McAllister, Angus
Entry updated 8 May 2023. Tagged: Author.
(1943-2023) Scottish solicitor, academic and author who began publishing work of genre interest with "The Superstition" in Impulse magazine (see Science Fantasy) for June 1966. His first novel published in English, The Krugg Syndrome (1988), is a mild-mannered and amusing tale of a country boy in the big City of Glasgow whose personality has been replaced by that of an Alien Krugg capable of Telepathy; echoing Robert Sheckley's story "Keep Your Shape" (November 1953 Galaxy), the human condition proves more attractive than that of the Krugg (who are sentient trees), and the invader is more or less happily assimilated into humanity. This novel was preceded by «A Variety of Sensations», published only in German translation as Der Computermensch (1985)
McAllister's second novel in English, The Canongate Strangler (1990), plays more darkly with Doppelgangers in a tale of possession, murder and (once again) ESP. The Cyber Puppets (2003; 2012 ebook) describes in terms of Satire a Near Future world devastated by Climate Change, but only perceivable by the characters in the book after the soap-opera Virtual Reality they inhabit (see Toys in SF) begins to disintegrate [the 2003 edition of this book was never officially released owing to the voluntary liquidation of its publisher, Big Engine; copies seem to exist, however]. [JC/DRL]
Angus McAllister
born Glasgow, Scotland: 14 July 1943
died Glasgow, Scotland: 18 April 2023
works
- Der Computermensch (Berlin: Ullstein, 1985) [trans from MS of «A Variety of Sensations»: pb/Helmut Wenske]
- The Krugg Syndrome (London: Grafton, 1988) [pb/Tim White]
- The Canongate Strangler (Glasgow, Scotland: Dog and Bone Press, 1990) [pb/]
- «The Cyber Puppets» (Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Big Engine, 2003) [not officially released, owing to liquidation of publisher: pb/]
- The Cyber Puppets (Glasgow, Scotland: Brain in a Jar Books, 2012) [ebook: first official release of the above title: na/]
works as editor
- Mind Boggling Science Fiction #1, 1995 (Glasgow, Scotland: Angus McAllister, 1995) [anth: published in the style of a magazine: pb/]
links
previous versions of this entry