Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 323

January 7, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 26 of 91!

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Finally, the weekend is upon us!  After consecutive grueling days on set shooting Episode 305, we got together Saturday and shot another day of same episode.  And while I was at the munitions factory with director Steve DiMarco and co., the dogs were back home enjoying bath time (or in Suji’s case, sink time).

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Behind the scenes on Dark Matter’s third season.  DP Craig Wright paints a picture for director Steve DiMarco who is clearly geared for battle.

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The ever-smiling John Galbraith, key scenic artist.  What is this man hiding?

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Set PA Riley Morrison.  She enjoys memoirs, making sponge toffee, and marrying 18th Century dukes.

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I surprised on set costumes supervisor Jozie Conte with cookies.

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Key SPFX (and Birthday Boy!) Fred Gagnon.

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A Cam Operator Joe Turner feeling the heat of his radioactive camera.

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 Concept design for the Taliphus-8 interior…and one special client.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

January 6, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 25 of 91!

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Today was long and late.  I started off with first blocking in the munitions factory, then headed over to the production offices for a trifecta of meetings – art department, props, and background.  Following a quick lunch, I jumped on two rewrites and completed the tease of my (second to last?) script of the season.  Just in time to screen the Bruce McDonald’s director’s cut of Episode 302!  I watched it once straight through once, then one more time for notes.  Two hours later, I was done.  At which point Ron Murphy’s director’s cut of Episode 304 appeared in my inbox.  Both GREAT episodes!  I capped off my day by heading back to the munitions factory for more mayhem with director Steve DiMarco – and a 9:00 p.m. wrap.

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Director Steve DiMarco oversees the action.

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1st Assistant Director and suspect liquor aficionado Josh Gray.

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Production Designer Ian Brock.

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Director of Photography Craig Wright strikes a deal with Josh.

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Playback Operator Greg Whiteside runs through the safety graphics.

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Best Boy Andy Gondek.

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Whiskey delivery man and VFX Supervisor Lawren Bancroft-Wilson.

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The Dark Matter Whiskey Club reconvenes with newest member, director J.B. Sugar.

Thank God it’s Friday.  Tomorrow, the weekend is upon us.  And we head back to the munitions factory for a rare Saturday shoot.

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

January 5, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 24 of 91!

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That 3D printer was one of the best investments the production ever made (not counting the 100k we sunk into tinder for dogs app).  The latest creation was this Lenari Death Mask.  Total build time: 21 hours.  Chrome-finish version upcoming!

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As always, it’s the little things…like these set accents designed by 1st Assistant Art Director Roxanne Borris.

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There were a bunch of pictures under this heading, but they gave away the identity of the two “guests”.  Any guesses?  Who might be planning a little getaway to one of the coziest corporate crafts this side of the Kuiper belt?

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Art Department layout of the space station Adrian and his “date” will visit – followed shortly by one sassy client.

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The station’s details and doors – of the sliding variety.  Watch your fingers!

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Corridor details – walls, floors, ceilings.

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Graphics guru Roxanne Borris provides Taliphus-8 with its own logo.

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Well, look who’s settling in.  We adopted Suji a little over a month ago and she’s already ruling the roost.  Things she likes: sitting on your lap, treats, racing down carpeted hallways.  Things she doesn’t like: some other dog sitting on your lap, vacuum cleaners, suspicious-looking heavyset men.

Sujiko’s instagram

Tagged: #DarkMatter, Dark Matter

January 4, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 23 of 91!

Wow!  I can’t believe how quickly this first week is going by.  Only two more days of work and then it’s the weekend!

And one more day of work since we’ll be shooting this Saturday as well.

While Co-Executive Producer Ivon Bartok was braving chilly Hamilton with director Steve DiMarco, I was in the relatively warmer confines of the production offices kicking off prep with Episode 305 director J.B. Sugar.  Topics covered in today’s concept meeting included: force fields, upgrades, stun guns, and the garden.

Hey, it feels like forever since I’ve done a mailbag.  If you’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.

