel real, although I don’t think I will 100% believe it until I’m holding a copy in […]
Well, hasn’t 2020 been one heck of a year? Back in January I had no idea that a pandemic was on it’s way, that I would find myself in lockdown, twice, that schools would start cancelling speaking gigs and that I’d have to learn to switch over to virtual presentations. It was challenging, both on […]
Hold on to your tinfoil hats folks… it’s time to research everything spooky, weird and unexplained. That’s the focus of the new SURVIVAL GUIDE that I am currently working on. I will be covering cryptozoology, UFOlogy, ghost hunting and a range of other topics. I will be approaching the subject matter from a sceptic’s starting […]
Puffin in the kids’ imprint of Penguin Random House and 2020 is the little bird’s 80th birthday. There should have been HUGE celebrations! There should have been parties! There should have been MASSIVE author events! BUT… We had Covid-19 instead. So celebrations happened in the virtual world instead. Social media banners, videos, pics and all sort […]
Here’s the first of The Human Body Survival Guide trailers, featuring Dr George (not a real doctor)… And here’s the second… And the third… With Victoria in lockdown, making location shooting untenable, I had to change my plans for these videos and learn all about blue screen. It was a rather steep learning curve, but […]
Unboxing videos seem to be all the rage these days. But I’d never done one… until now! Of course, I couldn’t possibly do an ordinary one. So here it is, the unboxing of The Human Body Survival Guide.
As the Melbourne Lockdown continues, I want to continue making vids. But, I don’t want to be doing the same thing over and over again. So I thought I’d try something a little different. A set of short videos about drawing… even though I am REALLY BAD at drawing. I’m hoping that they might encourage […]
Another reading, this time from OTHER WORLDS: Game World. Computer games, robot birds, laser pistols and a car chase… what more could you want? As usual, shot on my iPhone and edited with iMovie. This time I played around with multiple angles and editing. Hope you like it.
As Melbourne continues with Lockdown 2.0, I’m continuing with my vids. It’s been a while since my last reading (You Choose, 6 May), so I thought it was high time for another one. This is the opening of “Chapter One: Zyra” from Level Up!, which is the second book in my YA Gamers trilogy. Hope you enjoy […]
Melbourne has begun its new lockdown, so I’m back to video making. My GAMERS trilogy, published by Ford Street Publishing, returned to bookshop shelves this year with awesome new covers from Matthew Lin. They were published in March, just before the first lockdown, so I’ve not been able to do much in the way of physical […]
Wow! My short story, “Pure History”, from the Lethbridge-Stewart anthology The Havoc Files: The Laughing Gnome has made it onto the shortlist for this year’s SCRIBE AWARDS. These awards are organised by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW) and are described in the official blurb as follows… “Acknowledging excellence in this very competitive field, […]
The Covid-19 Isolation continues… and so do my reading vids. This one is from You Choose: In the Realm of Dragons. This is my first attempt at using green screen to create a split screen video in order to have two of me in the same shot. It was A LOT harder than I anticipated. I […]
Here’s another reading. This one is from Beast World, which is Book 2 in the OTHER WORLDS series. Although these books can be read as a sequential series, they are also designed to work as stand-alones. This time, I’ve played around a bit with editing and special effects. I am very much enjoying the process of creating […]
Another week of pandemic induced self-isolation… another video reading. Something a little different this time. It’s only the first scene of my short story “Future Dreaming”, which appeared in the anthology Under the Weather: Stories about climate change (ed: Tony Bradman, Frances Lincoln, UK, 2009). But then I go on to give you my two cents […]
I’m back with another reading video, this time from The RFDS Adventures: Emergency Echo. In this extract, we get to hear about Fergus Callaghan, a pilot with the Aerial Medical Service (the precursor to the RFDS) in the 1930s. Please excuse my Irish accent. 🙂
Self-isolation is still happening, so here’s another reading to help you pass the time. My Aussie accent is pretty shocking and REALLY inconsistent… but who cares! This reading features Bruce The Dropbear, and even a couple of my chickens manage to make an appearance. Many thanks to my wife Kerri for directing and my daughter Lexi […]
It’s time for a cover reveal! It seems rather appropriate to be revealing the cover of The Human Body Survival Guide as we are all trying to survive a viral pandemic… especially since viruses get their own section in this book. (No, the Covid-19 pandemic is not a marketing ploy on my part.) I adore this […]
With self-isolation being the new norm during this time of viral pandemic, I thought I’d inflict a bit of reading on the unsuspecting Interwebs. Here are a couple short excerpts from my books… The first is a reading from the interactive You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove: And the second is a reading from Game […]
Life in Australia has become rather strange since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing has become a thing, hand sanitising is now the norm, and panic buying of toilet paper has hit insanity levels. But schools have also been affected. Many have closed due to staff or students having contracted the virus. States […]
I’ve been obsessed with Doctor Who since I was about ten years old. As a kid, the series got me into reading and writing. As an adult it continues to inspire me, influencing my writing. So I greet each new season with much eagerness and enthusiasm. I will often comment on each new episode on social […]
Happy Publication Day to the new-look GAMERS trilogy. Originally published between 2009 and 2013, they are back with new covers, new titles and new marketing. These awesome covers are by Matthew Lin. All three books can now be purchased directly from Ford Street Publishing. Or you can get your favourite bookshop to order them in. […]
Last week I had the great pleasure of attending Voices on the Coast in Queensland. Organised by Immanuel Lutheran College in conjunction with The University of the Sunshine Coast, it was two days of immersion in books and all things reading, as students were bussed in from surrounding schools to attending presentations and workshops with […]
One of my all-time favourite characters from DOCTOR WHO is Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, head of U.N.I.T. during the Pertwee era, as portrayed on screen by the late, great Nicholas Courtney. So it is with much excitment (and not a little bit of disbelief) that I now find myself writing the character. In 2015, Candy […]
Okay folks, here they are… the awesome new covers by Matthew Lin for the three Gamers novels… These new editions will be released by Ford Street Publishing in March 2020.
It’s the New Year! It’s the New Decade! It’s time to celebrate and look forward to 2020, which has such a lovely science-fiction ring to it. But it’s also a chance to look back and celebrate the past as well. My BIG publication for 2019 was The Australia Survival Guide, released on 1 October by Puffin […]
Yes folks, it’s announcement time… I am officially revealing that my next book is The Human Body Survival Guide! This follow-up to The Australia Survival Guide, is keeping the feel and approach of the first, but with a very different topic. It is particularly focused on all the gross stuff. So this book is full of poo […]
The Australia Survival Guide, my first foray into commercial non-fiction, was published by Puffin Australia on 1 October 2019. And I was nervous. Seriously nervous! After all, I’m known for writing fiction, mostly science fiction, fantasy and OTT action/adventure. Yes, I’ve written loads of educational non-fiction, but that’s a completely different market. So this book […]
Zyra is coming back! Tark is coming back! The GAMERS trilogy is coming back! My first trilogy of novels is set to be rebranded and rereleased March 2020 with Ford Street Publishing. AWESOME new covers have been created by the amazingly talented Matthew Lin. And the books have new individual titles that are a little […]
I love a good literary festival – both as a writer/speaker and as a reader. The StoryArts Festival Ipswich, is one of the best. And I was lucky enough to be invited along. Five days worth of amazing book-related programming for kids. That’s right (write)… FIVE DAYS! How cool is that! The program was divided between […]
Here they are… my 4 short book trailers for THE AUSTRALIA SURVIVAL GUIDE, which will be in bookshops from Tuesday 1 October. I had way too much fun making these. Huge thanks to my wife, Kerri, for directing them. And a shout out to my daughter, Lexi, who features in the beach trailer. And I’ve […]
A couple of weeks ago, one of my writing heroes passed away. Terrance Dicks was best known for his association with Doctor Who. He was a script editor and writer on the classic series. He also wrote dozens of the Target novelisations. And he continued to write Doctor Who stories after the series was revived, his final […]
It’s not every day that one gets the chance to act for the BBC. But last Sunday night, at 6pm, my dulcet tones graced the airwaves of BBC Radio 4 as Scribe in “A Verb of Nouns”, the third episode of the second season of Night Terrace. Night Terraceis an Australia sci-fi comedy audio series that […]
I am currently poring over page proofs for The Australia Survival Guide, which goes off to the printers on Friday. But I’m taking a short break to officially reveal the cover. Feast your eyes on this… It will be hitting the shelves on 1 October 2019 under the Puffin imprint from Penguin Random House Australia. I. […]
FIVE YEARS! Five years in a row! I am absolutely floored! The REAL awards shortlist (which feeds into the YABBAs in Victoria, the KOALAs in NSW and the KROCs in the Northern Territory) has been announced and You Choose: Alien Invaders From Beyond the Starsis on it, in the “Fiction For Older Readers” section. It is […]
A new Doctor. New companions. A new TARDIS interior and a new sonic. A new showrunner and a heap of new behind the scenes people. Welcome to the fresh new series of Doctor Who. Series 11 sees Jodie Whittacker step into the role of the Doctor, the first time that this regenerating Time Lord has been […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Who has been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. In this review, I’m wrapping things up. The […]
