Embers in the Ashes: Apocalyptic Horror and the Creative Process

A thesis submitted alongside a published work of fiction for the qualification of PhD (by Publication) at the University of Huddersfield. The essay reflects upon the conception, development and revision of One (2009), a novel of apocalyptic fiction. The peculiar creative process attendant to this sub-genre is explored with reference to various external global socio-political forces. Comparisons with analogous texts are made, and an assessment offered as to where One stands both as a unique document and as a supplement to a deep-rooted tradition of literature.