Craig Laurance Gidney's Blog, page 42
July 23, 2014
July 22, 2014
Tarsem Singh’s “The Fall”
I finally saw The Fall, a 2009 indie movie by Tarsem Singh. Like Beasts of the Southern Wild and Pan’s Labyrinth, it uses the archetypes of fantastic, imaginative storytelling to mask a bleaker reality. In 1920s California, young immigrant orphan Alexandria is convalescing from an obliquely referenced illness. By chance, she runs into Roy, a […]
July 21, 2014
Update on Skin Deep Magic, my short story collection.
The book is currently at the proof stage. The interiors are lovely. As soon as I turn it in to the publisher (Rebel Satori Press), I will have a firm release date and begin to set up events and other promotional activities. Filed under: Book Reviews
July 7, 2014
Excerpts of ‘Variations’ Stories on Wattpad
I have excerpts from the two short stories in my Variations series of short stories. Fur & Gold, loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, is here. Liturgy of Ice, inspired by The Snow Queen, is here. Both are dark and homoerotic. They were fun to write! Hopefully, the excerpts will entice you to […]
July 2, 2014
Lessons from the creepily compelling novel NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill My rating: 3 of 5 stars What I Learned from this book: 1. Keep your plot in motion. The pacing of this novel is like a juggernaut. Relentless, full of suspense and strong enough to ignore any plot holes or inconsistencies. Hill wastes no time getting to the point. 2. Flawed […]
June 30, 2014
The First Annual WordsOut LGBTQ Literary Fair at the Shaw Branch of the DC Public Library
PARTICIPANTSFiled under: Book Reviews
June 23, 2014
Behind the Fiction: Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “The Sweetest Chill”
Calling you, tears thaw my sleep Wanting you, this hoary web is weaved From this strange confusion Grows a perverse communication It enthralls me and coils me around —“The Sweetest Chill,” by Siouxsie and the Banshees “Liturgy of Ice,” dark, queer take on “The Snow Queen,” was partially inspired by the song “The Sweetest […]
June 20, 2014
Liturgy of Ice (A Variation) now available! A dark homoerotic fairytale
Liturgy of Ice was inspired by one of my favorite fairytales, The Snow Queen. I use the fairytale imagery as a mediation isolation and loneliness. Other inspirations: “The Sweetest Chill,” by Siouxsie & the Banshees; Philip Ridley’s novel In the Eyes of Mr. Fury. It’s on Kindle here. And the Kobo here. It’s also on […]
June 19, 2014
COVER REVEAL: Liturgy of Ice
Liturgy of Ice is the second in my self-pubbed eBook series Variations, which are dark fantasy short stories that play with fairytale tropes. LOI takes its cues from The Snow Queen. It should be out next week at the latest. The cover, like the last Variation, is by Thomas Drymon. Filed under: Book Reviews Tagged: […]
June 17, 2014
On Book Reviewing
The essence of a competent book review, to me, gives a spoiler-free plot summary, a sense of what the author was attempting to accomplish, and addresses the literary technique and method the author employs. Thematic and subtextual analysis is an added bonus, as is contextualizing the work in the wider genre or literary landscape. I […]
