A writer goes on a journey

Writing software - is it worth it?

Ross Hamilton — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:54:13 +0000

Welcome to our opening post to the Overlord’s blog for 2012. I hope everyone had a good holiday season.

The advent of the personal computer has been both a boon and a curse to the writer. Anyone who used to use a typewriter (yes, I’m that old) can tell you how much easier it is to use word processing software. However that ease is also a curse to the writer. A long-time commissioning editor for one of the major publishing companies was lamenting last year that the adven...

Seasons Greetings and looking forward to 2012

Ross Hamilton — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:37:11 +0000

Greetings fellow travellers

Well the surgery didn't occur quite when it was originally supposed to, however it has finally happened. I am finding it hard to do much at all just at the moment - other than read. So I have quite a pile of recently read books sitting on the desk waiting for me to write some reviews. Touch wood - being done tonight!

As the Festive Season is almost on us, it seems appropriate to wish all our readers the best of the season ...

Ember and Ash:

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:41:10 +0000

I wish I had known how great this book was when I received my review copy six months ago — I would have moved it to the top of the pile. I hadn’t read Pamela Freeman’s work before but I will certainly be looking for The Castings Trilogy which is set in the same world a generation before 'Ember and Ash'. 'Ember and Ash' is a stand-alone fantasy novel. A ‘save the world and all you hold dear’ quest, it refuses to fall into formulaic drudgery. The God of Fire, for reasons he keeps to himself until the end, incinerates Ember’s husband-to-be on their wedding day and puts out all fires in the cold northern Eleven Domains. He calls Ember to reclaim fire for her people by re-stealing it from his realm of Fire Mountain. Her cousin Ash is part of the small group that travels with her through forest, mountains, and ice to save the world from the encroaching cold. The main characters, Ember and Ash, are interesting and well-rounded individuals. Even more importantly, the challenges they face on their journey are often people; all of whom are also well-realised and complex — not ‘evil’; but with their own agendas. The world-building and back-story are rich and intricate. I didn’t realise when reading that it was building on the previous trilogy; you don’t need to have read that to know what is going on, you just feel like the peripheral characters have their own history and are not just hastily created as back-ups for the main characters. Pamela Freeman’s writing style is excellent and basically I have nothing bad to say about this book. If I have a criticism, it is that the blurb on the back of the book doesn’t seem to be aligned that closely to the actual storyline — but presumably the author didn’t actually write that. I highly recommend this book and look forward to hunting down the rest of her work.

Going MIA, gender and story...

Ross Hamilton — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:09:27 +0000

Greetings fellow travellers

Just as I am starting to get my feet with this Overlord’s gig, unfortunately I am about to go MIA for a little while. The Canberra Hospital shall be graced with my presence from Wednesday as I undergo the whole brain surgery fun and games to repair an aneurism. I may be a little while getting back on my feet.

Before I go toddling off, I thought I would proselytise a little on something that has been on my mind of late.

Women m...

Big win for Aussie small press!

Ross Hamilton — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:47:35 +0000

There are still some schools of thought out there that think writing is really pretty easy. You just write a novel (easy-peasy) and major publishers are all sitting around, nervously biting their nicotine-stained fingernails as they wait for your manuscript to appear on their desk, at which time they will hand over a check with a suitably large number of zeros on it somewhere. Preceded by some number bigger than zero. Piece of cake. At that point, you can comfortably resign ...

Hammer & Anvil:

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:58:47 +0000

James Swallow is one of the more accomplished Black Library authors with eight novels, four audio dramas and various short fiction pieces in various Warhammer/Warhmmer 40,000 anthologies. I thought his Flight of the Eisenstein in the Horus Heresy series was quite striking. I was therefore quite interested to see what he was going to do with the Sisters of the Battle, the Order of Our Martyred Lady in conflict with the necron. It has taken ten years for the Sisterhood to be able to return to Sanctuary 101 and reconsecrate the site. But as a result of politics, the Sisters are accompanied by Tegas of the Adeptus Mechanicus for some purpose of his own. And Canoness Sepherenia has some deeper purpose of her own, beyond the reconsecration of their convent and memorialising their fallen sisters. Strangely, the bodies of the sisters previously slain by the necron ten years before had previously been claimed by the xenophobic Order Xenos. Things become that much murkier when the sisters find a strange, single metallic head. An alien artifact? The necron. With the Adeptus Mechanicus secretly delving in what they believe to be the ruins of a necron stronghold, they awaken far more than they anticipated. Tegas also discovers Sepherenia's true purpose, desiring it for himself. I have to admit being a little disappointed with Swallow's depiction of the necron. While I believe I understand what he was trying to achieve, indicating that there is more to the strange necron than we have previously thought, the result was giving the two senior necron more personality that I suspect may have been the intention. The necron also consider themselves virtually free of emotions yet the interaction between that pair was clearly emotive. Even the way in which the over-whelming necron force was thrown against the Sisters seemed emotionally driven. The Sisters themselves were well-characterised and there is action and intrigue a-plenty for the reader to become immersed in. Not my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novel but worth a read all the same. Ross the Repellent

A new Overlord

Ross Hamilton — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:27:53 +0000

Our beloved founding Overlord, Nyssa Pascoe, has decided to sell out and join the crass world of commercialism, working for Pan Macmillan. Now with Nyssa actually joining one of the major publishers, that would cause a bit of a conflict of interest so with the minions lining up for one last tearful whipping session, we have bid her fare thee well.

Henchman Ross the Repellent was not quick enough to duck when the hexes were being thrown and he has donned his Overlord-Training-Wheels.

Salvation's Reach:

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:00:22 +0000

Dan Abnett is widely regarded as one of the best military sci fi writers in the world today. And I agree. The release of another novel in the Gaunt's Ghosts series is a reason to settle down with a cuppa in a comfy chair and get lost in the universe of the 41st Millennium. In terms of the military action, Salvation's Reach is every bit as crisply written as its predecessors. Plenty is happening by the reader is drawn along without any difficulty. Ibram Gaunt continues to be the hard-bitten warrior and leader, fighting in the continuing Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Fans of Gaunt will no doubt enjoy this next installment. I was however puzzled by some things. By the time I had reached the end, Gaunt and his men had fought their way across a couple of battles with the survivors mourning the loss of their fallen comrades. And I was left with a disquieting sense of 'so what?' A number of elements were introduced into the story that by story's end, had not seemed to drive the plot forward in any real way. While these will no doubt play a role in future installments, I felt the story arc would have been stronger for bringing these out more in this particular installment. For a nobody like me to be seen to be criticising someone with the credentials and success of Dan Abnett, probably seems the height of arrogance. I certainly didn't dislike the novel and generally enjoyed reading it. But at the same time I have a guilty sense of being a school teacher writing 'can do better' on a report card. Sorry. Ross the Repellent

Germline:

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:08:06 +0000

I dislike trying to sum up a novel in a single word but on this occasion it is not hard to do so: brutal. Initially I was expecting something along the lines of space opera or military sci fi but I was a long way from right. This is a future where the USA is the aggressor in a war for mineral resources. In a short time, losses on both sides are horrific, despite the introduction of the genetically engineered super-soldiers. On the US-side, these are all identical teenage females, which if they survive to age 18, are killed due to increasing mental stability. Yet these female genetics were more successful and stable than attempts with males. After Oscar has a brief relationship with one of the genetics, he finds himself being interviewed by two men from the Department of Defence who explain they are trying to increase the mental stability of the germline soldiers. “To make it so they don’t get attached to men like you. If we can do that, we have a product that’s useful over a greater period of time and, consequently, worth more to the Defence Department. It’s all about lowering production and maintenance costs and making a larger profit. Commerce.” That is about the coldest attitude towards human life and war as you are going to get. Oscar goes through Hell – both on earth and his own mental torment. We see an already flawed individual fall even further. In reading, I found myself thinking of two particular influences: the filth and horror of the World War I trenches and the drug-fuelled desperation of some of the US draftees in Vietnam. Desperation is a repeating theme through the novel, desperation in the battle lines among the soldiers, leading to a variety of responses. I am left with the impression that McCarthy researched his subject well. This is not a ‘nice’ read. But it is a compelling story all the same. In places I was reminded of Sebastian Junger’s powerful narrative about the current fighting in Afghanistan, ‘War’. I definitely want to see where McCarthy takes this story in future instalments. Ross the Repellent

Thanquol's Doom:

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:42:17 +0000

Backstabbing. Duplicitous. Paranoid. Scheming. Treacherous. Self-serving. Cowardly. You name it, the term can probably be applied to the skaven, the giant ratmen of the Warhammer world. The Grey Seer Thanquol probably represents all that is nasty about the skaven, thus in his mind, is truly a fine specimen of skavenhood. He becomes one of those horrible villains that you just like to read about and see him come undone. Having narrowly survived his unsought adventures on the tropical island of Lustria, Thanquol, in his never-ending quest for self-advancement, finds himself thrust unwillingly into war against the engineer dwarves of Karak Angkul. The dwarves are a particularly hated enemy of Thanquol's, courtesy of the dwarven Slayer, Gotrek, aided by his human rememberer, Felix, having previously thwarted Thanquol's plans in the past. Thanquol was first created by William King in the early Gotrek & Felix novels, before being continued in that series by Nathan Long. But it was C. L. Werner who was given the task of creating the spin-off series, Thanquol & Boneripper. The Grey Seer has gone through several rat-ogre bodyguards, all called Boneripper, and now the skaven engineers of Clan Skryre have gifted him with the re-animated remains of the original Boneripper. One of the things I enjoy about the skaven is the technology emerging out of Clan Skryre, which has a steampunk feel to it. That of the dwarves has a similar feel, although not powered by the corrupting warpstone as so much of the Skaven technology is. So it was interesting to see the two clashing once more. Werner has taken that existing character of Thanquol and expanded it while remaining true to the original. In fairness, the constant changing of Thanquol's attitudes to suit the immediate situation was laid on a little thick at time. But nonetheless, in Thanquol's Doom the story of Thanquol continues and even deepens a little. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ross the Repellent

Allison Hewitt is Trapped:

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:20:11 +0000

This is one of those oddities, a story originally serialised in a blog. Unlike others, I have seen in that form, this does really take the pattern of a string of blog entries, complete with comments from ‘readers’. The story did draw me in, aside from confusion on my part arising from having just finished reading another zombie novel. To quote John Travolta from one of his very early roles, ‘I’m sooo confused!’ (and if you can pick up what reference that is, you’re an old fart like me!). There is plenty of action with shambling zombies being cut down by axe, shot in the head, belted with baseball bats, teed off on with golf clubs and burned. While we don’t see quite the same level of social breakdown that is often typical of the apocalypse-zombie genre, we do see things like armed vigilantes. And those Black Earth Wives were just plain creepy. Unlike many others in the genre, we learn little about where the original infection came from, or least not until a partial explanation in an epilogue of sorts. Or perhaps that is being saved up for the next book? I have to be honest and admit that I did not find it quite as funny as some others apparently have. But yes, there were indeed sarcastic throwaways. I did have a practical issue though. With all of these zombies being cut down everywhere and left to lie where they fell, there should have been one hell of a stench from all that rotting flesh. Or did the other zombies eat their own ‘dead’? It was never clear to me. This won’t go down as my favourite zombie novel. But it was interesting and quirky enough to make me want to read Roux’s next book which is due out later this year. Ross the Repellent

The Edinburgh Dead:

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:46:40 +0000

When writing an historical novel, even one delving into a bit of gothic horror as this does, the danger is always that of making sure you have your history spot-on. That has been a significant reason why I tend to steer away from it myself, because the moment you do get it wrong, nitpickers come flooding out of the woodwork to have a gripe. Like me. From the interesting interview with the author located in the rear of the book, Ruckley describes his basic idea stemming from the thought that what if the infamous body snatchers who turned to murder to supplement their supply of corpses, Burke and Hare, were dealing with more than supplying medical schools? The novel only touches on Burke and Hare but does relate a particular ending to Hare which unfortunately overlooks the fact that there were supposedly confirmed sightings of him in England at a later date. That was my little historical nitpick. From discussions with a friend of mine who knows Edinburgh very well, the descriptions of the New and Old Towns rang quite true, as did the policing of the time. It is unfortunate that I have only not long finished reading and reviewing another historical novel also with a backdrop of body snatching, albeit in London. That protagonist and Ruckley’s protagonist have a number of similarities as does aspects of the plot. Please note that I am not suggesting plagiarism or anything of the sort, but merely that once you enter a historical setting like that with a protagonist who is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars, and there were plenty of those, the chances are that more than one writer is going to have similar ideas. But not all readers are going to have also so recently read a similar book. The pace of the story drew me along pretty well until the closing stages which fell a little flat with me. There were also a few points within the story that puzzled me a little as to what they were intended to be doing. For example, an obviously darkly magical charm is placed in Quire’s room but we never really find out exactly who put it there or what it was intended to mean other than something dark and nasty was probably in Quire’s future. If you like the mixture of history and gothic, then this is worth a read although it will not be making it into my final list of favourite books of the year. But then I can be a picky bugger. Ross the Repellent

Debris:

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:33:39 +0000

I always like it when a novel has an interesting magic system. In Debris everything in the world is made up of semi-sentient magical yellow pions, which everyone can see and control to some extent. A skilled pion binder can build, move and change matter into different forms and they are employed to keep the amenities of the city of Movoc-under-Keeper running. Tanyana is a powerful pion manipulator until she is thrown a giant statue by red pions that only she can see. Her fall is both literal and figurative, as when she wakes up she can’t see any pions at all – only the deadly debris that they leave behind. Because of this she is relegated to the ranks of the collectors, the dregs of society who are responsible for cleaning up the debris. Tan hopes to be accepted by her fellow collectors, but they range from uncaring to outright hostile. The only friendly person there is a half-wit called Lad whose brother Kichlan blames Tan for everything bad that happens to the team. Although there is some chemistry between Tan and Kichlan it’s rather faint. I was very happy with the beginning of Debris. As I mentioned, the magic system is great and it gives you an insight into how something so integral to your life can destroy you when it’s taken away. A great example of this is when Tan walks past a familiar building that she loved because it was designed to specifically show the streams of pions that operate it. Anderton gives this well written scene a feeling of eeriness and loss that is almost palpable. However, about one third of the way through the book, the story starts to slow and then drag. This leads to a sudden ending where everything is revealed within the last 20 pages or so. I don’t really like having a major information dump at the end of a novel, when there is very little in the way of lead-up before it. Perhaps if Anderton had used the slow part of Debris to put in some development of the secondary characters, it would have smoothed the way to the ending. I also don’t understand some of Tan’s interactions with the technician Devich. He’s the one who puts her through the torturous process of fitting her collector suit, yet she practically drags him into bed because he gave her a glass of water after the fall. She’s pretty much saying: “Hey, you tortured me by stabbing me in the throat and injecting my bones with liquid silver, but I completely forgive you because you gave me a glass of water. Because of this, and despite the fact that I have shown no interest in a relationship in my life before this, let’s go and have sex.” It could be Tan’s actions are the result of trauma but Devich is a strange choice for her sexual fixation, especially since he doesn’t recognise the other collectors as being people – he’s only interested in their suits. Hello? Bad Guy alert! However, despite these few hiccups Debris is an easy book to read so I will probably go and look at the sequel when it comes out.

