As I sit here on this magnificent Sunday, the sun out, the sky so blue (aside from the odd wispy cloud), the washing machine chuntering in the distance, New Zealand being clobbered by Australia in the cricket, I thought I’d mention my writing.

I’ve been professionaly published on 5 occassions.

The first was a very, very bad horror story called “The Abomination.” It was published in Bloodsongs 8 and is possibly the worst story ever written. (Okay… I’m being a bit harsh, but for those of you who can track down Bloodsongs 8… and I doubt you can… (thank God for that) you’ll see what I mean). One of my goals in life was too get something else published, just so my only proffesional publication wouldn’t be such an abomination. Har de har.

My other pro stories were all published by those very nice people at Big Finish. And for this, I have to thank Paul Cornell, Ian Farrington (the nicest guy in the Universe… aside from Jesus) and Simon Guerrier for allowing me write stories in my favourite universe and get paid for it as well. I should also mention my co-writer on two of those stories, Danny Oz, who was soooooo much fine to write with.

Anyway, here are the title of the stories and some accompanying reviews:

“Midrash”, which can be found at:

http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/benny/BSN008_lifeduringwartime.shtml

Most people thought the collection was great (and by the way, it is). And Finn Clark was tickled by my story for some reason, which I suppose is a good thing. I also recieved a pretty positive review from Vanessa Bishop in Doctor Who magazine.

Then there was “Of the Mermiad and the Jupiter” which I wrote with Danny Oz. It features in:

http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/drwho/ST06_pasttense.shtml

DWM thought it was humane and lovely…

Outpost Gallifrey’s Lawrence Conquest had a slightly different view: “In Ian Mond and Danny Heap’s ‘Of The Mermaid and Jupiter’ Benny wants to know why the 7th Doctor has taken to sinking ships off the coast of Australia, 1829. It’s an intriguing set-up, as time after time the Doctor and Benny board doomed ships, but when the explanation for the Doctor’s actions arrives it’s quite pathetic, with the Doctor using the equivalent of a nuclear bomb to crack a nut, when he could have easily achieved his ends by a simple quick hop in the TARDIS. Worse, the authors realise the idiocy of their plot, leaving only the explanation that the 7th Doctor is very thick indeed, (and did he pay back all the people who’s ships he destroyed I wonder?). What we have here is a ‘true’ story (though in reality apparently the last ship in the chain was called The City of Leeds, not The Mermaid) that the authors have simply repeated verbatim, crowbarring the Doctor into the narrative in a terribly clumsy and unconvincing manner. Shoddy work.”

Of course, I don’t entirely agree, but I gotta take the good vibe with the bad.

Story number three was “BestSeller” (written also with Danny) which appeared in:

http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/drwho/ST09_monsters.shtml

It wasn’t liked by Richard McGinlay who said, “The collection does not get off to a good start with Best Seller which – ironically, given that it concerns a best-selling book – isn’t very readable at all.”

Richard McGinlay hasn’t read Abomination.

And finally, my Benny story “Denial” featuring here:

http://www.doctorwho.co.uk/benny/BSN010_alifeworthliving.shtml

was recently reviwed by Noel Warham. He said, “Arguably the most thought-provoking of the stories is Ian Mond’s superb Denial.” And I thank him for that.

Very soon, my story Perfect Moments will appear in this very distinguished publication:

http://www.dwin.org/article.php?sid=7

Notice my name on the front cover. I did. With the help of the editors, I think my story is pretty decent. So I expect you all to buy Mythmakers, not just for me, but the for Doctor Who literature in general.