(1961-    ) UK author – a solicitor before he turned to full-time writing in 1995 – whose debut was the precocious "Poems by Tom Holt" (coll 1973 chap). He is best known for his numerous comic fantasies, beginning with the genially myth-based Expecting Someone Taller (1987) and Who's Afraid of Beowulf? (1988) (> The Encyclopedia of Fantasy). Later examples, which beneath rapid-fire quips tend increasingly to convey despair at the human condition, sometimes verge on sf with notions like sending oneself by fax (> Matter Transmission). Here Comes the Sun (1993), perhaps the most science-fictional of Holt's fantasies, postulates an Alternate Cosmos in which constant intervention is required to keep the Sun lumbering on its daily course, using Steampunk-like Technology operating with the inefficiency of British industry and civil servants at their caricatured worst.

Of direct sf interest is the atypical and far from humorous Someone Like Me (2006 chap), a short thriller set in a post-technological Ruined Earth where humanity has become prey for creatures with fur, fangs, claws and also tool-using Intelligence; the Monster-hunting hero duels one of these inimical beings Underground. Blonde Bombshell (2010) is comic sf with a tone similar to the fantasies: doglike Aliens wish to destroy the Near-Future Earth for implausible reasons, only for their Faster-than-Light, AI-minded bomb to go native while investigating our planet's weaknesses; there is much Matter Transmission, which here facilitates Shapeshifting and allows the alien "dogs" to switch to and from human form like Werewolves. Incidental Satire is chiefly directed at Computers and Microsoft Windows, also a frequent target in the humorous fantasies.

Some of Holt's historical novels are published as by Thomas Holt. Rumours that his pseudonyms include the non-comic fantasy author K J Parker are persistent but unconfirmed. [DRL]

see also: Elements; Secret Masters.

Thomas Charles Louis Holt

born London: 13 September 1961

died

works

series

Lucia

• Lucia in Wartime (London: Macmillan, 1985) [Sequel by Other Hands based on characters created by E F Benson: Lucia: hb/Lynda Riess]
• Lucia Triumphant (London: Macmillan, 1986) [Sequel by Other Hands based on characters created by E F Benson: Lucia: hb/Lynda Riess]

The Walled Orchard (ancient historical)

• Goatsong (London: Macmillan, 1989) [The Walled Orchard: hb/]
• The Walled Orchard (London: Macmillan, 1990) [The Walled Orchard: hb/Nigel Owen]
  • The Walled Orchard (London: Time Warner Paperbacks, 1997) [omni of the above two titles: The Walled Orchard: pb/]

J Wellington Wells (comic fantasy)

• The Portable Door (London: Orbit, 2003) [J Wellington Wells: hb/]
• In Your Dreams (London: Orbit, 2004) [J Wellington Wells: hb/]
• Earth, Air, Fire and Custard (London: Orbit 2005) [J Wellington Wells: hb/Darren Nash]
• You Don't Have to be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps (London: Orbit, 2006) [J Wellington Wells: hb/James Nicol]
• The Better Mousetrap (London: Orbit, 2008) [J Wellington Wells: hb/Bella Pagan]
• May Contain Traces of Magic (London: Orbit, 2009) [J Wellington Wells: hb/Darren Nash & Simon Sheffield]

fantasy singletons

• Expecting Someone Taller (London: Macmillan, 1987) [hb/Graham Thompson]
• Who's Afraid of Beowulf? (London: Macmillan, 1988) [hb/]
  • Expecting Beowulf (Framingham, Massachusetts: The NESFA Press, 2002) [omni of the above two titles: pb/Omar Rayyan]
• Flying Dutch (London: Orbit, 1991) [hb/Josh Kirby]
• Ye Gods! (London: Orbit, 1992) [hb/Josh Kirby]
  • Tall Stories (London: Orbit: 2004) [omni of Expecting Someone Taller and Ye Gods!: "Omnibus 5": pb/]
• Overtime (London: Orbit, 1993) [hb/Josh Kirby]
• Here Comes the Sun (London: Orbit, 1993) [hb/Steve Lee]
• Grailblazers (London: Orbit, 1994) [hb/Steve Lee]
  • For Two Nights Only (London: Orbit, 2003) [omni of Overtime and Grailblazers: "Omnibus 4": pb/]
• Faust Among Equals (London: Orbit, 1994) [hb/Steve Lee]
  • The First Tom Holt Omnibus (London: Orbit, 2000) [omni of Flying Dutch and Faust Among Equals: pb/]
    • Dead Funny (London: Orbit, 2004) [omni: vt of the above: "Omnibus 1": pb/]
• Odds and Gods (London: Orbit, 1995) [hb/Steve Lee]
  • The Divine Comedies (London: Orbit: 2002) [omni of Here Comes the Sun and Odds and Gods: "Omnibus 3": pb/]
• Djinn Rummy (London: Orbit, 1995) [hb/Steve Lee]
• My Hero (London: Orbit, 1996) [hb/Steve Lee]
  • The Second Tom Holt Omnibus (London: Orbit, 2002) [omni of Who's Afraid of Beowulf and My Hero: pb/]
    • Mightier than the Sword (London: Orbit, 2004) [omni: vt of the above: "Omnibus 2": pb/]
• Paint Your Dragon (London: Orbit, 1996) [hb/Steve Lee]
• Open Sesame (London: Orbit, 1997) [hb/Steve Lee]
  • Saints and Sinners (London: Orbit, 2004) [omni of Paint Your Dragon and Open Sesame: "Omnibus 6": pb/]
• Wish You Were Here (London: Orbit, 1998) [hb/]
  • Fishy Wishes (London: Orbit, 2004) [omni of Djinn Rummy and Wish You Were Here: "Omnibus 7": pb/]
• Only Human (London: Orbit, 1999) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Snow White and the Seven Samurai (London: Orbit, 1999) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Valhalla (London: Orbit, 2000) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Nothing But Blue Skies (London: Orbit, 2001) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Falling Sideways (London: Orbit, 2002) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Little People (London: Orbit, 2003) [hb/Paul Cemmick]
• Barking (London: Orbit, 2007) [hb/Parin Shah]

historical

• Alexander at the World's End (London: Little, Brown, 1999) [hb/uncredited]
• Olympiad: An Historical Novel (London: Little, Brown, 2000) [hb/]
• A Song for Nero (London: Little, Brown, 2003) as by Thomas Holt [hb/]
• Meadowland (London: Little, Brown, 2005) as by Thomas Holt [hb/]

miscellaneous

• I, Margaret: the Unauthorised Autobiography of Mrs Thatcher (London: Pan Macmillan/Papermac, 1989) with Steve Nallon [pb/]

sf singletons

• Someone Like Me (London: Orbit, 2006) [novella: chap: "Quick Read" series: pb/uncredited]
• Blonde Bombshell (London: Orbit, 2010) [pb/uncredited]

collections

• "Poems by Tom Holt" (Walton-in-Thames, Surrey: M and J Hobbs/Michael Joseph, 1973) [poetry: coll: chap: hb/photographic]
• Bitter Lemmings: Several Good Songs Spoilt by Tom Holt (Harold Wood, Essex: Beccon Publications, 1997) [chap: filksongs (> Filk): pb/Tom Abba]
  • The Lemming has Landed (Canada: xxxx, 2001) [chap: exp vt of the above: ??/]
• Holt! Who Goes There? (Stockport, Cheshire: British Fantasy Society, 1998) [nonfiction: coll: chap: pb/Anne Russell]

links

• Tom Holt

Previous versions of this entry

• 08/03/2010
• 17/12/2011