My musical tastes include, but are by no means exclusively restricted to:
A Man Called Adam; Afterlife; Alien Dance Machine; Art of Noise; Aya; Ballistic Brothers; Banzai Republic; Bent; Blank & Jones; Bliss; Blue Pilot's Project; Blue States; Boards of Canada; Bomb the Bass; Boozoo Bajou; Bruno from Ibiza; Cantoma, Claude Challe; Chemical Brothers; Chicane; Chymera; Cicada; Chris Coco; Contract Chillers; Dab; Daydream in Blue; Deadbeats; Deep & Wide; Deep Dive Corporation; Delerium; DJ Men; Dolphin Boy; Downtown Party Network; Dr Deep; dZihan & Kamien; East West Connection; Echomen; Eigenart; El Cosmo Group; Enigma; Faithless; Fierce; 5th & Avenda; 51 Days; Forteba; Francois K; Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle; Freeflow; Frontera; Funky Lowlives; G Club; Steven Garcia; Otto & Bebel Gilberto; Pete Gooding; Govinda; Christophe Goze; Groove Armada; Grooveprofessor; David Holmes; David Hausdorf; Valentin Huedo; Huff & Herb; Lenny Ibizzare; iiO; Ilya; Jean-Michel Jarre; Digby Jones; JP Juice; Kruder and Dorfmeister; Magik Johnson; Krystal K; Laidback; Last Rhythm; Layo & Bushwacka!; Leftfield; Lemongrass; Lexx; Little Green Men; Lovers’ Lane; Luminous; Kurt Maloo; John Martin; Gerrit van der Meer; Jean-Paul Merkel; George Michael; Miguel Migs; Miro; Moloko; David Morales; My Robot Friend; New Beginning; Nightmares on Wax; No Logo; Nova Nova; Ohmg & Bruno; Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band; Orbient; Jose Padilla; Coy Paez; Peace Division; Sin Plomo; Rapture; Renegade Master; Rhythm Method; Rollercone; Royksopp; Rue Du Soleil; Nitin Sawhney; Secret Archives of the Vatican; Lisa Shaw; Silent Poets; Bob Sinclar; Sofa Surfers; Solar House; Saint Etienne; St Germain; Stryke; Thievery Corporation; Tosca; Toyshop; Trafik; Two Lone Swordsmen; Underworld; Gerrit van der Meer; Ethan White; Kevin Yost; Zen Men; Zero 7; Earl Zinger; Bob Zopp.
As a concession to years gone by: The Beatles (of course); Leonard Cohen; Jefferson Airplane/ (and some) Starship; Pink Floyd (and latterly) David Gilmour; Alan Parsons; Quintessence (remember them?); 10cc (really - they’re very underrated songsmiths) and Godley & Creme.
Going back even further (not that I was necessarily around then, you understand):
The Chiffons; Patsy Cline; Sam Cook; Ella Fitzgerald; Aretha Franklin; Billie Holiday; Buddy Holly.
I have to mention two of the greatest exponents of humorous music: Tom Lehrer and the Bonzo Dog Band.
To my shame, I’m ignorant of much classical music, but love Ralph Vaughan Williams.
And no doubt I’ll think of another fifty names after I’ve posted this.
Movies
Television
Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel have to be two of the greatest TV series of recent years.
My list wouldn’t be complete without: Firefly; The Quatermass trilogy; The Twilight Zone; Dr Who (latest incarnations); Torchwood (though with a few reservations); Babylon-5; Wallace & Gromit; Shaun the Sheep; The Simpsons; Futurama; The Goodies; Monty Python; Cheers; Frasier; Family Guy; The Mighty Boosh.
But what about RADIO?
I’m a great fan of: Tony Hancock; Beyond Our Ken & Round the Horne (the two best, most enduring comedy series of all time); Dimension X; X Minus One; I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again; I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue; The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (the first two series in particular, and on radio – not the TV or film versions).
My Orcs: First Blood trilogy - Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder and Warriors of the Tempest - published in the UK by Gollancz, is a worldwide bestseller, with over a million copies sold as of June 2007; and the associated story ‘The Taking’ was shortlisted for the 2001 British Fantasy Award. My current project is a return to the Orcs series with the publication of a new trilogy entitled Orcs: Bad Blood, the first volume of which - Weapons of Magical Destruction - appeared in the UK in December 2008. Volume Two, Army of Shadows, will be published in November 2009. Volume Three, Inferno, appears in 2010.
