Recording my Reading

One of my goals for 2012 was to make a record of every book I read. I do read somewhat voraciously, and I found that I’d read books and then they would just drop out of my head completely. No more, I thought.

Fortunately, Goodreads provides me with the means to keep a record. So now, every book gets a rating out of five, a quick review and the date I finished it.

How do I decide on what rating? I had to come up with some kind of scheme. All reviews and ratings are done as soon as possible after the book is finished (or given up on), so there’s little hindsight involved or deeper musings – it’s all about the most immediate reaction.

No stars – So bad I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.

1 Star – At least I finished it. But that’s about all I can say.

2 Star – Not recommended, fails to entertain but there is something that redeems it from being something I actively dislike.

3 Star – Solid, I’d say give it a go if you like that sort of thing – essentially, the book does what it says on the tin.

4 Star – Above the call of duty – pushes the barriers a little more. Go on, read it, even if this not usually your thing.

5 Star – Go and read it now. You have no choice, you must read this. Hits all the right buttons and then a bit more.

A few examples...

No stars – “Star Wars – I, Jedi” – it had a great premise, the first person narrative of a man on a revenge mission who has Jedi powers, hence conflicted between the light and dark...but it was just dull, was going nowhere. Gave up.

1 star – Kevin J Anderson Star Wars books – I finished them just to see what would happen, but sort of regret doing so.

2 star – Dragonlance – unoriginal, fantasy pulp with very annoying main character that managed to all come together at the end. Unfortunately it was only at the end.

3 star – The Da Vinci Code – a thumping good read, but your life will not be incomplete without it.

4 star – True Grit – a western, with outlaws, gunslingers, chases and shootouts. And a terrific first person voice and character that shines through. Maybe you don’t like cowboy stories, but you will like powerful characters up against each other, their enemies and the frontier itself.

5 star – The Grapes of Wrath – JUST GO AND READ IT NOW.

A recent 4 Star book was "Antithesis" by New Zealand author, Pat Whitaker. My review:

"Intelligent science fiction - there's a novelty. No hyperspace, no big robots, no time travel, just a well thought out story about ants.

Well, there's a fair bit more than ants going on, although, as Whitaker clearly enjoys his research you will learn a lot about the creature that makes up possibly one fifth of all the biomass on Earth.

One of the book's strengths is the sense of location - Whitaker really makes Namibia come alive, and brings a sense of history and how that has affected and continues to affect local communities.

If the book has a fault, then the main character is perhaps too good (at her profession, morally, socially) and a touching subplot about a local girl is resolved a little too quickly.

The ants are the stars of the story, Whitaker keeps it tight and efficient - much like the insects themselves."

I do recommend seeking it out - first of all, its simply a good piece of intelligent sci-fi, and secondly, it's good to support independant authors and publishers. Click on the link above to go to Smashwords where you can download a copy.

And today's drabble is a shameless trailer for the upcoming "Royal Wedding from Hell":

It is 2011. The world suffers from the worst economic meltdown in decades. Millions of people are       struggling.

Goddamnit, we need a party. Luckily, there’s a big one coming.

Prince William is about to marry Kate Middleton in the biggest show of British pageantry since Charles married Di.

Hundreds of thousands will line the streets.

Millions will watch on TV.

Nothing can go wrong.

But Harry has lost the rings.

And an ancient evil is stirring.

All of the romance,

All of the pageantry,

All of the flesh hungry beasts of the abyss,

“The Royal Wedding from Hell”

April 2012

"Tales from the Bell Club", featuring my story "The Girl in the Cabin" is now available from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Tales-From-Bell-Club-ebook/dp/B007IVQ7BK

It looks like a great anthology - the editor, Paul Mannering (a New Zealand writer and fellow Wellington dweller) has come up with a intriguing theme - all of the stories are personal narratives of folks who've suffered horrifying experiences, all set within the great pulp era between the late 1800's and early 1900's. The Bell Club is where they tell their tales.

My story was originally conceived as a horror Western, but in hindsight was more horror than Western, which made it a neat period piece and this anthology seemed to be a perfect home for it.
Fortunately for me, Paul accepted it. It's always very satisfying to see your writing reach the outside world.

When I get my copy I'll post review of the other stories.

Huge thanks to Paul and the folks at Knightwatch Press who put in the hard yards that help aspiring writers like myself get into print.

I'm sceptical about Global Warming Scepticism

I find myself in a difficult space. I am not a Global Warming sceptic, yet I find one of the writers and thinkers that I most admire is.