We have more venomous snakes than you can poke a stick at. We have creepy-crawly spiders that can sneak up on you. We have crocs and sharks with really big teeth in our waters. We have raging bushfires and unexpected floods. We have an often harsh environment with bushlands and deserts to get lost in. […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Whohas been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. In this review, I’m looking at the fifth and […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Whohas been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. In this review, I’m looking at the fourth story, […]
Blimey… what a year! 2018 was busy. Real busy! Like, super busy! Lots of writing and touring and speaking. It was all pretty amazing! The big thing was, of course, the publication of the OTHER WORLDS series. Four sci-fi/fantasy/adventure books for kids aged 8 and up. Books 1 and 2 came out in February and […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Who has been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. In this review, I’m looking at the […]
A bunch of authors and illustrators touring around Melbourne and Sydney on a mini-bus with a publicist… what could possibly go wrong? Well… aside from being mobbed by an entire school’s worth of kids desperate for the bag of lollies I was about to distribute on Halloween; and being made to impersonate a meerkat on […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Who has been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. In this review, I’m looking at the […]
The BBC have released an utterly gorgeous video with school kids getting a preview of DOCTOR WHO Series 11 and a surprise visit from the 13th Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker (see bottom of post) Just look at the excitement on the faces of these kids. Anyone ranting against the decision to cast a woman as […]
Getting a good review is pretty great. But getting a good review in which your writing is compared to someone/something you are a fan of… well… that’s just AWESOME! In her Magpies magazine review of Game World, Beth Dolan wrote: “Special mention of the mother-figure who could challenge Coraline’s Button Mother for creepy malevolence.” OMG! […]
Whilst attending a writers festival in an odd faux Swiss village in Tasmania, named Grindelwald, some of my fellow-writers and I decided that it would make a great setting for a murder mystery novel. One by one, authors are murdered for the mistakes they have made in their novels, their method of demise being in […]
Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor in Doctor Who has been released as a Blu-ray box set. Season 12 comprises 5 stories made up of 20 episodes. Rather than trying to review the whole thing all at once, I’m dividing things up over a number of reviews. Having written an Overview, it’s now time […]
This box set is a thing of beauty! But there is SO MUCH in it (20 episodes plus HEAPS of extras) that it will take me some time to watch and review it all. Rather than wait, I’ve decided to do multiple reviews – starting with this overview, continuing with one for each story, and […]
After individual trailers for Perfect World and Beast World, we now have a trailer for the OTHER WORLDS series as a whole. 🙂
Game World and Dark World (books 3 and 4 of OTHER WORLDS) hit the shelves today. Yay! I’m celebrating with some flourless orange cake. But… um… I was most of the way through my slice before I realised that I had forgotten to take a photo for this blog post. Whoops!
The legendary, abandoned Doctor Who story penned by Douglas Adams, “Shada”, finally sees the light of day (yet again), this time with the missing bits recreated with animation. But is all this time and effort actually worth it? My opinions are forthcoming, but you could win a copy and make up your own mind. “Shada” […]
OMG! OMG! OMG! A You Choose book has made it on to the REAL awards shortlist for the fourth year in a row. How cool is that? And what an amazing honour! The REAL (Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature) awards are a group of state-based awards for children’s literature that are nominated and voted on […]
The 2017 Doctor Who Christmas Special, “Twice Upon a Time”, in which Capaldi hands on the baton to Jodie Whitaker, can be summed up with the thirteenth Doctor’s first words – “Aw, brilliant!” Following on directly from the Series 10 finale, Capaldi’s twelfth Doctor is refusing to regenerate. Arriving at the South Pole, he bumps […]
Today I ran a two-hour intensive writing workshop for kids aged seven and up, at Eltham Bookshop. It was all about structure and planning. Several of the participants were interested in using the group planning activities as a basis for their own writing, so I promised to put photos of the whiteboard plans up on […]
Happy Publication Day to this awesome footy anthology. I’m pleased to have a story (about football on another planet) in this book, along with those written by Michael Wagner, Tony Wilson, Nicole Hayes, Adrian Beck, Michael Panckridge, Sherryl Clark, Patrick Loughlin, Meredith Costain, Shivaun Plozza and David Lawrence. And the illustrations are by Simon Rattray. […]
Today, the doorway opens on OTHER WORLDS with the publication of books one and two – Perfect World and Beast World. This new series of sci-fi/fantasy/adventure books, aimed at kids aged 8 and up, is officially launched today! I celebrated Publication Day this morning with a fancy cheesecake. 🙂 I am so excited about this […]
Today the latest two YOU CHOOSE FLIP ME books have been released into the wild.Creepy Crawly Chaos / City of RobotsandExtreme Machine Challenge / In the Realm of Dragons
January 29 will see the release of another two FLIP ME! You Choose editions… The first will bring together Extreme Machine Challenge and In the Realm of Dragons. And the second has Creepy Crawly Chaos and City of Robots. This will complete the set of FLIP ME!, 2-in-1 You Choose books. Very exciting!
The time has come to unveil my new OTHER WORLDS book series. This is where I get to tell you a little about it and also show you the first two covers – illustrated by the always awesome James Hart (who also does the covers for my You Choose series) and designed by Tony Palmer. […]
In October this year I had the pleasure of touring the Central Coast area of NSW, courtesy of the local branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Over the course of five days I visited seven schools, two bookshops, a library book club and a Teacher-Librarian networking event. And I even managed to squeeze […]
I still can’t quite believe it, but You Choose: Alien Invaders From Beyond the Stars has been named as an Honour Book in the KOALA Awards for the second year in a row. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who voted for it. And, of course, thank you to the organisers for […]
Not long now before I can reveal the covers for the first two books in my new OTHER WORLDS series, along with some info. Until then, here’s a bit of a teaser.
Hands up, who went to this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival? [LOTS, given the crowds of people I saw.] Who had a wonderful, inspiring, creative time? [Insert deafening cheers.] I was there! This was my second year in a row running a sold-out workshop as part of the Schools Program. How lucky am I? The workshop […]
Time to take a specky, kick a goal and read a book… oh… and eat some Tim Tams. ‘Cause today, You Choose AFL: Footy Fever hits the shops! I always celebrate a new release with food. And with a book about the most famous of Aussie sports, what could be better than the most famous […]
I’m still so excited about the casting of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor in the TV series DOCTOR WHO, that I went to the local park today and did this… ‘Cause, guess what? Men and boys can, you know, have women as role models. Many thanks to my talented wife, Kerri Valkova, for taking […]
So… I woke up this morning to one of the most exciting pieces of casting news ever! Jodie Whittaker has been announced as the 13th Doctor in the long running British sci-fi series DOCTOR WHO. I’m VERY, VERY, VERY excited about this. Let me tell you why… I’m a huge Doctor Who fan. I love […]
n late May I had the pleasure of going on a promotional book tour in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding Riverina region. I visited six schools in Henty, The Rock, Ashmont, Junee, Coolamon and Wagga Wagga, as well as doing some media and an in-store event with the tour organisers, Gateway Bookshop (if you’re ever […]
I am totally blown away by this! “An Eye For and Eye”, my story from The X-Files: Secret Agendas anthology, has been shortlisted for a SCRIBE AWARD. Shortlisted! As in, one of only five stories! Blimey! That certainly calls for a bit of celebrating. As an author, I’ve never chased awards. But it is very […]
I’ve been keeping this a secret since November 2016… but I can finally reveal details of the next You Choose book. It’s a footy-themed story that’s been licensed by the Australian Football League. And it features real-life AFL players (as well as a ninja, a Footy Godmother and a group of grumpy old men who […]
Three years is a row! I find it hard to believe, but that’s the situation– I’ve made it onto the REAL Awards (Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature) shortlist for the third year running, thanks to my YOU CHOOSE books. The REAL awards are a group of state-based awards for children’s literature that are nominated and […]
I often joke that my mind is as cluttered as my desktop, which is why I’m rarely able to concentrate on just one project at a time – too much stuff churning around the abyss within my head, clamoring for attention. Unless I have a really short deadline that forces me to concentrate on just […]
In celebration of International Women’s Day I thought I’d post a pic of some of my favourite books written by women. This is only a small selection, limited by what was to hand on my bookshelves and a decision to only choose one book per author (and a very hard choice that was in some […]
Class. Or… Buffy meets Torchwood via Doctor Who. Or maybe… Buckets of Blood at High School! Snappy dialogue, interesting characters and a nice dose of moral ambiguity combine in this rather stylishly violent teen sci-fi drama, that spins off from Doctor Who. There have been numerous Doctor Who spin-offs coming to our television screens over […]
Happy Publication Day for the latest YOU CHOOSE FLIP ME books. The release of YOU CHOOSE books one to four in 2-in-1 FLIP ME editions was a success! So now, here are books five to eight in the same format. Yay! Sadly, I forgot to organise cake, which is how I usually celebrate a Publication […]
