Allison Symes - This World and Others
All images and text on this website are the original works of Allison Symes
  • Home
  • News
  • ANTHOLOGIES
  • Blog - Creating Worlds
  • Chandlers Ford Today - My Blog Posts
  • Alfie Dog - Allison Symes author page
  • Alfie Dog Bites - Fantasy Dinner Party Guests by Allison Symes
  • Bridge House Publishing
  • Cafe Lit Blog - Allison Symes stories
  • Cafe Lit
  • External Link - Ironpress.co.uk
  • External Link - Lulu.com
  • External Link - Shortbread Short Stories
  • Allison Symes - Introduction
  • Allison Symes - Q&A
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 2
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 3
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 4
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 5
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 6
    • Allison Symes - Q&A Part 7
  • Short Stories
    • Short Stories - 2
    • Short Stories - 3 (Life and Other Fairytales)
  • Novels - The Trouble With Mother
    • The Trouble With Mother - My Dream Cast List
    • The Trouble With Mother - My Dream Cast List 2
    • The Trouble With Mother - My Dream Cast List 3
    • The Trouble With Mother - My Dream Cast List 4
  • Novels - The Cherry Tree
  • FAQ
    • FAQ - 2
    • FAQ - 3
    • FAQ - 4
    • FAQ - 5
    • FAQ - 6
    • FAQ - 7
    • FAQ - 8
    • FAQ - 9
    • FAQ - 10
  • What I Like Best In My Characters - Eileen and Jenny
    • The Fairy Queen and the Chief Witch
    • L'Evallier, Chief Elf and Rodish, Chief Dwarf
    • Hanastrew and Melanbury
    • Stanrock, Whespy and Roherum
  • What I Loathe About My Characters - Brankaresh, the Queen and Eileen
    • What I Loathe About My Characters - Jenny, Derek and Paul
  • What My Characters Would Do As Hobbies
    • What My Characters Would Do As Hobbies - 2
    • What My Characters Would Do As Hobbies - 3
  • Life in the Fairy Kingdom
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 1
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 2
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 3
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 4
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 5
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 6
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 7
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 8
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 9
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 10
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 11 (FNN Schedules)
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 12
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 13
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 14
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 15
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 16
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 17
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 18
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 19
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 20
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 21
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 22
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 23
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 24
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 25
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 26
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 27
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 28
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 29
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 30
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 31
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 32
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 33
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 34
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 35
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 36
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 37
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 38
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 39
    • Life in the Fairy Kingdom - 40
  • What I Like Best About Writing
  • Writing Bug Bears
    • Writing Bug Bears - Part 2
  • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 2
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 3
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 4
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 5
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 6
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 7
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 8
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 9
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 10
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 11
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 12
    • The Joys and Frustrations of Writing - 13
  • My Thoughts on Writing
  • Contact Form
  • FROM LIGHT TO DARK AND BACK AGAIN

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Name your top novels and why

Murder on the Orient Express by Dame Agatha Christie

I love all of her work being a great lover of puzzles generally, which is effectively what she wrote.  This tale is not only one of her best known works but I’m fascinated with the way Poirot deals with this case.  The theme behind the novel is whether a murder can ever be justified and also what Poirot considers to be justice.


Nemesis by Dame Agatha Christie

This is probably my favourite Miss Marple novel (they’re all good). I like the theme, which is it is never too late for justice to be done and the innocent exonerated. Great adaptation with Joan Hickson on the BBC and for me she is the definitive Marple.  I also like how this links back to A Carribean Mystery. I have a soft spot for characters that link up in this way. I see it as character development, which I love to read as well as write.  Characters have to change for there to be a story.  Also with this novel is the premise just because something looks respectable, it doesn’t mean it is.


The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (who is the clear winner of the Give Him A Knighthood In The Nick of Time Award). 

This is a bit of an oddball of a book in that the sixteen stories are linked meaning there is a novel element but equally each of the sixteen can be read individually.  Contains one of the best short stories ever in The Great Sermon Handicap.  Admire the prose, laugh at the characters and their situations and wonder at how Wodehouse could produce superbly funny work continually for decades.  See this book as a test - if you don’t laugh, you have got a heart of stone.


Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse

First published in 1958, this has my favourite character, the marvellous Uncle Fred who is something of a trial to his long suffering nephew, Pongo Twistleton.  I love the idea of older folks being the “rebels” and giving the youngsters a decent run for their money, which Uncle Fred never fails to do.  This story shows how attempts to ban novels always backfire, always leads to increased sales so who benefits?  The author and publisher!  Not the person seeking the ban!
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.