Coilhunter

Welcome to the Wild North, a desolate wasteland where criminals go to hide—if they can outlast the drought and the dangers of the desert. Or the dangers of something else.

Meet Nox, the Coilhunter. A mechanic and toymaker by trade, a bounty hunter by circumstance. He isn’t in it for the money. He’s in it for justice, and there’s a lot of justice that needs to be paid.

Between each kill, he’s looking for someone who has kept out of his crosshairs for quite a while—the person who murdered his wife and children. The trail has long gone cold, but there are changes happening, the kind of changes that uncover footprints and spent bullet casings.

Plagued by nightmares, he’s made himself into a living one, the kind the criminals and conmen fear.

So, welcome, fair folk, to the Wild North. If the land doesn’t get you, the Coilhunter will.

Revelation Machine: What robots tell us about being human

Why human intelligence becomes more valuable in an AI world, not less?

Artificial intelligence is advancing fast, and it is making people uneasy about their future.
Work is changing.
Expectations are shifting.
Skills that once felt secure suddenly feel irrelevant.

But beneath all the noise and predictions, something more interesting is happening:
As machines take over repetition, optimisation, and pattern detection, they don’t eliminate human value; they make it visible.

This book explains:

• What artificial intelligence does exceptionally well
• Where automated systems reliably fail
• Why some roles feel more fragile than others
• Which forms of thinking become more valuable as AI spreads
• How definitions of expertise and competence are quietly being rewritten
• What kinds of human contributions resist automation

Detached Mind: Is consciousness without emotion the future of intelligence?

Detached Mind argues that most human suffering, and most human crime, is not caused by the absence of emotion, but by its excess. Using psychopathy and Buddhist philosophy as parallel lenses, the book asks whether what clinical psychology calls a disorder might be closer to what the wisest traditions in history call enlightenment.

Spark City

His name was Magnus.
He once conquered the Four Factions. He brought the world to its knees, annihilating all who opposed him. Even in retirement, they still fear his army’s march. But this is not his tale, for he is the past.

His name is Erroh.
He is nothing like his warmonger father. He is happier gambling, drinking and wandering the wastes, escaping the shadow cast by his legendary family. But fate has other plans for him, for he is the present.

He doesn’t know her name yet.
She is a warrior destined for greatness and heartbreak. She’s never belonged in the city of light. Every step in her life has been a struggle. This next step will bring them both towards war, for she is the future.

East to West Across Russia: The Long Journey Home

Embark on a captivating journey across the vast Russian steppe aboard the iconic Trans-Siberian Railway in this modern tale of self-discovery and introspection. The narrator, known only as D, begins his westward voyage in Vladivostok, traversing the ever-changing landscapes that unfold before him. As time moves inexorably onward, the everyday lives of the passengers intertwine with the rhythmic churning of the train’s propellers, contrasting sharply with the raw silence of the natural world beyond the windows.As the journey progresses, D’s physical expedition takes an unexpected turn, delving into the depths of his own psyche. A haunting presence, N, permeates the narrative, her essence imbued in the natural world, particularly at the breathtaking Lake Baikal in Siberia. N represents the one who got away, leaving a void and a profound fragility within D’s soul, scattering her ghostly influence across the many places his footsteps tread.Immersed in the tranquil vistas of the external world, D finds himself enamoured by the everyday characters he encounters along the way. As he navigates the complexities of his inner turmoil and the beauty of his surroundings, the narrator embarks on a transformative odyssey. The D who began his journey in Vladivostok will inevitably be different from the one who arrives in Moscow at journey’s end, but what will this transformation entail? Join D on this introspective voyage as he unravels the mysteries of his past, present, and future on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

After The Fall

Brian Kirk’s poetry exhibits mastery of craft and respect for both poetic form and experiment. In his ‘broken song / from restless birds’, he displays the contemplative gifts of the natural philosopher. Here we have an Everyman exploring the joys of love and familial relationships, the tedium of office and farm work, the disappointments of religion and world politics, ‘and the rest / that makes our lives so blundering, so blessed’.

Breda Wall Ryan

The Rising Son

It’s 2016 and Jack O’Connor, a twelve-year-old London boy, is confused. He is left in the care of a grandfather he never met in a city he doesn’t know by his mother who wants to be left alone. While in Dublin, in his grandfather’s house, Jack is drawn to an old blanket. The blanket belonged to his late grandmother and seems to have magic powers.

It is the week of the centenary of the 1916 Rising and Jack’s grandfather sets out to teach him some history. In doing so he awakens in Jack a sense of his Irish identity. Thanks to the magic of the blanket Jack gets to see the events of the Rising first-hand and, at the same time, he uncovers the truth about his own family, past and present.

It’s Not Me It’s You

Three short stories, winner of the Southword Fiction Chapbook 2019

Hare’s Breath

Brian Kirk’s pure intentions illuminate each carefully crafted line of Hare’s Breath. This collection forms a contemporary and moving biography of old ways and geographies disowned until they disappear, as the hard edges of city life impose themselves on the boredoms and dangers of a rural childhood. Brian’s poems hint back in elegy for a writer-friend lost far too young; and for people and places left too soon. But, to quote from The Invisible House, ‘there will be time for all of us / to find the things we lost along the way, to learn the words of songs / we longed to sing but never had the heart.’ A thoughtful and unexpectedly joyous book.

Jane Robinson

author of Island and Atoll (Salmon Poetry)

Adventures of Little Red the autistic chicken

Summary: The Autistic Chicken: Adventures of little Red

On Catriona’s farm, three chickens—Little Red, her baby brother Duke, and her big sister Miyuki—begin their day together in a cozy coop at sunrise. Little Red, who is autistic and sometimes struggles with loud noises, finds the bustling farm overwhelming as animals and machines fill the air with sound. Her siblings offer comfort, but Little Red needs quiet and decides to escape the coop for a peaceful adventure.

She sneaks out to visit Catriona, the kind farmer, who welcomes her with a gentle smile and a calm spot in the garden. After enjoying the quiet and reassurance, Little Red returns to her family, feeling refreshed and understood. Together, the chickens snuggle at sunset, sharing stories and the warmth of their family. This gentle tale highlights the importance of understanding, support, and love within a caring community, showing that every chicken—and every person—deserves to feel safe and valued on Catriona’s farm.