Simon R. Green
Author of Something from the Nightside
About the Author
Science fiction and fantasy author Simon R. Green was born in 1955 in Bradford-on-Avon, England. He received an M.A. in Modern English and American Literature from Leicester University. He is the author of the Deathstalker series, a member of the British Fantasy Society, and occasionally does some show more Shakespearean acting. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Simon R. Green
The Dark Side of the Road [Dramatized Adaptation]: Ishmael Jones Mystery, Book 1 (2020) 5 copies, 1 review
Appetite for Murder 3 copies
He Said, Laughing 3 copies
Deathstalker Legacy - Episode 2, Winning Friends and Influencing People [graphic audio] (2007) 3 copies
Street Wizard 2 copies
Deathstalker War & Deathstalker Legacy & Deathstalker Return & Deathstalker Coda & Deathstalker Honor & Deathstalker Destiny ( set of 6 books ) (1997) 2 copies
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part [Dramatized Adaptation]: An Ishmael Jones Mystery, Book 7 (2020) 2 copies
Awake Awake Ye Northern Winds 2 copies
The Difference a Day Makes 1 copy
Cascade (short story) 1 copy
The Man Who Would be Dracula 1 copy
Garbės kaina (Antroji knyga) 1 copy
Soulhunter (short story) 1 copy
The Spirit of the Thing 1 copy
Once In A Blue Moon (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]: The Forest Kingdom Saga, Book 5, Part 2 (2020) 1 copy
Manslayer (short story) 1 copy
Associated Works
Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond (2013) — Contributor — 167 copies, 12 reviews
What the #@&% Is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre (2016) — Contributor — 94 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Green, Simon Richard
- Other names
- Green, Simon
- Birthdate
- 1955-08-25
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Leicester (Modern English and American Literature)
- Occupations
- actor
science fiction writer - Agent
- JABberwocky Literary Agency
[UK & Commonwealth] John Berlyne (Zeno Agency) - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
Members
Discussions
Found: Older Fantasy Story - or a fever dream... in Name that Book (August 2023)
Reviews
I'm going to just come right out and say it at the very beginning.....get it out in the open....
I am a HUGE Simon R. Green fan! I loved his Nightside series and I have been a dedicated reader of the Ishmael Jones books since the first one. Green could write blurbs for toilet paper wrappers and I would buy megapacks just to read what he had to say.....
That being said....
I knew the minute this book popped up on my available-to-review list that I would love this book. I always do. Ishmael show more Jones. His sidekick Penny. The Organization. And......a haunted, creepy house. What's not to love?
And I was right, as usual. Green never lets me down. Great suspense, creepy and a fun, engaging read! The Ishmael Jones books are short -- about 120-150 pages each. The House on Widows Hill is the 9th book in the series. Jones is an alien. He's not exactly sure what type....or where he came from. He only vaguely remembers a crash...his ship going down. Then the onboard AI repaired him and wiped his memory so he could live as a human and survive until rescue. But no rescue ever came. Since he doesn't age -- he's been the same age since 1963 -- he trades protection and safety offered by a covert organization in return for handling strange cases for them. He and Penny have investigated some really really strange stuff.....and now, they are spending the night in an infamous supposedly haunted house. Their mission? Join a group of ghost hunters and determine if the house is really haunted. When one of the group mysteriously drops dead, Ishmael realizes this is going to be so much more than traipsing around with an EVP recorder and a body cam. This isn't reality tv.....Harrow House is real...and dangerous.
This story is a quick read as usual. Green expertly weaves a creepy story of suspense. He packs a lot into 150 pages! Lots of twisty-turny creepiness!
Great read!! Can't wait for the next adventure of Ishmael and Penny! show less
I am a HUGE Simon R. Green fan! I loved his Nightside series and I have been a dedicated reader of the Ishmael Jones books since the first one. Green could write blurbs for toilet paper wrappers and I would buy megapacks just to read what he had to say.....
That being said....