The Power of the Daleks, lost for many years due to the BBC archival purge, is now available with the surviving soundtrack matched with animation, recreating the action of the original. Not only has this story been released in black and white (like the original) but also in colour. But is this a good thing? […]
Grab your Coal Hill Academy ID, pack your sonic lipstick and strap on your vortex manipulator… it’s time to spin-off through a fracture in the time/space continuum to a live discussion of all things not quite Doctor Who. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, chances are you’ve heard of the SPLENDID CHAPS podcast. This awesome […]
I run quite a lot of writing workshops each year, mostly in schools and libraries, on topics such as character development, story structure, world building and finding inspiration. In recent years I’ve also run workshops on writing interactive stories like my YOU CHOOSE books. All of these workshops have been for kids and teens, who […]
Lost for so many years due to the BBC archival purge, The Power of the Daleks has achieved an almost reverent, legendary status amongst Doctor Who fans. The third story for Season 4, from 1966, it is also the first story for the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, who took over from the […]
Remember Transformers? Robots in disguise. More than meets the eye. Toys. Animated television series. More toys. Animated feature film. Even more toys. Series of a live-action blockbusters. And the toys keep on coming. As a teenager in the 1980s, when Transformers first crossed my radar, I dismissed them as silly and childish to my friends, […]
I’m part of a breakfast cereal promotion! Well… my books are. Which is pretty cool. Kellogg’s are running a book promotion with some of their breakfast cereals from 1 January to the 8 April 2017 in Australia and New Zealand. Buy two specially marked boxes of cereal and you can get a free book. There […]
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! What better way is there to celebrate than with the release of two new YOU CHOOSE books? Books 11 and 12 hit the shelves today. Rather than celebrating with cake, which is what I usually do, today I’m working my way through leftover German Christmas biscuits and chocolates. 🙂 And I […]
Merry Christmas to one and all. Family. Friends. Food. The three Fs. These are the things I think of at Christmas as I go into a cooking frenzy. This year I made 2 puddings, a double batch of shortbread biscuits (decorated in chocolate by my daughters), egg nog, vanilla bean ice-cream (to go with the […]
The Deep is an Australian/Canadian co-produced animated series based on the graphic novels by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer (see my review). It’s a thrilling undersea sci-fi adventure in the vein of live action shows such as seaQuest DSV (see my review) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (see my review), but with […]
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is the latest in a series of comic book super hero tv shows based on DC comics. The characters were setup in Arrow and The Flash (to the detriment of season 2 of The Flash – see my review), before being released into the wild with their own series. The result […]
It’s hard to separate a festival from its location. And really, in this case, why would you want to? Goulburn is such a pretty town, filled with wonderful old buildings (one of them being the Mandelson’s Hotel, where I stayed), excellent cafes and a giant concrete Marino nicknamed Rambo. And the Goulburn Reader Writer Festival […]
On Thursday 3 November, You Choose: Alien Invaders From Beyond the Stars got an Honour Award at the KOALAs, NSW’s annual children’s choice awards, in the Fiction for Younger Readers category. How cool is that? Even cooler… the other Honour Award went to Jacqueline Harvey’s Alice Miranda at Camp. I feel very privileged to be […]
My first picture book, Meet… the Flying Doctors, illustrated by the talented Ben Wood, hits bookstores across Australia today. I’m celebrating with some baklava. 🙂 This is a non-fiction, historical picture book that tells the story of Rev John Flynn and the formation of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. On a recent trip to Alice […]
The Royal Flying Doctor Service saves many lives, but medical assistance and outback rescues are not all they do. They also educate. They visit schools and kindergartens, and talk to kids. Today I had the great pleasure of meeting RFDS educator, Tom Ryan and sitting in on his session at Olympic Avenue Kindergarten. He had […]
Or… why it’s good for this 48-year-old children’s author to play a game that involves exploring and collecting. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Pokémon Go, the hottest augmented reality game for mobile phones. It’s the game that lots of people play. It’s also the game that lots of people seem to be complaining about. […]
Time to unveil the AWESOME covers for the upcoming You Choose books – Creepy Crawly Chaos and City of Robots. As always, thank you to the talented James Hart. These books will hit the stores on 3 January 2017!
After one season back in the 1990s, comic book super hero, the Flash, returned to television in a new series in late 2014. This first season (see review) was pretty damn good and showed great promise for the future. Sadly, season two doesn’t quite live up to that promise. It’s by no means bad, but […]
It’s been an insanely busy couple of months. Book Week is always a busy time of year for children’s authors, but this year things extended well into the preceding and following weeks. I was also presenting on the children’s program of the Melbourne Writers Festival, which was the week after Book Week. Plus, in the […]
Yes… another comic book super hero adaptation. Believe me, when I first heard about it I thought, we don’t need any more. But then I watched it. And, guess what? I loved it! Supergirl is fun. Supergirl is smart. Supergirl subverts expectations. And in this current age of male-dominated superhero shows, having a powerful female […]
As a reader, I love short stories. They give me the ability to experience a complete tale in one sitting, when I have limited time up my sleeve. As a writer, I love short stories. They give me the chance to experiment. And I love the challenge of getting a story, characters and setting across […]
Last Saturday I went to my first ever AFL game. But why in the world would a committed non-sports person like me go to a footy match? I’ve never followed the AFL. I’ve never barracked for any team. I’ve never had any interest in watching sports of any kind. Frankly, I’ve never really had much […]
Whitsunday Anglican School in Mackay certainly knows how to host one heck of a great Youth Literature Festival. Two days of presentations and workshops with fifteen authors and illustrators, attended by thousands of students from schools all over the region. As one of the speakers, I spent two days feeling like a rock star, speaking […]
Wow! I just had the most mind-blowing experience. I spent this morning fighting zombies! And it was AWESOME! Zero Latency is a company that’s running the world’s first multiplayer free-roam Virtual Reality (VR) experience… and it’s in Melbourne. So I got together with some friends for a group booking, zombie-killing experience. I don’t want to […]
Time for cake and Champagne! I’ve hit 100 published books! Today is Publication Day for my latest You Choose books — You Choose 9: Extreme Machine Challenge and You Choose 10: In the Realm of Dragons. In the Realm of Dragons is officially my 100th published book. I cannot describe just how excited I am […]
After two successful seasons of the television series (see review of Series 1 and Series 2), Nowhere Boys has transitioned to a feature-length film. The Book of Shadows had a limited cinematic release at the start of 2016, then screened on ABC3. And now it’s on DVD. While perhaps not as strong as the series, […]
With books 9 and 10 in the You Choose series due for release very soon, it is with much excitement that I begin work on books 11 and 12. 11! AND! 12! I’m still pinching myself just to make sure it’s not all a dream. Although it all begins with scribbles in a notebook, things […]
Informative and inspiring! Last week I attended my first ever Children’s Book Council of Australia conference. It was such an amazing experience. With a theme of READ: MYRIAD POSSIBILITIES, it was held in Sydney over two days (20-21 May). Authors, illustrators, publishers and teacher-librarians came together to discuss the topic closest to their hearts — […]
I love picture books. I have read LOTS of them to my daughters over the years and I’ve also read LOTS of them for my own pleasure. There is something about the story telling power of words and pictures combined that is utterly magical. I have long harbored an ambition to write picture books. After […]
Books 3 and 4 in my RFDS series hit the shelves today – Medical Mission and Fast Flight. I’m celebrating, as always, with cake (it’s my little Publication Day tradition). A LOT OF CAKE! I have a Russian background (you’d never guess with a name like Ivanoff), and this past weekend was Russian Easter… so […]
Running for five seasons from 1989 to 1993, Quantum Leap is a science fiction, time-travel TV series with bucket-loads of heart. The whole series has been available on DVD for a number of years, but the first season has now been released on Blu-ray… a perfect time to revisit it. The premise is simple. In […]
Based on the best-selling books by Terry Brooks, The Shannara Chronicles is a lavish 10-part fantasy series. A mix of fantasy clichés and intriguing ideas, it’s good-looking and a lot of fun. Set hundreds of years after an apocalypse that has wiped out human civilisation, the Four Lands are now ruled by elves, with other […]
Capaldi’s second season as the Doctor sees the series head to new heights. In my opinion it’s the best season in years. And the DVD release matches it in quality. In fact, the complete ninth series DVD box set is actually more than that, as it also includes the preceding and following Christmas specials. So […]
‘Twas a big day today. I had fungus extracted from my ear and an award nomination announced. Exciting times! As I was sitting in a specialist’s office, getting a fungal infection vacuumed out of my ear (whilst watching the entire disgusting affair via ear-cam on a large flat screen TV), the REAL shortlist was being […]
James Hart has done it again. Get a load of these wonderful covers. That’s ten YOU CHOOSE covers that he’s now illustrated… and he still manages to bring something fresh and exciting to each and every new one. Thanks James… you’re ACE! Everyone should go and check out James Hart’s website.
