R.B. Harkess's Blog, page 5
January 11, 2015
Monk Punk, born again
A while ago, my evil older twin who writes grown up stuff and uses more of my name than I do, was lucky enough to get a short story published in an anthology called Monk Punk.Found out recently that Monk Punk is being republished as an omnibus edition with 'The Shadow of the Unknown'; 500 pages of entertainment. Who could resist?
Links:
US UK
January 5, 2015
I just finished The Lady Astronomer by Katy O’Dowd. Very ...
I just finished The Lady Astronomer by Katy O’Dowd. Very remiss of me - it has been on my kindle for ages but I’ve been doing a lot of paper, and working on my own writing projects.This book is wonderfully difficult to define. Having said that, it is unmistakably steampunk. In fact it almost defines the genre. After that, things get a bit more difficult. There is a huge dollop of the surreal in this book. I’m reminded forcibly of Jasper fforde’s SpecOps books, and there are flavours of Roald Dahl, too.
Robot butlers and lemurs far to smart for their own good vie with seven-strong teams of vertically challenged builders and mechanical body-mods, and underlying it all are plots mysterious and duplicitous.
In short, it was one of the most ‘fun’ reads I’ve seen in a long while, without sinking to actually outing itself as comedy. Most enjoyable
December 15, 2014
Warrior Stone is going to Birmingham
Metaphoric Media have just signed up to trade at MCM Birmingham Comic Con in March 2015.
Very exciting, as this is the first event of this size we have been to.
We're hoping to bring along books from other great steampunk authors, and there may even be an Underland related surprise. More later.
And, on a side note, R B Harkess, Metaphoric Media, and Claire Stone would like to wish everybody a very Happy Christmas, Yule, Hanukah, or celebration of your choice.
Oh, and a Morph-free New Year
Very exciting, as this is the first event of this size we have been to.
We're hoping to bring along books from other great steampunk authors, and there may even be an Underland related surprise. More later.
And, on a side note, R B Harkess, Metaphoric Media, and Claire Stone would like to wish everybody a very Happy Christmas, Yule, Hanukah, or celebration of your choice.
Oh, and a Morph-free New Year
December 8, 2014
Review: A Conspiracy of Alchemists (Liesel Schwarz)
The opening line to this book is a superb hook: "This was the place where people came to give their souls to fairies." I settled back, confident that I was in for a good read.
Ms Schwarz paints elegant, delicate scenes, and I loved her technology. One of the problems with steampunk is getting rid of the coal in a way that is a) believable and b) someone hasn't already used it. Ms Schwarz managed both, and wove in clever elements of magic. In terms of world-building, I was ensnared.
Sadly, I gave up around page 200, because I simply couldn't engage with the male or female lead characters. I found both a curious combination of too intense and yet not credible, and ended up not being able to deal with the female lead's moral outrage at yet another scene where she was being predictably manipulated by the male lead. They put me in mind of cartoon characters I once saw by french animator Sylvain Chomet.
The book had great potential. Others, perhaps who like larger than life characters, or who dont have a four foot hight 'to read' pile, may love it.
Ms Schwarz paints elegant, delicate scenes, and I loved her technology. One of the problems with steampunk is getting rid of the coal in a way that is a) believable and b) someone hasn't already used it. Ms Schwarz managed both, and wove in clever elements of magic. In terms of world-building, I was ensnared.
Sadly, I gave up around page 200, because I simply couldn't engage with the male or female lead characters. I found both a curious combination of too intense and yet not credible, and ended up not being able to deal with the female lead's moral outrage at yet another scene where she was being predictably manipulated by the male lead. They put me in mind of cartoon characters I once saw by french animator Sylvain Chomet.
The book had great potential. Others, perhaps who like larger than life characters, or who dont have a four foot hight 'to read' pile, may love it.
November 28, 2014
An unexpected trip through time
At BristolCon this year, I harvested some very speculative books from the 'free' table, as well as a couple of gems. One of these was by Clifford D Simak, and was called 'Space Engineers'. What an eye opener.
Simak is one of the 'Golden Age' writers, although the definition of exactly when the golden age was is open to argument. The only thing I could remember reading of his was 'Shakespeare Planet' where a disparate group of travellers, mapping the apparently random star-tunnels, get trapped on a world were the tunnel has no controller. I figured I as in for a similar bet with Space Engineers. Did I ever get a surprise.
