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Sunday,
January 29, 2006
All You Do to Me Is Talk, Talk:
www.storytellersunplugged.com
Saturday,
January 28, 2006
To many, it might be old news, but I just read S. E. Hinton's
Hawkes Harbor (Tor Books, 2004) which was originally scheduled
to be the third novel in the HarperCollins' Dark Shadows series, to which
Elizabeth Massie and I contributed
Dark Shadows:
Dreams of the Dark. When Harper canceled their
entertainment division (HarperPrism), sadly, the whole Dark Shadows
line went with it. Being one of the writers in the series, I probably
looked at Hinton's novel from a slightly different perspective than the
average reader, so I thought I'd post the following review, which I
wrote for the Dark Shadows fan forum,
www.dsboards.com.
Bear in mind, this
review is primarily geared to fans of the show, who are familiar with the
storyline and characters; there be spoilers here.
In and of itself, S.
E. Hinton's Hawkes Harbor is not a bad book; as an entry in the Dark
Shadows novel series, however, it would have flopped mightily.
I enjoyed Hinton's prose, and she developed a convincing background for Jamie
(Willie Loomis) Sommers. It's easy to envision John Karlen in the role and Dennis
Patrick playing Kellen (Jason McGuire) Quinn in flashback fashion, particularly
in their travels around the world. Her delving deeply into Jamie's psyche --
particularly the
devastation he feels being a victim of a vampire -- is masterful, and that rich
character development is what keeps the novel going.
The other characters, however, are a complete bust. I have no idea how much she
altered them to make Hawkes Harbor a stand-alone novel, but the character
of Grenville (Barnabas Collins) Hawkes is so far removed from anything Jonathan Frid
would have portrayed that one has to forget the novel's origin as an entry in
the DS series -- not so easy when you consider that Jamie Sommers and Willie
Loomis are virtually interchangeable. Mind you, in some scenes, I can see Ben
Cross (from the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series) delivering Grenville's lines, but even that becomes a stretch after a
while. I honestly don't know if Hinton purposefully worked the dialogue so that
there'd be no real resemblance to Barnabas or if it was due to a lack of
understanding of the character; given her sharp portrayal of Jamie/Willie, the
latter seems doubtful. Taken as a unique character, Grenville isn't terribly
interesting, although the growth of his relationship with Jamie has its moments,
especially at the novel's conclusion.
Louisa (Julia Hoffman) Kahne bears some slight resemblance to her television
counterpart, though she tends to be more sharp-tongued and self-centered than
the "real" Julia. While most of the other characters are recognizable as Collins
family members and Collinsport townspeople, none of them are developed to any
great extent. While both Grenville and Jamie are quite smitten with Katie
(Maggie Evans) Roddendem, apart from an "unusual" sexual liaison with Jamie,
she's almost a non-entity, generally in the background, occasionally intruding
on the main characters' thoughts.
(And yes there is a blooper, much-discussed in Dark Shadows fan
circles, in which Roger Collins and the Collins Shipping Co. are mentioned by
name.)
Structurally, the book tends to be a little disjointed, due to scenes occurring
in non-linear fashion, a plot device that can work when there's a point to it, but if
there is one in this case, it's fairly muddled. Action and suspense there is
none (with the possible exception of a few scattered moments during Jamie and Kellen's sea voyages). I think even fans who care
more about Dark Shadows' colorful characters than its occasionally
over-the-top action would be disappointed
by Hawkes Harbor's sedate pace and lack of adrenalin-inducing
moments.
I give it a marginal recommendation as a novel of dark fiction, with a nod to
Hinton's stylistic prowess.
* * * * *
Note that Lara
Parker's new Dark Shadows novel,
The Salem Branch, (a sequel to her original entry in the series,
Angelique's Descent), is scheduled for release in July 2006 (Tor Books).
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Wednesday,
January 25, 2006
Got the nice news today that I've sold my story, "Lake of Shadows," to
The Book of Dark Wisdom, which has become one of my favorite
small press magazines. It will be featuring "Terror From Middle Island,"
which I co-wrote with Durant Haire, in issue number 9, coming up this
spring. 
Also...might
as well post it now...World Fantasy Award-winning Sarob Press (UK) has
accepted my novel, The Nightmare Frontier, to be published as a
signed and limited hardback edition, probably in late summer 2006. I'll
soon be putting together a nice
promo page for the novel. In the
meantime, you can read an excerpt
here. |
Monday,
January 23, 2006
My latest essay for Storytellers Unplugged is now finished. Look for it on
Sunday.
