John Young

• Read More...

The Strange Morality of Robins and Ravens

Seventeen year old Paolo Black takes over a pie shop cooking Edinburgh corpses to contain a virulent fungal bloom that could wipe out humanity. It sounds like a cross between Sweeney Todd and Walking Dead but it’s more reminiscent of End of The F**ing World and Let The Right One In.

The partnership between Paolo and fungi is similar to many natural alliances that are reliant upon each other, though one may be dominant. Rather than follow an unrealistic zombie/vampire fest that would overrun the population, the story envisages this horror threat being slackened by self interest of the threat itself, like a virus that alters to be less deadly in order to ensure its own survival. So a bizarre compromise has been struck between man and mushroom. A bit like swapping morals with morels.

The question is, has Paolo become fungi or fungi become Paolo? Paolo and his girlfriend Marisa are about to find out. The dark tale provides opportunity for humour, moral conundrums, and it climaxes, as Paolo finds release from his tryst, with a celebration on how we are all interconnected.

• Read More...

Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist

Quick witted, sharp-tongued Connor Lambert won't take it any longer: the bullying, the secrets, the sympathy. He's been dying for years, but he's not dead yet. He's going down fighting.

Forming an unlikely friendship with fellow juvenile delinquent Skeates, the pair stage a break out and set off on a crazy route across Scotland to find Connor's dad, an inmate at Shotts prison. But Connor's left two things behind - the medication he needs to keep him alive, and the girl who makes living bearable.

Dodging the police, joy riding and extreme partying - if Connor's dying, he might as well enjoy one last wild adventure.

Visit the website!

• Read More...

Legacy

Erin, an impoverished American medical student studying in London, learns of a possible inheritance in Ireland, from an uncle she didn’t know existed. Legacies always have conditions and she soon discovers that conditions can be deadly.

• Read More...

Sandy the Starfish

Colourfully illustrated using cartoons, this interactive lift flap book is a must have for anyone with a child under 6 who is having injections and boosters.

• Read More...

The Success of Failure

A short story by John Young about Swimming the English Channel

• Read More...

Hidden (Sometimes you are better off not knowing)

Any number of people had reason to assault Harry Bains but his seventeen year old step son Lorn McGregor is the one in custody, and he needs to get out.

Lorn is helped by school librarian, Nadia, and his friends, to cope with bullying at school and the horrors of his abusive step dad, Harry Bains. An attack on Bains exposes Nadia’s own nefarious background (she was a Russian assassin) and Lorn knows a way to help her and redeem himself but is stuck inside a police station. Think, Killing Eve mixed with Grange Hill.

• Read More...