Craig Robertson

WINNER OF THE CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER In Bloody Scotland a selection of Scotland's best crime writers use the sinister side of the country's built heritage in stories that are by turns gripping, chilling and redemptive. Stellar contributors Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Ann Cleeves, Louise Welsh, Lin Anderson, Doug Johnstone, Gordon Brown, Craig Robertson, E S Thomson, Sara Sheridan and Stuart MacBride explore the thrilling potential of Scotland's iconic sites and structures. From murder in an ancient broch and a macabre tale of revenge among the furious clamour of an eighteenth century mill, to a dark psychological thriller set within the tourist throng of Edinburgh Castle and a rivalry turning fatal in the concrete galleries of an abandoned modernist ruin, this collection uncovers the intimate - and deadly - connections between people and places. Prepare for a dangerous journey into the dark shadows of our nation's buildings - where passion, fury, desire and death collide.

A madman is planning to end the entire universe. Only one man can stop him: Anon Blake. The problem is that no one knows where Anon is. Warriors who can manipulate gravity search The Continuum to find and kill him. Meanwhile, Mark is a mild mannered advertising agent in LA who wishes his life had more substance. Be careful, Mark, what you wish for Angels, demons, and legendary forces clash to see if existence will be allowed to continue.Anon Time is a science fiction novel with philosophical and spiritual underpinnings guaranteed to whisk you on an adventure of wondrous scope and amazing excitement.

‘I’ve got things I can’t recall Like the colours of my bedroom wall Oh, I can’t decide if I Want to know these things or why They bother me and tantalise me so’ — from ‘I’ve Left Memories Behind’ In the mid-1990s, the Village Voice described Chris Knox as ‘indie rock’s premier oddball singer songwriter’ and, when Knox suffered a stroke a decade later, music icons such as Yo La Tengo, Bill Callahan, Neil Finn and Shayne Carter all showed up for concerts and a tribute album. Who is this epileptic, opinionated, shorts-and-jandals-wearing, endlessly creative musician and artist from New Zealand? This is his story – from a childhood in ‘flat, rectangular and boring’ Invercargill to years of creative experimentation in Dunedin to family life in Auckland; from The Enemy’s first gig at Dunedin’s Beneficiaries Hall to Toy Love’s tour of Australia and on to Tall Dwarfs’ escapades around the globe; from tape loops and crashing cutlery recorded on a TEAC 4-track to the biting satire of Jesus on a Stick comics and Listener opinion pieces; and from home-recorded LPs delivered by hand to the ubiquitous voice on ads for Vogels and Heineken. Chris Knox: Not Given Lightly tells the story of one extraordinarily creative man’s journey from the obscurity of punk rock to the heart of New Zealand culture. ‘Then again, all the time, every minute, neverending, unrelenting, all around us, without pausing, endless endless, all-pervading, movement motion, this way that way, ticktock, freefall, love love, kiss kiss, make do be is was I me b c d e f g h I think nothing’s going to happen.’ — from ‘Nothing’s Going to Happen’

Time is literally running out for Jon and his team. He is armed with only a vague set of instructions from Time as to how the Earth can be resurrected. The worst part is there is no way to know if such a miracle can even be achieved. Time told Jon specifically that what he was attempting had never been done. Then again, that type of dire warning has never discouraged Jon in the past. The dude's practically worryproof.The odds against humankind could not be longer. The clan's leader, the time maker, is still avoiding a confrontation with Sachiko's powerful time ship, Aramthella. And the sociopathic security forces of the Brother-Sisterhood of Time are unrelenting in their pursuit of Jon and his crew. They are able to come at him from the past, present, and future. Not only that, but the inquisitors have a technology that allows them to return to an earlier time in their own lives. So even if Jon kills them, they will never stay dead. How can he dream of defeating them?Working with the alien creature Plesmus, Jon must forge a set of markers to function as a framework for Earth to be reanimated. But there are no precedents or blueprints available to guide him. Jon must achieve the impossible entirely on his own, yet again. How many times can he go to that well and have the good fortune of drawing water? His luck is bound to run out sooner or later. May it'll be today...Join Jon Ryan as the adventure of Time Wars Last Forever draws to its tumultuous conclusion. Spoiler alert: You'll likely fall off the edge of your seat, so be ready

