Ask the Author: David Hambling
Answered Questions (17)
David Hambling
I am getting through the second draft, unfortunately slowed somewhat by real-world events (what a time to be a drone specialist). There are still some joints to be fixed and welds to be made but the structure is basically sound so all is looking good for the next few months. Meanwhile there should be another anthology out before then with a Captain Cross story, 'A Drive in the Goat Wood.' , Apologies for the delays...
David Hambling
It is going well, thanks! I finished a first draft last month and I’m now working on the second draft, first one actually came out quite well, some bits will need rewriting and filling in but overall it shouldn’t take too much longer to complete. I’m still working on getting all the interlocking elements to fit together properly, But this should be reasonably straightforward compared to City of Sorcerers, which was an absolute nightmare when it came to re-drafting and took endless rewrites. Meanwhile, the Ghoul book will be out just before Christmas . Hope all is well with you.
David Hambling
Sorry, for some reason I have only just seen this! At present there are four Harry Stubbs 'novels' and four 'novellas' in anthologies -- Tales of the Al Azif, Tales of Yog Sothoth, the Book of Yig and the forthcoming Eldrich Prisoners. There is another novella in the pipeline (written, awaiting publishing), and a short story. The fifth Stubbs novel, Destroying Angels, is supposed to be nect on my 'to write' list ...
David Hambling
Yes! It was self-pubbed as Shadows, ST Joshi liked it and it was his idea to write an intro and retitle it…and who am
I to disagree? So Shadows remains the title of the Facebook page.
I to disagree? So Shadows remains the title of the Facebook page.
David Hambling
Hi! Thanks for letting me know, I will see if the public’s can deal with that. PS don’t sell the ebook via Amazon so may have lost interest
David Hambling
Hi Andy, thanks for getting in touch -- and many thanks for the review. Book of Insects was a chance to get a bit more pulp to fit in with the others, but it was a chance to toss around some ideas. WotGQ is in the queue waiting to be edited - October! - so I'm keeping busy with another Stubbs novella/long short story while preparing Stubbs V. And toying with nonfiction on submarines. Good luck with the games! Are you Keeper-ing?
David Hambling
Hi Andy...thanks for asking, hope all is well with you. There's a Harry Stubbs novella in the Tales of the Al-Azif collection coming up (should be published any week now) - the idea was to have interlinked stories, each relating to the original manuscript penned by our favourite mad arab, each in a different time period. Meanwhile I'm into the third draft of the provisionally-title War of the God Queen - woman from the 1920's hurled back into the distant past to battle spawn of Cthulhu - a sort of high-fantasy/Mythos crossover. I haven't thought about a Gillespy story yet, but I'm also writing some Norwood-set shorts and that might fit right in. What sort of person do you think he was...?
David Hambling
Andy - hope your near-namesake's demise was not too traumatic! I can't say too much at present, but there is a project ongoing - not a full Harry novel, but... - which will be revealed soon. As to which horror to meet next...close textural analysis suggests that the thing in Alien Stars may have been Shub-wotsit, which is identified with the Magna Mater and Astarte, and which might explain a few things. I'm certainly up for suggestions, preferably unusual ones. My current main writing project is a non-Harry mythos work, a spin-off to The Dulwich Horror of 1927 tentatively called "War of the God-Queen," with a radically different setting. It started as a short story but is evolving into a novel.
David Hambling
Hi Andy - thanks for asking, I have been promised that MoC will be back from its final round of proofreading by the 10th, after which I will add some tweaks (because I always think of more things that need to go in/come out/get changed while its in the edit) which should only take a few days, then off to Crossroad Press - who actually seem to be quite fast. So, no guarantees, but soonish. And you will be high on the list of people getting an early copy! It's slightly darker than the others as Harry gets more deeply involved in Dangerous Things, and his past experience starts to catch up with him... "thank you for your patience" as they say!
David Hambling
The sequence goes The Elder Ice -- Broken Meats -- Alien Stars -- Master of Chaos ('coming soon!')
The stories are chronological going through 1925.... actually one per season, as they do contain seasonal themes, Elder Ice being wintry, Broken Meats spring-like etc. They do not strictly need to be read in order, but I would recommend it.
The Dulwich Horror & Others is in the same world and features some of the same background characters - it was written before but set after the Stubbs books (except for one story in the 1800s).
The stories are chronological going through 1925.... actually one per season, as they do contain seasonal themes, Elder Ice being wintry, Broken Meats spring-like etc. They do not strictly need to be read in order, but I would recommend it.
The Dulwich Horror & Others is in the same world and features some of the same background characters - it was written before but set after the Stubbs books (except for one story in the 1800s).
David Hambling
Written & two,rounds of edit complete; now being proofread, then formatting (a day or two) and publishing the e-book -- we're into the final furlong, 'thank you for your patience' & sorry for the delay.
Now looking at book IV - 'Master of Chaos'
Btw, the Broken Meats talking books is good fun, let me know if you'd like a freebie
Now looking at book IV - 'Master of Chaos'
Btw, the Broken Meats talking books is good fun, let me know if you'd like a freebie
David Hambling
Andy, - thanks for asking, I am currently 38k words through the first draft of Alien Stars, it's going well and I am now able to devote a little more time to it. Depending on editing schedules, I'm still hoping for a 'late summer' release (maybe Sep?). Haven't quite got the ending sorted out but we're getting there, as usual research is expanding to a ridiculous degree and I have found some interesting local connections. Patience, and many thanks for the encouragement, you'll get one of the first copies.
Best, David.
Best, David.
David Hambling
Thanks for the interest....nfortunately I'm up to my ears in my non-fiction book "Swarm Troopers - How small drones will conquer the world" (out now!) which has taken up a ludicrous amount of time. I am greatly looking forward to getting back to fiction, and I have sketched out and made a start on Harry Stubbs III (working title "Alien Stars") but it will be several months to get it written, rewritten, re-re-written edited and published I'm afraid.
The next book in the Black Wings of Cthulhu series is due out this year and contains one of my stories so that might be available sooner.
The next book in the Black Wings of Cthulhu series is due out this year and contains one of my stories so that might be available sooner.
David Hambling
So glad you liked it! My collection 'The Dulwich Horror and Others' should be out as a hardback in August, I'm chasing the publishers over the paperback and e-book editions -- those are non-Stubbs but some of them have the same setting you may recognise a character or two. I'm working on another collection at present, afterwards -- if other people like him too -- I will aim for another Stubbs by early 2016.
David Hambling
Andy -- it is! The e-book is just up on Amazon, the paperback is in process.
David Hambling
Good question....it's approaching final form but keeps growing (it's about 30% longer than Elder Ice). If I can stop fiddling about and changing things, it should go into the proofreading and editing stage, then format and release. June 1st sounds realistic.
Thanks for asking -- hopefully PS will give me a publication date for 'The Dulwich Horror and Others' soon too.
Thanks for asking -- hopefully PS will give me a publication date for 'The Dulwich Horror and Others' soon too.
David Hambling
Andy -- PS Publishing have bought the rights to Shadows, and will be bringing out their edition next year, so it's not available until then.
Meanwhile, have you read The Elder Ice, my latest Mythos work? I'm more than happy to send you a review copy.
Meanwhile, have you read The Elder Ice, my latest Mythos work? I'm more than happy to send you a review copy.
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Thanks.
Jun 12, 2025 07:28AM · flag