K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 71
March 22, 2015
Night Gallery’s “Professor Peabody’s Last Lecture”
A while back I stumbled across an old episode of Rod Serling’s 1970’s supernatural television show: Night Gallery. (The spiritual successor to The Twilight Zone.) At the end of the episode was a short vignette entitled Professor Peabody’s Last Lecture, which is a quirky little homage to Lovecraftian mythos. I figured I’d share it here.
A young-ish Carl Reiner stars as the flippant Professor Peabody who runs into trouble while delivering an impious comparative religion lecture on the Great Old Ones… “if only for the laughs.” This happens much to the consternation his students, three men who go by names like Bloch, Derleth, and even Lovecraft.
My favorite part of the sketch comes when Peabody introduces the Necronomicon to his class and say it is as:
“…corruptibility harmful as the Farmer’s Almanac.”
There’s a comparison I never thought I would hear.
Don’t expect a serious take on mythos here. It’s pretty silly. The best part is watching Reiner chew the scene towards the end. Luckily, this episode of Night Gallery is available to watch for free on Hulu. I’ve embedded the Hulu player below and it’s all queued up, you hit play and just watch it there. Or just hit this link. Professor Peabody’s Last Lecture is the final story of the episode and starts around the 40-minute mark.
‘‘And now if there are no further questions…’’
Filed under: Videos Tagged: august derleth, carl reiner, h.p. lovecraft, hulu, necronomicon, night gallery, professor peabody's last lecture, robert bloch, rod serling
March 20, 2015
Friday Link Pack 03/20/15
Friday is here. That mean it’s time to share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Enough prattle! Let’s get to it…
Writing:
H. P. Lovecraft Letter Sheds Light On Pivotal Moment In His Career
James Machin recently discovered this letter from Lovecraft to J. C. Henneberger. The letter, nearly 5000 words long, unveils some of Lovecraft’s thoughts before he moved to Brooklyn, and before he turned down the editorship of Weird Tales. Fascinating stuff.
JRR Tolkien Falls Off Children’s Most Popular Books List
As Dylan sang: the times, they are a’changin’. While lists don’t negate the greatness of the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Tolkien’s other work, this is still a notable occurrence within speculative literature.
The Secret To Creating A Really Good Bad Guy
Author, editor, and writing coach C. S. Lakin has some great advice for those of you wanted to push your bad guys beyond the stereotypical traps in which so many villains find themselves.
Top 10 Social Media Marketing No-Nos For Authors
I posted this on Twitter and I was really excited to share it here as well. Author Anne R. Allen goes into detail about what NOT to do on social media. Every author needs to read this, and then re-read it, and then memorize it. I can’t tell you how many times I see authors breaking these rules on the internet.
Three Recent Reviews
My books have slowly begun popping up on review blogs. In this post I highlight some quotes from three recent reviews. I really appreciate folks taking the time to do this. If you have read my books please consider taking the time to write an honest review. They not only help us indie authors, but also help your fellow reader.
Art:
Photos From The Blade Runner Model Shop
Check out the work that went into the creation of the models used in Ridley Scott‘s sci-fi Blade Runner. (Easily one of my favorite movies.) The level of detail is equal to that of the models we saw for the Stars Wars sets I featured in a past Link Pack. Bonus: there’s even some Star Wars models USED in Blade Runner. See if you can’t find them in these pictures.
Barbara Bernat’s Euro Redesign
This beautiful redesign of the euro combines elegant type with beautiful imagery and makes someone rethink the idea of currency. Now… what can we do to get her to redesign the U.S. dollar. [Thanks to Kari-Lise for sending this one my way.]
Random:
Lighten Up
This beautiful piece by cartoonist Ronald Wimberly discusses whitewashing. The subtle change in a persons skintone to appeal to white people. It’s something that is prevalent in comics, and advertising, and books, and so many more industries. I really appreciated his thoughts. [Thanks to Steve for sharing.]
Man Builds Igloo ‘Speakeasy’, Serves Patrons In Polar Bear Costume
When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. But, what do you do when life dumps a metric ton of snow on you? Well, you make an igloo bar and dress up as a polar bear bartender. Obviously. [This also came from Kari-Lise.]
Carbon 3D
3D Printing is coming along in a big way over the last few years. It’s clear that it will fundamentally change our world. Carbon 3D just upped the game.
