Rob Wickings's Blog, page 47
December 24, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: Attack Of The Ion Storm! (Part 2)
HOLY SMOKES! CycloMedia is getting worse, and the situation becomes ever more desperate for our hapless duo. As the ship is lashed by energetic particles, the question has to be asked… could this really be the end for the Ulysses?
Rob and Clive review:
Attack Of The Crab Monsters
The Atomic Submarine
Arena
The Astronaut’s Wife
Abraxas, Guardian Of The Universe
December 18, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: Attack Of The Ion Storm! (Part One)
OH NO! Rob and Clive have piloted the Ulysses right bang slap into the middle of an ion storm! With energetic particles scrambling CycloMedia’s logic circuits, the deranged AI is stuck in a recursive loop, demanding more and more input.
Can our hapless heroes snap CycloMedia out of it before the radiation fries them all?
Rob and Clive review:
After Earth
Avatar
AVP: Alien Vs. Predator
AVP: Requiem
Attack Of The Puppet People
December 11, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: A Is For Alien Resurrection
The red-headed stepchild of the Alien franchise gets a brisk going-over from Rob and Clive. Surrealist French director meets a series that badly needed a shot in the arm. It’s pretty out there. Worryingly, they find lots to like in Alien Resurrection. Have they been out in the depths of space maybe that little bit too long?
December 8, 2015
Blast-off! Launching Pirates Of The Moon
Yesterday was pretty momentous for me. It saw the long-awaited release of my second novel, Pirates Of The Moon. Finally, oh my lovely Readership, you get a chance to read my first foray into long-form science fiction.
A little background, I think. Pirates Of The Moon was initially drafted for Nanowrimo in 2011, following a conversation in which a misheard phrase became the title. I've dedicated Pirates to the man who delivered that phrase, my mate Mahdi Hastie. The first full draft was finished through the spring and summer of 2012, before going into the long, slow process of rewriting. When did I finally finish? Well, to be honest, there's still bits I could pick away at. But you have to let your stories fly eventually.
Notes on the plot. Pirates Of The Moon introduces the world of Aurora Armstrong. A headstrong junior orbital pilot, she flies the Foxfire Five, a freighter that also serves as the family home for her, her dad Nils and little brother Dash. Something has happened to her mum, who is the main pilot of the ship. That means Aurora (her friends call her Rory) has to take on a lot of responsibility very quickly. It's a difficult atmosphere,, and Rory is struggling.
Then the Foxfire runs into an asteroid storm, and everything changes in an instant. Rory and Dash are suddenly homeless, stranded far from help and chased down by a madman called Janke Van Hoek, who has one aim–to take the moon for himself and his crew. Rory and Dash have a fight on their hands against the erstwhile Pirate King Of The Moon!
I wanted to do a couple of things with Pirates. Firstly, I wanted to write a young adult book that wasn't a dystopia, and that referenced the stories I loved as a kid–the YA books of Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton, Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles and, perhaps the strongest influence, Brian Earnshaw's Dragonfall 5 books. Secondly, I wanted to see if I could write a believable female lead who wasn't just a boy in disguise. I hope I've succeeded, but I guess you'll have to be the judge of that.
Do you like the cover? I'm really pleased with it. A deliberate homage to the cover of Hergé's classic Tintin book Explorers On The Moon, it's been beautifully put together by artist Mark Stroud. We think it's a triumph, and can't recommend Mark enough for all your book design needs.
I need to drop a few thank yous. To the Coopers, in particular Lily, who was kind enough to do a test reading for the target audience. To Clive Ashenden, who as always brought focus and clarity. And to Rob Maythorne, the man behind Verse Publishing, without which this wouldn't have happened. Well, not in this form, anyway.
What next? Well, the book dropped yesterday, so this is where the real work starts. I'll be pushing it on the usual social channels, and Verse have an actual honest to god advertising campaign up and running. But really, Rob and I just want you to read Pirates Of The Moon, and let us know what you think. And, more importantly, if you love it, to let other people know. You can leave reviews and star ratings on Amazon, which can help a book sell no end. Spread the word!
It's a strange feeling to spend years on something, quietly and privately honing it, then releasing it into the world with the clear understanding that it isn't yours anymore. My name's on the cover, but Pirates Of The Moon belongs to you now. Treat it nice, eh?
Where can you get it? Why, right here…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pirates-Moon-Aurora-Armstrong-Trilogy/dp/1519595514
December 4, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: A Is For Alien3
Controversy on the Ulysses, as Rob confesses a sneaking admiration for David Fincher’s bleak take on the Alien franchise. Can Clive talk him back to his senses, or does our noble astrogator have a point?
One thing’s for sure: this time, it’s personal.
November 27, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: A Is For Aliens
What can you say about James Cameron’s classic reinvention of the Alien mythos that hasn’t already been said?
Well, nothing, really, but Rob and Clive will give it the ol’ college try. Ripley as Final Girl? The themes of motherhood? Sure, why not, we’ll give it a go.
It’s not Game Over quite yet…
November 20, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: A Is For The Authority
A highly influential take on the notion of the superhero team that would arguably lead to the cinematic version of The Avengers that we know and like quite a bit. But who are The Authority, and why should we care?
Rob, Clive and CycloMedia lay out the characters and story beats of a comics series that still has a lot of bite.