The Heir of Night:

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:30:58 +0000

I’ve been disappointed with a few new (to me) authors lately, but I think this one is going to be added to my hotly contested shelf space. And she has a recommendation from Robin Hobb on the cover — how can you fail with that? I think the most interesting thing about The Heir of Night — the first in a series — is its slowly emerging backstory. Instead of being given a big chunk of history in a prologue, little morsels are gradually doled out to the reader, naturally emerging during the weaving of the story. The big picture of who these people are and why they are here and the smaller details of the hero Malian’s family history are both fascinating and well-executed. The Earl’s account of ‘The Great Betrayal’ that had shaped recent events really had me thinking about who was right — or rather who was the most wrong. Why is it, though, that species from totally different worlds are almost identical and even sexually compatible? Sure, some races are a little taller and thinner than others, or have bluer skin or an extra finger or something; but basically they all look and act like humans. Sentient creatures from different planets — possibly even different universes — are much more alike than, say, a cow and a fish from the same planet. Or even a human and an orangutan that are descended from the same ancestor. Odd. Of course every book has its faults (I nearly wept at the thought of another ‘prophesied hero’ — isn’t everyone sick of prophecies?) but overall it was a great story with interesting characters and wonderful world-building. I just thought to check Lowe’s website and discovered that The Heir of Night won the Sir Julius Vogel Award 2011 for best novel, and her first book Thornspell won the Sir Julius Vogel 2009 Best Novel: Young Adult; but I want to make clear that I liked this book even without knowing that others did too. This was a compelling story and I look forward to continuing the journey with the rest of the series.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass:

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:10:43 +0000

I was recently re-reading some Jasper Fforde. Some gags surrounded the Cheshire Cat (now alas, the Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat due to the moving of county boundaries) which inspired me to go back and have another read of Alice in Wonderland to see exactly what Fforde was getting at. The 1992 Omnibus edition that I have, contains both Alice in Wonderland and Through The Look Glass stories. Not having actually read Alice in Wonderland for many years, I found it an utter delight. Some of the wording is simply sheer comic joy. "I quite agree with you, said the Dutchess; "and the moral of that is- 'Be what you would seem to be' - or, if you'd like it put more simply, - 'Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you have been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.'" If anything, I got more out of reading now than I did the first time around, more years ago than I care to remember. This edition has an introduction by one Arthur Prager. I have no idea who Mr Prager is but he nicely reminds us what an odd-ball the Reverend Charles Ludwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) actually was. More than just a classic English eccentric, Dodgson was downright weird. And apparently absolutely impossible to work for. Prager describes Dodgson as literally watching over the illustrator's shoulder, John Tenniel, considerably criticising the work in progress. After Alice in Wonderland, Tenniel refused to work for Dodgson again and he had to be talked around to doing the illustrations for Through the Looking Glass. As it was, Looking Glass was the last time Tenniel worked for Dodgson, his refusal to do so again being adamant. Harry Furniss, who like Tenniel, worked for Punch magazine, became the illustrator for later works including The Hunting of the Snark. Dodgson continued his practice of watching the illustrator at work and criticising, even counting the number of lines drawn by Furniss to ensure he was getting the same value for money that he got out of Tenniel. If Dodgson had not been such a perfectionist, it is arguable that these books may not have been the classics that they are. Those original woodcut engravings of Tenniel's have a special charm all of their own. Read a copy of either book with pictures by someone else and it simply is not the same. The influence of these books can be seen not just in authors like Fforde, but also, I realised as I read, by others including Douglas Adams. "Why I have imagined as much as six impossible things before breakfast." Can fans of Adams pick up where that was reflected in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? Dodgson died in 1898 aged 66 and to his death, refused to accept any mail addressed to Lewis Carroll. While Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are children's books, it is worth the adult going back to them as well, perhaps appreciating the humour, charm and subtlety even more today.

Promotion – is it worth the effort?

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:00:47 +0000

Nicole Murphy has been a primary school teacher, bookstore owner, journalist and checkout chick. She grew up reading Tolkien, Lewis...

The Fallen Blade:

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:23:18 +0000

I received an uncorrected proof of The Fallen Blade for review. I wrote a review of it at the time but have only just discovered that something must have gone astray with the posting of it to the website as the review itself seems to disappeared into the ether. One of the things I particularly liked about The Fallen Blade was the novel's historical voice. Now I am hardly an expert on fifteenth century Venice but the novel presents at least an appearance of strong historical authenticity, suggesting a lot of work on the part of the author to get it right which adds to the overall feel. Strictly speaking, this is a vampire novel of sorts, yet Grimwood manages to avoid using the 'V' word. Yet it is not the usual vampire we have become used to seeing or reading about. "Tycho's body hummed with power, his hearing was so sharp he surprised a hunting tom before the cat was aware of him. Time stretched and became malleable. Eventually moving so slowly he owned the spaces between seconds as well as the seconds themselves. He knew the stars for tiny suns lighting a night sky to the brightness of day. Except this sky was red. As was the rest of his world." It is equally a political thriller with people behind the throne being the real movers and shakers, attempting to manipulate events to suit their own dark purposes. I quite enjoyed the novel. There are significant questions yet to be answered and the scene is nicely set for the next installment in the series which I look forward to reading. A vampire thriller in a strong and believable setting is probably the best way I can think of describing it. Recommended. Ross the Repellent

American Gods, 10th Anniversary Edition:

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:25:02 +0000

This tenth anniversary editions is rather obviously celebrating the tenth anniversary of the original release of American Gods. One thing that I generally like about this type of re-release is that they usually include some sort of extended introduction b the author. This one is no exception and Gaiman discusses some aspects of the writing of the novel. More detail is included at the end of the novel, with a Note about this being the author’s preferred text. There is also a bonus novella set in the American Gods universe. This is not American Gods as originally published as it has some 12,000 words added to the original, being material originally excluded for various reasons. Once an author becomes successful enough, they may well have the option of seeing a novel released more as they had originally envisaged, before things like production costs came into the equation. Time for a confession: I have not read the original, although it has been on my ‘To Read’ list for a long time. Consequently I am unable to comment on what the actual additions might be. However as far as I can tell, it appears to have been a seamless edit. American Gods is about gods from the Old World that were transplanted to the New, accompanying people via their belief. But what happens to a god once people stop actually believing in or worshiping them? Similarly with belief in other things coming to the fore, does that create new gods? How would the two interact? And what might this mean to humanity? Gaiman tackles all these issues. I found myself easily drawn into this curious story right from the start. The protagonist is a somewhat classic flawed hero and it is hard not to develop some empathy for him and some of the other cast. It is difficult to classify American Gods to a specific genre, but at the end of the day, I don’t think it really matters. This is a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable story, full of appeal for a wide audience. If you have not already read American Gods, then I strongly recommend this re-release. If you have already read it, then might I suggest it is worth re-visiting in this longer edition. Ross the Repellent

The Blood Countess:

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:05:52 +0000

Pandora English loves fashion and wants to be a fashion journalist. An invite from her mysterious Great-Aunt Celia to come live with her in New York opens the way for Pandora to leave her sleepy town and starts blending with the A-list. But things are not what she expected. Her Great-Aunt is more than mysterious, she is straight out unnatural, as well as her gothic home that no experienced taxi driver can find. When Pandora finally gets a job, her first assignment is to cover the launch of 'BloodofYouth', which has something strange behind both it and the model promoting it. Well known crime writer and former model herself, Tara Moss, turns her hand to the paranormal and does it in fabulous style. Moss is not afraid to have a bit fun either, making quite a few references to gothic and genre works, which makes the book all the more delightful. While some aspects are a tad predictable, The Blood Countess struts on its own in the genre confidently. Pandora is a compelling character, you'll share her laughs, her loves and her shocks. Pandora's dialogue seems a bit older than her age, but compared to her abnormal family, she actually fits in. Her parents have been dead for years, and she's been living in a small town with her Aunt Georgia while studying. Her parent's had a great fascination for ancient cultures, mythology and folklore – which attests to their choice of name for their only daughter. The paranormal aspects go across the range with ghosts, unnaturally young and long-lived great-aunt Celia, the impossibly beautiful Athanasia, and the strange new product, BloodofYouth. One of the other beautiful things about this book is the links to history. Some history readers may already be familiar with the Blood Countess, but for those who don't, Moss recreates a fascinating facsimile. The Blood Countess is a must-have for any interested in the paranormal sub-genre, and for those who aren't so convinced, it's a wonderful read with hints of classic gothic in a modern setting. This is only the first step to Pandora's new life and many readers are eagerly looking forward to where Moss will take this series.

Play Dead:

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:04:28 +0000

Killington loves its football, despite its team having lost for decades. This is the first time that they are reaching the district championship. The infamous quarterback, however, is attacked and badly damaged, but is bent on revenge. A prank gone bad threatens the whole team and sends Cole into a race against time to save the very souls of his teammates, and satisfy their new lust for flesh before anyone notices. Play Dead is a rather shallow novel of revenge and isn't quite humorous enough to be parody. If anything, it attempts a parody at football fanatics. They'll live and die for their teams – or ignore death completely. There's no depth beyond this sport and one game between the town's traditional enemy, Elmwood Heights. Cole is a bad boy with a hard background. Savannah is the coach's daughter, who turns her back on everything to do with football, but must focus on it because it's the only thing that's really happened in Killington. The attack on Cole is a bigger story than she's ever worked on – a sad state of affairs for a small town wannabe journalist. Savannah is a nicer and more interesting character than the rough and tough, sometimes straight out jerk, Cole, but plays nothing more than a sounding board role for Cole and his wacky ideas. It's quite unbelievable, and there's not much between life and death but a bad caricature of an old lady, quite obsessed with both her cats and her football. How zombies come to life, how few seem surprised by their dead sons reappearance, and how the zombies can actually play football when they can't handle much else but eating any meat they can see (dead or alive, it doesn't matter) is too inexplicable, even for a fiction novel. Play Dead is a novel to really just pass the time. There's no big story in here, no characters of particular interest, and confused zombies that can't talk but can play football (maybe that's a strange sort of joke about footballers in itself?).

Warm Bodies:

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 04:01:41 +0000

He doesn't remember his name or his life, but 'R' still knows his hunger for human flesh. He's a little different from other Dead. In a rushing feast, R chooses to saves a human girl, after having eaten her boyfriend. It's a strange relationship, human and zombie, and they can't change the world themselves, but they can try. Warm Bodies is a brilliant and surprisingly tender story told from the eyes of a zombie. Despite R's hunger and part in the zombie apocalypse upon the humans, he is a sympathetic character, especially as his soul grows. It's particularly strange to see a zombie so entirely human, and although not quite new (Romero's Land of the Dead), Isaac Marion extends humanity further to zombies, where it's the humans themselves who are becoming more inhumane. R's world is a zombie ridden airport with Boneys - the elders - dictating their unlives. The society of the zombie is quite detailed, organising hunting parties, adopting young zombies to teach them to hunt, even getting married in a weird and wrong fashion. Julie is the daughter of a General who has taken over the organisation of a small society of survivors within an old sports arena. It's confining, unpleasant and cold, especially for Julie after her mother ran away. Her boyfriend, the unfortunate dinner of R, once dreamed of being a writer, but there's no place for culture in what is left. Survival is all they have. Marion's novel is highly intelligent and not only inspires imagination, but the curious politics of the zombie world and the even more deadened humans is even more intriguing. In one part of the novel, the General says that there is no point in waiting to be married or have children, for children will replace them when they die. A rather stark and depressing view of bringing new life to the world. Even the zombies had more feeling towards their 'children'. Warm Bodies is such an original and beautiful novel. It goes places where other paranormal romances refuse to tread and it goes beyond even what the few excellent zombie romances that are already around do themselves. Marion has created a bold must-read book.

I kissed a zombie, and I liked it:

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:56:23 +0000

Goth isn't just a fad, it's a post-human state. Vampires and werewolves and zombies are all real. After it was found that MegaMart had been resurrecting corpses to use as free slave labour, all other post-humans “came out of the coffin”. Alley doesn't care for vampires but one pale, black clothed guy catches her attention. She starts dating Doug and doesn't really get all the strange things about him until her friends admit it: he's a zombie. Adam Selzer has created a delightful novel of teenage love and the undead. Alley, the sarcastic music reviewer for her school blog, goes to a gig by a local band, complete with vampire, and is completely unimpressed by their lack of taste and skill. A guest performer, Doug, sings beautifully, crooning her favourite songs. This is not your regular post-human teen love affair. Someone else is resurrecting zombies, these ones are without a proper controller and are going mad for human flesh. Doug maintains his body, so despite the extreme paleness and lack of a heartbeat, at least he isn't rotting or chewing on humans. There's a mixture of social commentary and humour in this work. The zombies as slaves harkens back to early zombie works of the 1930s-1940s. The prejudice against zombies is still active, particularly amongst the vampire community. Vampires may have saved them from slavery, but only for their own sake. Alley is approached by her vampire guidance counsellor, who is against mixed-species. Alley looks into what it means to be post-human, particularly zombie, but she's not quite willing to literally lose her life for Doug. This isn't just another teen paranormal love affair and it's not just a parody. Selzer's work is smart in so many ways. It's smart in humour, amusing but not so funny that it makes the whole work a joke. It's smart in that it touches on heavier issues that have been a part of zombie fiction since the start of the genre. And it is just a damned good read.

Zombie Apocalypse:

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:52:03 +0000

Construction for the New Festival of Britain has spread to an old church, opening old plague graves, and unleashing much more than national pride. The centuries-old plague sweeps London quickly, and without a cure, it spreads to mainland Europe and the rest of the world. More than a normal pandemic, the victims are not doomed to die but doomed to rise again. This fascinating anthology is a brilliant collection of stories, told in a series of interconnected text messages, blogs, e-mails, letters, diaries and transcripts. One of the different things about this anthology is that it doesn't break down the overarching story with titles and authors, it runs as a single story about the plague with many different voices (characters and authors) contributing to the whole picture. There is great solidarity in the anthology. With this style of anthology, it is hard to point out to a particular author's story. There are numerous authors involved, the famous Tanith Lee, horror editor and author Peter Crowther, Sarah Pinborough (also known as Sarah Silverwood), and the Australian monster king Rob Hood (of which his story in this book, Waltzing Matilda, was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award – of which I was a judge on the panel. I didn't realise he was in this anthology when I bought it.) The narratives range across many text-based mediums, which only strengthens the overarching story. It shows people of all walks of life dealing in all their different ways of how to survive in the post-zombie world. Throughout the stories, you can watch as the initial fears are mentioned, throughout to the realisation of the plague, the attempted suppression, the rumours that start affecting the public, and finally the full submission to the fact that this is real. This anthology is excellent in its solid storytelling. The multi-media aspect is exceptional, and somewhat realistic as how this could progress. We've already seen how news breaks and progresses in the modern age through Twitter and blogs. While some singular short stories (such as Joe Hill's Circus of the Dead) have tried to explore this, the way in which this anthology is done gives the reader utter submersion into the post-zombie world.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:13:15 +0000

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a 2003 movie. Apart from the amazing computer-generated graphics that bring to life such surreal situations as the immense Nautilus cruising the Venice canals and gently bumping aside gondolas in its wake, it’s the combinations of fascinating characters borrow from legend that capture the imagination and have the viewer spellbound. After seeing the movie I did some research as to where this remarkable tale originated. The heroes comprising the ‘League’ are brought together by ‘M’, whom we later discover to be their nemesis, the famous villain Moriarty from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ series, originally published in 1879. The group is brought together to fight the ‘Fantom’, an entity creating havoc worldwide by using advanced weapons to generate suspicion of power-play among world powers. The League comprises characters from classic literary tales: Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery), the swashbuckling larger-than-life greatest big game hunter of South Africa, originally from H Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines (1856). Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), the Captain of the submarine Nautilus from Jules Vern’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1869), Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), originally Mina Murray from Bram Stokers’ Dracula (1897). Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), an adapted character from H G Wells ‘The Invisible Man’ (1897), who steals the invisibility formula from the original character Hawley Griffin, Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), adapted from Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1890), who with his immortality and charm is the group’s potential undoing. Tom Sawyer (Shane West) is now a US Special Agent, an adult version of the main youth character in Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ (1876), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Jason Fleming), from Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ (1886). The computer graphics of his transformation from man to man-beast is awesome. The piecing together of the story is exquisite. We follow the characters of these literary treasures as together they battle a dark enemy. The pace ebbs and flows throughout their journey, the action peaking at three different battle scenes, that are brilliantly cut from one shot to the other intensify the climax. This is a fast paced, exciting, action adventure, an escape into a world of endless possibilities. I loved this movie and could see it many times, each time picking up something new!

Irregular Creatures:

Tue, 10 May 2011 09:13:27 +0000

Chuck Wendig has a fantastic blog at http://terribleminds.com/. He writes a lot about the process of writing; but also random stuff about cooking, the immanent birth of his first child, his dog dying, and anything else that takes his fancy. He is utterly hilarious (except for the bit about his dog dying, that was very sad). I tried to find one perfect brief quote that would show how hilarious he is, but of course it doesn’t really work that way. Something that, in context, made me choke with laughter such that I couldn’t coherently repeat it to my husband; looks a little meh when sitting all on its lonesome. “That was your funniest quote? Really? So this guy is only moderately funny then...” So, you’ll just have to trust me. I was very excited to read his collection of short stories and see how he puts into practice all his writing advice. They are all from the fantasy-to-horror spectrum; with flying cats, mermaids (well, actually one mermaid), and radioactive monkey children – but I would say the collection as a whole definitely leans towards the grim and scary end. Some very nasty and disturbed people cavort within. And one very scary vagina. The stories are imaginative and skilfully crafted. The blog creates a picture of a relaxed, profane, prolific, rather jovial “pen-monkey” with verbal diarrhoea; but Chuck’s fiction work is tight and finely tuned. Each word is placed with care for maximum impact. One surprise for me was that, considering how funny his blog is, this is not a collection of humour. Stories like “Beware of the Owner” and “This Guy” are rather horrible, in a good way of course. “A Radioactive Monkey” and “Mr Mhu’s Pussy Show” display Chuck’s deep-seated neuroses about women and sex. And I’m going to argue that “Product Placement” is about how lost and alone he feels in a world gone mad. Mad, I tell you! Bwa ha ha ha! Ahem. In short, expect juicy evil goodness, but no laughs.

Alan Baxter

Mon, 09 May 2011 23:21:40 +0000

Alan Baxter is an Australian author with a range of works under his (black) belt, short stories, novels, dark fantasy,...

Bossypants:

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:24:08 +0000

OK the first and frankly rather obvious question is why am I reviewing Tina Fey's autobiography when our more usual gig is speculative fiction? Well, firstly, only ten copies were being made available to blog-based reviewers in Australia. I put my hand up for a copy, not expecting to get one. It was a rather delightful surprise to receive an email a few days ago that a copy had been tossed into the post for me. Next, Fey is a writer and I believe in learning what we can from those who have gone ahead of us on the writing journey. Finally, I think Tina Fey is very funny and talented. And cute. There. I said it, OK? When I first elevated myself to the luxury of pay television here in Australia, The Comedy Channel was running old episodes of the long-running US comedic icon, Saturday Night Live. The humour did not always do a lot for me but it must be incredibly difficult to keep turning out comedy sketches year after year. My favourite part of the show was easily the Weekend Update piece featuring a quirky, bespectacled lady who was not above throwing the occasional comment to the audience. To many people, Tina Fey is “that” woman who did the impersonations of Sarah Palin even though this was just one small part of her story, albeit one that brought her a much wider audience and attention. This was a very entertaining book. While some cultural references are naturally US-centric and I did not necessarily always get them, it is fast-paced and very easy to get right into. It is a confession, the story of a journey, an account of life in the entertainment business, genuine admiration of others, biting sarcasm, self-deprecating humour and some lovely lunacy. A really important point from the writer's perspective is just how observant of other people that Fey is, appearance, mannerisms etc. With all the many people Fey has worked with, particularly the special hosts on Saturday Night Live, there must have been a temptation to do a 'tell-all' about some of the 'd-bags' (Palin's expression) but she has resisted that. But some people from earlier in her life come in for some biting sarcasm and ridicule but are generally kept anonymous. Note to self - do not p*ss Ms Fey off. I am left with the impression that Fey is a bit puzzled by the attention she has received in more recent years as an attractive woman. Her list of self-perceived body flaws includes her feet. “My Father's feet. Flat. Bony. Pale. I don't know how he even gets around, because his feet are in my shoes.” As a biography, Bossypants will appeal to more than just Tina Fey's fans. It is a delightful reflection by a very entertaining and perceptive person and keen observer of life, not to mention giving an insight into life working in comedy and television.

Win big for Aussie Author Month!

Nyssa — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:03:57 +0000

Win any of these great titles for participating in Aussie Author Month!

What to win

Additional copies

2x Bluegrass Symphony (ARC will be available about mid-May)

5x The Undivided

3x Ambassador's Mission

</...

Aussie Author Month - Week 1

Nyssa — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:18:12 +0000

Rule 1: Celebrate those who sell you

Unlike in the US and UK, Australian independent bookstores have a fair chunk (around 20%) of the marketplace for selling books. Borders and Angus & Robertson, under REDg...

Massics - a classic odd-couple

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:06:37 +0000

The following was first published in ACT Write, the newsletter of the ACT Writers Centre (http://www.actwriters.org.au) and is reproduced with...

Galaxy Books Aussie Author Month Promotion

Nyssa — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:38:32 +0000

Aussie Author Month is a cross-genre collaboration to support and promote Australian writing organized by BookThingo.com.au (Romance Review Specialists), Fangtastic.com.au (Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Specialists/Bookstore) and AWriterGoesOnAJourney.com (Science Fiction and Fantasy Review Specialists). Galaxy will be participating by offering 10% off all titles by Australian (and a couple of NZ) authors. This is for both online and in-store purchases.

Aurealis Award Finalists

Nyssa — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:55:10 +0000

SpecFaction NSW, organisers of the 2010 Aurealis Awards, are delighted to announce the finalists for the 2010 Aurealis Awards.

Judging Coordinator, Keith Stevenson, said that with approximately 600 entries across the thirteen categories, the judges had a big task.

Aurealis Awards in Sydney

Nyssa — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:36:33 +0000

The Aurealis Awards presented by HarperVoyager

The Aurealis Awards for speculative fiction published in 2010 will be bestowed at a gala ceremony on the evening of Saturday the 21st of May at

Voyager/ASFFWA Manuscript Assessment

Nyssa — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:07:22 +0000

HarperVoyager and ASFFWA are announcing an initiative for ASFFWA members working towards publication.

HarperVoyager will have four people, including the publisher Stephanie Smith, read a partial of your manuscript and give an assessment that will give...

Aussie Author Month

Nyssa — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:08:04 +0000

Aussie Author Month is a cross-genre collaboration to support and promote Australian writing. During April, we'll be featuring bestselling and upcoming Australian authors, and highlighting some of our favourite Aussie books.

Here are some of the activities we’ll be undertaking:

• Author interviews

• Reviews of Au...

March Author Chats - Marianne de Pierres and Trent Jamieson

Nyssa — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:52:24 +0000

Brilliant authors Marianne de Pierres and Trent Jamieson are coming online in March with ASFFWA!

Marianne de Pierres is an Australian spec fic writer, who also writes crime/romance under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt. Tara Sharp, Parris Plessis, Burn Bright, and Sentients of Orion series takes you from cyberpunk to space opera to dark fantasy. She is also an accomplished short story writer, having her ...

Author fired from continuing her own creation

Nyssa — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:54:58 +0000

L J Smith, renowned author of The Vampire Diaries (it was decades ahead of Twilight!), has been fired from writing them. It is legal, because it was signed in a contract that others would hold the rights, but she is sad and disappointed. She wanted to follow her heart to where the characters would lead her, but Alloy Entertainment and HarperTeen (the rights holder and the publisher) did not want the story to go in that direction.

There is a petition to boycott ...

After the Rain - a limited ebook edition release

Ross Hamilton — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:07:45 +0000

The small publisher, FableCroft, was due to release its latest anthology, After the Rain, in April. However as a special fund raising effort for victims of the Queensland floods, Tehani and co are releasing an early, special, e-book edition. Jump on board for this before the offer expires in February!

http://fablecroft.com.au/books/after-the-rain/after-the-rain-after-the-floods-limited-ebook-edition

2010 Aussie Book Trailers pt 2

Nyssa — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:57:24 +0000

More spec ficcy trailer goodness! Look out for all these books when you go to the insane Boxing Day Sales and support great authors and our local industry!

Part one is here.

Are you an author looking to get a trailer made of your book? Or a video editor looking into starting book trailers? Or just randomly interested in it? We have a fabulous article by a brilliant book trailer designer on what you need to know and what makes for an effective book trailer.

...

Aurealis Awards closing soon!

Nyssa — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:06:47 +0000

2010 Aurealis Awards - entries close 23rd December 2010

In order to ensure that entered works are received by the judges before the judging deadline, the online entry form for the Aurealis Awards will close at...

5 Things I Have Learnt About Book Trailers

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:06:29 +0000

I began making book trailers as early as 2002, although back then, we called them “book videos”. I was working in...

Challis sells annual horror anthology to Ticonderoga

Nyssa — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:37:05 +0000

Ticonderoga Publications is unsettlingly pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of an annual horror/dark fantasy anthology by the award-winning editor Angela Challis.

The series, entitled Darkest Hours, will be open to submissions from writers around the globe, with the expectation that each volume will collect approximately 100 000 words of original fiction.

"We’re thrilled to have Angela Challis editing an anthology for ...

December Aust SF Blog Carnival

Nyssa — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:55:34 +0000

Add links here for posts you want included for the next month!

Any volunteers for hosting the Aust SF blog carnival next year, just contact me @awritingjourney on twitter or nyssa@awritergoesonajourney.com on email!

&nbs...

2010 Aussie Book Trailers

Nyssa — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:06:31 +0000

Here lies a glorious bunch of trailers for some great Aussie spec fic that was published in 2010! Have one to add? Comment or DM me @awritingjourney on Twitter, and I'll add it!

Interested in getting a trailer for your book? We've got an article coming up by the brilliant designer BookTease (maker of trailers 3-8), or you can read about the making of Edward Teach (trailer 2) here by the author herself!

What are your favourites? What ones mak...

Karen Azinger

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:13:13 +0000

Karen Azinger is a debut Voyager author with her first book The Steel Queen coming out in January 2011. I...

Living with the dead: an interview with Chuck McKenzie

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:55:31 +0000

The dead have arisen. The streets are empty. The city is silent. If there is one person you’d want at a...

Just how alienated can visitors be? A look at 'District 9' on DVD:

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:02:36 +0000

Raw, gritty, confronting and often bleakly humorous: these are just the main first impressions I had to my first DVD-copy viewing of South African film-maker Neill Blomkamp's debut, 'District 9'. The basic opening premise of a single, giant alien spaceship stranded in sky above Johannesburg, instead of above 'classic choice' cities like New York, LA and London, immediately marked out a new possibility for story-telling on screen. Add the fact the aliens arrive while the Apartheid era is still happening, and look at the aliens-meet-humans action as filmed in a pseudo-news-coverage style and the world of the story quickly becomes very, very weird. That story-world stays weird, then becomes grim as well when conflict turns into violent armed action on both sides, yet somehow there is a thread of painfully sharp humour, too. Little and large absurdities of logic combine with personal and collective prejudices. An official no-humans-allowed temporary living area is set up for the visitors...and soon becomes an expanding ghetto that attracts its own criminal elements, including gangsters from Nigeria. Actual recent human history is threaded into the story, reinforcing the surreal effect of 'this could just about be news coverage'. I often found myself remembering snippets of old tv news stories about South Africa, plus an occasional documentary about Apartheid and reading the late Donald Woods' books about being a banned editor... This mix of experiences, none of which have (so far) included actually visiting South Africa, quickly became part of the movie experience and also part of the interest in watching the DVD's extra features. As the viewer is absorbed ever more deeply into the story, getting to know more about the situations and various major and minor characters, more and more identity issues may become apparent. One key issue, that becomes steadily more influential later in the story, is: 'how much can an individual undergo change in basic and detailed ways before they stop being recognised by others?' I suppose this can also be seen as a classic identity issue in much of speculative (and other genres, e.g crime) fiction, whether as a controllable temporary or permanent change, or perhaps a destined process of change. Combine this question with: how much or how little choice might that same individual get about undergoing the change itself or even when they can't even think of themselves as "it's still me!"? In the 'District 9' story, the answers aren't going to be easy or even likeable, but the consequences of various changes help propel the narrative. So, is there a narrator to help make sense of the world within the story? To model any bizarre change processes? Yes...after a fashion. Introducing: Wikus van der Merwe, moustached minor-level manager and senior clerk in a multi-national surveillance and security company. Wikus likes to think of himself as happily married, conscientious and practical about his job and can come across as assuming he is more important than senior managers would agree with. This is the man the viewer can follow, watching his reactions and how he fits in (or doesn’t) with his surrounds. Wikus gets his Big Chance to work on evacuating and re-settling 'District 9' inhabitants and train some new junior staff along the way. It only takes one very unlucky hostile encounter...Wikus finds himself caught in an insidious change-to-alien process, to which he adapts with very mixed success and becomes alienated from colleagues, friends and family. They don't change much at all, and tell each other lies to account for 'losing' the Wikus they knew. This eerie mourning process serves as a kind of counterpoint for the humans' complete lack of regard for the high mortality rate among the aliens and anyone deemed to be too close to that whole District 9 micro-world. It's a credit to the film-making crew, including director Blomkamp (also a co-writer) and producer Peter 'Lord of the Rings' Jackson, that they didn't opt for a neat ending of some kind. Maybe that was impossible anyway, given all the plot complexities, carnage and estrangements between human and alien characters. The dramatic scene of the spaceship managing to finally leave the city skies doesn't appear to solve many problems, but it does offer some form of released tension for various characters and the Johannesburg people in general. For this impressed-but-frayed reviewer, it was simply heartening to see anything being fixed enough to work again. :) ************** DVD extras: director's commentary, three-part 'making of' feature, deleted scenes.

Ondine: Summer of Shambles: A charming tale for young and young-at-heart

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:35:53 +0000

Ondine leaves psychic summercamp, taking the bus back home and hoping she’ll stop thinking about failing. But over her time there, she became close to a feral ferret – which, as soon as she’s out, tells her that he’s pretty hungry. He’s actually a young man from long ago who was spelled by a witch after rejecting her publically, but there’s so much more to Shambles than that. Ebony McKenna doesn't disappoint with this gorgeous tale. At first it seemed strange to have footnotes, but as you go on, they become more of an affectation of style and not distracting. The quirky sense of humour will make the sternest reader’s lips twitch at the sides. You won’t find the little European country of Brugel on any map. McKenna has entirely made it up. It’s such a charming little place, its history revealed in a short prologue and through the footnotes. Strangely, it makes readers focus even more on the story rather than comparing what they know about the location with the way it is described. Of the characters, Ondine is a fun companion, and Shambles the ferret, truly a man called Hamish, is charming. Ondine’s father is stuck in tradition, and doesn’t approve of his little girls kissing boys, where her mother realises that their daughters are no longer little. The mother did get a bit horribly passive aggressive in bits, and lie to Ondine. There’s more than magic and love and family. There are secrets hidden away in the old country, politics and assassination plots, and even a devishly handsome Duke’s son, Vincent. When will Ondine get the time to just be a young girl, kissing a young boy – which would she want to kiss, Hamish, or Vincent? - and would she be allowed? Ondine is a charming tale for young and young-at-heart. Although a bit older than the target audience, this reader loved it and I especially could see my younger self feeling the same. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Nicole Murphy

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Nicole Murphy is one of the first names I knew when I first started working with the industry some years...

Worlds Next Door: Dragons and ghosts and wizards, oh my!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:59:51 +0000

This is an entertaining collection of 25 short stories for the 9–13 age group; but of course good stories are welcome at any age. Tehani Wessely has put together a great mix of speculative fiction that will introduce young readers to fantasy worlds a bit more sophisticated than, say, the Magic Faraway Tree. Of course I had my favourites. In Dave Luckett’s ‘Disobedience’, a girl’s ability to defy her parents has galaxy-wide consequences; ‘Old (Saint) Nick’ by Leith Daniel shows us what really happens to children who are naughty at Christmastime; ‘The Nullarbor Wave’ by Matthew Chrulew gives us an eerie and unique view of Australian magic, and Martin Livings’ ‘Little Arkham’ warns us against sending unsolicited manuscripts to horror authors, lest they be accepted... There is a thread of horror throughout the collection which will probably appeal to the intended readership but perhaps not quite so much to parents. I would certainly not allow my 6 year old to read some of the stories, and I’m not sure how different I will feel when she is 3 years older. ‘Ghost Town’s ghosts are not scary, but several other stories including ‘The New Rat in Town’, ‘Nine Times’, ‘Old (Saint) Nick’, ‘The Nullarbor Wave’ and ‘Little Arkham’ are very creepy indeed. Many of the stories were very fresh and innovative, but others lacked originality. The first time I read a story similar to ‘Inksucker’ — where words become the landscape — I thought it was amazing, but over time learned that it was something that every creative writing student comes up with eventually. Dirk Flinthart’s ‘The Best Dog in the World’ is suspenseful and moving, in fact one of my favourites to read, yet it owes a lot to an Anne McCaffrey novel. Other stories, such as ‘Philomena Plaitbinder’ and ‘Moonchild’ seem to be there to deliver the moral that you should learn to be happy with who and where you are. Overall, this collection was a really enjoyable read, even as an adult. For children at the younger end of the recommended audience, I suggest reading aloud and skipping a couple of the scarier stories. Older children will of course love those the best!

Hosts: Sharyn Lilley (& alter ego)

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

What do you do? Granny: I’m an aged alter-ego, my job is to drink lots of alcohol, sleep, and say...

Kate Forsyth: Historical Fantasy or Fantastical History?

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:40:47 +0000

Kate Forsyth is one of Australia's best talents without question. Over 23 books, crossing all age boundaries, her works are...

Giant Mutant Vegetables

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:27:18 +0000

Simon Petrie is the author of Rare Unsigned Copy: tales of Rocketry, Ineptitude, and Giant Mutant Vegetables. It has received...

