D.T. Neal's Blog, page 5
December 30, 2024
Antisocial Media
Each day seems to be more validating in my abandonment of the Twix (formerly Twitter), which seems to have cratered into a digital den of scum and villainy.
I never did very well on legacy Twitter, never cultivated many followers, so jettisoning it was easy. And I don't miss it. It's amazing how transitory the social media channels can be. I mean, remember MySpace? There was a time when that was THE go-to place. Lost in the digital dust.
As ever, I could grouse about the faux community that existed in the heyday of some of those social media channels. Not sure what people will do as things further balkanize.
Not sure how it'll play out. Maybe people will rediscover books (although the apparently massive work of using one's imagination is beyond most, so maybe not). Not sure what people will do.
Everyday people are getting priced out of everyday entertainments -- hence the decline (and end) of various restaurants and stores, of movie theaters and nightclubs. People are likely to just turn inward for entertainment -- but while books are generally affordable, the act of reading still requires time and attention, and I don't know if that'll ever come back to the mainstream.
Let's be honest -- the peak of book-reading was decades back. There are simply easier-to-access and -comprehend entertainments are available. The deep mental dive of a novel may be too much for all but a fervent minority of true readers.
If I managed to cultivate a diehard audience of 10,000 readers, I'd feel like I'd moved the heavens. The fractionating of social media will likely make this harder (although I was always heavily challenged by it in the older landscape).
We'll see. I'll keep going until I keel over, but would really enjoy a steady audience of readers who appreciated my work. Who wouldn't?
I never did very well on legacy Twitter, never cultivated many followers, so jettisoning it was easy. And I don't miss it. It's amazing how transitory the social media channels can be. I mean, remember MySpace? There was a time when that was THE go-to place. Lost in the digital dust.
As ever, I could grouse about the faux community that existed in the heyday of some of those social media channels. Not sure what people will do as things further balkanize.
Not sure how it'll play out. Maybe people will rediscover books (although the apparently massive work of using one's imagination is beyond most, so maybe not). Not sure what people will do.
Everyday people are getting priced out of everyday entertainments -- hence the decline (and end) of various restaurants and stores, of movie theaters and nightclubs. People are likely to just turn inward for entertainment -- but while books are generally affordable, the act of reading still requires time and attention, and I don't know if that'll ever come back to the mainstream.
Let's be honest -- the peak of book-reading was decades back. There are simply easier-to-access and -comprehend entertainments are available. The deep mental dive of a novel may be too much for all but a fervent minority of true readers.
If I managed to cultivate a diehard audience of 10,000 readers, I'd feel like I'd moved the heavens. The fractionating of social media will likely make this harder (although I was always heavily challenged by it in the older landscape).
We'll see. I'll keep going until I keel over, but would really enjoy a steady audience of readers who appreciated my work. Who wouldn't?
Published on December 30, 2024 08:21
•
Tags:
musing, pop-culture, social-media
December 26, 2024
NOSFERATU (2024)
I caught NOSFERATU yesterday, totally bought the sarcophagus tin (HAD to), which was my favorite thing about the movie.
Not dissing it -- Robert Eggers did a good job with it. People will probably love it, but I merely liked it without being blown away. I'm a tough crowd.
Rather than spoilerizing it with a play-by-play, I'll offer some of my gripes:
Great shots and composition, as ever. Eggers knows how to create captivating tableaus, without a doubt. You can tell he loves the interplay of light and shadow, big-time.
And that's part of the problem. With the expansive run time of the movie (a whisper over two hours), I think he got a bit "lost in the sauce" as they say. At least 30 minutes could have been edited from it to make for a tidier narrative. I found myself glancing at my watch after 1.5 hours.
Another problem I think is those shots he loves, he used them too much in this film. I love chiaroscuro as much as the next film snob, but when it's overused, the technique draws attention to itself. Similarly, the candlelit scenes became repetitive to me. One or two, I'm in, but five, six, seven, eight, or more, and I'm less happy with it. He overuses a number of visual techniques that makes me feel like it's more of a fast food menu listing ("I'll have a 2, 4, 7, and 9, please.") instead of a proper visual feast. Repeated use diminishes the effect -- it's like a comedian telling the same joke repeatedly to the same audience, or a writer overusing a particular word. No good.