Sunday,
January 22, 2006
Our
daughter Allison was home for several days, and she called this evening on her
way back home -- a truck hit something on the side of the road, which flew up
and cracked her windshield. She's fine, but if it's not one thing, it's another.
She made contact with the driver of the truck, so I hope they'll work it out
where she doesn't have to pay to get the damned thing replaced.
Spent
lots of
time on writing and promo stuff this weekend; completely rewrote an old story
called "Zeitgeist," now titled "The Spiders of Galley Cove." Quite different
from the original version. Also started my new Storytellers Unplugged column
this evening. Managed some quality time with the missus and young'un watching
movies on DVD too; caught The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which I like a
lot (I'd seen it at the theater when it first came out); Kingdom of Heaven,
which was pretty good, but more Lord of the Rings than history, I think;
and The Heebie Jeebies, a low-budget horror flick so disjointed and
un-creepy I nearly zonked out on it. Probably would've been better off if I had.
Received payment for my story in Shivers IV, which will come in handy,
given all our recent expenses. Phooey, though; I was hoping to spend at least a
portion of it on something fun. Well, we did go out for sushi on Wednesday
night, so that counts. And Mexican dinner on Friday. Also goot.
Thursday,
January 19, 2006
Well, if our travel budget for 2006 hadn't been shattered by having to replace
the water heater and heat pump/AC, it pretty much has now. Peg and I just had to
spend $600 each on our respective vehicles, and since we don't have $1,200 just
lying around looking for something to do, it's gotta come out of what we've been
trying to put away for something a little more fun. Still going to try to make
Horrorfind this summer, but that's going to be about it for the big shows.
Gakk.
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Tuesday,
January 17, 2006
Received a copy of
Insidious Reflections #5, which features Stephen
Sommerville's interview with me, conducted at Fright Fest back in October. I'm
always a little bemused by interviews that were conducted "live," since
I don't have the ability to go back and fix the things that make readers
say, "Aha, another imbecile comes out of the woodwork." Still, I enjoyed
sitting down with Stephen at the Lazy Lion Bookstore, and I'd say he made the best of a tough
situation. 
Got some
other decent news that I'll be announcing shortly.
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Sunday,
January 15, 2006
Got
with some friends last night, drank, and played a movie game called "Scene It,"
which was kinda fun. Stayed up half the night and slept late this morning.
Haven't done that in a while. Well, at least not since New Year's Eve.
Tonight, my
brother Phred came for a visit, so we went out to Green's Supper Club
and ate at the oyster bar. I consumed many shellfish. And some dead cow.
Mmm! |
I
managed to finish the revisions for
Blue Devil Island for Five Star this
evening. Got to
practice a little cartography and created a map of the Solomon Islands to go in
the book, which turned out quite decent. Didn't find any errors on Five Star's
part, which is good. (Those will no doubt all show up in the ARCs, which will
come down the line.)
Friday,
January 13, 2006
I usually have good days on Friday 13ths, but today my computer at the office
bit the dust, leaving me to work on a second-rate machine down the hall, where
it was too hot and the chair was about as comfortable as a pile of broken
bamboo. No biggie, though, and tonight, Peg and I joined artist
Wayne Miller and his S.O. Carmen at the Taste of Thai restaurant for dinner,
which was friggin' fabulous. Thai food is quite the favorite of mine, and
tonight I had a broiled squid appetizer and soft -shell crab with tamarind and
pepper sauces. No complaints there.
I've
worked diligently on proofing Blue Devil Island for the past few nights,
and I expect it'll take a couple of more to get it done. Nothing major by any
stretch, though I'm never very happy reading something I've written in the past.
Most times, I already know how it ends.
Battlestar Galactica is on in a little bit, so I'm a happy boy.
Monday,
January 9, 2006
Five Star sent me the copy-edited file of Blue Devil Island for
me to proof -- though it's still about a year before the book comes out.
Spent most of the evening on that; only a couple of gaffes so far, both
mine. This one is a slow beast in the beginning, which begins to lumber
unstoppably onward, and I personally enjoy the hell out of where it
goes. I'll post any updates from the publisher here, of course. |
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Saturday,
January 7, 2006
Finished up my newest short story today; kept the title "Up From the
Underground," just because it seems most fitting, though I'm not terribly happy
with it. Probably appears on one of the most overused titles list. Regardless,
the story came out quite good, running 6,000 words, almost on the nose. This has
been a productive few months for me.
Think
I'm gonna go watch something monstrous. Maybe a Godzilla flick!
Wednesday,
January 4, 2006
I've put up my umbrella because I believe the sky is about to fall. Something
upstairs must have burst because, in the last couple of days, I've received more
fan mail than I've gotten in the last twelve months, leading me to believe that,
finally, I can claim that more than two human-type peoples have actually read
some of my fiction. Cthulhu approves.