And misdirects.

But mostly answers.  So fire away!

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Right through those doors and take a right at the next nebula.

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Who is this mysterious (gas) masked man?

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Another little something from 1st Assistant Art Director Roxanne Borris.

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Look out!  It’s a Big Bad!!!

January 3, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 22 of 91!

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Production resumed today on Dark Matter’s third season, Episode 303, with director Steve DiMarco at the helm.  Steve directed one of my favorite episodes last season, “I’ve Seen The Other Side Of You” (aka The one where TWO, THREE, and FOUR get their memories back and chase FIVE through The Raza), a taut, suspenseful, ship-centered outing with a compelling character-driven core.  We’re very different – me in my three piece suit, tie, and colorful socks, him in his leather, rings, and tats – but we share an appreciation for Ministry and Japanese whisky, and an intolerance for bullshit.  I’m a big fan of his work, and him as a person, and look forward to collaborating with him this season on not just one but two glorious episodes.

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This morning, we kicked things off in the mess with “the reveal” that saw a certain cast member NOT take part in the rehearsal for a performance-related reason – a first!  Unusual, outside the box, and brilliant.  Typical DiMarco.

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Playback Operator Greg Whiteside will occasionally surprise us with various SF-themed backdrops for the triptych in The Raza mess.  We’ve seen Star Trek, Family Guy, and then today…this.  “What movie is that still from?”I asked script coordinator Alison Hepburn.  “Rogue One,”she informed me.  Ah.  I haven’t seen a Star Wars movie since halfway through Return of the Jedi.  I don’t count Attack of the Clones because I was tricked into going.  I do hear great things about this latest one though.

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I took a break from production to join line producer Norman Denver, location manager Zach Beckwith, 1st assistant director Chris Binney, and Episode 305 director J.B. Sugar for a rainy stroll through an ice-covered forest in Hamilton. Can’t wait to see what the weather looks like in a couple of weeks when we actually come back to shoot here!

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Apparently, someone in the art department had a touch of food poisoning over the holidays so 1st assistant art director Roxanne Borris commemorated the experience with this gorgeous artwork.  I think I may commission a portrait of me wiping out and injuring my knee.

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 That shipyard is coming along nicely (concept artist Henry Fong).

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People ask me how I can read so many books every year.  The simple answer is that I make the time to read by ignoring film and television.  Yesterday, however, I set my books aside to actually take in a movie I’ve been meaning to check out for quite a while: Train To Busan.  In a nutshell, it’s a South Korean zombies-on-a-train horror film – and it’s a frenetic filmic masterpiece.  Great characters, stunning visuals, and some of the scariest undead ever to grace the screen.  As Akemi put it: “These are more scary, active zombies – not like laid back zombies of Walking Dead.”

Illiterates and people too lazy to read subtitles rejoice!  I hear an English language remake is already in the works!

Check out the trailer:

January 2, 2017: Best Comic Book Reads of 2016 – Series and Graphic Novels!

A mix of 2016 and prior releases, here are my favorite comic book reads of this past year in no particular order…

MY FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2016…

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Replica (vol. 1) written by Paul Jenkins, art by Andy Clarke – Aftershock Comics

Meet Trevor Churchill, an Earth-born peacekeeping agent on the intergalactic hub known as The Transfer. When Trevor’s already near impossible assignment becomes a bit too much for the errant detective, he turns to the only logical approach, REPLICATION. More of a good thing can’t hurt, right? A single clone could be helpful; unfortunately the replication process doesn’t go as planned!

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The Fix (vol. 1) written by Nick Spencer, art by Steve Lieber – Image Comics

THE FIX is a story of the crooked cops, scheming mobsters, and corrupt politicians that run Los Angeles-and the sex toy that can bring them all down. Oh, and the hero is a drug-sniffing beagle named Pretzels.

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Jupiter’s Circle (vol. 2) written by Mark Millar, art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Alfredo Torres – Image Comics

In mid-century America, the world’s greatest superheroes triumph in their public battles, while struggling with private ones. Social and political unrest take a personal toll as suspicion and betrayal cast a shadow over the most trusted friendships.

