Stark Holborn Explained

Stark Holborn
Occupation:Writer
Notable Works:Nunslinger (2014), Triggernometry (2021)
Genre:Sci-fiSpace operaSpace Western

Stark Fairweather Holborn is a British pseudonymous writer of Western films and science fictions. She is known for her work, Nunslinger (2014)[1] and the British Fantasy Award shortlisted Triggernometry (2021).

Early life

Holborn cites influence from Tamora Pierce, J. R. R. Tolkien, Philip K. Dick, Halo Jones, and Alan Garner.[2] She has also cited classic sci-fi films including Aliens and The Thing.[3]

Career

Holborn started writing at 19. After four years of drafting an unpublished book, she began writing Nunslinger. The novel was first published as series and later in a single volume.[4] The Guardian praised her work as "Witty and atmospheric, with a cliffhanger every few chapters."[5] She wrote and self published Triggernometry, which was nominated for the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 2021.[6] It was followed by Ten Low (2021), and subsequently a sequel, Hel's Eight (2023).[7]

Holborn is a games writer for BBC, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim Games, and the lead writer of Shadows of Doubt. In 2024 she was one of the judges for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.[8]

Themes

Themes in Holborn's work include: choices, guilt and redemption, and how decision making becomes harder under duress,[9] as well as the issues of free will and the 'importance of atonement'.[10] There is a strong feminist theme to her work, and a challenging of traditional gender roles.[11] On this topic she says: 'Maybe it's because the concept of the frontier has, for so long, been portrayed as a male-dominated space.... Female characters have also been used in the past as shorthand in the concept of manifest destiny: men deal with threats, often violently, clearing the way for women to bring the "civilising" concept of home and procreation to establish the future of a community.'[12]

Reception

Holborn's novels have been variously described as space westerns,[13] weird fiction, horror, fantasy, and with literary elements.[14] They have been praised for their experimental structure, strong writing and fast-paced style.[15] Publishers Weekly describes Triggernometry as: 'a crisply written space western brimming with hard living, villainy, and the search for redemption,' and praises Holborn's ability to create 'an immersive world.'[16] Author Joanne Harris described Hel's Eight as: 'a wonderful fusion of Firefly and Joanna Russ, with an Ennio Morricone soundtrack'.[17]

Identity

Since the publication of Nunslinger, Holborn's true identity has remained elusive. In 2014, The Guardian speculated that the author was probably male. The Herald makes the same assumption.[18] The Irish Times commented on Holborn's mysterious identity, saying: 'What is it with creatives from Bristol...? First Banksy, now Stark, hiding their true identities? Mind you, with work this good, who cares?'[19]

Personal life

Holborn lives in Bristol with her partner.[20]

Bibliography

Nunslinger

Triggernometry

Factus Sequence

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shurin . Jared . 2014-10-16 . The Best of the West: Jawin' with Nunslinger Author Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . Reactor . en-US.
  2. Web site: Dumpleton . Elise . 2021-05-30 . Q&A: Stark Holborn, Author of 'Ten Low' . 2024-07-11 . The Nerd Daily . en-AU.
  3. Web site: 2023-05-06 . Interviewing Stark Holborn — Runalong The Shelves . 2024-07-12 . Runalong The Shelves . en-US.
  4. Web site: Dumpleton . Elise . 2021-05-30 . Q&A: Stark Holborn, Author of 'Ten Low' . 2024-07-11 . The Nerd Daily . en-AU.
  5. News: Baddeley . Anna . 2014-03-30 . Meet the nun on the run who's a serial offender . 2024-07-13 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  6. Web site: locusmag . 2021-09-27 . 2021 British Fantasy Awards Winners . 2024-07-12 . Locus Online . en-US.
  7. Web site: Lough . Carrie Chi . 2024-06-23 . REVIEW: Ninth Life by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . Grimdark Magazine . en-AU.
  8. Web site: 2024-05-13 . Arthur C. Clarke Award: Shortlist announced for sci-fi book award . 2024-07-11 . SciFiNow . en-GB.
  9. Web site: 2023-03-31 . The Big Idea: Stark Holborn . 2024-07-10 . Whatever . en-US.
  10. Web site: Lough . Carrie Chi . 2021-07-12 . REVIEW: Ten Low by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . Grimdark Magazine . en-AU.
  11. Web site: Hounsom . Lucy . 2020-04-02 . Five questions with Stark Holborn Breaking the Glass Slipper . 2024-07-12 . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Hounsom . Lucy . 2020-04-02 . Five questions with Stark Holborn Breaking the Glass Slipper . 2024-07-12 . en-GB.
  13. Web site: BSFA Review - Hel's Eight by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . www.bsfa.co.uk.
  14. Web site: Lawardorn . Damien . 2023-03-31 . Hel's Eight Review: A Thrilling Space Western Hard-Nosed Firefly . 2024-07-13 . The Escapist . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2021-08-29 . BOOK REVIEW: Ten Low, by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . At Boundary's Edge . en.
  16. Web site: July 13, 2024 . Ten Low by Stark Holborn . July 13, 2024 . www.publishersweekly.com.
  17. Web site: BSFA Review - Hel's Eight by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . www.bsfa.co.uk.
  18. Web site: 2014-12-27 . Stark Holborn: Nunslinger (Hodder & Stoughton, £8.99) . 2024-07-13 . The Herald . en.
  19. News: Nunslinger by Stark Holborn . 2024-07-13 . The Irish Times . en.
  20. Web site: Dumpleton . Elise . 2021-05-30 . Q&A: Stark Holborn, Author of 'Ten Low' . 2024-07-11 . The Nerd Daily . en-AU.

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