James MacKnight Books

The Perestroika Paradigm

It is the third decade of the new calendar. The remains of the human race are recovering in the aftermath of a nuclear war. In a world of harsh frontier justice, mind-control technology and mass unemployment, political radical Fiona Price spearheads an insurrection against the establishment. The resulting schism splits society into two enclaves with very different philosophies: the Technocrats and the Neo-Luddites. When seemingly unconnected citizens from both camps find themselves linked to a mysterious death, a deeper conspiracy unfolds. Can a group of computer-hackers, law enforcement officials, hedonists and skateboarders put their ideological and personal differences aside to avert a global disaster? 

The Blood Ties of Morrigan

Morrigan is a hapless victim of brutal school bullies until she meets the mysterious Susanna, an apparently young and beautiful woman with a dark secret. Seduced by Susanna's power, charisma and sexuality, Morrigan is granted the supernatural powers and immortality that free her from her tormentors, but she is soon to find that freedom from human anxieties comes at a terrible price when Susanna takes her on a rampage of torrid sexual fetishism, blood lust and murder across the West Coast of Scotland, a romp that is soon brought crashing to a halt when the ancient and powerful vampire Nachtan Mor appears. Determined to restore order, Nachtan has incapacitated Susanna, but in an act of kindness has given Morrigan a chance to learn control over her powers and insatiable lusts. When Morrigan discovers the secrets of who Susanna is and how she and Susanna are connected over centuries of time, her obsession with Susanna boils over and all hell breaks loose when the police discover she isn't aging. In the meantime, Nachtan is forced to confront the misdeeds that set him off on the path to immortality over a thousand years ago in the Highlands of Scotland.

Money Talks, Music Walks

A young, enthusiastic singer-songwriter gets more than she bargains for when she talks a hard-bitten, middle-aged record producer into coming out of retirement to help her into the music business.  Charlotte Wilson-Jones is caught up in a rollercoaster ride of rock and roll excess, co-dependent addiction, skulduggery and sexual depravity as she's forced to decide whether she can live with trying to navigate the slippery slopes of the music industry.

This semi autobiographic romp spans twenty years, through the end of Britain's golden age of music to the demise of the album and the rise of the digital download and the one dimensional reality TV talent show.  MacKnight forensically takes apart the endemic hypocrisy and corrupt machinations of the modern music industry. 

The Celtic Knots - The Blood Ties of Morrigan Part II

Following Morrigans' disastrous attempt to awaken Susanna, Morrigan's efforts to put things right have led to the awakening of Morwen, the auburn haired vampiress who made Nachtan a vampire. On being awakened, Morwen has decided to use her unstoppable power to continue her war on Christianity right from where she left off.

The existence of the vampires has now gone viral. With the threat of Morwen looming and Morrigan being harangued by a local police officer who wants to use her as a vigilante, not to mention the supplications of the mother of a young cancer victim who literally wants Morrigan's blood, Morrigan must navigate the minefield of trying to decide how to use her super human power responsibly.

In the meantime, Morrigan and her mother, now made a vampire to save her from dying of old age, must wrestle with their own existential problems. Just like Morrigan's vampire connection with Susanna, her connection to her mother is inherently problematic. 

The Trinity Knot - The Blood Ties of Morrigan Part III

Following the discovery of the existence of the vampires, panic ensues among the global population. Battle lines are drawn and civil society breaks down. After the murder of Susanna by the British Government, Nachtan and Morrigan travel the world and kill the leaders of all one hundred and ninety six countries. An uneasy stalemate is established with Nachtan's unstoppable power on one side and the world's nuclear arsenal on the other.

In Britain, frontier law is established using mind control technology. Meanwhile, Nachtan has annexed Scotland and turned the country into a fortress. As tensions escalated between Nachtan and the British Government, can all out war and mutually assured destruction be avoided?