Now, I have to admit (slightly shamefacedly) that my first affair with SF involved a gent by the name of E E 'Doc' Smith. He's famous principally for the seven Lensman books, or perhaps the four books of the Skylark series. I lived it. I all but memorised it. Only when I was quite a bit older did I realise that it was the most hackneyed, corny space opera ever written across decades from the '30s to the '60s. Having said he was corny, in 1966 the Lensman series was only beaten out of the World Science Fiction Conventions 'Best All Time Series' by ............ Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series.
So here was the shock. 'Space Engineers' was terrible! Honestly. It was the worst of jingoistic American space opera, mixed with insubstantial science and huge doses of Deus ex machina. It was barely a novella in length, and had cardboard cut-out characters with square jaws and the right stuff, or coming over like a cross Barbara Bain in Space:1999 and Jessica Rabbit.
And still I read it from end to end and enjoyed every moment, spun back through time to a freezing cold bedroom, the blankets propped over my head, reading by torch after lights out and poking my head out when I started to run out of oxygen. Nostalgia is a funny thing.
Simak is one of the 'Golden Age' writers, although the definition of exactly when the golden age was is open to argument. The only thing I could remember reading of his was 'Shakespeare Planet' where a disparate group of travellers, mapping the apparently random star-tunnels, get trapped on a world were the tunnel has no controller. I figured I as in for a similar bet with Space Engineers. Did I ever get a surprise.
Now, I have to admit (slightly shamefacedly) that my first affair with SF involved a gent by the name of E E 'Doc' Smith. He's famous principally for the seven Lensman books, or perhaps the four books of the Skylark series. I lived it. I all but memorised it. Only when I was quite a bit older did I realise that it was the most hackneyed, corny space opera ever written across decades from the '30s to the '60s. Having said he was corny, in 1966 the Lensman series was only beaten out of the World Science Fiction Conventions 'Best All Time Series' by ............ Isaac Asimov's Foundation Series.
So here was the shock. 'Space Engineers' was terrible! Honestly. It was the worst of jingoistic American space opera, mixed with insubstantial science and huge doses of Deus ex machina. It was barely a novella in length, and had cardboard cut-out characters with square jaws and the right stuff, or coming over like a cross Barbara Bain in Space:1999 and Jessica Rabbit.
And still I read it from end to end and enjoyed every moment, spun back through time to a freezing cold bedroom, the blankets propped over my head, reading by torch after lights out and poking my head out when I started to run out of oxygen. Nostalgia is a funny thing.
November 16, 2014
Great advice for writers
I was browsing the blog of Xchyler publishing and saw this image in a selection of sage sayings from their various writers. It left me absolutely helpless with laughter for several minutes, much to the irritation of my partner and the confusion of one of my cats .
November 8, 2014
Maverick by Robert Harkess - out now
They settled their world hundreds of years ago, turning their backs on technology, closing the Gate behind them. When their children began to develop impossible powers they rejoiced and called them Golden – until they took over. Now the Golden are fearedElanor comes to her powers not as a child, but as a young woman – a Maverick. The Golden are rumoured to do terrible things to Mavericks, so Elanor runs.Anatol has travelled from the home world, decades of suspended animation, to stop the Gate malfunctioning and destroying both worlds. He and Elanor collide, and form an uneasy truce of science and magicMetaphoric Media and Robert Harkess are excited to announce that Maverick is now available on Amazon.
'Maverick' is a new writing direction for Robert. Previously known for his Young Adult books Warrior Stone: Underland and Aphrodite's Dawn, this is his first foray in mainstream writing
UK Paperback UK Kindle US Paperback US Kindle
November 4, 2014
The Evolution of Reading Habits
I've recently been pulled in by 'Stormcaller', by Tom Lloyd. Its Epic Fantasy, which normally just doesn't do it for me any more. In fact, I'd binned two similar books immediately before it, trying to clear space on my 'To Read' shelf for whatever swag I could lift from BristolCon.
Epic Fantasy is something I just don't get into these days. I used to. I used to consume it voraciously. I would read Lord of the Rings in three days, or the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant in a week. Multi-book things were reading of choice.
But that was back in the Nineties. Channel 4 was new and edgy, and CD's were only just coming out. I had an Amstrad Word Processor, because there was no Internet, and PCs were still only in offices. I had two hours of commute, and nothing worth watching on the TV. Books were everything.