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Teen Titans: The Judas Contract written by Marv Wolfman, art by George Perez – DC Comics

They were Earth’s teenage defenders–unbeatable and unstoppable. Riding high, they took an eighth member–a young girl–into their ranks. She was their downfall. From the retirement of Robin and Kid Flash, to the birth of Nightwing and the introduction of Jericho, to the ultimate betrayal of a Titan–“The Judas Contract” still has fans talking today!

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Wrinkles written and illustrated by Paco Roca – Fantagraphics

Retired bank manager Emilio, suffering from Alzheimer’s, is taken to an assisted living home by his son. He befriends his roommate Miguel, an overconfident ladies’ man. Together, they employ clever tricks to keep the doctors from noticing Emilio’s ongoing deterioration ― and keep him from being transferred to the dreaded confinement of the top floor of the facility. (“Better to die than to end up there.” Their determination to stay active as individuals and maintain their dignity culminates in an adventurous escape.

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Bitch Planet (vol. 1) written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, art by Valentine De Landro – Image Comics

In a future just a few years down the road in the wrong direction, a woman’s failure to comply with her patriarchal overlords will result in exile to the meanest penal planet in the galaxy. When the newest crop of fresh femmes arrive, can they work together to stay alive or will hidden agendas, crooked guards, and the deadliest sport on (or off!) Earth take them to their maker?

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Jupiter’s Legacy (vol. 1) written by Mark Millar, art by Frank Quitely – Image Comics

The children of the world’s greatest superheroes may never be able to fill their parents’ shoes. When the family becomes embattled by infighting, one branch stages an uprising and another goes into hiding. How long can the world survive when one family’s super-powered problems explode onto the global stage?

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Dark Knight: A True Batman Story written by Paul Dini, art by Eduardo Risso –Vertigo

This is a Batman story like no other-the harrowing and eloquent autobiographical tale of writer Paul Dini’s courageous struggle to overcome a desperate situation.

The Caped Crusader has been the all-abiding icon of justice and authority for generations. But in this surprising original graphic novel, we see Batman in a new light-as the savior who helps a discouraged man recover from a brutal attack that left him unable to face the world.

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Divinity written by Matt Kindt, art by Trevor Hairsine – Valiant Comics

At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union – determined to win the Space Race at any cost – green lit a dangerously advanced mission. They sent a man farther into the cosmos than anyone has gone before or since. Lost in the stars, he encountered something unknown. Something that…changed him.

Long thought lost and erased from the history books, he has suddenly returned, crash-landing in the Australian Outback. The few that have been able to reach him believe him to be a deity – one who turned the scorched desert into a lush oasis. They say he can bend matter, space, and even time to his will. Now the rest of the world’s powers must decide for themselves – will the enigmatic Divinity offer his hand in friendship, or will Earth’s heroes find themselves helpless against the wrath of the divine?

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Daredevil: Born Again written by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli – Marvel Comics

“And I — I have shown him… that a man without hope is a man without fear.” The definitive Daredevil tale! Karen Page, Matt Murdock’s former lover, has traded away the Man Without Fear’s secret identity for a drug fix. Now, Daredevil must find strength as the Kingpin of Crime wastes no time taking him down as low as a human can get.

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Roche Limit (vol. 3) written by Michael Moreci, art by Kyle Charles – Image Comics

Earth is in ruins after the Black Sun’s annihilation of the planet. Now, in the last remaining human city, its inhabitants fight for survival, while a chosen few realize that their world may not be what it seems.

MY FAVORITE COMIC BOOK SERIES OF 2016…

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4 Kids Walk Into A Bank written by Matthew Rosenberg, art by Tyler Boss – Black Mask Studios

A FUN(ISH) CRIME CAPER ABOUT CHILDREN! 11 year old Paige and her weirdo friends have a problem: a gang of ex-cons need her dad’s help on a heist… the problem is those ex-cons are morons. If Paige wants to keep her dad out of trouble, she’s going to have to pull off the heist herself. Like Wes Anderson remaking RESERVOIR DOGS, 4KWIAB is a very dark & moderately humorous story about friendship, growing up, d & d, puking, skinheads, grand larceny, & family.