Working hard on my newest tale, the "Up From the Underground" thingy, though the
title may yet change. It's meant to be a bit campy, but maybe not that
campy. 3,500 words so far.
Sunday,
January 1, 2006
Nice New Year's Eve last night, with Bill Trotter in attendance. Watched a
documentary on DVD about the Russian-Finnish War of 1939, which prominently
features his commentary, as he's quite the authority on the subject. His
nonfiction book,
The Winter War deals with the subject in detail; and for a look
at the period in fiction, his novel
Winter Fire is one of the best historical fantasies I've ever
read. Check them out.
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A late
Christmas present from our dear friends Dan and Maria Smith arrived
today: a plush Cthulhu in Miskatonic University graduation robes. Hoo
yeah! This one's hanging around in a prominent spot in my office now, I
can tell you.
Today
I began a new tale, tentatively titled, "Up From the Underground" (subtitled "An
Account by Mike Pflug, Journalist, The Chicago Times-Bulletin"). This one's
something of a hardboiled, noir-esque tale of urban terror, intended for a
specific anthology. Managed just over 1,000 words this afternoon; will post
progress as it happens. |
Saturday,
December 31,
2005
Had a genuinely frightening nightmare last night, such as I haven't had in ages.
The details have gone a bit sketchy, but I remember enough to use it as an
integral element of the new horror story I'm plotting. Good timing, I'd say;
though the dream wasn't related to my original story idea, they mesh together
well. It's good when that happens.
At
the moment, I'm plotting a get-together with
William "Bill" Trotter for celebrating New Year's Eve tonight. Looks like a
good old pot of hot chicken curry is going to be in the making. Then some
reviews for About Horror.com (Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla [1974] and
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II [1993]). After that, it's storytime....
Tuesday,
December 27,
2005
God, what a wonderful holiday this has been for me. Spent several days in my old
home town with my mom, my brother, the missus, and my daughter, and got to see
some dear old friends. Today I cranked out my essay for Storytellers
Unplugged, which will be posted on Thursday. Got in some high-quality
inspiration in the form of long walks in the woods and through the old
neighborhood. Sent off the rather drastic rewrite of "The Devils of Tuckahoe
Gorge," which I hope you'll be reading in print in the not-too-distant future.
The
Christmas presents were fine, but the time spent with loved ones was
unparalleled. That's what this season is all about for me. Yes, folks, I believe
in God, and yes, I have a lot of problems with Christianity in general, but when
I see the love and fellowship that comes out of it, at least in my community,
and among the people who mean most to me, I see all that's right, not
what's wrong with the faith. Celebrate, people. If you've got one positive thing
in your life, if you have a single thing to be thankful for, celebrate it. Thank
God it's there for you. You know, shit happens. God's not about shit not
happening. It's going to. But if you have an ounce of faith, God will hear you,
and the shit may not really be the monster you think it is. It may be the thing
that makes you what you're supposed to be.
Celebrate, people. Be a positive force in the world. Love. Even when you think
it's fucking impossible. Just do it, as they say.
Merry
Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Peace be with you. God be with you. Celebrate.
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Thursday,
December 22,
2005
We
have heat. We're also some $7,000 poorer with the new heat pump and water heater
put in. Ah well; tis better to be warm and poor than cold and only marginally
less poor.
Thanks to an early Christmas present, I've got Kolchak: The Night
Stalker to occupy several hours of DVD viewing. Watched the
first episode ("The Ripper") last night, and what a damn fun show this
was. I remember always being excited on Friday nights back in 74, when
it was first broadcast. |
Still
have a couple of pages left to finish up on "The Devils of Tuckahoe Gorge," which
will probably happen tonight. First priority is putting the house back together
after having to pretty much tear it apart so the workmen would have room to put
in the new hardware.
Monday,
December 19,
2005
"The
Devils of Tuckahoe Gorge" went off on a bit of a tangent, which is a good thing,
so I'm still working on it. Didn't get much writing done tonight; company and
housework, then a headache started setting in. Mondays. Uggh.
The
emergency heat is still working, knock on wood...
Saturday,
December 17,
2005
And
now we have no heat whatsoever. The heating unit, which was at least supplying
us with emergency electric heat, has now died. It may just be a blown fuse, so I'll try
replacing those tonight. If that doesn't work, we're going to get mighty cold
till next Thursday, when the whole damn system's going to be replaced.
LATER: The fuses worked, so we have
the emergency heat running again, sucking away at our
electric bill. Ah well. Better warm and poor than cold and poor.