The history of how a deceptively ordinary piece of office furniture transformed our relationship with information The ubiquity of the filing cabinet in the twentieth-century office space, along with its noticeable absence of style, has obscured its transformative role in the histories of both information technology and work. In the first in-depth history of this neglected artifact, Craig Robertson explores how the filing cabinet profoundly shaped the way that information and data have been sorted, stored, retrieved, and used.Invented in the 1890s, the filing cabinet was a result of the nineteenth-century faith in efficiency. Previously, paper records were arranged haphazardly: bound into books, stacked in piles, curled into slots, or impaled on spindles. The filing cabinet organized loose papers in tabbed folders that could be sorted alphanumerically, radically changing how people accessed, circulated, and structured information.Robertson’s unconventional history of the origins of the information age posits the filing cabinet as an information storage container, an “automatic memory” machine that contributed to a new type of information labor privileging manual dexterity over mental deliberation. Gendered assumptions about women’s nimble fingers helped to naturalize the changes that brought women into the workforce as low-level clerical workers. The filing cabinet emerges from this unexpected account as a sophisticated piece of information technology and a site of gendered labor that with its folders, files, and tabs continues to shape how we interact with information and data in today’s digital world.

The history of how a deceptively ordinary piece of office furniture transformed our relationship with information The ubiquity of the filing cabinet in the twentieth-century office space, along with its noticeable absence of style, has obscured its transformative role in the histories of both information technology and work. In the first in-depth history of this neglected artifact, Craig Robertson explores how the filing cabinet profoundly shaped the way that information and data have been sorted, stored, retrieved, and used.Invented in the 1890s, the filing cabinet was a result of the nineteenth-century faith in efficiency. Previously, paper records were arranged haphazardly: bound into books, stacked in piles, curled into slots, or impaled on spindles. The filing cabinet organized loose papers in tabbed folders that could be sorted alphanumerically, radically changing how people accessed, circulated, and structured information.Robertson’s unconventional history of the origins of the information age posits the filing cabinet as an information storage container, an “automatic memory” machine that contributed to a new type of information labor privileging manual dexterity over mental deliberation. Gendered assumptions about women’s nimble fingers helped to naturalize the changes that brought women into the workforce as low-level clerical workers. The filing cabinet emerges from this unexpected account as a sophisticated piece of information technology and a site of gendered labor that with its folders, files, and tabs continues to shape how we interact with information and data in today’s digital world.

The time war keeps rolling on and Jon is unable to get a controlling handle on the Juggernaut. Jon, with Tank by his side, has infiltrated the Claxeon Citadel, home of the Brother-Sisterhood of Time. There he hopes to learn some clue, some scrap of information that will set him in the direction to find the Soul of Time. But finding Time is not enough. He must reunite Time with itself. This mind-boggling assignment is made all that much worse knowing thar Time does not want to be whole again. Unbeknownst to Jon, a dark and unstoppable order of assassin inquisitors guards the citadel. The Council of Seven, as they are known, has never been bested. They have maintained the citadel's purity for thousands of years. All of Jon and Tank's hard work may, in the end, turn out to be a death sentence. If the cruse of the assassins were not enough, the time maker is still out there somewhere, determined to no-time Jon and his stolen time ship, Aramthella. The time maker's mental breakdown is accelerated by his fear after meeting a demon from a globular cluster. His flight of insanity takes him farther and farther from Jon and his team. In an infinite universe, the chances of finding their enemy shrink for our heroes with each passing moment. And even if Jon defies all statics and logic and actually finds the Soul of Time, can he learn anything useful to reanimate Earth? The only guarantees Jon seems to have are those of increasing peril and worsening odds against him. Sachiko faces her greatest challenge. Her was her rock, her guiding star, Tank, is gone, helping Jon at the citadel. Can she grow into her role as captain of the most powerful ship in the galaxy? With a background in neither leadership nor combat, what realistic chance does she stand of success? Join Jon and his crew as hope slips away and the only thing they can rely on is each other. If the citadel assassins do their job, or if Time's confusing aid proves unhelpful, will Jon fail in his most critical mission ever? For a man who has never known defeat, is this the time his luck runs out? Follow along as we race toward the epic conclusion of Time Wars Last Forever in Finding Time, Book 5.

