Advice for crazed megalomaniacs

I’ve been out of the loop for a while as I’ve started on a new project and I’ve been bedding it in for the last few weeks, but it’s now up and running and beginning to take shape (to mix metaphors). I’ve also been reading (lots) as I’m doing some reviews for the British Fantasy Society which I assume will either be up on the website or in the magazine ‘Dark Horizons’ they produce. I’ll let you know more when I’ve written them and submitted.

On my personal reading list I’ve just finished ‘The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters’ by G. W. Dahlquist. This is a beautifully presented book (UK Hardback) with white boards and luminous transparent blue jacket. The story consists of Miss Temple, Cardinal Chang and Dr. Svenson as they come up against a cabal of sinister individuals who hold bizarre and slightly kinky parties to which are invited the best of society. Set in an imaginary Victorian city (part London, part Paris) the idea has much of ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ about it, with science, technology and art combining to create an altered world, similar but at the same time different to the Victorian period of the history books.

The characters are finally crafted. With the three principles all taking the part of the hero this could have been tiresome, but they work together and their individual stories combine nicely. The bad guys (and gals) are also stimulating though their inability to kill the irksome trio is as infuriating as Bond’s nemeses (hint to mad crazed megalomaniacs – check they’re dead first!).

I think the only issue I would have with the story is that Mr. Dahlquist, spends just a little too much time dwelling on ripped female undergarments and a heroine who has to stop to have a quick fumble at regular intervals. This smacks of adolescent wish fulfilment and slows down the story at times.

******

I’ve just heard some good news with regards ‘The Missing’, but I’m keeping it under my hat for the moment. I’ll report it here when things are a little more concrete.

******

I hope you like the new colour scheme and layout of the blog. I’ve put up links to my current short stories (while they are still available) and I’ll add links to some of my journo pieces soon.

Read this week:
‘The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters’ by G. W. Dahlquist
Farthing Issue 5 by various