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Tumor written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, art by Noel Tuazon – Oni Press

Private investigator Frank Armstrong barely scrapes by in the Los Angeles underbelly until “the big one” hits his desk. Locate and retrieve the daughter of a drug kingpin, and he can finally afford more than the one-dollar meatloaf. Unfortunately, the job offer arrives just as the symptoms of his fatal, late-stage brain tumor intensify. Frank must find the target and keep her safe while time collapses, family turns into foe, and the specter of his murdered wife resurfaces in the eyes of a mobster’s daughter.

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The Omega Men written by Tom King, art by Barnaby Bagenda – DC Comics

Kyle Rayner, the White Lantern, is dead. And the Omega Men killed him. On live TV. They’re a criminal gang, a terrorist organization, a fanatical cult.

And they’re the only hope for freedom this godforsaken sector of the universe has.

No matter what the citizens of the Vega System think they saw, the White Lantern lives…as the Omega Men’s prisoner. What they really want him to be is their latest recruit in their relentless war against the all-powerful Citadel and its tyrannical Viceroy.

As Kyle gets to know this motley crew of outlaws, he’ll question everything he knows about being a hero. In this strange system where the Green Lanterns are forbidden, will he break his oath and join their revolution? Or will he discover that the Omega Men are monsters in the end?

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Afterlife With Archie written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, art by Francesco Francavilla and Jack Morelli – Archie Horror Comics

When Jughead’s beloved pet Hot Dog is killed in a hit and run, Jughead turns to the only person he knows who can help bring back his furry best friend — Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Using dark, forbidden magic, Sabrina is successful and Hot Dog returns to the land of the living. But he’s not the same… and soon, the darkness he brings back with him from beyond the grave begins to spread, forcing Archie, Betty, Veronica and the gang to try to escape from Riverdale!

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, art by Robert Hack and Jack Morelli – Archie Horror Comics

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family’s past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda.

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Civil War II: Kingpin written by Matthew Rosenberg, art by Ricardo López Ortiz – Marvel Comics

When Earth’s heroes go to war, that only spells opportunity for the villains! And few have the knowhow to take advantage like the Kingpin! For while an Inhuman with the ability to predict the future has inspired a clampdown on crime before it can even happen, Wilson Fisk has managed to stay one step ahead of the good guys — and his business is booming! But what’s his secret? One thing’s for sure — his competitors are jealous and that’s bad news for Fisk’s men. Worse still, Fisk has reason to believe that one of his own is plotting against him. But enemies inside and out are nothing compared to the ultimate threat to his empire — the Punisher! As conflict rages all around him, can Wilson Fisk stay the Kingpin of a world without crime?

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Vision written by Tom King, art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta – Marvel Comics

The Vision wants to be human, and what’s more human than family? So he heads back to the beginning, to the laboratory where Ultron created him and molded him into a weapon. The place where he first rebelled against his given destiny, and imagined he could be more — that he could be a man. There, he builds them. A wife, Virginia. Two teenage twins, Viv and Vin. They look like him. They have his powers. They share his grandest ambition (or is that obsession?): the unrelenting need to be ordinary. Behold the Visions! They’re the family next door, and they have the power to kill us all. What could possibly go wrong? Artificial hearts will be broken, bodies will not stay buried, the truth will not remain hidden, and the Vision will never be the same.

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Kill or be Killed written by Ed Brubaker, art by  Elizabeth Breitweiser and Sean Phillips – Image Comics

The darkly twisted story of a young man forced to kill bad people, and how he struggles to keep his secret as it slowly begins to ruin his life and the lives of his friends and loved ones.

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Saga written by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Fiona Staples – Image Comics

SAGA is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in a sexy, subversive drama for adults.

