Ben Langdon's Blog

It's taken me a year but I've published my next book, 'Small Sacrifices'. It's sort of a prequel to 'The Miranda Contract' in that it takes place a few years before and features Dan Galkin as a cameo.

It's a story I wrote with my daughter as a way to get her back into the habit of reading - and it worked. I've also got over 20 illustrations in the book, thanks to US artist, Lorn Olsen.

If you'd like a copy of the e-book, let me know, and I could send you a copy.

Tehran Moonlight, Azin Sametipour (Independent) through the women’s eyes Tehran revealed, good and bad the oldest of crimes This is a story of contemporary Tehran, but threaded through the narrative are echoes of the past. I was reminded of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with the early emphasis on young women being judged only on their […]

West Pacific Supers – Rising Tide, K.M. Johnson-Weider (Blue Moon Aurora) now this is a sport heroes as celebrity a game come to life K.M. Johnson-Weider is, I think, a composite author – two writers who have collaborated on this fantastically realised superhero universe. There are currently two books in the West Pacific Supers series, […]

The Passage, Justin Cronin (Orbit) a grand masterpiece strong opening, bold time-jump all lost, second half I really, really wanted to read this book. I’d wanted to read this epic for ages, but kept putting it off. When a friend of mine raved about it just before the holidays I decided I’d do it… I’d […]

Wild Born (Spirit Animals #1), Brandon Mull (Scholastic) call your animal diverse cultures and plot-lines for the young at heart Brandon Mull kicks off Scholastic’s newest fantasy series aimed squarely at “middle grade readers” (aged 8-14, because, seriously, even big kids enjoy an epic, yet accessible fantasy). It’s in the same vein as Deltora Quest, […]

Liar, Justine Larbalestier (Allen & Unwin) there’s wolves in New York liar, liar, pants on fire every change brings more There are some books where giving any sense of the storyline is like crossing a forbidden line, and Larbalestier’s Liar is one such book. So, without wanting to spoil the litany of surprises in this […]

It’s a great privilege to have interviewed teen author, Oliver Dahl, as part of my Art of Writing classes. The questions came from students in Year 9 and 10 and cover a range of professional questions as well as a handful of crazy, off-the-wall types. If you’d like to learn more about Oliver, try his […]

Interview with Ben Langdon Can you talk a little about what the book is about? The Miranda Contract is a story about overcoming family pressures and expectations as well as reinventing yourself. When Dan was twelve years old he made a terrible mistake after being led astray by his grandfather, the supervillain known as The Mad […]

Interview with Ben Langdon Can you talk a little about what the book is about? The Miranda Contract is a story about overcoming family pressures and expectations as well as reinventing yourself. When Dan was twelve years old he made a terrible mistake after being led astray by his grandfather, the supervillain known as The Mad […]

The Fault in Our Stars, John Green (Dutton Books) beautiful, brutal tumors amongst the tulips happy ever ‘now’ Some books begin with the clear certainty that things won’t end happily ever after, and so it is with John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’. There’s no secret that this is a love story between two […]