Machine Elves Descending

“John King is an adventurous avant-garde novelist. The sheer virtuosity of his language overflows with a richness of invention.” —Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

Best known for the social realism of novels such as The Football Factory, Human Punk, and London Country, John King’s writing also carries speculative strands, with his interest in dystopian fiction clear in several books. The Liberal Politics of Adolf Hitler took this further, and the main story in this collection, “Machine Elves Descending,” drives deep into the worlds of science fiction. As an alien spaceship approaches, pod-dweller Stretch scans the flatlands, hoping that the invaders will become bored and leave. Once the aliens have landed, Stretch becomes unsure, as new memories close in.

“Granny’s Letters” tells the story of an elderly widow waiting for an under-threat Post Office to deliver her mail. Granny Smith isn’t as frail as she appears, though. She knows how to dish out some righteous justice. “See No Evil” finds Jimmy Ramone released from prison and facing temptation, conscious that he must resist if he is to survive the night.

Plus . . .

“Writing the Canals”: finding inspiration in the local waterways. “A Very Corporate Coup”: an article that appeared in the New Statesman in the run-up to the EU referendum. “The Shed”: a trip into the famous Chelsea home end and the author’s youth. “May Day”: introduction to the London Books edition of John Sommerfield’s 1936 novel of the same name, republished as part of the London Classics series which John edits.

And featuring . . .

“Call Me Elvis,” an interview with the surrealist collagist and experimental novelist Allan Kausch. Books, beer, and punk rock . . . Animal rights, international travel, our spiritual paths . . . The Clash, Bowie, Pete Johnson . . . Alan Sillitoe, George Orwell, American fiction.