The Fictions publication on Medium published my short story In-Between. Originally conceived as a supernatural satire, this evolved into something far more personal. It concerns a recently deceased man whose attempts to haunt his family are constantly interrupted by ghost politicians attempting to secure his vote in an afterlife by-election. Check it out in full here. I hope you enjoy it.
First, my apologies for the lack of Medium update in April. I have been exceptionally busy elsewhere, mostly writing short stories. However, here’s a selection of my more notable Medium pieces over the past couple of months.
Those of you who aren’t Medium subscribers get three free reads per month. However, if you decide to subscribe to Medium to read all my work (and the work of many others), please do so via this link, as it means I financially benefit from your subscription. Thank you for supporting my writing endeavours, and I hope you enjoy the following.
The Authentic Eclectic
Ten Things You Don’t Know About Me
The Dillon Empire is not all it seems.
Plethora of Pop
Sixteen at 16: The Dillon Empire Circa 1991
Underage drinking and top tunes from a halcyon teenage heyday.
The Writing Cooperative
The Chosen One Trope: Is It Played Out?
In defence of fantasy fiction’s most derided cliché.
Fan Fare
A Shop Assistant Told Me Return of the Jedi Wasn’t Suitable for Children
How a childhood encounter with a thoughtless “it’s-the-rules” bureaucrat yielded a gleeful viewing of an entirely age-inappropriate film.
Own Nothing and Be Happy? No Thanks
Klaus Schwab can stick his Orwellian nonsense where the sun doesn’t shine.
Moses Supposes His Movies are Doozies
Three unique cinematic takes on the Exodus story.
Three Very Different Films About Jesus
Whitewashing, blasphemy, violence, anti-Semitism, and other controversies.
My Son’s Thoughts on Citizen Kane
Is the ‘greatest film ever made’ still relevant to Generation Z?
Intermissions: Invaluable or Interminable
Should we bring back the mid-film break in cinemas?
My Ten Favourite Time Travel Films
Paradoxes, pandemics, existential crises, AI assassinations, fish out of water comedy, meeting your teenage parents, and more.
My Ten Favourite Cinematic Car Chases
An adrenaline-surging selection of high-octane vehicular thrills.
My Ten Favourite Disney Animated Films
Does your favourite make the Dillon Empire cut?
McCarthyism allegories and contemporary resonance in a celebration of Fred Zinneman’s classic western.
The Godfather Part II: The Greatest Sequel Ever Made
Francis Ford Coppola’s masterful sequel enjoys a welcome cinema rerelease.
Romancing the Stone: The Film That Inspired The Lost City
A look back at Robert Zemeckis’s 1984 romantic comedy adventure.
Blow Your Stack
Put Pixar Films Back in Cinemas
Disney’s release plans for Turning Red makes me see red.
Movie Recaps: An Abomination to Any True Cineaste
A wretched so-called innovation that will be treated with contempt by anyone with an iota of cinematic and artistic integrity.
That’s it for this bumper Medium update. I’ll be back with another next month. Thank you again for all your ongoing support of my writing.
I’ve recently had a few more encouraging five-star rave reviews for some of my novels, on Amazon and Goodreads.
“A futuristic book about a post-civil war America. The east is ultra-liberal and the west is ultra-conservative. What I loved about this book is the detailed thought Mr. Dillon put in about what an extreme society would look like. In my personal life, I live mainly on one side of the aisle. The description of the other side’s extreme made sense to me. The description of the extreme side of my ideals was shocking. It made me understand what the other side of the aisle is so afraid of. Quite an eye-opener. I’d like to believe the proverbial “slippery slope” will never end in the extremes described in this book. And hope this book is a warning to us all of what could happen if we continue to widen the gap and refuse to compromise.” – Heather K, Amazon.
“Dystopian sci-fi with a high level of haunting creepiness that begets humans in some situations. Interesting character development and interactions.” – Aimee Gramblin, Goodreads.
“An extraordinarily imaginative tale, the supernatural infused with technology, love and hatred and an intense sense of dread and mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend you check out more of Simon’s extensive body of work both here and on Medium.” – Alison, Amazon.
“Great read! I enjoyed it immensely. The tension was great and I was engaged from the start.” – Jennifer Brewer, Goodreads.
“Simon Dillon has done it again with this gripping story full of intrigue and mystery. Characters full of emotions that a reader can invest in.” – AM Cummins, Goodreads.
If you enjoy my novels, please do leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you picked them up. They are an encouragement to me, but much more importantly, they mean the algorithms show my work to more potential readers, which is a great support to me as an independent writer. Reviews literally help me put food on the table, so a huge thank you to everyone who shows their appreciation in this way. Even a one-liner helps (as you can see from the above), so they don’t have to be long.
