R.B. Harkess's Blog, page 6
October 22, 2014
Pre-BristolCon musings
I have upset my cats. They do not approve of me pacing backwards and forwards, practising my reading for BristolCon.
I forgot how challenging readings can be. Trying to find a self-contained, exciting, interesting excerpt of about a thousand worlds is trickier than it sounds, and you really have to practise reading it. It has to be almost automatic, or you dont get a chance to look up at the audience who have (hopefully) gifted you with their time.
So, please feel free to drop by the Doubletree Hotel, this Saturday at 16.45 in room 2, where I shall regale you with a thousand words of Warrior Stone: Underland
Now, if only I had time to prep something for the open mic session.....
I forgot how challenging readings can be. Trying to find a self-contained, exciting, interesting excerpt of about a thousand worlds is trickier than it sounds, and you really have to practise reading it. It has to be almost automatic, or you dont get a chance to look up at the audience who have (hopefully) gifted you with their time.
So, please feel free to drop by the Doubletree Hotel, this Saturday at 16.45 in room 2, where I shall regale you with a thousand words of Warrior Stone: Underland
Now, if only I had time to prep something for the open mic session.....
October 17, 2014
I'm a baaaad man
Three months without a post. I'm really not trying, am I. Soz
I have been having half the house ripped apart, a new kitchen put in, and various other 'stuff' going on though. Sort of an excuse. Can't believe I didn't even blog about my steampunk adventures at Lincoln in September. Have a look on my facebook page for those, if you're interested.
So, news. Most important is BristolCon. My favourite con of the year (although Weekend at the Asylum came pretty close). Saturday October 25, at the Doubletree Hotel (five minutes walk from Temple Meads Station).
They have been kind enough to let me play again: I am moderating a panel on writing problems at 11.00, doing a reading from Warrior Stone: Underland at 16.50, and am on a panel discussing social classes in steampunk at 19.00. Load of brilliant panels, a great trade room, and an eye-popping art show if you are in the area.
Warrior Stone: Underland will be on sale at the Convention book stall
I have been having half the house ripped apart, a new kitchen put in, and various other 'stuff' going on though. Sort of an excuse. Can't believe I didn't even blog about my steampunk adventures at Lincoln in September. Have a look on my facebook page for those, if you're interested.
So, news. Most important is BristolCon. My favourite con of the year (although Weekend at the Asylum came pretty close). Saturday October 25, at the Doubletree Hotel (five minutes walk from Temple Meads Station).
They have been kind enough to let me play again: I am moderating a panel on writing problems at 11.00, doing a reading from Warrior Stone: Underland at 16.50, and am on a panel discussing social classes in steampunk at 19.00. Load of brilliant panels, a great trade room, and an eye-popping art show if you are in the area.
Warrior Stone: Underland will be on sale at the Convention book stall
May 22, 2014
Great review for Warrior Stone
A recent great Amazon reviews for Warrior Stone.C Horner (thank you C) says 'Stone Rocks', and adds:
“Warrior Stone : Underland” is reminiscent of Neverwhere, and if you liked that you’re likely to enjoy this. Harkess has put a lot of thought into the world he’s created, with the different races; the bureaucratic, cunning Grenlix, the Hrund who provide the muscle, the dangerous, scarcely-seen Angels, who are in no way angelic. He has also done a very good job of getting inside the head of an awkward teenage girl – Claire might be flitting between the Real and Underland, but the problems she encounters in both realms will be familiar to all, from school bullying to embarrassing encounters with attractive boys."
Review: 'Graham's Charlotte' by Drew Farnsworth
Well that was refreshing. Bumped into this entirely by accident, and so glad I did. Now, I dont do summaries of the story (too much chance of spoilers and others have already told the tale), but let me tell you what I thought about the book.
Its a spy adventure/techno-thriller. Whilst its set in a school environment, it neatly avoids most of the cliches and stereotypes of the location (unlike ‘I am Number 4’), and actually turns several of them on their heads. The strong female lead is not so unusual in YA, but Mads is believable and appealing in her uncertainty.
The style reminds me strongly of Malorie Blackman (especially her collection ‘Deadly Dare Mysteries’), or Kimberly Pauley’s ‘Sucks to be Me’ books. The action is tight paced, the secondary characters dense enough not to feel like cardboard cut-outs, and whilst the book touches on schoolyard politics, it doesn’t dwell on them or get bogged down in unnecessary romance.
