Welcome to Hamgee University Press, publishing humorous urban fantasy, with sci-fi elements, by M T McGuire.
Hi, I’m M T McGuire and I write humorous urban fantasy books. Think Terry Pratchett, only not as good. Or maybe, the original StarWars, but with better jokes.
Read a free story and see if you like it!
My stuff also owes more than a bit of a nod to late 1980s/early 1990s 2000AD Magazine and of course, Dr Who, because it’s British, and I like to think it has the same ability to be funny and serious at the same time. It also contains snarky humour and flying cars because … what’s not to like about flying cars? So if any of those things appeal to you, you might enjoy my work. It’s easy enough to find out because you can try some free click here or you can use the incredibly subtle button* below.
What are they like?
These are humorous stories although they can get a bit dark, or at least deep, but nothing that will worry anyone who’s read the scary bits of Harry Potter without trouble. My novels are a mash of genres; mostly it’s urban fiction comedy, but with a fantasy plot, based in a dystopian parallel universe with sci-fi elements like laser guns and flying cars. There are more than one sentient species so not everyone is actual human. I dunno … think The Terminator meets Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams meets James Bond or maybe even Narnia with lasers. Except that when I came to include sentient species that weren’t humans, I made them up. The oldest readers I know about where eight (he’d read all the Harry Potter books) and 94. These stories probably sit in the tradition of modern authors like Barry Hutchieson and Steve Higgs.
The flagship, K’Barthan Series, is a twist on the standard chosen-one style fantasy plot but there are the aforementioned lasers … and flying cars. The hero is a coward whose aversion to danger makes him one of the nation’s best getaway drivers, there’s an evil dictator who must be overthrown … oh and it’s portal fantasy … and a love story … in places. If you’re unsure there are some short stories and novellas that are free. Why not try one out? Yep, there’s that free books link again. Just follow this secret link here: https://www.hamgee.co.uk/cmot3 or click the very unobtrusive orange button* which, in case you didn’t notice the other one, appears again, just … here.
Free stories … I’m cutting my own throat here
Still uncertain?
If you’re still not sure about this then all I can say is, congratulations for reading this far. If it helps there’s one last thing that might give you a feel for what to expect and that’s a quick tour of the things that influence me. Clearly books are high on the list; sci-fi and fantasy but it’s stuff like Asimov, John Wyndam, The Five Children and It, Narnia, Tolkein, Patty Jansen, JJ Greene etc. There are a lot of books that aren’t remotely sci-fi that inform the way I write; Bill Bryson, John McCarthy, Graham Greene and H E Bates are some of my favourite authors. There are all the historical novels I devoured as a kid (big hats and swords, what’s not to love?). Most importantly, 2000AD Magazine which I loved reading at uni. There’s more than a passing nod to those stories and worlds in K’Barth. Then there’s a ton of non-fiction, memoir and history books of course. History is a huge influence on what I write. Oh, and telly.
In the early 1990s (yes, I am OLD) I lived in London and used to do stand up. I would to come home after a gig, well after midnight, completely wired, and I would often have a hot bath and then watch telly to wind down a bit. At that time of night, the only thing on was 1960s sci-fi; stuff like The Prisoner, Original StarTrek, James Bond, The Avengers, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Randal and Hopkirk (deceased) etc or ancient films like The Day The Earth Stood Still.
That’s what went into my brain mincer … and my books are the stuff that comes out.
If you decide to give them a go I hope you enjoy them.
* this is sarcasm.