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Black Hammer written Jeff Lemire, art by Dean Ormston – Dark Horse Comics

HEROES NEVER DIE…THEY JUST GET RETCONNED! Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City…Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien…now lead simple lives in a timeless farming town. Even as they try to find their way home, trouble has a unique way of finding heroes wherever they are!

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Turncoat written by Alex Paknadel, art by Artyom Trakhanov – BOOM! Studios

300 years since humanity was brutally subjugated by the alien race known simply as the Management. Two years since these invaders abandoned Earth to return to their home world. Following her participation in the brutal massacre of human-alien hybrids left behind by the Management, resistance fighter Marta Gonzalez declines to join the new human government and starts her own private detective agency instead. Gonzalez is forced to confront her own bloody past and acknowledge the fact that the transition from oppression to emancipation is anything but clean.

Tagged: 4 Kids Walk into a Bank, Afterlife with Archie, Aftershock Comics, Alex Paknadel, Alfredo Torres, Andy Clarke, Artyom Trakhanov, Barnaby Bagenda, Best Comic Book Series of 2016, Best Graphic Novels of 2016, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bitch Planet, Black Hammer, Black Mask Studios, Brian K. Vaughan, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Civil War II: Kingpin, Daredevil: Born Again, Dark Horse Comics, Dark Knight: A True Batman Story, David Mazzucchelli, DC Comics, Divinity, Ed Brubaker, Eduardo Risso, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Fantagraphics, Fiona Staples, Francesco Francavilla, Frank Miller, Frank Quitely, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, George Perez, Image Comics, Jack Morelli, Jeff Lemire, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Jupiter's Circle, Jupiter's Legacy, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Kill or be Killed, Kyle Charles, Mark Millar, Marv Wolfman, Matt Kindt, Matthew Rosenberg, Michael Moreci, Nick Spencer, Noel Tuazon, Omega Men, Oni Press, Paco Roca, Paul Dini, Paul Jenkins, Replica, Ricardo López Ortiz, Robert Hack, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Roche Limit, Saga, Sean Phillips -, Steve Lieber, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, The Fix, Tom King, Trevor Hairsine, Turncoat, Tyler Boss, Valentine De Landro, Valiant Comics, Vertigo, Vision, Wrinkles

January 1, 2017: Best Reads of 2016!

Of the some eighty or so books I read in 2016, these were my favorites.

In no particular order…

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News of the World by Paulette Jiles (October 4, 2016)

In the aftermath of the American Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this morally complex, multi-layered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust.

Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence.

In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna’s parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows.

Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act “civilized.” Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land.

A quick and compelling read, I finished this book in a single day.  The relationship at the heart of this western drives a narrative at turns spirited, humorous, and incredibly touching.  Unforgettable.

***

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Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (April 26, 2016)

Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Muzzled, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children’s bed for nights on end. Everybody knows that her eyes may never be opened or the consequences will be too terrible to bear.

The elders of Black Spring have virtually quarantined the town by using high-tech surveillance to prevent their curse from spreading. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break their strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiraling into dark, medieval practices of the distant past.

Oh, this one’s a weird one.  Delightfully so.

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (October 3, 1999)

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. 

The world’s most accomplished author of contemporary fiction delivers the best book on the craft of writing. 

***

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 The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales (April 12, 2016)

In a world beset by amassing forces of darkness, one organization—the Regional Office—and its coterie of super-powered female assassins protects the globe from annihilation. At its helm, the mysterious Oyemi and her oracles seek out new recruits and root out evil plots. Then a prophecy suggests that someone from inside might bring about its downfall. And now, the Regional Office is under attack.

Super-charged madness here.  I hear a movie is already in the works. 