I know I’ve not written a great deal of book/writing related articles here over the last month, but I expect that to change soon. I’ve been busy on a number of other fronts, including writing a new short story which I hope to announce here soon. Watch this space.
All titles are available from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US). Some of the above titles are also available from Smashwords.
I have now officially finished the first draft of my latest novel. The title is currently The Hobbford Giant, though that might change. Another gothic mystery, this one straddles the psychological thriller/horror spectrum, and will sit neatly alongside my previously published novels in the genre such as Spectre of Springwell Forest, The Irresistible Summons, The Thistlewood Curse, Phantom Audition, and The Birds Began to Sing.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot at this stage, but here are a few titbits. As previously stated, it concerns a young journalist, who investigates a local mystery with links to her past in the fictional town of Hobbford. There are variations on a few typically gothic locations, including a large spooky house and a sinister forest. In the background of the narrative is an archaeological dig taking place on the site of a now-closed children’s home, following a major abuse scandal. The protagonist’s mysterious estranged uncle is also a key character. He runs an expensive mental health clinic for rich clients.
As for the title, it refers to Hobbford folklore. On a nearby hill, is the chalk outline of a giant figure, somewhat akin to the real-life Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset (see below). In my story, local legend states this giant was sent by a witch to take revenge, after the witch in question was persecuted. The giant was slain, and the body supposedly buried inside the hill. How does this have a bearing on the plot? I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the surprise.
What else can I tell you about the book? It took about three months to complete the first draft (working from a thoroughly researched and plotted outline I prepared last year), and in the process, the story became rather darker than I originally intended. Although the essentials of the plot didn’t change, I realised whilst writing that the subject matter and tone veered more towards the horror end of my oeuvre than I originally thought. I’d expected this to read as more a thriller, like The Birds Began to Sing. But it ended up closer in tone to Spectre of Springwell Forest, though to my mind not quite as frightening. Perhaps The Thistlewood Curse is my closest point of comparison, as that one also sits at the mid-point between horror and thriller.
Thematically, this story deals with hidden secrets, as with all good gothic mysteries. More specifically, it concerns what happens when lies are told and perpetuated, and how these lies act as a kind of black hole, sucking in others when they chose to keep silent out of fear and intimidation, rather than bringing the truth into the light. I didn’t set out to write anything particularly profound, but looking back over the first draft, I can see more, in retrospect, what must have been lurking in my subconscious whilst writing this: Lies and cover-ups, however well-intended, are never a good thing.
I will now be following my standard procedure of sitting on the novel for a while, before redrafting with fresh eyes anywhere between six months to a year from now. At that point, I will start the process of showing the manuscript to beta readers, and then think about publication possibilities. I’m excited about this novel and look forward to sharing it with you in due course.
Once in a while, I post an update of where I’m at with my pile of unpublished novels, in their varying states of disrepair. These range from completed first drafts to manuscripts polished and ready to go. However, this list doesn’t include the novel I’m currently writing (I’ve almost finished the first draft). Nor does it include the rapidly growing pile of short stories I have waiting in the wings.
Why the update? Partly to whet reader appetite, and partly for my own sanity, so I’ve a nice at-a-glance piece that lays out which are likelier to see the light of day. (Those that definitely won’t aren’t included.)
These novels are divided by genre (sort-of).
Ravenseed
This Dark Ages set fantasy novel is currently sitting with potential publishers/agents. If I get good news, it will be announced here. As for the plot, it’s a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers, and enchantment, simmering with love, lust, betrayal, and revenge. Alongside the Dark Ages story is a parallel framing story set in the present.
Release likelihood: If I can’t find a publisher I’ll self-publish, hopefully this year.
The Faerie Gate (plus sequel)
My long-delayed, horror-story-for-children is now on its fourth draft. Originally written in 2015, it’s my scariest novel primarily aimed at children. But this dark fairy tale is also a compassionate story of a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents. Last year, I penned the first of a planned trilogy of sequels (currently untitled), set some years after this novel. These stand alone and can be read with or without knowledge of The Faerie Gate.
Release likelihood: Definitely my intention, even though I keep holding it back. I might wait until I’ve written the other two novels in the sequel trilogy before taking the first one any further.
The Deviant Prophet
Another dark fairy tale, but this time for adults. Fantasy and reality clash in a disturbing tale of religious oppression, amid a vivid and surreal world parallel to our own. The initial inspiration for this came from a close friend’s extraordinary dreams. I finished a third draft four years ago, and haven’t looked at it since.
