Graham Downs's Blog, page 27

Crossword Puzzle - February 2016

I said in December that there would be no more monthly crossword puzzles. Nobody had asked me about them in quite some time, never mind actually entered. When I announced in my monthly newsletter (P.S. you can get a free book if you sign up) that I was saying goodbye to the monthly feature, nobody seemed to notice.

If you've been missing them, well then, you're in luck! Last week, I received an e-mail from a reader who'd just discovered me and my books, and said that they'd been browsing my blog, and couldn't wait for the next crossword puzzle.

Well, dear reader, your wish is my command! Simply complete the following crossword puzzle, and e-mail me your answers to graham@grahamdowns.co.za before Tuesday, 22 March 2016. That's the date on which I will be posting the answers. If you were the first person to send me the correct answers before that date, I'll mention you in that blog post.

Sound simple enough? Well, what are you waiting for? Go!


Across
1 40% of a hectare (4)
5 Afrikaans boss (4)
7 French vineyard (3)
8 1910 Kentucky Derby winner (5)
9 A-sketch (4)
11 Type of grenade (4)
15 Viscous, sticky stuff (3)
16 On an angel's head (4)
17 Phase of water (3)
19 American naval legal drama (3)
20 Batti - Indian romantic film (5)
22 Melvins album (5)
25 What the cow says (3)
26 Quick drink (3)
27 Sealed in blood (4)
28 Of sunlight (3)
30 Young cow (4)
33 Knots (4)
36 South African music group (5)
37 Serious promise (3)
38 Made by spiders (4)
39 For seeing inside your body (4)

Down
1 Plural of is (3)
2 With a knife (3)
3 MtG card, aka the Commander (3)
4 Get a room here (3)
5 Species of toad (4)
6 Exclamation of triumph (3)
10 Close companion (5)
12 Japanese garden (4)
13 Measurement of electrical resistance (3)
14 East African sarong (5)
15 Present got (3)
18 "The Chicago Association of Legal Personnel Administrators" (5)
21 Slightly drunk (5)
22 Ancient knowledge (4)
23 Afrikaans cut (3)
24 What you did with your dinner (3)
29 Small fish (4)
31 Belong to you, text speech (3)
32 Owing (3)
33 Male suit with bowtie (3)
34 Mendes, actress (3)
35 Milk subsitute (3)

Book Review: Future, Imperfect: Six Dystopian Short Stories by Ruth Nestvold

About the Book
"The Future, Imperfect" is a collection of near future, dystopian short stories by Ruth Nestvold. Environmental changes -- slow in some regions, catastrophic in others -- have had a major effect on our world, not for the better. While water wars and pandemics have devastated the Mediterrean region, and a major earthquake and the resulting destruction of nuclear power plants and sensitive research facilities have made much of California a wasteland, corporate-sponsored enclaves defend themselves from the have-nots. What can any one individual do to make a difference is such a world? These are the stories both of those who tried and those who failed.
Five of the short stories in this collection were previously published in such venues as Asimov's and Futurismic. "Exit Without Saving" also appeared in Rich Horton's "Science Fiction 2007: The Best of the Year." "Killfile" is an original publication.
My Review (4/5 Stars)
Six original stories, set in a dystopian, futuristic world. They're all complete stories, with different characters and plots, but the world remains the same.
It's a compelling world, too. The environment has gone to hell, and many of the big cities (Seattle being one that shows up in at least two stories) have been bought up (quite literally) by big corporations. The corporations use their technology to make life liveable for the citizens, even pleasurable... but only if they can see a way to make a profit.
Those who live outside the big cities, or in cities not yet owned by corporations (places called "the burbs") have a much tougher time of it, and they spend their lives trying to convince a corporation to move in, by selling the advantages of their natural resources, or other benefits that would make an acquisition viable to one of these big companies.
The stories are very well written and engaging. The descriptions are vivid, and more than once I found myself wondering what it might be like to actually live in one of these privatised utopias.
They're also quite literary in theme, and riddled with deeper, hidden meaning. Some of them, I must admit, went over my head, and/or I got bored and skimmed at times. But in a collection like this, it's practically impossible to expect to enjoy and identify with ALL of the stories.
Where to Buy
You can buy this book on Amazon.