I’m gonna be on TV! Channel 9! The Today Show on the morning of Tuesday 8 March (that’s tomorrow). Let me tell you why… Last week I had an amazing time touring around Adelaide to promote the release of my Royal Flying Doctor Service series of kids’ adventure books. I visited schools and bookstores, signed […]
On Monday 29 February 2016, the second season of NIGHT TERRACE was launched. What is NIGHT TERRACE? I hear you ask. Well, let me answer you. It’s simply the best comedy sci-fi audio series since THE HITCH-HIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. And it’s an Aussie production. And it stars Jackie Woodburne from Neighbours. And it […]
I am VERY EXCITED to announce that the Royal Flying Doctor Service adventures will be officially launched by the Honourable Susan Close, South Australia’s Education and Child Development Minister. The launch will take place on Tuesday 1 March at the Leigh Creek Area School. After the minister’s launch speech, I’ll be talking about the inspiration […]
The first two books in the RFDS ADVENTURES were released last week. Although the next two books won’t be released until May, I can reveal the covers. With thanks to artist Maria Penna, here they are…
The first two books in the RFDS ADVENTURES take flight today. Remote Rescue, set in the South Australian ghost town of Farina, and Emergency Echo, set in the remote West Australian town of Mount Magnet, hit bookshop shelves across the country. Continuing my tradition of celebrating each Publication Day with cake, I’ve got some of […]
“The Underwater Menace” is a four-part story from the classic series of Doctor Who. First transmitted in 1967 as part of season 4, it is Patrick Troughton’s third story as the Doctor. Three of the four episodes were lost in the BBC’s archival purge, but ep 2 was recovered in 2011. Since then, fans have […]
Things have changed in Atlantis! The second season of this British fantasy series is a huge shift of direction, both in terms of story and style. It’s not better or worse… just difference. And certainly not quite the family show it once was. Series One (see review) followed the adeventures of Jason, Hercules and Pythagoras […]
01/12/15 New editions… Just in time for Christmas shopping… Two books in one… Released into the wild… Happy Publication Day to the FLIP ME YOU CHOOSE books.
If, as I do, you like an extra helping of cheese with your retro 80s sci-fi, you simply can’t go past Automan. This 13-episode series from 1983/4 is a barrel-load of ridiculous, over-the-top FUN! Police computing expert Walter Nebicher creates a crime-fighting artificial intelligence program that manifests itself as the hologram called Automan, complete with […]
Do authors ever reach the point of being blasé about their careers? Oh yes, I’ve just had another book published and I’m off on tour again. It’s all so very tiring and inconvenient. Will I ever get to that point? I certainly hope not. I still get so excited every time a new book […]
Ingredients: 34 authors and illustrators; 300+ students; 40 shortlisted children’s books; 4 awards; and, most importantly, cake. It’s a recipe for heaps of FUN! On Tuesday 27 October 2015, a whole bunch of authors and illustrators went along to a celebration of Aussie books that was attended by over 300 students. The location was Sacré […]
Since March I’ve been sitting on some news. I’ve been desperate to shout it from the rooftops, but I’ve had to wait until my publisher was ready to announce it. Well, that time has arrived. I can finally reveal the project I’ve been working on is a new series of kids books about the Royal […]
The Flash is one of the many recent super hero comic book adaptations. The question is… do we really need yet another super hero tv show? The answer is YES — YES we do. ‘Cause this one is pretty awesome! SPOILER WARNING! Yep, lots of spoilers in this review, so if that bothers you… you […]
After a delay of a year, the ABC finally renewed this wonderfully entertaining murder/mystery series for a third season. Based on the books by Melbourne author Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries follows the adventures of Lady Detective Phryne Fisher in 1920s Melbourne. Despite the popularity of the first two seasons (read my reviews here […]
I got to spend a weekend hanging out at a convention with Lani Tupu (Captain Crais from Farscape), Paul Eiding (man of a thousand voices, including Max Tennyson from Ben 10), Tom Taylor (author of comics such as The Deep and Injustice: Gods Among Us) and a bunch of other comic book creators. Way cool! […]
Book Week (and the weeks surrounding it) tends to be a busy time for kids’ authors in Australia. Lots of talking about BOOKS! And, of course, the opportunity to meet readers. Great fun! Thank you to all the schools and libraries that have hosted me over the last couple of months. The enthusiasm of kids who […]
I’m doing a happy dance! Why? Because I’ve got two bits of exciting YOU CHOOSE news to announce today. Whether these morsels of info are as thrilling for you as they are for me remains to be seen… but I’m pretty over the moon about them. So, here goes… [insert drumroll] YOU CHOOSE Books 1-4 […]
Happy Publication Day to YOU CHOOSE books 7 and 8. Super Sports Spectacular and Trapped in the Games Grid hit the stores today. To celebrate I baked a Soufflé Cheesecake. Okay… so it may have fallen apart when I took it out of the cake dish, but it still tasted YUM! I made it yesterday, […]
Okay… so I’ve been a die-hard, nerdy/geeky fanboy for a lot longer than I’ve been a professional author. Way before my first book hit the shelves in 1999, I was attending sci-fi conventions, joining fan clubs and dressing up in costume. I wrote appalling Doctor Who fan fic (bashed out on a manual typewriter) and […]
Sadly, and in my opinion, unfairly, this film as been much maligned by reviewers. I just don’t get it. Exciting and visually stunning, Jupiter Ascending does for space opera what The Matrix did for cyberpunk. It’s one hell of a ride! A matriarch dies, leaving her three heirs to fight for control of the House […]
Fun! Informative! Educational! Literary! Overwhelming! Awesome! A total BLAST! What am I talking about? Voice On the Coast Youth Literature Festival! I was lucky enough to spend three days at this wonderful festival, organised by Immanuel Lutheran College in conjunction with The University of the Sunshine Coast. Although there were public events either side, the […]
IDW Publishing in the US is releasing three volumes of short stories based on the television series The X-Files. These anthologies are being edited by New York Time best-selling author Jonathan Maberry. The first book, Trust No One, is set for release on 28 July 2015. Volumes two and three will follow in 2016. Why […]
Lots of lovely reviews have been floating around about the YOU CHOOSE books, so I thought I’d share some recent ones here on my blog. I’ll start with my favorite review. From the Weekend Advocate in NSW, it focuses on nostalgia … The ReadPlus website has published reviews of quite a number of my books. […]
It’s been over two years since the first season of the bizarre Aussie comedy/adventure series Danger 5 (see review). But now it’s back! Bigger, bolder and way more over-the-top, the seven eps of Series 2 need to be seen to be believed. Elite espionage team Danger 5 disbanded after defeating Adolf Hitler in a 60s […]
Nowhere Boys is a Melbourne-made teen fantasy/adventure series from ABC3. The first season was exceptionally good television viewing, and this second season is even better. Building on what was established in the first, the 13 eps of Series 2 take things to another level. “Order must be restored.” The four nowhere boys make it back […]
It’s publication day! Books 5 and 6 in the YOU CHOOSE series have hit the bookstore shelves. With the start of this series last year, I decided that I needed a little publication day tradition. And so, on each publication day I’ve gone out to buy a small cake or pastry, photographing said culinary delight […]
Mockingjay is the finale of the successful Hunger Games trilogy of books, and has been split into two films. Part 1 is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, with Part 2 set for a cinematic release later this year. As half of a third of a story, Mockingjay Part 1 is only one-sixth of a […]
You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove has made it onto the shortlist for the REAL awards in the category of “Fiction For Younger Readers”. REAL stands for Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature. Books on the REAL shortlist have been nominated by kids across the country. And the shortlist is then voted on by […]
The second season of the British murder/mystery series, Broadchurch, is as riveting as the first. Stunning locations, beautiful cinematography and direction, intelligent writing and a superb cast, make this outstanding television viewing. There is so much attention to detail in every aspect of this production. The first season (see review) was about the police investigation […]
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a well-produced, exciting near future (for its time), action/adventure series about the crew of an advanced submarine called Seaview. This first season of 32 episodes screened in black and white in 1964/65. Despite its age, it holds up very well. It’s tense, dramatic and, at times, quite […]
Time for another cover reveal — You Choose 8: Trapped in the Games Grid. Artist James Hart has picked up on the TRON influences to create this rather AWESOME illustration…
It’s one of those literary events that all kids’ authors talk about. It’s one that everyone wants to attend. And this year I was lucky enough to be invited along as a speaker to the Somerset Celebration of Literature. Held on the Gold Coast by Somerset College, it is open to students from other schools, […]
It’s time for a reveal. James Hart has done it again — another awesome cover! I feel so lucky having an artist who really gets the books, working on the illustrations. So here’s the cover for Super Sports Spectacular. The book will hit the shelves in August 2015. Can’t wait!