My only gripe with the book is the title. It does make sense within the context of the book, but its not descriptive or indicative of the content. Dont let it put you off.
Quite my most enjoyable YA read since ‘Shift’ by Kim Curran. Recommended
Its a spy adventure/techno-thriller. Whilst its set in a school environment, it neatly avoids most of the cliches and stereotypes of the location (unlike ‘I am Number 4’), and actually turns several of them on their heads. The strong female lead is not so unusual in YA, but Mads is believable and appealing in her uncertainty.
The style reminds me strongly of Malorie Blackman (especially her collection ‘Deadly Dare Mysteries’), or Kimberly Pauley’s ‘Sucks to be Me’ books. The action is tight paced, the secondary characters dense enough not to feel like cardboard cut-outs, and whilst the book touches on schoolyard politics, it doesn’t dwell on them or get bogged down in unnecessary romance.
My only gripe with the book is the title. It does make sense within the context of the book, but its not descriptive or indicative of the content. Dont let it put you off.
Quite my most enjoyable YA read since ‘Shift’ by Kim Curran. Recommended
May 11, 2014
Warrior Stone: Underland Available Now
I am absolutely delighted to announce that my latest novel, Warrior Stone: Underland is now available as an ebook from Amazon. Paperback to follow soon.
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Underland is a twisted copy of The Real that uses industrialised magic to power a weird mix of stolen technology. It’s just enough like The Real to make travellers over-confident and get them into trouble. Which is just what happened when Claire Stone accidentally falls through rushing home one night. Claire is offered a job as a Warrior, hunting down and destroying shape shifting monsters.What adventure-hungry lover of fantasy could refuse? Everything seems great, until a friend goes missing and the Warrior has to turn Hunter.
Cover Art by Linzi Goldstone
April 25, 2014
First Review for "Warrior Stone: Underland"
A big thank you to Tony Lane for my first review of "Warrior Stone: Underland". I've copied the text for this post, but you can see the original here
The cover art for this book is by Linzi Goldstone. It is quite simple at first glance but it really does put you inside the story. The subtle steampunk hints are in the art and similarly woven in to the story. Except things are not steam powered. There is a magical field in the Underland.I’d much rather teenagers read books like this rather than ones about sparkly vampires. Underland is a place between worlds. A magical yet industrialized realm tantalizingly close to this one. Only children can jump between realms and they act as guardians against the encroachment from the other side of the Underland.I usually have a pretty good idea what’s going to happen when I read a book but this one keeps you guessing until the end. Don’t expect everything to be resolved though. The ending closes off the story nicely but it certainly feels like the first in a series. I still have plenty of questions that I’d like answering.The characters in this book are believable and real (as much as magic using dimension shifting teenagers can be). I found this book to be a refreshing change of pace from my usual reads. It is bright and positive in a way that left me feeling better about life.Oh and Evie is every bit the kick-ass heroine without the need for overt sexuality or reliance on a male.
The cover art for this book is by Linzi Goldstone. It is quite simple at first glance but it really does put you inside the story. The subtle steampunk hints are in the art and similarly woven in to the story. Except things are not steam powered. There is a magical field in the Underland.I’d much rather teenagers read books like this rather than ones about sparkly vampires. Underland is a place between worlds. A magical yet industrialized realm tantalizingly close to this one. Only children can jump between realms and they act as guardians against the encroachment from the other side of the Underland.I usually have a pretty good idea what’s going to happen when I read a book but this one keeps you guessing until the end. Don’t expect everything to be resolved though. The ending closes off the story nicely but it certainly feels like the first in a series. I still have plenty of questions that I’d like answering.The characters in this book are believable and real (as much as magic using dimension shifting teenagers can be). I found this book to be a refreshing change of pace from my usual reads. It is bright and positive in a way that left me feeling better about life.Oh and Evie is every bit the kick-ass heroine without the need for overt sexuality or reliance on a male.
April 16, 2014
Cover Reveal! Warrior Stone
Cover art by Linzi Goldstone.Published by Fox Spirit 30th April 2014
Inexpressibly excited about this one. Fox Spirit are a bright and vibrant publishers, and a great fit for this book. I hope to publish many more with them.
Warrior Stone Underland is a steampunk/urban fantasy adventure for all ages, but especially the 12-years-and-over reader.
