Ambrose, David

(British, 1943– )

After working as a journalist, Ambrose became a full-time writer, initially of plays and film-scripts, in 1967. Begin with The Man who Turned into Himself (1993). The shock of his beloved wife's death in a road accident thrusts the main character into a parallel world where he appears insane. As matters worsen, he begins to flip with manic rapidity between his two realities. Cyber-tensions mount in Mother of God (1995) when an expert hacker turns serial killer and uses the internet to select his victims. Superstition (1997) concerns a research project investigating the paranormal. A scientifically monitored seance has surprisingly direct results, and disastrous consequences for those who participate in it.

Christopher Priest, Iain Banks  DH