I knew the minute this book popped up on my available-to-review list that I would love this book. I always do. Ishmael show more Jones. His sidekick Penny. The Organization. And......a haunted, creepy house. What's not to love?
And I was right, as usual. Green never lets me down. Great suspense, creepy and a fun, engaging read! The Ishmael Jones books are short -- about 120-150 pages each. The House on Widows Hill is the 9th book in the series. Jones is an alien. He's not exactly sure what type....or where he came from. He only vaguely remembers a crash...his ship going down. Then the onboard AI repaired him and wiped his memory so he could live as a human and survive until rescue. But no rescue ever came. Since he doesn't age -- he's been the same age since 1963 -- he trades protection and safety offered by a covert organization in return for handling strange cases for them. He and Penny have investigated some really really strange stuff.....and now, they are spending the night in an infamous supposedly haunted house. Their mission? Join a group of ghost hunters and determine if the house is really haunted. When one of the group mysteriously drops dead, Ishmael realizes this is going to be so much more than traipsing around with an EVP recorder and a body cam. This isn't reality tv.....Harrow House is real...and dangerous.
This story is a quick read as usual. Green expertly weaves a creepy story of suspense. He packs a lot into 150 pages! Lots of twisty-turny creepiness!
Great read!! Can't wait for the next adventure of Ishmael and Penny! show less
{First of 5 Forest Kingdom series; fantasy} (1992)
Prince Rupert is the second son of the king of the Forest Land and has been sent into the Tanglewood on a quest to slay a dragon. He knows that the hidden purpose of the quest is to get rid of him so he won’t become a rival to his brother, Prince Harald, but he has an unquenchable sense of duty. So not only does he survive but he finds the dragon and rescues it from a princess ... and then the story really gets going.
The Tanglewood has always buffered the Forest Land from the Darkwood where demons and other evils live. Now, with the Blue Moon on the rise, the power of the Demon Prince is increasing, the Darkwood is spreading and the long night is threatening to cover the land. Only magic can hold it back, but magic has been disappearing as humans and human logic proliferate. Rupert returns to a castle under desperate siege and a court full of treachery. It seems that the only hope to save the kingdom - and the world - is the High Warlock, who was banished to the Dark Tower years ago. Which means that Rupert will have to brave the Darkwood again to bring him back.
This was a re-read and, more than likely, a re-re-read for me. I’ve found that this year I’ve been struggling with re-reads probably because there’s less sense of anticipation than the first time through. But I do remember being on tenterhooks the previous time(s) I read this because I didn’t know which characters to trust.
This sword-and-sorcery story was one of my favourites when I first read it (fairly close to its publication date); I like my heroes to show a little bit of vulnerability. It’s full of doom and (no, not gloom) dark humour, which appealed to me. I did find it a bit portentous this time - but I may add back half a star for nostalgia. A side note: I had read some of the Hawk and Fisher books before I read this the first time and Rob Hawke makes an appearance here; the two series are set in the same world (possibly reverse engineered, I felt) and were later amalgamated.
March 2021
4.5-5 stars show less
Prince Rupert is the second son of the king of the Forest Land and has been sent into the Tanglewood on a quest to slay a dragon. He knows that the hidden purpose of the quest is to get rid of him so he won’t become a rival to his brother, Prince Harald, but he has an unquenchable sense of duty. So not only does he survive but he finds the dragon and rescues it from a princess ... and then the story really gets going.
'Rupert, you wereshow more
supposed to bring back the valuable parts of a dead dragon and at least some of his hoard. Haven't you brought back any gold?'
'No,' said Rupert. 'There wasn't any.'
'What about the dragon's hoard?'
'He collected butterflies.'
They all stared at the sleeping dragon. 'Only you, Rupert,' said the Champion quietly. 'Only you ...'
'Haven't you brought back anything of value?' asked the King.
'Just this,' said Rupert, drawing his sword. Everybody studied the gleaming blade warily.
'It has a strong magical aura,' said the Astrologer dubiously. 'What does it do?'
'It summons rainbows,' said Rupert, just a little lamely.