The Youngest Templar: A coming-of-age novel in the Crusades

Fri, 21 May 2010 08:38:47 +0000

An orphan left at a monastery, Tristan has a predictable life ahead of him, and not one he'd choose for himself. His fortune changes when knights of the crusade offer him something beyond, a mystery hidden by the Knights Templar that is both wondrous and a curse. Both blurb and prologue seem to eradicate all mystery in this well crafted and interesting novel. There's not much left of the story. Apart from this, the novel is a great adventure, worthy of many readers. None of the action seems out of line, or too old for younger readers to understand or for parents or guardians to be concerned about. This truly is an engaging novel to capture your attention and not let you go till the very last word, and is appealing to a wide audience. The writing is well done, though some character's are a bit wanting in personality. The history and background is never dry, it's incorporated into the story well with no info-dumping. At first one might suspect the novel to be all over the place with myths: the Templars, the Holy Grail, Robin Hood, and of course, the name Tristan even has its own legend. It all does lend itself to the story, with Spradlin making his own history for children. Once you get into the action and adventure that are the true essence of the novel, you can see the threads being weaved together. Once you start - and get past the issue of the revealing blurb - you become drunk on adventure and the quest young Tristan is duty bound to fulfil. If an adult reader, just think back on your own childhood. A young person seeking out destiny, or being handed it, goes beyond memory of the most compelling stories of childhood.

Rare Unsigned Copy: Worth the bus-sickness

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 10:01:16 +0000

I was lucky enough to be at the launch of this book of short stories, and the author read aloud some of the shortest. They were hilarious. I snapped up the chance to read and review the rest. I read most of the book on a bus from Canberra to Sydney and then back again one weekend, the stories were just the right length to read one, stare out the window until the bus-sickness subsided, read another, and so on. The subtitle ‘tales of Rocketry, Ineptitude, and Giant Mutant Vegetables’ gives an idea of the breadth of subjects. For me, the humorous were the most enjoyable, but most of the straight sci-fi tales were great too. The few stories, like ‘Q-ray’, that didn’t quite work for me, relied most heavily on science to carry the plot. Mr Petrie’s greatest talent lies in comedy. Before you even get to the actual stories, you are treated to a wrap-around ‘Product Warning’, the excellent blurb on the back, and the abusive Introduction by Uber-Professor Arrrrarrrgghl Schulurpumftxpftpfl. They all had me laughing aloud. A trio of murder mystery stories starting with ‘Murder on the Zenith Express’ were well executed, and the sentient escape pod in ‘Podcast’ was a beautifully sympathetic character. Really, I enjoyed nearly every story, so if you want a list of the good ones just have a look at the Table of Contents. One thing I would change about this collection was the order of the stories. Generally it is recommended to have the two strongest at the beginning (to draw the reader in) and the end (to leave the reader with a great memory). In my opinion, the first story was not one of the best and the last story was the very weakest. I struggled to keep my eyes focused on it, although it was only one page, and it left me a little puzzled and let down. The anthology needed to finish with something punchy, not wistful. Despite a couple of small flaws, I loved this book. If you pick it up for a quick taste, check out ‘Three-Hundred-and-Twenty-Seventh Contact, and Rising’ and ‘Reverse-Phase Astrology’. I’m sure you will decide to stay for the whole smorgasbord.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1: Visual romance

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:17:15 +0000

If you liked the book and the movie, you’ll probably like the graphic novel. It is visually lovely: mainly black-and-white but with dabs of colour highlighting Edward’s changing eyes, splashes of blood, or the romantic meadow. Young Kim has done a beautiful job recreating this hugely popular romance. There are no surprises in the story-line; it follows the original book fairly closely, allowing for restrictions of space. This is the first of two volumes covering the first book in the Twilight series. Stephanie Meyer was consulted throughout the artistic process, and it contains text from the original novel. I barely noticed the words; I was too busy looking at the pictures. Everyone was very attractive. The teenagers, the vampires, Bella’s young-looking father Charlie, the thugs in Port Angeles ... universally gorgeous and slender with great hair. I would have enjoyed a bit more diversity in the look. The Native Americans, like Jacob, were not noticeably different from the Anglo teenagers. And surely not every American High-School student is glowing with health? Another slightly odd aspect of the drawing was that Bella nearly always seems to have a tear or drop of sweat on her cheek. I had a look through to see if this was connected to her being with or thinking about Edward (and therefore sweating?) but as this would be nearly every panel anyway it is hard to tell. With so few words, the facial expressions have to do most of the work of telling the story and this is done beautifully. As Twilight is essentially a romance, the story is all about how Bella and Edward feel about each other. Widened eyes, parted lips, puzzled frowns and sideways glances carry the reader along with the artist. Well worth a look.

Shards: Damned and Burning: stronger editing hand required

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:08:38 +0000

I have to agree with Shane Jiraiya Cummings - flash fiction is an insidious art form. It gets under your skin as an author. To tear yourself away and return longer works means ripping through your skin to force that separation. Flash fiction is also greatly challenging, learning to tell a story in 1,000 words or considerably less. This small e-book is a form of extension of Cummings's earlier publication, Shards. One of the drivers for its release was the opportunity to showcase more of Andrew J. McKiernan's artwork. From that perspective, the chapbook is a real visual treat and worth downloading to enjoy that experience. The purpose of horror is to scare, to leave us unsettled, chilled by what we have just read. While at times this objective was muddied by the construction of some stories, Cummings does achieve some of that sense of horrific engagement with the reader. Wrack is a reprint from the Shards anthology. I was initially thrown out of the story somewhat by some of the repetitive phrasing but this passed as I read on. I became increasingly niggled by the appalling nature protagonist as he realised a way to redemption and cure of the wrack. Virgin in the Mist is a neat little vignette at around 200 words, presenting an embittered view on what may happen in the wake of a 'miracle'. Nuclear Summer is my favourite. I suspect that Shane and I have a similar sense of humour with such a practical approach to nuclear holocaust. That little vignette drew an audible laugh from me while at the same time, appreciating the stark reality being portrayed. On the Nature of Evil threw me. The preceding pieces were written in first person and I began reading expecting the same but this is in fact third person. The end result was I became confused (some would argue that doesn't take much). Once I worked out that dilemma, things made more sense. However I feel that this piece did suffer from a lack of clarity at times with not quite enough differentiation between the protagonists. A Reason to Murder - the richer wording of this short piece gave it a real sense of a prose poem, which appealed to my poetic nature (after my conversion from lifelong poetry-hater to poetry lover about 18 months ago). Infernal Gratitude is written in the sense of a sadistic killer talking to the parents of his victims, from Hell. I became confused by the victim being described as both a suicide and as one of the killer's victims. That said, the deranged sense of the murderer's feeling of kinship towards his victim's family gave me a real chill. While I was left with a sense of dissatisfaction with the construction of some of the work, there is still enough in this sampler to entice and is worth downloading, especially for a look at McKiernan's artwork. NOTE: this review originally stated that Shards: Damned and Burning was self-published. That was actually incorrect. The chapbook was published by Brimstone Press under the editorial leadership of Angela Challis. This was my error and I apologise to the author, publisher and anyone who may have been mislead by those statements.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation: Read at least once

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:23:07 +0000

I received a rejection from an editor at one time that unfavourably remarked on the presence of my dangling participles. I replied to him that in future I would ensure that I was properly zipped up before heading outside. No, I did not know what a dangling participle actually was. And I bet a lot of people reading this aren't entirely sure either. Nor, for that matter, did I know much about grammar and punctuation in general. You see, I come from that strange generation at the end of the Baby Boomers (1963) whom Australian educationalists decided it wasn't worth bothering trying to teach grammar to. We did plenty of other time-wasting stuff but Sweet Fanny Adams beyond the most basics such as ending a sentence with a full-stop (period to our North American friends). The grammar and punctuation that I have picked up since my earliest schooling, has been through self-study. I also learned that it was just as important to unlearn the things that I had been taught that were actually wrong, such as never starting a sentence with 'and' or 'but'. Mind you, I had a lot of difficulty of convincing more senior people in the workplace that it was indeed quite correct to use 'and' to start a sentence in the right circumstances. Teaching yourself grammar and punctuation from most references is a rather daunting task. Before you know it, you are faced with what seems incomprehensible gobbledygook. I usually found myself referring heavily to a dictionary in order to interpret what I had just read. Even then, I was not always sure that I understood. This little gem by Lynne Truss was an absolute breath of fresh air. It is easy to see why this book has sold millions of copies. Far from being a dry recitation of the rules of punctuation, Truss actually teaches, using fascinating snippets of history, simple explanations and considerable doses of common sense. Interestingly, Truss describes her book as not being about grammar as she is not a grammarian. Perhaps that is why she is able to insert so much humour. “To me a subordinate clause will for ever be...one of Santa's little helpers.” I sniggered aloud when I read that one. As writers, the tools of our trade are essentially those of language. Yet all too often we do not know enough of our grammatical tools including punctuation, and I include myself in that description. This is a book that every writer should read at least once, preferably more often. Ross the Repellent

Stranger in the House: An emotional glimpse at WW2

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:07:58 +0000

Millions of men served during the most destructive war in history, World War Two. Little has been said of their mothers who fretted, their wives wondering if they were widows, fiancés torn whether to wait for someone who might never return, children who had never known their fathers. Their stories are wide and varied. Julie Summers has collated extremely emotional stories from over the UK and Australia of women and children dealing with sons, husbands, fathers or brothers coming back home injured or emotionally damaged. This book is as raw as description can get without having experienced it personally. Heartbreak and joy, pessimism and optimism, there is no one way anyone, man or woman, could experience the same thing prior, during or after world war two. Often in these cases, as women had no idea what the men went through, men had no idea either, whether it was women working or volunteering, food stamps, and shortages. Some women had become used to being independent; others relied on family and were desperate to have the man take control of the family again. Stranger in the House is an honest look at how war affects the whole of society, and the whole family. This book encompasses a rounded view of all aspects of the impact of World War Two, what it meant in the past, the present and what it could mean in the future. For a writer, it’s particularly interesting as quite often writers ignore the effects of war beyond the big issues of conquering territories, missing out on the unique details that make up a character living through it.

Star Trek: Set phasers to 'Awesome'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:43 +0000

I'm a trekkie. I have my own uniform (OS-style mini-dress, captain stripes, naturally), I know the tech (don't get me started on why by NG then hadn't used holodeck tech and the comms before... srsly), I hated Enterprise. I was all set to hate this. But I didn't. Sure there were some serious holes, like the entire bridge-crew being birthed fully formed from the head of Zeus, and there was some wandering away from what is Trek 'history' - but some they explained, and some they excused, and some where ignored (like the Klingons, who were 'discovered by Kirk during OS, but were also uncovered (inexplicably) by Archer during Enterprise). I loved it. I liked that Uhura and Spock were intimately close (good explanation for this in the plot). I liked Bones being space-phobic. Scott was a rollicking ride. Kirk kicked ass. I am so very satisfied by the characters and the arch they were dragged on, knowing in the end it had to resemble the OS crew, it worked. The attention to personality quirks was glorious. The plot worked well. Honestly, we've had more reality-stretching plots in past episodes and movies, this one 'fit' the universe well without jumping to conclusions. One of the worldbuilding details was that JJ steered away from messing with canon by creating an 'alternate' world that still allowed the characters to work, but changed a few details which bought out some fabulous character work, particularly in the Spock. (Believe me, not Nyss on this!!) Was it a new world - hell no, it was a slightly altered version of what we already know and love - so I didn't feel right in giving high points for originality. Its a well known universe, with well known characters, in new-ish situations. Design-wise, you can see the birth of the fabulous 60's vision of the future. The comms panels and displays hinted at technology that -could- indeed morph into the OS tech and design. Lucky I bought this on Blu-Ray, huh? I'll be watching this again, and enjoying the black, black of the sets beamed directly from Blu-Ray disc. Highly recommended!

Zombies: A record of the year of infection: Ghastly, gruesome....and awesome!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:49:40 +0000

Dr Robert Twombly is holed up in his lab with the last few surviving members of his team. The world is struck by some sort of contamination, a global pandemic. Illness is the beginning. Then death. Then reanimation. In this brilliantly (and ghastily!) illustrated novel, Don Roff (writer) and Chris Lane (illustrator) combine all the physical and emotion tension from a zombie plague. On or around January the 7th, 2012, the infection lasted one year until the zombies decayed enough or were killed by human survivors to get the upper hand for humanity. This is on the first page, so no spoilers. The graphic novel takes the form of a journal. Not many people were keeping diaries while trying to fight for their life, so “Dr Twombly's” journal is a unique record of the day to day life in a dark period of history. Particularly as a scientist (in haematology; blood), he seeks out the answers behind the seeming impossible scenario. Gladly, this doesn't take control of the novel (he IS kind of fighting of the bitey zombies), but the scientist does come out to play when he can. Running into other people, he transcribes their own stories as well. Readers may suffer from constriction in their chest and minor heart palpitations as they gaze upon the illustrated ruins of human kind. Although it doesn't offer much new to the typical 'zombie survival' story, it's un-put-down-able, as the typical saying goes “like watching a car crash”, you can't take your eyes off it. Even the hardest of zombie fans will feel at least a little sick or fearful on reading this. It's gruesomeness may not be appealing to all types of people, but typical horror fans are used to seeing this sort of thing. Maybe because of it's still images, it's even scarier than the fast flickering of usual zombie movies where you don't see the details and whatever residual humanity is left in them. For some people (like this reviewer), might be an idea to read it on a bright sunny day!

Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe: A great read of politics and gender

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:14 +0000

Once upon a time, in a world where political ties were mere spider webs and treaties torn up or made by a single glance, four sisters were married to four men who were or became kings. Marguerite went to France, Eleanor to England, where Sanchia became Germany's queen and Beatrice became Sicily's. These four women from fairly small Provencal rose to greatness and power. This tome gives a great insight into the murky world of medieval politics, of the national kind and of gender. The four sisters never really had any direct control over their husbands kingdoms, although Blanche (mother of King Louis IX of France) did have regency in his early life and control over the kingdom while Louis went on crusade. Apart from that, the queens wielded great power behind the scenes, whether by deliberate manipulation, or honest suggestion. While none had the background of the suffragettes or women's rights that we do, they achieved much through their cultured ways. Though tied through marriage, it did not stop the Kings from warring against each other. Some sisters worked with their husbands, some sought to control them. Henry III and Louis IV were the ones manipulated by the women in their lives, though most of the successful control of Louis came from his mother rather than Marguerite, particularly with the two women not seeing eye to eye. Sanchia was the one of least influence and ambition, a relatively quiet woman under her husband, Richard's, overpowering ability, much greater than that of his brother, Henry III. Beatrice was the last to be married, to Charles, brother of Louis. The other sisters fumed that Beatrice inherited the whole of Provence; family blood wasn't enough to keep them together when wealth tore them apart. Author Nancy Goldstone, well known for her previous books of the medieval world, weaves the history of the medieval era with the creative flair of a narrative style, creating a compelling true story. The ambitions, strengths and weaknesses of the women are exposed, as are that of their husbands.

Hey! Nietzsche! leave them kids alone!: The reason behind Twit-light's tween popularity

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:47:15 +0000

What a title! And the subtitle – 'The Romantic Movement, Rock & Roll, and the End of Civilisation as We Know It'... just beautiful. Mr Schuftan, better know as Triple J's “Shuftster” of “The Culture Club” has been facinated by Emos and Emo culture for years. He began to see patterns in time; the Goths of the 80's, the Romantic Poets and Philosophers of past centuries. Mr Schuftan returns from his journey through time with the keys to unlock some of the core issues of Australian Culture today – like why do we put LOVE above LIFE? Why is our self expression worthy of self sacrifice? Why are all those damned music clips on Video Hits either about some girl who can't help “it”, or painted boys dressed as skeletons? And why blame Nietzsche? I'm a sucker for cultural studies. Seriously... After hearing Shuftster wax lyrical about the links between Kanye West and Nietzsche's Übermensch, and then the announcement of the book – I -ran- into the ABC story to get hold of a copy, and I'm not annoyed at paying full price for it (I'm such a cheap-ass!). From the platform of 'modern' music (well, 1970's onwards) Mr Shuftan looks back – and helps us make sense of the Romantic period and how it influences the music today. The centerpiece of this book is the exploration of My Chemical Romance's Black Parade, both the lyrics and video get a quick look-over before tipping over the event-horizon and stretching into the infinity of culture. It imposes image on every and is reflected back. From Weezer to Ziggy StarDust and the Spiders from Mars, from modern love to medieval-fascinated Romantics... each thread is so woven into society and general culture of today, not just sulky teenage angst-mo's. To be Post-Modern people, we need to deconstruct society some to feel whole, and as authors, I think this is a great book to help with Worldbuilding in particular. What elements make up a culture? What thoughts and dreams have made us what we are today. Enjoy!