This movie was also VERY dark (visually). I get it. Gothic horror. DARK. But it's dark in the way CGI-centric movies used to be in the past, where everything was too dark to really see what was going on. In today's cinematic world, it's not necessary to go so consistently dark that way. I would have enjoyed more variation along those lines, instead of so much darkness.
The story is thin, but I didn't really dismiss it for that, because the source material isn't fully there, narratively.
Also, there were dead (or undead) serious lines dropped that were laughably campy, to the extent that several audience members (packed theater) and I laughed out loud during them. NOSFERATU is ludicrously melodramatic, absolutely over-serious. You can see Eggers trying to lean in with the vampiric horror from a Slavic perspective, like making it as ugly as possible (gorehounds should enjoy it, if they're able to see it in the dark).
Maybe I'm too jaded -- the jump scares didn't catch me, and Orlock didn't really work for me. Eggers managed to capture the "otherness" of the nosferatu. That came through clearly. There's a lot of thrashing and hysterics and Victorian patriarchal presumption (which also earned a lot of scoffs from audience members, since it's particularly on the nose in this dark environment in America).
Anyway, I'd give it three stars. I enjoyed it well enough, but wasn't spellbound by it, am not compelled to rewatch it. That said, happy I got the tin (also got the soundtrack for it a few weeks ago). It'll likely do well for his directorial career.
***
Not dissing it -- Robert Eggers did a good job with it. People will probably love it, but I merely liked it without being blown away. I'm a tough crowd.
Rather than spoilerizing it with a play-by-play, I'll offer some of my gripes:
Great shots and composition, as ever. Eggers knows how to create captivating tableaus, without a doubt. You can tell he loves the interplay of light and shadow, big-time.
And that's part of the problem. With the expansive run time of the movie (a whisper over two hours), I think he got a bit "lost in the sauce" as they say. At least 30 minutes could have been edited from it to make for a tidier narrative. I found myself glancing at my watch after 1.5 hours.
Another problem I think is those shots he loves, he used them too much in this film. I love chiaroscuro as much as the next film snob, but when it's overused, the technique draws attention to itself. Similarly, the candlelit scenes became repetitive to me. One or two, I'm in, but five, six, seven, eight, or more, and I'm less happy with it. He overuses a number of visual techniques that makes me feel like it's more of a fast food menu listing ("I'll have a 2, 4, 7, and 9, please.") instead of a proper visual feast. Repeated use diminishes the effect -- it's like a comedian telling the same joke repeatedly to the same audience, or a writer overusing a particular word. No good.
This movie was also VERY dark (visually). I get it. Gothic horror. DARK. But it's dark in the way CGI-centric movies used to be in the past, where everything was too dark to really see what was going on. In today's cinematic world, it's not necessary to go so consistently dark that way. I would have enjoyed more variation along those lines, instead of so much darkness.
The story is thin, but I didn't really dismiss it for that, because the source material isn't fully there, narratively.
Also, there were dead (or undead) serious lines dropped that were laughably campy, to the extent that several audience members (packed theater) and I laughed out loud during them. NOSFERATU is ludicrously melodramatic, absolutely over-serious. You can see Eggers trying to lean in with the vampiric horror from a Slavic perspective, like making it as ugly as possible (gorehounds should enjoy it, if they're able to see it in the dark).
Maybe I'm too jaded -- the jump scares didn't catch me, and Orlock didn't really work for me. Eggers managed to capture the "otherness" of the nosferatu. That came through clearly. There's a lot of thrashing and hysterics and Victorian patriarchal presumption (which also earned a lot of scoffs from audience members, since it's particularly on the nose in this dark environment in America).
Anyway, I'd give it three stars. I enjoyed it well enough, but wasn't spellbound by it, am not compelled to rewatch it. That said, happy I got the tin (also got the soundtrack for it a few weeks ago). It'll likely do well for his directorial career.