Worked hard on "The Devils of Tuckahoe Gorge" for the last couple of days, and
I'm about 75% done. Should be able to finish it up tomorrow or the next day.
It's almost a completely different story than the original version, which is ten
or twelve years old. Last night, I wrote
a review of Godzilla: Final Wars for About Horror.com, which can be found
here.
Tuesday,
December 13,
2005
There are times I most definitely miss renting. Our heat pump died on
Sunday -- while we were checking out a new water heater, to replace the one
that's on its way to appliance heaven. We're looking at a major job here --
having to replace the whole central air unit, so that pretty much blows the
travel budget for next year and then some. The auxiliary unit, at least, is
keeping some warm air flowing, so at least we're not freezing at the moment.
X-ing those dad-blamed fingers again.
Have
set to work revising an older tale, "The Devils of Tuckahoe Gorge," which I can
hopefully sell as a reprint. Gonna have to do all kinds of selling to help make
up for the shortfall that keeping warm is going to cost us....
Saturday,
December 10,
2005
I've been reading the short novel, This Island Earth, by Raymond
F. Jones and wanted to refresh my memory of the film, so I put on my
old VHS tape of it today; the movie holds up surprisingly well, and though it
takes some liberties with the source material, it makes for a damn good
cinematic adaptation. I love the style of special effects from its day
-- miniatures, matte paintings, and optical effects, all coming together
to create a distinctive atmosphere. I remember as a kid being terrified
by the Metalluna mutants -- though they really don't get much screen
time. The movie is basically of the same caliber
as Toho's Battle in Outer Space and The Mysterians,
which I consider the landmark SF/SPFX films of that time period.
Speaking of Toho, my reviews of King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong
Escapes have been posted at About Horror.com. Click
here and scroll down a bit to find them.
Tonight, Mrs. Rodan and I watched the recent House of Wax, which I found
surprisingly entertaining, even if it did feature Paris Hilton. Her part was
small enough so that acting didn't really enter into the equation. I appreciated
its faux-1970s thriller style and the fairly vivid gore effects. I'll give the
flick a solid
four out of six beers.
Thursday,
December 8, 2005
I've received the sad news that author J. N. Williamson died last night at
the age of 73. Jerry was best known for his forty-some novels and the
anthology series Masques, which he edited. Back in
Deathrealm's day, Jerry and I corresponded frequently, and several
of his stories appeared in the magazine. In person, he struck me as a
considerate and kind soul, and we spent a number of evenings at Necon
knocking back a few beverages and discussing the Nature of Things. We
fell out of touch after Deathrealm's demise and my con-goings
became scarcer; I wish I'd made more of an effort to keep up with
him. He'll be greatly missed.
Monday,
December 5,
2005
Nope, I'm not really a grinch. I love Christmas. Always have, ever since
I was a kid. Of course, back then it was Santa Claus and presents and
seeing my grandparents; nowadays it's the most special time I have to
spend with my family. It's still a magic holiday, moreso than any other.
(Although I rate Halloween a mighty close second; who'da thunk it,
right?)
But I sure do
hate Christmas shopping these days. I never go out to the stores
anymore, as I DESPISE the crowds, the crass commercialism, the rudeness
of folks supposedly experiencing the joy of giving and all that. I've
done all my shopping online this year, and between mine and Peg's, the
bills have really racked up. I hate being stressed over money when
the season ought not be about that. That doesn't mean I'm not joyful
about giving gifts. I like that as much as receiving them. I like the idea
some people I know have -- of sending cards, or making their own gifts, or just
spending time together. Lord knows that would help alleviate some of the stress.
I mean, Christ, we end up in debt for months over one freakin' day, and I
personally don't feel it's worth it.
But being married,
there are some things about which compromise just doesn't fly -- Christmas gifts
being one of them.
Anyway, I got
myself into the holiday spirit by watching The Flesh Eaters tonight and
writing reviews for About Horror.com with Christmas music playing. It worked pretty well.
Saturday,
December 3,
2005
Zowie!
Finished
up my most recent story, "Sky of Thunder, Island of Blood" in less than a week's
working time -- for me, quite a rarity. The tale took off on a very different
tangent than I originally anticipated, and I just ran with it, which I think was
the right idea. Turned out to be about 5,000 words, right on target. Overall, I
think the tale hit the target too; it involves the Battle of Britain and certain
oddness on the Isle of Wight. We shall see how it goes when it crosses the editor's
desk. X the old fingers, if you would.
Will
be archiving The Log every couple of months, so for previous entries, visit the link
below.
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