Time has not been kind to Jon Ryan. It almost seems personal between the two of them. His mission to resurrect a lost Earth gets more complicated, more dangerous, and less likely to succeed with each new barrier thrown in his path. No sooner does he escape from the master time lords than he learns Sapale is now those masters' prisoner. And she's taken the only vessel that can make the journey seventeen galaxies away, so he's helpless to rescue her. The insane time maker, who leads the clan that no-timed the Earth, eludes the team as they try to eliminate his threat for good. If he's not found, there will be no peace in the galaxy. Desdemona Tanner's powers as a controller of the dead are suddenly tested as evil forces from beyond life threaten to destroy their time ship, Aramthella. If the ship is lost, so is any hope of reviving our home world. Is Desi equal to the grim task of manipulating those who care nothing for the living? Jon faces the least attractive choice in his very long life. In order to make Sapale's rescue even possible, he must do something he cannot stomach. He has to disrupt his own timeline and dig up the advanced alien spacecraft named Wrath. Jon was forced to rely on the homicidally deranged ship before and knows he calls on it again at his very great peril. But what other choice does he have? While Jon's away trying to save his forever wife, Tank and Sachiko are left on their own. They are confronted by one bizarre alien threat after another. Are these space rookies equal to the monumental task? They must run a gauntlet of flames if they are to survive. And Jon Ryan's quest is revealed to be next to impossible. The only entity in the universe that might know how to save the Earth is Time itself. But Time has hidden itself away, never to be found. What comes after hopeless? Whatever that is, Jon and his crew are about to find out.

Only one person can save you. And he wants you dead.The gripping new novel from the acclaimed author of Murderabilia and The Photographer, both nominated for the McIlvanney Prize.

The Earth - all her history, all her life - never existed. The Clan, the evil time thieves of the universe, sucked the time energy out of our home world. That which never was can never again be. Obviously. Well unless, of course, there's a Jon Ryan out there Jon and Sapale must work with their new crew, two human academics spared humankind's foul fate, along with their captured alien time ship. But is their mission doomed to fail even before it starts? How can they resurrect something that never was? They don't even know if it can be done - how it could be done. And what about the Clan? They have hundreds of ships hunting down Jon and his team. They are hell-bent on destroying the only enemy who has ever bloodied them. A vengeful Clan is a supremely dangerous foe. There is no hope for Earth's revival if the Clan cannot be eliminated. But how can one ship, crewed by rookies, stand against an eternally triumphant armada?Tensions mount and confrontations abound as the last few hundred survivors of Earth are forced to live and fight together on the last island of our species - Aramthella, the quirky and cantankerous alien time ship. Jon Ryan has saved the universe before. He's faced long odds and defied them. But on this occasion - against this enemy - there's a unique and indomitable factor. If you make one mistake, one minor misstep ... you never existed. Jon may have returned form the dead, but it's not possible for him to return from nonexistence. No one can.

The galaxy is on fire. The ruthless Adamant Empire is sweeping across all of space leaving only chard ashes in their wake. No civilization can withstand their firestorm of conquest. But they made one serious mistake along their path to galactic domination. They pissed off Jon Ryan. Bad move. That's never a healthy thing to do.Now in their darkest hour, the few remaining islands of freedom and light left untouched band together in a last-stand effort to stop the evil juggernaut. But will their best efforts and Jon's uncanny knack to pull off miracles be enough? And will the magical race of dragons join the fray and possibly turn the tide of war? If they remain aloof and uninvolved, it's likely the final surviving planets will surely fall.Dragon Fire and Ashes conclude in the fast paced, funny, and fresh Galaxy On Fire Series.

Gideon's at it again. That's never a good thing This time out he is dragging Zebah and Rigel to Earth, that backward rock layered with smelly humans. His goal, as always, is to get rich quick without falling back on any legal tools to do so. Gideon, Gideon. Where on Earth is the money? Washington, DC, of course. So Gideon goes there to wrangle his share from the hands and pockets of elected officials. Yeah, good luck with that one, chump. But, he does spawn quite the disturbance of confusion and humor, so it's all worth the bother. If at first you don't succeed, open a bank, right? Our sorry-excuse-for-a-hero tries that next. Oh, the financial system will never be the same. Please stuff your money into your mattress. It'll be safer there than where Gideon is hunting. When all else fails, is it worth it to ge an honest job and work for a living? Gideon tries, he really does. The world of fast food will never be the same. Heck, the world will never be the same based on his record. Bad Gideon Do not declare apocalypses Stop it right this instant. What is the one tried-and-true way to make lots of unofficial money? Import/exporting. Sure. It's a tale as old as dirt. But, when Gideon gets into that dirt--you got it, mud will happen. Oh the pain.The only thing that's for certain when Gideon tries to scam us humans is that you will laugh. Oh yes. You will laugh ...

