

The tale is set in a Near Future England, drowned as a result of Climate Change the young protagonist escapes to the Island of Eels (Ely on its mound) (see Island), where he encounters various eccentric or dangerous characters, then escapes again to the mainland (the seas are beginning to abate). The first of these, Floodland ( 2000), is sf, though Equipoisal like much of his other work and avowedly influenced by the work of Susan Cooper, with narrative seams derived from supernatural fiction.

Marcus's singletons are perhaps of stronger interest, the best of them deliberately scumbling any clear distinction between Young Adult fiction and fiction addressed to adults. Some series were written for younger children, one of these – the Cudweed sequence comprising Cudweed's Birthday ( 2011), Cudweed in Outer Space ( 2012) and Cudweed's Time Machine ( 2013) – being sf, though spoofed to attract the age level aimed at. (1968-2022) UK illustrator and author, mostly of Young Adult fiction, most of which was fantasy, including series like his first, the Dead Day sequence beginning with The Book of Dead Days ( 2003), which ornately invokes (but clearly does not intend seriously to scrutinize) the tropes and topoi of Gothic SF.