November 13, 2015
The A To Z Of SFF: A Is For Armageddon
Rob really does not like Armageddon. Can Clive persuade him to the merits of the Bay-buster, or is this one going down like an asteroid the size of Texas? Join our intrepid pair of trivianauts and deranged AI CycloMedia as they spend some time in Bruckheimer-Space.
Here’s a taste of the Bay-tastic style of the movie…
November 11, 2015
Fodderblog: The Best Balls Ever!
As part of Rob's Attempt To Get Back On Track with His Writing, I intend to ease myself in gently. It's been a while since I posted a recipe. And this one, my Lovely Readership, is a doozy.
I love meatballs. With spaghetti, or some cubetti potatoes, and of course slathered in a rich tomato sauce, they're an easy midweek supper. But they're surprisingly easy to make, and you know exactly what goes into them. Let me walk you through the creaton of the best meatballs you'll ever eat.
The meat is pork and chicken. To be precise, pork shoulder and chicken thighs. Both have enough fat in them to add tons of flavour and, more importantly, hold together without the need for breadcrumbs, eggs or other binders. All they need is a little care in construction.
I'm lucky enough to have a mincer attachment for our K-Mix, last year's Bake-Off inspired Christmas present. It's become a handy tool to take really cheap cuts of meat and make flavour-packed burgers and sausages. Meatballs are even easier. I added some sorry looking herbs from the supermarket (basil and parsley in this case, but thyme and sage would work fantastically), and ground away.
If you don't have flash-boy toys, go ask a butcher to do the chopping. They'll be happy to help.
While I was mincing, I had a couple of finely sliced leeks and a couple of cloves of garlic sizzling slowly in a pan. Once soft and fragrant, I let the veg cool a bit before squishing it into the pork and chicken mix. Don't mash it up too heavily, but make sure everything is well mixed. Add some salt and pepper, then gently form into glorious globes of gorgeousness.
Now the important bit. Clingfilm the balls, and stick them in the fridge for at least an hour. It'll help them to hold their shape. You notice that I've put them on baking trays over baking parchment. There's a good reason for that.
When you're ready to cook your balls, pop them in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 25 mins, turning them halfway through. They'll leak out some oil while cooking, which will help them develop a fragile crust. Don't fiddle with 'em too much and they'll keep their shape and take care of themselves.
If you're thinking ahead, you'll have some cubed potatoes in the oven already, so that when the dinner gong goes you can whip something out of the oven that looks like this:
Now we're talking. Serve with a simple chunky tomato sauce, that's all you need. The meatballs are fragrant, herby and meaty without feeling too heavy, textured without feeling gritty, deeply flavoured without being greasy. I am dead chuffed with these little beauties, and I recommend you give them a go. A tasty autumnal treat!
(It has been drawn to my attention that some of you fnd the word “balls” inexplicibly hilarious. I have also been accused of pandering to said lowest-common denominator in this piece. I really don't know what you're on about. There's nothing wrong with popping a hot pair of balls in your mouth and noshing away).
November 9, 2015
Humblebraggery
I tend not to talk about The Day Job on X&HT. I’m always aware of the potential downfalls of letting things slip about the paid gig, particularly if things aren’t going so well. But for once, I’ve had a couple of bits of good news, so I figured I should share them with you.
(Also, of course, yr. humble author is aware that the blog has been of late little more than a shop front for The A To Z Of SFF. Will work on trying to retweak the balance, honest guv).
First up, there’s been news of a rediscovered piece of cinematic history, as a 1928 short, “Sleigh Bells”, featuring Oswald the Rabbit has been unearthed by the BFI. What’s the big deal? Well, Oswald is the precursor to a certain famous cartoon mouse. You know the one. Red shorts. Ears that point the same way no matter which way his head’s pointing.
The 4K scans on this bit of 16mm print that some sharp-eyed researcher dug up from the vaults was carried out by yours truly. To give you an idea of the sort of resolution I was working at, 4K is normally the preserve of the biggest of big-budget blockbusters. It’s a slow process, which has to take place at a glacial six frames per second. However, the end result is good enough to be projected in cinemas–which is exactly what’s happening this Christmas. It will be screened on 12th December as part of a programme of Disney shorts at the BFI Southbank. It’s something of a big deal, and I’m pleased and proud to have been involved in the project.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34711495
Meanwhile, documentarian Chris Barnett interviewed me as part of his MA for a short film he’s making on the subject of colour. We chatted in the bowels of Bristol University’s Film Department, amongst old clip bins and Steenbeck film editing flatbeds. I don’t often sit on the other side of the camera, and wasn’t convinced that I was doing that well. Chris, however, seemed happy enough, to the point where he restarted the cameras after the end of the shoot to catch some more of my stream-of-consciousness ramblings.
Here, see what you think.
There’s more of the interviews that Chris shot for his project on his site, The Dark Art Of Light. I recommend it if you want more insight into the strange world in which I make a living. Oh, and kudos to him for getting a distinction in his MA. I’m sure it was down to me…
Finally, I was floored to find out that my interview was featured as the opening link on this week’s Tao Of Color newsletter, which goes out to the colourist community every week. Humbled, flattered, and frankly a little scared now.
There, enough bragging for one week, don’t you think?