There is a time for everything under the heavens. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to love and a time to hate. But when it's a time war you're looking at, it's Ryan Time. Jon is called back two billion years to save the Earth from an unprecedented threat. A alien clan is stealing time. It uses that time energy to power its quest to amass even more time. Soon, there will be no time for any race but them. No civilization has yet been able to even bloody the clan, let alone stop them. But that irresistable force is about to run smack into an immovable object, one pissed off Jon Ryan. As the very real possibility of never having existed closes in on humanity, Jon must rally his ragtag forces to do the impossible, yet again. But how can you defeat an enemy who can cause you to never have lived to face them in battle? A brilliant young scientist, Sachiko Jones, has foreseen the aliens' advance. Then she is thrust into a pivotal role in the defense of our planet. But though she commands unlimited power, she's a graduate student, not a warrior. If she can't learn quickly, the very worst outcome will be inevitable.Even a seasoned veteran like Jon is thrust out of his comfort zone. Time war is completely new to him, mind-blowing, and his enemy is a master of the skill. Battling -- surviving -- throughout all of time and space simultaneously defies common sense. One false move, one faulty assumption, and you're not dead. You will have never existed. And that which never was cannot be resurrected. It can't even be remembered. But, then again, impossible odds and cataclysmic consequences are what Jon does. It is possible, however, that just this once, Jon will find himself out of time.

It's all coming to a head. Against ever increasing odds, Jon Ryan and his crew must do what no one has ever done before. Either Jon, along with our entire universe, or the Cleinoid gods, will end. The odds began as bad for our heroes, and have only gotten progressively worse. They could use a break-a big one, and soon. Fate intervenes to link together improbable allies. The most powerful antigod, Verazz, comes to work with Jon. But, is even that firepower enough to stop the wicked ancient gods? And, just as it looks like the day is won for Team Ryan, the Cleinoid monsters receive a life-saving gift-renewed power. That may just tip the balance in their favor, and spell the end of times for us.Does Jon have one miracle left, up his sleeve? Is it even possible to defeat a horde of ravaging gods? Well, we're about to find out.

Just when you thought it was safe to go to hell. Jon was successful at forcibly resurrecting the most evil and treacherous Ancient God from hell, J fnoss tra-Fundly. Now, in possession of EJ's powerful android body, the former Cleinoid leader is freed to crush, kill, and destroy in his former kingdom. But, talk about grabbing the tiger by the tail. Can Jon resist, let alone control such an epic force of evil? The Cleinoids themselves were barely able to. Can the benefit possibly justify the risk? Vorc, the current, ineffective Cleinoid leader, fumbles to maintain a society spiraling out of control. If he were any more inept, he'd do himself and his people in, singlehandedly. It's like the Ancient Gods want to die as a race. Or, is it, perhaps, Fate? Is that primordial force turning its favor to one Jon Ryan? If so, why in the multiverse would Fate do that? Any port in a storm is said to be welcome. Fate, all-powerful and ever capricious, may not be such a safe harbor.From the mist of confusion, hate, and destruction, comes a new force-the historically indomitable Stone Witches. A swarm of Cleinoids unwittingly angers the witches. Will Fate decree that the Stone Witches aid Jon and his crew? Or might they just be the wild card at end the game for our heroes and their universe? If too many cooks spoil the soup, surely too many uber-powerful gods do, also. If a person wasn't Jon Ryan, they start sweating-buckets full of big time

Only Jon Ryan could make such a mess out of the afterlife. Almost a year into his battle against the Ancient Gods, Jon Ryan has little to show for his herculean efforts. The angry gods are surging viciously in our universe. No society can even slow their onslaught. In the Cleinoid universe, they've been stopped for reinforcing their brilliantly successful war in our home, but only just. Jon and his crew must attack the single most powerful and evil force in the realm of the Ancient Gods. If they can destroy Clein, they will pull the rug out from under their enemy, in both universes. But Clein is not just mighty. It's guarded by three of the most powerful deterrents in existence. A passage way of twelve thousand curses, a cave full of tormented banshees, and a room of denizens. These mythical creatures are endlessly malevolent, powerful beyond measure, and semi-sentient clouds of boulders. The odds are astronomically against Jon. His enemies have never tasted defeat. His only advantage is the inconstant loyalty of a once-evil monster Cleinoid corrupted by Jon. And then, Jon decides to go to hell-literally. He will attempt to free from damnation the architect of Cleinoid evil, the master megalomaniac who might just be able to kill off his kin. But, if you plan is to go to hell and resurrect the worst guy who ever live, aren't you asking-begging-for disaster? Not if you're Jon Ryan, #fighterpilot.