***
Published on December 26, 2024 08:27
•
Tags:
movie-review
December 10, 2024
Bands I Don't Care About
Something musical instead of writerly, postwise -- bands I don't care about. It's a big list, but here are a few that come to mind readily, in no particular order:
Blink-182
Nickelback
Flaming Lips
Wilco
The Butthole Surfers
Journey
Third Eye Blind
The Gin Blossoms
Train
KISS
GWAR
Modest Mouse
Creed
Evanescence
Primus
Slipknot
Sum 41
Linkin Park
Matchbox 20
Pearl Jam
My Chemical Romance
Smashing Pumpkins
10,000 Maniacs
R.E.M.
Maroon 5
Panic! at the Disco
Fall Out Boy
Death Cab for Cutie
Dave Matthews Band
Jimmy Eat World
Phish
Greta Van Fleet
The Strokes
I'll probably add to the list as others occur to me. These are simply top of mind.
Blink-182
Nickelback
Flaming Lips
Wilco
The Butthole Surfers
Journey
Third Eye Blind
The Gin Blossoms
Train
KISS
GWAR
Modest Mouse
Creed
Evanescence
Primus
Slipknot
Sum 41
Linkin Park
Matchbox 20
Pearl Jam
My Chemical Romance
Smashing Pumpkins
10,000 Maniacs
R.E.M.
Maroon 5
Panic! at the Disco
Fall Out Boy
Death Cab for Cutie
Dave Matthews Band
Jimmy Eat World
Phish
Greta Van Fleet
The Strokes
I'll probably add to the list as others occur to me. These are simply top of mind.
Published on December 10, 2024 18:45
•
Tags:
music
December 4, 2024
Battle Plan
Still processing and dealing with the cultural catastrophe of the here-and-now. As I posted earlier, I was vacillating between what to write next, genre-wise.
When confronted with a situation where I can't fully decide, my old-school gamer's instinct has me roll the dice to decide. In terms of triage, it came out as:
1. Fantasy
2. Weird Fiction
3. Horror
So, there it is. That'll decide the order of the new works I write in '25.
Looking back on '24, I'm pleased that I wrote four novels (three Superheroic Urban Fantasy, one Eco Horror). Given my dismal current situation, that was an accomplishment. I can look back on the year and take satisfaction in doing that, if nothing else.
I also looked ahead to try to map out my books for the next four years, and have 16 books lined up, to the tune of four a year, which seems a doable number, if this year was any indication. As I increasingly walk away from social media, I'll just focus on those books to help me get through the next several years.
Ideally, more readers will discover my work and I'll be able to grow audience. Or maybe my books will be banned and I'll be consigned to a forced labor camp. We'll see, I guess.
Green Day | Geek Stink Breath
When confronted with a situation where I can't fully decide, my old-school gamer's instinct has me roll the dice to decide. In terms of triage, it came out as:
1. Fantasy
2. Weird Fiction
3. Horror
So, there it is. That'll decide the order of the new works I write in '25.
Looking back on '24, I'm pleased that I wrote four novels (three Superheroic Urban Fantasy, one Eco Horror). Given my dismal current situation, that was an accomplishment. I can look back on the year and take satisfaction in doing that, if nothing else.
I also looked ahead to try to map out my books for the next four years, and have 16 books lined up, to the tune of four a year, which seems a doable number, if this year was any indication. As I increasingly walk away from social media, I'll just focus on those books to help me get through the next several years.
Ideally, more readers will discover my work and I'll be able to grow audience. Or maybe my books will be banned and I'll be consigned to a forced labor camp. We'll see, I guess.
Green Day | Geek Stink Breath
Published on December 04, 2024 07:41
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
November 24, 2024
Keeping Up
Just a base-touch for whoever's reading this (if anyone, hah). Still in a twist about the catastrophe (aka, the election).
Wondering if our country's really going to freefall (and/or faceplant) into vassal state fascism and end our democratic history in favor of a demented, sociopathic sex offender traitor's narcissistic dreams of dictatorship.