An Orcs graphic novel is also in development. Based on an original story, rather than an adaptation of the novels, the artist is Joe Flood. The book's due from American publisher First Second in 2011.
My twenty-third book, Quicksilver Twilight, the final volume in the Quicksilver trilogy, beginning with Quicksilver Rising and Quicksilver Zenith, was published by HarperCollins/Voyager in October 2006.
Most of my books are in the fantasy and science fiction genres, and I've written for both adult and young readers. Titles include Strange Invaders, Fade to Black, The Nightshade Chronicles trilogy and Wordsmiths of Wonder: Fifty Interviews With Writers of the Fantastic. I adapted David Gemmell’s Legend and Wolf in Shadow into graphic novel form; novelised the TV series Dark Skies, and wrote authorised biographies of puppet-master Gerry Anderson and soap star William Roache.
My books have been published in more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain and the US. Covers from a number of these can be viewed in the Pics section, and in the slideshows on this page.
Before taking up writing full-time in 1981, I co-owned and managed West London bookstore Bookends, and managed specialist sf bookshop Dark They Were and Golden Eyed. I was Forbidden Planet’s first manager, and helped establish and run the New York branch.
A journalist for national and specialist publications, and the Internet, I was for six years Time Out magazine’s sf and fantasy book reviewer, and I've reviewed popular science titles for the magazine.
I'm married to psychotherapist Anne Nicholls, who writes self-help books and journalism under that name, and sf/fantasy as Anne Gay.
NOTE TO ASPIRING WRITERS. It’s great hearing from you, and I’m more than happy to add you to my Friends rota. I’ll answer your questions about the craft of writing and the publishing business if I can. What I can’t do is undertake to read/critique your manuscripts, or help you find a publisher or agent. Sorry, but if I said yes to the many requests I get I’d spend all my time reading your work and never doing my own. The best advice I can offer if you want to be a writer is … write. A lot. And read copiously too, to learn from the way others do it. Good luck!
Bad Blood II is out!!! =D don't have it yet though lol thats the first thing im buying when i have money though...so it's all good keep up the good work Stan.
Hey I was wandering whether you have a release date or atleast a rough release date for Bad Blood II I've read Bad Blood I and am enthralled. I simply can not wait for Bad Blood II, Major kudos!! =)
I'm in the fourteenth chapter of Warriors Of The Tempest and I must say, the conversation with Stryke and the High Priestess Krista was breathtaking: I hope for more of this. A messiah for the Orc's: brilliantly daunting lolz. Bitter about Adpar, but looking forward to more Sanara. Someone must put Jennesta in her place; I sense she is heading for self-destruction if the Mani's alliance with Stryke's merciless warband doesn't humble her first. Or if her Orc grunts don't gut her in her sleep.
*You are inspiring me Stan...great stuff thus far!
Hey Stan how are your endeavors coming? Here is a short tag line I posted on what I'm reading in the RedRoom:
"As of now, I am sucked into Stan Nicholls world of Maras-Dantia. His original Orc series: Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder and Warriors of the Tempest, will have you enthralled for days. When I tried to put this book down, I found myself waking up in the middle of the night craving it. Stryke and his band of Orc's are merciless yet sensible and you will love each one. The fighting scenes are ravishing and the dialogue delicious, the only thing lacking is you want more, and its not because there's not enough."
*I am now half way through (The Legion of Thunder) And I was pulling for Coilla...for some odd reason I found myself desiring her, when she was in bondage lol. Now they are off to investigate Adpar's domain, to keep their oath with the lame Centaur Chief. This should be fun and I know I read slow, but I am enjoying myself thus far.
Hi Stan Nicholls, thanks for accepting my friend request. I appreciate the opportunity to introduce You to the music of ALIEN SKIN.
The ATMOSPHERE continues on the debut album DON’T OPEN TILL DOOMSDAY. You may easily listen to it on the Alien Skin website by clicking the CD artwork.
Get PROMOTIONAL songs including: The Unquiet Grave, After the Funeral & Burning In My Hands FREE from my BabyFace widget on my Profile!
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