
About Steve Catto
Steve Catto was born in Yorkshire, but his parents took him to Australia when he was six years old and he grew up there, sometimes racing cars across the desert. At various times in his career writing software for the aerospace and automotive engineering sectors he lived and worked in France, Switzerland, and Canada, and he now lives in Scotland. Since appearing in school plays as a child he has performed almost continuously on the amateur stage, and spent a few years scuba diving. These two things have nothing to do with each other.
He once spent three weeks working in a factory that made handles for buckets.
In terms of his pedigree as an author he has written many technical manuals and filled in countless timesheets, so is well versed in the art of conjuring up works of fiction.
Flash Fiction, Short Stories, Humour and Non-Fiction
I write many of my ideas in the form of flash fiction and short stories. This gives me a feeling for whether they could be developed into something with a bigger theme, or whether they are simply ‘good little ideas’ and gives me a chance to try out different writing styles.
- The Man From TainOne day in the summer of 1915, a solider walked into Tain, in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, and asked a local girl, Georgina Douglas, to marry him. Who he really was, where he came from, and where he went, will probably remain a mystery forever.
- LAC Leslie Douglas (1129122) Diary 1942These are entries from my Father’s diary for 1942, which covers the time from when he was first notified that his application to be posted overseas had been accepted, until he was well settled in the RAF base at Koggala and had got his d/f station working.
- LAC Leslie Douglas (1129122) In KoggalaMy Father, Les Douglas served as a Radio Operator in the RAF and was a key figure in the building and operating of the Direction Finding (D/F) Station there. He left several written memoirs of his adventures, which are being transcribed as time permits.
- Call Me a Jeep!The conversation explores the nature of humor, discussing its complexity and different theories like Incongruity Theory, Superiority Theory, Relief Theory, and Benign Violation Theory. Humor’s reliance on personal, cultural contexts and elements like timing and wordplay is emphasized. The dialogue showcases examples of humor, explained through theoretical lenses.
- The LanternI saw it as I rounded the corner at midnight. It was doing nothing, and it had no eyes, but it was watching me. Looking down at me. It knew I was here.
- A Good Place To Die“It’s a lovely little place you’ve got here,” “Ah yes. So it is,” said his friend, putting his mug down on the little table beside the sofa. “But something’s wrong though, isn’t it?” asked Tom, detecting a continued air of dissatisfaction.
- Pete The Magnificent’s DinerPete’s Diner was busy today, it had been worth the risk he’d taken starting up it three years ago. Business was good, but he did need to think of a way to make it more upmarket, to make it a bit more outstanding, so to speak.
- Note for tourists and visitors to ScotlandIf you are driving, there are four bridges across the river Forth, of which only three are actually signposted as “bridges”, and one of those you can’t use because the one that is falling down is not open to private vehicles…
- The Lost World‘So, it’s about this latest report you’ve sent me,’ said the old man, waving the document in the air between their faces before placing it on the desk in front of him. ‘This world that we apparently forgot about.’
- Train Between StationsPeople thought he was just a cleaner, but appearances can be deceptive, and not everything in this world is always quite the way it seems. He restored the station to pristine condition every day with a few good strokes of his brush… but sometimes he swept up more than just dust.
- The Travel WalletThe wind howled, and the rain lashed against my brow with such furore that I thought I might be blown over, right into the teeth of the dark waters that swelled only a few yards away. I pulled my old black coat around me a little tighter and, with considerable effort on my part, turned my face into the wind and made my way towards the lights of the tavern.
- Eternal HopeTwo figures sat on the sofa in front of a flickering screen. The smaller one looked down at the remote control in his hand, and moved his finger slowly away from one of the buttons he had been caressing.
- Crystal Gazing‘I’d like to return this crystal ball which I bought from this very shop only yesterday. It doesn’t work.’
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