Rod Duncan (born 1962, Wales) is a British writer. He grew up in Aberystwyth. He was identified as dyslexic at the age of eight and made his way through the education system by avoiding writing as far as possible. Duncan went on to study Mining Geology in the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_lab ...

, for which he attained a BSc (Hons). He returned to Leicester to study

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

and Satellite Imagery for a PhD, but did not complete this. Duncan moved to

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

in 1989, where he established an environmental education development programme on behalf of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

community. He returned to Leicestershire in 1993, where he lives in Glenfield working as an author and lecturer at

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was tak ...

. Being dyslexic, it was the invention of the

word processor A word processor (WP) is a device or computer program that provides for input, editing, formatting, and output of text, often with some additional features. Early word processors were stand-alone devices dedicated to the function, but current ...

that enabled him to develop his storytelling and writing skills. He now uses dictation software as a tool in the writing process.

Writings

His first published novels form the so-called "Riot Trilogy", each of which examine the same riot, on one day in Leicester, from the experience of a different character. ''Backlash'' was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association

CWA New Blood Dagger __NOTOC__ The CWA New Blood Dagger is an annual award given by the British Crime Writers' Association (CWA) for first books by previously unpublished writers. It is given in memory of CWA founder John Creasey and was previously known as The John Cre ...

award for the best debut crime novel of 2003. The books in this series are: * ''Backlash'' * ''Breakbeat'' * ''Burnout'' As part of the Crime Express series, Duncan wrote the short story, "The Mentalist". Duncan has since moved into writing steampunk novels. His first trilogy was ''The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire'', the first book of which, ''The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter'', was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award for 2014. Set in the "Gas-Lit Empire", a Victorianesque version of Leicester and

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, the events happen in the aftermath of a

Luddite The Luddites were a secret oath-based organisation of English textile workers in the 19th century who formed a radical faction which destroyed textile machinery. The group is believed to have taken its name from Ned Ludd, a legendary weaver ...

revolution that has reined back technology. The novel takes place at a travelling magic show and is themed around illusion, hence the

bullet catch The bullet catch is a stage magic illusion in which a magician appears to catch a bullet fired directly at them ⁠— often in the mouth, sometimes in the hand or sometimes caught with other items such as a dinner plate. The bullet catch ma ...

trick in the title. The books in this trilogy are: * ''The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter'' * ''Unseemly Science'' * ''The Custodian of Marvels'' A further trilogy, ''The Map of Unknown Things'', features the same protagonist, Elizabeth Barnabus: * ''The Queen of All Crows'' * ''The Outlaw & the Upstart King'' * ''The Fugitive and the Vanishing Man'' (Upcoming: 14 January 2020) Rod Duncan wrote and performed in a Rhys Davies film, ''"How to Make a Movie for £43"''. He also performed in ''

Zombie Undead ''Zombie Undead'' is a 2010 British horror film directed by Rhys Davies and starring Ruth King, Kris Tearse, Rod Duncan, Barry Thomas, Sandra Wildbore, and Christopher J. Herbert. It was written by Kris Tearse. After a terrorist attack in Leic ...

'', also by Rhys Davies.

References

External links

The Gas-Lit Empire
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Rod Welsh fantasy writers Welsh mystery writers English fantasy writers People from Aberystwyth 1962 births Living people British Bahá'ís Writers with dyslexia People from Glenfield, Leicestershire