There was a long pause.
'Let's talk about the Darkwood,' said King John.
The Tanglewood has always buffered the Forest Land from the Darkwood where demons and other evils live. Now, with the Blue Moon on the rise, the power of the Demon Prince is increasing, the Darkwood is spreading and the long night is threatening to cover the land. Only magic can hold it back, but magic has been disappearing as humans and human logic proliferate. Rupert returns to a castle under desperate siege and a court full of treachery. It seems that the only hope to save the kingdom - and the world - is the High Warlock, who was banished to the Dark Tower years ago. Which means that Rupert will have to brave the Darkwood again to bring him back.
This was a re-read and, more than likely, a re-re-read for me. I’ve found that this year I’ve been struggling with re-reads probably because there’s less sense of anticipation than the first time through. But I do remember being on tenterhooks the previous time(s) I read this because I didn’t know which characters to trust.
This sword-and-sorcery story was one of my favourites when I first read it (fairly close to its publication date); I like my heroes to show a little bit of vulnerability. It’s full of doom and (no, not gloom) dark humour, which appealed to me. I did find it a bit portentous this time - but I may add back half a star for nostalgia. A side note: I had read some of the Hawk and Fisher books before I read this the first time and Rob Hawke makes an appearance here; the two series are set in the same world (possibly reverse engineered, I felt) and were later amalgamated.
March 2021
4.5-5 stars show less
I couldn't wait to complain about this book. That said, this reviews the dramatized version. Spoilers ahead.
To begin with, I couldn't help thinking, "This is Dr. Watson!" and making a comparison to the Graphic Audio dramatized versions of the Warlock Holmes series, which are brilliant, funny, and I highly recommend. But before I get into it, I'd like to thank the author, Simon R. Green, for this happy opportunity to rant and I apologize in advance for not reading any more of his oeuvre.
Now, show more is it a parody of the murder at the manor house trope? In that case, it's not funny enough. Oh, there's humor, like a butler (that buttles, not a gentleman's gentleman) whose employer insists on calling "Jeeves." The protagonist and narrator, Ishmael Jones, has cornered the market in deadpan. Also, in what sort of mystery does the detective sit in the assigned bedroom at night and wait for each suspect to sneak one by one out of their rooms and give him their opinions/alibis? See? This is why I assumed it was a parody.
The teaser at the end of one of the Warlock Holmes dramatizations gives most of the plot away: a detective whose shtick is he's an alien, a real one, i. e. not of this world; his boss, the Colonel of some mysterious organization, is dead before he arrives; and the killer is a vampire. The solution is a Chekhov's gun that I saw coming a mile away. You don't bring up the gold blood (What does that mean? Gold color? Liquid gold? And why couldn't the vampire tell by smelling him?) for no reason. Also predictable: everyone will die except the putative, or maybe just wannabe, girlfriend.
Everything is over-the-top. This is the worst snowstorm in British history - despite global warming. The wassail brew, or whatever, is undrinkable. Everyone hates everyone else (of course, it's Christmas). The victims are picked off one by one in 24 hours. One victim is stuffed up a chimney to cover up any clues. The vampire is a gloater, big time, and is not the sort to wear white tie and tails or sparkle in the sun (there's a relief).
Green deftly handles the modern day presence of cellphones which would have rendered most of Agatha Christie's plots null and void. The police are too busy or just unwilling to come out in the snow. The mysterious Organization is also delayed by the weather.
Someone might enjoy this. I'm not a fan of horror and started listening to the build-up in increments to keep from getting overwrought (which is telling - it is pretty gripping and I felt I had to finish it even though it had been free on Audible) and finally speeded up again when I was confident of the ending. show less
To begin with, I couldn't help thinking, "This is Dr. Watson!" and making a comparison to the Graphic Audio dramatized versions of the Warlock Holmes series, which are brilliant, funny, and I highly recommend. But before I get into it, I'd like to thank the author, Simon R. Green, for this happy opportunity to rant and I apologize in advance for not reading any more of his oeuvre.