***

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Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

In Seinfeldia, acclaimed TV historian and entertainment writer Jennifer Keishin Armstrong celebrates the creators and fans of this American television phenomenon, bringing readers behind-the-scenes of the show while it was on the air and into the world of devotees for whom it never stopped being relevant, a world where the Soup Nazi still spends his days saying “No soup for you!”, Joe Davola gets questioned every day about his sanity, Kenny Kramer makes his living giving tours of New York sights from the show, and fans dress up in Jerry’s famous puffy shirt, dance like Elaine, and imagine plotlines for Seinfeld if it were still on TV.

If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love this book.  I am and I did.

***

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The Lesser Dead by Christopher Buehlman (October 7, 2014)

New York City in 1978 is a dirty, dangerous place to live. And die. Joey Peacock knows this as well as anybody—he has spent the last forty years as an adolescent vampire, perfecting the routine he now enjoys: womanizing in punk clubs and discotheques, feeding by night, and sleeping by day with others of his kind in the macabre labyrinth under the city’s sidewalks.

The subways are his playground and his highway, shuttling him throughout Manhattan to bleed the unsuspecting in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park or in the backseats of Checker cabs, or even those in their own apartments who are too hypnotized by sitcoms to notice him opening their windows. It’s almost too easy.

Until one night he sees them hunting on his beloved subway. The children with the merry eyes. Vampires, like him…or not like him. Whatever they are, whatever their appearance means, the undead in the tunnels of Manhattan are not as safe as they once were.

And neither are the rest of us.

I’m not a fan of vampire fiction but this book totally upended my expectations.  The sequel was recently released and I’ve already purchased a digital copy.

***

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Company Town by Madeline Ashby (May 17, 2016)

Meet Hwa. One of the few in her community to forego bio-engineered enhancements, she’s the last truly organic person left on the rig. But she’s an expert in the arts of self-defence, and she’s been charged with training the Family’s youngest, who has been receiving death threats – seemingly from another timeline.

Meanwhile, a series of interconnected murders threatens the city’s stability – serial killer? Or something much, much worse…?

One hell of a cool read.

***

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The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North (May 17, 2016)

My name is Hope Arden, and you won’t know who I am. We’ve met before – a thousand times. But I am the girl the world forgets.

It started when I was sixteen years old. A slow declining, an isolation, one piece at a time.

A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A teacher who forgets to chase my missing homework. A friend who looks straight through me and sees a stranger.

No matter what I do, the words I say, the people I hurt, the crimes I commit – you will never remember who I am.

That makes my life tricky. But it also makes me dangerous . . .

North (aka Catherine Webb) is the author of The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August and Touch, both of which made my Top Reads list in previous years.  I look forward to her next book making it 4 for 4.

***

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The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka (July 21, 2015)

Eric Argus is a washout. His prodigious early work clouded his reputation and strained his sanity. But an old friend gives him another chance, an opportunity to step back into the light.

With three months to produce new research, Eric replicates the paradoxical double-slit experiment to see for himself the mysterious dual nature of light and matter. A simple but unprecedented inference blooms into a staggering discovery about human consciousness and the structure of the universe.

His findings are celebrated and condemned in equal measure. But no one can predict where the truth will lead. And as Eric seeks to understand the unfolding revelations, he must evade shadowy pursuers who believe he knows entirely too much already.

Smart, provocative SF.

***

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Beyond Redemption by Michael H. Fletcher

Faith shapes the landscape, defines the laws of physics, and makes a mockery of truth. Common knowledge isn’t an axiom, it’s a force of nature. What the masses believe is. But insanity is a weapon, conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods.

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken—men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, must Ascend to become a god. A god they can control.

But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall, including the High Priest’s own Doppels, and a Slaver no one can resist. Three reprobates—The Greatest Swordsman in the World, a murderous Kleptic, and possibly the only sane man left—have their own nefarious plans for the young god.

As these forces converge on the boy, there’s one more obstacle: time is running out. When one’s delusions become more powerful, they become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath.

The question, then, is: Who will rule there?

This wildly imaginative novel was my favorite book of 2015.  The sequel was released in November and is also on my to-read pile.