My mind oscillates between various worlds I can create to help me survive this debacle. Some days I look to Fantasy for an escape to a world where justice is attainable. On other days, my mind lurches back into Horror as I rage against the evil that's surging through the world. Still other days Weird Fiction beckons with ineffable attractions.
I'm fortunate in that I can create places to escape to (at least for now), but I'm still tremendously upset, as any thinking, feeling, democratic person in this country should be.
That impacts me as a creator.
Wondering if our country's really going to freefall (and/or faceplant) into vassal state fascism and end our democratic history in favor of a demented, sociopathic sex offender traitor's narcissistic dreams of dictatorship.
My mind oscillates between various worlds I can create to help me survive this debacle. Some days I look to Fantasy for an escape to a world where justice is attainable. On other days, my mind lurches back into Horror as I rage against the evil that's surging through the world. Still other days Weird Fiction beckons with ineffable attractions.
I'm fortunate in that I can create places to escape to (at least for now), but I'm still tremendously upset, as any thinking, feeling, democratic person in this country should be.
That impacts me as a creator.
Published on November 24, 2024 03:50
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
November 15, 2024
Columns, Fifth & Otherwise
Watching people flee the fascist dumpster fire that is the Twix (I refuse to call it anything else, no offense to Twix bars) and land on Bluesky and Threads, eager to return to some semblance of what passes for social media normalcy, something jumped out at me.
Pro-democracy people are eager to divest themselves of associations with individuals and organizations who voted for fascism and bigotry in the election. I think that's a good thing -- honestly, those people who voted that way need to feel the consequences for going all-in with a bigoted felon/sex offender/seditionist/traitor who yearns to be a dictator.
Anyone who voted for that is trash (putting it as nicely as I can).
Which brings me to the point I wanted to make -- a lot of those people are upset that people are cutting ties with them. They have their excuses and rationalizations: "politics shouldn't divide us" or "I don't see why my vote should drive you away" and so on. That's all part of that process of denial that they embrace.
As one who voted blue (and always has), I'm going to be irritated when those red writers (and publishers) try to snake their way back into civilized society by either downplaying their complicity in the disaster they voted for, or pretending that they're not the shitbirds that they are.
Simply put: if you have to be ashamed of your vote and/or explain it away, it's because you knowingly voted for the bad guy.
And those of you who want to slither around pretending you didn't do your part to bring this nightmare to the country better be ready to be outed as collaborators.
In World War II, the Nazi underground operating in democratic countries were called the Fifth Column. And those of you who voted for the fascist are that Fifth Column these days. You're the ones who helped kill democracy in America, no matter how hard you try to disguise your acceptance of and participation in this national disgrace.
All I know is that people are getting suspiciously quiet, and I think that's because you know what you did, and you're afraid of being discovered. Especially those of you who may have garnered an iota of popularity in "the community."
I don't have to apologize or rationalize away my vote, because I voted for democracy, hope, tolerance, and justice. I don't have to pretend to be other than what I am. I hope those of you who are hoping to slip by undetected get outed and shunned, ideally sooner than later. You made your bed.
This may be triggering for the apologists among you, but so what? You know who you are, and how you voted. Those people who got all weepy on BookTok because their voting for fascism cost them something is a good start. I want to see where it goes.
Expecting us bleeding heart lefties to look the other way? Not gonna happen. Our eyes are on you. Something to reflect upon as you sneak into Bluesky and Threads and elsewhere.
Whatever calamities fall upon our country and the world that came from your terrible choice, just know that the blood is on your hands.
Pro-democracy people are eager to divest themselves of associations with individuals and organizations who voted for fascism and bigotry in the election. I think that's a good thing -- honestly, those people who voted that way need to feel the consequences for going all-in with a bigoted felon/sex offender/seditionist/traitor who yearns to be a dictator.
Anyone who voted for that is trash (putting it as nicely as I can).
Which brings me to the point I wanted to make -- a lot of those people are upset that people are cutting ties with them. They have their excuses and rationalizations: "politics shouldn't divide us" or "I don't see why my vote should drive you away" and so on. That's all part of that process of denial that they embrace.
