59 ratings | 11 reviews | avg rating:4.78

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James Hider

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Born

London

Twitter

jimbohider

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May 2013

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I have always been fascinated by what you might call the pathology of ideas -- how they mutate as different societies inherit, steal or are infected by foreign concepts, customs and gods. How a Disney character can become an icon of Islamist martyrdom, how we invent gods because we are afraid of dying, then end up dying for these invented gods. Having seen at first hand, and all too often, the most extreme results of these ever-warping ideas, I sat down and tried to write about them in "Spiders of Allah," the result of seven years covering conflict across the Middle East. Because the history of the region stretches back so far, the ideas that have come out of it have had millennia to warp and twist. You can see front lines that date back th ...more

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Great book! When's the next one? :)

James Hider Thanks Caroline. Start spreading the news: Cronix, a science-fiction novel about the ultimate stage of evolution -- the accidental invention of god --…moreThanks Caroline. Start spreading the news: Cronix, a science-fiction novel about the ultimate stage of evolution -- the accidental invention of god -- should be out in November. (less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

James Hider I go for a walk. I have two dogs, who need to be walked twice a day, and nearly all my best ideas have come to me while dog-walking, or sitting on a p…moreI go for a walk. I have two dogs, who need to be walked twice a day, and nearly all my best ideas have come to me while dog-walking, or sitting on a plane or train. If I'm blocked, I'll go on a particularly long walk and force myself to think about the problem until something gives. It usually works(less)

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James Hider’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 1,974 ratings · 199 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Ripe 4.07 avg rating — 1,644 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War 3.84 avg rating — 180 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cronix 4.20 avg rating — 162 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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James Hider's Blog

Come to the Dark Side

I haven’t blogged on this site for several years now, partly because I was so busy — covering the Arab Spring, having a kid and then moving to Brazil, after a brief stint in Miami — but now I am returning to it. I had hoped, standing on Tahrir Square and then covering the frontline battles with Libya’s rebels, or talking to Syrians standing up to their terrifying government, that the Arab Spring m

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James Hider is now friends with Robbie Sheerin
Jun 03, 2025 11:36AM · like

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