March 18, 2014
Amsterdam's Silent Menace
Their NestAmsterdam. Quiet, apart from the scaffolding-clang bells of the trams and the gentle chuckling of dope-heads in the cafes. So quiet you would think you would hear them coming. But no, they make no more than a whirr, a whisper, or sometimes a soft tinkle as the buggers come out of nowhere and try to knock you over as you cross the road.
Bloody cyclists!
Everybody knows Amsterdam is the cycling capital of Europe. The picture is of a multi-storey bike park adjacent to Central Station. A multi-storey bike park. Just think how many bikes must be in their. They are chained to every bridge, every railing. They have bike parks under the canal bridges. They are everywhere.
Thing is, Amsterdam is held up as being a paragon of 'the bike'. And it is. Bike have their own lane almost everywhere, although they do have to share it with uncouth mopeds. Super safe. Their accident rate must be next to nothing. For the cyclists.
For the pedestrians, its a different matter. Roads are six lanes wide; bike/car/tram/tram/car/bike. In fairness they have many light controlled crossings, which sounds good until you realise that cyclists in Amsterdam ignore them with even more enthusiasm than our home-grown breed do.
It is almost as though the extra authority given to cyclists in Amsterdam has gone to their heads. When the cycle lane is busy, they happily ride on what little pavement there is left for foot traffic. Zebra crossings they don't even acknowledge.
In all seriousness, I found it quite intimidating. I injured my neck trying to figure out which way I should be looking for threats each time I crossed the road - because they seem to go both ways along each cycle lane.
I'm all for making things safer on the roads, but surely it needs to be safer for everybody, not just for the single-interest group shouting loudest at the moment. Amsterdam is a living example that solving the bike problem is not just about giving cyclists somewhere safe to ride, but also in the still-unaddressed arena of forcing them to be responsible for their own safety and that of others.
Sadly, seems that wherever you are, that is still something being ignored.
March 7, 2014
Individual Cases
I am so fed up with hearing those two words, and knowing that they are being used as a cop-out by someone in a position of authority.
Immigration department ministers who wont discuss a family they are persecuting, or why they wont eject a murderer from another country.
The (so called) justice system being caught out in another miscarriage, or the police afraid to acknowledge they let another vulnerable person die in custody.
Hospitals killing patients through neglect.
Admittedly, it's not all the time, but its often enough to announce that somebody has done something embarrassing and they are trying to get out of talking about it.
The latest one is facebook. A Facebook group (unnamed) abused 14 year old Izzy Dix, who hung herself last year. Now trolls from the same group are targeting the child's mother. The police are being their usual (in)efficient selves when it comes to technology crimes and - although facebook have removed the group - their line is that they dont comment on individual pages.
Wouldn't it be nice if all the weasley evaders and liars were forced to talk about the individual stuff. After all, that's what we are - individuals. Policies dont matter, nobody ever sticks to them. Surely what matters to us is how we are treated.
Us
Individuals
Immigration department ministers who wont discuss a family they are persecuting, or why they wont eject a murderer from another country.
The (so called) justice system being caught out in another miscarriage, or the police afraid to acknowledge they let another vulnerable person die in custody.
Hospitals killing patients through neglect.
Admittedly, it's not all the time, but its often enough to announce that somebody has done something embarrassing and they are trying to get out of talking about it.
The latest one is facebook. A Facebook group (unnamed) abused 14 year old Izzy Dix, who hung herself last year. Now trolls from the same group are targeting the child's mother. The police are being their usual (in)efficient selves when it comes to technology crimes and - although facebook have removed the group - their line is that they dont comment on individual pages.
Wouldn't it be nice if all the weasley evaders and liars were forced to talk about the individual stuff. After all, that's what we are - individuals. Policies dont matter, nobody ever sticks to them. Surely what matters to us is how we are treated.
Us
Individuals
February 24, 2014
Celebrity Witch Hunt
I'll get this out right away. I have no sympathy for people who predate on women and children, sexually or otherwise, and they should be prosecuted wherever possible.
But (you knew that was coming, didn't you)
I cannot agree with the current witch-hunt being propagated by the police and the CPS against middle grade celebs.
Leaving the Saville issue aside for the moment, lets consider a few of the more absurd points of these attempted prosecutions.
First, I'm sorry but I defy anybody to honestly be able to recall an event that happened 40 years ago with sufficient clarity to base a criminal prosecution on it.