As one who voted blue (and always has), I'm going to be irritated when those red writers (and publishers) try to snake their way back into civilized society by either downplaying their complicity in the disaster they voted for, or pretending that they're not the shitbirds that they are.
Simply put: if you have to be ashamed of your vote and/or explain it away, it's because you knowingly voted for the bad guy.
And those of you who want to slither around pretending you didn't do your part to bring this nightmare to the country better be ready to be outed as collaborators.
In World War II, the Nazi underground operating in democratic countries were called the Fifth Column. And those of you who voted for the fascist are that Fifth Column these days. You're the ones who helped kill democracy in America, no matter how hard you try to disguise your acceptance of and participation in this national disgrace.
All I know is that people are getting suspiciously quiet, and I think that's because you know what you did, and you're afraid of being discovered. Especially those of you who may have garnered an iota of popularity in "the community."
I don't have to apologize or rationalize away my vote, because I voted for democracy, hope, tolerance, and justice. I don't have to pretend to be other than what I am. I hope those of you who are hoping to slip by undetected get outed and shunned, ideally sooner than later. You made your bed.
This may be triggering for the apologists among you, but so what? You know who you are, and how you voted. Those people who got all weepy on BookTok because their voting for fascism cost them something is a good start. I want to see where it goes.
Expecting us bleeding heart lefties to look the other way? Not gonna happen. Our eyes are on you. Something to reflect upon as you sneak into Bluesky and Threads and elsewhere.
Whatever calamities fall upon our country and the world that came from your terrible choice, just know that the blood is on your hands.
Published on November 15, 2024 07:05
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
November 14, 2024
Viva Mexico
I don't think I've posted this before (apologies if I have), but I'm honored, tickled, and pleased that some of my eco horror novels (primarily RELICT and THE DAY OF THE NIGHTFISH) have been featured in seminars and conferences at the School of Philosophy and Letters at UNAM (the National Autonomous University of Mexico).
UNAM is one of the most preeminent Spanish-speaking humanities and literature academic institutions in the world, and to have my books get included in conference sessions there is awesome!
The most recent ones were part of an Eco Horror breakout session, as well as one on Anthropocene Anxieties that just took place. In both cases, my work has been compared alongside Lovecraft's, which, despite his regretful bigot baggage, is a high honor for me.
I'd like to think that some of my work touches on the existential horrors he raised, but from a far more progressive place. In a situation where wins are so rare (especially for me), this was a morale booster.
I like when academics appreciate my work, since I always pack a lot of ideas in my stories. When they get positive receptions from literary circles, all the better.
In a time when there's so much darkness, I am grateful for those little bits of light shining through.
UNAM is one of the most preeminent Spanish-speaking humanities and literature academic institutions in the world, and to have my books get included in conference sessions there is awesome!
The most recent ones were part of an Eco Horror breakout session, as well as one on Anthropocene Anxieties that just took place. In both cases, my work has been compared alongside Lovecraft's, which, despite his regretful bigot baggage, is a high honor for me.
I'd like to think that some of my work touches on the existential horrors he raised, but from a far more progressive place. In a situation where wins are so rare (especially for me), this was a morale booster.
I like when academics appreciate my work, since I always pack a lot of ideas in my stories. When they get positive receptions from literary circles, all the better.
In a time when there's so much darkness, I am grateful for those little bits of light shining through.
Published on November 14, 2024 09:23
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
Zeitgeisting
If you've read my blog to date, you've seen me mention how I'm walking away from Horror, which even before the cultural catastrophe we're about to wade into, was always top of mind for me.
That said, I still have some backlog I'm working through -- books I've written in years past that are even more relevant now, as we descend into nightmare.
And while it's even less likely that people might want to read such books (I'm thinking more escapist fare might be desirable for the fraction of the population who still reads), for me, these works (there are a half-dozen of them) will represent a personally cathartic venting of my pain and rage at the death of our democracy.
