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a flash sale
Today I heard from Tyree Campbell, the editor of Aoife’s Kiss, that my flash short story, “Homunculus”, will appear in the September 2008 edition of the publication. Hurray! Eastercon, or Orbital 2008 (the annual UK SF convention), is two weeks away, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s my first Eastercon, but it won’t be my last as I’m already booked in for the following year: Eastercon LX. I’m impressed with the programme for Orbital, which has panels and events running into the late evening every day. I won’t be bored. I’m contributing on three panels during the convention: At 10am on Saturday in the Commonwealth East and West…
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knocked for six
Who can resist a post on February 29th, a day so lazy it takes four years to roll out of bed, locate mismatching socks and a dressing gown, and turn up for breakfast. Last night I watched I’m Not There, the film written by Tod Haynes and Oren Moverman, and directed by Tod Haynes. This biopic, inspired by the life of musician Bob Dylan, is unusal because it was completed without any contribution from Dylan, and there are six actors portraying different aspects of Dylan’s character (described in the film as: poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity, and a ghost). I’m not knowledgeable about Dylan’s life, but I do…
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weird thoughts
I am a fan of weird – the word, and what it suggests. Its meaning is rooted in the Old English wyrd, which is associated with fate (it translates as Urðr in old Norse, which is the prophesying Norn of Norse mythology). If you look back further you see that the base *wer- means “to turn, bend”. Nowadays, weird is associated with something that seems odd, strange, bizarre, or uncanny (another fine crop of words). Its link with modern speculative fiction was cemented with the publication of the short story magazine Weird Tales in 1923. Today, it’s in vogue again with the arrival of what is termed new weird fiction.…
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the love mix
CDs devoted to Love Songs tend to make me want to barf when I read the track list, but today I wondered what I would like on a CD if I was thinking romantic thoughts. So, I bring you 23 Songs on a Theme of Love in No Particular Order Love me or Leave Me: Nina Simone I will Follow you Into the Dark: Death Cab for Cutie Little Wing: Jimi Hendrix The Man with the Child in His Eyes: Kate Bush There is a Light that Never Goes Out: The Smiths There Ain’t No Cure for Love: Leonard Cohen Someone: Divine Comedy Close to You: The Cure La Femme…
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snow and poetry
I woke up this morning to a white world. Snow is so unusual in this part of the country – close to the Atlantic Ocean and with no mountains in the area – that it merits a short poem: Overnight snowfall;The landscape bathed in lightSilhouettes the dog. My breath catches,Escapes, a visible surprise.Ice bursts under heel. Today is Imbolc, which is an agrarian festival associated with the lambing season. In Ireland it’s also known as Lá Fhéile Bríde, and is still celebrated in Kildare as a week-long festival dedicated to Saint/Goddess Bríde. Bríde is associated with smithcraft, poetry, and fire, and so February 1st is an appropriate day to compose…
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Midwinter
The moon hovers — Almost-fat, Ghost-thin — In the sapphire sky. The solstice sun — Scarlet-fury, Winter-weak — Slips through skeletal trees. My breath curls — Word-smoke, Lung-hope — With the forest mist. The Earth dreams — Frost-blanketed, Ice-cosy — And I listen, still.
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"His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him."
A few days ago I saw three films in a row I hadn’t seen before on different television channels. It was a lucky dip. First up was Miss Congeniality (2000), a comedy about Gracie Hart (Sandra Bollock) a FBI agent who goes undercover in a Miss USA contest to locate a killer. The story is one of those transformation comedies that is based upon the Pygmalion structure. Overall, what saves this predictable romp is some snappy dialogue, and likable performances by Bullock, and a heap of excellent supporting cast members: Michael Caine, William Shatner, Candice Bergen, and Ernie Hudson. The film doesn’t offer any surprises but it’s good-natured, and Bullock…
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a quirky voyage
I’ve just had a rather odd experience. I opened the copy of Locus that flopped through my letterbox this morning, and flipped through the news until I got to the colour photos in the middle. I looked through them with interest because they focused on the recent Worldcon in Japan. It brought back great memories. And then I spotted a photo of me with my Clarion West mates Tinatsu, Gord, and Caroline, standing around Ellen Datlow. It was rather surreal as I wasn’t aware the photo would be in Locus. But, hey, I’m not complaining. While I was in Dublin last week I had a free night on my own…
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establishing space
Over the years I’ve watched Alien (1979) many, many times. Every time it appears on television I am compelled to watch it again. I’m never bored because I’m always watching for something new in the film, and each time something comes to my attention. In my recent viewing I was struck at how Ridley Scott takes his time establishing the environment of the spaceship. A good four/five minutes pass until anyone speaks. Before that there are moody shots of the interior, with enough human touches in-between the technology and flashing buttons to suggest people before we ever see them. Goldsmith’s score is haunting. This is a film that sets an…
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back with the gang
I found out a little late that Joss Whedon was doing an official “Season 8” Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a comic book series. It took me a while to obtain them all, as issue two proved a little elusive. I was determined not to read them out of order. This morning I sat down and read all of the eight issues out so far. It’s fun. Not only is it great to reacquaint myself with the characters from the show, but it’s cool to see how Whedon imagined a world full of slayers. Without the restrains of special effects, wardrobe, setting, and acting costs, Whedon is free to do…