Nowhere Boys is a Melbourne-made teen fantasy/adventure series from ABC3. This first 13-ep season was released on DVD in 2014, with the second coming out this year. It’s a series I heard lots of good things about, so I thought I should catch up with it before the release of Series 2. I’m very glad […]
The 2014 Doctor Who Christmas Special takes things in a different direction from the whimsy that had become the staple of the Matt Smith specials. “Last Christmas” has all the trappings of a festive story (Santa, elves, Rudolf, etc) — but remove that festive wrapping, and underneath is an unsettling story about dreams within dreams, […]
2015 is shaping up to be a busy one in terms of speaking and travelling. I’ve hit the ground running with my first school visit and a radio interview last week. And there’s lots more coming up. The visit was to Berwick Grammar, where I got to talk to all the Year 8 boys about […]
The Wind Rises is the new animated feature from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, and the last film from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki. It is everything you would expect it to be… and yet it manages to surprise. Inspired by the life and work of aeroplane designer Jiro Horikoshi, the film is a lyrical mixture of fact […]
2015 has arrived and it’s time to reveal the covers for the next two You Choose books. Due for release on 1 May, they are Night of the Creepy Carnival and Alien Invaders From Beyond the Stars. As with the first four books, the covers and internal illustrations are from the awesome James Hart. I […]
The eighth series of the revived Doctor Who burst onto our screens with renewed vigour earlier this year. A new Doctor and a new direction catapults this set of 12 episodes to new heights. And now it’s out on DVD and Blu-ray to enjoy all over again… and again… and again… and… Clara: Where are […]
The Great Train Robbery is a new BBC mini-series about the biggest train robbery in British history. The names most often associated with the infamous robbery are Ronnie Biggs and Buster Edwards, but this version focuses on the organiser Bruce Reynolds and the investigating officer Tommy Butler. In 1963 a bunch of mid-level thieves got […]
Okay folks, it’s announcement time! I am VERY EXCITED to reveal that there will be a seventh and eighth book in the You Choose series! They have been tentatively scheduled for publication in late 2015. Working titles are Super Sports Spectacular and Welcome to the GamesGrid. The whiteboard is ready and I’ve begun to take […]
HAL is an amazing Japanese animated film. It’s a science fiction story about love, grief and redemption. It’s a difficult film to classify and it’s hard to review it without spoilers, but here goes… A robot is given human appearance to help a young lady deal with the death of her boyfriend. The robot is […]
It’s Happy Publication Day for a new set of kids’ anthologies from Random House Australia. Edited by Linsay Knight, they feature stories from a whole bunch of great Aussie authors. I’m very proud to say that I’ve got stories in three of them… Stories For 7 Years Olds features “The Dog Ate My Homework”. This […]
It just occurred to me today that I haven’t posted any links to reviews of the You Choose books. The first two books came out in April, the second two in June, so I think it’s about time that I did. The response has been pretty good. Here’s a small selection of quote and links… […]
Madman are releasing a string of old Irwin Allen television productions in Australia, and among them is the first season of Land of the Giants. I remember watching this series as a kid, along with Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel and Lost in Space; but I also remember it being […]
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all those who entered. With the third season of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries just around the corner, and thanks to the generosity of Roadshow Entertainment, I have four copies of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: The Complete Series 1 & 2 to give away. To find out how […]
On Saturday I will participating in INSIDE STORY, an international children’s book event to be held at bookstores in Australia and the USA. Each participating bookstore will host a bunch of authors who will talk about the story behind of one of their books. This will be followed by signings This is an annual event […]
Armageddon was awesome! Let me repeat that, just in case I haven’t quite made myself clear: ARMAGEDDON WAS AWESOME! For those of you who don’t know, Armageddon is a HUGE pop culture expo. Their latest event was held at the Melbourne Showgrounds this past weekend (18/19 Oct). I was lucky enough to be invited along […]
Two exciting announcements to make (well, they’re exciting to me)… I’m going to be at the Melbourne Armageddon Expo on 18/19 October. I’ll be at the Dymocks stand most of the weekend. Dymocks will have my You Choose series and Gamers trilogy in stock, and I’ll be ready with an assortment of pens and stamps […]
Made in 1982, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a four-part BBC serial, adapting the Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A ghostly hound, an old family curse and cold-blooded murder form the basis of this mystery. It’s a well-known story and one that’s been adapted many times, before and since. So, what […]
As an author you’ve got to be prepared for the unexpected because… stuff happens! Cool stuff! Weird things! Odd requests! A few weeks ago I had what is probably the oddest writing request I’ve ever received. It was from a team competing in the annual GISHWERS — Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever […]
There are wizards on Earth, living secretly amongst the ordinary human beings. And there are aliens from the planet Nekross, who eat magic. These aliens have come to Earth, determined to extract the magic out of every last wizard. The wizards aren’t about to take this lying down. Result — Wizards vs Aliens. And this […]
Deep Breath. The first episode of Doctor Who: Series 8. An extra-long ep. New Doctor. New direction. Very exciting! A much-anticipated episode, it even got a cinema release, so it’s no surprise that it gets its own DVD/Blu-ray release independent of the rest of the season. The Doctor regenerated at the end of the 2013 […]
As an author, I do lots of appearances — school visits, writing workshops, library talks, lit festivals and bookstore signings. Sometimes, I’ll get a thank you gift from the organisers. I’ve been presented with all manner of interesting and generous gifts — from bottles of wine, to boxes of chocolates; from coffee mugs, to Turkish […]
The Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is a set of four DVDs bringing together episodes and specials of significance to the programme’s anniversary, along with a bunch of extras. It’s an odd assortment of previously released material and other stuff that should have had its own release. It’s the inclusion of extra material such […]
The Ghost & Mrs Muir is a 1960s US sitcom about a widow and her family, who move into a house that is haunted by the ghost of a sea captain. I reviewed Season 1 a couple of months ago (see review) and now it’s time to take a look at the second (and final) […]
You probably all know about the Ice Bucket Challenge. It started off in America as a way to raise money for and awareness of ALS (also known as MND — Motor Neurone Disease). Lots of people, all over the world, have been doing it — including lots of famous people like Benedict Cumberbatch and Matt […]
Atlantis is the new series created to fill the gap left by The Adventures of Merlin. And fill the gap is does… by recreating the style, feel, story structure, character types and themes of the earlier series, while changing the setting and shifting around some details. Although lacking the freshness of The Adventures of Merlin, […]
I’ve had lots of speaking and signing gigs lately — school visits, library talks and bookshop events. National Bookshop Day was particularly fun with the morning spent working the register at Dymocks in Collins St, Melbourne, in support of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation; and the afternoon spent meeting readers at Ulysses Bookstore in Sandringham. I’ve […]
The Cat Returns is a Japanese animated film from the famed Studio Ghibli. It’s not as well known as other Ghibli films, such as Princess Mononoke (see review) and My Neighbour Totoro (see review), and is only the third theatrical feature from that studio not to be directed by studio founders Hayao Miyazaki or Isao […]
Princess Mononoke is a classic Studio Ghibli animated film from legendary Japanese writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. Originally released in Japan in 1997, the English dub premiered two years later. The film won numerous awards, as well are garnering critical and popular acclaim. It’s easy to see why — it’s a stunning film that has lost none […]
It’s official! It is with much excitement that I get to make this announcement: there will be another two You Choose books. 🙂 Not one… TWO! That’ll bring the total series count up to SIX! 🙂 Now all I’ve gotta do it write them. Actually, I’ve already started work on book five, tentatively titled Carnival […]
Another Studio 3 interview… this time WITHOUT CREAM PIES! I little while back I appeared on ABC3’s Studio 3 programme, talking about my You Choose books while being slammed in the face with cream pies. It was a fun interview but there were so many pies I could hardly stop laughing. I think the producer […]