Artistically and creatively, I need to exorcise these literary demons within me and get them out into the world. If nothing else, they'll bear witness to my anguish in a literary form.
That said, I still have some backlog I'm working through -- books I've written in years past that are even more relevant now, as we descend into nightmare.
And while it's even less likely that people might want to read such books (I'm thinking more escapist fare might be desirable for the fraction of the population who still reads), for me, these works (there are a half-dozen of them) will represent a personally cathartic venting of my pain and rage at the death of our democracy.
Artistically and creatively, I need to exorcise these literary demons within me and get them out into the world. If nothing else, they'll bear witness to my anguish in a literary form.
Published on November 14, 2024 09:12
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Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
November 11, 2024
Over a Barrel
Given where the country's at right now, I'm a bit over a barrel, in that I'm never out of things to write about, but it's galling when my jaundiced perspective about life in our country is validated by current events.
That said, while I still can, I'm going to write about what interests me, and hope the journey's worth it for anyone who reads me. I'm a writer. It's what I do best. Ergo, I'll keep on writing to get through it all.
There is a lot I could write/talk about here, but suffice to say it'll be in my books. You'll know my mind if/when you read them. If you've read me before, you already know.
My body of work to date is full of those observations, attitudes, and perspectives. For a thinking, feeling American writer, it's impossible not to address what we see. That's what artists do. It's why the arts threaten the bad guys -- unflinching looks at the past, the present, and the future threaten the baddies. Just as envisioning brighter worlds does, too.
I'll continue doing what I do, but feel that I'll be even less present on social media than I have been before, depending on how things turn out. The only solace I hold close to me is that I didn't vote for the monstrosity, so whatever happens, it was in spite of my vote, not because of it.
Here's some music for you...
Wire | Strange
That said, while I still can, I'm going to write about what interests me, and hope the journey's worth it for anyone who reads me. I'm a writer. It's what I do best. Ergo, I'll keep on writing to get through it all.
There is a lot I could write/talk about here, but suffice to say it'll be in my books. You'll know my mind if/when you read them. If you've read me before, you already know.
My body of work to date is full of those observations, attitudes, and perspectives. For a thinking, feeling American writer, it's impossible not to address what we see. That's what artists do. It's why the arts threaten the bad guys -- unflinching looks at the past, the present, and the future threaten the baddies. Just as envisioning brighter worlds does, too.
I'll continue doing what I do, but feel that I'll be even less present on social media than I have been before, depending on how things turn out. The only solace I hold close to me is that I didn't vote for the monstrosity, so whatever happens, it was in spite of my vote, not because of it.
Here's some music for you...
Wire | Strange
Published on November 11, 2024 07:44
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life
November 7, 2024
Here We Go Again
The bad man won again (as did his sycophants). It's going to be a rough ride for the country and the world.
Ironically, I wrote a dystopian/utopian Science Fiction novel around six years ago that dealt with the moral freefall of the first term of the bad man, but I shelved it, not wanting to put that out there at the time.
However, that novel will surface in '25 because I think maybe people need it. There's hope and optimism in the novel, and a sense of the necessity of progress. Ergo, maybe it needs to live.
I'm going to focus on writing and reading and tuning out social media more over the next four years, honestly. I'll be aware of it, but I don't want to let it bring me down.
What I often tell myself is that everything--good and bad--is material. That's something writers can take solace in, on some level. Plenty of material coming our way.
Ironically, I wrote a dystopian/utopian Science Fiction novel around six years ago that dealt with the moral freefall of the first term of the bad man, but I shelved it, not wanting to put that out there at the time.
However, that novel will surface in '25 because I think maybe people need it. There's hope and optimism in the novel, and a sense of the necessity of progress. Ergo, maybe it needs to live.
I'm going to focus on writing and reading and tuning out social media more over the next four years, honestly. I'll be aware of it, but I don't want to let it bring me down.
What I often tell myself is that everything--good and bad--is material. That's something writers can take solace in, on some level. Plenty of material coming our way.
Published on November 07, 2024 15:02
•
Tags:
books, writing, writing-life