Author Archives: J P Catton

About J P Catton

Speculative storytelling and skewed fiction: the blog and website of author John Paul Catton.

Author Interview: Paul Genesse – “Smart People are in Charge Again”

Posted on February 23, 2021 by J P Catton

Today we welcome Paul Gennese, one of the authors who contributed to “The Phantom Games,” the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics anthology. Paul Genesse is the bestselling author of the Iron Dragon series, including The Golden Cord, The Dragon Hunters, and The … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Literature, Mythology | Leave a comment

Author Interview: Jennifer R. Povey – “Stay Active to have a Solid Muse”

Posted on February 22, 2021 by J P Catton

Today we welcome Jennifer R. Povey, who contributed the short story “Guest Athletes” to “The Phantom Games,” the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics anthology. About the Author Born in Nottingham, England, Jennifer R. Povey now lives in Northern Virginia, where she writes … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Science Fiction | 1 Comment

Sleuths, Suspense and Sunshine: An Author Interview with Flora McGowan

Posted on January 24, 2021 by J P Catton

Excalibur Books is proud to host an interview with mystery author Flora McGowan, contributor to the Tokyo Olympics anthology “Dimensions Unknown 2020: The Phantom Games”! Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background? I grew up on … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Mystery, Short Stories | Leave a comment

Launching A Box Set of Supernatural Thrillers – at half price!

Posted on December 21, 2020 by J P Catton

A secret society of occultists hunt an ancient abomination from Venice to the remote Japanese countryside … A bizarre serial killer stalks his victims through Tokyo’s sleazy clubland … Fifteen individuals find their lives irrevocably changed by the mysterious, shape-shifting … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror, Japan, The Occult | Leave a comment

Seven things you (probably) didn’t know about the Ancient Olympics

Posted on November 8, 2020 by J P Catton

  An excerpt from “The Phantom Games”, a special anthology published to celebrate the (postponed) Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nobody knows for certain how or why the tradition of Olympic Games began in Ancient Greece. One legend states that the mighty … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Fantasy, Mythology, Short Stories | 1 Comment

“Break all the Laws of the Universe” – Interview with Author Meyari McFarland

Posted on November 3, 2020 by J P Catton

Today Excalibur Books interviews genre-spanning author Meyari McFarland, who wrote the story “Shrill of Cicada” for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic-inspired anthology, “The Phantom Games.”  Meyari McFarland Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background? I’m 53 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Fantasy, Japan, Literature, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Steampunk | 2 Comments

“Dreaming the Wolf” – An Interview with Author Douglas Smith

Posted on August 15, 2020 by J P Catton

In this blog post Excalibur Books interviews one of the authors with a story in the forthcoming Excalibur 2020 anthology, Douglas Smith. He’s a multi-award-winning Canadian author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Japan, Mythology, Short Stories | Leave a comment

Summer Steals – for August 2020!

Posted on August 11, 2020 by J P Catton

NEWS from the House of Excalibur!  We are delighted to announce … “Machineries of Chaos”, the follow-up to “Engines of Night” in the “Dimensions Unknown” series by J P Catton, will be released on Aug 20th at the special launch … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Cyberpunk, Dieselpunk, Fantasy, Horror, Japan, Literature, Modernism, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Steampunk, The Occult, UK | 1 Comment

Zenna Henderson – A Woman of “The People”

Posted on August 11, 2020 by J P Catton

During research for the next Excalibur Books release, I recently came across the name of Zenna Henderson as the author of “Ararat”, a story I read many years ago. The more I read about her, the more I became intrigued … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Science Fiction, Short Stories | Leave a comment

“Firewater” – A Weird Pulp Horror Tale

Posted on July 28, 2020 by J P Catton

This is an excerpt from “Firewater”, a novella taken from Volume Two of the Alternative History series “Dimensions Unknown”, released August 20th 202o. This was the time of day that Brandon Stone loved. He stood at the huge windows taking … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Dieselpunk, Horror, Literature, Modernism, Mystery, The Occult | 2 Comments