The Faery Gates of Avalon: Trip through the Faery Gates for Arthurian Knowled

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:10:22 +0000

I'll put this out there – I'm not using this as an Arthurian self-help book, but I AM using it as research into Arthurian archetypes. And for that, this book is worth chasing down. Mr Knight has a number of books out in the Arthurian archetypes genre, and I'd be interested in following him up the path that leads into the dark forest of mystery and adventure.... or buy is other books, whatever! Walking us step by step through some of the most fameous of Chrètien's tales of the Round Table: Erec & the lady of the hawk, Yvain & the Lady of the Fountain, Gawain & the Castle of Wonders... some so fameous they are mimicked in Monty Python. By digging just under the surface of these Christianised women, Mr Knight (yes, I see the amusement in the name and topic matching) shows us the fae roots beneath the surface. The with all pervasive Mists of Marion Zimmer Bradley and her Druids-vs-Medieval Jesus-People had turned me off the idea of even touching the topic in my research, but Mr Knight is not retelling the story, and he is not being preachy. For someone who is doing a Theology degree... I can be a little touchy about how people attack the Jesus-People, in some cases, they're my people, in other cases, if you do it well and intelligently I'll listen. In 'Heroes, Helpers, Tests & Goals', Mr Knight breaks down the stories by character types and characters. I like this. It means I can check the references by stories or by character as I am pulling together ideas for my own little Arthurian tale, which may never see the light of day, or book binding. I am helped by this book, and I hope it helps others.

Dreams Made Flesh: Dreams Made Flesh

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:08:12 +0000

What I love about Anne Bishop’s worlds is how intricate they are. It doesn’t matter if I don’t like the writing style or the characters (which has only happened once), the worlds are so well created that I’ll just keep coming back. The other good thing about her stories is that she doesn’t spend forever describing the universe before we get to any action – we learn about it as we go. Her characterisation is great too – I fell in love with most of them from the start. “Dreams Made Flesh” is set in the same world as the “Black Jewels Trilogy” and contains four stories that take place at various stages before, during and after the books in the Trilogy. With this in mind, I strongly suggest that you read the other books first (although in my opinion they’re not as good as this one). They are: “Daughter of the Blood”, “Heir to the Shadows” and “Queen of the Darkness”. If you decide to forge ahead regardless, I’ll give you a basic outline of how the world works. For those who have read the Trilogy, feel free to skip this section and read ahead to the actual review. Please be aware that this is dark fantasy. It deals with rape, violence and abuse – often with people having their internal organs providing new and fetching wallpaper designs. The sex scenes are not what I would consider to be pornographic, but there isn’t any hiding behind euphemisms in this book. The people (and animals) of the Blood are segregated by caste and power (the two are not necessarily related). If you don’t have the capacity for magic, you belong to the “landen” class. If you do, you are referred to as being “of the Blood”. The Blood (especially the Queens) were created in order to be caretakers of the land, and Janelle (one of the main characters in the story) is the most powerful of the Blood – also known as Witch. Of course you have those who are going to try and twist Janelle’s power to their own ends, which is the basis of the events in the Trilogy. If you are Blood, you are able to wield “Craft” which lets you cast spells. The level of power that you can invest in a spell depends on the strength of your Blood Jewel which is shown by the Jewel’s colour. The caste system is where Bishop’s characterisation shines. Your caste not only defines your specific abilities, but also affects your basic personality. You can find specific information on Jewels and castes at the front of the book. Now for the reviews: 1. Weaver of Dreams The first story in this collection takes place in the far past, before the creation of the Blood. It is about how the Arachnian spiders learned to create a web to capture dreams and make them into flesh (hence the title of the story). This flesh would become the Blood Queen known as Witch in various incarnations. I have to say that I wasn’t really impressed by this. Whilst I did like how the Arachnian spider’s intellect changed throughout the story, I found that I didn’t really care about any of the characters, despite knowing some from reading the Trilogy. If this story hadn’t made it into the book, I wouldn’t have been devastated. 2. The Prince of Ebon Rhi This would have to be my favourite story of the anthology. It takes place between the second and third books of the Trilogy and tells how Lucivar met his wife Marian. As the previous books have mainly been about Janelle and her lover Daemon, it’s nice to get some insight into this volatile, aggressive yet protective Warlord Prince – besides, he’s one of my favourite characters!. We also get to find out how a gentle Eyrien woman can stand up to Lucivar and his temper! This is a definite read. 3. Zuulaman This story gives us a glimpse into exactly how powerful Saetan, the High Lord of Hell actually is. Before Daemon and Lucivar were born, Saetan had two sons, Mephis and Peyton. They are mentioned in the Trilogy, but there was another one that was only referred to briefly in “Daughter of the Blood” and “Heir to the Shadows”. This is the story of that son, how he died, and how it drove Saetan into the madness of the Twisted Kingdom. I found this story to be quite stomach churning in a way – not because we see what Saetan’s power can do, but because of what forced him to use it. Let’s just say that flowers made out of mutilated hands do not appeal to me. Despite this, I did like the story. In the Trilogy, Daemon is seen to be the most dangerous Warlord Prince in the Realms. This anecdote shows us exactly how deadly a loving father can be. 4.Kaleer’s Heart Kaleer’s Heart focuses on the relationship between Janelle and her Consort Daemon, and how it has changed since the traumatic events described in “Queen of the Darkness”. Since Janelle has lost the Ebony power that she used to command, the Jewel of many colours known as “Twilight’s Dawn” has been puzzling everyone except her. Why would Janelle give up her extraordinary powers to be weaker than some of the Dark Jewels in the realm? When rumours start to threaten the foundation of their love, will the Sadist become involved? In terms of continuing the Trilogy, I liked this story much better than the original books. I think that it’s because Bishop has had time to refine her writing style – although I am getting sick of Janelle’s rather repetitive “silvery velvet-coated laugh”. All in all, I would recommend reading “Dreams Made Flesh” as it continues to show Anne Bishop’s fantastic world-building and writing style. It’s great to get some more insight into the characters that I’ve come to know and love, so I suggest reading the “Black Jewels Trilogy” first to get the most out of this book.

Stephen King Goes To The Movies: proof (if it was needed) what a master story telle

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:27:26 +0000

Stephen King is a master storyteller. We all know that. Quite a few of his novels have been made into films and television series. It was arguably the adaptation of his debut novel, Carrie, that really put him on the map with the public. While probably best known for his novels, King has also been prolific in shorter stories as well over the years and his skill in tha tfield is often overlooked. Goes to the Movies is a collection of five stories that were made into film. The entire collection is a little under 600 pages long, emphasizing that these five stories are shorter than what one generally expects from King. King is also best known for his horror stories. This collection proves, as if any proof was really needed, that King can do more than that. A true surprise for me was realizing that The Shawshank Redemption was originally one of King's stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Call me ignorant if you like. Each of the five stories has an explanatory piece from King, helping put it into focus. He also talks about his thoughts on the film adaptation of his stories. This was an intriguing collection that really emphasizes that King is not a horror-schlock but a truly gifted storyteller. Reading Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, I was transported there into the prison with Andy Dufresne. 1408 is creepy in true, suspenseful King style, with King being full of praise for the performance by John Cusack in the film adaptation. Low Men in Yellow Coats was adapted as Hearts in Atlantis. King doesn't like the film, believing that the original story is better but is not necessarily critical of the filmmakers as such. I have not seen the film so cannot comment. Children of the Corn is a really spooky piece. The film adaptation lacks the same feel but King generously points out that one's imagination is never on a budget. His sense of fun also comes through with his mentioning the sequels that were made – not written by him. Reading this collection was more than an interesting exercise in comparing original stories with film adaptations, it was a refreshing reminder of just what an amazing storyteller Stephen King is. Ross C. Hamilton

Dark Angel - series one: Intriguing and improving over time

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:19:08 +0000

I was not a regular viewer of this program when it first aired on television, soon lost track of the story and stopped watching. It was therefore a good experience to have a veritable orgy of watching the full series. Max is a genetically henanced human female, with a touch of feline DNA thrown into the mix. She and other children were being trained as the ultimate soliders by a shadowy group, Manticore. One night, a group of the yng teens broke out. Max was one of a limited number who made it to freedom, to try and learn to live a normal a life. The pilot shows Max working as a bicycle courier by day and a cat thief at night to fund a private eye searching for other survivors from her group of escapees. She becomes involved with Logan, a man of wealth fighting against the system and joins Logan as one of his operatives. Unlike many other 'enhanced' characters we see, Max's abilities are well beyond normal but not entirely unbelievable in a way. The characters of Max, played by Jessica Alba, is tough but yet still vunerable. It was interesting to see how Alba grew into the role over only a few episodes. The dramatic scenes in particular within the pilot were at times somewhat forced on Alba's part, but this rapidly improved, presumably a result of her growing expertise and experience. Like any good series, the storyline becomes increasingly complex but without becoming overly so and cumbersome. Characterisations are varied with distinct human moments. The sexual tension between Max and Logan is there right from the beginning. But then again, this is Jessica Alba we're talking about here – it wouldn't be hard for any male not yet a corpse to generate sexual tension on the set with her, would it. Fellas – am I right? After watching right the the first series, I can see how the show soon developed a hardcore cult following. Unlike other programs that developed similar followings, Dark Angel survived the first season jitters. Some of us still hate Fox's guts for not having similar bravery with Firefly. That comparison with Firefly is quite appropriate as I saw similarities at times with Joss Whedon-type story telling. Casting of the roles was pretty as to be expected for such a program. A female protagonist who is attractive as all get-out, athletic and looks damned good in tight-fitting costumes, is pretty much standard for such a role as that of Max. Ms Alba more than fit those requirements. A handsome and articulate male lead is also the norm although putting him into a wheelchair during the pilot was a different angle. A successful series has an interesting array of supporting characters and Dark Angel was no exception. The primaries here are a streetwise African-America lesbian (another interesting departure from the norm) and a softer, more sisterly character providing an interesting counterpoint, although, disappointingly, the latter disappeared from the series. The boss of the courier company Max works for is rude, egnimatic and thoroughly quirky, demanding you pay attention to the character. Similarly some of Max's other co-workers have distinct personalities complementing the program. The backstory is quite consistent throughout. In many respects, this near-future 'reality' is entirely plausible. An act of terrorism some years before, using a massive Electro-Magnetic Pulse, created such chaos that the USA was thrown into years-long depression as it struggles to recover. The divide between rich and ever-increasing numbers of poor escalates with creation of ever-more ghettos. Consider the degree of job losses and homeless in the USA caused by the recent financial crises. Transplant a similar dispruption to economic life that is compounded by loss of massive amounts of infrastructure as a result of of the EMP, against a background of still-increasing population numbers and fewer available natural resources, and the position of society depicted within Dark Angel is quite plausible. All up, the six-disc set was excellent viewing. It was a bit light-on for extras for those people who like looking for such things, although there were some interesting interviews with people including Jessica Alba. I'll be watching them again, and not just to perv on Ms Alba.

Jumper: Jumping for j.... yeah, whatever

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:39:20 +0000

Hmmm. The premise is good, I can see many ways to develop the character and plot into something exciting... except that is not where the film goes. instead it takes that path of least resistance and turns what could have been a sharp lime taste, to the most tasteless custard. Boy meets girl, boy discovers über powers, boy finds out power without someone beside him is empty and so tries to find a way to have the life and the girl. Does he not realise that he is making her the worst kind of kept woman, one without any power but that has the whole world against them? I stupidly had just finished reading a book on the Romantic period and its echoes into Goth and Emo subcultures - and this movie ticked off the list for the ultimate Emo fantasy. He has all this power, and yet, can not have friends. Awwwwwwwwww. Don't let him near the knives. I really can not see anything in the way of character development. He learns his powers, he learns people wish to kill him, it really doesn't seem to effect him on a deep level and he doesn't use it for anything more noble then saving a girl he put into danger in the first place. The plot moves from one state to another country to another device without even a bump. I didn't feel the darkness of the darkest moment. There is a novel that the screenplay was based on, its not something I have heard of, but I'm going to guess that it is a good deal more revelatory and satisfactory then I found the movie.

Heroes: From Alexander the Great to Mae West: A brief overview of Western heroes

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:25:48 +0000

Our heroes are politicians, actors, monarchs, rebels, religious figures, people who have transformed the world. Paul Johnson has put together a bunch small essays and biographies of heroes both considered by people today and his own heroes. Heroes, that is, within the Western world: Europeans, Americans or Christians and Jews (those mentioned from the Old Testment and Torah), which leaves us a rather narrow cultural scope of the definition of a hero. Heroes changing over time and through every corner of the globe would have been a credible blurb if Johnson had actually done this by looking at heroes of other countries and cultures like the Middle East, Africa or Asia-Pacific. While there are a lot of things in the book that not everyone knows about, Johnson turns on and off where sometimes he will explain in some chapters exactly why a hero is considered heroic and sometimes not. Quite often in the later chapters (delving into modern age heroes) he will provide an anecdote that says more about the author than the hero. Another irritating habit is to provide many quotes in their original language (French) but never explain what the saying means. For example, Napoleon’s saying before Waterloo (facile comme manger le petit déjuner) is much easier understood as a joke if actually explained in the book’s language of English (easier than eating breakfast). That being said, Johnson provides a nice short biographical overview of many kinds of people throughout history, some which you may have heard of but not know, some which you might be more familiar with. Being in a Western country still dominated by the UK and heavily influenced by the US, it gives more of a background to parts of the current society and culture I’m in personally, but doesn’t really offer a well rounded view that would have made it more relevant to more people.

The Gypsy Crown: Forsyth and writing: a glorious combination!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:15:08 +0000

A brand new series for Forsyth crossing historical and mythological bounds with Emilia Finch and Her cousin Luka in the times of Oliver Cromwell. Their gypsy family has been captured and jailed, sentenced to death and one hint of their ancestor’s magic could yet save them – a chain of charms. Yet another glorious series, another spell-binding book by Kate Forsyth. As a children’s novel, Forsyth manages to convey the depth of history of the times it’s set in without being too complicated or at the same time too watered down to be enjoyed by older readers as well. Forsyth’s writing is a charm in itself. One particular thing about Forsyth is her ability to write history. A short background, about two pages, is provided at the beginning. It’s a history of King Charles the first and Oliver Cromwell, a dark history but manipulated by Forsyth’s words so as to not be too dark for the young audience and not lying or hiding the truth. Parent’s may want to look at the book for themselves to see if it’s right for their child’s age and own maturity as to whether they can handle the idea of the main character’s family being sent to jail and to be executed for their crimes. As well as the main characters being children, Forsyth also introduces some of their animal friends who they take to towns to dance and entertain. Having the animals around is a great comfort to Emilia and Luka, as well as making the story all the more engaging for young readers. Balancing history and fantasy is an incredible task that Forsyth manages again and again, and bringing that glorious combination to children’s books is just as wonderful.

In Bad Dreams vol 1: In Bad Dreams Review

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:32:10 +0000

The Long Version: Strange though it may be, horror is one of the first genres I started reading when I was a child. The thought of the unknown, things beyond our knowledge and understanding, always lured me back to anything and everything associated with horror. From stories that make you sit back in stunned (and sometimes confused) silence to stories that make you shudder with horror, In Bad Dreams includes many different types of things that scare us all while keeping to a fairly contemporary time. (You could argue some stories are more contemporary than others, but they all have a feel of 'could be happening somewhere in the world right now.) Shock of all shocks, I don't have any nitpicks on this one. I think the stories are beautifully arranged and the editors are to be credited for putting out such a superb anthology of horror. The Short Version: In Bad Dreams is an excellent collection of many types of horror - the 'why did it happen' to the outright scary - that is sure to please any horror fan. I recommend it.