Release likelihood: I’m holding on to it for now, but I’d love to see this published at some stage.
Goldeweed
An epic, three-volume saga I have shaped on and off for almost twenty years. Set in a vast imagined realm on many different planes of reality, it details three love stories that play out against an apocalyptic backdrop at the end of an era. Currently longer than War and Peace, it’s a tale I have rewritten and tinkered with for some time, and I’m still not entirely happy with it. It needs another serious rewrite, which I will undertake when I allocate some serious time.
Release likelihood: Depends on whether unhelpful perfectionism thwarts my ambitions.
The White Nest
This novel is something of a culmination for me; a summing up of all the tropes, themes, and ideas I have explored in earlier gothic mystery novels. But although there is an element of Now-That’s-What-I-Call-a-Simon-Dillon-Gothic-Mystery about this novel, it is also radically different in two ways. Firstly, it features a male protagonist. Secondly, it is the most intensely personal novel I’ve written since Children of the Folded Valley. Yes, I know all writing is “personal”, but this one really jabbed raw nerves in an ultimately cathartic way, tapping into traumas regarding siblings, parental fears, false guilt, and more. It is also something of a coming-of-age novel, despite the genre trappings. One more point: The White Nest refers to something sinister in the story, but it’s only a placeholder title. I’m keeping the real title secret for now.
Release likelihood: Needs another polish, but probably my next priority after Ravenseed.
Wormcutter
From something I wrote in 2020, to something I wrote in 2007 (from an idea I had researched on and off since 1996), this detective thriller/horror hybrid begins as an apparently open and shut murder investigation, then escalates into a humdinger of a conspiracy, until it ends up in the most disturbing territory I have ever explored in a novel (definitely 18 certificate stuff). Currently on its fourth draft, and due for another polish.
Release likelihood: Unlikely any time soon. I’m proud of this novel, but I think it might be wiser to hang on to it for the time being, as I do have some concerns about how it could be received.
The Balliol Conspiracy
This somewhat old-fashioned, Hitchcockian romantic spy thriller is a conspiracy story of a different kind (much more PG territory, unlike Wormcutter), and proved a real change of pace for me when I wrote it. A strong, suspenseful central mystery results in an historic, fact-based treasure hunt, leading to a new lease of life for the bereaved protagonist. I don’t want to say too much more, except that yes, it does involve Balliol College in Oxford. I also wanted to write a grown-up book that, for once, my mother would be able to read without having nightmares. Currently on its second draft, its actually grown on me quite a bit since I first wrote it, and my wife thinks I should attempt more stories of this kind. But I suspect it is a one-off. We’ll see.
Release likelihood: A distinct possibility, perhaps even soon, but probably self-published.
A Statement of Disbelief
A satirical novel set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. It’s only had one draft, and I’ve not reread it for a while. However, I had great fun writing this.
Release likelihood: Unlikely at this point, but I’m not ruling it out.
One final point: My trilogy of children’s sci-fi adventure novels, George Goes to Mars, George Goes to Titan, and George Goes to Neptune, have been withdrawn for the time being. Why? Frankly, these early self-published works didn’t really take off the way I’d hoped. I think they were let down by two problems: 1) The lack of a proper edit, and 2) Titles that make them sound like books for very little children, even though the target audience is the Harry Potter/Alex Rider demographic. My plan is to give them a thorough edit, new titles, and rerelease them in this format at some point hopefully soon (with a clear note that they were previously published in an earlier form under a different name).
This post is a bit of a cheat, because it is little more than me updating you by saying I’ll soon be updating you. Updating you on what, you may ask? The novel I’ve almost finished writing. I mentioned this novel in my New Year’s Day post. It’s another gripping gothic mystery thriller with spooky, possibly supernatural undertones. I suspect it will be right up your street if you enjoyed my earlier novels such as The Birds Began to Sing, Phantom Audition, and so forth.
I typically spend the winter months writing novels. It distracts me from feeling depressed about the dismal, dark, dank weather, and gives me something to do in hibernation. Getting to a first draft by March (or thereabouts) also makes me feel as though I’ve achieved something significant early in the year. Of course, sometimes I go on to write additional novels. My most productive year to date was 2017, where I managed to pen Spectre of Springwell Forest, Echo and the White Howl, and a third, as-yet unpublished novel entitled A Statement of Disbelief.