I've often thought the science did not seem completely cut and dried, but it also occured to me that funding from organisations with a vested interest in disproving global warming would far outweigh anything from the opposing viewpoint. Is it likely that manufacturers of solar panels and wind turbines could stump up more for research than the oil and motor industry? In that light, the sheer weight of evidence is what overcomes the sceptical view.

However, highly respected Australian broadcaster and writer, Clive James is a Global Warming sceptic.
I've just read his excellent book "A Point of View" - its made up of transcripts of radio monologues he gave for the BBC over several years, along with postscripts for each one revisiting and occasionally revising each piece.

A recurring theme is his sceptiscm of the anthropogenic global warming model. He frequently points out in his postcripts that every time he raised his sceptiscm in his broadcasts, there was resistance within the BBC to let him make the point. Fortunately, and James frequently credits his Producer, the right of free speech and the fact that the programme was called A Point of View, usually overruled the preferred, mainstream position.

A lot of the time, James is railing, not so much against the science of Global Warming, but more the unpleasant moves to try to silence any dissent. The lessons of history, particularly of those societies which have suppressed any dissenting voices, loom large in James's commentaries. He cites an unpleasant tendency to label those who question the prevailing view on Global Warming as "denialists".

James is no Tory, but it seems that age and experience lends him a perspective that is frequently missed by many left-wing commentators. Bullet-headed ideology will blame the evils of capitalism for bringing environmental ruin upon us all and prefer to leave the poor of the world without the decent standards of living that those of us in the corrupt and awful west enjoy.

I do join Clive James in refusing to join up to the view that the world has been ruined by the evil forces of Western capitalism. I'd say it is a fact that western capitalism and free trade has brought prosperity, freedom and health to more people than any planned economy has ever done. The evidence, and sadly the body count, largely points out that the more controlled the economy, and thus society, the more entrenched in poverty and oppression are the people stuck living in it.

Clive James has not turned me into a Global Warming sceptic, but he has provided a warning that we should always question the accepted wisdom - for the liberal democracies that western capitalism relies on, it is essential to have constructive and open debate.

Besides - as long as Fox News and the various lunatics campaigning for the Republican Presidential nomination tout the notion that Global Warming is a myth, then the smart money would say it certainly isn't.

In a very seperate vein, this month's drabble pays tribute to one of the great All BLacks and the imminent movie based on Edgar Rice Burrough's pulp classic Barsoom series.
Ladies and Gents, I present "Dan Carter of Mars":

The tackle had been brutal. Dan vaguely recalled the sensation of being carried off the pitch and laid out in the treatment room but then, everything went black.
He awoke on Mars.
He’d missed winning the World Cup through injury. Now he was on another planet. Maybe it just wasn’t his destiny.
He was picked up by green-skinned Tharks, who came to prize his strength and speed.
Later, they captured a beautiful, red-skinned Princess. Dan was determined to escape with her.
“You must kick this ball through their gates,” she explained.
“No worries, eh?” said Dan. His Destiny had arrived.

An Acceptance!!!!!

I'm very chuffed to have my story "The Girl in the Cabin" accepted for an upcoming anthology - "Tales from the Bell Club", from Knightwatch Press, and edited by fellow SpecFic NZ member, Paul Mannering.

This story was originally called "Everyone goes to Hell", and had been written for a western horror anthology. Having had it rejected from a couple of places, it sat in the pile of stories that I was going to get around to reviewing and sending out in at the start of 2012, but when I saw Paul was looking for stories, it got a wee re-work to get rid of (in hindsight) its unnecessary framing story and off it went.

Hopefully this exciting-looking collection will be out in the next few months.

So, I AM a writer again....

Of course, if I got off my lazy butt and did some more actual writing I might get to be a writer more often.

More recent news...

I have got myself a Kobo ereader, which I am enjoying and will start looking for some self-published ebooks to see what's out there.

I've also decided to post a review of every book I'm reading, this year, on Goodreads. So far so good, have managed 3 novels and 2 graphic novels.

Right now....

I'm reading - Bram Stoker's original Dracula (free ebooks are great), and very good it is too. True Grit, the novel that two films have been based on (good so far), and a compilation of Clive James's short opinion pieces - very good stuff.

Watching - excellent Battlestar Galactica re-make, better than I remember Moonraker, acceptable Doctor Who Xmas special, very good Tintin at the movies.

This blog's drabble..

Jerry, a one-percenter, looked out from his penthouse suite and regarded the rabble below. The noise disturbed him while he created wealth.

Worthie, his butler entered. “Sir, they demand your head, your bonus or more equal distribution of the wealth that they have produced for you.” He raised a big gun.

“Damn it, Worthie,” said Jerry, “take a billion dollars as a raise.”

“Very good sir,” said Worthie, “I’ll go shoot the swine, shall I?” Jerry nodded.

Worthie headed out the door with a smile and keen eye.

Jerry felt better. This wealth distribution thing was simpler than he thought.

At last - the Tale of Sloppy Bunny

I’ve been watching...

Falling Skies - a new US sci-fi drama taking place six months after alien invasion has torn society apart, following the squabbling survivors. Frankly I saw the first couple of episodes and have given up on anything more. As a long-standing Dr Who fan, I encourage people to watch “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” for pretty much the same storyline, (humanity on the brink of extinction, bickering survivors, aliens abducting humans and implanting them with stuff to make them mindless slaves) but with far better aliens, and, of course, a Timelord who’ll sort the whole mess out.

Survivor – not a sci-fi series but the US gameshow (let’s not call such things “reality” shows, if this is your reality then maybe the aliens have actually invaded). A fairly dull series that has finally lifted off in the last couple of episodes.

Brandon, a nephew of a previous, and far more charismatic and devious, contestant, is continually harping on about his sodding faith and praises Jesus for helping him win challenges. It’s a pity Jesus wasn’t helping him to avoid getting chucked out. Oddly enough Coach Wade, the architect of Brandon’s fall, also claimed that God was telling him what to do.

So what does this tell us about God? God, like this viewer, can’t stand Brandon. God, like this viewer, would like to see the mental Coach Wade win. Or perhaps, God doesn’t give a monkey’s about Survivor.

(God doesn’t seem to take an interest in the US Republican primaries either, since His most devout candidate, Rick Santorum, trailed a weak fourth in New Hampshire.)

I’ve been reading...

Hearts in Atlantis – more Stephen King, and again, cracking stuff. The master on form and on about the sixties and the ‘nam.

Imajica – actually failed to finish the first volume of this Clive Barker epic. Promising start but it trailed away.

Adrian Mole: the prostate years – a little disappointing, mainly because the previous Mole book was so utterly superb. Mole struggling with real issues than his usual delusions is not as funny, but Sue Townsend is still an excellent writer and the Mole circle of family and friends are simply a fun bunch to be around.

I’ve been writing....

I’m actually managing to churn out a few hundred words a day, often around a solid thousand – “The Royal Wedding from Hell” is coming along quite nicely. As always, my abortive first version laid some groundwork for a much better second version; it’s all getting a lot weirder and more sinister.

And, hopefully, if I pull my finger out, it will be a novella that will be getting published in ebook form in time for Kate and Wills’ first anniversary (29^th April).

Is this self-publishing an act of vanity? Probably yes, but it’s also an exercise in just getting something “OUT THERE”, and getting a handle on how this new world of publishing works. There are already self-published writers of ebooks who have chalked up a million sales; sooner or later someone will self-publish the next Harry Potter or Stieg Larsson. To be honest, I don’t think it will be “The Royal Wedding from Hell”, but we’ll have a go.

And this blog’s drabble – I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand Beatrix Potter.

Binky and Sloppy Bunny peeked round the corner of the greenhouse. Farmer Gruber, with his spade, was waiting, just by the hole in the fence.

“We’ll never get past,” squeaked Binky, “but, the baby bunnies need these carrots.”

Sloppy stubbed out his cigarette. “No probs. I’ll distract Gruber, you get the carrots away.”

Binky watched as Sloppy hopped round the greenhouse and shouted “Oi!”

Gruber charged at Sloppy. Sloppy pointed to the corner.

Gruber turned and whacked Binky’s brains out.

“Nice one,” said Gruber, handing over a big carrot.

“Keep the carrots coming,” said Sloppy, “you’ll keep getting rabbit pies.”

What I've been doing and what I plan to do...

I’ve been watching....

Torchwood: Miracle Day – great idea, what would happen if people stopped dying? But lousy story. There’s no villain, just a shady conspiracy theory with no particular direction and our band of heroes are just dithering around following spurious leads that don’t really reveal anything or go anywhere.

James Bond – every Saturday night, TVNZ have been showing all of the Bond movies, in order. Great Fun, even the rubbish ones. I was surprised at how good ‘On her majesty’s secret service” was – it being the one with George Lazenby. And ‘Live and Let Die’ shows just how cool the 70’s were, at least, the jet-setting, digital watch, coffee maker and pale blue flares side of it was.

Aliens Resurrection – nonsense, drivel, just plain bad. Though Winona Ryder was still very cute.

I’ve been reading....

Stranger in a strange land by Robert Heinlen – hard work, an awful lot of philosophy and not so much action, but great, sixties-style, tripped-out, free-lovin fun. I grok it is a goodness.

Dolores Clairborne by Stephen King – excellent stuff from the master. Gripping, quirky thriller.

Imajica by Clive Barker – I’ve just started it, and it’s intriguing so far. A big difference between Barker and King is that Barker’s characters aren’t really regular people – they are artists or aristocrats or dealers in forgeries; there’s no normal people with normal jobs like in King’s, largely, blue-collar world of domestic violence and alcohol abuse. This doesn’t make Barker any less engaging, he still manages to make his characters believable, and both Barker and King conjure up awesome fantasty.

The Spy who came in from the cold by John le Carre – very good, grim, grey and hard cold war thriller. Set in the early 1960’s but there is no sign of any swinging going on, just grimy bedsits, menial filing jobs and bleak weather. No really, it’s a cracking read!

 

I’ve been writing...

I did manage to complete the “prologue” of The Power, so I have a kind of “origin” story for the Man with a Billion Brains, and the groundwork for the bigger story to come.

I will be doing…in 2012

Write and publish in e-book form a couple of novellas, one for end of April, one for November...

Write The War on Mars.

Write The Power.
Find homes for those poor, unloved short stories, currently limping around on my hard drive.
Do a Triathlon.
Have mild 40^th birthday mid-life crisis (will have to be approved by my wife).

Right, and this month’s drabble....with apologies to my Reader in Carterton; Appendicitis is NOT funny.

The Intelligent Designer had a hangover. What had the party been about; something about the Boss’s son being born in a million years’ time.

The Boss never had hangovers. “Get the humans finished,” he’d shouted, “they’re made in my image so better be done right. Not like that platypus thing.”
The Designer groaned. The human was nearly done. Hang on, what was the appendix doing there? It was a leftover from a cow. A shameful memory surfaced.
“Is it done?” shouted the Boss.
Sod it. He sewed up the human. He was sure the appendix wouldn’t cause any trouble later.

So what have my vast army of followers been watching/ reading/ doing/ planning to do?

The rough end of publishing...

A little bad news, the Twisted Library Press, where I had my Trip Hawker and superhero story waiting for publication has cancelled all of its upcoming anthologies.

According to Dr Pus (the man in charge of this small publishers), he couldn't afford to do the anthologies - they cost him around $1500 each to publish and the economic times made it impossible to fund them; he said he was struggling with his dental practice and so something had to give.

Very unfortunate, as I got the impression that he was a guy trying to get his small press up and running (a tough job even in a good economic climate) and was very keen on giving new writers a chance for publication.

Micheal Lea, who was editing the superhero anthology, said he would look for a new publishers so I was happy to let him keep hold of my story in the meantime, although he could promise nothing about when they might ever occur. From my point of view, the story was written to fit his book so unless I see a open submission that it would somehow work for, I'm not in a hurry to find a new home for it.

Trip Hawker, alas, joins the list of my homeless short stories......he's not alone.

I will concentrate on getting some decent work done on a novel (one or other) until the end of the year, then have a sort through the pile and see what can go where and get them back out into the world.

As a tribute to the horror fun and jollies of the Twisted Library Press, and because I'm reading the wonderfully creepy "Hell House" by Richard Mathieson, here is a 100 words of haunted house horror:

Floyd looked round the table at the other two survivors of Helmdark Hall.

Margot was smug; surely possessed. It explained Dr Tewk’s disappearance.

Vijay was distraught; he’d watched his wife hurl herself to her death. No use now, but the Presence might decide to use him as a weapon.

Floyd was ready.

The table rocked. Margot laughed. Floyd pulled his revolver and fired.

Margot slumped, whispering “idiot.”

The knife flew from Vijay’s sleeve. Vijay was unaware, even when it hit Floyd’s throat.

Floyd’s mind went black; he heard voices. Tewk agonised, pleading forgiveness. Margot furious. The last voice just laughed.