City of Hope & Despair City of a Hundred Rows, Book 2

A SECOND VISIT TO THAIBURLEY: THE CITY OF DREAMS, THE FABLED CITY OF A HUNDRED ROWS. The former street-nick, Tom, embarks on a journey to discover the source of the great river Thair, said to be the ultimate power behind all of Thaiburley. Accompanying him are the assassin Dewar and the young Thaistess Mildra. It soon becomes evident that their journey has more significance than any of them realise, as past secrets catch up with them and unknown adversaries hunt them... to the death! File Under: Fantasy [ A Deadly Plague A Broken City Fight Or Flight Tattooed Men ]

Ian Whates lives in a comfortable home in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village, which he shares with his partner Helen and their pets - Honey the golden cocker spaniel, Calvin the tailless black cat and Inky the goldfish (sadly, Binky died a few years ago).

Ian's love of SF began while he was still at school, manifesting itself when he produced an SF murder mystery as homework after being set the essay title "The Language of Shakespeare", much to the bemusement of his English teacher. His first published stories appeared in the late 1980s, but it was not until the early 2000s that he began to pursue writing with any seriousness.

In 2006 Ian launched independent publisher New-Con Press, quite by accident. That same year he also resumed submitting short stories, selling some 25 to various venues by the time May 2008 arrived, including two to the science journal Nature. Another story, "The Gift of Joy", was shortlisted for the BSFA Awards in 2008.

Ian is currently the chairman of the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), and edits Matrix, the online news and media reviews magazine.