Stephen Jordan (writer)

Stephen Jordan (born 5 August 1986) is an English science fiction, fantasy, horror and comedy writer, playwright and director.

Career

In 2009, he co-founded ManMoth Productions, a theatre production group, with Patrick Baker.^[1] In 2011, he co-wrote, directed and ManMoth produced 'A Hero's Journey', a surreal comedy play about 'the constant turmoils and failures of being a writer'.^[2] The play opened at the Etcetera Theatre in 2011 as part of the Camden Fringe Festival, to sell out audiences. The production was quite well received, being described as 'deeply absorbing' and an 'affirmative act of bloody minded creation'.^[3] In 2012, Jordan returned to the Etcetera and the Camden Fringe with his first solo production, a science fiction comedy play called 'Dead Static', about two strangers who have an hour to live in deep space.^[4] The production played to sell out audiences and was well received, being described as a 'splendidly thoughtful and hilarious production',^[5] 'even funnier a space comedy than Red Dwarf',^[6] with its brand of comedy likened to that of Blackadder and Men Behaving Badly.^[7] Dead Static's second run took place in December 2012, at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington.^[8] In 2013, Jordan debuted 'Pilgrim Shadow' at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden, London as part of the 2013 Camden Fringe Festival.^[9] The science fiction comedy play and sequel to Dead Static was about two petty criminals on the run and in search of mythical lost treasure.^[10] Like its predecessor, the show received acclaim from critics who described the show as a 'hilarious, unusual Sci-Fi excursion'.^[11] A sequel to 'Pilgrim Shadow', called 'King Chaos', debuted in 2015, completing The Future Boys Trilogy.^[12]

In 2013, Jordan co-founded a new theatre production group, Bad Bat Productions, with Ellen Gallagher. Bad Bat's first theatre production was Jordan's 'The Probleming', a horror comedy that debuted as part of the 2014 Camden Fringe Festival.^[13] Jordan made his stage debut as a performer in Bad Bat's sketch show Global Mega Incorporated, which he also directed.^[14]

Jordan also writes genre short stories and novels. He holds a BA in Creative & Media Writing, and an MA in Creative Writing within Science Fiction & Fantasy, both from Middlesex University. His humorous fantasy short story 'The Good Death Guide' won a 2014 Watty Award, presented by online writing community Wattpad.^[15] His horror short story 'Sheep', was released in issue 4 of KZINE in 2012,^[16] and his science fiction horror short story 'Heat' was release in issue 8 of KZINE in 2014.^[17] He has also contributed a short story to Paul Finch's Terror Tales series,^[18] which was nominated for a British Fantasy award in 2015.^[19]

Plays

• A Hero's Journey (w/ Patrick Baker. Etcetera Theatre, 2011)
• Dead Static (Etcetera Theatre & Hen and Chickens Theatre, 2012)
• Pilgrim Shadow (Tristan Bates Theatre, 2013. The Dugdale Centre, 2014)
• The Probleming (Tristan Bates Theatre, 2014)
• King Chaos (Tristan Bates Theatre, 2015)

Comedy

• Global Mega Incorporated (sketch show. Etcetera Theatre, 2015)

Short Fiction

• Sheep (KZINE, issue 4, ed. Graeme Hurry, 2012)
• Heat (KZINE, issue 8, ed. Graeme Hurry, 2014)
• The Offspring (Terror Tales of Wales, ed. Paul Finch, 2014. British Fantasy Award nominee for Best Anthology in 2015)
• The Good Death Guide & Other Tales (collection of three stories for Kindle, 2015, including Watty Award winner The Good Death Guide)

References