Twilight - The Movie: Twit-lite sucks

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:48:32 +0000

Not happy, Jan. Don't get me wrong, I love vampire stories, I have an extensive library of vampire movies, and a smaller one of 'classic' vampire tales, I love the blood sucking fiends! I do! This movie, I don't love. I found the plot was more predictable than a Sweet Valley High novel, and the 'black moment' was the decision to turn this vampireish-novel-for-the-unwashed-masses into a movie. The characters lacked depth, reason, love-ability, and in the end I wanted the Blair Witch to come in and put the wee buggers out of their angsty misery. For a creature over the age of 80, Edward is annoying, stalkery, and childish. Bella, also is ready to throw a tantrum at the thought of anything going not to her plan. And believe me, she has plans. The effects were not too annoying and well produced - apart from the 'SPARKLE' effect on Edward's skin looking more like a lighting malfunction then actually part of the character's look. The bleached out, bleak lighting was a little overdone for my taste, desaturated colour does not making something Gothic, in my book. Some 'new' ideas added to vampire mythology, not so much ground-breaking, but they were something to put this clan apart from Dracula. One shining and brilliant line in the entire movie: "Your mood swings are giving me whiplash," is uttered unconvincingly by Bella as she (and the viewers) become aggravated by Edward's poor attempt at seduction. I will not be adding this to my collection, as much as I love a good B-Grade movie, I just can't put my finger on why I'd want to pay money to see it again.

Daikaiju 1: giant monsters - brilliant!!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:01:40 +0000

I originally reviewed this anthology for the Internet Review of Science Fiction back in 2006. In short, I thought it was frigging brilliant! While a tad dated now, here 'tis. From http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10269 : A book of stories about giant monsters--this sounds a bit like an old 1950s sci-fi B-movie. But then again, those are exactly what make up the Japanese film genre daikaiju. Literally meaning "giant monsters" in Japanese, the daikaiju genre grew from the film Gojira (1954), which spawned its best-known character by far, the giant irradiated lizard we know as Godzilla. Now we have a short story anthology devoted entirely to giant monsters in the daikaiju tradition--Daikaiju: Giant Monster Tales. As far as the editors, Robert Hood and Robin Pen, are aware, this is the first daikaiju-inspired anthology. When planning this anthology, Hood and Pen were unsure whether they would be able to find enough authors interested in the subject. To their surprise, the number and variety of responses overwhelmed them. The resulting collection of 27 short stories, several haiku, one script, and an essay about the daikaiju genre, provides a wealth of varied and fascinating reading. The book's startling green cover, featuring a viciously lurking monster, is immediately eye-catching and sets the tone nicely. The talented and multi-award-winning Bob Eggleton--another unashamed daikaiju fan--did the cover artwork, plus another fronting the title page. A further color plate by Todd Tennant introduces the collection's cinema supplement with a vividly colored rendition of Guidolon, the Giant Space Chicken. The whole concept of giant monsters, most likely inspired by the radioactive, fire-breathing Godzilla, immediately lends itself to a humorous approach, and that's reflected in many of these stories. It's not all humor, though. There are also more literary compositions in the collection, making the collection a nicely rounded anthology. My favorite piece without doubt was "The Tragical History of Guidolon, the Giant Space Chicken". Frank Wu, in his first piece of published fiction, has written a deliciously funny and satirical script featuring the craziest collection of daikaiju creatures imaginable. Daikaiju characters that are attempting to make their own daikaiju film--could this be the ultimate irony? I look forward to seeing more fiction work from Frank Wu in the future. But does Guidolon get the film made? That would be letting the large, horribly mutated cat out of the bag. A close second is Chuck McKenzie's "Like A Bug Underfoot", in which he provides an account of a world where giant monsters destroying cities and ruining the narrator's chances of collecting the unemployment benefit is the norm. Here, it's the narrator's reactions that make the story. A small sample: "The call to Melbourne takes bloody ages to get through. A recorded voice waffles on about how they're experiencing delays due to circumstances beyond their control; code-speak for some frigging huge mutant reptile just burned our exchange to the ground." One of the non-humorous pieces is from the talented Richard Harland, who presents us with "The Greater Death of Saito Saku"--a more traditional tale, of a medieval Japanese dragon battling a village protector. Harland is an accomplished writer, and he paints such a wonderful picture that I could almost smell the mandarin blossom in his hero's garden. Vividly told, the story is only possibly exceeded by Harland's colorful reading at the book's launch, complete with screams! Michelle Marquardt takes an alternative approach by writing from the monster's point of view in "Crunch Time", a short but very clever story. The award for originality, however, goes to Adam Ford for "Seven Dates That Were Ruined By Giant Monsters". The moral of the tale is clear--ladies, do not go out with this man unless you like your evenings complete with invading giant monsters on the rampage! One thing is for sure--the next time that I go to the cinema, if I see Adam, I'm running like hell outta there. Chris Barnes contributes "Big Day", an entertaining story about the empathy between an ailing old man and a monster, Big Fella, that is a regular visitor to the city. You are left actually feeling for the monster, which is a more unusual twist. I found myself practically cheering on both Harry and the Big Fella. Poetry is not what I would automatically link to daikaiju stories, and poetry from a best-selling fantasy author such as Sean Williams for some reason seemed even less likely. Yet Williams has provided some delightful haiku poems that even caught the attention of a non-appreciator of poetry such as myself. The combination of this Japanese art form with the Japanese-inspired monsters complemented the collection nicely. From poems to stories, I enjoyed every single composition in the collection, and found Daikaiju: Giant Monster Tales wonderfully entertaining. Once you have finished this compelling read, you will almost certainly be ready for more. And yes, there is more to come.

Zima Blue: 'Zima Blue' by Alastair Reynolds

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:55:29 +0000

Throughout the stories collected for this expanded edition of Zima Blue, Alastair Reynolds shows an impressive and consistent skill using a wide rage of scenarios and time scales. Those two classic elements of short stories give massive scope for his intriguing human and non-human characters to play out many different dramas. This review will sample just a few stories of the fourteen in the book. In the title story, 'Zima Blue', there is a fascinating and unusual presentation of how artistic works relate to an individual creator's efforts. Connected to this is the issue of what the creator thinks of their own life, compared to what viewers of the artworks teach themselves to think about it and the art. The particular blue colour comes to be named after the mysterious humanoid artist called ?Zima?. He manages a kind of vanishing trick in how he hides his background life while amazing whole civilisations with increasingly vast all-zima-blue art installations. It had me re-thinking some of my experiences of public art. The pair of stories titled 'Signal to noise' and 'Cardiff Afterlife' explore possibilities of creating machines that can allow people to temporarily experience a parallel life. The process is described with a beguiling assurance and gives ?cold-calling? a whole new meaning. These machines are the brainchild of some scientists working in university labs in an alternative-future version of Cardiff, Wales. One of the chief scientist's friends happens to have a very personal reason for being a keen volunteer. In the accompanying story, set a few years later, the same chief scientist has a new set of his own personal problems. He starts to seriously question what devious and possibly inhumane uses his machine might have if adopted for 'national security interests'. In addition to many weird continuity puzzles, this pair of stories raises some unsettling questions about the old create-or-destroy dilemma that comes with so much experimentation and new-frontier activity. Reynolds skilfully uses his career as a professional astronomer to create very plausible space scenarios. Newer readers have plenty of chances to feel ?at home? with the space-opera form and experienced readers can enjoy more complex and less obvious aspects of it. Throughout the collection are vivid scenes, smart dialogue and a strong philosophical and human base that reminds me of John Wyndham stories. 'Spirey and the Queen' starts with a single line, 'Space war is god-awful slow', which at first seems to contradict classic science-fiction features of super-fast travel and laser beams. The narrative very quickly shows how this slowness, which profoundly affects character moods as well as reaction times, is dictated by the vast distances involved. Later in the story there are descriptions of inherited learning capacities of non-human species (e.g wasps), mutation of constructed metallic forms and hazards of natural and artificial space junk. Two features of this extended edition of the original UK collection are personal notes by Reynolds, relating to the processes of writing and publishing each story, and an introduction by a long-time friend. Both the notes and introduction make interesting reading in themselves, but do include various potential ?spoilers?, so are perhaps best left for after reading the stories themselves. In Zima Blue, Alistair Reynolds offers a new range of entertaining and thought-provoking stories that extend the Space Opera traditions, giving it new vast stages that have plenty of room for people to be people. Tim Roberts/'Farnwyn'

The Starthorn Tree: Step into a fairytale with Kate Forsyth

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:50:17 +0000

The Starkin are the overlords of the Hearthkin, having come from beyond the stars themselves to land into the world of Estelliana. The Wildkin were forced back into the forests and untamed regions, and the Starkin set themselves up as rulers. But a young count is bound in a cursed sleep. Without the heir, Lord Zavion has come to take control. Two hearthkin boys cross the cruel Lord and run for their lives into the Perilous Forest, finding some rather unusual company to join along the way. They must find the cure for the sleeping count, for the sake of their family, friends, and their country. Have you ever started reading a book and felt like you're stepping into a classic fairytale? That's what the Starthorn Tree is. It has the weight and feeling of an ages past story, telling of how the smallest person can become of the greatest significance, of witches and nymphs, outlaws and princesses, of the common and uncommon. Forsyth again weaves her words imbued with magic and great talent. The Starkin are an interesting and beautiful race. They came from the stars in a ship that crashed. They are a technologically advanced race, but use it to control the Hearthkin, the native human inhabitants. The magical natives, the Wildkin, are magical creatures of both cruel and kind nature. As with any reading, people would probably try to connect the Starkin to other races seen in fantasy, maybe Elvish or something else, but there clearly is just no comparison. Forsyth is too unique for that. Those at the heart of the story are delightful characters. Pedrin looks after his sister and mother since his father died, getting money for goat herding. Durrik is the only child of the bell ringer and also crippled. When he and his father moved to this town, Pedrin was the only one who wanted to be his friend and treated him as a normal kid. They and their companions all have incredible depth to them, but also stay true to their ages. Forsyth, in all her books, has never disappointed fans of fantasy. From a recent review with Kate, she is currently working on a sequel for this book which readers of The Starthorn Tree will be eager to grasp it with both hands and immedietely start reading. Forsyth has the width of words and story to offer any fantasy reader an incredible ride.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Shoulda, coulda, woulda

Fri, 22 May 2009 11:24:43 +0000

Wolverine is the classic tortured superhero, and his past is put up on the big screen in a satisfying way. All of his choices in later movies are set up well by this film, and if you liked the other X-Men movies you’ll like this too. As you’d expect, the graphics and fight scenes are great. It’s definitely worth it for the pure goose-bump inducing moments, of which there are quite few. The stand out was the process of binding the adamantium to his skeletal system. Classic one liner moment. Hugh Jackman does a really good Wolverine and most of the other actors do a good job. will.i.am is memorable for all the wrong reasons unfortunately. There was also no where near enough of Ryan Reynolds, and the majority of what there was somehow managed to make him ugly (impossible you say? sadly true!). While I enjoyed the movie, there was something that just didn’t sit right. All of the elements were there for an amazing ride, but the film just didn’t have enough focus to reach its true potential. There were too many arch-enemies to fight and there wasn’t enough air time to focus in on any of them enough to get any real growth or development, making them all seem very two dimensional. That can be said for most of the film’s characters, as you never really get a chance to invest in anyone. The most heartbreaking thing of all was the tragic love story, and the fact that it wasn’t really that tragic at all. It could have been, it truly could have been such a heart-wrencher, but it just didn’t get there. Which is true for the whole movie really. You leave the cinema knowing it was enjoyable, but with the lingering sense that it could have been so much more.

Star Trek: Going boldly

Sat, 09 May 2009 17:25:57 +0000

Star Trek - the 2009 movie - follows Kirk, Spock and the gang from the original series in their first mission. A Romulan from the future has come and is wrecking havoc with the timeline, searching for Spock. He cares nothing for the galaxy but the revenge that burns within. You don't need to be a hard-core Star Trek fan to fall in love with this new cast and familiar characters. The youngness of the cast will inspire a new generation to fall in love with this incredible story spanning five different series, as well as the animated series, and over ten movies. Seeing all your favourites growing up will likewise attract traditional fans - dare I say – Trekkies? – for the extended story behind the characters relationships, as well as pokes at the original series that new fans will not quite get. The actual plot connecting the whole story together is a little weak in parts. Spock’s character overreacts in some situations, very much so against Kirk’s lack of cooperation. Kirk’s sudden promotion from Ensign to Captain after only three years in training and one mission seemed a bit too much as well. While the styling of the movie was very different from anything seen before, the plot line itself is very familiar. The directing was a bit irritating at times. A bright light would shine directly into the camera, obscuring the scene for a few seconds. This blurring occurred very regularly throughout the film. The acting was glorious. Karl Urban in particular was excellent at recreating Bones inflections exactly. Simon Pegg was awesome fun as our beloved Scotty. Eric Bana was a little strange as a Romulan, not sure if it was the accent that put me off or if it’s just because these Romulans are not what I’m used to. It could also be that he wasn’t a high ranking Romulan like we are used to seeing in the many series, he’s just an everyday working man. Go see Star Trek!

The Servants: A bit too random

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:48:02 +0000

Mark feels alone. His mother is sick, his father went away and he hates his new stepfather who took his mother and himself away from London to Brighton. A strange old lady lives in a self contained flat made in the basement of the house he now lives in. He’s too embarrassed by his lack of skateboarding skills to make friends with anyone his own age. Something’s got to change. For a book so well spoken of, The Servants is a particularly obscure book with a bleak atmosphere that doesn’t improve by the end. Mark is not very likeable as a main character, and the side characters don’t have much life to them either. The strange old lady in the basement, while the book provides her point of view for the prologue, is never really explained and doesn’t really do much at all as one would expect of her. Having his parents’ divorce and his mother marry again would be a rather traumatic experience for any child, but it’s really made even darker and sadder when he finds out that his mother’s illness is actually cancer – and for some unknown reason, she doesn’t go to hospital or doctors for it. His stepfather David is frustrated at Mark, even though no one had told the child how sick the mother was so he could try to understand how serious the situation is. Being that in our own lives, most readers if not all would have either had some personal experience with the deadly disease or known someone who has, it’s a very depressing thing to read. One time when visiting the old lady downstairs, Mark takes a key he saw her use and opens up the old servants working and sleeping area. It is unknown whether he is somehow in the past, or the spirits are in the present or the whole metaphor of the occurrence. Of these spirits, or ghosts or whatever, two stand out: the butler, whom the old lady had described as the public face of the servants, and the housekeeper, who worked behind the scenes keeping everything going. Again, this seems to have little connection to his own problems, or who the old lady is and why she told him about this. The Servants is a strange book that doesn’t seem to offer much. The ending is far too abrupt and distant from the reality of the start of the book. In regards to the whole cancer side-story, it just gets ignored. Nothing really seems to get resolved.

The Puzzle Ring: Forsyth's magic works again

Fri, 08 May 2009 11:18:33 +0000

Hannah is actually the daughter of a Scottish Lord and Lady, great-granddaughter of a countess but she doesn’t find out till a strange letter appears to her home in Australia. Her father went missing the day after she was born, and her mother has always been closed off about the past. There is more than rich titles and a mansion awaiting Hannah in her true homeland, an intricate dark magic that even after hundreds of years still affects her whole family. For years, Forsyth has been weaving tales of ancient magic. Form her very first adult fantasy book to her latest children’s novel, she does not weaken the richness of plot, characters, or her poetic sway with words for the change in audience. One cannot doubt her beautifully talent that she pours her very soul into. From the beginning of The Puzzle Ring, Forsyth goes straight to the heart with Hannah’s discovery of her true history. As any twelve year old, Hannah is torn between the anger she feels at having her own past hidden from her and the excitement of the mystery of not only her family, but a curse that was laid upon it in the time of Queen Mary by a princess of the Fair Folk who married a mortal lord. Forsyth delves into the history as passionately as the magic, including historical notes and a bibliography of fiction and non-fiction books for further research. She does not re-imagine history, but rather delicately ties it her story into what is known of the period. Every character is unique and intriguing, their personalities and actions realistic. Hannah just loves fantasy and fairy tales, and is very taken in by her lineage and the mystery of the curse. Her mother, however, is a hard scientist whose faith lies in what is factual and tangible. While this dichotomy does put them at odds sometimes, her mother’s knowledge actually becomes very useful in Hannah’s journey to breaking the curse and finding her long lost father. Kate Forsyth’s imagination is majestical and this book has turned me into a blubbering fan-girl all over again, and it’s more than suspected that’ll it’ll do the same to other readers, no matter the age.

