Hal Duncan | |
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Hal Duncan at Polcon 2007
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Born |
Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland |
21 October 1971
Occupation | Science fiction and fantasy writer |
Nationality | Scottish |
Citizenship | United Kingdom |
Alma mater | Glasgow University |
Notable works |
Vellum – The Book of All Hours Ink – The Book of All Hours 2 Escape from Hell! Songs for the Devil and Death |
Website | |
notesfromthegeekshow |
Hal Duncan (born 21 October 1971, real name Alasdair) is a Scottish science fiction and fantasy writer.
His works have been listed in the New Weird genre, but he prefers not to ascribe his writings to any genre.
Hal Duncan was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in 1971 and grew up "in small town Ayrshire" before relocating to Glasgow, where he graduated from Glasgow University and where he still resides. Before becoming a full-time writer he used to work as a computer programmer, a job that he quit in 2005.
He is openly gay and terms himself a "Sodomite". Occasionally he fashions himself as "THE.... Sodomite Hal Duncan" (sic) after receiving hate mail defining him by this expression, as reported on his personal weblog.
He is also very outspoken politically and considers himself an "anarcho-socialist who recognizes that democracy's the least of all possible evils" but also "a little bit liberal."
He is an active member of the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers Circle and he took part in the spoken word performance group Word Dogs, organised by some of the members of the Circle.
Hal Duncan listed amongst his inspirations and influences such diverse authors as James Joyce,William S. Burroughs, Alfred Bester, H. P. Lovecraft, Neal Stephenson,Michael de Larrabeiti, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Samuel R. Delany, Wallace Stevens, William Blake, Michael Moorcock, Harold Pinter and Jorge Luis Borges.