Is it a Full Stop, or a Bloody Period?

Warning: This post may freak or gross you out a little. Don't read it if you're squeamish. You have been warned.

You know that little dot that marks the end of a sentence? What's it called?
From the moment I began to recognise symbols, and long before I could actually form them into pronounceable words in my brain, I was taught that it was called a "Full Stop" (Or, if you prefer, fullstop).
Of course, I now know that the Americans like to call it a period. I can't remember when exactly I learnt that, but I was quite old - it must have been around the time that I discovered that girls over a certain age bleed once a month. In fact, it was a little after that, come to think of it. This was most likely around age eleven or twelve.
I had also discovered that these girls had a name for the aforementioned time of the month: they called it their Period. Which, in hindsight, kind of makes sense - it's a particular period of time, when this magical thing happens.
The Literary Period
According to Wikipedia, a "Period" in the context of writing was originally different from the English "Fullstop", and the former was closer to the mark we use today to end sentences... although it was originally used more like a modern comma, whereas fullstops were marks in the vertical centre of a line (but these were used to delineate sentence endings).
It's all very confusing. Far more so, in fact, than I realised when I set out to write this article. I'm going to quote the relevent section from the Wikipedia article:

The name "period" is first attested (as the Latin loanword peridos) in Ælfric of Eynsham's Old English treatment on grammar. There, it is distinguished from the full stop (the distinctio) and continues the Greek "underdot"'s earlier function as a comma between phrases. It shifted its meaning to a dot marking a full stop in the works of the 16th-century grammarians. In 19th-century texts, both British English and American English were consistent in their usage of the terms "period" and "full stop". The word "period" was used as a name for what printers often called the "full point" or the punctuation mark that was a dot on the baseline and used in several situations. The phrase "full stop" was only used to refer to the punctuation mark when it was used to terminate a sentence. At some point during the 20th century, British usage diverged, adopting "full stop" as the more generic term, while American English continued to retain the traditional usage.

I have a headache.
Blood on a Page
Still, my initial association of a word "Period" with a female event was strong, and persists to this day. When my young mind had to come to terms with the new definition of the word, it gave me nightmares. 
I was also, at that age, familiar with the literary theme of people making pacts with the Devil, signing their souls away in exchange for some big favour in life, and being remorseful when it came time for the Devil to collect... but it was too late.
People in those stories always had to sign their names in blood - most often their own. That's what a period reminded me of.
As I grew older, and my mind began to associate everything with sex, the earlier remembrance of the world came screaming back. Not only did putting a period at the end of a sentence make me think of a contract with the Devil, it now also made me think of a woman (no longer a girl - I was now interested in women) standing over a page, and letting a drop of her blood....
Shudder. I'm not even going to finish that thought. It's pretty disgusting, isn't it?

Allow me to try and get that image out of your head, by sharing with you one of my favourite "Little Johnny" jokes:

The kindergarten class had a homework assignment to find out about something exciting and relate it to the class the next day. 

When the time came for the little kids to give their reports, the teacher was calling on them one at a time. 

She was reluctant to call upon little Johnny, knowing that he sometimes could be a bit crude. But eventually his turn came. 

Little Johnny walked up to the front of the class, and with a piece of chalk, made a small white dot on the blackboard, then sat back down. The teacher couldn't figure out what Johnny had in mind for his report on something exciting, so she asked him just what that was. 

"It's a period," reported Johnny. 

"Well I can see that," she said. "But what is so exciting about a period?" 

"Damned if I know," said Johnny, "but this morning my sister said she missed one. Then Daddy had a heart attack, Mummy fainted and the man next door shot himself."

Funny how these old associations with words are so strong.
Some time into my teenage years, I learnt that America had yet another meaning for the word....
The Sporting Period
I must admit, I'm not a sports fan, so I don't know much about this one. I think it's only applicable in Basketball, where games are split into quarters. Those quarters are called "Periods".
I don't hear that reference as often, and my association isn't as strong as it is with the literary type. I can't articulate what I think of when I hear references to a basketball "Period", except to say that it just sounds... wrong.
What's wrong with just calling it a quarter? 
Oh, that's something different, isn't it? Americans probably immediately think of money when they hear that word (I've blogged about that before).
Acceptable Periods
There are, of course, other kinds of "Periods" which are completely innocuous to me, and evoke no negative imagery in my mind. These are all periods in time: The Renaissance Period, the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, and so on. 
I guess it's because I was aware of these kinds of "Periods" long before I was aware of "that time of the month"... although the term "Period Drama" is still a bit iffy.
Also, school periods. Those are fine too.
As I said, it's pretty strange how early associations with particular concepts can stick with you for so long. Do you have any examples from your own personal experience, or is it just me? 
Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
Oh, and P.S. if one of your thoughts while reading this article is "You never had sisters, did you?", then my answer is no. No, I did not. Is it that obvious? :-)

Heritage of Deceit is Free Until Valentine's Day

Whether you like it or not, Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Thinking about what I could do for you, my loyal blog readers, that's special, I came up with an idea. I have one book that's a little bit... Romancy, and that's Heritage of Deceit. And now that last month's giveaway is over, it's a good time to give that book away for free.

So here you go. From now until the 15th of February, 2016, you can get my Myster/Thriller/Romance mash-up, Heritage of Deceit, free from Smashwords with the following coupon code:

KH94E
Click here to visit Smashwords, click Buy Now, and enter the above code when prompted.

If you need a quick synopsis of the book, here it is:

While surfing the Internet at work, Lloyd believes he's found a relic from an old genocide. If he's right, the artefact would be worth a ton of money, and it will give lots of people closure when they find out what really happened to their families.

But there's one problem. The artefact--if it really exists--is in the possession of Carla, a shy woman in the company's Accounts Department, and she never lets it out of her sight.

Lloyd seeks the help of his friend and fellow employee, Robert, whom Carla is desperately in love with. Will Robert agree to use Carla's feelings for him to get information about the mysterious object?

You're welcome, and I hope you have a fantastic Valentine's Day, whether you're married, single, dating, divorced, whatever.

Oh, and if you're not interested in reading the book yourself (or even if you are), I would still very much appreciate it if you'd share this deal with all your friends!

Use the sharing buttons at the right of this page (they'll be on the bottom of your screen, if you happen to be reading this post on your cellphone) to share this blog post to Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, and more.

The code is unlimited-use, so telling everyone you know about the deal won't diminish your chances to getting the book for free. Go on, share away!

One more time, click here to visit Heritage of Deceit on Smashwords.

And The Winner Is...

Earlier this month, I announced a competition, whereby I would give away a $10 Amazon Voucher to a random person, who could tell me the answer to a rather innocuous question.

Well, I have taken all the correct answers and stuck them into RANDOM.ORG's list randomiser. After much deliberation, and factoring in of things like the time of day, barometic pressure, and the like, it has given me the following, independently audited name.

And the winner is... (drumroll please)

ELLEN
Congratulations! Your prize should be in your e-mail shortly.

Tales from Virdura: Runt Wizard

Young Solon stared stoically ahead as two of his tormentors held him down, and a third ripped off his shirt from behind.

He gritted his teeth as the thin reed stung his naked back. And a second time. And a third.
Solon vowed that he would not cry out. He was the son of the Royal Wizard, and he would carry himself as such.

Three other children danced around him, snorting like pigs and calling him names.

“Foolborn runt!” they chanted. “Where is your all-powerful magic now?”

The mocking continued, and the lashings went on. Seven now, and Solon could feel blood trickling down his back. He focused on the smell of the boys’ sweat, mixed in with the dust of the dry, arid field they were in. Despite himself, a single tear ran down his left cheek.

“Oh, he’s a cry-baby now too, eh?” said one of the boys. “Pathetic bastard son of a useless mage.”

Something inside Solon snapped. His eyes shot open, and under his breath, he began reciting an old incantation.

Another thwack of the reed.

“What’s he doing now, do you think?”

“Speaking gibberish. I think we may have beaten him a little too hard, boys.”

While his tormentors laughed, nobody noticed the storm clouds gathering overhead. Nobody paid any attention to the flash of lightning, and clap of thunder indicating how close it was.

Above a boy’s head (the one who had insulted Solon’s father), the sky crackled, and a blue bolt began to take shape, high up in the clouds.

“Stop!”

The lightning bolt dissipated, and the clouds began to clear. Only then did the boys look up, noticing the sudden sunlight pouring down on them.

The boy who had been holding the switch turned.

“It’s the Royal Wizard. Run everyone!”

Within the space of a few heartbeats, everyone was gone. Everyone, that is, except Solon, who was lying face-down in the dust.

His father walked up to him, knelt down and gently grabbed his upper arm.

“Come, my son. It is all right now. They have gone.”

Solon allowed this father to help him to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back. The old man produced a handkerchief out of a pocket in his robe and gently dabbed his son’s cheek, drying up his tears.

“My son,” said the old man, as he looked down at his boy’s eyes and smiled sweetly. “I am sorry that you had to go through that. We wizards have always had a difficult time fitting in with our peers.”

“But father, why? I just want to be a normal child.”

“Because we are different, my son. And people are afraid of people who are different.”

“They didn’t look very afraid to me!” said Solon. His voice broke a little in anger as he said it, and his hands balled into fists.

“Solon, calm down.” Said his father, curtly.

Solon took a step back, shocked at the sudden change in his father’s tone.

The old man sighed, deliberately softened his tone, and continued: “You showed great resilience today, and for that I am proud of you. But you almost did something unthinkable. Something that you would’ve regretted for the rest of your life."

Solon snapped at his father, his voice now a high pitch. “And what would’ve been wrong with that? I just wanted to teach them all a lesson. I wasn’t going to kill anyone. What was the harm in a little lightning storm?”

“But you could have killed people, boy. Perhaps even yourself! I have told you how dangerous and unpredictable magic can be. You are still young, and don’t know how to use it properly. But even I, with all my years of training and practice, would balk at attempting what you were trying to do. It is simply too dangerous. Magic should…”

“Magic should only be performed in a calm, private environment, surrounded by the proper tomes and the proper focus,” finished Solon, reciting the mantra that had been drummed into his head since before he could talk.

Solon’s father smiled. He looked at his son, put both hands on his shoulders, and said, “My son, you are going to make a great wizard, one day. Greater perhaps than even I. But I fear you still have a lot to learn.”

Book Review: Bloodstone by Helen C. Johannes

I thought I'd do something a little different for you this month.

I recently read Bloodstone, by Helen C. Johannes. Having been drawn to the book because of the author's surname (I thought she might've been South African), I will admit to being a little disappointed to find that the book was categorised as Romance. Once I read the description, though, it seemed more Fantasy than Romance to me and, since Fantasy's my preferred genre to read, I picked it up.

Here's the product description:

What if looking at the face of the man you loved meant death?

Years ago, warrior Durren Drakkonwehr was cursed by a mage. Now feared and reviled as the Shadow Man, he keeps to himself, only going to town to trade rare bloodstones--petrified dragon's blood--for supplies. Though he hides his face, he can't hide his heart from the woman who haunts his dreams...

Needing bloodstones for a jewelry commission, Mirianna and her father journey across the dreaded Wehrland where the beast-men roam. When their party is attacked, only the Shadow Man can save them. Strangely drawn to him, Mirianna offers herself in return for her father's rescue.

Living in the ruined fortress with the Shadow Man, Mirianna slowly realizes that a flesh-and-blood man--not a fiend--hides there in hoods and darkness. But are love and courage enough to lift the curse and restore the man?

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and gave it four stars out of five on Goodreads (I very seldom give five star ratings. Very seldom indeed). Here's what I had to say about it:

Don't be mad: I'm going to make a sweeping generalisation here. Girls love romance, and boys love fantasy.

If this is true, then Helen C. Johannes has come up with the perfect formula in Bloodstone. There is just enough romance to keep all those "girly-girls" happy, but not too much to detract from the awesomely epic fantasy that is this story.

Like most men, I'm not generally a romance fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's epic fantasy at its most beautiful. The story is deep and complex, the descriptions are vivid, and the characters well constructed.

The writing is very good - nary a typo to be found, and the language is appropriate to the period (which is something that tends to really bother me about most modern fantasy).

I also thought the introduction was just genius. Many TV shows nowadays start with some shocking revelation. A character gets shot, a secret is revealed, and then the next scene starts with "x days/hours earlier". Some of those work well, but I think that particular trope can be overused. Well, this book starts like that. But, far from being frustrating, it worked extremely well. Many of these TV shows could learn a thing or two!

My only gripe with this book is something that I think many fantasy fans will actually see as a good thing: It's long. Or at least, it feels that way. It's the chapters, you see. If, like me, your busy life doesn't allow for much more than twenty minutes a day spent reading, and you're the kind of person who at least likes to finish a chapter in a sitting, you'll be a bit disappointed. Most of these chapters will take you more than a single reading session to finish, and some of them will take you more than two.

But hey, if that's my only complaint, then the author has done a good job. A great one, in fact.

If you're intrigued by my review, and would like to download a free sample or buy it, click here for the book's page on Amazon.

Crossword Puzzle - October 2015

So, it's that time of the month again. It's time for a crossword puzzle!

If this is your first time here, then here's the deal:

Print out this crossword puzzle, solve it, and e-mail me your answers before Tuesday, 17 November 2015.

I'll be posting the answers to this blog on that date, and if you're the first person to send me the correct answers before then, I'll mention you as the winner.

Make sense? Well, let's get cracking....


Across1 Carson, author (3)
4 Afrikaans "doos" (3)
8 Computer animated talking parrot (3)
10 Allow (3)
11 Promise to pay debt (3)
12 Little plastic building blocks (4)
13 Tolstoy (3)
14 Three times (6)
16 Ask nicely (6)
19 Jik (6)
23 Christian rapper (6)
25 It's what we breathe (3)
26 TV psychologist (4)
27 Ilness causing aching muscles (3)
29 Thus was it written (3)
30 Female sibling (3)
31 Vehicle with internal combustion engine (3)
32 Can be high or low in poker (3)
Down2 British PM from 1945 to 1951 (6)
3 Story of a person (3)
5 Strigine (7)
6 Alcohol (5)
7 Helium powered flying machine (5)
8 Mobs getting out of control (5)
9 Get rid of (4)
15 Laceration (abbr.) (3)
17 (slang) A flirtatious woman (3)
18 Armband awarded to Roman soldiers (7)
20 Hawaiian party (5)
21 Extension of a bird's lung (6)
22 A place for keeping rabbits (5)
23 Comedic heist (5)
24 Elaborate table decorations in the shapes of ships (4)
28 Actress with many husbands (3)

Good luck!

Crossword Puzzle - September 2015 Answers

Anyone looking for answers to the September 2015 Crossword puzzle? You're welcome!

Across1 Using animals to treat medical conditions (10) zootherapy
3 On which a gun is mounted (6) turret
6 Jones (4) Nora
8 To get married (3) wed
9 Yoko (3) Ono
10 Independent (4) indy
12 Left-handed (6) leftie
13 Sun City (10) Heliopolis
Down1 Nothing (4) Zero
2 Tethered (5) yoked
4 Author of When Twins War (4) Ryan
5 One of the two longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales (4) Towy
6 Christmas Carol (4) Noel
7 Cluster or sequence of notes or chords used in a song (4) riff
9 That special quality (5) oomph
11 What a pity! (4) alas

See you next week, for a new puzzle.

Tales from Virdua: Mary's Papa

Mary squeezed her father’s hand. It was hot and clammy, despite the cold cloth that had been placed over his head.

He was unconscious, lost to the fever that had held him captive through the night. Mary looked down at his pale face, and tears welled in her eyes for the umpteenth time. She looked to her mother, who was standing next to her.
“Mama,” she spoke softly. “Do you think he’ll make it?”
Her mother didn’t respond. She just looked into Mary’s eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
On her other side, her love Richard took her free hand and held it tightly.
“Don’t worry, Mary,” he said. “Your da’ will be all right. I know it.”
“Thank you, my love.”
Richard was a little slow, sometimes. But his heart was in the right place, and Mary loved him dearly.***The previous day, during their afternoon meal, Mary’s father had inexplicably got up from the table and announced that he wasn’t feeling well.
He turned, and was about to go and lie down, when he suddenly clutched his chest. His eyes went wide, and he keeled over.
Mary’s mother screamed and rushed to his side. She crouched down next to him and began to shake him. 
“Wake up! Wake up!” she yelled. 
Mary had the presence of mind to rush up to him and hold her hand above his mouth and nose. Feeling for breath. It was there, but it was faint. She then pressed her palm against his forehead; he was burning up.
“Mama, we need to get the healer…”
“Go!”***“Jonatan, please, come quickly!” said Mary, as she banged furiously on the door to the healer’s.In a few moments, the door opened.
“What’s wrong, child?”
Mary quickly explained to Jonatan everything that had happened, but it was difficult for him to follow was she was saying, so hysterical she was. He had to keep telling her to calm down and repeat herself.
When she had finally finished, Jonatan grabbed his pack.
“Let’s go.”
“Please go ahead,” said Mary, who by this time was gasping for air. “I need to fetch Richard. I need him near me right now. I’m sorry. I’ll meet you there.”***When Mary returned with Richard, her father was in bed. He lay on his back, with his arms beside him, outside the covers, and he had a cloth on his head.
Jonatan approached Mary.
“I’m not sure what’s wrong,” he said. “From what you and your mother describe, something has gone awry with his heart. But he has a terrible fever. I have instructed your mother to put a cold cloth over his head, to try and break it, and I’ve given him a herb tea as well. That’s all I can do for now. We’ll just have to see if he makes it through the night.”
With that, Jonatan packed up his things and walked out the door.***Mary’s eyes burned with tears as she remembered the callousness of that conversation. She heaved and sobbed inconsolably.
Richard wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her close.
The three stared down at her father’s pale face, and watched his chest slowly rise and fall, rise and fall.
Suddenly, the man on the bed heaved. His eyes shot open, and he exhaled a long sharp breath, as though waking from the nightmare.
“Papa!”
The man finished his breath, and looked up at the panic-stricken faces. He smiled.
Mary and her mother were upon him at once, hugging him and kissing him, and saying how glad they were that he was all right.
Richard looked down at him and smiled. “I told you,” he said to Mary. “I told you he’d be okay.”
Once all the excitement was over, Mary’s father cleared his throat.
“My daughter,” he said. “There is something that I need to say to you.”
“Of course, papa. Anything.”
Her father nodded towards Richard and his wife.
“Alone.”
Mary’s mother put her arms around Richard. “Come, Richard,” she said. “I know what he needs to discuss with her, and we shouldn’t be here for it.”
Richard looked at Mary quizzically. She smiled and squeezed his hand.
“It’ll be all right, my love.”
Richard shrugged, and reluctantly followed Mary’s mother out of the room.***“What is it, father?” asked Mary when they were alone. “It sounds serious.”
Her father sighed. “It is.”
He gave a cough, before continuing, “What happened to me yesterday reminded me of how short life is. Of how little time we are given with the ones we love.
“I fear that I have little time left on this earth, and what I have to tell you can no longer wait.
“Buried in fields, under our grain crops, is a chest. When I am gone, I want you to go and dig it up.”
Mary interrupted with tears in her eyes. “No! Don’t talk like this papa. Please. You’re…”
Her father held out a hand.
“Please, my daughter, this is important. In the chest, you will find five thousand gold pieces. It should be enough for you to see to your mother, and to build a life for yourself.”
By this time, tears were streaming down Mary’s face. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“But papa,” she whispered. “I don’t want any money. I just want you.”
Her father smiled, and started to say something. But before he could speak a word, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell silent.
Mary screamed. She leaned forward and pressed her ear to her father’s mouth. She felt no breath.By the time her mother came rushing in, with Richard in tow, Mary was lying on her father’s chest, weeping inconsolably.