The convention

I’m back from my jaunt having spent time down in Nottingham at the BFS’s FantasyCon and a few days away recharging the batteries and working on the outline for a short comic.

This was the first FantasyCon I have ever been to and it was…interesting. It was not quite what I had in mind when I thought about going earlier in the year, certainly less instructive and slightly more amateurish than I was expecting, plus the venue needs a rethink (and if at all possible, pulling down). Dave McKean was guest of honour (and highlight) and along with Vincent Chong provided some interesting insights into art, comics and getting published. He also signed a copy of his book of sketches for me including a drawing of an elf/goblin/alien creature. Simon Guerrier, frequent blogger and Dr Who author was eloquent but I failed to introduce myself, whilst Simon R. Green seemed to be nuttier than a fruitcake.

I’ve spent the rest of the week in the small town of Kirkcudbright on the west coast of Scotland. The weather was wonderful, the company good and the wine plentiful. When I could I wrote in the silence of a cottage only interrupted by the rooks that would gather in the tall trees to caw at one another. I also did plenty of reading.

Pork Pie Hat is a small book I must have picked up in a second hand shop and had on my shelf for some time. It is very well written with Straub picking up the nuances of a Jazz musician at the end of his life reminiscing about what happened to him as a child that seriously effected who he was to become. It’s a haunting story very well rendered.

Carey’s second novel in the Felix Castor series adds to the ‘other’ London he has created. It still has echoes of Constantine but it feels as if Castor is becoming his own man. The city is real and grimy and the story line full of interesting plots twists. Old characters return keeping the series whole whilst the book finishes with enough change in Castor’s circumstances to make the next book eagerly anticipated.

I remember the Triffids TV show which was produced in 1981. I’m not sure if I saw a repeat or not as I would only have been six on its first airing and I’m sure I would not have been allowed to stay up that late, or else gone to bed with nightmares. Before I read the book all I could recall were several jumper wearing hippies living on a farm being surrounded by the Triffids. This I thought was foolish and not very scary as the plants could only shuffle on small legs and must have been as limited as the original Daleks as any grown individual could have easily out run them. Of course I had forgotten that many of the survivors had already been blinded by falling green meteorites and that society had broken down to such a degree that the world had been returned to pre-industrial society.
The book is timely and seems not to have dated too much considering it was published in 1951. It pick up on other well known sci-fi stories (notably H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds) but makes something particularly British in its depiction of the end of the world.

I’m working on a script at the moment as well as answering questions from my publishers. With the re-write of ‘The DarkFather’ starting as well I imagine I should be busy for the next couple of months.

Read this week:
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
Vicious Circle by Mike Carey
Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub

Odd, we’re still all here…

Having done no lasting damage to my body, I am glad to say that last weeks venture up into the hills passed without hic-cup. It was muddy, wet and cold and we didn’t do it a particularly amazing time (an asthmatic in a bath chair passed us at one point) but we completed all 60km. A big thank you to all the people who sponsored me to the tune of £430. A figure which will be doubled by the bank and shared out amongst the charities.

I’ve added a particularly flattering photo of me in stretch lycra below. If you are easily offended or have a weak stomach, look away now.


Now all that unpleasantness is over we can get back to normal. Still working my way through ‘DarkFather’, and have been told that ‘The Missing’ won’t be back in my hands for another week, which is fine by me as I have plenty on my plate at the moment.
I’m starting work on what will hopefully be my first foray into comics, working with the artist, friend and film ‘know it all’, Looming Gary. We don’t plan to try and sell the work as its more a tryout to see if we work well together, but we might get it put up here once completed. It is early days, but I have an idea that might get worked up into something…watch this space.

As we’re not all dead I can get you all to zoom over to BBC and listen to the Torchwood adventure set at CERN. It’s underground and I assume fills in a bit of missing detail between the end of series 2 and the anticipated new series. Capt. Jack is becoming a darker and more troubled character (at last) which helps this episode very well.

Talking (writing actually) about TV, looks like Dean makes it out of hell in the new series of Supernatural, the first clips of which have made it on to the net (ignore the advert):



Working my way through the second Felix Castor novel which I will discuss here soon, plus I’m now counting down the days until I go to Fantasycon. If you’re going, drop me a line and we’ll meet for a beer.

Going up the mountains

I’m working through ‘DarkFather’ in the two weeks respite I get from the editing of ‘The Missing’. I’m tidying up the story in places and increasing the presence of characters who I think need a little more room to breath. I also want to make the start a little bit punchier.

I’m off to Aviemore this weekend, cycling over mountains raising money for three charities. So far I’ve raised over £400 with all funding matched by the organisers. I imagine it will be hard going as it’s rained constantly throughout August and the weekend forecast does not look much better. I’ll put up some picture next week of me all exhausted and muddy.

Got my tickets through today for a writer event I’ve been waiting some time for. Mr Neil Gaiman is coming to Scotland, and what’s more he’s coming to the book shop just up the road from me. I’m looking forward to his new work as it’s YA and will be an interesting read in line with my own work.

****

The Fourth Bear is Jasper Fford’s latest in the Nursery Crime Division works. As always with Fford (that is his real name by the way) the laughs come hard, fast and often with allusions to other works of literature, music or film. You could spend forever and a day trying to keep up with the wry nods but instead you should enjoy the books for their quirky humour. He is one of the best writers around today for laugh out loud prose.
I was fortunate enough to meet him this summer and you can tell there is a keen mind behind these works, one that enjoys puzzles and word play. I asked him if anyone had ever considered turning the works into comics as they are rich in nursery rhyme characters and he said that many had but nothing had ever happened. If there’s any budding comic book authors reading this, get on to it now.

Rex Mundi is a comic book that started life before Da Vinci Code which is interesting because they contain similar themes. Unlike the Dan Brown book Rex Mundi is set in a world where the American Civil War has ended in stalemate and the Catholic Church controls most of Europe, also sorcery is a real problem.
The story is a little sparse in places, but the artwork by EricJ is lush and precise, turning Paris into a dark mediaeval / 30s inspired city. There are also some good scenes under Paris, travelling along the vast sewers that mimic the street layout above so accurately that they share the same names (true), plus mention of catacombs being found containing the bodies of prior inhabitants (also true). Well worth a read and I’m sure I’ll get book 2.

****
Read this week:
The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fford
Rex Mundi: The Guardian of the Temple by Arvid Nelson et al.

Underground Film

Just a quick update to mention Hellboy II and its great subterranean scenes. Very clever use of the Trolls living and trading under Brooklyn Bridge, ancient Ireland's fairy worlds, and Elves hiding out in the New York metro system. The film is lush and clever with some great creatures created by Del Toro.

Watching the Authors

Down to the last chapter of 'The Missing'. I've had my sweep through and a made a few subtle changes. I'll have a call with Maureen later this week, make further changes before printing the entire novel off and reading it as a reader. I want to try and put myself in the position of someone picking the book up off the shelf for the first time and reading it for enjoyment. At the same time it will be read by the chief editor at Libros where further changes can be made.

****

The book festival is now up and running and I was able to see Jasper Fforde read from his new work which is set in a world where colour is a key indicator to your position in life and society. Like all Fforde books the concept sounds alien and completely off kilter but no doubt he'll pull off something unique and funny and tight. If you have never read any of his books pick one up, he's as funny as Pratchett and as clever as Adams. Well worth reading.

Also got to see John Connolly, who was amusing and seemed more at ease speaking to large crowds than when I saw him two years ago. He speaks and reads so fast that he can fit into half an hour what most authors drivel on about for at least two. He read from a work in progress which is a new Charlie Parker novel out next year called 'The Lovers'. It's sound like the supernatural elements have been upped in the new book, which is good because it was something I missed in the last.

I'm off to see Alan Campbell tomorrow which I'm looking forward to.

Outside of the Book festival we saw Jimmy Carr, who was quick and clever and funny and immensely rude in all of the right places.

****

Finished 'The Secret History of Moscow', which is a subterranean fiction work set in Russia where creatures of fable, old Gods and characters from history exist below Moscow. Its from the point of view of Galina who's younger sister turns into a jackdaw and flies away whilst giving birth. Trying to track her sister down she meets with several strange individuals all who suffer from the dislocation of living in modern Russia in a big city that is crime and prejudice ridden.
The book has very much of a Russian feel to it, reading like Tolstoy (thankfully not as long) with plenty of wit. The subterranean world does not feel as fleshed at as the city above but Ekaterina Sedia has an inventive and playful mind and is able to pull on the history of her country and its myths.

'Nevada' is strange and funny and shocking and clever all at the same time. I only heard of Steve Gerber just after he died earlier this year when I discovered he was the creator of Howard the Duck, a character I remember from a film which involved aliens, comedy and inter species love (not something that seemed strange when I was about 10 years old).
This comic book was realised back in 1999 and I picked it up via the excellent book swapping site 'Read it, Swap it', based on Gerber's name. It revolves around an exotic dancer in Las Vegas, her pet ostrich Bolero, time and dimension travel, daemons and cosmic answers. It's a great read and worth picking up, I'll definitely be searching out more of Gerber's work on the back of it.

'Ocean' by Warren Ellis is a straight forward action comic set in space where coffins from an alien race have been discovered in the ice below Europa. It's about corporate greed and the inherent violence of the human species. Great art work by Chris Sprouse and Karl Story.

My final read this week is 'The Vinyl Underground - Watching the Detectives' which is a spin on Hellblazer but with a modern cool edge. It's good and I think it could grow into something very good but at the moment it doesn't have the skill or self awareness of Hellblazer.

****

Read this week:
The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia
The Vinyl Underground - Watching the Detectives by Si Spencer
Ocean by Warren Ellis
Nevada by Steve Gerber

The Hordes Descend

Just a quick post as I've much to do in the arena of getting everything done and dusted before Big Bad Trev arrives tomorrow for a couple of days followed hotly on his heels by The Mater. Festival time seems to be visiting time for family and friends - I can't imagine why!

Saw Bill Bailey on Thursday and he was okay. Nothing amazing, sometimes funny but nothing that made me feel like I was about to regurgitate my ribs (unlike the woman behind me who sounded as if she had brought up all of her internal organs). I guess comics have good days and bad days like anyone else and it kind of felt as if Bailey wanted to be elsewhere.

****

Finished Ch7. of the edit of 'The Missing', so only one more to go. After that I'll have one more read through before the whole lot gets sent off to the Chief Editor of the publishing house.

Funny ha ha ha...

The Festival is now in full swing (which probably explains why it's raining constantly) and I've added Tim Minchin and Amnesty International to sights seen. Minchin was excellent, laugh until a small bit of vomit comes into your mouth funny. He really is such a talented chap with not only being humorous but a highly skilled and adept musician if you get the chance to see him, take it. I've put a little clip of him below:



We also went to see The Amnesty International gig with Ed Byrne's, Rich Hall and Mark Watson who between them managed to wake me up via the art of laughter as the time nudged two in the morning.

Still plenty more to go which I'll report back on later next week.

****
Had an interesting conundrum in the editing of 'The Missing' this week in the use of language, particularly American English. It all stemmed from the spelling of the word 'tyre' which in the US is spelt 'tire'. In one part of the novel a character from the US of A talks about changing the tyre (or tire as it would be) with someone from the UK. They both refer to the rubber part of the car and by the end of the piece the UK character has changed nationality (don't ask, just read the book when it comes out and all will become clear). So the problem...do I use 'tyre', 'tire' or both depending on who is speaking or doesn't it matter and should I use the spelling for the language I'm writing in (UK English). The matter was too much for me and the editor and so was sent upwards to the chief editor and the results are....(drum roll)...use the UK spelling...phew!

****
Finished off the other two volumes of Miracleman as written by Alan Moore.

The second book entitled 'The Red King Syndrome,' though not liked by all is for me the best of the three as it shows the hero's ascent into the heavens as he realises that his powers make him a God among men. Humans become nothing to him as he can kill them with ease, imagine Superman with no moral compass. Also through his actions he brings about the creation of a creature even more powerful than himself.

Olympus, the third and final book has Miracleman reminiscing on his past and how the Earth was reshaped once he and several super heroes decide that they will rule the planet. It's a bitter sweet ending as the comic is seen only from Miracleman's point of view and though he knows he has brought justice and humility to the human race it was done via death, intimidation and knowledge that humanity is now firmly under the yoke.
The only problem I had with the final book is some of the language used my Moore during the dance sequences. It's good but just a little bit indulgent for my tastes.

****
Read this week:
Miracleman Book Two: The Red King Syndrome by Alan Moore et al
Miracleman Book Three: Olympus by Alan Moore and John Totleben

"I Coulda Been a Contender...."

The festival had its official start on Friday evening (I wasn’t there but I sure heard the fireworks from the castle), and we got to see our first event on Saturday afternoon with a production of ‘On the Waterfront’. Adapted from the film starring Marlon Brando (which I thought I had seen but having watched the play realised I hadn’t) this is Steven Berkoff’s stage adaptation from my old stomping ground The Nottingham Playhouse.
A little disjointed at the beginning with dialogue that was meant to fizzle but fell flat, the play didn’t really get going until the second half. I’ll put this down to first night nerves and the fact both Berkoff and the writer Budd Schulberg (of more below) were in attendance. Once this was overcome and the actors settled into their roles the play picked up speed and moved along to a soaring conclusion. Simon Merrells who took the Brando part made the character his own, shying away from doing a Brando impersonation. There were some nice set pieces on a simple stage, culminating in a funny pigeon coop scene. One of the things that will stay in the memory long after the story has faded is the faces of the actors, Berkoff has put together a group with strong features that put me in mind of Dick Tracy villains, all flat noses and squinting eyes.
As I mentioned Budd Schulberg was in the audience and at the end of the play he was brought on stage by the cast. Now elderly (born 1914), he cut an intelligent and still very much aware figure. Having written such a prominent Hollywood movie as ‘On the Waterfront’ I had a quick google to find out more about him and discovered a man who has had a full and interesting life from meeting and working with F. Scott Fitzgerald, arresting the Nazi film maker Leni Riefanstahl to the dark days of the House of Un-American Activities Commission – a man who has truly been at the centre of US history.

****
I’ve been reading ‘Through a Glass, Darkly’ this week which is good but you’ll have to read my review in the next issue of Prism to get my full comments on this book.

Miracleman is where Alan Moore tried out some of his ideas for Watchmen. It came first but in some ways I prefer it as it deals with one character rather than several and though not as well known as the later work it shows Alan already playing with the superhero concept. The art work is a little poorly defined for my tastes and the lettering is very small (perhaps I need glasses) but the writing is terrific, it almost contains the depth of a novel.

****
There was series of films on BBC 4 last night all looking at the London Underground, its history and effect on modern life. Of particular interest was Arena: Underground which included footage of Margaret Barnett, who sheltered in the Tube during the bombing in the Second World War. Echoes of ‘DarkFather’ – I’ll say no more. You can see the programmes again on the rather good BBC iPlayer

Off to see the very funny Tim Minchin tonight.

****
Read this week:
Through a Glass, Darkly by Bill Hussey
Miracleman Book One: A Dream of Flying by Alan Moore, Garry Leach and Alan Davis

Gotham Night

Well they did it. It took several attempts but they have finally made a Batman film that fully incorporates the depth of the characters, the history of the comic books and the madness of Gotham City. The Dark Knight is truly a remarkable film, keeping its high octane thrills but lacing it with a well written script, a depth not often found in Hollywood and some excellent acting.
SPOILER ALERT – IF YOU HAVEN’T YET SEEN THE FILM, LOOK AWAY NOW.
I was nervous when I went to see the movie, concerned that the hype would set me up for a fall, but I was wrong. Jonathon and Christopher Nolan wrote the script and they obviously know and respect the character, from the true representation of the Joker’s madness to simple things like Batman’s white soulless eyes so often portrayed in the comic books. It is cool and clever and sets the Batman up as a true anti-hero, forever on the outskirts, wanted by both the criminal fraternity and the law.
Much praise has been heaped on Heath Ledger’s Joker and it is a magnificent performance, but one I don’t think would have been possible without the rest of the cast. His nervous ticks and constant wiggling tongue show a Joker sent mad by a society on which he returns to prey. And most important of all they don’t kill him off like some baddy of the week. Jack Nicholson did a great job of the Joker in the Tim Burton film but they made the mistake of killing him. You just can’t do that as the Batman and the deranged clown are the two sides of the same coin (an allusion to Two Face); the whole mythos runs off this duality and without one you cannot have the other.

****

Just finished Hard Boiled by Frank Miller. It’s good, predictable but good. To be honest the script is very short and you can easily read it in one sitting, what slows you down is the art work by Geof Darrow which is intricate and visually complex. It’s like a ‘Where’s Wally’ for adults, as he makes use of several full page drawings that have to be examined in minute detail. The images are arresting and perverse (he seems to enjoy drawing anatomically precise genitalia on both humans and androids).

****

I’ve been over to South Queensferry for the weekend which is a lovely little place on the outskirts of Edinburgh under the dominating presence of two bridges. The Forth Rail Bridge which is over a hundred years old and still functioning and the road bridge which is considerably younger and ready to be retired. I’m putting together some notes on the bridge which I hope will become a novella; I’ll put these up here when I’ve written them.

Also I would like to mention that the hard working Mr. Hunt has set up a new social networking sight at http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/hivemind/home.php . I notice several names from other sites so plan to spend some time nosing around it and taking some time to engage in considered and engaging debates.

Read this week:
Hard Boiled by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow

More Underground Links

Just a load of links for underground exploration:

http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2008_02_20/more-hidden-tunnels-under-london/

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&vid=393bf2bd-4fce-4714-8ba7-c18a2e46723e&fg=rss&from=34

http://www.nyclondon.com/blog/archives/2004/09/19/churchills_secret_underground_bunker_paddock.blog

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2005/mar/30/pollution.g2

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2005/11/london-topological.html

http://siologen.net/pbase/thumbnails.php?album=9

Best Subways around the world

Just found this link to some great subway photos from around the world .
For me the Gap exists all over the world but is coloured by its location.

This is how we work...

Started on Ch 4 of ‘The Missing’. We seem to have come up with quite a good way of working through the book. Maureen sends me a chapter in which she has made a few changes, normally grammatical errors (of which, I am sure, there are many). I then spend about four days reading through the changes and making any corrections that I missed on the last draft. Once this is complete, Maureen and I discuss the chapter on the phone (I believe she lives in Spain, so meeting isn’t possible), with her pointing out any areas she had difficulty with or didn’t quite understand. This is a more in depth analysis of sentence structure or a particular phrase or word I’ve used. Sometimes a change is made, more often than not I go away and think about it before completing one more rewrite of that section.
I’m not sure if this is how other writers work with their editor’s, but for me it seems to be working.

****

‘Heart of Empire’ is the follow up to the Luther Arkwright books. Where the first were drawn in meticulous black and white, this book is completed in bright and bold colours (though the work is still highly detailed).
I found this even more enjoyable than the first three books, I think mainly because it is more accessible than the first book. There is a lot to be said for having a clear and concise plot, though the ambiguity of the parallel dimensions had already been created through the first work, confusing as it may be.
There are some great reworking of real people in this book, allowing Talbot to put the boot in with those people he obviously feels garner too much press time for little or no artistic or social integrity, a fop by the name of Sir Joshua Hirst is a fine example. The book does not push the Arkwright mythos forward in any way, but it remains a great read.

Read this week:
Heart of Empire or The Legacy of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot

Comic Timing

Just finishing off Ch.3 of 'The Missing', with the help of Maureen. Still plenty of work to go and with Madam Vin doing the first read through of 'DarkFather' and the new short story I've started, things are busy, busy, busy.

Been able to do quite a bit of reading over the weekend by sticking mainly to comics:

Skin was banned and few people wanted to publish it when it was first touted. The story of a violent skin head Thalidomide is not going to be every one's ideal subject matter and while the comic is worthy it is intrinsically flawed due to its main character. You never sympathise or really care about Martin 'Atchet and early on you realise the inevitable ending. It is however, well written with clever use of language and the bright almost hypnotic art work is uplifting.

Batman Year One I first read years ago and seems to have aged well. It's Miller's re imagining of the Dark Knight, gone is the ludicrous 70s version (including the rubbish Robin character who I've never liked) and in its place is the darkness and film noir of a Gotham in need of a violent anti-hero. Clever, violent and very, very dark.

Ministry of Space is an alternative history piece concerning what would have happened if Britain had won the space race and not followed WW2 with a decade of depression and a huge national debt. What's best here is the art work, it's magnificent, full of Dan Dare type vehicles and colours. It's only problem is the ending, too quick and too obvious.
It is written by Warren Ellis who also produced Freakangels, which I am enjoying and can't wait to read the next episode of.

The Last American is a futuristic 'last man' story that just doesn't seem to go anywhere. It feels as if the writers and artist both got bored with the project and gave up after several episodes. This a shame because it was building into a good story and the small detailed art work gave it a claustrophobic and empty feel, perfect for the attitude of the hero.

My favourite read has been Batman: The Killing Joke. At last a comic book that understands the Joker, how twisted and unbalanced he really is. This Deluxe recoloured version is amazing, lush and sharp. It also highlights what a good writer Alan Moore can be when working with an artist ready to curb some of his more outlandish digressions. Almost perfect.

****
This blog is now also going out on SFCrowsNest run by the talented (and probably very busy Stephen Hunt. If you haven't read the website or Stephen's work I can highly recommend both.

Read this week:
Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
Lat American by Alan Grant, Mike McMahon and John Wagner
Ministry of Space by Warren Ellis, Chris Weston and Laura Martin
Batman Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and Richmond Lewis
Skin by Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy and Carol Swain

Iron Arkwright

And the Blogger Buddy seems to work fine. Don't know if I'll use it very often buts it’s a handy little device for when I can't be bothered to sign in.

Just finished Iron Angel by Alan Campbell, this is definitely a book 2 kind of book. It feels like you are in the middle of something and you need to have read book 1 (Scar Night - one of my top trumps of last year) to understand what is going on while the whole book ends without really ending at all, but sets itself up for book three.
Like the first it’s probably classed as dark fantasy and as the plot spends most of its time in hell then lightness is not something you expect to come across. It is perhaps this rendering of hell that is of most interest. Campbell's imagination must have been working over time (or else he's been drinking too much coffee) as it’s beautifully rendered and unlike any version of hell I've ever read about before. It is a truly horrific place where every construct is a damned soul warped to a gods imagining.
The first story was personal while this is vast and that is perhaps my only concern. Because so much was happening across such a vast world to a myriad of characters I felt it was harder to connect with the story (plus Carnival is missing, which is shame. I liked her). It's epic but looses some of the heart of the first book.

Also read the Luther Arkwright series by Bryan Talbot (who I'm seeing in August at the festival). I read this on the back of Alice in Sunderland which was one of my favourites of last year. It's different but also just as ambitious, plotting a story across multiple versions of the same world called the multiverse (which I think I'm heard used before in Interworld (goes to check), it is! I wonder if this was homage or just a result of minds thinking alike by Gaiman and Reaves).
The simple black and white drawings help the complex language and ideas expressed which take some time to adjust to. This is not a graphic story without heart or brains and you have to bring your intellect to the party. It takes a little time to get into it but stick with it, it's worth it.

Read this week:
Iron Angel by Alan Campbell
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright Book 1, 2 and 3 by Bryan Talbot

blogger Budder

Just a quick note to see if my new Blogger Buddy that sits on my laptops desktop works.

A Load of Links

Things are progressing...slowly. They're getting there but everything takes so much time. 'The Missing' is now a few weeks into its edit under the guiding hand of Maureen and DarkFather has been printed off and had its first read through by an audience (of one, by the name of Madame Vin).

I've been doing a bit of surfing recently and found all sorts of lovely things online. Use the links below to explore:

A great little static film in photos from Jonathan Glancey (architecture journalist of the Guardian) on the watery London of tomorrow with a special guest appearance by the hidden Fleet river: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/interactive/2008/jun/30/architecture

This seems to be a collective artists site with some beautiful and funny films: http://zune-arts.net/

An article about Central Park at night, which makes me think that my comic book script 'The Park' still has legs. I'll probably go on and have a rewrite of it soon: http://www.forteantimes.com/features/fortean_traveller/1188/central-park-in-the-dark.html

And a load of website dedicated to places underground which I'll put here so that I can find them again next time I'm looking:
http://www.undercity.org/intro.htm
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/09/28/top/a06092804_01.txt
http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/rails/disused.underground.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3925259
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/ground_pentrating_radar.htm

****
Currently in the middle of Alan Campbell's new work but last week I read Stella Muller-Madej's account of being a Jewish child during World War II. She ended up in the Warsaw ghetto and then a concentration camp before being saved by ending up on a work detail at one of Oskar Schindler's factories. I was expecting a harrowing account of life during that period but instead found that the violence and death was almost glossed over as another event in the daily grind of life. This is because the Holocaust is seen through the eyes of child, a child who did not fully understand what was going on, allowing her to ask the questions we all want to know, which is the why and how something like that was ever allowed to happen.
The book is written as a memoir many years after the events, and Stella's use of English is shaky which helps to add to the child like quality of the events. It's a hard going book with casual violence and death part of the daily regime but also a reminder of the horror's human can perpetrate against each other.

****

Finally I'm looking forward to the end of Dr Who this weekend and a 'possible' new Doctor. Because Who won't return until 2010 I'll have to put up with a new Batman film instead:



Read this week:
A Girl from Schindler's List by Stella Muller-Madej

All Simian until today

I'm having to oscillate between two different manuscripts at the moment. Maureen and I are going through Chapter 1 of 'The Missing'(or the first part of the novel as it doesn't really have chapters) sending copies backwards and forwards to one another. At the same time I am printing off the first version of 'DarkFather', which is being read by Madame Vin. I'm hoping the stories don't become too intertwined by accident. I would hate for the Missing Man to suddenly pop up in The Gap.

I'm also at the start of a 'get fit for the Cairngorms bike ride' regime, which was going fine until I pulled the tendons on the inside of both elbows. They have been in exaggerated spasm since last Friday causing me to walk around with my arms bent like an Orang-utan. This has resulted in Madame Vin threatening to put things just out of reach and fits of giggles when I bend simian like to pick them up. Fortunately today the arms are once more straight making me feel all evolved.

****
'The Reapers' is the new Charlie Parker novel only it doesn't star Bird and instead focuses its plot on Louis and Angel. I think this book has been at the back of the mind of all John Connolly readers since he introduced us to the characters in the first novel. The two characters have grown with the books but their pasts, often hinted at, has never been fully explored. This book sets the record straight allowing us to watch Louis grow from a poor marginalised southern boy in a racist society through pain and anguish which leads him to becoming a cold hearted killer who is eventually redeemed (as much as a killer for hire can be). It also shows the love and respect Angel and Louis have for one another, the bond that keeps them together and the shadowy lives they must live to protect each other.
It also introduces us to the characters in their lives, from the humble and loyal mechanic Willy and Arno, the local bar owner Nate and the dark brooding presence of Parker, who you realise is just as fearsome (if not more so) than Louis.
As ever the book is well written, cleverly plotted at a fast and rising pace. My only gripe is that the character of Bliss, yang to Louis' ying, is skipped over a little too quickly. I wanted to know more about him, for him to built up like The Collector of previous books. Not that I'm complaining because as usual Connolly has produced a brilliant and creative thriller.

Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves however was a bit of a disappointment. Gaiman I've written about before and remains one of my favourite writers but this fell flat in both ideas and the language used. I haven't read anything by Reaves before so have nothing to compare it to. I don't know if it was the fact of co-writing a book that meant their individual ideas and voices were lost in the joint effort but I just found it lacking in imaginative sparks.
The Subterranean volume is as always beautifully produced, however there are a couple of glaringly obvious editing mistakes.

Finally I finished the week reading 'Arkham Asylum,' a 25 th Anniversary release of the Grant Morrisson and Dave Mckean comic. I first read this over a decade ago and though the story works only in fits and starts the art work is amazing.

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Read this week:
The Reapers by John Connolly
Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrisson and Dave Mckean

Age Banding

You've probably already read about the new initiative by some publishers to add an age range to books as a guide for parents when choosing a new book for their offspring. The story has made the press and a full outline of the issues can be read in The Telegraph and at the BBC. I have to say having just finished 'The Darkfather' I'm against the idea, the reasons being:

a) Books should be read for enjoyment not because they mark base camps along the Everest of reading. I read books that are meant for children but its the story and the characters, the language and the created world that makes it for me, not some arbitrary age grouping.

b) When I set off to write a novel I have no idea about the age group it fits into. The story develops and the language along with it. The language I use is suitable to the story not the age of the reader.

c) As I child I came to books late (I read mainly comics as a youngster) but when I started to read I read voraciously and worked through everything from 'The Hobbit', to 'Great Expectations' to the works of Shakespeare. If I had known that were I to pick up a book and be stigmatised by those around me by the 'age' of the book then I might not have picked some of them up.

d) If you're an adult choosing a book for a child and don't know what to buy - speak to a bookseller or a Librarian. I've worked in both positions and I can tell you the people working in books do it for the love of the works and not the pay (which in most cases is rubbish). Go to a good book shop and ask for help. The staff will impart their knowledge freely and try their best to help you.

So that is why I've added my name to the Philip Pullman lead campaign and ask that you do the same. Details can be found here.

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Started on the editing process of 'The Missing' today with my editor Maureen. She's leading me down the rubbish strewn path of missing colon's, sentence restructure and tense clarification. Chapter 1 has been reviewed and we should have that finished within the next couple of weeks. She's read the book twice and says she enjoyed it (phew!).

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My new leather jacket has arrived - hurrah! It's taken some time due to my rather poor Lycos email account which seems to be acting up at the moment and the trip to Japan. But it is now here and looks wonderful and fits perfectly. Many thanks to John at Bad Wolf for sorting it all out for me.

Catching up

Couple of things came through in the email whilst I was away.

The short story 'Pastoral Effect' will be published in the June 09 issue of New Horizons magazine. This is one of the magazines produced by the British Fantasy Society, I'll check to see if you have to be a member to purchase a copy.

I have an editor for 'The Missing'. The erudite Maureen will be undertaking the task and we hope to get things complete in three months. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

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Read several books whilst away:

Mariah Mundi - The Midas Box by G.P. Taylor takes a while to get going but is full of wonderful gothic inventions and is set in a world that might be Victorian England but then again might be somewhere completely different. It tells the story of the orphan Mariah in his new occupation as servant in the Prince Regent Hotel, a massive monstrosity built on supports over a cliff face with steam elevators and something nasty hidden in the basement. There he meets the feisty Sacha and soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery concerning vanishing children, magic tricks, the Kracken and tunnels underground. Once it beds in the story sets a rapid pace and those the language might be difficult for some children the invention should keep them reading. I will now go back and read the book that he first published - Shadowmancer.

In the Miso Soup is a translation of a work by Ryu Murakami from Japan. It's dark and funny and deadly and terrible violent. Sort of stuck half way between a Tarantino movie and an Ian Banks novel. Its well written and the translated with deft by Ralph McCarthy. Short and brutal but with a heart (cut out and pulsating in a clutched hand).

Tokyo by Mo Hayder is a simple thriller involving the atrocities committed by the Japanese Army in Nanking during their war against China, plotted against an outsiders involvement with the Yakuza in modern day Tokyo. The main character 'Grey' I found a little difficult to understand but the reason for this soon becomes evident and you understand why she has been used. The other great mystery of the story, a Chinese herbal medicine and its contents is the books downfall with its source being obvious early in the story.

Read this week:
Mariah Mundi - The Midas Box by G.P. Taylor
In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami
Tokyo by Mo Hayder

The long one about Tokyo

I had been told to expect culture shock. Japan after all is Asian in mind and deed, insular and yet modern, but this is a creeping type of culture shock. You don’t experience it all at once, it seeps into you slowly. Rather than the freezing cold shock of ice cubes down the back of your shirt, it is the dropping of the temperature as you move into the frozen waste lands. Things are obviously dissimilar, the signage is difficult to read, the land smells different, the usual becomes slightly more difficult than normal but Tokyo is a city, and you know the way that a city works. They are the same all over the world. But after a time you realise that Tokyo is different - very, very different.

First the expected. Tokyo at night is (and I know that this is almost a cliché) the city of Bladerunner. The soft rain, neon lights pulsating, smoke filled bars up hidden stairs. It is as if you’ve stepped through the screen right into Deckard’s world, a land of replicants and off world colonies. It’s beautiful and raw, with the thrill of possibility around every corner. But you were anticipating that, you’ve seen the pictures, you know what to expect.

Day time Tokyo is just as thrilling, but in a calming, clean and polite way. I’ve always thought of cities as dirty, angry places. All those people living cheek by jowl with all the rubbish, noise and pollution spilling out onto the streets, but it would appear not so in Tokyo. With a population of 12 billion they have created a city that is clean and polite, that embraces the future whilst heeding the past. People are courteous and kind, get out a map and look vacant (something I’m good at) and within seconds a helpful local will point you in the right direction. Perhaps it’s because the Japanese have created a city that works. In our two week holiday I did not see a train that was late, an electric door that didn’t fail to open, a ticket barrier that did not work, or a toilet seat that wasn’t gently warmed electronically. I didn’t see rubbish on the floor, wanton vandalism, or any signs of aggression. Either Tokyo works in ways that we at home can and will never understand or else Tokyo has a dark, misshapen portrait in its own attic.

We stayed in the plush Park Hotel in a new-ish district called Shiodome (pronounced shi-oh-dom-ee). The hotel staff were brilliant, attentive but knowing when to give you space. The hotel was immaculately kept and wonderfully situated. If you go I can’t recommend it enough. Around Shiodome you have everything you need. The area is ultra modern with underground, over ground and monorail trains next to the hotel. Every type of restaurant you want is within walking distance; from the Japanese salary man barbecue pits to high class (with great views) restaurants. I had the best Italian meal outside of Italy ever in a purpose built Italian section of the city behind our hotel.
We visited like crazy – Imperial parks, museums of the future, Buddhist temples and Shinto (fascinating religion) shrines. We saw Mount Fuji (which is not as easy at it sounds) and failed to see a massive waterfall. We rode the famous bullet trains and drank in the same bar as Bill Murray, and we ate and ate and ate…

The highlight for me was learning a few Samurai sword moves from Tetsuro Shimaguchi, the head choreographer in the swordfight scene in the snowy garden in “Kill Bill: Volume One” (he played the role of Crazy 88 (Miki) in the film). Apparently I’m a natural, but I think he says that to everyone. I have a film on VHS of me and Madame Vin that I’ll get copied to the blog as soon as it is on disc and then you can make your own decision.

So that’s it, holiday over, but I will definitely be going back to Tokyo - I don’t know when buts it’s on my radar. For now it’s back to work and finishing off ‘Dark Father’.