Okay… if you’re a regular visitor to my little corner of Cyberspace, you undoubtedly know about my little Doctor Who obsession. I watch it often. I buy all the DVDs. I collect the sonic screwdriver toys. I put Doctor Who references into my books. And, whenever given the opportunity, I write about the show. Last […]
It’s PUBLICATION DAY for books three and four of my You Choose series — Maze of Doom and The Haunting of Spook House. These two books, along with the first two in the series, are now available in all good bookstores. Actually… they’re probably available in the bad ones and the indifferent ones as well. […]
Loosely based on a novel of the same name by RA Dick, The Ghost & Mrs Muir is a 1960s sitcom about a widow and her family, who move into a house that is haunted by the ghost of a sea captain. Although formulaic and sexist, it’s also quaint and rather sweet at times. The […]
Last week an interview with me was screened on the ABC3 television programme Studio 3. The interview involved me getting slammed in the face with five cream pies while I answered questions about my You Choose books. Only four of the cream pies made it into the final version, with the fifth pie being edited […]
What would you expect from a national television interview about your latest series of books? A cream pie slammed into your face? No? How about FIVE cream pies? Earlier this week I went along to the ABC3 studios to be a guest on Studio 3, their national morning kids’ show. I was to be interviewed […]
Presented as a documentary, Europa Report is a science fiction film about a troubled mission to one of Jupiter’s moons in search of extra-terrestrial life. The result is a convincing and compelling drama that really does look and feel like it could have happened. Private corporation Europa Ventures launches a crewed mission to Europa. Based […]
The first two books in the You Choose series have now officially hit the shelves. And the eBook readers. So, of course, there had to be cake. What’s a publication day without cake? 🙂 The books are available in most Australian bookstores, as well as in Big W. If your local store doesn’t have any […]
Ballots for both the Ditmar and Chronos awards have now been released. And I’m on both! I’m pleasantly surprised and extremely happy. 🙂 The Ditmars are the Australian Science Fiction Achievement awards, decided by popular vote and presented each year at the National Science Fiction Convention (this year it’s Continuum X in Melbourne). They include […]
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide is a two-hour documentary, made last year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the long-running television series. While it doesn’t really live up to its grandiose name, it is a good introduction to the world of Doctor Who for newbies. The Ultimate Guide is not a particularly insightful or in-depth […]
The season two finale of the ABC’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries also doubles as the 2013 Christmas special. “Murder Under the Mistletoe” finishes things off with multiple deaths, a snowy setting and yes… kissing under the mistletoe. It’s a wonderful end to the season, but unfortunately it may also be the final ep of the […]
It’s finally time to reveal the covers for You Choose books three and four. Illustrator James Hart has again captured the spirit of the series with his wonderfully dynamic images. In other news… I went along to Supanova in Melbourne on Sunday to promote the first two You Choose books. I was there along with […]
The Escape Artist is a three-part television series from the BBC. Part courtroom drama, part thriller, part perfect-crime setup, it is great television. Will Burton is a barrister who has never lost a case. He is a barrister who wins cases even when the accused is guilty. He is a barrister who wins a particular […]
Okay… so you all know about the You Choose books I’ve got coming out with Random House Australia this year? Interactive kids’ books where the reader gets to make decisions about how the story progresses — like the old Choose Your Own Adventure novels from the 1980s. The first two don’t come out until May, […]
The second film in the blockbuster series, based on the best selling dystopian YA novels by Suzanne Collins, is… well… a blockbuster. Big and spectacular, it is also intelligent and personal. Building on themes and events of the first film, Catching Fire is, in my humble opinion, the better film. Having survived the original Hunger […]
The first two You Choose books, The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove and Mayhem at Magic School, get released on the 1 May. The next two books get released in July. Finally, I can reveal the titles of those two books… Maze of Doom and The Haunting of Spook House Covers and internal illustrations are […]
Continuum is an annual science fiction and pop culture convention that is held in Melbourne. I’ve been to every single one so far. This year’s (6-9 June) is the tenth and it’s going to be a rather special one, so let me tell you about it and why you should come along. It’s the tenth […]
The BBC’s lavish soapy costume drama of life and love in England’s first department store returns for a second series. Perhaps not quite as good as series one, it’s still an enjoyable watch. Continuing on from Series 1, the former owner (now manager) of the Paradise, Mr Moray, and the love of his life, shop […]
Last year was a really good year for me in terms of education writing. I was contracted to write 14 education titles, including school readers, reference books and a couple of chapter books. Most of these books will be published over the course of 2014. I’ve been writing for the education market for many years […]
Lost for many years, most of the classic Doctor Who story “The Web of Fear” was returned to the BBC archive last year, along with “The Enemy of the World” (see my review). And now, with the still-missing episode reconstructed, it has been released on DVD. But does it live up to expectations? “The Web […]
The return of the Cybermen! After their debut in “The Tenth Planet” (see review) the previous year, they were quick to return with the newly instated second Doctor in this 1967 Season Four adventure. A new look and a new plan ensured that this bunch of threatening aliens would come to achieve iconic status. Animation […]
The 2013 Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Time of the Doctor”, certainly seems to have divided opinion. While many vocal fans have proclaimed it the best thing since sliced bread, other even more vocal viewers have declared it to be the worst episode ever. The opinion of this review falls somewhere in the middle. WARNING: […]
Yes folks… it’s time to reveal all about that Secret Project I’ve been going on about for ages. So… [insert drum roll] I’ve been working on a new series of kids books called… YOU CHOOSE YOU CHOOSE is a series of interactive books where the reader gets to make key decisions about how the story […]
The Best of the Doctor? I think not! The best of nuWho? Perhaps. Pity that the docos themselves are mostly pointless waffle. Doctor Who: The Best of the Doctor 2005-2011, The Documentaries is a three-disc set that collects together a series of docos made by BBC America, about various aspects (the best aspects?) of the […]
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited is a series of discs released for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, looking back at each of the Doctors, up to Matt Smith’s #11 (or #12 or #13 depending on how you now count them after the revelations of “The Day of the Doctor” and “Time of the Doctor”). […]
The quote on the front cover of this Blu-ray says: “Triple shot of apocalyptic weirdness from South Korea”. And it’s not wrong! Doomsday Book is an anthology film, comprising three end-of-the-world scenarios. The first story, a biological apocalypse, is the most uncomplicated; with the following two providing increasing increments of bafflement. A geeky young man […]
Well hello there, 2014! So pleased to make your acquaintance. You’re a nice looking year — so much promise; so full of hope. You just make sure you fulfill your potential. So many people are counting on you. Your predecessor was very kind to me and for that I am grateful. But 2013 wasn’t all […]
Produced as part of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebrations, An Adventure in Space and Time is a docudrama about the creation and early years of the series. Superb cast, loving script and glorious production combine to give us a truly delightful piece of television. An Adventure in Space and Time covers the fist few […]
If any of you have been following me on Twitter or Facebook (and if you haven’t… why not? ;-)) you will have been enduring continuing cryptic comments about my ‘secret project’. Well, if I may paraphrase the Walrus, the time has come… for a partial unveiling. (Don’t you just hate me right about now?) I […]
50 years! That’s a long time in television land. But on 23 November 2013, the television series Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special episode — “The Day of the Doctor”. As a long-time, devoted Doctor Who fan, I’m not shy about criticising episodes that don’t live up to my expectations. With HUGE […]
Look! I’m in the Chelsea Mordialloc News! This interview was done to promote my talk at the Mentone Public Library this Saturday. You can see the entire edition of the newspaper here. More info about the talk here.
