What is This Twisted Earth?

This Twisted Earth is a concept I’ve been playing around with since childhood. It is a setting for stories, a shared-world sandbox to play in, and a platform to spring from. An elevator pitch for the concept is all but impossible, given the scope, but the following section from the world bible should give you the idea:

‘It imagines a version of our planet in which past, present, and future have become utterly tangled up.

Cultures have been brought together, clashing, subsuming, changing, and adapting. Is technology always the deciding factor? How much of the infrastructure still exists? Who has the will and the skill to survive? Imagine arriving in this world, torn from all you know. Would you try to find out what happened? Try to fix it? Or would you carve out a new existence?

Remember, others will have gotten here centuries – hell, possibly millions of years – before. Their descendants roam the planet now, having never known anything different. They have their place, their history, and their own fundamental right to existence.

All the World is your stage, and all of Time, too. What can you show us that we have not seen before? What wrinkles of history can you tantalise us with? This is an unparalleled chance for you to explore your cultural and narrative interests, to blend your genres, to create a genuinely shared world.’

We already have an anthology of short stories in print, featuring an original piece by the wonderful Adrian Tchaikovsky. I am currently hard at work with some of the other authors, pulling together a set of novellas to expand on the world.

How can I get involved?

Although the next phase of publishing in place, two follow-up anthologies await – Twisted Histories and Twisted Tomorrows. I have one or two stories kept to the side from an earlier iteration but I am continuing with my Open Submissions policy. I want people from different cultures all across the world to be sending in stories. Think you’ve got what it takes to get into one of the anthologies? I’d love to read your work. Got a novella you want to pitch, or even a novel? I’m all ears.

If you’re on Facebook I would thoroughly recommend joining our group – This Twisted Earth – and get some conversations started. The World Bible is up there for all of the most essential information. We also have sub-groups where you can talk turkey about world mechanics, or to give you an unjudgemental space for creative play. If you don’t do the Facebook thing, don’t worry. I won’t exclude you. Let me know your details and I can email the World Bible out to you. I have a goal to get it all shifted here in the future but my web-fu isn’t quite up to that yet. Bear with me…

In addition to the above, I’m happy to take pitches for other media. Our world is vast and the possibilities for story-telling within it are endless. Think you could pen a radio drama? Talk to me about it. More graphically inclined? I’d love to get some comics out there. TV? Film? It’s early days yet, but hell yeah. Let’s get talking.

Where can I get hold of a copy?

You might like the idea of all this but still not really know what to expect. It might be wise for you to read our first anthology to get a better sense of the kinds of stories and the sheer variety of styles you might employ.

I would suggest ordering a copy at your local public library, if you have access to one. It would be practically free of charge to you and of course it would give many more people a chance to discover our world. They’ll need the ISBN and publisher, so here it is – ISBN 2370000388315. The publisher is Six Minutes To Midnight.

Of course, if you want to be super lovely you can buy it direct from me at FantasyCon or EdgeLit this year. Ping me a message in advance and I’ll bring you a copy. There may even be one or two of the authors around to sign it for you!

Want to use up that Amazon voucher or get your money’s worth from Prime? You’ve earned big love.

Prefer a Kindle version for your convenience? Go for it.

And thank you.