Second, much of what is being held up as sexual harassment or assault is being measured against today's norms of acceptable behaviour. Regardless of the legal view, much of what is being classed as a crime in these cases was considered acceptable practise at the time the act was committed. In my mind, this violates natural justice.
Third, the argument 'well he was a famous celeb, nobody would listen to me' is utter rubbish. The police might not have, but the papers would have torn into any of the celebs currently being tried/charged with glee in a feeding frenzy of supposition and innuendo, with only the slightest hint of verification to the story.
These three considerations make the prosecutions of DLT and Bill Roach, and I suspect Freddie Star and Rolf Harris an utter mockery of the legal system.
Its even more of a mockery if you accept the significant probability that of them were intended to be followed up by civil cases for extensive compensation. And there surely has to be a strong, if not compelling argument to suggest that in the VAST majority of the cases brought against the men listed above, and even against Saville, the prospect of a payout is the driving force behind the accusations. Over a hundred people are today making representation in the High Court to strip the CHARITABLE TRUST of a man never found guilty of a crime except by the media.
I know my wording it that way will annoy some people, but it is a fact, and its absurd that these people may be able to get a payout on no more proof than it is more probable than not that Saville was a bad man. Given that it is not the man who is to be stripped, but the trust he set up to benefit others (regardless of motivation), I have to conclude this is wrong. I make no defence of Saville, and suspect that there is no smoke without fire, but raiding a charitable trust for personal gain is also questionable.
And yet the real tragedy in all this is those who had been truly assaulted. I am not talking about 'he stood too close to me' or 'he put his hand on my arm and left it there too long' (both Saville accusations). That's not assault. I'm referring to those who were genuinely hurt, and who need help and closure. Their needs, their truth, is being drowned out by the feeding frenzy of low-lives who see an opportunity to work the system and milk themselves some compo.
Sadly, while we continue to accept and promote the compensation culture exported by the USA, this sort of thing will keep happening, and justice will continue to be overshadowed by potential personal profit.
But (you knew that was coming, didn't you)
I cannot agree with the current witch-hunt being propagated by the police and the CPS against middle grade celebs.
Leaving the Saville issue aside for the moment, lets consider a few of the more absurd points of these attempted prosecutions.
First, I'm sorry but I defy anybody to honestly be able to recall an event that happened 40 years ago with sufficient clarity to base a criminal prosecution on it.
Second, much of what is being held up as sexual harassment or assault is being measured against today's norms of acceptable behaviour. Regardless of the legal view, much of what is being classed as a crime in these cases was considered acceptable practise at the time the act was committed. In my mind, this violates natural justice.
Third, the argument 'well he was a famous celeb, nobody would listen to me' is utter rubbish. The police might not have, but the papers would have torn into any of the celebs currently being tried/charged with glee in a feeding frenzy of supposition and innuendo, with only the slightest hint of verification to the story.
These three considerations make the prosecutions of DLT and Bill Roach, and I suspect Freddie Star and Rolf Harris an utter mockery of the legal system.
Its even more of a mockery if you accept the significant probability that of them were intended to be followed up by civil cases for extensive compensation. And there surely has to be a strong, if not compelling argument to suggest that in the VAST majority of the cases brought against the men listed above, and even against Saville, the prospect of a payout is the driving force behind the accusations. Over a hundred people are today making representation in the High Court to strip the CHARITABLE TRUST of a man never found guilty of a crime except by the media.
I know my wording it that way will annoy some people, but it is a fact, and its absurd that these people may be able to get a payout on no more proof than it is more probable than not that Saville was a bad man. Given that it is not the man who is to be stripped, but the trust he set up to benefit others (regardless of motivation), I have to conclude this is wrong. I make no defence of Saville, and suspect that there is no smoke without fire, but raiding a charitable trust for personal gain is also questionable.
And yet the real tragedy in all this is those who had been truly assaulted. I am not talking about 'he stood too close to me' or 'he put his hand on my arm and left it there too long' (both Saville accusations). That's not assault. I'm referring to those who were genuinely hurt, and who need help and closure. Their needs, their truth, is being drowned out by the feeding frenzy of low-lives who see an opportunity to work the system and milk themselves some compo.
Sadly, while we continue to accept and promote the compensation culture exported by the USA, this sort of thing will keep happening, and justice will continue to be overshadowed by potential personal profit.