Three points about the new novel: 1) No, I’m not going to tell you anything about the plot. At least, not yet. I will simply repeat what I said in my New Year post: “It is set in a fictional south-west England town and features a young journalist who gets drawn into a local mystery with links to her past.” 2) Progress wise, I’m on chapter 19, having written around 75,000 words. 3) I reckon I’ll have a first draft finished by the end of this month, with an estimated word count of around 85,000 – 90,000 words.
I had the idea for this novel in the middle of writing another early last year. The research, outlining, character profiles, and so forth were prepared during the summer and autumn, and I started writing the novel in earnest in January. Do I have a title yet? No, but I will by the time the first draft is finished. The experience of writing this novel has been smooth on the whole, though not without the occasional interruption from other voices in my head, demanding I start on the next story idea. And the next, and the next… Those voices are terribly unreasonable, though they can occasionally be cowed into temporary submission by telling them to form an orderly queue and shut up.
More on the next novel soon. Watch this space.
Someone recently asked how long it takes between first draft and publication of my novels. The short, boring answer is “it depends”. However, I try to ensure a decent amount of time for reflection between drafts, especially between first and second drafts. I find that an interval of a year, or at least six months, gives the necessary distance for some degree of objectivity.
Trying to rewrite a first draft immediately is fraught with problems. Having just been through the intense rollercoaster of writing novel-length fiction, at that stage, I’m simply not able to discern what should stay, go, be tweaked, or rewritten, with any degree of critical judgement. By that point, I’m often sick of the whole endeavour, convinced it’s rubbish (normally having started thinking it’s a masterpiece).
By now, I’m familiar enough with my own authorial ups and downs to ignore both feelings – the idea that I’m creating a masterpiece, or the idea that it’s rubbish. I know that time and distance will provide the truth. For this reason, some of my early novels will (rightly) never see the light of day. Others I initially deemed rubbish have turned out rather well, when viewed with the distance of time.
In truth, the distance between first draft and publication has greatly varied. For instance, I wrote the first draft of my most popular novel, Children of the Folded Valley, in 2011. I sat on it for six months, then made a few tweaks, before then showing it to my father, who had a superb suggestion to improve it. That precipitated a rewrite, though sadly my father never got to see the finished novel, as he died shortly afterwards. Children of the Folded Valley was ultimately released in 2014, three years after I finished the first draft.
In stark contrast, Echo and the White Howl was written during the summer of 2017, after my youngest son (then eight years old) requested a story about wolves. I don’t write animal fiction, but made the attempt on this occasion, rushing from first draft to self-publication in December of that year, so he’d have the novel in time for Christmas. Hardly anyone has read this novel, but I’m very proud of it. Most importantly, my son loved it.
Most of my published work is in the gothic mystery horror/thriller genre, but normally there are a few years between first draft and publication. For example, my first draft of The Irresistible Summons was written in 2015, but it wasn’t published until 2019. In the interim, there were several revisions and deletions (which I detail here). Again, I’m very pleased with the finished novel.
On top of this, some of my novels have sat on the shelf for years in various states of disrepair – from first draft to nearly ready for publication. The oldest of these is another horror novel, entitled Wormcutter, which I wrote in 2007. Due to some of the subject matter, I’m a bit nervous about ever releasing this one, so it may stay there indefinitely. I’ve also a number of fantasy novels waiting in the wings, the oldest of which dates back to 2008. I hope those see the light of day at some point.
I write a lot of fiction; short stories, novellas, and particularly novels. I’ve dabbled in horror, gothic mystery thrillers, dystopian science fiction, children’s adventures, and the odd love story. At various points, I’ve self-published and have been traditionally published by small independent houses. Suffice to say, being a full-time writer is a scary but exciting path. However, indie authors like yours truly really do rely on reviews to get those pesky algorithms to show our work to other potential readers.
All of which brings me to my plea: If you have read or enjoyed any of my novels or short story collections, please can I ask you to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other site where you might have purchased it? It needn’t be long. One sentence is fine. “I enjoyed it” is fine. It doesn’t need to be an in-depth critical analysis (though by all means do so, if you feel inclined).
Reviews are vital to supporting authors, as I’ve already explained. I don’t ask this because I’m terribly insecure and crave constant affirmation (nice though that is). I ask because taking just a few seconds to leave a high star rating and single sentence really does help support struggling authors like yours truly (yes, you may get out the violins). If you enjoy my work, please consider it, as the more reviews there are, the more I am able to make a living at this.
For those of you who have and continue to leave reviews: Thank you so much. It is appreciated more than I can hope to convey.
My Goodreads page is here.
My Amazon page is here (in the UK) and here (in the US).
My Smashwords page is here.
Herewith an update on where you can read my currently available short stories and novellas. Most are online in Medium publications such as Fictions and Illumination, but I am also gradually releasing many of my short stories on new fiction specialising platform Simily. Here’s a link to my profile on that site.
Here are the stories currently available:
Fantasy. A Dark Ages knight undertaking a quest to rescue the young woman to whom he is betrothed. She has been captured by a mysterious Beast and taken into a mysterious and dangerous uncharted forest. On his quest, the knight encounters bandits, witches, and strange supernatural beings, journeying ever deeper into the forest, and ever deeper into himself.
Science Fiction/Horror. The near future. No one knows where the giant spider nests came from, but nations are adjusting to the challenge of living alongside dangerous oversized arachnids. A mercenary desperate for money to purchase medical treatments that can save his wife is hired by an influential businessman. His objective: Infiltrate a spider nest on a mission of vengeance.
Love and Other Punishments (four parts)
Dystopian Science Fiction/Romance. In a fascistic future London, a widowed salesman begins to suspect he has repressed memories when he encounters a mysterious woman.
Romance/Fantasy. A lonely teenage boy living with his strict Jehovah’s Witness mother is visited in dreams by a mysterious paper girl.
Horror. After inexplicably awakening inside another home with a different wife, a man experiences an existential crisis, as new memories replace old.
Call the Number On Your Screen
Thriller/Satire. A corrupt televangelist takes ruthless steps to find his blackmailer.
Romance. Life takes an unexpected turn for a young wife desperately missing her royal marine husband during the Afghanistan War.
Drama. A former publisher and his subordinate form an unlikely friendship whilst working for a herbal remedy company.
Regression (in four parts)
Psychological/Supernatural Thriller/Horror. An English teacher is haunted by a terrible secret from his past.
Spinner (in four parts)
Horror. A woman trapped in an abusive relationship during lockdown investigates a malevolent supernatural force in her basement.
Speculative fiction. In a parallel universe, A Soviet Air Force officer holds the fate of the world in his hands.
A curious IT technician discovers the truth about traffic wardens in this surreal, sinister, rather silly conspiracy thriller.
The only short stories of mine currently available in paperback/e-book are those selected for Infestation: A Horror Anthology, which also features two short stories exclusive to that volume. Copies can be ordered here (in the UK) and here (in the US). Digital versions are also available from Smashwords here, as well as the various outlets to which they distribute (Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo, for instance).
Papercut and Once in a Lifetime were originally traditionally published by Dragon Soul Press for their First Love and All Dark Places anthologies respectively. These collections are now out of print, though copies can be obtained via sellers. Papercut is also available to read in both short story and adapted screenplay form on this blog, here.
Medium allow three free reads per month for non-subscribers, so for unrestricted access to my work and the work of every other writer on that site (including the many other articles I write, in addition to my fiction pieces), I’d recommend becoming a Medium subscriber for $4.99 per month. This will also give you the ability to write and publish your own articles, and make money doing so, should you wish to go that route. I benefit financially if you use this link to become a Medium subscriber, so if you wish to support my work, subscribing that way is a huge help.
Thank you very much for all your ongoing support.
I’ve had a couple of great five-star reviews from readers on Amazon for Infestation: A Horror Anthology, including one from Danish author Claus Holm (author of the excellent Tempus series).
“Dillon has once again produced a book to make your spine freeze like an icicle, and occasionally make you feel slightly sick to your stomach. The main story in Infestation deals with giant spiders, and it is both gross and great at the same time.
Several stories in the collection are remarkable, and able to bring out various emotions. I literally cried once.
There is also a prequel to the novel The Irresistible Summons, allowing my favourite character Raven some more time on centre stage.
Simon Dillon is one of Britain’s best horror authors and this book is definitely another feather in his cap.” – Claus Holm, Amazon.
I also got this review:
“Each story is a carefully woven journey crafted in riveting excellence. I dare you to stop reading a story halfway – highly doubtful that anyone could. A true imagery craftsman! Compelling and delicious to devour.” – Lisa B, Amazon.
Infestation: A Horror Anthology includes a six-chapter science fiction horror novella – the eponymous Infestation – along with five other short stories: Once in a Lifetime, Spinner, Regression, Influencer, and White Horse. The latter two are exclusive to this volume, and as Claus Holm notes, White Horse is a standalone prequel to my gothic mystery novel The Irresistible Summons. All told, the collection comes to a good value 77,000 words, and constitutes a great opportunity to read a selection of my shorter horror fiction pieces in one place..
Infestation: A Horror Anthology is available on Kindle and paperback from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US). It can also be ordered via Smashwords here.
Simon Dillon Books 
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