Monthly Archives: June 2013

Internet says nice things … world ceases to revolve

Ahem, a spot of shameless self promotion now, huzzah. Well people have been saying nice things on the internet and that’s a rare enough thing, never mind when it’s about something you’ve written. So hurrah for that. Actually, there’s been some really nice mentions and plugs from a variety of people in the gaming and […]

June 25, 2013 – 1:06 pm | By john-houlihan | Posted in Blog | Tagged , | Comments Off on Internet says nice things … world ceases to revolve

Farewell Iain M

Double tough viewing and reading this week, following the recent death of SF and literary legend Iain M Banks (I’ll always append the M). There was a particularly decent and poignant interview in The Guardian over the weekend, displaying all the man’s wit, macabre humour and humanity. Tonight also sees the first broadcast of Raw […]

June 18, 2013 – 1:54 pm | By john-houlihan | Posted in Blog | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Farewell Iain M

Trellborg debuts at #1 and #3!

Sheeeeeeet, I’m calling it, that counts as  a best seller right?! Just a couple of days after launch, The Trellborg Monstrosities is at number one for the Call of Cthulhu version and number three for Savage Worlds on RPGNow.com. Genuinely delighted and humbled as pleased as I’ve ever been over a piece of work. I […]

June 17, 2013 – 1:00 pm | By john-houlihan | Posted in Blog | Tagged , | Comments Off on Trellborg debuts at #1 and #3!

The Trellborg Monstrosities releases

Phew just about made it in time! I’ve been rushing to get this website live to coincide with the release of some brand new work. Those lovely and highly discerning people over at Modiphius have done me the singular honour of publishing my novella The Trellborg Monstrosities and its accompanying eponymous game design for Call […]

June 16, 2013 – 12:36 pm | By john-houlihan | Posted in Blog | Tagged | Comments Off on The Trellborg Monstrosities releases

We have lift orf!

Well hello, didn’t see you there, come on in, help yourself to a drink, we don’t stand on ceremony here you know, there’s drinks in the cabinet and well, sit ye down, make yourself comfortable. Welcome to my humble little corner on the web, kind of cosy ain’t it? Why here? Why now? Well, for […]

June 16, 2013 – 12:31 pm | By john-houlihan | Posted in Blog | Tagged | Comments Off on We have lift orf!

#28 Consumer protection

Caution: Hot beverage may be hot. Do not eat this cup. These nuts may contain traces of nuts. Processed in an environment that contains deadly nerve agents. This packaging is made out of recycled babies. This warning is designed to give the impression of concern for your wellbeing –actually we don’t give a fuck; we […]

June 12, 2013 – 10:02 am | By john-houlihan | Posted in Very Short Stories | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #28 Consumer protection

#27 T and Cs – a cautionary tale for the digital age

The devil’s in the detail, so they say and so next time you’re flicking past pages of bumf before blithely hitting that Accept button, my advice is: take care. On a whim, I installed a harmless little amusement and accepted the Terms and Conditions without even perusing the fine print. The result? I sold my […]

June 12, 2013 – 10:01 am | By john-houlihan | Posted in Very Short Stories | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #27 T and Cs – a cautionary tale for the digital age

#26 20-20 Hindsight

40 years, five kids, twelve grandkids, five houses, a fleet of cars, six dogs, four cats, umpteen goldfish and one fortunately undetected murder later, I think I can safely say, I married the wrong sister.

June 12, 2013 – 10:00 am | By john-houlihan | Posted in Very Short Stories | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #26 20-20 Hindsight

#25 Dumped

They were only two battered old stools, but unloading them at the recycling centre, I remembered how we had bought them together, how we had sat at that old breakfast bar in our first home and ate and drank and talked and laughed till the wine ran out of our noses. Did we make a […]

June 12, 2013 – 9:59 am | By john-houlihan | Posted in Very Short Stories | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #25 Dumped

#23 Animals

“We’re animals man, nothing more than fucking animals, smart ones sure, but the beast’s skin tight cage can get stretched awfully thin. “Don’t you ever want to go on the hunt? Run rampant, run with the pack, stalk through the shadowed night, howling at that moon, embracing the beast within? “On the prowl, senses primed, […]

June 12, 2013 – 9:57 am | By john-houlihan | Posted in Very Short Stories | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #23 Animals