Encyclopedia of Spirits: A must-have addition to any writer's resources

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:12:42 +0000

Judika Illes brings together a gorgeous encyclopaedia of spirits, demons, deities, ghosts and fairies, from Aatxe to Zorya. Illes doesn’t play favourites with cultures. Most mythological books out there seem to focus on the big four: Celtic, Greek, Roman and Egyptian. This book contains many more, making it a more complete encyclopaedia. Another thing that separates this encyclopaedia from others is the information. There is a general section at the beginning, describing things such as working with spirits, finding spirit allies, are they dangerous and more. This will be particularly interesting to those who perhaps want to establish an original religion, belief structure or magic in their stories. In the A-Z of spirits section, it describes for various spirits their origin, favourite people, offerings, animals, numbers, iconography or constellations associated with them, their special “day” or time, physical attributions or manifestations, what other names they are known by and similar types of spirits. This is incredibly detailed and useful, whether you’re trying to recreate a historical period or design your fantasy. Depending on how you use this book, you may need to seek more information on the background of the individual you are researching, but these small elements of the belief of that individual are incredible and fascinating. From a layout point of view, this book is also excellent in that it’s relatively easy to search through. Inline quotes and bolded headings make it an easier read rather than solid blocks of text. I was so excited when I opened this book. I have more than a dozen books on mythology and beliefs, but this one quickly became the favourite by the wide research across many cultures and the inclusion of all the small details like altar offerings and other names. Not only is it vastly interesting for students of religion or history, but also has the capability to be a critical writing tool for a writers of a variety of genres.

Knowing: Knowing where we're going...?

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:43:30 +0000

The film opens in the 1950s with a little girl whose school decides to create a timecapsule that will include pictures drawn by the children. Instead of drawing a picture, Lucinda fills her sheet of paper with seemingly random numbers... then she goes missing. Yes, some might find it a little formualic, but what's creepier than a little girl who knows too much? It takes the film a little while to get in to the meat of the story, but basically fast forward 50 years and the capsule comes back to tell its secrets. When John (Nicholas Cage) gets his hands on it through his son, you wait for him to figure it out, but pretty soon you're as hooked as he is on answering the riddle. You just have to know where those numbers will lead! We picked this film at random with no idea of its background or story, and frankly inspite of some deep issues with Nicholas Cage (Ghost Rider - *shudder*). And we were for the most part, pleasantly suprised. There are some really thrilling moments in the film, and you will get the creeps! The acting from the children could be a bit dicey at times, but you can overlook it for the lurking strangers that appear at high tension moments to freak everyone out. The Diana character lacked any real development and suddenly she's doing things you don't get, but at least Cage wasn't as annoying as he can be. For all you Victorians - keep an eye out for the Victorian license plate in the rainy highway scene. Sadly, the ending didn't do the middle justice. It felt like a tacked on finale and didn't provide any real satisfaction, possibly because the religious elements go from ultra subtle to smack you in the face with a 2x4. The build up had so much more potential and didn't seem to be headed where it was. It feels like the plot takes a sudden swerve into an area you don't recognise based on the rest of the film. So why the decent rating? This film captured and kept our attention throughout the 2 hours, despite the back row of teenagers that just would not shut up the entire time. And if a film can divert me from extreme irritation and still scare me when teenage boys are pretending to be frightened little morons, I think it deserves a good review and maybe even a second viewing.

It Looked Good on Paper: It Looked Good on Paper

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:06:40 +0000

Every fiction writer is on the hunt for a good 'what if' scenario. Speculative fiction writers in particular need to try and find something nice and original (if such a thing exists) in a 'what if'. As real life can be stranger than fiction (and if I wrote a story about an attempted attack on a castle where the attackers attempted to distract the defenders by throwing bread at them, no publisher would touch it - but it happened!), searching through books of oddities can be both fun and rewarding. So it was on that basis that I managed to convince our genial website Overlord to allow me to review It Looked Good on Paper. This book really lived up to expectations. From the first man to successfully exit a space vehicle only to discover that his space suit didn't work properly and he couldn't fit back into the airlock, to the failed amphicar intended for motorists to tootle along down the River Thames - it's all there. It is amazing what one comes across. 'Smell-O-Vision' - surely a tongue-in-cheek product name? No - this was a technology introduced in 1960 to accompany the film, Scent of Mystery, with some thirty different scents to be released into the theatre at strategic intervals. At least that was the theory. In practice the idea failed dismally and Smell-O-Vision hasn't stunk up our theatres again since. But surely someone could do something innovative with that scenario in a sci-fi story? Fawcett has done a wonderful job in compiling such a fascinating book. I am going to have to check out some of his other titles like How to Lose a Battle. This was a highly entertaining and fascinating book, and if read with an inquiring mind, would be sure to fire up some creative synapses. As for me, I am about to go start writing a story about an astronaut in a faulty design spacesuit, whose space ship has a dud engine and crashes on a hostile planet, armed only with his trusty sword-pistol. Hopefully our gracious Overlord will forget that I have this book still sitting on my bookshelf. Bugger - I should have kept my mouth shut. Ross C. Hamilton

Watchmen: Painfully Brilliant!!!

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:44:15 +0000

Tricky Dick leads the US in a Cold War that's still going on in the 1980's. Russia's stockpiling nukes and the Doomsday Clock ticks ever closer to midnight. Masks are banned to stop any attempts at foolish heroics. The whole world's going to hell in a hand basket, and even the ex-superheroes can't bring themselves to care. With the death of The Comedian, the last masked avenger Rorschach, begins an investigation into who can kill a hero. If you're like me - jaded by the formulaic reruns of classic superhero flicks (Superman Returns almost killed me) - then fear not, redemption exists and its name is Watchmen! Once referred to as 'un-filmable' due to the sheer amount of layers and content within the original comics, the movie adaptation quite simply blew my mind! Watchmen is a deliberate parody of everything ever written about the classic comic book heroes. Dark and unrelenting, the story has layers of meaning and subtext that just scream its ultimate premise - the world, and everything in it, is a joke. And I don't mean 'haha' funny (though it has it's moments). The opening credits are dense with information, leaving the movie space to play out with the background set up from the very beginning. This world and the characters that play in it are complex and shaded. Nothing is straight forward and most of the characterisation is highly believable. There is no explanation of what makes the characters superheroes (except for the increasingly withdrawn Dr Manhattan), and when they aren't fighting they're just your normal average Joe's. The costumes and masks they wear are the core of that side of their nature, read in to that what you will. Rorschach, an outlaw for his masked crime fighting habits, is a seriously disturbed individual who does things that will horrify you. And the director doesn't shy away from showing every gory detail. Yet somehow he's the only one still operating by the standard hero code. As a highly ambivalent character, he is the character who sees things in black and white. The visual effects are unreal - even when you don't want them to be - but even if you hate gore (like me) you still have to see this movie! It's not gore for gore's sake, it adds to the intensity of the story but thankfully not often. The music adds to the mocking nature of the film, pocking holes in every emotionally intense moment and making you squirm in your seat. The director balances the darkness with a sense of humour, shading the world in all its varied light and dark greys. Towards the climax of the film I began to fear the ending. God help them they'd set up the film so well that a simple ending of good or bad would have completely ruined it. What happened was exactly as it should be, but never predictable. I didn't even know I'd been sitting there for well over 2 hours. I walked out of the cinema in sheer awe of this movie. The teenage boys in front of us were less than impressed with comments like "I'd rather eat my own face than watch that again." So I guess if you're looking for your standard Hollywood guff (and lets face it, that can be fun too), this may not be for you. If you're interested in an exploration of human nature with no steadfast morals or certitudes foisted upon you, then look no further.

Watchmen: Disappointed

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:02:31 +0000

I was sadly disappointed by Watchmen (which I saw at the IMAX by the way) for mostly one reason: where did the plot go? Everything was going along so well ... I was interested in Dr Manhattan and his slow separation from the human race (and by the end of the movie I totally understood why he felt that way, I want to separate myself from most of the people around me who were raving about how great the movie was) but they left that storyline behind and decided to go for the 'greatest appeal to those who lust after superhero girls'. Unfortunately, this just meant a very sappy sex scene, which I decided must be deliberately humorous, but even then it didn't quite make the grade. The film starts off well, with the murder of the Comedian (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), which I found quite well done, albeit very gory. But I don't mind a bit of gore, with lashings of gore, which this was. From there, we're introduced to the various characters, their past heroics fading to washed up has-beens and their sudden call to arms, after the death of the Comedian. And no, that's not a spoiler, it's the impetus for the whole plot. Rorschach, one of the has-beens, who still has the burning urge to fight all comers rouses the others - mainly Silk Spectre, one time girlfriend of the glowing blue Dr Manhattan who leaves him after a fairly amusing scene in which she realises he doesn't really have all his attention on her when he should, and Nite Owl, who is middle-aged and about as far from a superhero as, say, the man who runs my local milk bar. Blah blah, plot moves forward, who is the evil person who killed the Comedian? Why did he do it? As the film progresses we find out that the Comedian was an unpleasant character who is depicted as extremely violent to women (yet for some reason one of them still loves him ... not too sure why). At which point I start to wonder why anyone cares about finding his killer. Jump to a scene where one superhero has been framed - very obviously - and then put in jail. He is more than able to escape - which makes me wonder, why did he let himself get there in the first place? A desire to clean up America's prisons? Is this review going anywhere? No, not really, much like the plot of the movie. I don't even have a pithy encompassing end sentence, if I'm basing this review on the structure of The Watchmen, because it seemed to take an hour of the 2 hours and 40 minutes running time to wind itself up. I kept gathering myself up and going 'Oh thank god, I can get some dinner now' and then having to settle back down for a bit more adventure in the arctic, a quick resounding 'Noooooooooooo' as someone died, and a brief enjoyment of the depiction of Mars on the IMAX screen - about the only time it was worth seeing the film in IMAX. I was very disappointed by that aspect. Anyone who's seen The Dark Knight at IMAX would know how amazing the experience was - the sensation of vertigo as Batman dropped from the top of skyscrapers, the sense of menace as those same towers were seen from the city gutters. The Watchmen does not need to be seen at IMAX. But if you are a fan of fantasy, you might get it out on DVD, watch the first hour and then create the ending yourself. It can't be less satisfying than the actual film. Oooh, I am in grave danger of actually having a pithy end sentence. I better keep going. There are good moments in the first half of the film, which could have been much better if they had been adequately explored and come to a conclusion, especially moments of humour, or the suggestion that Silk Spectre's outfit, which is completely ridiculous (stilettos, high cut swimsuit-esque outfit), is deliberately so, to show the unlikely way we've drawn our superheros in the past. I think the idea of the human side of the superhero is good too, even taken to the extreme - the cruel, awful superhero, who has the power but chooses not to be Superman. But there's too much going on, and too much effort to add grit to the film, rather than have it flow in naturally. Anyway, I am going on and on ... much like ... well, I guess I've already said it. One more thing though - Malin Akerman looks remarkably like Lucy Lawless. And that was the main thought I brought away from Watchmen.

StarGate SG-1 Season One: An excellent sci fi series to watch again and agai

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:27:34 +0000

** Children of the Gods Part 1 ** A strange man, an alien of the same race of Ra, has come through the StarGate which has been hidden away for years in a bunker in Colorado. Jack O'Neill and new recruit Samantha Carter are sent to Abydos to find out if that is where that man with glowing eyes came from, and bring back Daniel Jackson who has remained on Abydos all this time. As they get back together, Daniel's wife Sha're and his brother in law Skaara are stolen by the same stranger. For a pilot episode, this is a fine introduction. It sets up the plot, the motive, the main players. Clearly putting the StarGate out of mind and out of sight was not sufficient enough to protect them from the dangers out there. For the first few episodes in the season, Daniel is a bit stereotypical as the geek, Sam as the woman in a man's army and Jack as the rebel (with a cause). This is also one of the few episodes which on the DVD includes a full frontal nudity scene as Sha're is possessed by the goa'uld Amonet. ** Children of the Gods Part 2 ** Children of the Gods introduces us to Teal'c, First Prime of Apophis, the goa'uld 'god' who stole a soldier and Daniel's family from Abydos. Teal'c is a Jaffa, a servant to the goa'uld who were made to incubate the goa'uld young. The StarGate program is up and running again, with Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c as the team known as SG-1. ** The Enemy Within ** As seen at the end of the previous episode, Major Kawalsky is possessed by a goa'uld. Teal'c begins undergoing interrogation, to which Jack tries to protect and defend his rights. Kawalsky begins black out and attack people in the base, the goa'uld using him to take control of the SGC. This is our first in depth example of how the goa'uld overtake the host body, while the host is completely oblivious. Later on in the series, this becomes conflicted with other evidence. ** Emancipation ** The world they come to in this episode has specific social customs, based on the ancient Mongol society, about women – frankly that they should not be seen or heard, and of course Sam takes major offence at this as a woman in the army who has done all the same training as a man. Although pretty, she seems to ignore her own feminity and chafes at the dress, headgear and veil she is forced to wear to blend in. ** The Broca Divide ** The land of light is of Cretan descent, rather primitive compared to Earth. However the StarGate is on the dark side of the land, where feral people roam and rape. When Sam and Jack start exhibiting strange symptoms, Dr Fraiser needs to find a cure and for some reason, Daniel's transformation takes longer than the others. ** The First Commandment ** Now this is an interesting episode. A renegeade Stargate commander has taken possession of an alien planet, setting himself up as god in a land burnt by a weakened UV layer. He even turns on his own SG team and kills those who try to escape. In almost all episodes before, SG1 have been mistaken for gods – or rather, for goa'uld – but they get frustrated at it and reinforce their own humanity. That someone has actually been flattered and turned by this worship was inevitable, and it's great that it was done so early in the series to show their weaknesses, not just their strengths. ** Cold Lazarus ** On a yellow desert planet, all they discover is broken blue crystals. Only one is intact, and when O'Neill reaches out for one, he is stunned and an intruder takes on his form. This is not done in anger or spite or control, but rather more a mistake. Through this Jack-clone, we see his past, his family and his son who died by his own gun. The Jack-clone doesn't quite understand death or the emotions of the one whom he has taken form. This brings us closer to the leader of our favourite team. ** The Nox ** Pressured by the government, Teal'c reveals a gate address to a world where they might gain stealth technology but upon reaching the other side, the gate itself vanishes. While they seek out any help, they find out that Apophis is on the planet too and attempt to ambush him. They also meet a seemingly primitive race, the Nox, but whose strange and unbiased ways are actually from a foundation of thousands of years of knowledge, far older than possibly even the goa'uld. The Nox are a beautifully designed species, at one with nature and their surroundings and friends to all. Of course, the goa'uld have no friends. ** Brief Candle ** SG-1 come to another world of possibly Grecian descent. Through the gate, a woman who attempts to hide is in labour and Daniel and Sam assist in her birth. They follow the woman and her husband back to their village, where Jack is greeted most attentively by one of the women there. The next day, it seems the child they delivered has grown years overnight and worse, O'Niell begins to exhibit signs of even more accelerated aging. ** Thor's Hammer ** Of all mythological races, Daniel points out that the Viking gods, the Asgard, were always known to be friendly to mankind, and they consider that these Asgard might be a potentially strong ally against the goa'uld. Teal'c recognises the symbol of Thor's Hammer, known to be a world offlimit to the Jaffa. On arrival, Teal'c and O'Neill are transported to a labyrinth which was create by the Asgard to destroy goa'uld and leave the host alive, but because Teal'c is a reformed Jaffa, without his larval goa'uld, he will die. ** The Torment of Tantalus ** Noone knew until now that anyone else opened the StarGate...particularly not from all the way back in 1945. They identify the symbols and gate through to the world, finding Catherine's fiance still alive. Daniel is excited by an ancient hall that seems to be a meeting place for five extremely advanced races, one of them suspected to be the original gate builders. None of the others find it particularly interesting when the DHD is destroyed and the only sanctuary they have is one a precarious cliff. ** Bloodlines ** Teal'c had not revealed in previous episodes that he left a son and a wife behind on Chulak. He knows his son is soon due to receive his first young goa'uld and does not hesitate in wanting to go save his son from a life of slavery. Teal'c's wife is furious with him, having had to beg for her son to reveive a goa'uld and therefore live as Jaffa have no immune systems but for what the laval goa'ulds provide. ** Fire and Water ** SG-1 come home with only three members. Daniel is dead...to their minds. Actually Daniel has been taken captive by an alien who implanted the memories of his death in them. While Daniel is being forced to translate a dead language for no apparent reason, the others begin to have strange feelings and images coming into their minds. They know in their minds that Daniel is alive, despite the memorial service held for him. This shows how much more advanced other species are. ** Hathor ** What an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus is doing in Mexico, no one has any clue, but it turns out to contain the living goa'uld Hathor, who seeks power for herself and has a form of control over men by breathing onto them. This is another gender defined episode, where Sam, Fraiser and the other women of the base need to rise up to take back their men and destroy Hathor who seeks to raise a new army of Jaffa by implanting the base men with larval goauld so she can fight against the System Lords who banished her. ** Singularity ** Going to another planet for astronomical observations, SG-1 go along to find the whole population dead but for one little girl who seems perfectly fine, but for that she has trace amounts of naquadah in her blood. The little girl, Cassie, is alive for a reason, and that reason is only to harm the SGC and Earth.Amanda Tapping has said that this episode is a clear defining moment for Carter, although it makes her seem typically maternal. ** Cor-ai ** Going to a planet where he has once been, Teal'c confronts the victims of his previous life as the First Prime. He must stand trial for his crime. In this we see that Teal'c's decision to go with Jack and join the SGC wasn't a snap decision. In meeting Bra'tac in Bloodlines, Teal'c was encouraged by his master to renounce the gods, but in Cor-ai Teal'c made some decisions all on his own. ** Enigma ** Finding a planet near total destruction, SG-1 finds a group of extremely advanced humans barely alive. They must be stealthy in trying to protect this group, of which the leader Omac clearly denies any chance for technological exchange, as the Pentagon seeks to force them to reveal their secrets. Although the Pentagon only wants to defend Earth from goa'uld attack, Sam learns from one of them the reason why they don't share technology or knowledge and SG-1 and General Hammond have to try and get them off the planet as soon as possible. ** Solitudes ** Trapped on an ice world beneath the surface, O'Neill and Carter have to try to survive, hoping that someone will come to their rescue. Little do they know that Daniel and Teal'c can't seem to gate to the same place anymore. In this episode, O'Neill and Carter are fine comrades with Sam caring for Jack's injuries, but you also get the sense of something more going on. ** Tin Man ** SG-1 are not the same... an alien called Harlan, the last caretaker of a dead civilisation has implanted their minds into robotic duplicates to help him look after the last vestiges of an advanced race. The idea of living forever sounds exciting to Daniel, but Jack is completely against it. Harlan simply doesn't understand why they aren't happy to be 'better'. ** There but for the grace of god ** This is one of those awesome alternate reality episodes. Daniel is looking through fantastic artifacts of various alien cultures, and one of them transports him to another work where Apophis is attacking Earth, Teal'c never joined the SGC, Jack is in command and, even more strangely, Jack and Sam are engaged. As he is transported into another reality, rather than affecting and changing his own Earth, he needs to find not only a way to get home but to save his Earth from the same danger. ** Politics (Part 1) ** This episode is one of those 'recap' episodes that finds an excuse to go back through many flashbacks and have a very thin thread of actual plotting that links to the other parts of this particular episode and introduces another character (the conservative Senator Kinsey). Fans will have been over all these episodes before, and probably will be more than tempted to skip most of the episode. ** Within the Serpent's Grasp (Part 2) ** SG-1 defies the Senator's ruling to close the StarGate program and gate to the planet which Daniel learnt the symbols for from the alternate reality. When they find themselves completely surrounded by enemy Jaffa, they try to gate back but to no success. They are on a ship, destinated for Earth. Seeking now to destroy or stop the ships, the plant C4 about the place and find the goa'uld in charge of this ship, Apophis' son Klorel, in the body of their friend Skaara.

