M.G. Edwards's Blog, page 23
November 16, 2011
Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories
Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories is a collection of stories I wrote between 1981 and 2011. Each reflects changes in my writing style and interests over time. I wrote the earliest story, How Little Big Chief Calmed the Mountain, in 1981 at the age of ten, and the latest, Evil | Live, thirty years later.
The book is a story sampler rather than a cohesive collection. The stories are grouped by genre to help the reader identify each style. You will find some common themes, including hope, dreams, light, darkness, perseverance, and spirituality, wrapped up in some novel ideas. In some stories, the reader is left to ponder their deeper meaning. I hope you enjoy these diverse and timeless works three decades in the making.
Real Dreams is Now Available to Purchase at:
Story Synopses:
Vichy (1990) tells the story of Jean-Marie Daubert, a spy for the French Resistance during World War II who was captured and sent to Gross-Rosen concentration camp. It's a sobering story of love and loss told through letters from Daubert to his wife Corinne.
The Ballick Eye (1988) is a ghost story about a delinquent youth sent by his parents to live with an aunt who is determined to straighten him out. Can a cemetery ghost turn his life around?
Evil | Live (2011) is a twist on the traditional horror story. Good and evil engage in an epic struggle for the soul of a zombie.
The Grandma Conspiracy (2004) tells the story of an elderly woman with the ability to predict the future whose family believes she suffers from mental illness. The story is narrated by one of her grandchildren who struggles to help her.
Room G-13 (1993) is a horror story with an ironic twist. Strange sounds emanate from the maintenance man's room at a college dormitory, leading one student to investigate what's really going happening there.
The Factory Worker in the Corner Office (2007) is an allegory about a white-collar worker who deals with a difficult boss.
Saved by Hope (1988) is a true story based on an encounter I had with an angel during the summer of 1987.
Mysterius, Lord of the Unknown (1987) tells the tale of the Greek god of the unknown. The ancient Greeks dedicated some temple altars to an unknown god. Mysterius is an interpretation of this deity.
How Little Big Chief Calmed the Mountain (1981) is an allegory inspired by the May 1981 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. A village leader must appease an angry volcano before it erupts and destroys his village.
The Emissary's Battle (2005) is a story set in a fantasy world. A human envoy must use diplomacy to diffuse a conflict between elves and dwarves before it leads to war.
Kirche and the Mirror (1992) is an allegory of the Church. On the day her bridegroom returns, the bride must confront deception and illusions on her way to reuniting with him.
Suits (1989) is a science fiction short with an ironic twist. A child dreams of an alien invasion.
Verda (1997) ponders the existence of a second moon orbiting Earth capable of sustaining life and humanity's efforts to colonize it. The story explores themes ranging from space exploration to environmental preservation.
G.I. Ants (1983) is a story about a boy's encounter with a group of superhuman army ants who escape from a military laboratory and move into his closet.
High Flying Deutschman (1988) tells the story of a German exchange student's quest to learn baseball and join a championship high school team.
October 30, 2011
Bangkok Flooding: Video Near Grand Palace and Sanam Luang
These video clips were shot while driving on Ratchadamnoen Nai, the main road in the center of Bangkok that passes the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang (park). Based on earlier television coverage, the floodwater seemed to be as high as it's been for the past few days. That's a good indication that it won't get worse.
Ratchadamnoen Nai, Bangkok, Thailand. October 30, 2011.
Ratchadamnoen Nai, Bangkok, Thailand. October 30, 2011.
Bangkok Flooding: Video Near Grand Palace
This is video footage taken October 30, 2011, across the street from the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Water is seeping through sand bags on the Chao Phraya River and from pipes and drains. This seems to be one of the major feeders of water to the area just south of the palace.
The palace's perimeter is sandbagged and was still open for business on the morning of October 30. Local continue to do as much business as they can even with the flood. Most don't seem to mind standing in or working in the floodwater.
Thanon Maha Rat (street) next to Grand Palace. October 30, 2011.
Bangkok Flooding: Video Near Chinatown
This is video footage of flooding in a street near Bangkok's Chinatown taken October 30, 2011. The rest of Chinatown was so flooded that the roads were closed to traffic.
Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand. October 30, 2011.
Bangkok Flooding: Video of Chana Songkhram (Bangkok Waterfront)
This morning I took photos and videos of the flooding in downtown Bangkok. It's the morning after the Gulf of Thailand started pushing water up the Chao Phraya River.