Now, show more is it a parody of the murder at the manor house trope? In that case, it's not funny enough. Oh, there's humor, like a butler (that buttles, not a gentleman's gentleman) whose employer insists on calling "Jeeves." The protagonist and narrator, Ishmael Jones, has cornered the market in deadpan. Also, in what sort of mystery does the detective sit in the assigned bedroom at night and wait for each suspect to sneak one by one out of their rooms and give him their opinions/alibis? See? This is why I assumed it was a parody.
The teaser at the end of one of the Warlock Holmes dramatizations gives most of the plot away: a detective whose shtick is he's an alien, a real one, i. e. not of this world; his boss, the Colonel of some mysterious organization, is dead before he arrives; and the killer is a vampire. The solution is a Chekhov's gun that I saw coming a mile away. You don't bring up the gold blood (What does that mean? Gold color? Liquid gold? And why couldn't the vampire tell by smelling him?) for no reason. Also predictable: everyone will die except the putative, or maybe just wannabe, girlfriend.
Everything is over-the-top. This is the worst snowstorm in British history - despite global warming. The wassail brew, or whatever, is undrinkable. Everyone hates everyone else (of course, it's Christmas). The victims are picked off one by one in 24 hours. One victim is stuffed up a chimney to cover up any clues. The vampire is a gloater, big time, and is not the sort to wear white tie and tails or sparkle in the sun (there's a relief).
Green deftly handles the modern day presence of cellphones which would have rendered most of Agatha Christie's plots null and void. The police are too busy or just unwilling to come out in the snow. The mysterious Organization is also delayed by the weather.
Someone might enjoy this. I'm not a fan of horror and started listening to the build-up in increments to keep from getting overwrought (which is telling - it is pretty gripping and I felt I had to finish it even though it had been free on Audible) and finally speeded up again when I was confident of the ending. show less
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, its characters, its plot, and even the middle part that almost got bogged down in "what strange beings are going to show up now?" managed to resolve itself well. It is a book that has been on my shelf for decades, staring at me, saying variously, "Bring me for your lunchtime reading." "Think of me for coffee shops." "Hey there, you bought me, read me!" So I did.
The main character is Jordan, a traveling actor who retells the days of glory and show more heroes, wars well fought by noble leaders, and good special effects courtesy of fire pellets and other things hidden in pockets in his sleeves. Things are so-so for him, and then he is "invited' to personify a long-banished prince who has returned to the castle of his birth upon the death of the king.
So far, standard fantasy plot material. Until we get to the meat of the story, which is the magick shared by the noble bloodlines, a castle full of the Unreal (not just ghosts here), and three brothers who are noble only in their descending from the king and not through altruism. Jordan learns that they are each horrible men who use their power and standing to do whatever they want; how long does he want to continue his new act?
Add in a kick-a** steward named Catriona who has the power to keep the Unreal at bay, machinations and geas and the whodunit of who killed the King, and you've got a really good storyline that needs to be re-read a time or two. show less
The main character is Jordan, a traveling actor who retells the days of glory and show more heroes, wars well fought by noble leaders, and good special effects courtesy of fire pellets and other things hidden in pockets in his sleeves. Things are so-so for him, and then he is "invited' to personify a long-banished prince who has returned to the castle of his birth upon the death of the king.
So far, standard fantasy plot material. Until we get to the meat of the story, which is the magick shared by the noble bloodlines, a castle full of the Unreal (not just ghosts here), and three brothers who are noble only in their descending from the king and not through altruism. Jordan learns that they are each horrible men who use their power and standing to do whatever they want; how long does he want to continue his new act?
Add in a kick-a** steward named Catriona who has the power to keep the Unreal at bay, machinations and geas and the whodunit of who killed the King, and you've got a really good storyline that needs to be re-read a time or two. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 210
- Also by
- 34
- Members
- 37,211
- Popularity
- #491
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 750
- ISBNs
- 901
- Languages
- 11
- Favorited
- 123