Now, I have fifteen minutes a night before I go to sleep. If I have free time, I'm usually writing, or editing, or doing something related to the production of books. I just found out there are five books in Lloyds series. That's almost a whole year of reading for me, and I have 26 books on my 'To Read' shelf.
So I may not even bother to finish this book, now I know there are five of them. The probability of reading the rest of them (and it looks as though #5 may not even be the final part) is vanishingly remote - not because they are no good, but because I don't have the time.
I may have to reassess.
Epic Fantasy is something I just don't get into these days. I used to. I used to consume it voraciously. I would read Lord of the Rings in three days, or the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant in a week. Multi-book things were reading of choice.
But that was back in the Nineties. Channel 4 was new and edgy, and CD's were only just coming out. I had an Amstrad Word Processor, because there was no Internet, and PCs were still only in offices. I had two hours of commute, and nothing worth watching on the TV. Books were everything.
Now, I have fifteen minutes a night before I go to sleep. If I have free time, I'm usually writing, or editing, or doing something related to the production of books. I just found out there are five books in Lloyds series. That's almost a whole year of reading for me, and I have 26 books on my 'To Read' shelf.
So I may not even bother to finish this book, now I know there are five of them. The probability of reading the rest of them (and it looks as though #5 may not even be the final part) is vanishingly remote - not because they are no good, but because I don't have the time.
I may have to reassess.
October 28, 2014
Another astonishing BristolCon
A day or two late, but I've really only just managed to get my head together.
Sadly this was the first BristolCon I've ever had a negative thing happen to me, and have to say one of the panels I was on was disappointingly not as inclusive or well-mannered as I would normally expect, but on the whole, it was again utterly awesome, and I loved it.
I even got a new badge his year (I'm trying to collect a full set). All I did was say I would help out a bit here and there, and I got a STAFF badge. Honoured! Especially when an unofficial 'Minion' badge was added. I feel I was reasonably successful, as I heard no reports of the Art Room displays falling down.
For me, BristolCon has always been as much about the people you meet as the wonderful panels, art and trade rooms. This year was no disappointment; Adrian Tchaikovsky is an absolute gentleman as well as an excellent author, and Paul Cornell an amusing and engaging conversationalist. I was also lucky enough to meet Snorri Kristjansan (excellent, funny panelist) Anne Lyle, and Jacey Bedford. Gareth L Powell and Roz Clarke were also great to share panel-space with.
I was also really impressed by the Art GoH Julian Quaye (www.julianquaye.co.uk). Unusual and beautiful images well worth a look.
Next years GoHs have been announced as Jaine Fenn (good to have on your team at the pub quiz and a 'must' if she is doing a reading) and I think (apols if wrong) Jasper fforde. Not sure who the Artist GoH will be, but I've never been disappointed yet.
A WORD OF WARNING: BristolCon will be EARLY next year, thanks to FantasyCon deciding to muscle in on our date. We could have taken them on, but we dont want anyone to say we cant be flexible. September, not October.
Sadly this was the first BristolCon I've ever had a negative thing happen to me, and have to say one of the panels I was on was disappointingly not as inclusive or well-mannered as I would normally expect, but on the whole, it was again utterly awesome, and I loved it.
I even got a new badge his year (I'm trying to collect a full set). All I did was say I would help out a bit here and there, and I got a STAFF badge. Honoured! Especially when an unofficial 'Minion' badge was added. I feel I was reasonably successful, as I heard no reports of the Art Room displays falling down.
For me, BristolCon has always been as much about the people you meet as the wonderful panels, art and trade rooms. This year was no disappointment; Adrian Tchaikovsky is an absolute gentleman as well as an excellent author, and Paul Cornell an amusing and engaging conversationalist. I was also lucky enough to meet Snorri Kristjansan (excellent, funny panelist) Anne Lyle, and Jacey Bedford. Gareth L Powell and Roz Clarke were also great to share panel-space with.
I was also really impressed by the Art GoH Julian Quaye (www.julianquaye.co.uk). Unusual and beautiful images well worth a look.
Next years GoHs have been announced as Jaine Fenn (good to have on your team at the pub quiz and a 'must' if she is doing a reading) and I think (apols if wrong) Jasper fforde. Not sure who the Artist GoH will be, but I've never been disappointed yet.
A WORD OF WARNING: BristolCon will be EARLY next year, thanks to FantasyCon deciding to muscle in on our date. We could have taken them on, but we dont want anyone to say we cant be flexible. September, not October.
