Chris Butler

Where and when were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Nottingham, England in 1964. I grew up in nearby Melton Mowbray which is a small town. We lived almost bordering on the school playing fields, so getting to school was never a problem. For its small size, Melton has a ridiculous (ie large) number of pubs. As such it is highly recommended.

Name some favourite books.
“Someone To Watch Over Me” by Tricia Sullivan
“Voice Of The Fire” by Alan Moore
“Death Is A Lonely Business” by Ray Bradbury
“Inconstant Moon” by Larry Niven
“Lost Futures” by Lisa Tuttle

What were you like as a kid?
I did well academically. I watched a lot of television, listened to music as kids do. I read a lot of comic books.

Name some favourite short stories?
“Reasons To Be Cheerful” by Greg Egan
“Where Does The Town Go At Night” by Tanith Lee
“Feedback” by Joe Haldeman
“Light Of Other Days” by Bob Shaw
“Unravelling The Thread” by Jean-Claude Dunyach

You went to University...
I did. I went to at Birmingham University and graduated with a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science. Some days I wish I had studied English Literature instead. But there you go. I've been lucky enough to do both artistic and technical things so I can’t complain. Since graduating I’ve been working in IT on a very wide variety of projects.

Are there any other writers you particularly like?
Oh yes, loads of them. Harlan Ellison, Philip K Dick, Eric Brown, Molly Brown, Gwyneth Jones, Sarah Singleton, the list is endless. I’ve been fortunate enough to co-write a story with Sarah.

Where is home?
I live on the south coast of England. I can see the sea from my bedroom window. I’ve slowly made my way to the coast having started off in the midlands. I've lived here since late 1998 and I love it.

Name some favourite films.
Blade Runner
2001: A Space Odyssey
Aliens
Unforgiven
Crimes & Misdemeanors
Casablanca

What do you do in the way of hobbies?
I play guitar. Not very well. I’m interested in the arts in all its forms. I’m a big movie-buff. I’ve been doing a lot of swimming lately. There’s always jobs to do at home. I think about decorating frequently but rarely actually do any. Same goes for gardening.

Name some favourite television programmes.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Twin Peaks
X-Files
Ally McBeal
Our Friends In The North

Apart from your novel, Any Time Now, what else have you had published?
“Albedo One,” which is Ireland's foremost Speculative Fiction magazine has printed a Science Fiction short story, “The Tyndall Effect,” in issue 22. And they have accepted another. Both stories are kind of downbeat and serious. The short fiction in Albedo One is always wonderful so I am thrilled to be appearing there.

“Living In Her Shadow” is an oddball short story in issue 10 of “Enigmatic Tales.” It is a crime story with a supernatural twist. Or maybe it’s supernatural with a crime twist.

There's also a fun SF short story called “Eating Pofghan” at the online site for a magazine called “Threads.”

There are other stories still looking for homes. Right now I am hard at work on a new novel which is a wonderful thing to be doing.

Name some favourite CDs.
“Lying To The Moon & Other Stories” by Matraca Berg
“Blue Aconite” by Christine Collister
“Somersault” by Helen Watson
“Nine Objects Of Desire” by Suzanne Vega
“Recurring Dream” by Crowded House

What makes a good story?
People just need to be able to relate to it. That’s a bigger problem than it may seem when you’re writing Science Fiction. You have to work much harder to bring the reader in because the world you are showing them is a strange place. The most amazing gosh-wow ideas count for nothing if the reader cannot see the relevance. My aim is to write stories that are exciting and relevant at the same time. And of course you have to have great dialogue and prose that zings off the page. I believe in setting my sights high!

Is there anything else you would like to say?
I am incapable of ignoring e-mails. So if you want to talk to me it is very easy. The address is: chris@chris-butler.co.uk
And please buy multiple copies of my book.