***

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Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris (February 26, 2008)

No one knows us quite the same way as the men and women who sit beside us in department meetings and crowd the office refrigerator with their labeled yogurts. Every office is a family of sorts, and the ad agency Joshua Ferris brilliantly depicts in his debut novel is family at its strangest and best, coping with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks.

With a demon’s eye for the details that make life worth noticing, Joshua Ferris tells a true and funny story about survival in life’s strangest environment–the one we pretend is normal five days a week.

If you like your humor pitch dark, then Ferris is the author for you.  Also check out his most recent To Rise Again at a Decent Hour.  

***

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The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson (September 15, 2015)

Tomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up from the sand of her home and see red sails on the horizon.

The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They’ll conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She’ll swallow her hate, prove her talent, and join the Masquerade. She will learn the secrets of empire. She’ll be exactly what they need. And she’ll claw her way high enough up the rungs of power to set her people free.

In a final test of her loyalty, the Masquerade will send Baru to bring order to distant Aurdwynn, a snakepit of rebels, informants, and seditious dukes. Aurdwynn kills everyone who tries to rule it. To survive, Baru will need to untangle this land’s intricate web of treachery – and conceal her attraction to the dangerously fascinating Duchess Tain Hu.

But Baru is a savant in games of power, as ruthless in her tactics as she is fixated on her goals. In the calculus of her schemes, all ledgers must be balanced, and the price of liberation paid in full.

A brilliant entry in the fantasy genre, full of twists, turns, and unforgettable characters.

***

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Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry (June 14, 2016)

When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the victim of a brutal murder.

Stunned and adrift, Nora finds she can’t return to her former life. An unsolved assault in the past has shaken her faith in the police, and she can’t trust them to find her sister’s killer. Haunted by the murder and the secrets that surround it, Nora is under the harrow: distressed and in danger. As Nora’s fear turns to obsession, she becomes as unrecognizable as the sister her investigation uncovers.

A riveting read.  The best thriller since Gone Girl.

***

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Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his Aunt Libby and Uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixedblood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and close calls—always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they’ve been running from for so long are catching up fast, now. Everything is about to change.

A surprisingly fresh take on the werewolf tale.  

***

Honorable Mentions

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danier

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

I Am Providence by Nick Mamatas

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

Dark Run by Mike Brooks

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Hey!  Two of Akemi’s three special-order Christmas gifts were waiting for us on our return to Toronto this afternoon…

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Tagged: Beyond Redemption, Christopher Buehlman, Claire North, Company Town, Flynn Berry, Hex, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Joshua Ferris, Madeline Ashby, Manuel Gonzales, Michael R. Fletcher, Mongrels, News of the World, On Writing, Paulette Jiles, Seinfeldia, Seth Dickinson, Stephen Graham Jones, Stephen King, Ted Kosmotka, The Flicker Men, The Lesser Dead, The Regional Office is Under Attack, The Sudden Appearance of Hope, The Traitor Baru Coromorant, Then We Came to the End, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Under the Harrow

December 31, 2016: Farewell to 2016!

Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!

My 2017 resolutions…

1) Learn to say no more.

2) Learn to say yes more.

3) Don’t let any of it get to me.

4) Make Dark Matter’s third season the best one yet, then make Dark Matter’s fourth season even better.

5) Simplify and downsize.

6) Diversify.

7) Do more of those dreaded meetings.

8) Read more.

9) Go to Japan and visit places that aren’t Tokyo or Osaka.

10) Set up a new show.

Let’s start with those and see how we do.

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Do not let your eyes deceive you.  What at first appears to be industrial drain cleaner is actually one of China’s most celebrated liquors that retails for about $200 a bottle.  It’s sort of like a cross between home made grappa and street tequila – but harsher.  What better way to ring in the New Year?

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Mom has already gotten started!

December 30, 2016: I’m Sorry I Make Fun Of My Girlfriend Falling Down!

“That poor man,”said an elderly woman.  Her tone suggested pity but also a hint of relief, sort of a sympathy base with a dash of “There but for the Grace of God go I.”.  In truth, in that instant, it was my pride that hurt most of all.  In fairness though, the middle finger of my right hand was still numb and my knee wouldn’t start aching for another fifteen minutes.

