About
Hi, I’m Greg Hamerton. Welcome to my home on the net.
I am a fantasy author and extreme sports publisher. If you’re looking for the paragliding stuff, it is hosted on the Eternity Press website.
Why fantasy? Because there’s nothing like it! To feel the world dissolve around you and to see a new world appear, raised from your imagination, well that’s just the beginning. It’s the ideas that thrill me. Fantasy authors are expected to let their creativity run wild, to explore the far reaches of myth and legend, to work with supernatural or magical forces, or to challenge the established view of reality. Some delve into the deeper aspects of the human psyche.
To read great fantasy is to enter a world of hidden secrets, of great beauty, mystery and danger. We become involved in a struggle on a grand scale. Fantasy gives us the gift of seeing, being able to experience a world beyond our own develops a powerful imagination. And with imagination, anything is possible!
My books
THE RIDDLER’S GIFT (2007) is an epic fantasy novel, followed by SECOND SIGHT (2010). Yes, there are more books planned in the Lifesong series. I’ve also written a metaphysical story about fear and freedom called BEYOND THE INVISIBLE, made a film called THE JOURNEY and published a guidebook for paragliders known as the FRESH AIR SITE GUIDE. Because mountains fascinate me, I recently edited, designed and published BEST FLYING SITES OF THE ALPS (2011).
My life so far
I have been an active paraglider pilot since 1992, and I’m an outdoor enthusiast. I’m happiest when I’m flying among jagged mountain peaks, or dancing along a cloud.
My primary-school was artistic. We made up stories. We painted things. We acted out Norse Mythology. It was great, and it’s probably the reason I’m a writer. I graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1994 (Bachelor of Commerce) but was bored to death by my first accounting job. I worked in the film industry, as a paragliding instructor, and as a photographer. I began writing, and found that I loved it.
I am a dedicated reader of fantasy, and respect the works of Stephen Donaldson, Robin Hobb, Charles de Lint and Terry Pratchett.
Interviews
Orangeberry Book Tours featured Greg Hamerton in a fantasy author interview. They spoke about writer’s block, current projects, and The Riddler’s Gift, the first book in the epic fantasy series of the Lifesong. How does an epic fantasy come into being? What is it like writing fantasy? And how have things changed in the digital age? I recently chatted with South African speculative fiction writer Cristy Zinn about such things. You can check the original interview out on cristyzinn.com. Aside from the blog, where she writes about her [...] Ever wondered how fantasy authors put together an imagined world? Some books can transport you to worlds that seem so real you begin to wonder if the author was really there. What makes them so convincing, and how does an author begin to imagine a world that doesn’t exist? I’ve been living in a fantasy world for the past decade and have learned some strange things about fantasy you probably wouldn’t expect. Nerine Dorman of the Cape Times (part of the Independent News and Media group) interviews South African fantasy author Greg Hamerton about his new fantasy novel Second Sight, part of the fantasy series The Tale of the Lifesong. A few years ago, Lee at Fantasy Book Review set out on a quest to find the top 100 fantasy books of all time. In a unique approach, the books are rated between 0.0 and 10.0 which offers a much more precise appraisal than the usual 5 star scale. This allows for an interesting ranking [...] The internet is stranger than a fantasy novel. I’ve been working hard to publicise the release of Second Sight, digging under the surface of fantasy book review sites, turning over fantasy/sci-fi blogs to see what’s underneath, blinking into the bright lights of international obscurity on YouTube. I remember a pizza with mushrooms, I remember a [...] Now that Second Sight has been released, it’s time to take Tabitha and her crew on a blog tour to find some interesting websites and have some fun. What better place to begin than Fantasy Book Critic, a mighty fantasy book review site in the States. They produce in-depth critiques of the books they read [...] This interview was conducted in June 2007 by Something Wicked Magazine, when Viane Venter talked to Greg Hamerton about the imminent release of the fantasy novel The Riddler’s Gift (First Tale of the Lifesong). Sometimes, it is really lovely to be told a story. I recorded an audiobook of The Riddler’s Gift, which plays out over 22 hours. But I’m not planning an audiobook for Second Sight, because of the many tricky voices and dialects involved in the story. I think I need the professionals on this one, to [...] A reading of The Riddler’s Gift: First Tale of the Lifesong by Greg Hamerton. A question and answer session on what it’s like to write a fantasy novel. The Riddler’s Gift is the first tale in the Lifesong fantasy series by Greg Hamerton.
Greg Hamerton interviewed by Orangeberry
Writing fantasy in the digital age
Imagine a world …
Author interview in The Star
In conversation with Fantasy Book Review
An interview with Toad
Magic and make-believe … on Fantasy Book Critic
Wicked fantasy author interview
A reading of Second Sight
A reading of The Riddler’s Gift
On writing a fantasy novel
