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Moon Over Brendle
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26Magical contemporary fantasy meets fantastical memoir in the new novel from a cult favourite, Jeff Noon.
1968, Joe Sutter is enjoying his last summer before going to secondary school. But this is another world; like ours but very different. Beyond and beside the world we know is Greot; a vast swirling rainbow of many-coloured dust. It settles on the dead, it swathes cities and fields. Joe is one of the 10% of the population who have the gift of being able to see it. But neither he or nor anyone else know what Greot is. Is it the trillion-eyed god? Is it the history of everything told grain-by-grain? Is it prophecy? Is it the magic of creativity?
Joe knows he is something of an outsider, all he wants to do is draw comics and listen to music but one day, as the moon rises over Brendle hill, he meets an old writer of cheap pulp SF books who is determined to pass on to Joe the power and joy of telling stories and everything changes. Decades later Joe is a successful writer of strange and powerful SF novels. And now the time has come to tell the story of how he became a writer and how Greot coloured everything.
1968, Joe Sutter is enjoying his last summer before going to secondary school. But this is another world; like ours but very different. Beyond and beside the world we know is Greot; a vast swirling rainbow of many-coloured dust. It settles on the dead, it swathes cities and fields. Joe is one of the 10% of the population who have the gift of being able to see it. But neither he or nor anyone else know what Greot is. Is it the trillion-eyed god? Is it the history of everything told grain-by-grain? Is it prophecy? Is it the magic of creativity?
Joe knows he is something of an outsider, all he wants to do is draw comics and listen to music but one day, as the moon rises over Brendle hill, he meets an old writer of cheap pulp SF books who is determined to pass on to Joe the power and joy of telling stories and everything changes. Decades later Joe is a successful writer of strange and powerful SF novels. And now the time has come to tell the story of how he became a writer and how Greot coloured everything.
256 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 12, 2026
48 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Noon
58 books875 followersJeff Noon is a novelist, short story writer and playwright whose works make extensive use of wordplay and fantasy.
He studied fine art and drama at Manchester University and was subsequently appointed writer in residence at the city's Royal Exchange theatre. But Noon did not stay too long in the theatrical world, possibly because the realism associated with the theatre was not conducive to the fantastical worlds he was itching to invent. While working behind the counter at the local Waterstone's bookshop, a colleague suggested he write a novel. The result of that suggestion,
Vurt, was the hippest sci-fi novel to be published in Britain since the days of Michael Moorcock in the late sixties.
Like Moorcock, Noon is not preoccupied with technology per se, but incorporates technological developments into a world of magic and fantasy.
As a teenager, Noon was addicted to American comic heroes, and still turns to them for inspiration. He has said that music is more of an influence on his writing than novelists: he 'usually writes to music', and his record collection ranges from classical to drum'n'bass.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The book is a fictional quasi-autobiography narrated by an older man who is a science fiction author. He recalls his childhood as an 11-year-old boy in a small village in England. On the surface, it is a coming-of-age story: the boy begins to understand the world around him, one suffused with a mysterious Dust that only a few people can see and no one fully understands. During this time, he meets an older man who takes him under his wing and sparks his passion for writing.
At a deeper level, the novel is about writing, inspiration, and the creative process. Although I have not read much by the author, this feels like his most personal work, exploring his inner motivations and imaginative impulses. It is also a broader reflection on imagination and, perhaps, the meaning of life and how these elements are intertwined.
A deeply personal book from an author known for weird fiction. It is a lovely read, particularly for fans of the author and those interested in books about writing. It may not be his strongest literary work—being somewhat light on plot and lacking the tension of his other novels—but it remains more than adequate.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
At a deeper level, the novel is about writing, inspiration, and the creative process. Although I have not read much by the author, this feels like his most personal work, exploring his inner motivations and imaginative impulses. It is also a broader reflection on imagination and, perhaps, the meaning of life and how these elements are intertwined.
A deeply personal book from an author known for weird fiction. It is a lovely read, particularly for fans of the author and those interested in books about writing. It may not be his strongest literary work—being somewhat light on plot and lacking the tension of his other novels—but it remains more than adequate.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Read for review in SFX #404 (May 2026). 4.5 stars, rounded up.
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That's totally Hartshead Pike on the cover, right?
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That's totally Hartshead Pike on the cover, right?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews