Peadar Ó Guilín's Blog, page 10
February 27, 2016
Watching, Reading, Conning
I've just returned from America, a country so tough that even one of their apples broke a tooth on me. But I met some people there that made the loss of a mere molar trifling indeed!
And what have I been up to since my return with magic in my eyes? Reading, of course. Watching, indeed.
READING
As expected, I greatly enjoyed Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Tiger and the Wolf. Many of you will too. He achieves that wonderful trick that Bernard Cornwall got so right in his Winter King trilogy, of making the divine seem both real and delusionary all at the same time. The characters believe it. The readers believe it. But there's very little actual evidence for the miracles we witness.
The book is set in a world where bronze is just starting to give way to iron and where every single human being has the power to shape shift into the spirit animal of their tribe. Tchaikovsky -- or, as I call him, Adrian -- takes full advantage of this, filling every action scene with tactics based on both human and animal abilities.
The characters are great. Emotions? Yes! Moral dilemmas? For sure. Complex relationships? You will find them here.
But as with people, so with books: when I've used them up, taken the best from them, I move right on, whistling and skipping, with a song in my heart.
Up next is the Boskone anthology, The Grimm Future, in which I have a story of my very own. As you might guess from the title, the tales within are based on those collected by the brothers Grimm.
Halfway through, it's been fun so far. Atmospheric. There are lots of... forests. Giants.
More soon.
WATCHING
Just a quick note to say... Better Call Saul. Seriously, one of current TV's most loveable and pitiful characters. Slyly funny. Ridiculous. I'm glad Netflix are only releasing one a week, or I'd have the whole thing watched already and be pining for more.
And what have I been up to since my return with magic in my eyes? Reading, of course. Watching, indeed.
READING
As expected, I greatly enjoyed Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Tiger and the Wolf. Many of you will too. He achieves that wonderful trick that Bernard Cornwall got so right in his Winter King trilogy, of making the divine seem both real and delusionary all at the same time. The characters believe it. The readers believe it. But there's very little actual evidence for the miracles we witness.
The book is set in a world where bronze is just starting to give way to iron and where every single human being has the power to shape shift into the spirit animal of their tribe. Tchaikovsky -- or, as I call him, Adrian -- takes full advantage of this, filling every action scene with tactics based on both human and animal abilities.
The characters are great. Emotions? Yes! Moral dilemmas? For sure. Complex relationships? You will find them here.
But as with people, so with books: when I've used them up, taken the best from them, I move right on, whistling and skipping, with a song in my heart.
Up next is the Boskone anthology, The Grimm Future, in which I have a story of my very own. As you might guess from the title, the tales within are based on those collected by the brothers Grimm.
Halfway through, it's been fun so far. Atmospheric. There are lots of... forests. Giants.
More soon.
WATCHING
Just a quick note to say... Better Call Saul. Seriously, one of current TV's most loveable and pitiful characters. Slyly funny. Ridiculous. I'm glad Netflix are only releasing one a week, or I'd have the whole thing watched already and be pining for more.
February 17, 2016
Watching, Reading, Writing
I'll make this quick -- there's no reason for me to entertain you for free, is there? So, just a little listing of what's been filling the hours of my life as we move ever closer to the heat death of the universe.
WATCHING
The Knick is back for season two. It's still good. Still messed up. But now that the novelty factor of season one is wearing off, I'm wondering if I can still call it "great"? Definitely worth your time, though.
Vinyl, a new show about the record business in the 70s takes about 45 minutes to get into. But now that I've seen a good two hours, I find myself falling in love. We follow a bunch of hardened, drugged up cynics -- think, to a lesser extent, "Wolf of Wall Street". But after a while, you begin to realise that the main character -- a total waste of a human being -- genuinely ADORES music and everything about it. It gives heart to something that could have been just another Entourage.
Can't wait to see more!
Also, Better Call Saul is back!
READING
I very much enjoyed Prentice and Weil's Black Arts. It's a YA fantasy about a thief in Elizabethan London. I know, I know, you think you've seen this movie before. But this has a delightful creepyness about it -- just read the prologue in the Amazon free sample chapters.
I also like how when the main character messes up, the consequences are often very severe. It brings out the peril, I find, oh yes.
Next up, will be Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Tiger and the Wolf. I always look forward to his work, until I find, all too soon, that I'm looking back at it.
WRITING
I got the first draft of The Cauldron done in time for Boskone! I'm delighted with myself, although I left so many messes behind me that fixing them will have me cursing like a sailor for months to come.
I'll see some of you very soon. And some of you much later.
WATCHING
The Knick is back for season two. It's still good. Still messed up. But now that the novelty factor of season one is wearing off, I'm wondering if I can still call it "great"? Definitely worth your time, though.
Vinyl, a new show about the record business in the 70s takes about 45 minutes to get into. But now that I've seen a good two hours, I find myself falling in love. We follow a bunch of hardened, drugged up cynics -- think, to a lesser extent, "Wolf of Wall Street". But after a while, you begin to realise that the main character -- a total waste of a human being -- genuinely ADORES music and everything about it. It gives heart to something that could have been just another Entourage.
Can't wait to see more!
Also, Better Call Saul is back!
READING
I very much enjoyed Prentice and Weil's Black Arts. It's a YA fantasy about a thief in Elizabethan London. I know, I know, you think you've seen this movie before. But this has a delightful creepyness about it -- just read the prologue in the Amazon free sample chapters.
I also like how when the main character messes up, the consequences are often very severe. It brings out the peril, I find, oh yes.
Next up, will be Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Tiger and the Wolf. I always look forward to his work, until I find, all too soon, that I'm looking back at it.
WRITING
I got the first draft of The Cauldron done in time for Boskone! I'm delighted with myself, although I left so many messes behind me that fixing them will have me cursing like a sailor for months to come.
I'll see some of you very soon. And some of you much later.
February 10, 2016
An Oxford Visit
The Introduction
I've just returned from a magical trip to Oxford with my bag full of books and my headmeat full of delightful memories. Other than the apology section, what follows is an attempt to mummify these experiences for my own future perusal. You might want to skip the lot of it!
The Apology Section
First, let me apologise to those of my Oxford friends that I failed to contact while I was over there. I hope to make my excuses to several of you at Mancunicon in person. But this was always intended to be a busy, busy few days, and so in fact, it turned out...
Fantastic Goings-on -- Monday
Too much happened in too little time to list it all. I signed 500 proofs of The Call with my sinister claw. I renewed my acquaintance with the whole crew at David Fickling Books, and I can tell you, I'd sail any sea in such fine company.
I was introduced to Emma Draude, who is to be the UK publicist for the book. Calm, lovely. Note-taking. Clever. A appreciator of fine curries. A sharer of cake. Not peanut intolerant, if I'm any judge.
After lunch, we made a few videos, with Phil and Carolyn chipping in to edit on the fly. Many of these will turn up on the interwebs some time soon in order to trick encourage people to buy The Call.
And finally for Monday, there was a party for various authors and booksellers. A writer should steer well-clear of clichés*, but the children's book industry is populated almost exclusively by sweethearts. Which doesn't mean they can't be tough -- just that they don't want to be. The room was filled with great conversations and the type of snacks that would have brought ancient Rome to its knees.
The authors were fantastic. Without naming names, I met at least one scribbler I have long admired, and several whose work I will be starting in March when my reading time is my own again.
The book trade folk displayed far more friendliness and excitement than they had to. I love them all and want them to have my babies books.
Tuesday in Paradise
I spent the morning on an impromptu tour of Blackwell's Books on Broad Street. Wow! What vasty, multidimensional depths! With cabinets of precious first editions like jewels and the office of the founder's son, preserved in amber with all its old splendour. The staff there are amazing in their enthusiasm. I feel I should name names here, but this is the scary internet, so I won't. But A, B and C (or N), you are stars. It was a great experience.
After that it was back to the DFB offices to talk contracts.
Yes, the second book is now an official thing with a deadline and all that good stuff. More about that next week maybe.
For lunch, the brilliant
angalin
invited me into the heart of an Oxford College. I loved it! I was expecting typical university canteen food, but everything tasted as if somebody had lavished actual care and love on it. The staff too, were all smiles -- you know, as though they liked their work. You won't catch me grinning like that tomorrow morning at my day job.
One more trip to the offices to say my goodbyes and to steal the most recent copy of The Phoenix and that was that.
A day so perfect Lou Reed would have written a song about it.
*Yes, I know.
I've just returned from a magical trip to Oxford with my bag full of books and my headmeat full of delightful memories. Other than the apology section, what follows is an attempt to mummify these experiences for my own future perusal. You might want to skip the lot of it!
The Apology Section
First, let me apologise to those of my Oxford friends that I failed to contact while I was over there. I hope to make my excuses to several of you at Mancunicon in person. But this was always intended to be a busy, busy few days, and so in fact, it turned out...
Fantastic Goings-on -- Monday
Too much happened in too little time to list it all. I signed 500 proofs of The Call with my sinister claw. I renewed my acquaintance with the whole crew at David Fickling Books, and I can tell you, I'd sail any sea in such fine company.
I was introduced to Emma Draude, who is to be the UK publicist for the book. Calm, lovely. Note-taking. Clever. A appreciator of fine curries. A sharer of cake. Not peanut intolerant, if I'm any judge.
After lunch, we made a few videos, with Phil and Carolyn chipping in to edit on the fly. Many of these will turn up on the interwebs some time soon in order to trick encourage people to buy The Call.
And finally for Monday, there was a party for various authors and booksellers. A writer should steer well-clear of clichés*, but the children's book industry is populated almost exclusively by sweethearts. Which doesn't mean they can't be tough -- just that they don't want to be. The room was filled with great conversations and the type of snacks that would have brought ancient Rome to its knees.
The authors were fantastic. Without naming names, I met at least one scribbler I have long admired, and several whose work I will be starting in March when my reading time is my own again.
The book trade folk displayed far more friendliness and excitement than they had to. I love them all and want them to have my babies books.
Tuesday in Paradise
I spent the morning on an impromptu tour of Blackwell's Books on Broad Street. Wow! What vasty, multidimensional depths! With cabinets of precious first editions like jewels and the office of the founder's son, preserved in amber with all its old splendour. The staff there are amazing in their enthusiasm. I feel I should name names here, but this is the scary internet, so I won't. But A, B and C (or N), you are stars. It was a great experience.
After that it was back to the DFB offices to talk contracts.
Yes, the second book is now an official thing with a deadline and all that good stuff. More about that next week maybe.
For lunch, the brilliant
angalin
invited me into the heart of an Oxford College. I loved it! I was expecting typical university canteen food, but everything tasted as if somebody had lavished actual care and love on it. The staff too, were all smiles -- you know, as though they liked their work. You won't catch me grinning like that tomorrow morning at my day job.One more trip to the offices to say my goodbyes and to steal the most recent copy of The Phoenix and that was that.
A day so perfect Lou Reed would have written a song about it.
*Yes, I know.
January 25, 2016
Boskone, Boskone, How I Have Missed Thee
I can already smell the heady scent of Boskone on the wind and know now it must be near. I'll be doing panels! I'll take part in a group reading! And, oh! Oh, for the old friends clasping me to their bosoms! No doubt too, I'll defend my native land against all comers as I man, for a time, the Dublin 2019 desk under the stairs. What a guy!
Full details are below for any interested...
Things I Wish A Pro Had Told Me
Full details are below for any interested...
Things I Wish A Pro Had Told Me
Friday 14:00 - 14:50, Harbor III (Westin)
There's nothing like 20/20 vision when you're looking in the rear view mirror. Professionals share their experiences and swap stories about their own writing and career decisions—perhaps musing how a little helpful information might have gone a long way. Find out what they wish they had known, and hear what the pros have to say about your queries during Q&A.
Walter Jon Williams (M), Brendan DuBois, Christopher Golden, Peadar Ó Guilín, Charles Stross
Magical TacticsFriday 17:00 - 17:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
Plotting and choreographing fights, whether formal battles or street brawls, is a basic item in the working writer's toolbox. What happens when there's magic in the mix? What changes? What doesn't change? What's a really bad idea? And how do you make it seem real?
Django Wexler (M), James Minz, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Peadar Ó Guilín, Fran Wilde
Mars Needs MomsSaturday 10:00 - 10:50, Griffin (Westin)
Family can be the backbone of a young character — or his total destruction. The influences, the baggage, the support network within a family all come with benefits and costs. At a time when nontraditional families are on the rise and parents in fiction are growing scarce, what role do families play in our tales? How is the changing configuration of the nuclear family influencing the characters within our favorite stories? And where have all of the mothers gone? Mars?
Fran Wilde (M), A.C.E. Bauer, Emma Caywood, Peadar Ó Guilín, Django Wexler
The Grimm Future -- The Anthology Group ReadingSaturday 16:00 - 16:50, Griffin (Westin)
NESFA Press presents a special reading for this year's Boskone Book: The Grimm Future, edited by Erin Underwood. This exciting new anthology of reimagined Grimm's fairy tales brings you 14 original short stories with a science fictional twist. The Grimm Future features cover art by Boskone 53’s Official Artist, Richard Anderson, and original stories by Guest of Honor Garth Nix as well as program participants Dana Cameron, Max Gladstone, Carlos Hernandez, John Langan, and Peadar Ó Guilín.
Erin Underwood (M), Carlos Hernandez, Max Gladstone, Peadar Ó Guilín, John Langan, Dana Cameron, Garth Nix
Boskone Book PartySaturday 18:00 - 19:20, Galleria-Stage (Westin)
Join us for Boskone's Multi-Author Book Party, see what's new from authors you love, and discover new favorites. Boskone is also launching three NESFA Press books tonight: The Collected Stories of Poul Anderson Vol 7, Conspiracy!, and The Grimm Future.
Formidable FemalesSunday 11:00 - 11:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
Females were once seen as the weaker sex and assigned weaker social roles. Now, they are taking full and equal parts, at least within fiction. From Cersei Lannister to Rey, Jessica Jones to Breq, and more, women are taking leadership roles as both protagonists and antagonists within the story. And those are just the characters! What about the writers of these fantastic women? Whom should we be reading? What's next?
Theodora Goss (M), Carrie Cuinn, Max Gladstone, Peadar Ó Guilín, E.J. Stevens
January 12, 2016
Coincidence of the Day -- Can You Handle it?
You Can't Handle the Handle
Let's just get the big stuff out of the way, shall we? Let's get it right... out... of... the... way.
I have finally changed my twitter handle from @theinferior to @TheCallYA. The reasons are obvious to anyone who knows that my new book, The Call, is out this year. I just hope my next book doesn't have a title like "Peadar is Crap" as I believe that handle is already taken. Also, peadariscrap.com, .org. and .net are all heavily used for some reason.
Coincidence of the Day
Other peoples' coincidences are boring, they really are. Even so, this one made my hair stand on end just a little.
I've already spoken above about The Call. It opens with a quotation from a hugely famous Irish poem called (in translation) The Lament for Art O'Leary.* It was written by the wife of poor Art, on the occasion of his murder.
He was a real person. A great soldier who "served the Empress Therese as Captain of the Hungarian Hussars". His wife, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill is the aunt of one of the most influential people in Irish history, Daniel O'Connell, a.k.a. "The Liberator". Her own achievement in writing what most consider to be the greatest Irish poem of the 18th century is no small one.
Anyway, I took the quote for my book and I used another few lines as an actual plot-point, but I only ever knew the basics of the story. The guy was murdered. Possibly because he refused to sell his horse.**
Recently, I've been working on book 2. I open up google maps, desperately trying to figure out where my characters are going to go next, and right down the road along which they're retreating, I see a Castle I never heard of before, called Drishane. Brilliant! They can go there. It couldn't be more perfect...
I write the scene.
That night, because David Bowie died, I spent a long time on twitter. Along with all the Starman stuff, is a link that somebody posted to an article written in 1949 about Art Ó Laoghaire. It turns out, that the place his murderers gathered before going off to ambush him***, was, of course, Drishane Castle.
Needless to say, I rewrote that scene today!
[image error]
*The proper title is Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire.
**There's a lot of history in this statement that I won't go into now.
***If it was an ambush. There are several versions of what happened, some of which seem to indicate that O'Leary was being very provocative.
Let's just get the big stuff out of the way, shall we? Let's get it right... out... of... the... way.
I have finally changed my twitter handle from @theinferior to @TheCallYA. The reasons are obvious to anyone who knows that my new book, The Call, is out this year. I just hope my next book doesn't have a title like "Peadar is Crap" as I believe that handle is already taken. Also, peadariscrap.com, .org. and .net are all heavily used for some reason.
Coincidence of the Day
Other peoples' coincidences are boring, they really are. Even so, this one made my hair stand on end just a little.
I've already spoken above about The Call. It opens with a quotation from a hugely famous Irish poem called (in translation) The Lament for Art O'Leary.* It was written by the wife of poor Art, on the occasion of his murder.
He was a real person. A great soldier who "served the Empress Therese as Captain of the Hungarian Hussars". His wife, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill is the aunt of one of the most influential people in Irish history, Daniel O'Connell, a.k.a. "The Liberator". Her own achievement in writing what most consider to be the greatest Irish poem of the 18th century is no small one.
Anyway, I took the quote for my book and I used another few lines as an actual plot-point, but I only ever knew the basics of the story. The guy was murdered. Possibly because he refused to sell his horse.**
Recently, I've been working on book 2. I open up google maps, desperately trying to figure out where my characters are going to go next, and right down the road along which they're retreating, I see a Castle I never heard of before, called Drishane. Brilliant! They can go there. It couldn't be more perfect...
I write the scene.
That night, because David Bowie died, I spent a long time on twitter. Along with all the Starman stuff, is a link that somebody posted to an article written in 1949 about Art Ó Laoghaire. It turns out, that the place his murderers gathered before going off to ambush him***, was, of course, Drishane Castle.
Needless to say, I rewrote that scene today!
[image error]
*The proper title is Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire.
**There's a lot of history in this statement that I won't go into now.
***If it was an ambush. There are several versions of what happened, some of which seem to indicate that O'Leary was being very provocative.
January 11, 2016
Music Monday: A Repost From March 2008 -- For David Bowie, of Course
Originally posted by
peadarog
at Music Monday: SF/Fantasy's very best of best ever Music. Ever.
Nobody does specfic in music better than David Bowie. Or did, anyway. Of all his songs of the fantastic, and there are too many to list here, my personal favourite has always been "The Supermen". The song tells the story of godly creatures whose only impossible wish is to die. But the specfic elements are not just confined to the story: the music too, especially the percussion, gives us a sense of some great epic tale; the relentless beating of a monstrous heart. Even better is the language. It would be fantasy-twee if Bowie's phrasing were not so sincere:
Where all were minds in uni-thought
Powers weird by mystics taught
No pain, no joy, no power too great
Colossal strength to grasp a fate
Where sad-eyed mermen tossed in slumbers
Nightmare dreams no mortal mind could hold
A man would tear his brother's flesh, a chance to die
To turn to mold.
I'm glad there's not much of a video. In this case, it would only distract from the story. Here ye go.
peadarog
at Music Monday: SF/Fantasy's very best of best ever Music. Ever.Nobody does specfic in music better than David Bowie. Or did, anyway. Of all his songs of the fantastic, and there are too many to list here, my personal favourite has always been "The Supermen". The song tells the story of godly creatures whose only impossible wish is to die. But the specfic elements are not just confined to the story: the music too, especially the percussion, gives us a sense of some great epic tale; the relentless beating of a monstrous heart. Even better is the language. It would be fantasy-twee if Bowie's phrasing were not so sincere:
Where all were minds in uni-thought
Powers weird by mystics taught
No pain, no joy, no power too great
Colossal strength to grasp a fate
Where sad-eyed mermen tossed in slumbers
Nightmare dreams no mortal mind could hold
A man would tear his brother's flesh, a chance to die
To turn to mold.
I'm glad there's not much of a video. In this case, it would only distract from the story. Here ye go.
January 8, 2016
The Grimm Future
I was wondering when I'd get a chance to announce this one! I'm absolutely delighted to be part of a new anthology of SF stories based on Grimm's fairy tales entitled... The Grimm Future.
What a fine cover it has! What a great line-up that includes our own Maura McHugh (
splinister
), as well as a number of other writers whose work I have long admired. I'll list the scribblers below, but first I want to thank
hatgirl
who critiqued my own tale, "The Madman's Ungrateful Child", and Erin Underwood, the editor and all-round fabuloid.
Table of Contents
“Introduction” by Erin Underwood
“Pair of Ugly Stepsisters, Three of a Kind” by Garth Nix
based upon multiple Grimm fairy tales, including Little Brother and Little Sister,Rapunzel, Little Red-Cap, and Cinderella
“The Iron Man” by Max Gladstone
based upon Iron John
“Zel and Grets” by Maura McHugh
based upon Hansel & Gretel
“For Want of a NAIL” by Sandra McDonald & Stephen D. Covey
based upon The Nail
“The Shroud” by Dan Wells
based upon The Shroud
“Long-Term Employment” by Mike Resnick
based upon Death’s Messengers
“Swan Dive” by Nancy Holder
based upon The Six Swans
“The White Rat” by Dana Cameron
based upon The White Snake
“Origins” by Carlos Hernandez
based upon The Star-Talers
“Angie Taylor in: Peril Beneath the Earth’s Crust” by John Langan
based upon The Brave Little Tailor
“The Three Snake-Leaves” by Jeffrey Ford
based upon The Three Snake-Leaves
“The Madman’s Ungrateful Child” by Peadar Ó Guillín
based upon The Bremen Town-Musicians
“Stories of the Trees, Stories of the Birds, Stories of the Bones” by Kat Howard
based upon The Juniper Tree
“Be Still, and Listen” by Seanan McGuire
based upon Little Briar-Rose
What a fine cover it has! What a great line-up that includes our own Maura McHugh (
splinister
), as well as a number of other writers whose work I have long admired. I'll list the scribblers below, but first I want to thank
hatgirl
who critiqued my own tale, "The Madman's Ungrateful Child", and Erin Underwood, the editor and all-round fabuloid.Table of Contents
“Introduction” by Erin Underwood
“Pair of Ugly Stepsisters, Three of a Kind” by Garth Nix
based upon multiple Grimm fairy tales, including Little Brother and Little Sister,Rapunzel, Little Red-Cap, and Cinderella
“The Iron Man” by Max Gladstone
based upon Iron John
“Zel and Grets” by Maura McHugh
based upon Hansel & Gretel
“For Want of a NAIL” by Sandra McDonald & Stephen D. Covey
based upon The Nail
“The Shroud” by Dan Wells
based upon The Shroud
“Long-Term Employment” by Mike Resnick
based upon Death’s Messengers
“Swan Dive” by Nancy Holder
based upon The Six Swans
“The White Rat” by Dana Cameron
based upon The White Snake
“Origins” by Carlos Hernandez
based upon The Star-Talers
“Angie Taylor in: Peril Beneath the Earth’s Crust” by John Langan
based upon The Brave Little Tailor
“The Three Snake-Leaves” by Jeffrey Ford
based upon The Three Snake-Leaves
“The Madman’s Ungrateful Child” by Peadar Ó Guillín
based upon The Bremen Town-Musicians
“Stories of the Trees, Stories of the Birds, Stories of the Bones” by Kat Howard
based upon The Juniper Tree
“Be Still, and Listen” by Seanan McGuire
based upon Little Briar-Rose
December 31, 2015
Reading, Watching, Novelising, Hogmanaying
NOVELISING
Long-time friends will know that I always celebrate when a book I'm working on reaches the 40k word mark. For those who don't know, I do this for the stupid, completely arbitary reason that this is the minimum length for a novel. Anything shorter is at best a novella.
Well, today, at the crusty bottom end of 2015, my new baby, The Cauldron, is all growed up and ready to party. Hurray!
READING
A great year for books is ending with quite a bang. A few days ago, I finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora. It's not my favourite book ever, but it packs quite a punch in the speculative science department. I don't doubt I'll be thinking about this one for years.
But if it's fun you want -- and who doesn't? We're all Cyndie Lauper at heart -- you could do a lot worse than Claire North's The Gameshouse series. This is a trilogy of novellas, where ever so clever people challenge each other to make or break whole nations, using ordinary folk as pieces. It's not a wholly original concept, but boy is this tremendous fun. Highly recommended. Unless you hate enjoying yourself.
WATCHING -- Never a Spoiler for You, My Beloved
I saw Star Wars, of course. My friends are all in love and want to marry it. For me, if was fun to kiss and cuddle at the back of the cinema. There was much giggling. But I doubt we'll ever see each other again.
On Netflix I really enjoyed:
F is for Family -- a 70s based cartoon sitcom that has fun with the styles and prejudices of the times. Nothing mind-blowing here, but likeable and nasty. Adults only.
Making a Murderer -- a true-crime documentary type thing, but so far above anything like that I've ever seen before that, after an indifferent start, it became totally compelling. Brilliant stuff.
The Bridge, Series 1 -- This was thoroughly spoiled for me by having seen the vastly inferior, English/French remake. Still, very well done, and I look forward now to enjoying a spoiler-free season 2.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Yeah, that's right. Have a great one, all my friends. I myself am on-call tonight, so I'll be sticking with with my books and good food. Take care of yourselves and I hope we'll meet in the New Year.
Long-time friends will know that I always celebrate when a book I'm working on reaches the 40k word mark. For those who don't know, I do this for the stupid, completely arbitary reason that this is the minimum length for a novel. Anything shorter is at best a novella.
Well, today, at the crusty bottom end of 2015, my new baby, The Cauldron, is all growed up and ready to party. Hurray!
READING
A great year for books is ending with quite a bang. A few days ago, I finished Kim Stanley Robinson's Aurora. It's not my favourite book ever, but it packs quite a punch in the speculative science department. I don't doubt I'll be thinking about this one for years.
But if it's fun you want -- and who doesn't? We're all Cyndie Lauper at heart -- you could do a lot worse than Claire North's The Gameshouse series. This is a trilogy of novellas, where ever so clever people challenge each other to make or break whole nations, using ordinary folk as pieces. It's not a wholly original concept, but boy is this tremendous fun. Highly recommended. Unless you hate enjoying yourself.
WATCHING -- Never a Spoiler for You, My Beloved
I saw Star Wars, of course. My friends are all in love and want to marry it. For me, if was fun to kiss and cuddle at the back of the cinema. There was much giggling. But I doubt we'll ever see each other again.
On Netflix I really enjoyed:
F is for Family -- a 70s based cartoon sitcom that has fun with the styles and prejudices of the times. Nothing mind-blowing here, but likeable and nasty. Adults only.
Making a Murderer -- a true-crime documentary type thing, but so far above anything like that I've ever seen before that, after an indifferent start, it became totally compelling. Brilliant stuff.
The Bridge, Series 1 -- This was thoroughly spoiled for me by having seen the vastly inferior, English/French remake. Still, very well done, and I look forward now to enjoying a spoiler-free season 2.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Yeah, that's right. Have a great one, all my friends. I myself am on-call tonight, so I'll be sticking with with my books and good food. Take care of yourselves and I hope we'll meet in the New Year.
December 23, 2015
Possible Publication, Walking Magic, Death of a Domain
Almost a Date
It's looking very likely at the moment that my next published novel, The Call, will now appear on both sides of the Atlantic in September 2016 or thereabouts. Originally, the lovely UK Publishers, David Fickling Books, were aiming for Easter. But close cooperation with Scholastic will make for a far stronger release. Twitter, facebook and tumblr are all worldwide these days. Seems wise to take advantage of that!
Walking
I've just been out for an astoundingly beautiful walk, during which the Christmas fairies granted me the ending to the novel I'm sweating over right now. Thank you, Christmas fairies! Thank you!
Current working title? The Cauldron. It may very well change in the coming months.
Death of a Domain
I am sad over the loss of my domain "frozenstories.com". Basically, I was paying the domain name registration through an old email address and missed the expiry notice. An appliance company in China swooped in and ate it. I've been researching online and I don't think there's much I can do about it. *shakes fist at nearby fridge*
Happy Christmas
You know the drill. Have a lovely few days. Don't eat anybody you might need in the coming year. Ignore the haters and make as many new year resolutions as you like. Breaking them is what living is all about.
Hope to see you all soon!
It's looking very likely at the moment that my next published novel, The Call, will now appear on both sides of the Atlantic in September 2016 or thereabouts. Originally, the lovely UK Publishers, David Fickling Books, were aiming for Easter. But close cooperation with Scholastic will make for a far stronger release. Twitter, facebook and tumblr are all worldwide these days. Seems wise to take advantage of that!
Walking
I've just been out for an astoundingly beautiful walk, during which the Christmas fairies granted me the ending to the novel I'm sweating over right now. Thank you, Christmas fairies! Thank you!
Current working title? The Cauldron. It may very well change in the coming months.
Death of a Domain
I am sad over the loss of my domain "frozenstories.com". Basically, I was paying the domain name registration through an old email address and missed the expiry notice. An appliance company in China swooped in and ate it. I've been researching online and I don't think there's much I can do about it. *shakes fist at nearby fridge*
Happy Christmas
You know the drill. Have a lovely few days. Don't eat anybody you might need in the coming year. Ignore the haters and make as many new year resolutions as you like. Breaking them is what living is all about.
Hope to see you all soon!
November 30, 2015
The Real Danger of Videogames
It's rare indeed that I'll last more than a few levels of a videogame these days. And this despite the fact that I was a fiend for them growing up. Yet, just this week, I tried my hand at an old PC classic called Portal, and instantly fell in love. It's a beautifully weighted puzzler backed up by a wonderfully written, slyly humorous script.
"A bit of harmless fun," I hear you say. "Sure, you're entitled, and what'd ye be doing anyway only watchin' telly or readin' books? Am I right?"
Oh, yes, you're right. Entertainment is entertainment after all and it's not as if I was playing during writing hours.
But here's the thing. I don't plan my books. I'm what's known as a "pantser". I start a story and wait to see what happens. In practical terms, this means I rely on a constant stream of inspiration. At every moment of the day, whether I'm thinking of food, or bullying small children, or surfing the NetWorld, my subconscious is busy in the background solving my problems.
But Portal -- the brilliant Portal! -- took over that process. Two nights in a row I dreamed about the game, and while I had plenty of inspiration during the week, it was all about solving the latest fiendish puzzle.
Ah, well. I've finished it now and can get back to daydreaming fixes for plotting conundrums. I'm glad I don't play games all that often. I'm not sure I'd ever get anything done!
"A bit of harmless fun," I hear you say. "Sure, you're entitled, and what'd ye be doing anyway only watchin' telly or readin' books? Am I right?"
Oh, yes, you're right. Entertainment is entertainment after all and it's not as if I was playing during writing hours.
But here's the thing. I don't plan my books. I'm what's known as a "pantser". I start a story and wait to see what happens. In practical terms, this means I rely on a constant stream of inspiration. At every moment of the day, whether I'm thinking of food, or bullying small children, or surfing the NetWorld, my subconscious is busy in the background solving my problems.
But Portal -- the brilliant Portal! -- took over that process. Two nights in a row I dreamed about the game, and while I had plenty of inspiration during the week, it was all about solving the latest fiendish puzzle.
Ah, well. I've finished it now and can get back to daydreaming fixes for plotting conundrums. I'm glad I don't play games all that often. I'm not sure I'd ever get anything done!