The Princess Blade/Shura Yukihime: A story of revenge and little plot

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:41:59 +0000

In the near future, an Asian state has been cut off from all others by an extremely oppressive government. The Takemikazuchi once were the body guards of an Emperor from a nearby place but due to an uprising, fled to this land where they were hired by this government. Because of the extremeness of their isolation, rebels have been building in strength. Yuki is an assassin totally dedicated to her clan, until an old servant of her mother's reveals that the current leader, Byakuri, killed Princess Azora. Now, Yuki is bound by her honour to avenge her mother's murder, and take her rightful place as leader. The world building of the Asian state and rebellion seems rather tacked on. It isn't integral to the story that it is set in the future, it could have been set in a completely different time in which there was a rebellion. As it is, the assassins use traditional swords. The world is mostly rusted and dusty, with very little glimpses of a future city. Yuki is very young at 20, and despite her anger and thirst for vengeance, she is overconfident in her abilities. Yumiko Shaku emotes the character well, and she has a cool beauty about her. Being hurt and driven out of her home with her first failed confrontation with Byakuri, she finds herself in the hands of the suspicious rebel Takashi. His own background was bloodied but for protection and self defence, and he is not shy about showing his disapproval for her life as a mercenary. The role of Takashi seems a little too contrary for Hideaki Ito, but his scenes with Yumiko are beautifully done. The choice of scenery and choreography of the fight scenes are brilliant, not only focusing on the speed but the sheer grace of these assassin's movements. Although the actual back story seems almost pointless, and there are some plot points which are unexplained (e.g. Aya, Takashi's sister, knowing somehow that Yuki is unconcious in the back of the truck), the movement of the actors and the action make it a good movie.

The Day the Earth Stood Still [2008 remake]: The Day the Earth Suffered a Remake

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:41:36 +0000

Idealistic movie that could be more. When's a remake not a remake? Taking a few cues from the beautiful 1951 masterpiece and firmly shoving it into a post-911, 4-wheel-driving world - add in some actual destruction rather than just the threat of it - and we have this. I must admit my bias... I love the old movie and have yet to read the short-story it was based on (searching libraries as we speak), I went into the theatre ready to be disappointed, but hoping for something better. I got something better, but not spectacular. Special effects are nice, Keanu makes a good emotionless bastard, Gort is named by the USA military (how annoying!) and is far more destructive then in the 1951 movie. At least Gort looks 'Gort-like'. I'm fond of the big lug. One scene borrowed sucessfully from the old movie has Klaatu speaking with an eminent Professor while the pair work math problems out on a blackboard. Just when Klaatu thought the dominant speices was lap-dogs, we intellectual-types persuade him that we need chaos to change. Yay for intellectuals! The 1951 movie was anti-nuclear, this one is pro-environmental... and society will unfortunantly be unchanged by the properganderist stance either movie makes. We are as stupid as Klaatu first imagines. Summing up... Do NOT go looking for the 1951 movie, or the 1940 short story here. If you take it as a separate beast, that happens to share a title and a few ideas, you may not be ready to put a hit out on the screenwriter immediately.

The Land of the Dead: Land of the Dead

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:58:41 +0000

Land of the Dead came out in 2005 or so, the latest in an illustrious line of George Romero zombie movies. In my humble opinion, not only is Land of the Dead the best Romero movie, it is the best zombie movie. Out of all of them. Ever. Allow me to explain a little. While I'm also a fan of the Dawn of the Dead remake (and won't be drawn into the fast vs slow zombies thing, I like them both) and all of Romero's original movies, Land of the Dead is ultimately the better film. Romero extrapolates into the future, several years after the apocalyptic event. and makes it plausible. No-one else gets this right. Resident Evil:Extinction started off down this route, and the travelling survivor convoys were awesome. Then the wheels fell off, when they tried to include the protagonist's craaazy psychic powers. It went from survival horror to a superhero schtick. Fail. In Land of the Dead, Romero also explores themes deeper than just dead things coming back to life. He is renowned for this depth in his writing, for example in the original Dawn of the Dead, the underlying theme was the evils of consumerism. The evils of consumerism. In a horror movie. This is why Romero is a genius, and he himself has said that the bloodthirsty nature of his movies allow him to present themes that might not otherwise be greenlighted by studio execs. here is a great interview where he talks about the themes that crept into Land of the Dead. I read them as including the problems with isolationism, government by fear, and the complacency of those who think their citadel is impenetrable. http://madeinatlantis.com/interviews/george_a_romero.htm There are also a number of truly awesome moments that pushed my buttons: * A big fucking kill-truck called Dead Reckoning. This vehicle will ruin your shit. The concept is seriously cool. * A thunderdome moment, where captured zombies are the entertainment. * The sleazy survivor society. There should be more of this stuff. No-one cares about how it's happened, or people getting to safety during the chaos. More movies about the broken future, please! * Simon Baker as the protagonist. He makes this movie. Forget that Mentalist shit, or the Guardian. This is his thing. And the actor who plays his sidekick is brilliant. * Dennis Hopper as the antagonistic bossman. He's so polished, and such an arsehole. But you gotta love him. * John Liguizmo(?) as a hard-done-by scavenger. He kicks arse and takes names. * A decent polished storyline. With reasons for things happening, and motivations. There's no stupid survivors having pointless pissing contests till you hope they all die. Every line of dialogue makes sense. * The character of Big Daddy, the leader of the zombies. He is AWESOME. Romero goes back to the concept of intelligent zombies raised during Day of the Dead, and brings it to a big budget movie. The only point where this movie stumbles is the concept of currency still being valid. We've got teams of raiders scavenging from dead towns, Dennis Hopper playing a feudal lord (in an immaculate suit), and people are still using money? This doesn't make any sense. Apart from this minor point, this movie is flawless. Why Romero decided to go with the Diary of the Dead format is beyond me. It's okay, not the worst movie Romero has made but it's not outstanding either. With Land of the Dead he has rebooted his franchise with style, and a sequel to this movie would rock my socks.

2012: Wonderful!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:15:37 +0000

'Watertight lies' focuses on the fight for drinkable water. This story, while well written, is rather a plain interpretation of what it'll be like in 2012 and not very inspiring because of the obviousness of the plot. 'Fleshy' is a very disturbing tale about a genetically modified lump of flesh. When it matures, a character describes, it will provide for anything he needs like a new organ or body component. This 'thing' develops, much to the fear and suspicion of Kelly, while her partner Matt is obviously hiding something. It is in the form of an email at the beginning and end, which the middle doesn't quite fit in with the voice of the character, but the ending will literally make you shiver. It was very freaky, but a very enjoyable read! 'Oh Russia' involves a lot of description and it is hard to get into because of the large chunks of backstory, especially for being confined by the boundaries of a short story. Some readers will find this a thick and difficult story. 'Soft Viscosity' is about the increased competition for oil as well as terrorism. While there are quite a few viewpoints, each are developed enough to not bulge out of the short story format. One of the most frightening aspects of this story is the drugs that make people so happy, they don't care what's happening. It was very nicely put together. 'Apocalypse rules, ok?' has an interesting structure with a list of rules for CIA agents followed by comments. It's a bit disappointing though that more of the character commenting on it isn't revealed, and thus is a hard story to get attached to or feel strongly towards it. 'The Last Word' is the most compelling of all stories in this anthology. Jane is a scientist trying to seek a way to cure melanoma, when she runs into funding problems and has to go to her last resort: her rich ex. The end will astound and scare you. It truly is a frightening prospect and the way it's written only emphasises the brilliant and original story. 'Ghost Jail' seems to be more about the evolution of mankind to a state where they can see ghosts, rather than physical dangers or resource losses. Out of all stories, this feels the most unlikely and more fantasy than something that could actually happen in or before 2012. 'I love you like water' is another story about the loss of drinkable water, but the way that it's written and the basis for how humanity deals with it is very eerie. It seems to be (although it is not clear if it was meant to be) a homage to Dune and Frank Herbert's Fremen. Class is, as ever, an important factor separating mankind, and that difference will, according to this story, only exaggerate more with time. It was a very well developed and engaging story. 'Skinsongs' is really interesting and quite unique. In this 2012, people's skins can be read like music, and one star doesn't want to be a one hit wonder. While the rest of the anthology is tied up with the utter condemnation of humanity's excessive greed over resources, that this story is not focused on water or oil is a comfortable and interesting relief from the more serious nature's of the other stories. 'David Bowie' is an interesting style by the author where the story is just dialogue. It's unique format in itself is engaging, although it's not a very evocative image of 2012 despite the natural conversation of the characters. 'Oblivion' focuses on a lonely old man, a paraplegic in a home, who reaches out to a nurse. Even with all the rapid changes in society that are briefly described, family life and problems are just the same. This 2012 world is just sad to think about, exacerbated by the point of view the story is written from. 2012 is an excellent anthology from the great minds Alisa Krasnostein and Ben Payne, as well as all the authors and well worthy of reading.

Supernatural Season 4 - so far...: Thank Bob for Plot Arches!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:09:11 +0000

Meaner then Ghost Whipserer, more anxy then X-Files, no where near as freaky as The Twilight Zone... Supernatural is horror for the masses. But its not as bad as it could be. Okay, the first season was busy introducing us to some of the disturbing demonic and ghostly types, it ran episode by episode and even a SciFi/Fant/Horror nut like me was starting to bore. Then they bought in the idea that Sam had some seriously special skills that eventually had him pitted against other talented people in a duke out to the death. Some merit in that. This season we have a new ghoulie and a new big baitching plot arch to contend with. Being a fan of the brilliant Babylon 5, I prefer large plot arches to the drip, drip, drip of episodic plots (I'm not saying that most of Star Trek fits this bill... oh, yes I am). Adding some more complexity to the characters, Sam still has 'gifted' potential to bring on the end of the world and has a secret demon-girl ready for booty-calls, but now Dean has been branded by the other side. An angel, more to me like a chaotic neutral than a superhuman creature of good intent, has tapped Dean on the shoulder and is starting to bring his Boss, the big 'G', into play. A few episodes into this new shiny plot, Dean looks like he isn't ready to hand over his Atheists Club Card just yet. Effects, as always, are stunning, though there is heavily reliance upon the usual suspects for horror - dilapidated, abandoned houses, graveyards, claw-like haunted trees, smoke borrowed from Ozzy Osbourne's stage show, and mood-lighting up the wahzoo. Plot, characterisation and worldview are gaining complexity - but I'm not expecting it to turn into a stunning gem of brilliance. I just want it to be good for tv, the scale of 'OhGodNo' to 'Niiiiice'. For now, I'll keep watching, but I think this is not a season where I'll be happy to miss an episode.

Dogma: Somewhat one-eyed review

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:34:08 +0000

One of my favourite films of all-time is Dogma from the bad-boy, potty-mouthed genius Kevin Smith. Kevin is not known for his gentleness when it comes to sacred cows, and in this film he really gets the BBQ fired up. Protested by small minded people when released to the public, this comedy is strangely theologically-based and calls on ideas from the diverse group of people who dare to study the Christian texts... and think. What if God showed himself as a woman rather than a man... where does that leave your faith? Can God use stoners to complete essential work? How edited is the Bible? I raise my hand here as a student of Theology and a lot of this stuff is what is being talked about currently in lecture halls and essays. It is good solid questioning about religion, personal beliefs, and good ideas. I can not recommend this movie at all to anyone who might feel attacked by asking these sort of questions... or to those who can not watch a movie with a hell of a lot of swearing, drug use, and constant begging for sex; mostly from one character. The plot follows the well trod path of heroic adventures - a call to quest, a fellowship of travellers, a dark moment when the world looks ripe to end, a villian who is fond of central air conditioning. There is some growth in the protaganist, but the rest of the fellowship remain very much themselves right to the end. So more characterisation than Steven Segal movies, less than something like Jersey Girl (another Kevin Smith offering). The unmitigated kahunas required to write, release, or even star in a movie like this is appreciated by those who think that Hollywood is too beige to continue to breath. Certainly, if you know and love Mr Kevin Smith - watch it, if you can view a film's concepts and world as a discussion on deeper philosophies - watch it, if you can find time without your mother/kids/offendable dog in the room so you have time to sit and think while Jay tells two other characters that when God kissed him he had 'half a boner' - rent, buy or steal this movie.

The High Crusade: Sareceans? Aliens? They're all heathen foriegners!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:44:09 +0000

How the heck did this movie sneak past me? Being fond of 'knights and castles' I grabbed this movie as a dark horse in the knowledge that no-one I know owns it yet. This one is a find! It had me at 'hullo'. Very understated humour with nice historical touches to do with seige warfare, the heroes find themselves about to be invaded by aliens but do not panic. Using their British know-how they stumble through and come out fighting from under seemingly insurmountable odds. It doesn't try to be too smart (like Criton's Timeline or the much abused American stories (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court)) and it works against the norm, we are seeing the old-fashioned society win over modern and futuristic technologies in the style of Maxwell Smart (accident to make it happen). Light-hearted without being too commercial-family-fun-Disneyish, Pythonesque without falling into abstract silliness, and some good character development thrown in to boot. If you are after a giggle from a relatively 'undiscovered' movie - this one will be a good bet.

Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth: Inappropriate for age group.

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:57:04 +0000

Although this book is interesting and has interactive pullouts and activities, I find it totally
inappropriate for the age group stated (10+). I know at that that age it would have given me nightmares
for a month! I am horrified at the inclusion of a full size fold out ouija board!
As a mother, I would be appalled at the thought of my child using such a tool.
Perhaps, without this inclusion, it would be marginally better for a slightly older age group.