Most of downtown is dry except for some heavy flooding in some areas near the river. I visited some neighborhoods hit hard by flooding, including Chana Songkhram (the waterfront), Chinatown, and the area near the Grand Palace and Sanamluang (park). I will post more photos and video soon. Check back frequently for updates.
The news is generally good today with the water level topping out and the barriers and dykes holding up overnight. I hear that water will continue to be at its zenith through tomorrow and then start to recede. If we make it to Tuesday in good shape, we should be fine thereafter — assuming that the situation doesn't worsen. We shall see.
Here is some video footage from a street in Chana Songkhram. Other streets were blocked off because the flooding was worse there. One street over, it was dry.
Chana Songkhram, Bangkok, Thailand. October 30, 2011.
October 29, 2011
Bangkok Flooding: Photos of Khlong Prapa and Lak Si
October 29, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand
9:30 p.m. Local Time
Here's the second set of photos taken today on Chaengwatthana Road near Khlong Prapa (Waterworks Canal) and Government Complex in Lak Si. The road there was mostly dry. We saw some flooding in open spaces and among buildings with foundations below street level. Khlong Prapa was brimming with water but not overflowing, although the destruction of a dyke further north might raise the water level again. My own opinion is that the situation remained stable heading into the high water period tonight and tomorrow.
Photos showing just a bit of standing water on Chaengwatthana Road.
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But there was a lot of flooding in residential areas below street level. These photos were taken near Government Complex, which was also partly flooded.
The water level at Khlong Prapa was high but not overflowing.
Bangkok Flooding: Photos of Lak Si and Don Mueang
October 29, 2011
Bangkok, Thailand
6 p.m. Local Time
We drove October 29 on Chaengwatthana Road heading toward Don Mueang Airport in Nonthaburi Province north of Bangkok. As you may have heard, flight operations at the airport were cancelled until at least November 2 because of flooding, and the airport has become a giant shelter for thousands of flood victims. While we saw some flooding on Chaengwatthana, I'm cautiously optimistic that the situation there will soon be under control. I had heard that these areas were flooded, and the media painted a bleak picture of the flooding. We saw water on the street and some houses partially submerged, but other areas were dry, and the roads were generally passable. That doesn't mean that we're through this yet, but at least the situation appears stabilized. For now.
Of course, things could change quickly. Right now, 6 p.m. on October 29, is supposed to be the high water mark when the Gulf of Thailand pushes water up the Chao Phraya River. That could cause more flooding upstream. Also, it poured rain last night, which only made the situation worse. Some Bangkok residents, who are fed up with officials' efforts to protect some areas while allowing others to flood, have taken matters into their own hands by destroying dykes and barriers. The Bangkok Post reported that residents destroyed a dyke on the Khlong Prapa (Waterworks Canal) in Pathum Thani. The canal, which feeds Bangkok's water system, could overflow again. As of 3:30 p.m. today, the canal looked high but not overflowing.
Tomorrow I plan to look around central Bangkok and will take updated photos of the flooding in the center.
Here are photos we took in the Don Mueang area in Nonthaburi Province. These are the dry sections of Chaengwatthana Road.
As we headed west toward the airport, the flooding started to creep onto the roadway.
October 27, 2011
Evil | Live
The deserted highway cut through the sagebrush past the only gas station in a hundred miles.
Wayward passersby with car trouble who stopped for fuel, a jump-start, or a tow. Unlucky souls with dead vehicles and no cell phone reception who thought they could shave extra time off their trips by taking this shortcut.
A place of missing persons who vanished without a trace.
Until the day it came for them.
"Evil | Live" is one of 15 stories in "Real Dreams," a collection of short stories written over three decades with themes ranging from adventure, fantasy, mystery, spirituality, mythology, to love and war.
"Real Dreams" will be available to purchase on November 15, 2011. For more books and stories by M.G. Edwards, visit www.mgedwards.com.
Bangkok Flooding: Other News Sources
I'm honored that this blog has proven popular in the past week with over 3,000 visits by people searching for news about the flooding of Bangkok. I've continued to cover the issue because I know updates are important to those living in and around Bangkok.
Today or tomorrow – after we evacuate yet again — I will drive around for more photos and try to post new updates. In reality, we're all tired of the flooding and would rather that our lives get back to normal.
Below are links to some local websites that I've been monitoring for news about the flooding. The Bangkok Post has been particularly helpful. Some are more technical and offer deeper analyses of the flood's movements. Many of the sites are in Thai, but you get the picture.
Google Toolbar has a nifty feature that will automatically translate web pages into your preferred language. It's not 100% accurate but does the job.
