Authors A to Z - Dr. Simon Morden

Dr. Simon Morden lives in Gateshead in the north of England. He trained as a planetary geologist, and consequently found himself completely unemployable in his chosen field.

There followed a series of increasingly bizarre jobs, beloved by all authors for their jacket notes. Rescued by the patter of tiny feet and becoming a full-time house-husband, Simon now divides his time unequally between writing, playing with the cat, and teaching the kids at the local primary school how black holes are formed.

His first short story (Bell, Book and Candle) appeared in Scaremongers 2: Redbrick Eden, and he's had many more published since, a chaotic mix of science fiction, fantasy and horror, and sometimes all three at once

His first novel, Heart, was nominated for the BFS Best Novel. Simon's most recent short story collection, Brilliant Things, is published by Subway.

As well as writing the stuff, he edits the British Science Fiction Association's writers' magazine Focus, and appears at the Greenbelt Arts Festival talking about all things literary.

You can keep up with his latest exploits by visiting the infamous Book of Morden at www.bookofmorden.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk