The Narrow Bridge

Buffalo ‘66

2012-02-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

I had no expectation level.

Vincent Gallo is someone I knew nothing about. While wandering the internet, spotting an article on a site I visit, I learn of Gallo. I dropped by his website. It seemed substantial. I didn’t read much of it, but that’s not the important part. What is is the fact that I got my hands on a DVD of Buffalo ’66 (1998).

Gallo wrote, directed and starred in Buffalo ’66. I could write about the movie, but I don’t want to giveaway anything. But in the most abstract terms, it’s the simplicity which makes the characters, Gallo, playing Billy Brown, and Christina Ricci as Layla, to painfully ordinarily people in the painfully broken world of Billy Brown.

Fine actors portray a set of orbiting bodies, which ultimately collide with Billy Brown, played by Ben Gazzara, Mickey Rourke, Rosanna Arquette, and Anjelica Huston, and there are others. These four depict people who affect our protagonist, up close and in most, deeply damaging ways.

No one can choose their parents, and Ben Gazzara and Anjelica Huston play the king and queen of the dysfunctional household, unhappy and fixated they are. Gallo faces them as the damaged son. Sound like a cliché, but Gallo take the crisis called Billy Brown into his own personal vendetta against his own life. Of course, there’s always someone to blame. Like anyone else Billy knows who they are. And he knows the one guy, well, I’ll this, “He knows the one guy, he’s got to kill to make everything better…. ?

If you haven’t seen Buffalo ’66, you should too.

I had no expectation level. But I didn’t need one. Buffalo ’66 worked out fine.

The 39 Steps: the novel, the films, the play.

2012-02-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

My reading is off and on. Been busy. Performing in local theater. Acting and memorizing lines does take a good deal of time. Not a complaint, just a statement of fact. It’s all time well spent.

Which brings me to the point, a novel entitled: The 39 Steps by John Buchan, a Scottish author. If you’re interested in more information about him got to the John Buchan Society. Mr. Buchan’s novel became the loosely-based Hitchcock classic of the same; then a 1937 radio show, and in 2007 was adapted to the stage, winning a Tony Award.

Robert Donat

Buchan’s main character, Richard Hannay, also appeared in two other novels: Greenmantle, and Mr. Steadfast. Something I didn’t know, or didn’t recall, because I do my best to research a topic to the barest of boney facts. Also the same Hannay, interpreted, unlikely hero lives in three novels, and has been portrayed in film by Robert Donat in the original and Kenneth More in a 1959 remake.

Kenneth More

More current incarnations exist. Why? A good story has legs and The 39 Steps is proof. Is there a direct translation of the book through to the movies? Well, no. Few stories do move from one medium to another without some change, and hopefully, not a total rearrangement where the original effort of the author can’t even be found with a divining rod.

The 1935 film is the one used as the framework for the stage production, which has suspense, action, romance, and comedy—much comedy, much to laugh at, from word play to physical comedy. The humor is limited only by the imagination and the extent to which the director and performers are will to go. Hopefully they well go far.

When a Broadway show can move out into the rest of country and have a new life in regional theater, where going to New York City for theater entertainment is not always an option, well, that makes a story all the more successful.

The play succeeds. I don’t know the mind of anyone, who can? But I’d like to think that John Buchan would appreciate the final stage result.

Father Brown in Russia

2011-09-01T12:39:00.000-04:00

Father Brown is everywhere, being available to anyone who wants to read a solid mysterious, and occasionally, fantastical story, which the diminutive priest adroitly reduces to the common place. The God-given gift of reason can do that.

From the written word to the big screen with Sir Alec Guinness’s portrayal in The Detective to Kenneth More in the British television series, which I wrote of in April: G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown on DVD.

I received a comment on that post from Alek, but his comment was not so much a comment, but an invitation to view a stop-action animation adaption of G. K. Chesterton’s The Blast of the Book. The short was produced by the Soyuzmultfilm Studio in 1987 and is presently available on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2NKRxDEezo

No English subtitles are available, but that does not detract from the quality of the work. It’s a little over thirteen minutes long.

And by all means, re-read the original story first; then watch the short. Chesterton is available everywhere on the Internet. Or just pick your copy of The Scandal of Father Brown from your bookshelf.

***

You can visit Alek, the purveyor of this wonderful piece of entertainment, at: http://alek-morse.livejournal.com/

H. Beam Piper: Lives …

2011-08-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Through their fiction all writers go on. Even obscures ones, because it’s not hard to be an obscure writer and in time have old fans, new fans and futures fans. If not fans, readers who enjoy picking up the odd book, sitting down and turning the pages.

H. beam Pipe is one of those writers. He’s long dead now, having, sadly, taken his own life on November 6, 1964, using a handgun from his own collection. What a waste. If anyone is interested in his life, the internet provides a number of sites. I have no need to provide comprehensive details of Piper’s life. That’s been done respectively well already.

How I learned of H. Beam Piper is what his post is about, and I can state that I can’t remember exactly when I heard of his name. Rummaging through memory I do believe my first fragment of recollection was of a book by David Gerrold who wrote the Start Trek episode Trouble with Tribbles. He later authored about book about the making of that episode and mentioned Fuzzies, which were a creation of Piper’s, but at that time, Piper’s name didn’t stick. So, I met the creation and to the creator.

Years later, not having read Piper, and still not having read a great deal by him, I was trolling the rows of books at a library book sale. A man I did not know and have not seen since was engaged in the same quest: Seeking literary treasure. His hair was white, curly and uncombed. He used a cane, shuffled and kicked a cardboard box along with one foot. The box held selected books, probably science fiction, a guess on my part, but it makes sense considering he made a comment to one of the library staff ladies, he knew, about being interested in any H. Beam Piper that may be available.

So, Piper was a name, but not someone I had read, and not for some years after that did I finally take the time, find a book and have a read. The novel was Murder in the Gunroom, the only murder mystery Piper ever wrote. I remember liking it. It’s been some time, couple years. Like I said, I haven’t read a great deal. To be most accurate, I just finished one other book: Space Viking. I like it was as well. For the reason that it was simply and Piper, toward the end of the story, said a few things about civilization, and none of it was complementary about socialism and because he saw Hitler linked directly to that socio-political ideology. The story about a man being a Viking to avenge the death of his new, just married, young wife was pretty thin on thought, but high adventurous machinations: Getting a powerful, space ship, a crew, putting together plans on how to locate the villain. But the short comment about civilization and civilization dying or being destroyed peaked my interest and gave the story more meaning, but wouldn’t lose, for instance a young reader, and gave enough for an older reader to stick with the protagonist to the end.

The fact that the Space Viking was serialized in science fiction magazine a long time about there it still has something about it that holds up. It’s honest. In away it may seem dated, but then again, what does the future really whole? What does it look like? All the same H. Beam Piper cared enough to write about it.

Nevil Shute's "Trustee from the Toolroom"

2011-08-17T15:19:00.000-04:00

An unusual hero steps out from toolroom

In a literary novel we have the protagonist, but for the Nevil Shute’s Trustee from the Toolroom, I prefer to call Keith Stewart an unlikely hero, and someone we grow to like, very much. He’s an overweight freelance writer for, what one would think to be an obscure miniature machine magazine, Stewart designs and builds working models in his basement for near hand-to-mouth earnings. But he enjoys this life. Stewart has never left his patch of England, and neaer wanted to. He and his wife have no children; they live a quiet life, happily going along, when one day he helps his brother-in-law prepare a safe in the bottom of a small sailing ship.

The brother-in-law, a well off individual, with a landed gentry background, and Stewart’s sister are off on a cruise to America on their own, while Stewart and his wife take care of their niece, Janice. Life goes wrong when the sister and her husband are killed in a storm at sea near Tahiti.

Stewart and his wife learn that the child, which is now permanently in their care, has no inheritance. The suspicion is that the inheritance, now in the form of diamonds, is in the safe on a ruin sailing ship, the remains of which are sitting on a reef in the South Pacific.

Here the story really gets underway. Stewart, the man that’s gone nowhere, is faced with the daunting task of leaving his insular world of miniature models and journeying to a reef in the middle of the pacific. This is when we and Steward learns how insignificant he is not. This is the key to the story, and I don’t like to divulge too much of any story. I want you to read it for yourself, of course, but what I can say is the depth of Stewart’s own life is revealed to him and amazes him as much as it will please any reader.

If you haven’t read Shute before, well, you should. This story is a fine one to begin with. His writing is straight forward and is laced with technical explains, which his characters always delve into, because Shute himself was an incredibly talented man.

I have a caveat or two, nothing serious, but, there are moments when the continued repetition of Steward’s motives for his journey clutters up the narrative, and if they could’ve been pared down just a little, the story would’ve been tightened up. The ending was not bad, matter of fact, it was happy, that’s reasonable, because that’s the way life can be, but the true resolution, the retrieval of the Janice’s inheritance, did not work out well in the way the story was constructed. At over three hundred pages, I think Shute was pushed to finish by the length of the story already.

Don’t get me wrong, as the reader I was continually moving with Stewart and pulling for him. Our unlikely hero maybe traveling great distances for his niece but he learns that he’s touched the lives of many others.

Read it. You’ll enjoy the time spent. Stewart’s life is simpler, no faster then the postal service or a rotary phone call is made or a phone conversation is made on a tape recorder and transcribed to paper, or a sailing ship glides through the water.

Borders to close: An old friend dies.

2011-07-21T08:26:00.001-04:00

A couple days ago Borders announced its closing of all its stores. Yes, a major gap is going to be left in retail book selling. Locally, Borders is the only bookstore there is for me. Worst of all hearing of the closing was like learning the imminent death of a friend.

Every reader knows a bookstore its just a place you visit. The store is an entity all its own. It has name, character, quirks, and what is available on its shelves is the same as what anyone wears. In short:

“By the books on your shelves, I shall know thee.”

Hours were spent walking the literary landscape, perusing the genres, running a finger over the spines of novels, flipping through a magazine, and drinking a favorite and exotic coffee blend.

I must admit that the music playing was not always conducive to my browsing, but a friend tolerates the occasionally peculiar musical tastes of a friend.

The reported caused of the terminal closure has been reported as an internet associated pathological illness. Alas, death by internet because the friend didn’t keep up with online retail access. Borders entered the eBook and music download area fast enough. Meaning that selling good books just wasn’t enough, but an added burden was the fact that Borders was also hauling a debt which it could not sustain trying to reorganize several times after declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy a couple times of the recent years. But again, selling books, a thing a reader can hold in his hand, just wasn’t enough.

I personally have not enter the eBook/Kobo area or Kindle yet, and I’m sure I’m not alone. While a technology driven reading market concerns me as not necessarily as a positive it is a subject for another time. For I come not to mourn Borders, but praise it.

The passing of the Borders chain leaves a gap, and not just in the market, but in my search for good reading, good service, pleasant surroundings, and that particular feel, and aura of being around books.

Borders will be missed like any good friend is.

Last at Bat by Mark Donahue

2011-07-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

Baseball is the American sport. Period. It’s is true that there are more football fans and basket ball fans, but baseball has grow up with America and is, as the cliché goes, a part of the American fabric. Baseball has changed over the hundreds of year since its earliest reported appearance in the first part of the 1800s.

A history of the sport isn’t the goal here, but the reality is baseball has spawned story after story, from poetry to short story to the novel and, of course, film. Name a legendary player like Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig and there’s a film. Pairing fiction and baseball and more films come to mind. We have The Natural by Bernard Malamud and Field of Dreams, based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. Go online and the lists are there. Not to fault other sports, but off the top of your head named that great basket ball film or football … or hockey?

It’s all about baseball, and Mark Donahue created a great story, which I will do my best not to tell you anything about, because you should read it. I will give a negative though, and I’m quite sure Mr. Donahue would agree, and that is he’s no Hemingway or Faulkner. But, and the ‘but’ is huge and that is, going back to the first line, he ‘created a great story.’

Once General Douglas MacArthur declared: "… old soldiers never die; they just fade away;” the same could be said about athletes, but when it comes to Last at Bat, I’d think Mark Donahue would say MacArthur is just plain wrong. Baseball has its legends and the author of Last at Bat creates one, which won’t die or faded away.

Mark Donahue - Last At Bat

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G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown on DVD

2011-04-27T15:39:00.000-04:00

Sometime ago, meaning, I can’t remember when, and the time that has passed probably amounts to a year and a half now, I bought the first volume in the British produced of the Father Brown series starring Kenneth More.I’d only read The Blue Cross at the time, but I had read Orthodoxy and Heretics, and The Man Who Was Thursday.

It has been something since I purchased the first volume and I did procure the second when it became available, and what it all comes down to is I happy that I did. I’ve watched the DVDs over and over; a few of the episodes are favorites so I enjoy them more often.

I did make the mistake of taking a look at some of the reviews on Amazon. Many were lukewarm and some simply, not complementary at all, and a few were downright savage, but I will say that those reviews just didn’t get it.

Get what?

Get the fact that this series of stories were televised at a time when putting Chesterton’s Father Brown on the small screen was almost too much of a challenge. I suspect that, now, with big budgets and technological expertise and talent that is available, efforts at bring Father Brown to the TV audience would be a huge disaster, especially in America. I can say this with complete confidence because it was tried once in the 1970s with Sanctuary of Fear and well, the program, while making it to VHS, has never been heard from since. I’m not knocking anyone, performer, writer or director. In all honesty the adaption was so loose, the name should’ve been change to protect the Innocence of Father Brown.

Father Brown, the small, painfully unassuming priest was created by a non-Roman Catholic. Later Chesterton converted to Roman Catholicism, and he used his Catholic creation to not only fight crime, but fight evil and attacks on the Roman Catholic Church. Read the stories and you’ll see that—watch the Father Brown series and you’ll see that, too.

But I warn you, the program was produced in the 1970s, and doesn’t know have that commercial ‘snap, crackle, pop,’ which TV audiences are use to and now condemn when they don’t see it. The production quality of 21st television production can hide the worst acting and story.

I would’ve liked to know what G. K. Chesterton would’ve thought of a small screen Father Brown. I would’ve liked to know what he thought of Father Brown on the big screen, being that his priest made it to the motion picture screen in 1934, two years before Chesterton’s death. But I know that I like Father Brown as portrayed by Kenneth More on the small screen, and I’d like to think Mr. Chesterton would be pleased, too.

To be honest, I would like to play the role of the wily, yet, diminutive cleric. But Kenneth More would be a difficult act to follow, because I enjoyed his interpretation. I enjoyed the majority of the episodes, while I just liked a few of the other episodes. Some were hurt by the acting or the dramatizations, or both. But, I watched them all—some more than others.

Episodes that come immediately to mind are The Mirror and the Magistrate, Volume 1; The Secret Garden, Volume 2; and there is The Dagger with Wings, Volume 1. These mysteries and solutions, in particular, and the way Father Brown engages in them and the other characters, are strong and have a good sense of the stories. The acting is solid, yet theatrical. I suspect that the theatrical nature of some of the programs might throw the current TV viewers. Again, the Father Brown series doesn’t have the ‘snap, crackle, and the pop,’ and they’re Period pieces, and unless the historical background, at least for American productions, includes something epic or the mafia, or devious killers, and/or the ongoing effort to ‘get the guy and the girl together’ and into the sack, … well, a celibate priest doesn’t have a chance.

Dickens and what the People wanted.

2011-04-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Charles Dickens wrote a great deal of which most American readers, those who read for enjoyment, have not read. I am one of those American readers, and no, I don’t feel badly about not reading all of his work, but I can feel good about having read his work.

Of course, there is Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, and The Pickwick Papers, and as I related, I haven’t read all Dickens’s work, not even some, but I can write in honesty that I want to read more and I will. In time, but not in a gorging fashion, but piece by piece and in complete and utter enjoyment.

I step back from his work for a moment to quote something from G. K. Chesterton who wrote, if not the most important biography of Dickens by many, it should be considering the most important biography by anyone, and the quote is:

“Dickens did not write what the people wanted. Dickens wanted what the people wanted.”

Simply straightforward and true, Dickens wrote what he like, and didn’t like to write social commentary, what he wrote; the end result of his efforts, just come out that way to academic types who wish to raise Dickens up above the everyday crowds he wrote for.

We don’t have to read all of Dickens’s work to know that he wrote about the working class and the poor and the miserable wretches who were the rich and the abusers.

Most people don’t know much about Dickens and I suppose one important and necessary fact is that he wrote for money. He wrote a lot to get that coin in hand. He had to. Writing wasn’t the best paying occupation and it still isn’t for those on the lowest rungs of the ladder. Publishers, even in the 21st century still ‘stiff’ the writer of his and her hard earned money. Let us not delude ourselves. Writing, though enjoyable, is still work, very hard work, and very misunderstood work. Misunderstood by those who don’t write or can’t write, and most can’t write.

Dickens wrote, and he was honest about the world he lived in and in what he hoped for. Great Expectations did not have the traditional happy ending, but ultimately, the lesson to be learned is: In life there are choices, and choices have consequences. Nothing is wrong with that kind of writing. Again, it is honest.

So, I will continue to read Dickens, slowly but shortly, I have time still, and he wrote much, and then if that time permits, I will start again.

Technology and Writing: by the word or by the pound.

2011-03-08T12:01:00.002-05:00

Keeping up with anything is a trial. Unless of course a routine is set, but then again, that isn’t the best safeguard to ‘getting it done,’ whatever ‘it’ may be.

Technology is the one element of life—in any age—and I’m sure in Medieval times technology was viewed with that same kind of reverence, even awe that it is now. In Medieval times, or Dark Ages as some people sneeringly like to refer to it, technology—new technology did bloom, the printing press for example appeared at the later end of the ‘Dark Ages’ in Europe and set the stage for a publishing explosion.

Getting back to the present, technology has been a boon…for time saving I understand. How for instance something like the computer ‘saves’ time or makes communication or business easier or more efficient, well, I haven’t heard a reasonable or even unreasonable explanation. What I’ve learned is that the individual, business, society, and especially, government expects so much more, but more of what?

Let’s stick to writing, since this is a writing blog, that’s what it’s always been about, writing. Have I written more since I’ve begun this blog about writing, and not just my writing in the specific, but writing in the general—all writers, books, or any story, which somewhere at the beginning began with the written word.

I suppose at the start, this technology, the computer work processing program has eased the burden of spelling errors and their correction, but beyond that, my output has not increased, but then again, I will assign that to a personal failing, so using me and my writing output as an example is not the best example. I suppose I could choose a high profile author, one who makes money hand over fist, but to choose a person and then analyze his or her work, or output may not be fair, partly, because I’m not a fan of any writer any more, other then being my own fan.

So, using a generic example, author Mr. Famous writes a lot of books. But Mr. Famous also has a staff now, and has the ability to farm out his name to ghostwriters. Thus we learn that technology has no effect on his output or quality of work for that matter. I guess Mr. Famous is a bad example.

So, we go to Ms Fabulously Famous author and see that sometime, or rather for a number of books, we find that we, as the readers, are now paying not by the word, but by the pound, for a book, because technology has allowed the writer to go on and on and on because the program will tidy up the mess.

And so, let us consider you and me. What has technology gotten us into? The work of developing a story and characters and the story outline and character sketches required by editors and agents has just been made more of a chore simply because the computer—that technology has made it easier to tack on more and more, and require editors and agents to read less and less of the actual novel we’ve written, and at times, I’m not sure the effort is worth the aggravations.

No offence to editors and agents, but how many books have you read where the editing, or simply the spelling has been mediocre at best?

I suppose the thought of the day is when did the 21st century writer and publishing system decide that technology would improve the quality of the writing, let alone the story. Why or how does technology give the writer or the publishing system the idea that technology makes writing easier, and give the writer and publisher license to think that ‘today we’ll process a 1000 page book and have a brand new series because it’s easier to put the words on a screen.

I suppose that thought goes along with the idea of people wanting HDTV and Blue Ray for the best quality picture, but the question for me remains, how has this technology for TV improved the story?

Short answer: It hasn’t, but most people, especially writers haven’t figured it out yet. It seems cynical, but then again, do we want to read by the word or by the pound.

Ray Bradbury turns the 90th corner.

2010-08-23T10:50:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, Ray Bradbury, a cultural icon, a king of short fiction and a master of a good tale, is now ten years shy of a century old. Isn’t that something, to be ninety and feisty? And he is, especially now, when he doesn’t have to be cautious the opinions of critics, or even fans:

"I think our country is in need of a revolution," Bradbury told the Los Angeles Times earlier this week. "There is too much government today. We've got to remember the government should be by the people, of the people and for the people." Bradbury's short-story broadsides against modern gadgets, the all-intrusive state, and political correctness foreshadowed his current outlook. Calling Bill Clinton a "sh--head" and Michael Moore an "a--hole" have been less subtle indications.

I was watching something one YouTube with Mr. Bradbury, and I posted something entitled:
Ray Bradbury speaking the truth, even to his fans. What I learned from that transmission is some of his fans didn’t care for his thoughts… It’s tough when you ‘think’ your idol has clay feet. It’s usually, the young, everyone younger that the subject, in the case Bradbury, who think that. Who think he has to change his thinking. That he ‘got it wrong.’ But then again, that is how you know his young critic/fans are young. They ‘think’ they have the right answer already.

But, Ray is now ninety. I like that. Somehow there’s some sense of romance about being that age, mentally agile and writing something new. Fans must be pleased.

Am I and fan? Well, not in a purest fashion, no. I haven’t read everything thing. I don’t know if I will, and I’ve like some works more that others. I don’t ‘keep up with him.’ Matter of fact I don’t think I’m much a fan of anyone one’s work. Except, G. K. Chesterton.

In an age of ‘everyone’s opinions counts, in the news out of the news, in politics out of politics in entertainment and out of entertainment, everyone has something to say. I say to Ray Bradbury, who speaks out more about the world at large has generally succeeded in keeping current politics out of his stories.

Happy Birthday and Thank you.

‘Irreconcilable Differences’

2010-08-09T15:15:00.000-04:00

You ever get a book, new book or old book, it doesn’t matter, you get the book, open the cover—for those who Kindle or use some similar device the desire and effect are the same—you begin to read and then somewhere along the way the story—not the writing, but the story mutates and causes a change in the plot that is irreconcilable? You just can’t get around it.

Well, it just happened to me. Obviously. But to state the truth, it has happened before, but with this read, at this particular time, the expectation level was so high—

One thing I hated to do is put a novel down, before I’ve completed it, and never look at it again. This was, in a way, traumatic. I’ve done it before, we all have I suspect. What’s worse is to consider the horribly wasted time—so much time and effort wasted because a book has lost its credibility. Yes, it’s the author’s fault, but all the same the story and the characters have taken on lives of their own.

The urge to reveal the title and the offending author is strong, but I can’t. Okay, yes for the good of the reading public, for the sake of their lost time and disappointment, I should but… The author is older and successful but it was the writer’s first book, published decades ago in the early Seventies. Still, I just can’t do it, partly, because I really wanted to enjoy the novel, my introduction to a writer—a longstanding author in the genre. But it is tempting… if you really are interested, email me.

While this traumatic event fermented, and as I still agonize over it, I’ve continued to read G. K. Chesterton. And I will always continue to read his works. Presently, I’m about halfway through The Ball and The Cross—correction almost finished, reading it, because I’m now editing this piece for the blog. I’m and have enjoyed it to the upmost.

Chesterton weaves his commentary in the story, which is madcapped, as the men, a Catholic and an Atheist, who seek a place for a dual to the death over matters of belief and non-belief.

Okay, the other book, the one I stopped reading is a Science Fiction novel. I enjoy the genre. I read it a great deal when I was younger; then tapered off, and then I’m back with it. I have one major rule about SF novels. They, the writers, are allowed one—one episode of the inexplicable, and or the fantastic. Breach that rule more than once, usually there is no excuse to do it again, and that is that. If some incident, involving character, or situation, alters the story to such an unacceptable degree, that is that. The end. I read no more.

I use to feel bad about abandoning a story I was reading. But my thinking was wrong. In reality I want the author to know he is wasting my time, but throwing the book aside is the only and immediate recourse.

What I’m addressing here, ultimately, is: When reading a book, you know there are times when you’re wasting your time.

About Chesterton, I believe he should be read by everyone. His fiction and his non-fiction are thought provoking and entertaining. He makes you laugh, and when you read his work, you should expect a chuckle somewhere.

G. K. Chesterton’s “The Club of Queer Trades”

2010-07-26T12:00:00.005-04:00

I haven’t spent anytime on reading other reviews of this particular collection of stories. The stories, six in all, chronicle the peculiar adventures of "Cherub" Swinburne, the narrator, and his acquaintanceship with Basil Grant, a judge, ‘retired’ by his volition, actually, I would go so far as to say, ‘escaped’ from his seat on the bench, though at the time he was considered to have gone quite ‘mad.’

If anything, these stories are quirky. I like quirky, to be taken as what they are, and not as some parody of detective stories, which is easily what they can be seen as. Did Chesterton write the Queer Trade stories as intentional parodies, being that parodies are intentional, yes, but do I have to see it that way? No. Partly, because, all Chesterton’s writing were platforms for his own thoughts about culture, philosophy and Christian, ultimately, Rome Catholicism.

I am not a Chesterton Scholar, but a reader who’s grown more appreciative of Chesterton’s work and the way he turned a phrase and how, his thoughts are not dated, but as fresh as the day he put them on the page, whether the subject be the common man or marriage, or the faith in science.

But back to the Queer Trade stories, I must confess the fact that I like the word queer in the title, and used as a lynch pin in the stories. Makes one pause, doesn’t it not. Because something queer is going on and the narrator Swinburne wants to know and wants us to know.

Six stories with six increasingly engaging titles: The Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown, The Painful Fall of a Great Reputation, The Awful Reason of the Vicar's Visit, The Singular Speculation of the House-Agent, The Noticeable Conduct of Professor Chadd, The Eccentric Seclusion of the Old Lady; that demand our attention.

I suppose what comes to mind when I read ‘older’ stories and novels, is the notion that they, these wonderfully quirky and originally stories, probably won’t be published now. Maybe they would? You think? I shrug. I’m simply not sure. Looking at the bestseller’s lists I tend to doubt that, but again, being that these stories are still put between covers and sold in bookstores and online, though that could simply be downloaded for free, says to be that people like the feel of a book and the have the desire to turn the page.

But would these stories be published today, if they were brand spanking new? Well, it doesn’t matter because G. K. Chesterton’s work is still available, so how could perfect be outdone? Of course, there are those who will no think or feel as I do, and will compare the Queer Trades to the Father Brown stories, but I can’t do that. The stories were written years apart and there are also over fifty Father Brown mysteries.

The appeal of the Queer Trades stories is that fact that they are mysteries which can’t be ‘figured’ out, because the ‘clues’ when they are present, don’t add up to anything ‘reasonable’ because, there’s nothing reasonable about the stories. Honest, thoughtful, yes, the stories are that, but for mysteries, there are no traditional crimes to contend with. No theft or murder, or fraud. Just queer stories linked to a peculiar and relatively unknown club called the Club of Queer Trades, a club in which the members must have created a totally new business which they can then provide themselves a living. The trick to these new businesses is the fact that, not only are they new, but they highly original and just plain peculiar.

Therefore we have mystery.

No, I won’t mention specific elements of the stories. Read. The collection is only about one-hundred and fifty pages. A two evenings read, if you don’t rush. And you shouldn’t rush. Just enjoy.

Ray Bradbury: speaking truth, even to his fans

2010-05-10T15:50:00.001-04:00

The man, Ray Bradbury, is an icon, period. But, I have not read everything he has written. I probably never will. Why? Because when its all read that’s it. I want that knowledge that there is more.

Okay, now, but I have read his work, and some pieces I’ve like much more than others and I think that’s normal. Levels of like and dislike. I’ve enjoyed The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451. They’re seminal pieces and a reading-must for any reader, and especially for every writer who wishes to write, no matter what the genre.

Ray Bradbury is seen as a thinker, and I think he is a thinker, and not just a writer, but what he has written shows he appreciates the freedom of thought and creativity. His mind and his words range over many subjects and genres and years. The guy is over ninety, and he as he earned the respect of others.

Mr. Bradbury is seen as a great writer by his fans, but he does say and believe things some of his fans don’t care for, and that is evident from a clip I watched on Youtube. Mr. Bradbury was asked to speaks on surveillance and democracy (in regards to a meeting he had with the then President W. Bush).

He said a few thinks which pleased me. He was positive about Reagan and that president’s request that the Berlin Wall be torn down. He was pleased that millions of people in Eastern Europe were released from the shackles of totalitarianism. He also spoke in glowing terms of American democracy and how wonderful it was that democracy is spread throughout the world.

Mr. Bradbury didn’t give a negative impression of Bush and then he didn’t even feed anyone’s surveillance’/Black Ops paranoia.

Well, those writing the comments weren’t pleased. Speaking glowing of American and the spread of democracy was only seen as errors due to the author’s old age.

Ray Bradbury is great because he doesn’t feed the paranoia illusions of others, not even his fans.

Authors and writing

2010-04-22T15:02:00.000-04:00

In the past few months a number a few writers…authors who I think very highly of passed away. These deaths strike me that most simply because it is difficult for me to find authors that can write numerous novels and keep me coming back for more. I’ll give the list, not in any order, just the way they come from my finger tips to the kepboard to the screen.

Stuart M. Kaminsky

Ralph M. McInerny

John Mortimer

I didn’t plan it that way. It’s alphabetical my coincidence. All the same, I’ve enjoyed reading them all. And yes, I know their all men, but death chooses its own. When there is a death of an authoress I favor, I’ll let you know. A grim notion but we all know people are like that. Death attracts and repels.

Presently, I’m reading ‘Adam Resurrected’ by Yoram Kanjuk. I saw that movie version starring Jeff Goldblum, and the novel is … very appealing. Granted it was translated from Hebrew into English but the translation flows, which is more that can be said for some books written by English speakers.

A friend of mine in Scotland, he’s enrolled at the University of Glasgow, is struggle with his writing. He’s have difficult finding people to talk shop with. Yes, the internet is there, emails, blogger, twitter, but being face to face, being able to haggle over word usage is the best what to hash out the wrinkles. That’s part of improving ones writing, which is very helpful, having someone there to say look at this and get that immediate feedback, that and always writing. Everyday.

Go here, Go there, have paperback will travel.

2010-01-28T10:28:00.001-05:00

There’s so much to read and so little time. I visit numerous local libraries. I use interlibrary loan survives, and I read as veraciously as possible, and still, I miss so much.

Fiction and non-fiction, old and new, I read books, paperback and hardcover. I don’t ‘Kindel.’ I’m distressed by books that run on batteries. No, I’m not a technophobe, or I wouldn’t be blogging.

Simply put, it’s ‘paper texts will travel.’ They can get wet, be dropped, forgotten on the plane, bus or bench. The same can’t be said of any other reading related device.

There’s an irreplaceable romance, which is imbued in the psyche by the very sight or touch of a book. Do all people appreciate, understand, or are even affected by this phenomenon? Well, the non-reader may understand, and even appreciate the romance, but in no way be affected. Sadly, it is their sad loss. But there are those non-readers who would easily toss a book, or two, or whole boxes in the trash without a thought. This goes for readers as well. A particular genre may be foreign to a reader and for that reason bigotry will be held against a genre. The most stereotypically genre held in contempt is the modern Romance and associated subgenres. But then again, I know from personal experience that there are Romance readers who are just a bigoted when it comes to Science Fiction. Also, Science Fiction (SF) as a genre is on the decent, and has been for a number of years, if not decades, simply because, SF has become to be known, in general as that Star Wars and Star Trek stuff.

I’ll save what I see as the decline of SF for another day, but all the same, the bigotry is there, but the romance for the handled non-electronic reading device is real and it will persist for something.

One point, which I believe to highly relevant is, the next time you meet a favorite author, have them sign your ‘Kindel.’

Quotes which are stone cold true

2009-11-18T11:02:00.001-05:00

Quotes to inspire writing are everywhere, but in the age of Internet writing (blogging and the whole nine yards)—for those seriously wanting to write and be supported by their writing, certain realities need quotes for realists. I do my best to seek out quotes, which mean the most:

"If you do not seek to publish what you have written, then you are not a writer and you never will be."—George V. Higgins

"No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."—Samuel Johnson

Writing is interesting. It better be. But it’s also work. Because it is. I find it difficult at times, partly because I don’t find the time. Time can’t find me, so it’s my responsibility to myself to do the finding. Once I sit down, uninterrupted, the mind does do what it does best at least for me, ideas float out of the murk.

One, I don’t put my stories, my fiction on the Internet. Until published they’re not anyone’s business.

Two, I don’t talk about my stories with people because I’ll talk them away.

Three, I still try to write everyday.

The Beiderbecke Tapes

2009-03-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

Unusual stories which also entertain are difficult to find, but “The Beiderbecke Tapes” by Alan Plater fits the bill.

Unusual? Well, two middle aged people drawn into a mystery because of a mislabeled Jazz cassette is unusual. They’re not spies, but school teachers. She, that is Jill Swinburne, is a leftist conservationist, and of course, wants to change the world while attempting to teach English. Her paramour, Trevor Chaplin, is a woodshop instructor and a Jazz fan and that’s all he’s interested in, and interestingly enough, he’s the one who gets the wrong tape.

I don’t believe in giving a synopsis of books so you won’t find one here, but I will say if witty dialogue and comfortable coincidence are your cup of tea, you will enjoy the read.

But here I must warn you and that is, The Beiderbecke Tapes is a ‘sequel’ book to the original which is The Beiderbecke Affair.

G. K. Chesterton

2008-11-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

I have an understandable and growing appreciation for the work of G. K. Chesterton, his non-fiction and fiction, especially his Father Brown stories. G. K.’s writing is about a way of thinking.

Now, sometime ago, I was acquainted with a retired NYPD lieutenant who didn’t care for Father Brown. He wasn’t specific and really didn’t elaborate. Oh, just to appended an important detail here the retired cop wrote mysteries—detective stories, and procedurals.

I’ve always kept that in mind. And after reading just a few Father Brown stories, I saw that the stories were about the characters and how they behaved. Now, someone will immediately say, that’s partly what a mystery is about. Yes, I agree, but G.K. created stories with a greater depth of examination of character, motive, and detail.

A very good example is “The Queer Feet” from The Innocence of Father Brown. Click on the title to reach a copy of the texted. In lue of me writing a poor unabridged version, you should read it and notice the detail of Father Brown’s analysis of the queer feet; then you’ll truly get my meaning.

Shock Treatment

2008-08-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

I stumbled upon the writer Winfred Van Atta. Outside of what Van Atta did for a living, which included professional writing in the medical field and freelance, he wrote five titles, and contributing to a sixth. But four of the half-dozen were mysteries.

Shock Treatment (Mystery Guild Book Club selection), 1961.

Nicky: the story of a long Christmas, (Children’s story) Hill & Wang, 1965.

Hatchet Man (Mystery Guild Book Club selection), 1965.

A Good Place to Work and Die, (Mystery) 1966.

(Editor with others) Careers in Psychiatry, Macmillan, 1968.

The Adam Sleep (Crime Club by Doubleday), 1980, 1979.

I’ve read Shock Treatment and the Hatchet Man. What prompted me to read the former was having read the later which I found which perusing the stacks of a small college library. That’s really how older fiction and forgotten authors are found, especially when they weren’t prolific, but squirreled away the time to crank out a novel once in awhile.

Both books were not even 200 pages long. Both reads were good. Yes, the writing is ‘dated,’ but I use that word cautiously. Again, what do you want from a 200 page book.

Shock treatment has a nice number of twists and turns. No ‘I don’t believe that,’ but what has to be kept in mind is psychotic treatment and voluntary and non-voluntary institutionalization is utterly different from 1960 to now. ‘Back then’ if you were thought to need psychiatry help you were sent off to the bughouse, no, ands, ifs, or buts. That element does set up a few tense moments. Other then a little melodrama such as “You’re a monster!” That kind of stuff, that book worth the read.

Shock Treatment got Van Atta a special Poe Award and was made into a movie with a cast which included Roddy McDowall and Lauren Bacall.

A final note, Winfred Van Atta was an instructor at Bread Loaf, when being a genre writer, apparently, wasn’t an issue.

Environmentalism Gone Mad

2008-06-14T08:01:00.006-04:00

Month or so ago I read Mano’s The Bridge, a good and disturbing speculative fiction book about the extinction of the human race demand by a ecologically fundamentalist world government.

Here’s a review:

“D. Keith Mano wrote a prophetic gem here. Today, this book
would never be published. To say some of the elements of the story are not
politically correct is to put it mildly. The theme of how all species are equal
hits too close to home, especially in the current atmosphere which smacks of
`environmental fundamentalism.'

Matter of fact, in the book, the human species doesn't even
rate being equal. Humans breathing is problem and the story's ruling body The
Council, decrees that:
"in good conscience can no longer permit this wanton
destruction of our fellow creature, whose right to exist is fully as great as
ours . . ."

So, it is declare that a willful act of extinction, mass
suicide of the human species, is the only answer.

Hum . . . just fiction, right? But spooky.

The writing is straight forward and the novel length is only
240 pages. Take a couple evenings to read and the clash between the `Ecologists'
and the rest does stays on ones mind. Interestingly, Christians are the big
enemy in the book. They eat `flesh and drink blood' which of course makes them
cannibals.
The E-diet takes care of `eating,' being a non-organic
substance--oh, and blood tests are given to check for organic consumption.
Talking is a crime so all communication is either lip reading or forms of sign
language. And to be a Guardsman, you know, KGB, Stasi, Gestapo--guys get a
vasectomy. There other sexual goings on to keep the population down.
If you
want a disturbing reading--read this.”

As far as apocalyptic stories go, the idea is original and to a degree rather apropo considering there are people in England who have undergone sterilization ‘for the sake of the environment.’

Interesting ideas though, take a concern and push it to extremes and there you go a novel idea!

The Happening

2008-06-04T11:20:00.000-04:00

I was just on INMb and saw a trailer for M. Night Shyamalan new film, The Happening, out on June 13th. It’s spooky . . . , and for those who need a more sophisticated descriptor, try ‘unsettling.’

I probably won’t have the opportunity to see it at the cinema, but that’s life. I’m interested in a solid apocalyptic film—with absolutely no Mohawks and leather clad punks or walking death. Not that I have anything thing against shambling corpses, I’m just tired of anthropomorphic i.e. manmade zombies due to some biohazard.

I’m doing my best to stay a way from people who seem to be critiquing a film they haven’t even seen yet. I also find movie trailers suspect. The Village trailer seemed to give a false sense of the film, but personally, I liked the movie—very Orwellian, and it showed how deceptive and cruel adults are, of course, for the ‘good’ of the children.

Reading and Writing, Past and Present

2008-04-17T12:47:00.000-04:00

I’ve been busy as of late working writing, of course. It does take time, and my evenings, well, others activities needed to be accomplished as well. But I write and read. Here’s a book near the top of my list:

The Bridge (1973) by D. Keith Mano

It’s a story of how the human race is head to extinction due to the fascist control of suicidal environmentalist government.

And, Gulag: a History, which is listed on the sidebar under non-fiction, I’m in the process of reading because it’s almost six hundred pages long! But a necessary read just the same. It’s important to remember how evil communism was and still is. Marxism opened the door to the legitimization of mass imprisonment, enslavement and murder for the ‘good of the state.’

I’m doing a good deal of non-fiction reading because I need some historical background for my next book. I’m always on the lookout for good non-fiction.

A few questions for Kurt Dinan.

2007-12-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Author of "Longtime Gone" responded to a few questions, and here they are.

1. Of course, what inspired the story and how long did it take to write:

I've always thought the worst thing I could possibly think of is not to have your child die, but to have your child disappear for a long period of time without any knowledge of what happened to them. I wrote "Longtime Gone" over the course of two months, doing a
lot of research on the topic (and boy, if you want to get depressed, read about real missing children), and working on the structure of the story.

2. How did you find the contest and why did you send in "Longtime Gone?"

The Chizine short story contest is held yearly and is judged by pros. Since Chizine is one of the few sites that pay's professional rates, I thought I'd take a shot. I had no delusions that I was going to win; in reality, I was hoping for an honorable mention. Beside the word count, the only specifications was that the story be "Dark", so I went with the worst thing I could imagine.

3. Did you have any tantalizing 'work in progress' and a working title to pass along?

I'm currently working on a story in hopes of getting it in Harrison Howe's upcoming "Darkness on the Edge" anthology, which is a series of stories based on Bruce
Springsteen songs. If I make it in there, I can die happy.

So, Kurt is keeping busy and riding high. I hope to see more work from him and soon!

"Longtime Gone" by Kurt Dinan

2007-12-20T14:07:00.000-05:00

Kurt Dinan is someone to keep an eye on.

His story, "Longtime Gone", won the Chizine/LeisureBooks short story contest for 2007 and is avaliable for reading at Chiaroscuro. His story is up for a “Best of” award at Dark Scribe Magazine. Take a look and vote!

Also, he's a nice guy.

Keeping Current

2007-11-12T12:41:00.001-05:00

It’s been so long since I’ve written here, I suspect that, maybe, I shouldn’t bother adding to the blog, BUT I have no self-control when it comes to writing. Writing is in the heart and in the head and comes out on the paper--electronic or otherwise.

The right-column booklist continues to grow. So, do take a look for the 2007 list or 2006 for that matter. I will of course have a 2008 at the turn of the coming year.

I think I’m going to add a movie list, not necessarily reviews, but a list. I need to keep filling that column.

I’ll do my best to stay current.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2007-05-04T10:28:00.000-04:00

Okay, I’ve got to get this down short and sweet without revealing any details of the book and that is:

The Road is NOT a post-atomic apocalypse--PERIOD!

No bombs fell—and there is no evidence that bombs fell.

McCarthy recieved a the 2007 Pulitzer for The Road.

Warm up to your writing.

2006-12-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

Here’s a quick note to anyone who may have a little trouble starting off their scheduled--or unscheduled--writing time.

Face it. You sit there with a nice idea trying to turn it into story, or you have a story you’re trying to move forward, and the impulse isn’t--well--pulsing. So, what to you do? Get annoyed and doubt the force of the idea or story? Well, that is negativism just gets in the way--so don’t do it.

My advice:

If the writing isn’t coming, re-start by writing something you actually know about in some detail.

As Twain said, "Write what you know." But be sure to keep what you really want to write about in the front--not the back of your mind. I suspect that suddenly, you just might think, Hey, I know where I going, and then get back to the story or idea you were originally interested in.

It’s worth a try.

An Old Project, Rewriting and a Sequel

2006-11-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

As I scribbled down some new story ideas and write up a few new pages, I’m preparing to download an ‘old work in progress’ from the jump drive. It’s book I put aside about a year ago. I wasn’t coming up with a satisfying conclusion, as I put it on the back burner. Now that I’m going to work some new life in the story I find that my style has changed.

The other day I compared three piece of writing I’ve done over the past year, and I saw how my writing has evolved--kind of neat actually--but I am looking at some serious rewriting on the old book project, which will definitely help the book, so ‘no worries.’

I’m also looking forward to the possibility that Robert Ferrinno will write a sequel to 'Prayers' , but his newest book will be out soon.

Halloween, Heroes and Dwarf Planets

2006-10-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, Halloween is coming, and I’ve always enjoyed it. But as time has gone by I’m not as enthrall with it as I use to be simply because I’m just too busy to immerse myself in the spookiness of the day anymore. That comes with having a job--trying to fit writing into the time that is left in the day--and not have time to watch all the old horror films I enjoyed, but thoughts of childhood, costumes and ‘trick or treating’ do help keep the thrill alive.

*

Of all the entertainment I haven’t been able to fit into my evening, I have had the opportunity to watch the first two episodes of ‘Heroes’ on Sci-Fi. Not being big on TV shows anymore, I am very pleased with what ‘Heroes’ offers. The program has four to five different stories running at the same time, and interestingly enough something is actually accomplished in an hour. All the stories do move forward and the melodrama is kept to a minimum and the ‘hopping in to bed’ syndrome that TV suffers from is kept under control.

Learning about the lives of people of all different backgrounds, who suddenly find they have inexplicable and amazing abilities and how they deal with these powers, well, the writers, the directors--everyone involved so far as controlled themselves as well. The show remains engaging even though for the most part the story concept really isn’t original. But there’s energy and a humor that keeps the heart of the program going. I hope it stays that way.

*

Oh, the picture at the top of the post, well, it isn’t the moon. It’s Pluto, which for those who have been living in a cave, is no longer by definition considered a planet, but is now a ‘dwarf’ planet. I do wonder how the Fungi from Yuggoth are dealing with that.

Typing it out.

2006-10-04T23:03:00.000-04:00

Lately, the writing’s been slow, well slower then slow. I’m about halfway through something--a short story--but the ending isn’t solid. I want to avoid a clichéd ending--I don’t mind letting the story lie for a time, but for me there’s a danger also because I might not get back to it and then the impulse goes stale. From that point it’s difficult to jump start a piece of writing because the work seems to have gone somewhere else. Again, that’s normal too, and okay, if I want to be bothered chasing it down.

So, I do what most writers do, and that it is twiddle with words on the page, the electronic one, which in a way makes me nostalgic for the typewriter. Turning the platen knob (the cylinder the paper is wrapped around is the platen) and listening to the click, click, click as it turns. Ah, the days when typing was typing and not word processing . . . .

But, it must’ve been sooo much harder then! Right . . . ?

Yeah, true, but getting an idea to work is not easier, then or now. Being able to electronically correct a manuscript is great but the romance of typing just isn’t there.

I remember being a kid--watching Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak (Yes, I’m showing my age) and there he is in the dark of the newsroom, typing away--clack-clack-clack-- Not only are there words appearing on the page--but there's that sound--

Typewriters have a romance about them that the pc and the laptop don’t have and never will. I guess it has to do with the disposability. If something is electronic, you up grade or throw it way. A typewriter is something personal, something like a fine writing implement like a fountain pen--I have two of those. Writing is personal, and even as I write this, I consider my IBM Think Pad and it’s not the same. Functional, yes, but personal, well . . . .

Writers and Faces

2006-08-18T09:28:00.000-04:00

I’ve been reworking a different story according to what I learned from the Boot Camp Weekend and from a couple responses I received from people I met there. It’s nice being able to correspond with writers who also have faces.

And speaking of faces, the above picture is a montage of people who where there that weekend at Towson University. That includes participates and the authors who I must say were a great help, comfort and support. Learning what needs to be fixed is as important as learning what your doing right. And they let you know both.

Back from Writer's Boot Camp

2006-08-10T23:33:00.000-04:00

Since my return from the Borderlands Press Writer’s Boot Camp, I’ve been assimilating the information I was bombarded with. Talk about an intense eight hours on Saturday, four hours in the morning, and four in the afternoon. That Nietzsche saying “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger” applies because if you’re not secure about being a writer to begin with, well, it’s going to be a rough time.

Don’t get me wrong, I was beat up pretty good--BUT--I learned that I must organize better, and not rely on the flashback so much--I have to let my characters grow. And all twenty-two boot campers survived. A variety of ages and styles and stories were there. We all worked together. We were there to hammer out those last few rough spots--the spots that count, the spots that catch the eye of an editor.

Tom Monteleone made a comment which is ever on my mind, and makes for good sense, if you can write a short story you can write a novel. Writing a short story is harder because every word counts--there’s no wiggle room.

In a short time, we fellow booters, critiqued, kidding and got along well. We were all in the same boat, and we all had different styles and tastes, so critiquing was lively, but not vitriolic. There’s no room or time for that nonsense. We connected and acquire compatriots which we’re doing our best to hang on to, even now. Face it, it’s hard to find someone else who writes, and to talk about writing with.

Saturday evening, after dinner, was open reading. Volunteer to read aloud and the visiting authors critique the performance--that’s what it is about. Reading aloud is important to do well because somewhere, at sometime, you’re going to be asked to read.

F. Paul Wilson told me, if you make me laugh, I’ll like you. Well, that was something I did unintentionally. The story I read was different from the one which was critiqued that day--and it was also funny--by accident not design--and my reading went rather well. I hit the ball out of the park.

So here’s something to remember: A writer is suppose to entertain--and reading aloud is part of that.

Eugene Izzi Lives

2006-07-17T11:18:00.000-04:00

I’ve had a certain paperback sitting on the bookcase shelf for sometime, okay, for a couple of years, and just recently, I cracked it open and began reading. Now, the interesting point isn’t why I waited so long to begin, but why I made the purchase in the first place. I bought the book because I recalled the bizarre death of the author. And so there you have it, the original impulse. It’s strange--macabre even--but just the same, I purchased, The King of the Hustlers because Eugene Izzi is dead.

I wasn’t interested in Crime fiction originally, but the interest grew from the reading of Horror, leading the dark way to crime and the subgenres. That’s okay. That’s the way it should be sometimes. My fiction is on the dark side lately as opposed to Supernatural Horror. The human monster is monstrous enough at times.

Just the same, being that, what, close to ten years has past since his death; Izzi, like all writers, lives through his books. Granted, he never reached the high of success that he wanted, still he wrote for a living--he was a professional--and there is a substantial list of titles to his name:

The Take, St. Martin's, 1987.
Bad Guys, St. Martin's, 1988.
The Booster, St. Martin's, 1989.
Invasions, Bantam, 1990.
The Prime Roll, Bantam, 1990.
Prowlers, Bantam, 1991.
Tribal Secrets, Bantam, 1992.
King of the Hustlers, Bantam, 1993.
Safe Harbor, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1995.
A Matter of Honor, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1997.
The Criminalist, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1998.
And the above list doesn’t even include what Izzi wrote under the pseudonym of Nick Gaitano:

Special Victims. 1994
Mr. X. 1995
Jaded. 1996

Most writers can only hope to have that many published works, and it was The King of the Hustlers that got Izzi that recognition--that boost, but sadly he couldn’t sustain the growing success. Why not? Who knows? And he didn’t tell anyone either. Not much is available about Eugene Izzi anymore, and what is, is mainly posthumous: obituary pieces, and speculative articles on the strange circumstances of his death: the hanging from a rope from the 14th floor office window, while wearing a bullet proof vest and having a pair of brass knuckles stuff in a coat pocket, does tend to spawn suspicious and conspiratorial thoughts . . . , don’t you think?

So, I’m happy that I pulled The King of the Hustlers off the shelf at a local second-hand bookstore. You see, all Eugene Izzi’s books are out of print now, but just the same, he deserves to be read. You know what I mean?

Boot Camp Stories

2006-06-08T11:06:00.000-04:00

In two months, I’m off to Borderlands Press Writer’s Boot Camp, and just the other day, I received four e-mails, with one attachment with each, containing the stories of the other ‘boots’ who are going.

All the stories are in a very nice PDF format, and look rather attractive. I, of course, took at look at my story, The Bad Man, and . . . I’ve got to work on my proofreading skills . . . . I dropped a couple words and didn’t catch them when I did my re-reading, but FORTUNATELY, no real harm was done by the missing words. The story, the meaning, and the flow are not damaged. Thank God. Actually, re-reading my story again, I am pleased.

Enough of that!

Now, what I plan for the other twenty-two stories is two readings: The first for enjoyment, and the second for critique. I will also avoid being the ‘tomahawk man’ which Edgar Allen Poe was known for. Personally, I cannot stand critique butchery, and generally, I turn those kinds of people right off--basically, one who is brutal in critiquing is someone who doesn’t know what he is doing, and you can’t learn from him.

Enough of that also.

Who is going to the student writers through the desert land? Here they are:

Douglas Clegg

Thomas F. Monteleone

Thomas Tessier

F. Paul Wilson

We, the boots, have been promised a very intense time . . . , and I will report.

Today, Theodore R. Cogswell!

2006-06-02T10:30:00.000-04:00

Why Cogswell?

Well, at one time, now going on twenty years, he was a professor at the college I work at, and he donated a number of science fiction novels written by his contemporaries as well as up and coming young writers, also, he gave one of his books: The Wall Around the World. Of course, I never had the opportunity to meet him, but there’s always that sense of presences: “Yes! This person was HERE.” You can, to a degree, get that sensation with will living writers, but death does generate a certain mystic.

Now, Theodore R. Cogswell wrote humorous SF short stories, and one novella, The Spectre General, which is hilarious. The Spectre General is available in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two, edited by Ben Bova. This anthology came out in 1973, but should be available through the public library system, or even a large college. Simply, it’s a story worth the reading.

Here are three main Cogswell titles:

The Wall Around the World 1962
The Third Eye 1968
Spock, Messiah ! (with Charles A.Spano, Jr.) 1976

And as you may note in the image above--Yes, his name is in Russian, so Theodore R. Cogswell does have some international appeal.

Mixing Fact and Fiction.

2006-05-18T11:47:00.000-04:00

This guy, Dan Brown--a smart--popular fiction writer--hit one out of the park. There’s nothing wrong with that. Brown brought together a bunch of ideas, wrote a book, and presto! That’s it. There’s nothing original about the ideas. There’s Gnostic material and some other crapola that anyone has access to if they had wanted to look. But Dan Brown--and this is good fiction presentation--made common, accessible material seem uncommon and mysterious.

When a writer can successfully combine fact and fiction, it is a rare product which is produced. The success that The Da Vinci Code has spawned is the prime example. But the angst which has also arisen is the, well, the public’s fault because somewhere along the way, the public forgot it was fiction. Of course, the never-ending ‘documentaries’ historical analysis, and print articles feed off that . . . confusion.

Bram Stoker did the same thing with Dracula and now there’s an amusement park in Romania. Of course there is success and then there’s notoriety. We have the film, The Last Temptation of Christ, but again, The Da Vinci Code was written with the express purpose of creating popular fiction. While The Last Temptation was a literary exploration just as the Satanic Verses was.

All this means is watch out! When fact and fiction collide, a major detonation may occur!

Being a Fiction Writer requires Research

2006-05-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

To write, to write well, or at least better, a writer must read. Somewhere in this blog, I’ve already made this kind of comment, but I’m taking a different trajectory as I type this: That is, research reading, reading non-fiction is just as important cracking open the latest, or most favored, book of fiction.

You can’t live everybody’s life to acquire more life experience, so time has to be taken to learn how things work. I mean, how many fiction writers have the basic idea of how the hardware of a PC functions. I read books were the wrong mechanical details negatively affect my appreciation of the story. So, it’s got affect other readers as well. Just knowing the proper terminology and using the terms appropriately can spice up a line of fiction.

This reminds of a scene from the film, ‘Throw Momma from the Train,’ while during a fiction writing class, a character, reading from her story, says,

"Dive! Dive!" yelled the Captain through the thing! So the man who makes it dive pressed a button, or a something, and it dove."

This is great movie comedy! But crapola fiction writing.

My Uncle Jules uses to say, “If you’re going to use a machine, know how it works.”

Someone might say, ‘Hey, I’m not writing a techno-thriller.’

I say, “Fine.”

But, remember, if you’re writing a mystery knowing how a pistol works is important because, revolvers never ‘jam’ but automatics can. And silencers don’t work on revolvers. I’m not a gun expert, but these facts matter. For this kind of stuff, I shouldn’t have to be an expert. But being a fiction writer requires effective research.

A Good Title is Hard to Find . . . ?

2006-05-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

First of all, I don’t divulge plot information or stories in progress or completed work on the internet. My fiction I keep to myself unless someone print it, and I get the credit and the money, of course. But observations, analysis and general passing of thoughts about writing is something else entirely, and by today’s subject heading, I’d say this was about putting a title to a story.

I use to think it was hard, but it’s not. Getting the right title is about the same as writing the story itself. You have to know the story deeply--and if you wrote it and are happy with the result--then you must know the story.

Here is a prime example of a mediocre to bad title:

‘What was Best’

The words kind of just lay there like a dead fish. ‘What was Best’ is about the same as saying, ‘Big Deal.’ It’s uninspired-not doing squat for me- kind of stuff. So, I went back to the story . . . .

(Here’s some back-story for you. The story is a dark crime/suspense short story and it takes place--uh-oh . . . well that’s it. Can’t tell you anymore, but I’m please with the result.)

The key is to really pull the reader in using an effective title. I believe this is important for a short story as it is for a novel. New writers don’t have many options--we must be original. Successful writes don’t have that load stone to carry. Look at the knew Stephen King book: Cell.

OOOooooooooh, so spooky! Okay, I made my point--he’s Stephen King--I can’t get away with a one word title like: Cell. My dog would want me to change it.

Okay . . . , I don’t have a dog, BUT if I did!

So, we have ‘What was Best’ which is a dog of a title, but how about this one:

Ready?

‘The Dead Spring’

In either case, ‘The Dead Spring’ is better.

But putting that aside, again, I say you have to know your story. At one time using just a tag-line or some ending phrase was good--and still it--as long as the plot isn’t divulged in some way.

Graham Green wrote a novel called: ‘The Heart of the Matter.’ That title is from a line right in the book, and it’s brilliant.

H. P. Lovecraft write ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ and that’s a great title, and Stephen King as we all know wrote: ‘The Shining.’ That’s a good title and the ‘The’ helps.

The key for a good title is KNOW your story. Know your characters. A good title will come sooner or later--and DON’T ask for advice. If the writer is supposed to know his work best--the writer should have the best idea for the title.

Borderlands Boot Camp

2006-04-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

For me, I have some good news, that being that I won a seat for the Borderlands Book Camp Summer Session for Short Fiction. I just received my notice today. It’s always pleasing when you have a chance to meet and work with professional writers--people who actually want to spend time with aspiring writers. I’ll report on the event. No worries there. Actually, I’ll update on the subject as soon as I learn more myself.

Writing Fiction, the Internet, and Thomas Monteleone.

2006-04-21T10:37:00.000-04:00

I learned one important rule:

Don’t put work you want published, and to be paid for, on the internet for public access.

This is advice I received while sitting in on a “Selling Stories to Anthologies” hosted by Thomas Monteleone.

Now, I’m not talking about eBooks, online publication that are subscribed to, I’m talking about starting a .com or blog and putting stuff on it--complete stuff that people can read for free-- and even steal. Don’t do it!

Word-process to your utter delight, but as the saying goes:

“Hold your hand close to your vest.”

Some gambling lingo there, because writing is a little like gambling. Like me, keep writing and submitting--and something will happen. Something big? Well, who knows, but something small happen like someone saying, “Hey, I want this for my mag!” And that would be nice.

Readers just want a Good Story.

2006-04-19T10:40:00.000-04:00

When I was younger, I use to say: It’s hard to write, to get a good idea, if I could just get the words down right . . . .

Well, it’s not that way anymore. The drive is different. Being that I don’t have a trail of writing credits behind me, and writing’s not my lively hood--even though I want it to be--I wake up in the morning and some days I don’t want to write and I feel okay about that.

In a way, I think about a few words I read by Robert Block; basically, he decided to concentrate on one product--not just producing a bunch of stuff fast--and Psycho was born.

I use to crank out short story after short story and keep an eye on what the magazines were publishing--you know--WATCHING THE MARKETS! Well, it took a number of years before I realized that was a crap-lot of wasted time and effort--and written words. The reality is the MARKET--whatever that is--has absolutely no idea of what the hell is going on, nor to the people who work the system, i.e. publishers, agents even the writers, only does the public know what is going on. And the public only wants a good story.

Getting published involves some luck, that is true, but writing and writing reasonably well is important also. Faced there are some FAMOUS writers who I think are lousy writers--so writing REASONABLY well is good enough, write often enough and you’ll get better.

But people--the ones that buy books--just want a good story--even if it’s not a masterpiece of writing. If anything, you’ve got to love your story. If you don’t who else will?

Old Books and New Ideas.

2006-04-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading old books, paper and hard cover. Why? Well, when I see old books, and we’re told forty, fifty and even sixty year old books, I get a feeling that I’m missing something if I don’t take a little time and read one.

Now, I’m not talking about sixty year old books by BIG names, but books by little names or names that were once big, or maybe even names that never really existed for that matter. Like Nick Carter of the Killmaster spy chiller--yes, chiller, that’s the word used on the cover.

Also, I like the older book covers, be it a paperback or a dust jacket. I enjoy the illustrations. Somebody somewhere was paid to take the time to draw and interesting image. No Photoshop here. Too many books have been printed with a nasty graphically computerized photograph and some idiot publisher thought the picture ‘looked’ good. Especially those covers on the mainstream books--well, they stink. Electronic Graphic design may have made the illustrating job easier, but the quality is crap. Enough said about that.

Now, back to why I read old books.

I see old books as having new ideas. There’s a freshness about them simply because the writers lived a different kind of life--that was--little or no TV--just radio. There was no constant bombardment from the ‘entertainment world,’ which anyone willing to admit it, knows is in pretty bad shape right now. Hollywood is so inbred the talent is the equivalent of a three-headed, single-point IQ, doorstopper. I pick on Hollywood, but then again, there aren’t, for me, many current writers that really ‘freak me out--man I’ve got to get that book--no, not me. I spend a great deal of time picking and choosing what current writer I’m going to spent time on--time is more valuable than money.

I read to write, and no, certain technical aspects of old books don’t work now, but as I mentioned previously, the ideas are, after a fashion, new. So, reading old books offers potential because somewhere in my subconscious the ideas germinate, and out pops a story potential

Writing about H.P. Lovecraft & Robert E. Howard: L. Sprague de Camp and ‘Catching Hell’

2006-04-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

First of all, L. Sprague de Camp is my favorite writer from the ‘Golden Age’ of science fiction, and I enjoy his fantasy just as much. I haven’t had the opportunity to read everything he had written. So much is hard to find, or out of print. But be that as it may, his biographies on Lovecraft and Howard are important and worth reading.

Okay, to begin, de Camp has been getting the bum’s rush for decades for his treatment of two very important genre icons. de Camp has been critiqued as being too critical, that is, spending too much time working over the psychological foibles of Lovecraft and Howard. And what most terrifies de Camp detractors is, ‘He isn’t even a psychologist! How can he discuss psychological aspects of any person or persons?’ At one time it was okay to have an opinion without being an . . . ‘expert.’

But, why not? Psychology is only a soft-science anyway.

The point I am driving at is he does spend time exploring the personalities of two literary icons, and he’s unapologetic, which is refreshing. Most importantly, he was the first to write books--BOOKs--on both men. And he surely didn’t get rich, knew he won’t get rich, but still he made an honest effort. He didn’t treat his subjects as if the were sacrosanct, and of that I approve

Both books,

Dark Valley destiny: The life of Robert E. Howard* (see note at bottom of posting)

and

Lovecraft: A Biography.

are well done, readable--and entertaining.

The structure of “Lovecraft: a Biography” is well laid out. I like the bits of Lovecraft’s poetry used to head the beginning of each chapter, and I do agree with de Camp that the bulk of HPL’s poetry to terrible. BUT--the horror poetry-- such as the ‘Fungi from Yoggoth’ is outstanding.

Way back, twenty, twenty-five years ago, I read and I learned a great deal about HPL from this biography. I must add, it was the first major work done on Lovecraft’s life and that is no small achievement, considering that at the time the book was published, Lovecraft was still a little-known horror writer for the Pulps.

de Camp’s effort gave HPL’s reputation a good and very positive shot in the arm. Positive? How can there be a positive when HPL’s racism is such a sticking point. Well, the simple fact is, if you read the book--all the way to the end--you learn how much HLP changed. HLP, the so-called recluse, was very much apart of the world. He married. He divorced. He lived in New York and travel in the South. He was just like anybody else, then as well as now.

de Camp treats his subject with care simply by being honest. de Camp showed me a man I could like. The same goes for Robert E. Howard.

de Camp’s approach with “Dark Valley Destiny” is different from the “Lovecraft” for a few important reasons. One being, Lovecraft lived longer; two, he wrote more correspondence and so less fiction while Howard was a professional writer. Most of his time was spend at the typewriter. These are basic facts that those familiar with the HPL and REH know, but they are highly relevant, and these facts affected how de Camp dealt with his subjects.

For ‘Dark Valley,’ almost the full first half of the book is cover before Howard even begins a professional writing career. This is relevant simply because Howard only has twelve years to produce the entire body of his work. That was a great feat considering the fact that the only outlet was magazines for short stories and serializations.

But ultimately de Camp was able to complete a solid text with limited resources, and so far ‘Dark Valley’ is the only book-length account of REH’s life. Though some of the conclusions drawn by de Camp and his co-authors may offend the sensibilities of REH’s fans and scholars, the authors of ‘Dark Valley’ should be given appropriate credit for their work, if for no other reason, that no else has made the same effort.

*In writing ‘Dark Valley Destiny,’ I would be negligent if I did not note that de Camp was joined in the writing of the text by his wife Catherine Crook de Camp, and Jane Whittington Griffin. I state L. Sprague de Camp specifically because he’s is the main individual who is flagellated by critics

Night Solders, and the drop-in/drop-out characters.

2006-04-03T12:47:00.000-04:00

Night Soldiers is 456 pages of excellent storytelling and unconventional novel structure story. Taking history and melding it with fiction, and making it highly readable takes talent.

Everything is in this book. Furst crosses 11 years (1934 to 1945), has characters move in and out of the narrative as well as have a panoramic/epic show going on at the same time, and never for a moment does the story seem thin--actually it’s thick with thoughts, intentions, hopes and dreams of the characters and their utter and dire knowledge that the whole of Europe is going to go right down the path of total destruction. Also, I must mention the humor. The chuckle is there, right after the sadness or the disaster.

Traveling from Bulgaria to Moscow, from Stalinist Russia to a Spain steeped in civil war, Furst offers Bolshevists, the NKVD, defenders of the Republic, partisans, and on and on. There is common crime and the common war, and political satire the poignancy of a common death.

Now, that the Amazon.com review is over, let’s deal with the “the drop-in/drop-out characters” mentioned in the post title.

What Furst does is creates characters drivers them through the plot, and then puts them on the side and may not mention them for a dozen pages, and then the characters are brought into the narrative again. Of course, there are expectation set for the reader, one the character must be extracted from whatever predicament he has gotten into, but the resolution is not within the next page or five or dozen pages. This is an unconventional novel structure, and Furst gets away with it.

How?

One: He’s writing the book, and for me, the drop-in/drop-out character--insert character now method works.

Or

Two: Furst has an epic going on here and the reader doesn’t know it. Granted this isn’t War and Peace but the same method applies.

Ultimately, the only way ‘Night Soldiers’ going to work is with the use of a larger cast where not all of them know or ever meet. The book is an epic novel in disguise.

Stanisław Lem dies.

2006-03-30T16:08:00.000-05:00

While listening to Radio Polonia, I just here tribute to Polish writer Stanisław Lem who passed away on Monday March, 27.

Przejście w fazę lunarną
28.03.2006

Lem dopełnił swoje dzieło o dewizę ostateczną: tajemniczego przejścia z fazy solarnej w lunarną, o której niestety nie napisze już żadnej książki. TEKST: KRZYSZTOF SIWCZYK ZDJĘCIE: WIKIPEDIA

Śmierć Stanisława Lema to coś więcej niż utrata wybitnego pisarza XX wieku. Praca żałoby, którą wykonać będzie musiał każdy z jego czytelników, obejmie obszary stricto sensu filozoficzne. pochodnia

2006-03-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

Cemetery Dance and Dark Discoveries, and adding to the blog:

Every once in awhile I make changes to the blog, add things here and there. Things I didn’t even consider at the inception of the whole blog project.

Just recently, today, actually, I’ve added two links to the sidebar for publications I receive. They’re good. They entertain me and if I can help keep them going all the better. Since Cemetery Dance is over ten years old and has branched out from magazine and into independent published, everything from books to comics, my help isn’t necessary, but I suspect my enthusiasm is appreciated.

Dark Discoveries is into its second year, and I’m looking forward to the next decade. DD has everything a good publication should. Gloss and concept. The graphic design catches the eye. And James Beach is always pleasant in his e-mail responses, and it a good feeling when there’s one-to-one with the editor of any publication.

I do believe if there is any fault with either publisher, well, they just don’t publish often enough.

Now, I don’t look for new (to me) magazines. I happen upon them. If anyone who may be reading this and has a favorite magazine, please do pass it along, and I have no genre preference.

2006-03-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

Writing Women.

No this isn’t about women writers--it’s about women’s bodies . . . got your attention?

But I’m only going to be dealing with John D. MacDonald, and to begin with this passage from MacDonald’s ‘Slam the Big Door:’

“But she looked fifteen, and she was very pretty, and she looked like trouble. She was a little girl, with rusty-blonde hair and delicate, rather pointed features. She had a flavor of wanton mockery about her, of sexual cynicism. She gave an erroneous impression of plumpness, despite her obvious--at a distance--slenderness.”
You know, this kind of description really doesn’t get better, and off-hand, it’s hard to come by this kind of rundown of a traditional femme fetal. And writing of women is a very strong suit with MacDonald. He’s always got it right."

Here’s another example from the same book, but of a different kind of woman:

“ . . . When he looked for her again he saw her about two hundred yards out [of the ocean], coming in, using a slow and effortless crawl, rolling on the beat for air, snaking her brown arms into the water. He took pleasure in watching her. She stood up and waded ashore, and he admired the width of her shoulder and slenderness of waits before--as she took off her white cap and fluffed that coarse black, white-streaked her--he realized it was Mary Jamison. She wore a gray sheath swim suit with some pale blue here and there, and as she walked up to him the sun touched droplets on her thighs and face and shoulders, turning them to mercury.”

The introduction of Mary Jamison is lengthy, seductive and intense. Simply, the reader can tell that MacDonald enjoys her stepping from the sea as much as any Greek watching Venus rising from the foaming waves.

MacDonald likes women, even the ‘bad’ ones, and it shows through his writing.

2006-03-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

Prayers for the Assassin: Remember it’s fiction

Generally, the book is a good thriller. And the way the book is written, with a nice mix of suspense and action, I think most readers will be able to tell that the story switches gears around page 300, and starts to wind down from there. A point is reached where the story of the story, the secret plan, is bigger than the characters and is beyond their control.

To conclude the story, an armchair mystery-I-found-a-clue moment occurs. No it doesn’t hurt anything. Matter of facts it’s the only way to complete the story.

Prayers is worth the time reading.

What I see as a weak spot:

Now for a ‘kind of a spoiler moment’ so you can stop reading now, if you aren’t going to read the book.

Christianity is an element in the story as well. There is the Bible Belt nation peopled by Christians of a number of denominations. And there are the Christians in the Islamic States of America. Now, being a Catholic, I took an interest in how Catholicism was dealt with in the Islamic States.

At one point the plotting-Fu Manchu type villain says that for years bribes have been given and political arrangements have been made, and what remained of the Catholic world population soon would be ‘brought over’ by the pope’s conversion to Islam. Well, the truth is: It wouldn’t happen.

If the pope converted, he wouldn’t be pope anymore and a new one would be elected. At the moment of a pope’s conversion, he would no longer be Christ’s representative on earth. Also, the Faithful would think he’d gone senile. The Catholic Church is two-thousand years old and like any government has contingency plans. If Vatican City was leveled by a bomb, the remaining cardinals would gather for a conclave and just elect a new pope.

In ‘Prayers’ a very old school of thought regarding Hell as a place of fire and brimstone is used. It’s a very un-catholic version of Hell. Hell is ‘the absence of God’ for eternity. Isn’t that bad enough?

But the reader must remember that the Muslim protagonists have no valid concept of what Christianity is about anyway. And the Muslim religious life is offered up in a few different varieties as well. But none of the religious commentary should be taken to heart if the reader remembers the book is work of fiction.

2006-03-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Prayers for the Assassin: Plausible VS Possible

I’ve re-read part of the last paragraph in my previous post:

What just struck me is: “Maybe it is best that the book was not in the SF/Fantasy section of the store, or people might believe the story was just fantasy and not possible.” Also, putting current social crises in a fictional context allows people to examine a problem or series of problems at a distance, where a sense of ‘being safe and separate from’ makes examine the subject easier.

I realized I erred and that this could be misinterpreted as me stating, this story is somehow ‘prophetic’ and I am not. I used the word ‘possible’ and I erred in using it.

What I read, and what I write, must smack of ‘what is plausible.’ The plausibility must be reasonably high, especially if the story deals closely with the world I live in. To a degree, this must be true for all readers. And as the same for all readers, a great deal of this, the plausibility, extends to an interest in any particular genre.

Autobiographically stating, I haven’t picked up a newly published work of Fantasy fiction in years. As far as SF goes, the last book I read was two weeks age, but the book was published twenty years ago. For Mystery, I’ve read a smattering, ranging from the 1950s to current. Now with the Mystery genre, I included anything that may be shelved in the mystery/suspense/thriller section at the local bookstore.

Now, getting back on track, I'm dealing specifically with plausibility, and Prayers has a conformable level of ‘plausibility’ as opposed to what is ‘possible.’

Plausible: meaning apparently reasonable and valid, and
truthful.

Possible: meaning capable of happening or existing.

The words are different in meaning, and using plausible over possible in the context I am choosing, well, people could, can and would debate my choice until ‘the cows come home.’

But I am doing the writing here. My rules. My game. So, Prayers is plausible. I like the story and am enjoying the read, and I’ve just topped page 150 last night. I'm taking my time. A well written book deserves that.

And finally, words have meaning, and using the right word is necessary.

2006-03-07T13:30:00.000-05:00

Prayers for the Assassin: a reading in progress:

Prayers for the Assassin is the first book by Robert Ferrigno I’ve ever had in my hands and am now reading. I’m about to crest page 100. The writing is fast, uncomplicated, and controlled. The chapters are also short which helps keep up the speed of the reading and the action. The description is not heavy-handed.

What is interesting is the book is found in the ‘Mystery’ section of the book store, but that is the track record of the author: mystery/suspense, but the book actually belongs in the Science Fiction or Adult fiction section because the chronology of the book places the story in the year 2040.

Don’t get me wrong. The story is filled with suspense and a mystery is brewing nicely, but a story place in the future, well, is SF/Fantasy. But that is neither here nor there for the simple reason that the story is poignant. The USA is gone and in its place is the ‘Islamic States of America’ and the ‘Bible Belt’ nation. The writing and publishing of ‘Prayers’ was a risk especially with islamofascists killing people over four-month-old cartoons.

Prayers is a shadowy, nightmare of a religio-fascist future where America is splintered corpse . . . .

What just struck me is: “Maybe it is best that the book was not in the SF/Fantasy section of the store, or people might believe the story was just fantasy and not possible.” Also, putting current social crises in a fictional context allows people to examine a problem or series of problems at a distance, where a sense of ‘being safe and separate from’ makes examining the subject easier.

2006-02-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

A Future of Possibilities.

What makes 'Inherit the Stars' a good novel is the fact that it’s genuine SCIENCE fiction, not science FICTION--or what some call science fantasy. For science fantasy is two negatives which don’t make a positive, and it’s a disservice to the genre of SF when it is linked up with Fantasy. And no there’s nothing wrong with Fantasy, but mixing the two genres doesn’t work--it can’t work--simply because fantasy doesn’t just IMPLY what is impossible--but means the impossible:

People dream of the future, not fantasize about it.

And Science Fiction has a difficult enough mountain to climb without lashing the Fantasy genre on its back. Hardcore SF is difficult to find and it’s difficult for publishers to fills those slots for hardcore SF. Most SF is actually social science fiction. Just because a story takes place in the future doesn’t mean science and scientific theory is used, explained or investigated within the context of the novel. Without addressing science as an important and integral part of the novel, a story taking place in the future is not different that one taking place in the past because using science as a lynch pin bases a story in a realistic reality

Now ‘Inherit the Stars’ is a solid example of SCIENCE and Fiction combined. Anthropology, biology, planetology and theory are wound together creating a firm ground on which fictional characters can address the problems of possible and very real world.

As an aside, 'Inherit the Stars' has a mystery--not that a crime has taken place but there is a mystery--a science mystery--which Hogan went to great pains to make consistent as well as interesting to read. Clues are found and examined by the characters. Theories are tossed about, and soon enough, some of the theories ‘stick,’ and the story hangs together well. I won’t elaborate--read the book.

Even though the book was published over twenty years ago, there are no glaring inconstancies due to the passage of time. The novel is solid as if it came off the press today, and very entertaining, and offers a startling future of possibilities.

2006-02-14T18:34:00.000-05:00

To Wit!

Every few days I add to my ‘Books of Interest for 2006.’ Now, I have either read them or I am in the process of doing the same.

Presently, I’m finishing up Dead as a Dinosaur, a nice 1952, Mr. and Mrs. North armchair mystery. I’ve got about forty pages to go. It’s a library book. I work in a library, and one day, I didn’t have my book of choice. I inadvertently left Slam the Big Door at home, so I grabbed Dinosaur off the shelf. The title amused me so has the reading of it.

Older books, such as Dinosaur, have one element most books—mysteries specifically and —and genre fiction in general—don’t have anymore, and that is wit. I don’t mean funny (though wit is funny), or dirty (dirty is not funny. We are merely embarrassed into laughing)—I mean wit:

Wit, according to Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, ‘b: the ability to relate seemingly disparate things so as to illuminate or amuse c: a talent for banter . . . and so on.'

The best examples can be found in books published prior to late the 1960’s, and for film it’s about the same.

Wit can be scathing so that it is satirical, but satire is NOT necessarily witty. Wit is most often found in dialogue, because it seems to be the most natural environment for wit, being witty banter, but dialogue even though it is good and ‘quippy’ is not necessarily witty. For example, Elmore Leonard is very good at dialogue and very funny at time, he is not witty.

Great actors and actresses in great films or great minor films or great cult classics can illustrate great witty dialogue. For instance: My Man Godfrey, is considered a ‘screwball’ comedy, but the dialogue is delivered in a witty way. I suspect this is the result of American theater at that time which affected movies and they way they were written, and the way people actually did speak or were expected speak to one another.

The newspapers of the time (20’s-50’s) read differently then they do now. There is a difference ‘flavor,’ and I suspect that the subtle use of the language isn’t prevalent anymore, at least not in American usage.

I diverge a bit there, but I do believe wit in current fiction is simply hard to come by. I’m more than happy to entertain any examples to the contrary. But for the time being, I might be going back to the Fifties, and before that, for some witty banter.

2006-02-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

Racism, H. P. Lovecraft, and early 20th Century Popular Fiction.

I came across an online article discussing the racism of H.P. Lovecraft and that he was ‘un-reconstructed.’ After the first paragraph, I didn’t bother with the rest of it. The writer was obviously someone with too much time on his hands or writing for some upper level literature class. In either case, the writer’s opinion is ‘old hat’ and not worth the time to read.

Lovecraft was a New Englander who was no different from any other upper class (though he lived an adult life very near to poverty-stricken) New Englander of the very early 20th Century—being that he was born at the end of the 1800’s. His racism was no more intense that anyone else—and it came out in his writing as it did with other writers of that time. For example, Agatha Christie used the ‘N-word’ (denoted as the n-word for the faint at heart) in her 1920 classic, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, but maybe she is released from blame by some critics for the simple fact the she was English not American, and a woman.

Lovecraft was a racist by our modern ‘enlightened’ standards, but by early 20th Century standards, he was the guy who lived with his aunts in a house that was just down the street Oh, and he didn't even own the house.

Am I into apologetics? No, I can’t be bothered. But I do recognize the fact that the ‘villainous’ Negro or Asian (i.e. Fu Manchu) was common. And what should be noted most readily, and usually is not, is Lovecraft’s greatest evil creations were not even human. And interestingly enough, one of his heroes was an Irish detective. One of the vermin he use to rant about in letters to friends, who, strangely, didn’t take his ‘racism’ as seriously as his modern 'enlightened' reconstructed critic(s).

Of course, HPL’s fame, growing continually since his death, does make him and his work a target. No doubt about that.

One irony is that Lovecraft was never noted as being a ‘bad’ man. Being a non-drinker, alcoholism is one social ill he can never be saddled with. Nor, was he a drug user, considering the era of the 20’s was when absinthe was the drink of choice of the literary elite basking in the cheap life of the Paris cafes. Also, he was, since no contrary evidence can be found, a heterosexual. So, again, ironically, he suffers from the later 20th century and early 21st century affliction, of being an American white male.

Leave the man alone. He over came greater personal prejudices than most people would have the courage to even face.

2006-02-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Decline of the Science Fiction Novel.

The SF section at the bookstore has gotten smaller over time while the number of Fantasy novels has grown, and in most stores, both genres have been placed on the same shelves, being mixed in alphabetically, with anthologies set at the beginning or at the end of the section.

With that out of the way—what’s the deal? Where’s this heading? Why is the SF genre shrinking? I think it has to do with the audience and the medium of television. Bear with me. I know this has been stated before, but I have a different angle of attack here, so stay with me.

It’s a simple fact that people of all ages don’t read as much as they use to. That’s common thought and wisdom, and there’s been no major argument mounted against that kind of thinking. That is out of the way now. Next, people watch TV, more TV than years ago because there are more choices now: cable, satellite and DVD releases—watch again and again what you like—I do that. Everybody watches what they like—because they like the characters. Face it, the long running programs these days are not like the Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits in format. Viewers don’t seem interested in a new episode with new characters and in new situations every week. Viewers are interested in following the same group of characters from week to week. The same came be said for film. Think of Star Wars and Star Trek.

Now, what is it about SF of the present which is different from SF of sixty—or thirty years ago? First remember SF begin exploring science and scientific theory. Character development in the format of the novel was not seen as essential, but now, SF writers, and other genre fiction writers are no different, began putting more of a literary effort into their work. You know: ‘Stories must be character driven.’ Character driven is what changed SF, especially as the genre moved from exploring science theory to be more socially ‘conscious.’ That is, the Sixties arrived. Socially conscious SF writers produced socially conscious work. Was that bad? Of course not, but a growing trend was created. Now, writers of SF didn’t have to immerse their stories in theory but just have to hold a readers attention with good ‘character-driven’ stories. Theory is now out and character is in being aided by social consciously story lines.

Television fulfills the two requirements:

1. Continuing characters we like.
2. Being socially conscious in the sense of social issues as well as character relationships.

In our modern world, we are surrounded by technology, but the society as a whole—and I mean the whole world, not just one nation, we are not a very scientifically minded people. We don’t have an enthusiasm for science—such as when there was the race for the moon—though we are enthused by new technological gadgets. In an inverse way, Fantasy is highly popular simply because there is no direct link to reality and no link at all to science. Simply put, readers want to turn on the faucet, but they don’t want to know how the water comes out.

2006-02-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

About the State of Art.

Last week, while traveling links, I found an article by Jonathan Yardley entitled: State of Art. The column is almost four years old but the topic is still relevant, and the subject that Yardley is concerned about is writing, the quality of the writing and who is doing the writing.

Yardley’s life is reading books and his knowledge goes back to ‘before’ the time when the American novel became American. He plows ahead through his column moving up to the present, and he goes so far as to laud the efforts of genre writers in the field of the espionage novel, such as Alan Furst. And there’s the real point, he praised genre fiction—a specific genre—but he didn’t have many heartening comments and thoughts about current writers general while he does have disparaging ones. It’s an article worth reading.

2006-01-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

An End Result

I’ve put a review on Amazon.com for a text on self-instruction in the art of Sumi-e, black ink painting. I’ve been working with the brush for about a week and a half, and I’ve come up with an image I’m very pleased with.

The book I’m using is ‘Japanese Ink Painting: The Art of Sumi-e’
by Naomi Okamoto.

Taking time and having patience, and once in awhile there is an end result I feel good about promoting.

2006-01-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

To Regular Posting

In the past few weeks, I’ve completed reading old and new books, and done some re-reading. Of the new there is “Fade to Blond” by Max Phillips and an older story by Ed Dee, “14 Peck Slip.” And finally, a older still, book entitled, “Explosion” by a woman by the name of Disney. The book is sixty years old, but a good chair mystery.

The following reviews I’ve placed on Amazon:

Fade to Blond
By Max Phillips

A slow slug fest., January 21, 2006

We have Ray Corson, ex-boxer, a collection of women and thugs, and reliable friends. After being hired to make someone `go away' preferably using a permanent solution, Ray plugs along learning more about the woman who hired him and the men who want to hurt him.

The built up-moving through the first 70 to 80 pages--is slow, but the writing is good. The chapters are short and clean. We learn more about Ray, but once or twice Phillips's protagonist is a `little' on the spontaneously, brutal side, not that that hurts the book, but the motivation is not fully explained. We don't see enough of his disgust, if not hate.

Ray is still likeable. I'd want him on my side. The writing is good and I'll read more by Phillips.

Explosion
By Dorothy Cameron Disney

A Worthy Read, January 9, 2006

What makes a 56 year old armchair mystery worth the read? It could be to antiquated maybe? That could be said of any mystery of the same vintage, but a murder mystery is still a murder mystery and Dorothy Cameron Disney gives the reader 2 deaths for the price of one.

With the murder committed, we have the author juggling a family of 4, the husband of the victim as well as the neighbors next door and a family lawyer thrown in for good measure. What some may see as a drawback, to me, illustrates how well the author can move from the mind of each character-revealing inner thoughts, fears, suspicions and motives with out revealing the guilty party.

The novel is a post-WW II story, being published in 1950, and thoughts of the war are fresh in the minds of the characters. So thoughts of death go beyond the murder at hand. Thoughts of mortality-fears of mortality and ruminations about good and evil are well placed within the story.

The only failing is the rush to end the story and the fact that justice goes UNserved. But the novel is worthy of reading.

14 Peck Slip
By Ed Dee

Because of 'The Job', January 6, 2006

I read the "The Con Man's Daughter," Ed Dee's most current book. I enjoyed the story, so I went back to the beginning, to "14 Peck Slip."

I'm not a New Yorker, but Ed Dee creates a New York feel with his writing. I enjoyed the all-night stakeouts, and the smells of the Fulton Fish Market. I was intrigued by how the Mob makes a bundle off honest business.

I enjoy a first person narrative, and that is what Dee offers. Seeing the `dark underbelly of the Big Apple' through the eyes of Tony Ryan, the 20-year NYPD veteran, is engaging. The cold chill in the air, the streetwalkers, the sight of the 55 gallon drum being dropped into the Hudson river-it's all there.

Ryan tries to solve a 10 year-old murder of a crooked cop-why? Because it's his job. He has to face the decay and corruption of crime as his search for an answer leads him further into the muck, as well as further away from his wife. Ryan struggles to find the truth as he tries to hold on to his wife and a life outside "the Job."

The mystery is good and solid as is the writing. The reader cares because Ed Dee cares about his protagonist and his story.

The re-read is Ellis Peters’s

A Rare Benedictine

History and Mystery, January 17, 2006

I enjoy history and a good mystery and "A Rare Benedictine" offers both. We have three solid stories, each adding a bit more to the life of a favorite fictional brother who inhabits a more real world.

Cadfael's returned to England and entry into the Benedictine Order are chronicled as of the first mystery. Cadfael's observations, and his ability to understand and empathizes with transgressors makes him an even more likable. And Cadfael is likeable, and I appreciate his sense of justice in the very difficult time he lives in, because he laws of the land and the punishments are simple and brutal, and the monk does his best to balance the justice with common sense.

The stories and the character are refreshing, and it's not surprising that Cadfael is still as popular as he is.

Going back to re-read a good story is something common to everyone and if not, I'd advise it.

Here's hoping to get back to working on this blog regularly.

2005-10-19T18:23:00.000-04:00

Creating of a growing distance

Certain odd details arose as I read Shute’s book. For one, the daughter of Peter and Mary Holmes is a baby, less than a year old, who’s named Jennifer, and she is occasionally referred to as an ‘it.’ I just found that strange . . . and I can’t or rather, don’t understand why. Is it the writing style or the time period that has to do with the way Jennifer is referred to, I don’t know but the book was written in 1957 . . . . It’s the ‘it’ made for a strangeness that changes the humanness of the baby, at least, for me. Referring to her as an ‘it’ is disturbing, as if her humanness is being disputed, but really, I moved more to go her side. Now, as I think about it, Jennifer as a character is usually in another room when she’s referred to. There’s another degree of distance add, taking her further away from me, the reader, so by the time the book ends, poisoning her isn’t so bad, or sad, but an understood necessity as she has grown more ill: crying, sweating, and vomiting.

As the radiation moves further south the world winds down. Live in the final days grows even less frantic. Modern life had already suffered from the lack of oil and gas and everyone had been reduce to walking or real-horse power or bicycles. Everyone improvised and did their best to even enjoy their last days.

2005-10-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

A quiet passing….

“On the Beach” begins one quiet morning with Lt-Commander Peter Holms of the Royal Australian Navy being the first to wake up. He thinks of his wife, Mary, lying next to him and of their baby girl. Peter Holms wanting to get back to work. By the end of page three we learn there’s been a war.

I’ve read the whole book already. I tried to write about it while reading the story, but for some reason, this book just wouldn’t let me do that. It was a steady read and no rushing.

Now—at this second—I will purposely diverge and immediately go into some thoughts which have been buzzing around in my mind; that is, why does this book work for me. Well, to beginning with, Shute utilizes a simplicity which gives the strength of realism to the characters and the story as a whole. Simple words and matter-of-factness create the immediacy, right there, right in middle of a world on the edge of death, but in a quiet way. The book has 312 pages but only has nine chapters. Not a word is wasted.

Shute reveals the characters, reveals their dreams, fears and illusions about a possible future, and then carefully reduces these things as well as the lives of all the characters, little by little, until they all quietly wink out.

2005-10-10T12:24:00.000-04:00

The writing life.

Writing then getting published is always the goal. Learning the markets and where to send stories is part of the business as well. Card gives advice on markets such as magazines and anthologies and where to go to get more information. Submitting to professional publications has to constantly be on the mind of the writer seeking a professional status, and submitting to the best markets first must be the ‘given.’ Finally the ‘money’ aspect is important but it shouldn’t dominate one’s thinking. The writing should.

But I do think the business end of writing is dealt with better, and of course, more completely in Your Novel Proposal.

2005-10-09T13:23:00.000-04:00

What matters. And what to leave out.

Informing the reader of what counts is what exposition is. Sticking to the point is important but feed information to the reader slowly, a little at a time. Holding back details heightens the interest for the read--keeps them asking, also allow the reader to interpret what is being read.

Apparently, SF writers don’t have to concern themselves with metaphor. Everything is to be taken literally . . . . This is what makes SF difference from main stream fiction. The setting of the stage at the beginning of the SF book doesn’t allow for confusions, since this has to do with setting the rules of the world that’s being created.

2005-10-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

The More the Better

The more I write the better I get—yes, reading what is new and on the shelves is fine and good, but if I don’t practice writing it isn’t going to help.

I understand writing fiction which is popular is the way to get a readership, but if I don’t write what I like it’s not going to matter. I realized this point last week when I was teaching a ‘How to research’ session with college freshmen. I said, ‘If you’re not interested by your topic how can the reader be?’ I have to like what I am writing. REALLY, like it. This has been my fatal writing flaw.

I use to read magazines and books, trying to learn what was ‘popular’ and write stuff like what I read. Mistake. The result of the writing was a complete YET uninspired story. If I don’t write what I want I’m not going anywhere.

Maybe that was the flaw with Shadow Bridge, I hammered away at it so long and changed the premise that I didn’t like the story anymore? Yes, I understand that a story must have popular appeal but if in the process of writing I don’t care for the work any more . . . well, a story that generates no enthusiasm for me is a dead story.

All the above came from the thought of ‘writing well,’ so enjoying your subject is an essential part of writing well. And Card didn’t consider this part in the writing well chapter, but I think it should be.

2005-10-06T15:26:00.000-04:00

What’s it all about?

What are the pieces and how do the pieces fit together? Story structure is what I have to deal with. And that, I think, over time will become easier to work through because I’ll have the experience behind me. Working on the project I’ve got going now, and even with Shadow Bridge, I learned how to think about the story synopsis and writing a chapter outline.

Card devotes time to story structure, discusses the use of the MICE Quotient which includes the questions of who, what, why and why not . . ., and he considers the Main character, who hurts the most, power and freedom to act, but all that is boiled down to the literary terms of protagonist, POV and so on. My story is donimated by a main character and a supporting cast trying to deal with a new and dangerous world.

The only information that should be withheld is ‘what’s going to happen next.’ I’ve thought about this in the context of mystery. I like generating mystery when I can. And think putting information in ‘plain sight’ so the reader can see it—without me naming it, is tension building and fun for me. I like not telling them—a nuclear bomb went off, but just describing the flash and the cloud. Being out in the middle of the woods with no electricity and no neighbor visible through the living room window, only trees, is the way to heighten tension.

Resolution, I think, can be by realizing there’s no hope in life getting better any time soon, and not wanting to talk about dead relatives.

2005-10-05T15:06:00.000-04:00

But I must stay ahead of them

The world I’ve created is stable. I believe a reader can touch it if he wants to. Card spends a chapter recounting biographical as well as useful strategies on how to make a fictional world--no matter how ‘unreal’--work. My world is unreal, but I want it to feel very possible to the reader. I want my world to feel--apocalyptically uncomfortable.

Now, the development of any universe takes time. Card even uses the word: years. But he also states that in the mind of the writer, ideas have already been germinating, getting ready to be born--fully grown. I can believe that. I have story ideas I know I’m not yet ready to tackle, but one day I will. That possibly is exciting. It’s something I’m really looking foreword to.

I don’t have any maps on paper for my thesis, for The Last Spring, but I originally mapped the story out in my mine, and I have written a synopsis and I’ve got a chapter outline and the story holds together. But the ending I have is not the right one, not now. But my story does seem to fall into two parts structurally, that is, there is a part one and a part two.

Part one is the ‘survival’ portion of the story and part two is the discovery portion, the going out and finding out how the world is doing, or not doing. My characters are discovering the world as I do, in a way, but I must stay ahead of them so I know where the story will ultimately go.

2005-10-04T11:57:00.000-04:00

Ahead of the Curve.

I started in the back of the book (How to writing Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card). I read about ‘discipline’ in chapter 5, the Life and Business of Writing, and discipline means NO video games! Well, not really, but writing and writing often requires discipline.

Now, back to the beginning, I read about what Card considers the Infinite Boundary in chapter one. Basically, he defines SF and F writing as freestyle swimming while wearing a straightjacket. He writes about how the publishing business lives by categories, and here the age of the text shows because, as I’ve read the online board and the comments about SF and F it seems SF is slipping more and more into the plain-old popular fiction shelves. Of course the real hard-cord and the truly fanciful fiction will remain in the SF and F section of the chain bookstore. A number of successful authors--such as Crichton are SF writers, but have escaped the SF genre title. It does matter, because Crichton and writers like him have made a good living because of that escape!

Considering my thesis, it’s more of modern fantasy in a way, being not so heavy on the SF, but I don’t think that is bad. I‘ve come across a number of books that are like mine. There’s On the Beach which I’m reading, Alas, Babylon and a book called Malevil.

But what genre does my book fall into? I think it’s a mild SF and of course, fantasy but I don’t break any ‘laws’ of the universe. I do realize a strong survival element dominates the story. I think my story has a broad appeal that goes even beyond SF readers. I think I’m a head of the curve especially after reading some of Card’s book

2005-10-03T11:14:00.000-04:00

Yes! Now sign here.

A good professional relationship means working together, period. A bad one should be terminated. Politely. Start looking for a new one. Helpful hints are in the book. I don’t have any experience and no reason to elaborate on this information, so I won’t.

I finished Your Novel Proposal, and as in my pervious comment, I can’t comment much. I haven’t got to the finished novel stage, so I’m at a loss as to what to consider next. So, I’m going to get back to work on my book

2005-10-02T18:21:00.000-04:00

Waiting and waitng . . .

Waiting and waiting comes with every submission I’ve ever made for short stories or poetry and I don’t see why a novel submission will be any different. A rejection would be on my mind just the same.

The advice makes sense: Start on the next novel.

Worry is normal . . . . I worry about my kids. Why won’t I worry about my book but I don’t want the worry to be all consuming. That kind of worry gets in the way of writing.

The advice of wait-time is straight forward. If submitting on request waiting the time referred to by the editor or publisher and add a week. Fine. Even I can to that! And importantly, don’t read into the ‘no’ being given. That’s easy to do--I’ve done it.

2005-09-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

CHAPTER SEVEN with two to go

A cover letter isn’t a query letter . . . ? Hum? Not all letters are letters . . . ? Oh, I get it! We’ve reached the point of PURPOSE. Why do you do something like write a cover letter? The agent wants to see more--MORE. This is good, but you need to make the offering better--beyond better--you must make it PURE! Well, ultimately inviting.

The query letter gets the agent’s interest up, but the cover letter is like the screening efforts of the cavalry and keeps the interest up and the agent focus on the manuscript he has asked for.

There’s the old, tried and true formula--‘keep it simple stupid’ . . . and be nice. Keeping things simple is something most people, including yours truly, find it hard to do. But the book offers TIPS. Always accept tips.

I’ve stated this before in one fashion or another, but this book, Your Novel Proposal points the way toward a professional future. Not in a grand way, but a quiet way. The text discusses and illustrates professionalism.

2005-09-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

In a nutshell

Everything in a nutshell is the synopsis which should be easy and entertaining to read, but is difficult to write. I’ve written two so far for two different projects and what I have learn is: If you don’t care a great deal about the project the synopsis will write and read poorly the first time. A good synopsis moves the manuscript to the next level: the agent wanting a chapter outline.

Back to the synopsis, I’ve written very short ones, less than a page. But the process has developed from pitch line and queries to synopsis. It’s learning the process which is part of the business. I don’t mind the idea and even the practice of writing a synopsis because it’s all about writing and that’s what I want to do. That’s what I thought. But what I have learned is a synopsis does require me to KNOW my story.

The whole experience as I think about it now is that, knowing my story. I’d say part of the writing of the synopsis, is knowing, what to leave out. Boy, is that frightening, considering all the work involved to begin with.

Now, if there are any problems with the text at this time, it’s the anecdotes from established writing talking about how wonderful it is NOT to have to write s synopsis--these examples are at best useless and at worse bad taste. The less written by me about them the better.

Going back to the study synopsizing at hand, I can say writing is hard work as it is, so why, for me, should a synopsis be any different. When I get famous, writing will still be work.

As a note: I went to a visiting author event given by the county library system. The author was Phillip Margolin, and he said something I won’t forget, and that is, he still writes synopsis for each book which are from thirty-five to forty pages long.

2005-09-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

If I bought a book and only got HALF the story, I’d be . . . annoyed.

That’s why I shy away from books series anymore. I started one and when it didn’t sell well everything was crammed in the last book. I want to know the whole story, and get it right the first time. So, I guest agents expect the same. Who would’ve thought it?

The key: Send them what they want! So make sure the book is finished! Especially, if the agent wants more, and what is wanted is the submission package. Here is need part or the WHOLE of the manuscript. A cover letter is needed and have a synopsis or chapter outline--either came be requested.

Follow the rules. It’s a business. Business has rules to be followed. In short, format the manuscript appropriately, and start with page 101 in the book.

2005-09-27T11:32:00.000-04:00

Examples, examples, examples!

And examples, that’s what I like about Your Novel Proposal, examples are always being offered. These examples--the advice--offered is worth the price of the book, but the idea that agents and publishers are accessible is something which isn’t talked about in public. Who knows why? (Shrug).

Go to the conventions, schedule a meeting, and meet the agent you want to. If you’ve paid the fee you’ve bought your opportunity to pitch your work. I like the one piece of advice is continually repeated: Have a completed piece of work! BUT, it is okay to get advice on a work in progress--at least--at the half way point, to learn if the idea has potential. Feedback it important, but from an agent--hey this is great and it’s something else I NEVER knew--and I didn’t know who to ask either--so find the people who can help.

Now, being in the situation where a writer wants to be will be terrifying--that is being eye to eye with an agent. I must remember: Agents are people too, but they are readers also.
(If the agent seems interested, it’s time to consider questions to ask them: What publishing houses have they worked with? Do the take simultaneous submissions? Do they work with a contract? Important stuff like that I have to know my agent as well.)

On meeting writer and agent should exchange business cards: GET SOME BUSINESS CARDS, because professional writers need them. And then remember there’s only a short time to make an impress--to sell the story idea--get good advice.

The Pitch to the agent has parts:

Be general, but make clear the type of book being offered and the theme or plot line is, but don’t go into every detail. But have a ‘pitch line’ ready. Again, keeping things simple, it’s important and I like the way the authors of Your Novel Proposal kept pushing that point.

The words, those bullets like pitch, hook--the angle--have a very Hollywood slash Organized crime feel--kind of like you’re trying to get away with something. But the words and the motive behind them are exciting in their own way. A simple yet exciting phrase will launch the book for an intended agent. After the launch, tell the agent the title and about the setting--where’s it all happen. Then talk, and after it’s all over, make notes about what has been said. You don’t what to confuse or forget what was asked or said about your work or how to prepare it and send it to the agent.

2005-09-20T12:29:00.000-04:00

Short and Sweet: Send a Letter! PART II (A personal observation)

Fear of the unknown and wanting to get it right and fulfill the expectations of that faceless person.

Writing is hard enough . . . ? Yes, writing is hard. Putting words on paper or on the screen is easy. It’s hard to get the writing just right. The enthusiasm connected with a good idea can make me GO, but there’s the going back and rooting out the dead words and lines that weight the story down.

Now, moving into the future, having all the writing done, the next step is always—where to send a story or a poem? If I read a magazine and like the publication—well—I sent it there. Or I look for another viable magazine, but now, I’m dealing with a book, and normally, looking for a prospective outlet is ALWAYS like looking into a BLACK HOLE.

This book ‘Your Novel Proposal’ helped me to put it mildly.
1. Yes, writing is a business, but the business needs writers.
2. But writers with good and different ideas and twists are need more.
Here is where the fear of the unknown is assaulted—head on! The door to the publishing world is open and it’s a world with a mailbox too. And in the office there are people who WANT me to knock at the door. The fear decreases with knowing that solid fact.

But I am my own enemy, and that has been the greatest stumbling block for me and for my writing. I’m not one of those people who writes for himself. I write ultimately, because I want other people to enjoy what I’ve created. So, I have suffered and compounded my problems.
1. I haven’t written enough because of that—and writing is the only way to improve.
2. And ‘What’s the point if I can’t get in?’ syndrome.

Enough said about the above adolescent and stupid self-abuse. Don’t you think?

The point of writing for me is to enjoy the process and the result and to have people read the stories, so I want and need sell it. Argo, I need to find an agent or editor.

Okay, I’m still faced with the fact of having to do work which is not writing fiction, but writing letters to agents and editors, I have to remember that they are readers too. Seeing them as readers, well, that’s a thought I never considered before.

The book ‘Your Novel Proposal’ helps me bridge the gap between the writing and the selling, and to sell to the agent and editor. Not all editors and agents are writers, but they all are readers, just like anybody else.

So, I’ve dealt with my fear, and with the fear in check I write more and that faceless person is now a reader—yes, their in it for the money too, but they must read what I have to offer.

2005-09-15T09:17:00.000-04:00

Short and Sweet: Send a Letter! PART I

A query letter to an editor or agent is the best first step toward publication. But know who you’re writing to. And always write to someone. NO Dear editor or Dear sirs! In researching for publication get a proper name out of a trade publication and learn what the individual’s title is and if they are male or female—it matters! Being correct is being polite! If you’re not sure—CALL—their office! A switchboard operator or assistant can provide that information. Once you’ve got the name and seen out a query you know a name will get the letter and that person—THAT person—will be the one responding. Also if there’s no particular addressee, well, the query will probably be waiting for additions MONTHS before anyone sees it.

The query letter is a money saver for the writer, and a time saver for the editor or agent. Editors and agents have work to do also, along with the hundreds of submission they have to read.

Now, the query letter—what’s written in it is what it’s all about! The query letter has to be as artful as the book you’ve written. Oh, and for the writer with a first book, make sure the book is written first—BEFORE—you look for an agent or editor. The writer only has one shot to making an impression with a book idea, but a writer without previous publications is on more difficult ground. But getting the attention of the reader, whether it’s an agent or editor, is the goal.

Certain aspects of business letter writing are the same. Use good stationary. Use a proper format: Indent paragraphs or use block format, but use a format and stay consistent. Remember: This is a business letter. Use appropriate salutations and closings, and don’t forget the SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). If you don’t enclose a SASE a response may NEVER come!

2005-09-14T12:28:00.000-04:00

Go out—Meet People!

Read about them too! Learning where to go and who to talk to begins with trade publications: Writer’s Digest and newsletters—or postings of conferences at the local library. Most conferences set up appointments in advance. Also going where editors congregate is a good way to get involved. Listen-in and add to the conversation—see what happens or be introduced.

All of the above sounds simple and apparently it is. But avoid leaving things to chance. If the conference doesn’t offer appointments—pass up that conference. Meet with successful authors also—get their advice and critique of your work if possible. Generally, successful authors want to help. Enter writing contests; winning gets your name ‘out there’ in public—being successful generates interest about you (from editors and agents)!

If the conference doesn’t relate to your genre, still, think about going. Editors and agents have other interest, too! Check out their bios—find out who they are! All conferences deal with the technical aspects of writing such as dialogue, point of view, and plotting and more!

How MUCH does a conference cost? Well, money and in large amounts, but the return can me priceless. Learn about what the conference offers against what you can afford.

For networking—conference are a primary source. Motivation and meeting the ‘right people’ are necessary. But remember—to write.

2005-09-02T09:36:00.000-04:00

A Good Agent?

Well, Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook report that there are good agents who are interested in working with writers. Camensona and Cook even plug an agents’ association: the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR). They also insist that there are honest agents as well, and they have to because there are dishonest agents and the authors understand that bad agents made good agents . . . look bad.

What goes for a publisher, in a way, goes for agents: Find out what they can do for you. And a good agent does work for you. That’s how they make money.

Before you or me rush out and ‘get’ an agent, you have to have a product—a book. Book, first, then agent.

Here is the research part. Start by going to AAR, to conventions and talk to other writers, learn what is out there. Like any business find out how the market support’s itself.

But remember to write, and write often.

2005-09-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

Getting Published.

Write. Write well. Learn the craft, and getting published will work out. But do the research. Targeting an agent the same way you target an audience. What publisher are you looking for? Big or small independent?

1. National/International
2. Regional/Small Presses
3. University Presses
4. Organizational/Sponsored Presses
5. Subsidy Presses
6. Cooperative Presses
7. Book Packagers/Producers
8. Self-Publishing
9. Electronic Publishing

Learn about the publisher: What they offer and what you should expect.

Then and most importantly, then you’ll know why an agent is important. Find one!

2005-08-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

Proposing Your Novel

Just reading the introduction, a person who writes is affirmed in the knowledge that writing is like eating and sleeping, you just do it. Getting accepted and publish is a wonderful thing—it’s happened a couple times for me a good number of years ago—and I continue to write. I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t thinking about it or trying to put the ideas on paper.

Now, writing is one thing, but getting published in a world where the publishing business has become a mighty and seemingly impenetrable fortress isn't easy and discouragement can come down hard and doubting one’s ability seems to come with the territory also. The only thing that makes the whole effort bearable is the fact that I have to write anyway.

Getting published requires persistence so let’s give it a wing. The creativity that goes into a book has to go into the selling of that book. Query letter, cover letter and synopsis require the same ambition; all of this is important, but I can’t forget that I must write and write and write.

2005-08-24T15:03:00.000-04:00

Apocalypse . . . now? If not now, when? Sooner or later . . . maybe . . . ?

From my reading of the last chapter of Screams, science with a big ‘S’ has taken on the trappings of a religion. Science has a membership of experts with their own infallible texts, their own research institutes/cathedrals and they also demand tithes in exchange for magnificent wonders.

The priests of science also keep to themselves. The great masses can’t possibly understand what they do. Hell, they have a problem understanding each other.

What also broadens the chasm between the peoples and the scientists is the Media. The Media is overawed by these masters of the universe. The Media is enamored by the lights, the sounds and the visions of the future.

But who isn’t. So what is there to do?

The mad scientist, Skal’s states, is a bridge over that chasm between hard science and wild superstition (bridges and bridge-metaphors are showing up a lot lately). But from my reading of Skal’s book this bridge is a bridge of fear, fear of Armageddon, fear of dehumanization, fear of a pointless universe. And for all Skal’s efforts to show the mad scientist as a reaction against science and technology, it’s seem to me that the mad scientist is a public display of the folly of the scientist when he continually tries to reach beyond his means, his abilities and his own understanding. The scientist is seen as the rainmaker because once in awhile he just gets lucky. And the public lives with the success and the failures.

Fortunately for scientists, people are more forgiving these days and don’t burn magic-users anymore.

2005-08-24T09:33:00.000-04:00

Is there a Doctor in the House? I mean a REAL one!

Chapter 6--the shortest chapter in Screams deals with medical doctors and what they shouldn’t be doing.

Blame medical horrors on HMOs, multimillion dollar law suits—lawyers even—blame medical technology but where there’s a scalpel there’s a wicked way! The physician maybe expected to heal himself but after that assurances about others can fall short.

Hannibal Lecter a ‘fake’ horror is easily linked up with Josef Mengele, a real horror. Now what can make a doctor . . . well, evil? We have greed, vanity, quest for knowledge—or for power—power over people. Mix any of these elements together in any proportion and the possible combination for the concoction is endless. For the serial killer it’s power over anyone which is the quintessential ingredient so we have Hannibal to fill the bill. Now, for Mengele we can toss in a dab of perverted quest for knowledge. In COMA, greed is the evil engine, but ultimately, I’d have to suspect that the simple devaluing of human life lurks in that frightening concoction motivating medical murder.

We have angels of death/mercy, doctors of death/assisted suicide. No matter how you look at it, what is required is some medical professional who doesn’t have a problem killing, irregardless of the motivation. There are people who just enjoy killing and those kind don’t even have to be in the medical profession. (The first letter from the Zodiac Killer, once decoded, began: I like to kill.) A roaming truck driver will do also. But medical murderers frighten us more because, given their profession is to save lives, they still determined the value of any human life is zero, and subservient to whatever their goal is.

Imagine going under the knife of a medic who believes you are nothing but flesh to be cut, quartered and tossed into a stainless steel tray. But what maybe more disturbing is knowing that somewhere a doctor believes your kidney, your heart, your eyes--your mind--as a PART of the whole--has a greater value, and that your family is at home waiting and waiting . . . and you never come back.

Hospitals house germs and sick people and sometimes people go there and just die. But the question that should come to mind is what . . . or who killed them?

2005-08-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

Aliens from Outer Space . . . and whose fault is it?

Aliens from outer space is a subject anyone would think is utterly divorced from thoughts of mad science . . . well, kind of no . . . Science and science alone has a maddening affect on society as far as Skal is concerned and his supposition is reasonable. And to state the conundrum simply, in every time, instance or era, when science takes a leap, small or large, in technical advancement, society or segments of society react. I will call this reaction a state of being psychologically schizoid, and in varying in degrees, delusional: People ‘see’ things. And those ‘things’ are UFOs, flying saucers, the Greys and the other assorted menageries of extraterrestrial beings and machines and includes the conspiracy oriented musings over AREA 51 and related earthly locations!

In the most basic way, science seems utterly responsible for these kinds of strange and wondrous illusions/delusions. But why? First, millions of dollars are spent seeking extraterrestrial evidence of ‘life on other planets’—radio waves, objects in space, the discovery of other planets and more. It’s endless because the activities are now institutionalized, from government agencies, higher education to private organizations and the most far-reaching—popular media culture.

The average person just doesn’t come up with scientifically related phenomena on his or her own. Science has to do with the search for facts and ironically, fosters a great amount of fiction. Television, movies, books, lectures and college courses on extraterrestrial life. There is no evidence of extraterrestrial life but there are courses on the subject. In others words there’s a college course on something that doesn’t exist! The culture has reached the high of lunacy!

2005-08-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

They Shoot Horses Don’t They?

Yes, they do. And I shot my working title: Dark Horses.

When a story evolves and changes, so must its title, and as the story changes, the demands of the characters do also. If characters are treated as autonomous creations, they force the story in unexpected ways as well.

For instance, my mad scientist, who I will refer to in the most general ways only, demands to be heard and seen earlier then expected. FINE! Whatever! Do what YOU want! Characters are annoying when they THINK they KNOW something . . . And they do. They have to if a story—no matter how fantastic—is going to believable.

If my scientist is believable—and demands to be believable—the mad science involved will also be believable.

Oh, my new title is: Shadow Bridge.

2005-08-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

The Mad Scientist and the Leap from Theory to Practical Madness

Science owes its very exist to the alchemists, those secluded conjurors, hoping to turn lead into gold. The scientific method grew out of a kind of mad pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone. In away, science is grounded in myth, magic and monsters.

Frankenstein always comes to mind as does the ape man, the death ray or colossal creatures such as giant humans and spiders or even ants. The list goes on. But what links mad science and its practitioners together had to be some kind of ‘theory’ whether the theory was right or wrong, or made any sense at all, theory -- any theory was necessary.

Well, all of the creations (flesh or metallic) mentioned above are birthed from a ‘theory’ of electricity or evolution – or – electricity and evolution—or some radioactive event, some atomic accident or detonation. But theory and the resultant scientific ‘horrors’ were basically impractical.

Atomic radiation doesn’t create huge women (sigh or not to sigh?) or fire-breathing dinosaurs. Radiation of the nuclear warhead variety just kills. Here is where impractical theory is left behind and practical fact enters the scene. The big screen offered the window to a realistic Armageddon.

The first monolithic representation is On the Beach. Even the title offers an ironic hope which just doesn’t exist. There’s a nuclear war and everybody dies. THE END.

It’s not mentioned outright, but science primed the weapon which the world militaries used. A submarine in the film is a character too, a silent partner of a sort. The sub is a machine, the mute-representative of science. The submarine is used to ‘test’ the air—where is the radiation coming from now and how fast? Science masked as a submarine is the harbinger of the final and complete death of the world.

It’s not even implied in Skal’s book that science is getting a bad rap. But the intensity of the fear of nuclear war and horror only increased through the fifties and into the sixties because—as it seems to me—the last and final defense is a good, futile laugh. Enter in Dr. Strangelove.

So much can be said about Dr. Strangelove. It’s an anti-war film. Makes sense and it should be. For all its anti-military sentiment, what must not be forgotten is the Mad scientist elements which aren’t really discussed too much anywhere. The film is mainly viewed as anti-military which is a disservice to the film. So much humor is displayed by Peter Sellers writhing in the wheelchair near the end of the film that the fact that he is a mad SCIENTIST and responsible, just as or more so, than the general played by Sterling Hayden, well something could get lost in the translation.

We have reached a point where science now offers up practical madness: Nuclear war, Biochemical disease (28 Days Later—a very good film) and so much more!

2005-08-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

Skal’s Mad Scientist and Dark Horses Protagonist:

The Mad Scientist isn’t the main character of DH. The protagonist, Ben Marshall is a complete outsider. He has no medical expertise nor would he be able to just walk into the Reinstall Institute and demand answers. He must be directed there, and once inside he has to find information and interpret that information. But he’s in an alien land with no guide: who can he turn to? So, in some fashion, some kind of precognition or ‘planted’ information must be made available. So, what I must add is some generally accepted supernatural/psychic element: Ben’s identical twin. Without that relationship the story can’t possible work.

The Mad Scientist information offered by Skal gives a motivation to the Mad Scientist in the story which is divulged and made clear by the villain near the end of the story. No where else can the information be given. The whole story is about Ben interpreting information that doesn’t makes sense immediately, but does horrify him in someway.

Sane people do, on occasion, doubt their sanity, therefore they are NOT crazy. But crazy people NEVER do doubt their sanity. Believing themselves crazy is an impossibility. I’ve work with some mentally unstable people. They don’t know they’re crazy.

2005-08-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

Screams of Reason

Escaping into Insanity: Going crazy is the best defense?

The false self mentioned in the previous post is link by Skal to R. D. Laing, a psychotherapist (considered a ‘mad scientist in his own right by his colleagues) who believed escaping into madness, becoming schizophrenic specifically, is a actually a way of expressing one’s ‘true self,’ and in conjunction with Laing, a psychologist by the name of Sass believed that the schizophrenic is NOT descending into insanity, but displaying a ‘highly exaggerated rationality.’

But how does this fit into the world of the Mad Scientist? People can be rational—and justify much by calming highly rational goals. But being rational and having rational goals is one thing, but what about the method and means to reach those goals. That is where the danger lies.

I love watching the ‘Reanimator’ films with Jeffery Combs. Herbert West is a classic Mad Scientist. His goal of reanimating the dead is noble (after a fashion), but the resulting death and destruction his experience lead to don’t justify the goal.

2005-07-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

Screams of Reason

Mad Science and the Mad Scientists who Practice It.

The introduction is a corker, and the temptation to go through the text page by page is strong, but unrealistic. Skal links childhood remembrances with cultists, science and supernatural transcendence using facts and recent history—there’s a lot of intriguing stuff being offered up.

But I’ll start with this quote and work through it:

The mad scientist ‘while he is often written off as the product of knee-jerk anti-intellectualism, upon closer examination, he reveals himself (mad scientists are almost always men) to be a far more complicated symbol of civilization and its split-level discontents.’

Skal states that the Mad Scientist is used as a visual joke: the stark-eyed, misunderstood genius with an Einsteinian shock of wild hair cursing the ignorance of society around him, but he is actually a psychological symbol utilized to deflect societal anxieties about the meaning and of use of modern technology.

Skal refers to this situation as a scary, paradoxical peekaboo, and that society wants what science offers but doesn’t face the notions that science is beset with greed, sadism and megalomania. Yes, I think society ‘thinks’ it addresses these concerns, but let’s be honest, even as the debate about biotechnology rages, science and scientists forge ahead because they ‘know better.’ Scientists and the associated institutes, research labs and companies move to where the least legal resistance is offered. Or in the most recent times, scientists, while ignoring the debate, simply break the law.

Now, getting back to the psychological aspects of Society and Madness, the above quote makes use of the phrase ‘split-level discontents.’ These discontents can be linked to the loneliness, alienation and social instability associated with the Modern world. So what we have here is a split or ‘schism’ (as Skal refers to it) between the consciousness and the body as well as the world. This split becomes all the more interesting when Skal links it to a ‘classical feature of clinical schizophrenia,’ and states that this schizoid-split may have become an acceptable way of ‘conceptualizing reality.’ Some people are unable to live up to a ‘false self’ imposed by society and family, and simply run away mentally, escaping into insanity.

Divorced from a conscience enthralled by concerns and responsibilities of the world the Mad Scientist can do anything he wants.

2005-07-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

COMA

Faithful Friends and Cruel Friendships the final points.

Susan Wheeler reached the crisis point when the hitman returns and a chase begins with Susan nearly falling into his grasp. She does turned the tables and traps her would be killer in a dissection room freezer. His active participation in the story effectively ends.

The difficulties for Susan continue as she can get no assistance from her friend/lover Mark Bellows who thinks Susan has gone far beyond the boundaries of reason and states she has already damaged, beyond repair, her relationship with Boston Memorial, and obviously with him. So she again turns to Dr. Stark, who arranges access to the Jefferson Institute where all persistently comatose patients are care for. Dr. Stark advised her that visit is irregular and that she must go alone. She does so and begins her investigation of the institute and learns the horrors that were being perpetrated there. She barely escapes with her life when an institute wide search is launched.

During Susan’s on going trials, Mark Bellows does consider his own behavior. He considers how he discounts what Susan has told him, and he realizes words against her were to some degree out of place. He doesn’t wholeheartedly throw himself into believing all Susan has said, but he does not forget what she was said either.

After her escape, she again contacts Dr. Stark, by payphone, informing him of what she has learned. She is cautioned to keep her wits about her and meet with him as soon as possible. After Dr. Stark ends the phone conversation with Susan, he calls a man named Wilton at the Jefferson Institute and during his conversation the reader learns the depth of Stark’s collusion. He’s part of the horror.

Susan meets Stark in his office. He drugs Susan, reveals his true allegiance, and since Susan does not offer her cooperation, her doom is sealed. Stark contacts the ER. Susan is admitted as a patient with an acute appendicitis and is prepped for the OR.

Susan’s only salvation is Mark. Being the on-call resident and knowing which OR Susan is going to, he investigates one of the suspicions Susan has revealed to him. His ultimate faith in and concern for Susan leads the final revealing of the horrors in COMA.

Unless a story is going to end in a Black Comedy or Ultimate Doom, the faithful friend or one that can grow in faith will be a saving participant. This saving participant is the ultimate balance between salvation and the cruel friendship, the cruel friendship being the turncoat, the wolf in lamp clothing, or more simply, the enemy.

2005-07-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

COMA

The Odd ball, the Stranger, and the Decaying House are distinct characters generating and heightening the sense of suspense, fear and confusion.

Offered up in the beginning pages of COMA is Chester P. Walters who is known only as Walters by the hospital staff. This old, jaundiced-looking character is a living artifact from the hospital’s past. He’s a chain smoking enigma who exists, but has no known function with in the medical institution. He smokes and he coughs, and makes the staff and the reader wonder. Being an article of suspicion, his true purpose is to be a victim, a sacrifice to the machinations of the medical monster roaming through the story.

The missing drugs and their presence in the doctor’s lounge locker are linked to Mark Bellows, a senior resident and lover of Susan Wheeler. The locker was originally assigned to Bellows by Walters, who apparently never changed that registration once Bellows moved to another locker. Two suspicions arise; one is Bellows part of the horror going on. Quickly, his participation is dismissed. But Walters’s suspicious skulking does seem to warrant concern. Bellows is angry and wants absolution from any drug charge. He goes to the old, crumbling neighborhood were the chain-smoking hacker lives.

Walter’s home is a classic horror cast member. The house, a crumbling deathtrap, has NO Trespassing signs and Condemned signs posted at its front door. But Bellows enters and is greet by all the elements making up a haunted house. The house is a ruined as Walters. But the house will remain, even though Walters, found by Bellows in a cellar bathroom, is hanging by his neck, quite dead. Bellows is exonerated from drug stashing charges by a suicide note left by Walters claiming responsibility.

The reader can realize that Walters is a sad and violated pawn, but Bellows, bound by his drive for a successful medical career, can’t see the forces which were stirred up by Susan, are now fighting back.

Susan faces the appearance of a stranger who stalks her. She does elude him once, and by the time she faces Dr. Chapman, Dean of Students, and her reassignment to the VA Hospital for her residency, the stranger’s affect on her has been reduced to a level of fear which is strong, but not physically threatening. But when she returns to her dorm room, and while nude and preparing for a shower, she is attacked and ordered to stop her research. Her life and her brother’s life are threatened by this pock-marked stranger.

Instead of retreating, Susan moves forcefully forward. The threat on her life included an order NOT to call the police, so she call Dr. Stark, Head of Surgery; he urges caution, and says he will provide assistance where he can.

So, present here are three characters. The haunted house and its living parallel, Walters. Both offer questions and doubts which heighten suspense, and the stranger who appears to bring fear and violence.

2005-07-18T14:49:00.000-04:00

COMA: PART II

Getting the facts and finding opposition:

The search for information leads to conflict and active opposition, as Susan Wheeler learns of Dr. McLeary, through her conversation with Dr. Stark. McLeary has the records of the coma patients she seeks.

Upon entering office of Dr. McLeary’s, a member of the neurology staff, Susan is confronted by immediate and violent verbal confrontation which utterly stuns Susan at first, but quickly, she realizes that McLeary’s outburst is out of proportion with Susan’s request and with the fact that she is a female medical student, and there does seem to be something more to McLeary tirade.

After verbal sparring and indictments regarding her minor to non-existent position within the hospital, and only being a student, McLeary contacts Philip Oren, Director of the Hospital, who arrives and again reads Susan the ‘riot action’ relating to her activities and behaviors concerning her role in the hospital and how she could in her youth and inexperience do great damage to the Boston Memorial. Oren then contacts Dr. Chapman, Dean of Students, and then advises Susan of the termination of her residency.

Again, simply stated, Susan’s search for the facts leads to active opposition and final termination of her position.

The reader, who’s been waiting for something aggressive and dynamic to occur, is offered conflict upon conflict which are increasingly inexplicable to the protagonist as well as the reader. The suspense and suspicion increase and the words ‘sinister’ and ‘foul play’ used by Susan wheeler garner even greater weight as her agitation, sense of failure and isolation escalate.

2005-07-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

COMA: PART I

Getting to the facts is what the protagonist does. It’s her job, and two goals are accomplished. One, the protagonist believes she is making progress, and two, opposing forces learn of the protagonist’s activates and try to thwart her.

Susan Wheeler, endeavoring to learn why patients are going into coma, spends a considerable amount of time researching in the hospital’s medical library. She learns how complex anesthesiology problems are, and how much she doesn’t know, but she still gains a certain degree of confidence. The confidence is linked to commons sense—or as she says, “my intuition.” Something isn’t right and she wants to know why. But she does leave room for ‘acceptable’ failure in that she realizes she could be pursing a false premise.

Susan ultimately engages in what many protagonists must do to gain information. They must at some point use techniques which can be described as underhanded, unscrupulous or sly, but not necessarily larcenous.

Susan engages in the ‘fast shuffle’—literally. Since, she has no need or authority to gain access to computer information. She has no department, no computer account and no other means. She, using the common knowledge that people do like to talk about their work, has George, the man who accepts applications for computer information, to explain how the system works. During that dissertation, when he is distracted, Susan slips her request application into a stack of requests—the fast shuffled—and gains the use of needed, yet unauthorized information.

Between her previous work in the medical library and the computer print out, Susan’s research beings to reveal a disturbing problem: The number of coma cases occurring is abnormally high when set against other hospitals and the national average for the current year.

Susan is faced with what to do next. With whom does she talk and seek answers? She’s only been in the hospital a day and has already rubbed a number of people the wrong way. She’s already clashed with the Chief of Anesthesiology, Dr. Harris, so she meets with Dr. Nelson in hope of getting access to more information and having her project receive an official sanction. At first, Dr. Nelson, Head of the Department of Medicine, is friendly, but the meeting quickly comes to a halt as Susan not only receives no help, but the computer report she went to great lengths to get is taken from her. She resorts to a meeting with Dr. Harris which ends in a violent threat to have her medical residency terminated after a confrontation over questions regarding Dr. Harris’s area of expertise, and over Susan’s participation in the medical program because of her being female. Dr. Harris does believe women should not be in the medical program, but Susan does believe that Harris’s bigotry regarding her beginning a woman is too strong and out of place.

Blocked, reprimanded and threatened, Susan goes to Dr. Stark, the prominent and popular Head of the Surgery, with her concerns about her treatment, and her research result. He is affable, and to a degree, seemingly intrigued by what she has learned, but also questions her to the point where Susan utters the words ‘sinister’ and ‘foul play.’ To which Dr. Stark says he can see the connection, but he also says the hospital safeguards do prevent that kind of situation. Still Stark appears to offer Susan an opportunity to continue her investigations when she requests help with access and information.

After Susan leaves Dr. Stark’s office, it is reveal by the story that Stark knows of the contraband drugs found in the doctor’s lounge locker, and now with Susan Wheeler’s investigations, he is faced with a two pronged problem. He spent years fundraising for the hospital, and is concerned that for the damage to the hospital’s reputation would be irreparable.

2005-07-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

COMA

The incident and accident are important occurrences utterly different from each other but necessary.

The accident allows some story element to be revealed. It is necessary for the reader to know pieces of information though the protagonist may not, but it is important knowledge for the reader becomes the sense of mystery, suspense and/or horror is heightened. The information tends to be revealed by some action or meeting involving a minor character.

With the first forty pages of the story, a minor character, Dr. David Crowley, one of the successful general surgeons at Boston Memorial, was in rage over some minor surgical problem while performing surgery. While in the doctor’s lounge, and still angry, he inadvertently causes a near by locker to open revealing a large and varied collection of drugs and other surgery related contraband. He sees this evidence as a serious infraction and problem, and notes it, but no further actions are presented, no investigation takes place, but the information--the heightening of the mystery increases. This is a revealing accident.

Now, the incident involving a minor character is usually something inexplicable and makes the minor character pause in thought during the normal course of his day, but the incident isn’t anything that might cause immediate alarm.

Gerald Kelley, the head of the maintenance department for the hospital spends his days in the basement doing paperwork. He’s been the head of maintenance for years, and would prefer to be going about the hospital fixing whatever is needed to be done. But in his basement domain he strives to complete the paperwork he loathes, when an unexpected sound catches his attention. He goes to investigate and finds a man who says he’s in the basement checking the O2 lines. Gerald accepts the explanation at first but after the stranger leaves he realizes there are no O2 lines in the basement. He notes that fact, but the text basically says, he will forget about it. It’s not part of his daily routine.

This is an incidence, not an accident, but just the same, information is being revealed to the reader, not the protagonist. The results are the same: The sense of mystery, suspense and/or horror is heightened.

2005-07-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

COMA

Fear and familiarity is the combination which influence Susan Wheeler in her relationship with Sean Berman.

Susan is appointed to start Sean’s IV in preparation for his visit to the OR. During that meeting in Sean’s room, Susan faces the way she’d been living her life. She’s realizes, during the short time with Sean Berman, that she’s neglected the feminine aspect of her life. She concludes this because she is drawn to Sean, a young architect, who grows warm and friendly in the time they spend together, even as Susan prepares, for the first time, to insert an IV needle and catheter into Sean arm.

Before Susan leaves, Sean asks her out on a date ‘after it’s all over’ when he’s ready to leave the hospital. At first Susan isn’t sure but she does accept the offer.

At this point, the familiarity is created between Susan and Sean. But the fear is the reader’s and comes from the knowing that Sean is the next victim. Even as a sudden fondness links the two characters, the reader knows the writing is on the wall.

2005-07-09T11:08:00.000-04:00

COMA

Empathy and the sense of something wrong create the suspense, and there is Susan Wheeler, the protagonist, who is a twenty-four medical student just beginning her residency at a Boston Memorial Hospital. She’s intelligent and driven, but she’s embarking into a foreign land. It’s circa late 1970’s and Susan is entering a male dominated field. The tension of entering the field creates tension in her, and she does doubt her decision. The hustle of the hospital setting also concerns her as well. There’s the feeling of the unknown, disconnectedness between medical staff and patient.

First, Susan is in the ICU with other fellow interns and Mark Bellows who is a senior intern and their teacher and guide for the next two years. He introduces Susan to Nancy Greenly the first coma victim. Here is the time that the true hopelessness of Greenly’s situation is faced by Susan. Also there always a rush to ‘get the job done,’ and Susan notices how disconnected Bellows is from his own patient, Greenly. The patient’s care is a job to get done. The de-personalization takes place. Fear is generated when people are reduced to things.

And of course, the scene is getting set for another operating room incident. Cook creates characters, personalize them and then, whether they are doctors or patients, he destroys them in some way, doctors have their self-image destroyed and patients go into coma for inexplicable reasons.

The reader is also faced with an added problem--the medical jargon. The medical staff uses it--it’s their language utilized in comfort, but when things go wrong in the operating room--the language looses its magical quality. This situation occurs at the out sent of the book with Nancy Greenly, and continues when the next patient/victim Sean Berman goes under the knife.

2005-06-30T14:04:00.000-04:00

COMA

The elements of horror are strong in Coma, and are displayed from the very beginning. Nancy Greenly, the first patient encountered, faces the unknown and the knife at the same time. Laying on a gurney, wearing a hospital gown is as close to naked as anyone can get. Blood flows freely from her uterus and her feet are in the stirrups, legs spread for anyone to get a look, starting from the ER to the OR. In the OR, the physician wants to stab a knife into her perineum, the area of flesh between anus and vagina, and slice away.
Here the fear begins for the reader and by page eleven she’s in a coma, a twenty-four year old vegetable.