Never Trust A Corporation To Do A Library’s Job
As Google’s priorities change, what happens to the data they wanted to organize and catalog? Internet archivists are now stepping in to save our collective memory. An important look at archives, libraries, and how corporations have much different priorities. [Thanks to Dave for pointing me at this.]
Random Wikipedia Article of the Week:
The Emu War
In the attempt to curb the population of emus Australia employed soldiers armed with machine guns—leading the media to adopt the name “Emu War” when referring to the incident.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Picture In The House
One of the first stories to introduce readers to Lovecraft country. This is also where we first hear about Arkham and the Miskatonic Valley.
Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: 3d printing, barbara bernat, Blade Runner, comics, currency, emu war, h.p. lovecraft, igloo, jrr tolkien, race-relations, Reviews, Villians, whitewashing
March 19, 2015
Three Recent Reviews
It’s been awhile since I have done this, and I really wanted to share some recent reviews with everyone. In the past I have pulled quotes from Goodreads or Amazon so I am going to change it up this time and pull some quotes straight from some blog posts. Links to the full review will be below the quote.
A. Fae reviewed The Stars Were Right:
“I read straight through the night and couldn’t put it down. Mr. Alexander is a wizard at creating a world one could only dream about.”
Read the rest of A. Fae’s review at Truth About Books →
Lisa also reviewed The Stars Were Right:
“The Stars Were Right is a great effort for a first book. Author K.M. Alexander creates a vivid and complex fantasy world with likeable characters.”
Read the rest of Lisa’s review at The Dunwich Review →
Kristen reviewed Old Broken Road:
[In Old Broken Road] “He stays true to the strange world he has created, full of various species, languages, religions, and its unique blend of ancient troubles and modern conflicts.”
Read the rest of Kristen’s review at Black Heart Magazine →
Big thanks to these three for reading my books and posting a review. I really appreciate it. If you have read my books please consider taking the time to write an honest review. It doesn’t have to be on a blog, doesn’t have to be long, but leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads goes a long way towards helping me out and it helps out your fellow readers as well.
Are you a book blogger looking for something new to read and review? I have review copies of both my books available! Contact me, let’s talk about stuff →
Filed under: The Bell Forging Cycle Tagged: Blog, books, Old Broken Road, Reviews, The Stars Were Right
March 17, 2015
Read The First Four Chapters Of “The Stars Were Right” For FREE On Wattpad
When it comes to my books I like ubiquity. If a reader is interested in reading my stories then I want to make that as easy as possible. With that in mind, I decided to delve into the world of Wattpad, a place for writers to share their stories online and in serialized chunks. You can read through the site or via their app (iOS/Android), comment on sections, share with your friends, and have a direct dialog with the writer. Seems like a cool platform.
I’m not quite sure if there is much crossover between my audience and the typical Wattpad audience, but we can find out. I have released the first four chapters of The Stars Were Right on Wattpad for free. If enthusiasm builds around these chapters I’ll slowly release more over the next coming months. I’m excited to see how this goes. This could be a fun way to get my stories into the hands of new readers. You can START READING HERE →
Let me know what you think! I’d love to know if this is something people enjoy. If you’d rather read a physical copy of The Stars Were Right it is available as a trade paperback and lately sells for under $14. Get your copy from any of these stores:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Direct
Filed under: The Stars Were Right Tagged: platform, publishing, reading, wattpad
March 13, 2015
Friday Link Pack 03/13/2015
Hooray! It’s Friday the 13th! AGAIN! Twice in one year! That means… er, it’s time to share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. (Weeks, in this case.) Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Let’s get to it…
Terry Pratchett:
Sir Terry Pratchett, Renowned Fantasy Author, Dies Aged 66
Yesterday we lost one of the greats, and I am sad to see him go. This BBC article has a good recap of his life and accomplishments. As I mention in my post from yesterday, the tweets about meeting Death towards the end… I ain’t going to lie, I got a little teary.
Neil Gaiman: ‘Terry Pratchett Isn’t Jolly. He’s Angry’
Great piece from one of Pratchett’s friends. Gaiman goes into details about the real Pratchett. The one he knew. Very much worth a read.
Help Fight Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Pratchett was a patron and supporter of Alzheimer’s Research UK and I’d highly recommend other fans consider donating to help fight this terrible disease. A little help can go a long way.
Writing:
The Writers’ Room Is Always Available For Writers To Work
Incubators are spaces in the tech world where small teams are able to work on projects. For the last several decades The Writers’ Room of Boston has been doing the same thing for writers. I absolutely love this idea. Would love to get something like this going in Seattle.
Free Novel or Series Outline Template Inspired By J.K. Rowling
I have mentioned Rowling’s outlines in the past. Well, writer Cindy Grigg has put together a handy template inspired by the detailed grid and has made it available for free. [Thanks to Drew Gerken for sharing this.]
“Are They Going To Say This Is Fantasy?”
One of my favorite writers, Ursula K. Le Guin muses on the resistance for some writers (in this case Kazuo Ishiguro) to admit they’re writing fantasy. Fantastic and poignant piece.
A Psychological Perspective On Writing Talent
My friend and fellow speculative fiction author Christine Crawford (of the infamous YA writing duo C. N. Crawford) is also a psychologist. In the wake of the now infamous Ryan Boudinot article from a few weeks ago she explores the idea of writing talent from a psychological perspective.
Random:
Mars Has Lost An Arctic Ocean’s Worth Of Water
A red and blue planet? Is such a thing even possible? Yes it is.
Archaeologists Find Two ‘Lost Cities’ Deep In Honduras Jungle
It’s like a headline from Indiana Jones. Two sister cities, one which could be the lost city of the monkey god, found in a deep jungle inhabited by monkeys that don’t like humans very much. Wait… wasn’t this the plot of Congo?
No One Could See The Color Blue Until Modern Times
What color is the dress? Well, if you asked someone a few hundred years ago you’d get a much different response than you would today.
StalaraCraft
If you’re a nerd (and you’re reading my blog, so you probably are) who likes crafts and food and other randomly awesome nerdy things then I recommend checking out this YouTube channel. Weekly the ever-bubbly Stalara presents a new geektastic DIY. Lot of fun.
Random Wikipedia Article of the Week:
Wherein I got to Wikipedia and hit Random Article until I find something good/weird/offensive/hilarious/interesting/etc. This weeks entry:
Toilet Paper Orientation
The pros and cons that revolve around the orientation of toilet paper. Are you an over orientation supporter or do you throw your vote for the ever powerful under orientation consortium?
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
“I am He who howls in the night;
I am He who moans in the snow;
I am He who hath never seen light;
I am He who mounts from below.”
Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: alzheimer's, blue, fantasy, h.p. lovecraft, J.K. Rowling, Literature, lost cities, Mars, Neil Gaiman, outline, sheep, stalaracraft, terry pratchett, the writers' room of boston, toilet paper, writing talent
March 12, 2015
Farewell, Sir Pratchett
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”
—Sir Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32)
We lost one of the greats today, Terry Pratchett was 66. I recommend reading this BBC article about his passing, it’s a good recap. The series of tweets towards the end of the article really got to me. There’s not enough humor in fantasy, his voice is already missed.
Big thanks to my friend Jed for sharing the quote I use above. It’s perfect. As I said on Twitter, I encourage other fans of Sir Pratchett to give a little towards alzheimer and dementia research. A little help can go a long way towards defeating such an awful disease.
Please consider donating: http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/
Filed under: Book Industry, Quotes Tagged: death, discworld, terry pratchett
March 3, 2015
Review: Hemingway Editor
Recently I became aware of 38Long’s Hemingway Editor. Over the weekend I had a little time and I figured I’d download it and give it a try. I was really pleased with the result. Taking it’s name from Hemingway himself the software goal is broad: it works to make your writing bolder and clearer.
How does the Hemingway Editor do this? Well, it scans your text and hunts for wordy sentences, annoying adverbs, the use of passive voice, and complicated words. Here’s a screenshot the Hemingway Editor in action, scanning a passage from my upcoming novel Red Litten World. (Don’t worry, I picked one that is spoiler free.)
Ooof, there’s an unnecessary “very” in there there, and some harder sentences towards the end. Wow… look at that awkward lead sentence, how’d that get in there? (Fret not, I’ve already trimmed it down.)
As you can see it’s a thorough and useful piece of software. There’s a few minor bugs with the way tooltips hover, but nothing that makes the software unusable by any means. While not a replacement for a real human editor, it’s a good sanity check for writers, and for the low price of $6.99 for the PC/Mac desktop version it’s worth every penny. The Hemingway Editor also has a free version online, you can check it out at: hemingwayapp.com. Try it yourself, see if it’s something that you’d incorporate into your own workflow. I know it’ll have a place in mine.
Filed under: Toolkit, writing Tagged: editing, Ernest Hemingway, hemingway editor, review, software
February 27, 2015
Friday Link Pack 02/27/2015
It’s Friday! That means it’s time to share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Click here to email me and let me know! (Include a website so I can link to you as well.) Away we gooooo…
Writing:
Publishers Bypass Literary Agents To Discover Bestseller Talent
With the market currently in flux this isn’t really all that surprising. Just make sure to get a good contract lawyer.
10 Famous Writers’ Houses Worth Visiting
Planning a trip? Mental Floss assembles a top ten list of former abodes of classic authors, from Hemingway’s, to Dickenson’s, to Twain’s. Is it just me or did all these folks have huge houses?
Best-Sellers Initially Rejected
Rejection is apart of every writer’s life, and I mean every writer. Check out this list of enormous hits that were rejected by publishers.
Upcoming Appearances
This week I launched a new section on the site. Interested in meeting me? Want to pick up a signed copy from me directly? Under the “Appearances” tab you’ll find a handy list of the future conventions, readings, and appearances that I’ll be making.
Art:
Mir
This Norwegian firm specializes in the portrayal of “unbuilt architecture” through a technique they call “natural visualisation.” Simply stunning.
Random:
Five Things I Didn’t Get About Making Video Games (Until I Did It)
Before he got into the industry, Anthony Burch was a reviewer of video games. In this article he explains the separation that exists between reviews and actually development. While this piece focuses on games, this article could be written for any creative endeavor. As consumers it’s easy to forget how much time, blood, sweat, and tears go into something creative from games to art to books to music. It’s hard work, even if you hate it.
Why I’m Volunteering to Die on Mars
Fascinating piece from Sonia Van Meter, one of the Mars One 100, about leaving earth and going to live on Mars… permanently.
Yoga Fhtagn
So you’re a newly minted health goth looking for a fresh Lovecraftian take on yoga? Well, look no further, YouTuber Laurie Penny has you covered.
Earth’s Other ‘Moon’ And Its Crazy Orbit
Did you know Earth had another smaller (and drunker) moon? Well it does!
Random Wikipedia Article of the Week:
Wherein I got to Wikipedia and hit Random Article until I find something good/weird/offensive/hilarious/interesting/etc. This weeks entry:
Aerocar
Aerocar International’s Aerocar (often called the Taylor Aerocar) was an American roadable aircraft, designed and built by Moulton Taylor in Longview, Washington, in 1949. Although six examples were built, the Aerocar never entered production.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Disinterment
Things aren’t always what they seem…
Gif of the Week:
Filed under: Link Pack Tagged: aerocar, agents, architecture, famous authors, lovecraft, Mars, Moon, publishing, rejection, yoga
February 26, 2015
The Stars Were Right 99¢ eBook Sale Ends Saturday
We’re into the final hours… ebook copies of The Stars Were Right returns to their regular price of $2.99 on March 1st. That’s less than three days away! So if you want to get a jump on The Bell Forging Cycle and save a little money, now is the perfect time. Links to purchase below:
Kindle • Kobo • Nook • iBooks • GooglePlay • DRM Free ePub
Once again, huge thanks to everyone who has bought my books this month. February’s sales have been incredible, the best ever. It’s always encouraging to hear how so many of you are excited for Red Litten World and the following books in the series. I can’t wait to share them with everyone.
Filed under: Shop, The Stars Were Right Tagged: 99¢, bell forging cycle, eBook, sale
February 24, 2015
Become Great
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Found this quote as encouragement for a friend of mine and I figured I’d share it here with everyone. Stay away from the small people, their opinions are useless to your journey. Twain, as usual, is right. As I wrote to my friend: keep your head down, lock those shoulders forward, press through. You got this.
Filed under: Quotes Tagged: ambition, hard work, Mark Twain, perseverance