The morning had started promisingly enough with a trip to a local coffee shop in nearby Pointe-Claire village, Victor Rose, a quaint little place that offers up a warm, dog-friendly environment AND internet.  It had fast become Akemi and my go-to place since my sister recommended it a few days back.  Run by a mother and her two daughters, it has a real Cheers vibe except that, instead of beer, it serves up varied caffeinated beverages and a Sambuca biscotti that Akemi adores.  Also, it has its fair share of colorful regulars as we discovered on two separate occasions.

Bubba accompanied us on our first visit.  He spent most of his time there cowering under a table.  Suji was next.  Nestled in her stroller for the duration of our stay, she seemed bored, staring up at us with a plaintive “When’re we going?” look.  Finally, today, it was Lulu’s turn.  Lulu, the most sociable of the pack.  Lulu, who LOVES to meet people.  Lulu who, on this particular foray, panted and paced anxiously until it was time to go.

On the way home, we decided to pick up dog food.  The pet store is located in a mall – also dog-friendly – so we parked and walked in with Lulu.  As we were strolling along, I noticed that one of Lulu’s booties was missing.  “I’ll go find it,”said Akemi, doubling back.  “Meet you at the pet shop!”  She disappeared from view and we continued on our way.

And then, it happened.

As Lulu scampered along, she casually dropped a single piece of poop.  She seemed completely oblivious as she motored along, not even breaking stride, like someone who had unwittingly dropped their wallet.  I, of course, hit the brakes. And, as luck would have it, a wet patch.  If I’d been scripting this incident, the coincidence that precipitated my fall would have struck me as exceptionally contrived.  Instead, all that came to mind was “Shit!” and then I hit the deck.

I quickly picked myself up, more concerned with locating a baggie and picking up that lone poop nugget than considering any possible injuries.  “Poor thing is anxious,”I heard the same elderly woman say.  I wasn’t sure if she was referring to me or Lulu.

Akemi caught up with us at the pet store where I told her what had happened.  “I’ll write about it in today’s blog entry,”I told her.

“The title should be ‘I’m Sorry I Make Fun Of My Girlfriend Falling Down'”she suggested.

So there you have it.

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Lulu works on her tan.

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For Christmas, Akemi asked for a gift certificate from Muji, a Japanese retailer that has opened a shop in Toronto.  It offers up homey essentials, everything from toothbrush holders to Japanese sweets.  Sadly, one of the things they don’t offer are gift certificates.  As a result, I crafted a clever, official-looking facsimile – signed by the fictitious Tanaka Muji no less!

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Lulu isn’t a fan of other dogs, generally preferring to ignore them in favor of their human counterparts.  For some reason, though, she really seems to have hit it off with my sister’s dog, Kona.  Pictured above – them sharing lobster.

Lulu pins Kona for the three count!

P.S. Okay, I think I really did a number on my knee.  This is definitely going to put a crimp in my daily leg workout.

December 29, 2016: On Curveballs and Canines!

A previous blog entry saw me use some baseball terminology to make a point about some of the challenges I was facing.  Specifically: “but then there are the unexpected curveballs that come at you from people who really should know fucking better”.

curveball: a pitch thrown with a strong downward spin, causing the ball to drop suddenly and veer to the side as it approaches home plate.

North American informal: something which is unexpected, surprising, or disruptive.

In baseball, when a batter is on deck and is thrown a curveball, he must adjust to the pitch in order to hit the ball and put it in play.

In, let’s say film or television production, one could liken this to a drastic script or schedule change or, oh, say, an agent who, through sheer ineptitude, triggers the aforementioned.

Please note: The “curveball” is not to be mistaken for those pitches way outside the strike zone, balls, that end up being called strikes.

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Awwww.  It’s baby Jelly.

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And baby Maximus.

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Pictured above: Me consoling Suji who went into hiding after being freaked out by the vacuum cleaner.