My Life in Orbit

New novel My Life in Orbit to be published by Everything With Words, out July 11th!

Fantasticus Autisticus, his best friend Olly calls him now. He doesn’t really get it, but then he’s got other things on his mind. There’s the weekly haircut, his ritual orbit of the high street, and meeting his grown-up daughter for the first time at two o'clock.

But his day does not go to plan. First he is roped into Olly’s haphazard attempt to recover money stolen from his fellow orbiter of the high street, Ahmet. Along the way he bumps into Teigan, who he longs to speak to but can never find the words. And then the nagging voice in his head he calls Daddy commands him to prepare his life story for his daughter. All of it.

And so he remembers. Growing up the only child of a single mother in poverty. The undefinable thing about him that made him different at school. His unlikely escape to university, and the teachings of a nineteenth century mystic.

Along the way, there are moments of both triumph and disaster, of love, friendship, and death. There are comic books (31,284 of them to be precise). And all of it has been leading to this day, when the orbit must break, and everything changes…

If anything from this century could have made PG Wodehouse chuckle it might have been this. Look around you on the street, wherever you are: these characters are all there, even slightly less real than they are in these pages – they're the ones trying not to look back. The star of this book won't much like the word exquisite, and I don't like it much either – but I have to use it here.

DBC Pierre, author of Vernon God Little

What a voice is contained within these pages; hilarious, heartbreaking, completely convincing, superbly sustained, wholly marvellous. I fell in love with Fantasticus Autisticus on page one and I'm now missing his company. He is a fantastic and unique creation. This is one of those books that change how you see the world; your outlook on life and the place in which you live it will be revitalised and refreshed and renewed. It is a vital piece of work that fulfils a vital function. Would that more novels did.

Niall Griffiths, author of Broken Ghosts

Absolutely brilliant. At times quietly heartbreaking and hopeful, and seasoned with dark humour. Much recommended.

Dave Hutchinson, author of Fractured Europe

My Life in Orbit takes us deep into the mind of an unforgettable central character with a unique way of looking at the world. Harangued by internal voices, plagued by indignities, he faces a daily struggle for equilibrium and self-determination. Richard Blandford's deftly written and highly readable novel is a feat of empathy, and for all its darkness, ultimately hopeful.

Chris Parker, author of Nameless Lake

A fine coming-of-age story with subtle strains of Vonnegut and Pynchon. Funny in places, heartfelt in others. A splendid read.

Mark Thomas, author of The Bothy and Dry Cleaning

Pre-order:

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Bookshop.org

Back catalogue reacquired

This year I have unexpectedly regained the rights to my entire fiction back catalogue. I have decided to make everything available as a Print-on-Demand paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This means that for the very first time, The Shuffle, Erotic Nightmares and Whatever You Are Is Beautiful can be purchased as physical copies. All the books are also available as ebooks from Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books and a range of other online stores. Paperbacks are from £9.99, ebooks from £3.99 and all can be found by clicking on the images below.

The Fixer

Raf just wishes his dad had bought him a bike instead of the stupid dog. And little does he know that the dog will lead him to a fateful encounter with the Fixer...

'The Fixer', written by Richard Blandford with art by Lily Durell. A seven-part story in David 'V For Vendetta' Lloyd's online comic book anthology Aces Weekly. Just £1 per issue. www.acesweekly.co.uk/shop

London in the Company of Painters - Out Now

This sumptuous visual history explores London as depicted by artists over the last few hundred years. Although the first city of London was established in the Roman period, the story of London in art really begins in the 17th century, with the rise of the panoramic city view as a painting genre, and continues to this day. Organized around nine areas or districts, the chapters move roughly from west to east across London, as does the River Thames, which acts as the city's spine. Within each area, works of art are grouped around specific locations or monuments, providing a glimpse of the city's changing and unchanging topography through the ages. Despite London's tumultuous history – the rise and fall of Empire, attacks from above in two world wars, relentless expansion into the surrounding villages and suburbs – it nevertheless becomes clear that many of the city's landmarks remain surprisingly constant.

Purchase