“The Enemy of the World” is a six-part story from Season 5 of Doctor Who in 1967/68, featuring Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor. Lost for many years because of the BBC’s great archival purge, it was re-discovered earlier this year, cleaned up and rushed out to a DVD release. But is it a lost […]
I know this is meant to be my writing blog, but I simply cannot let the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who go by without a post. And so, with the anniversary weekend now over, here are my personal highlights… 1. The special programmingI loved watching “The Night of the Doctor”, “The Last Day”, “The Day […]
“The Tenth Planet” is a historic story in the long-running Doctor Who series, transmitted in 1966 as part of Season 4. Apart from introducing the Cybermen, who would return again and again in both the original series and the new, this story concludes with the transition from the first Doctor, William Hartnell, to the second, […]
On Wednesday 13 November 2013, I was one of several people to perform at the Melbourne Library Service’s event “Not Quite the Big Finish: An Evening of Doctor Who Spoken Word”. I decided to read out a letter to showrunner Steven Moffat, respectfully requesting a writing gig on Doctor Who. 😉 And yes, I was […]
Series 7 of the new series of Doctor Who was a divided season, with the first half appearing on our screens in 2012, and the second half in 2013. So each batch of episodes got their own DVD/Blu-ray release. But now the whole season has been collected into a box set (along with “The Doctor, […]
Since my last post about reviews (see: “The reviews are in”) back in July, there have been a few more Gamers’ Rebellion reviews, as well as a one for Life, Death and Detention. In that previous post I linked to Young Adult Reader Reviews – Australia, where a 13-year-old reader didn’t click with the novel. […]
Being Human is a series that mixes horror, humour and human drama (in varying amounts) in a story about a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf cohabitating and trying desperately (and usually unsuccessfully) to live ‘normal’ lives. This is the final season, and the only one to have none of the original cast. Season four […]
Steven Moffat should let me write an episode of Doctor Who! Why? Come along to Not Quite the Big Finish: An Evening of Doctor Who Spoken Word to find out… ‘cause that’s what I’m going to be ‘spoken wording’ about! The 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is fast approaching. And the Melbourne Library Service is […]
“Terror of the Zygons” is a very memorable four-part story from the Tom Baker years of classic Doctor Who (the first story of Season 13 in 1975). It features the Loch Ness Monster, the aliens who are about to make a comeback in the 50th anniversary special and the demise of U.N.I.T. The Doctor, along […]
Today Australia celebrates World Teachers’ Day, so I thought I’d take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to each and every teacher I’ve had, from official to informal, from primary school to university and beyond. You have all had a huge influence upon my life and the person who I have become. Even […]
Upside Down is a visually stunning, romantic fantasy film from Canada. Despite some problems, it is a captivating watch. Upside Down is a classic romantic story — boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl back. But it’s set within a wonderfully original fantasy world (or worlds to be more accurate). There are two […]
Broachurch is a convoluted and intriguing murder mystery series set in a small English town. It’s well written and beautifully produced, and had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. In fact, I watched all eight episodes in just two nights. The lives of people in the town of Braodchurch are […]
Authors promoting other writers’ books! What’s that all about? This coming Sunday I’ll be at Eltham Library helping Steven Lochran celebrate his latest novel, War Zone. It’s the third book in his YA superhero series, Vanguard Prime. We’ll be doing an ‘in conversation’ Q&A session, followed by a short writing workshop. (Details on my Upcoming […]
Children Who Chase Lost Voices (aka Journey to Agartha) is a Japanese animated film with an unusual story and touching characters. It is as much a piece of art as it is a film. There is a mysterious world beneath our own — the land of Argartha. Legend has it that in that land the […]
Richard E Grant as the ninth Doctor? In a cartoon? That’s right! “Scream of the Shalka”. It was an animated webcast produced for the 40th anniversary of Doctor Who back in 2003. With the 50th anniversary happening this year, it’s the ideal time to finally release this intriguing piece of Who history on DVD. “Scream […]
With the assistance of animation to replace the two missing episodes, “The Ice Warriors” finally sees the light of day with a DVD release. This is vintage Doctor Who from the Troughton era and is noteworthy for the debut of the Ice Warriors, who would return a number of times in the classic series and […]
In August this year, I went on a speaking tour of remote schools in rural Western Australia. I wrote about it in a blog post (see: Touring WA). At Mt Margaret Primary School, I ran two story structure workshops and got kids to help me plot out stories. Yesterday I posted the story that resulted […]
Yesterday I posted about the speaking tour of schools in rural Western Australia that I did last month (see Touring WA). During that tour, I conducted story structure workshops with a couple of the classes at Mt Margaret Primary School. The resulting stories, I felt, deserved to the shared with a wider audience. I started […]
Last month I had an extraordinary experience. Along with three illustrators, I visited remote schools in rural Western Australia to do presentations and workshops. It’s an experience that will live long in my memory. My companions on this trip were illustrators Marjory Gardener, Marc McBride and Den Scheer. Along with our tour manager Peter Scheer, […]
After the demise of The Sarah Jane Adventures, due to the sad death of actress Elisabeth Sladen, Wizards vs Aliens was created to fill the viewing void. Although still finding its feet in this first season, this fun kids’ show has the potential to grow, develop and improve, as did the Sarah Jane Adventures. It […]
“Spearhead From Space” is the first classic Doctor Who story to get a Blu-ray release. And OMG — it looks FABULOUS! Don’t bother reading my review — just go out and buy it. Right now! “Spearhead From Space” is a story of many firsts. It is the first story of Season 7, the first story […]
It’s been a long week of speaking gigs — six sessions over four days. With Book Week now over, I can sit back, relax and assess how things went. But only for a short time, ‘cause on Monday I’m at it again. Mooroolbark College was first cab off the rank, with two sessions — one […]
Last month, a book called Doctor Who and Race was published. I’ve got an essay in it and I’m rather proud of it. The editor, Lindy Orthia, has created a website for the book. I decided that I needed a new publicity pic to accompany my bio on the site — one in which I’m […]
Today I fell off a bike and played on a swing. Let me tell you about it. This morning I dropped my car off for a service. As usual, I took my bike with me so that I could ride home. I rode part of the way along a grassy path that runs beside a […]
“The Green Death” is the final story of Season 10 from 1973, with Jon Pertwee as the third Doctor. It is an environmental tale, way ahead of its time and, despite some technical shortcomings, holds up very well today. The Doctor and U.N.I.T. head to the Welsh mining village of Llanfairfach, where dead miners glow […]
Japan’s Studio Ghibli does it again — another beautiful piece of animated brilliance. Scripted by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, From Up On Poppy Hill is directed by his son, Goro. It seems that talent runs in the Miyazaki family. From Up On Poppy Hill is a sweet, gentle romance about two teenagers in Yokohama in […]
Why am I writing about muesli on my writing blog? Why not? It’s my blog… deal with it! In addition to baking my own bread, I make my own muesli. It’s cheaper than buying the fancy brands in the supermarket… and tastes a lot better. I recently posted a photo of some freshly made muesli […]
With the book trailer for Gamers’ Rebellion now up on YouTube, I thought I should post all three trailers for the Gamers books up here in order. Enjoy! GAMERS’ QUEST: GAMERS’ CHALLENGE: GAMERS’ REBELLION:
The Invisible Man is a US television series made in 1975. Although the series claims to be based on the HG Wells novel, there really is no connection beyond the premise of a man turning invisible. It only lasted for twelve episodes (plus pilot), and is rather dated, but still manages to be an interesting […]
Prison drama meets mind-sucking sci-fi in this classic Doctor Who story. Originally broadcast in 1971, it’s the second story of Season 8. A great plot combined with strong performances and good production values results in an excellent example of Pertwee-era Who that is still just as entertaining in the 21st Century. The Doctor and Jo […]
Gamers’ Rebellion was released last month and is about to have its public launch this Saturday (see: “Gamers’ Rebellion launch”). And it’s been getting a fair few reviews. I was a little worried about the review situation. The first book in the series got lots of reviews. The second got less. I feared that the […]
This is 1970s Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who at its best. “Inferno” combines a strong plot with a great sci-fi concept and strings it all together with some exceptional characterisation. The Doctor and Liz Shaw have accompanied the Brigadier to an experimental drilling facility, where Professor Stahlman is attempting to drill into the Earth’s crust […]
More costume drama goodness from the BBC. Yay! The Paradise is a lavish spectacle of life, love and melodrama set against the backdrop of England’s first department store in 1875. Loosely based on Émile Zola’s novel Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies’ Paradise), this eight episode series transports the action from Paris to London. Entrepreneur […]
The Chronos Awards were set up to honour achievement in the area of speculative fiction by Victorian writers and artists. They are divided into professional awards and fan awards. Each year they are presented at the Continuum spec fic and pop culture convention. This year’s awards were presented on 7 June at Continuum 9. And, […]
Last weekend I attended Continuum 9. Like those that went before it, this convention was awesome. Lots of great panels, so many interesting discussions and a really friendly, engaging vibe. For me, personally, it was special for a number of reasons. Firstly, I got to launch my new novel, Gamers’ Rebellion (third book in the […]
It’s June 2013! And my new novel, Gamers’ Rebellion, has finally been unleashed upon the Australian reading public. 🙂 It is so VERY, VERY exciting! This is the third book in the Gamers series, finishing off Tark and Zyra’s story (but leaving things open for further stories… just in case ;-)). Its release means that […]
