Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org
Name:
Paul Dalton (He/Him)
Which region are you based in?
Deepest North Yorkshire
If you write, which genre:
Fantasy so far
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
I enjoy a bit of urban fantasy but also anything with mad gods.
Your influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
I don’t remember not being into SFF. I think I always liked made-up things. But if I had to pinpoint one thing it would have to be Bill’s New Frock by Anne Fine when I was 6 or 7. By just twisting one thing (Bill being previced as a girl), she changes the whole world, and reality is different. If that’s not SFF, I don’t know what is.
How does that early influence show up for you (in life/writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
The idea of ‘what if we change that one thing’ has stuck with me. Always trying to twist and pull at things to see what they do next.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Everywhere, which is a bit of a cop out, I guess. I think it’s important to be curious and always ask questions, but most importantly, it’s trying to find out the answers and then ask ten more questions.
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
Iain M Banks (pictured). The end of Use Of Weapons still sends a shiver down my spine.
Your Work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
I would say: climate change-themed fantasy with dragons! Ordinary people trying to save the world and succeeding… kind of.
I would then realise 60 seconds is much longer than I thought and explain that Don’t Go To Work, The World Is Ending explores feeling powerless in the face of climate change, friendship, and finding joy at the end of the world. It’s multi-pov but mainly follows Jack, a science teacher who accidentally eats a bit of dragon and is hunted across London for it. He befriends Muriel, a witch, and her artist girlfriend Nisha, who introduce him to a magical London that’s hidden in plain sight. Together, they must try and stop an ambitious gangster from eating a dragon to absorb its magic and change reality forever. In the process, Jack learns that ordinary lives can hold extraordinary courage.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a Dracula story set behind the scenes of the 1958 Dracula film with Christopher Lee. It seems to be about toxic masculinity and the creeping rise of fascism.
I’ve also been noodling on a story that’s basically The Shining if the National Trust ran the hotel.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
Writing is very solitary but you need to share your stories with people to make them better. Also, critiquing other people’s work will help your own writing endlessly.
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
I find I have all my best ideas while walking. Normally after being stuck on a problem for ages and giving up.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
I did an art degree and one of the tutors hated what he called ‘kitchen table art’. A student would present a piece of art that was far smaller than it should be. The reason it was too small was because the student had been too lazy to come into the studio (and use all the space available), instead, they created something they could work on at home and bring in on a bike or the bus. The great thing about writing is you have infinite space, so I try to use as much as I can.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
The album Pink Flag by Wire. Check it out.
The Quick-fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Sci-fi and fantasy. I’m too much of a coward for horror.
Quiet or loud?
Quiet but only to make the loud bits louder.
Dark or light?
Light but only to make the dark bits darker
Strict lines or genre blend?
Genres were invented by signage companies to sell signs to bookshops. Blend to fight back.
Awards or bestseller?
Can I say cult classic?
Fiction or non-fiction?
Both
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
Plot meticulously then throw it out the window when you get two thousand words in.
Reading or listening?
Reading
Notebook or computer?
Computer
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
Night Watch by Terry Pratchet
Last book you read?
Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right by Jordan S. Carroll
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
This is going to sound terrible but no. I’m always trying to read as far and wide as possible so I always try to read someone new.
Favourite podcast?
I’m not a big podcast listener but I enjoy The Rest Is History.
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
Finding a writing group improved my writing overnight. More generally it’s the passion and strange shared language.
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
Don’t Go To Work, The World Is Ending is out May 25th with Indie Novella (details here or here). It’s the best fantasy novel you’ll ever read that starts in a Wagamama.
You can find me on Instagram at pauldalton_
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