The Black Massive

The Black Massive

It was a banging scene, back in the day. Before Cadman came out of the shadows, touting his weird black shit.

Back then it was all colour and sound. Everyone off their bone, grinning like nutters, sweating and gurning and losing it to the lights and the tunes. Lasers slicing the dark. Bass beats kicking up from the floor. Fractal lead lines like living things, like creatures of light that danced the sound, that danced the rush that was all of us. It was like another world. A magic kingdom.

Fucking La La Land.

I’d tell Mum I was staying round Dog’s, then we’d catch the bus out to Tescos carpark. The warehouse was always this big secret—the flyer in my pocket didn’t say nothing more than a time and a place for all the ravers to meet. No one knew where they was going ’til the lead car pulled in and everyone drove in convoy to the night.

Me and Dog was too young to drive, so we had to be there in time to cadge a lift. We’d go early and slip into the bog before the supermarket closed. Sometimes we’d roll one. Other nights we’d sniff whizz off the bog seat, come out sipping Strawberry Ribena, breaking the seal on a brand new pack of Benson & Hedges. Then we’d strut out between the cars, looking for mates or a friendly face, grinning and bobbing, blowing smoke rings into the cold, still night…

 

Read the full story for free in Issue 21 of Dimension6.

Angela Slatter interview

Angela Slatter interview

Honoured to be invited over to Angela Slatter’s blog for a virtual cup of tea and a (slightly one-sided) natter. We talked The Attic Tragedy, literary heroes, and my mortal terror of General Woundwort. Good times!

Check out the interview here. Then go follow Angela on Twitter at @AngelaSlatter. (And if you’re not already reading her books, get out there and start now – it’s required reading.)

Online launch: The Attic Tragedy

Online launch: The Attic Tragedy

talking teen angst, attics, Ancient Greece, and the birth of a podcast about the stories in objects…

I had a blast hanging with Kaaron Warren and Aaron Dries in Kaaron’s gorgeous book room, to discuss my debut novelette, The Attic Tragedy. Check out the videos of the reading and in conversation below.

Suzy Turner interview

Suzy Turner interview

The Attic Tragedy – Blog Tour

Had a great time being grilled by Suzy Turner over at her blog. This turned out to be a much more personal interview than I was expecting (or, frankly, intending), and is all the better because of it. Thank you, Suzy!

Check out the interview here. Then go follow Suzy on Twitter at @suzy_turner.