Series 7.2 of the revived Doctor Who series is, like 7.1, a hodgepodge of really cool ideas in search of a narrative structure. Sometimes the ideas are enough to sustain the episode (The Bells of Saint John) and sometimes they are not (The Rings of Akhaten). The result is an entertaining half season that is […]
Adventure Time would have to be one of the weirdest shows I’ve ever watched. I’m not even sure I can adequately explain it. But weird though it is, the first season of this series is also very entertaining in a WTF kind of way. Adventure Time is an animated comedy which, I presume, is aimed […]
The fourth season of Misfits — a unique humorous, sci-fi drama about a group of young people on community service who acquire strange powers after a mysterious storm — faces somewhat of a challenge. How can a show like this survive once all the original regular cast have left? Easy! Reinvent itself and move on […]
I’ve had a fairly quiet first half of the year in terms of speaking… which is a good thing, I suppose, given how many writing projects I’ve had on the go. But things are hotting up. I’ve had a string of bookings recently, with more on the way. Three days during Book Week have already […]
So, what happens in “The Visitation”? Fishy looking alien reptile people attempt to wipe out humanity by augmenting the bubonic plague in 1666. Adric trips over unconvincingly, Tegan gets to be annoying and Nyssa destroys a disco-robot with her home-made giant vibrator. Meanwhile the Doctor spends his time being rather tetchy before starting the Great […]
Today… a post about anthologies — those wonderful books that contain short stories by a multitude of different authors. They are perfect for dipping into when you don’t have much reading time; but they’re also great for cover-to-cover devouring. I love writing short stories, so I contribute to anthologies as often as I can. Sometimes […]
There are some films that you never tire of watching, no matter how many times you have viewed them. For me, My Neighbor Totoro is one such film. Having watched and re-watched it on DVD, it is a pure joy to now be able to enjoy it on Blu-ray. My Neighbor Totoro is an animated […]
Here’s another BBC costume drama based on a book by Charles Dickens. While certainly lavish and well produced, as you would expect from the BBC, The Mystery of Edwin Drood doesn’t quite meet (great) expectations. The story revolves around Edwin Drood, a young man betrothed to Rosa Bud. His uncle, John Jasper is also in […]
I’m rather chuffed to announce that Viewing Clutter has been nominated for a Chronos Award. Woo Hoo! What are the Chronos Awards? Let me tell you about them. The Chronos Awards honour excellence in Victorian Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. There are a number of categories, professional and fan based. In 2010 I was lucky […]
And so the BBC continues their trend of re-issuing previously released Doctor Who DVDs as special editions. This time around they’ve given us “The Aztecs”, with a reconstructed “Galaxy 4” as an added bonus. “The Aztecs” is vintage historical Who at its best. I love it! “The Aztecs” is a four-part story from the first season […]
At the end of March, just before I was due to head off on holiday, something wonderful arrived in the mail. It was a book! Now, I’m always excited when a book shows up in my post box, but this one was special. Not only was it a book that I had written, but it […]
And the award for the most creative over-use of green bubble wrap goes to… “The Ark in Space” — Tom Baker’s second story as the fourth Doctor. First broadcast in 1975 as part of Season 12, it still makes for entertaining viewing today (despite the aforementioned bubble wrap). The Doctor, along with Sarah Jane and […]
My eldest daughter, Nykita, is in Grade 4 this year. Throughout her school life thus far, she has shown an aptitude for writing and art, as well as a love of reading (she devours books at an incredible rate). This makes me very happy, indeed. I remember when she was in Grade 1, her teacher […]
Looper would have to be one of the best time travel films ever made. It’s slick and entertaining. It is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. And you’re never really 100% certain how it’s going to end. A ‘looper’ is a hired killer. A looper is hired by gangsters from the future, to kill people sent back […]
The BBC fantasy series The Adventures of Merlin returns for a fifth and final season of 13-episodes. Questions are resolved, characters progress, secrets are revealed, and the epic story is brought to a satisfying conclusion. This season is set three years after the last (see my review). Things have moved forward in Camelot since Uther’s […]
Based on William Shatner’s novels and made in the mid-1990s, Tekwar is a series of four tele-movies followed by an 18-episode season of a weekly series. Like many other sci-fi shows from this era, it has a reasonable premise but a patchy delivery. It is, nonetheless, an entertaining show. I’ve never read the novels (apparently […]
America in Primetime is a fascinating four-part documentary about American Primetime drama/comedy (no mention of reality TV — Hooray!), that reveals how the American television industry sees itself. Part history, part tribute, it is an interesting mix of insight, analysis and congratulatory retrospective. America in Primetime tackles things with a thematic approach. Each of the […]
Anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with me will know that I am a Doctor Who fan. And if you’ve ever visited my website, you will know that I love writing about the series. I’m rather excited about my Doctor Who writing at the moment. You see, with the 50th Anniversary of the show […]
This month, I’ve had five new school readers published by Macmillan Education, including two retellings of Aboriginal stories, two original pieces of fiction and one non-fiction book. They are: The Rainbow Serpent Why Crow is Black Me and My Family Making Things What Can You Do? There are still another six readers complete and waiting […]
At long last, the legendary never-completed Tom Baker story, “Shada”, has been released on DVD. It’s been packaged together with the documentary, “More Than 30 Years in the TARDIS”, as well as a heap of extras, in a three-disc set called Doctor Who: The Legacy Collection. And a pretty awesome collection it is. “Shada”, written […]
With animation being used to reconstruct the two missing episodes, we finally have Doctor Who’s first season finale on DVD. “The Reign of Terror” is a six-part historical adventure first broadcast in 1964 with William Hartnell in the role of the Doctor. Good production values, an interesting setting and great dialogue combine in a must-watch […]
In November last year I put up a short video called GEORGE IVANOFF SPEAKS about BOOKS. I also noted my intention to put up a few more short vids of myself talking about writing/reading related topics. Well, I finally found a little time to prepare another one. This video was recorded at Doveton Library in […]
I find it hard to believe that it’s 2013 already. Tempus is fugiting a little too quickly for my liking (excuse my Latin-butchering). But never mind, we must look to the future. I’ve already written about the past (well, 2012 anyway) over on my Literary Clutter bookish blog at Boomerang Books (see “The year that […]
Episodes is an unusual comedy series. Created and written by two Americans, but made in the UK by the BBC, with Matt LeBlanc playing a fictionalised version of himself. Series 2, like Series 1, is funny, engaging and intelligent. In Series 1 (see my review) husband-and-wife writing team, Beverly and Sean Lincoln, are lured to […]
Okay… so there’s this chain blog post thing that’s doing the rounds at the moment. It’s called THE NEXT BIG THING. Basically, it’s ten questions that are an opportunity for writers to tell people about their next project —a completed book about to be published, a work in progress or simply an idea about to […]
Arrietty, the latest animated film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, was released on Blu-ray earlier this year. It is a lovely film (see my review). Now it’s been re-released in a special edition. The main difference between the two editions is the inclusion of the U.S. version of the film. The first edition has the original […]
“The Claws of Axos” is a story of greed, political machinations and alien invasion. It is the middle story from 1971’s 8th Season of Doctor Who, with Jon Pertwee playing the third Doctor. It was Pertwee’s second season and the first for Katy Manning, playing the Doctor’s new assistant, Jo Grant. A spaceship lands in […]
Originally screened in 1997, Crime Traveller is a police series with a sci-fi twist, where time travel plays an integral part in the solving of crimes. It is an interesting although rather flawed series — entertaining if you’re able to ignore the bits that don’t make sense. Holly Turner is a police science officer who […]
Doctor Who, under the reign of showrunner Steven Moffat, could easily be dubbed the Era of Really Cool Ideas. Unfortunately, these really cool ideas often come at the expense of other things — like plot, character development, continuity and consistency. The five episodes of Series 7, Part 1 demonstrate this rather well. “Asylum of the […]
If you live in Melbourne and are writing for young people, you should be listening to SYN 90.7FM. Why? Because SYN FM is a radio station run by young people under the age of 25. SYN stands for Student Youth Network. The fact that all the presenters and producers of the various programs are under […]
I have been meaning to put together some video examples of my speaking for quite a while now. The idea being that librarians everywhere will watch them and immediately be compelled to book me for a speaking gig. 😉 Well… I have finally gotten around to it. This is the first one: “GEORGE IVANOFF SPEAKS […]
“The Ambassadors of Death” is a long, seven-part story from Pertwee’s first season as the third Doctor — season 7 from 1970. It is an example of Pertwee-era Doctor Who at its best. Earth loses contact with the crew of its Mars probe. A rescue mission is sent and again, contact is lost. But this […]
My daughters and I are in the Woman’s Day magazine today! We are featured in an article called “Meet the real life House Husbands”. Written in response to the popularity of the House Husbands television series, this article singles out four Aussie dads and their kids. How did we end up in this? A few […]
The Jane Austen Collection is a set of three tele-movies from the ITV Studios in the UK — Emma, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park. They are three quite varied productions. They are well produced but if, like me, you’re a fan of the BBC productions, you are likely to find these a little disappointing. First […]
I’ve just finished writing four school readers for a new K-3 Guided Reading Program to be published by Macmillan Education in Australia and New Zealand. There were three fiction titles (Hide and Seek, Grandpa Comes to Live With Us and Train Trip) and one non-fic (Changing Weather). All four readers are at Prep/Grade 1 level. […]
This box set contains two classic Doctor Who stories featuring Sylvester McCoy as the seventh Doctor and Sophie Aldred as his companion Ace — “Dragonfire” from season 24 in 1987 and “The Happiness Patrol” from season 25 in 1988. The two stories are a great example of how both actors progressed in their respective roles […]
