The October blog.
Having recently posted a joint, bonus double month, August and September blog. (Yeah, I'm fooling no one with that.)
Welcome to the actual promised, October Blog.
I'm a huge fan of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Since first reading, I’ve declared it my favorite Sci-fi novel ever. Now, let's reflect on that fact. I've not read hundreds of Sci-fi books and I know there is a wealth of them out there, that I haven't read yet. If I ever do.
I must confess, I have tried to read a bit wider than just the genre I have loved since a boy. Early Sci-fi memories of the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, seen on a black and white TV. Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper. Wonderful films for a young boy. As you may well guess from the above and other clues available, I'm no Millennial or Gen Z.
Considering I didn't really start reading novels till I left school. I've managed to read a few, some more than once. I need to add somewhere in this post, I find writing is the enemy of reading. That and thankfully having a full time job. My spare time nowadays is focused upon my writing, drafts, edits, re-reads. I promise myself one day to take a bit of time to read regularly again.
From the books I have read, my favorite story of all time is, 'Hamlet,' by Bill from down the road. Local lad done good.
With my love of great books and films, I drop regular little references to these, within my own writing. I always view these hints, clues, homages, to other people's work as an advertisement for that other book, play, etc. If you have read, watched, these works of genius already then I hope you smile at my nod to the work of far better writers.
If you have not read Fahrenheit 451 or Hamlet, or Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, or Brave New World, 1984, or more than three H.G. Wells books or American Gods, or A Handmaid's Tale, or Asimov's Foundation series. (Not read the robot ones myself. But I'm certain the point will stand with them too.) Or read, The Earth Abides, The Road, The Godfather, or watched, the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, or Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper, Soylent Green, Blade Runner, Children of men, Arrival, Ex Machina, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind... Oh too many to remember. Also, not sure 100% of people would view this as Sci-fi but I will include it here just because it's a great movie. 'Sorry to bother you, by Boots Riley.'
If you did not say yes, I've read, watched each of those, then stop messing about here and go watch or read some great films and books. So maybe, your favorite book, film, play isn’t in the above list. Maybe, I’ve not read/seen it, or maybe our tastes are different.
I was considering mentioning some of the times I alluded to any of those films and books from the list above in my writing, but… But, just to clarify, in ‘When First we learn to Question,’ I purposely spell Montag’s name wrong. In my yet to be published Robot novel, on character describes Mr Bradbury as “an author, an authority, a man of poetry, a fellow of infinite jest, most excellent fancy.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Personally I find HG Wells War of the Worlds funny when the cavalry comes riding in. Actual cavalry but then the book was first published in 1898. Maybe the world Ray Bradbury predicted in F451 seems out of date to younger readers. I understand that but nothing takes away from the prose, the style. I have seen TVs get larger, yet the content hasn’t improved and I’ve seen the development of headphones that sit in your ear. These did not exist in 1954 when Mr Bradbury wrote his book.
Maybe some of the work of some of these people will not pass the modern standards of CGI and/or moral values. Please try to forgive the lack of future knowledge many of these people display.
I hope this blog about the greats; who I chase after; always in their shadow, happy in their presence. Makes a nice change from any of my trips down Ego Lane.
As ever if you got this far, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the works I've suggested if you seek them out.
Welcome to the actual promised, October Blog.
I'm a huge fan of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Since first reading, I’ve declared it my favorite Sci-fi novel ever. Now, let's reflect on that fact. I've not read hundreds of Sci-fi books and I know there is a wealth of them out there, that I haven't read yet. If I ever do.
I must confess, I have tried to read a bit wider than just the genre I have loved since a boy. Early Sci-fi memories of the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, seen on a black and white TV. Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper. Wonderful films for a young boy. As you may well guess from the above and other clues available, I'm no Millennial or Gen Z.
Considering I didn't really start reading novels till I left school. I've managed to read a few, some more than once. I need to add somewhere in this post, I find writing is the enemy of reading. That and thankfully having a full time job. My spare time nowadays is focused upon my writing, drafts, edits, re-reads. I promise myself one day to take a bit of time to read regularly again.
From the books I have read, my favorite story of all time is, 'Hamlet,' by Bill from down the road. Local lad done good.
With my love of great books and films, I drop regular little references to these, within my own writing. I always view these hints, clues, homages, to other people's work as an advertisement for that other book, play, etc. If you have read, watched, these works of genius already then I hope you smile at my nod to the work of far better writers.
If you have not read Fahrenheit 451 or Hamlet, or Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Pride and Prejudice, or Brave New World, 1984, or more than three H.G. Wells books or American Gods, or A Handmaid's Tale, or Asimov's Foundation series. (Not read the robot ones myself. But I'm certain the point will stand with them too.) Or read, The Earth Abides, The Road, The Godfather, or watched, the 1968 Film, Planet of the Apes, or Logan's Run, Silent Running, Woody Allen's Sleeper, Soylent Green, Blade Runner, Children of men, Arrival, Ex Machina, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind... Oh too many to remember. Also, not sure 100% of people would view this as Sci-fi but I will include it here just because it's a great movie. 'Sorry to bother you, by Boots Riley.'
If you did not say yes, I've read, watched each of those, then stop messing about here and go watch or read some great films and books. So maybe, your favorite book, film, play isn’t in the above list. Maybe, I’ve not read/seen it, or maybe our tastes are different.
I was considering mentioning some of the times I alluded to any of those films and books from the list above in my writing, but… But, just to clarify, in ‘When First we learn to Question,’ I purposely spell Montag’s name wrong. In my yet to be published Robot novel, on character describes Mr Bradbury as “an author, an authority, a man of poetry, a fellow of infinite jest, most excellent fancy.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Personally I find HG Wells War of the Worlds funny when the cavalry comes riding in. Actual cavalry but then the book was first published in 1898. Maybe the world Ray Bradbury predicted in F451 seems out of date to younger readers. I understand that but nothing takes away from the prose, the style. I have seen TVs get larger, yet the content hasn’t improved and I’ve seen the development of headphones that sit in your ear. These did not exist in 1954 when Mr Bradbury wrote his book.
Maybe some of the work of some of these people will not pass the modern standards of CGI and/or moral values. Please try to forgive the lack of future knowledge many of these people display.
I hope this blog about the greats; who I chase after; always in their shadow, happy in their presence. Makes a nice change from any of my trips down Ego Lane.
As ever if you got this far, thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the works I've suggested if you seek them out.
No comments have been added yet.
