Steph's Writing and Music Projects

Steph's Writing and Music Projects

This page contains details of my writing and music projects. I don't keep a regular blog at this time (other than occasional updates on Twitter), but do sometimes write bits of general silliness on the Prozakville County pages. For further information, please contact Prozakville.

Hollow Moon (novel)
by Steph Bennion

A kidnapping, a school band competition and an electric cat that eats everything in sight!
Having fled civil war sixteen light years away, Ravana and her father now live in the sleepy commune of the hollow moon, a forgotten colony ship drifting around Barnard's Star. Yet what began as a minor escapade to rescue her electric cat soon leads to an incredible adventure into the shady dystopian world of politics, kidnappings and school band competitions. Hollow Moon is an adventure for all who relish a dose of humour and practical astrophysics with their fantasy!

The opening chapters of Hollow Moon are currently available to read online on the Authonomy website.

The Luck of the Devil (novel)
by Steph Bennion

The Luck of the Devil is a light-hearted thriller set in a contemporary world of superstition, psychiatry and the supernatural. The story centres around Susan Jones, a young intersexed woman under the care of her psychiatrist Doctor Mordussen, who is manipulating her through his own attempts to get to grips with a strange and shared medieval legacy. The story tells of Susan's self-discovery as she battles personal doubt, suppressed memories and Mordussen's meddling with black magic.

The Luck of the Devil is currently trying its luck with publishers and a prologue to the novel (pdf) is available to read online. A one-page synopsis is also available here (pdf).

Killer Squirrels: The Opera (stage play)
by Steph Bennion and Sarah Taylor

Inspired by the song Killer Squirrels, the Danse Macabre songwriters are creating a horror comedy musical called Killer Squirrels: The Opera. The story is set in Baird's television studio in Crystal Palace Park, South London, on the evening of Monday, 30 November 1936. Strange creatures have been spotted in the area, the mutant creations of the megalomaniac Doctor Drey who plans to use this army of killer squirrels to hold the world to ransom. However, she is not the only one with devious deeds afoot; a musichall star is stealing Baird's secrets for the BBC, an agent from the RSPCA is also on Drey's case and Drey's own henchwoman Zelda is out for revenge after being given gender-bending hormones at the Berlin Olympics. It can only end in tears... and flames.

Songs from Killer Squirrels: The Opera which have been written and rehearsed often feature in live performances by Danse Macabre and lyrics to the songs Eat Them All and Killer Squirrels are available on the Danse Macabre website. A synopsis of Killer Squirrels: The Opera is available here (pdf).

Hermaphroditus (stage play)
by Steph Bennion

The musical comedy Hermaphroditus merges H Rider Haggard's novel She with the story of the eponymous Greek god. A script for a cast of eight was completed in 2003 and in development is a cut-down version of the stageplay for just two lead performers, enabling the show to be performed by a rock band in non-traditional theatre venues.

A couple of the songs from Hermaphroditus have also made their way into Danse Macabre live performances and lyrics to the songs Dancing at the Gates of Hell and Waking the Dead are available on the Danse Macabre website. A sample of the 2003 script of Hermaphroditus (Act 1, Scene 2) is available here (pdf).

All content (c) Steph Bennion, WyrdStar, Haunted Honeymoon and Danse Macabre 2007-2012.

[Page last updated on 10 December 2011]