Category: Uncategorized

A week’s break and new hair

Since last week my wife, daughter and I have been relaxing at Broadbeach, The Gold Coast (in Queensland, Australia). A few setbacks – some bad weather, Erin had an awful stomach bug, which transferred eventually to my wife and me, but it has been very good. We have two more days, and then we fly back to Melbourne.

A highlight for Erin – and much of our itinerary is for her – was going to Whitewater World. Below are a few photos of our Cabana there, also something I have been thinking about for a long time – changing my hair style to a simple 'No 2' all around. Glad I did, with the hot weather at the Gold Coast, but also just seems to work for me at my age, and my relative baldness.
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More On The Pros And Cons Of Editing

Not terribly long ago I wrote a long blog entry on what I thought were some of the positives and negatives of being an author. It was rather philosophical, stating unequivocally that the upsides outweighed the downsides – in terms of the negatives, I was referring to two classes of situation – people who are friends and acquaintances who want 'editor time', and those who have become friends, who want to control you (intentionally or otherwise).

I was having a conversation today with some family, and I was suddenly struck with what I think is a universalism, and which sheds a tiny bit more light on the second class of downside of being an editor. In a nutshell, a distant family member of mine is losing his battle with an awful condition, and a good friend of his has performed a carer function – albeit informally. While never foreseen, a clash occurred when the said 'carer' wanted more powers and information (financial, medical) to help. In my mind the intentions were philanthropic, but standing back it was, and is, wrong. This person with the affliction had family who were rightly entitled to provide these more important roles and they gladly gave it.

Experiencing this discussion it dawned on me that it hit close to the mark on what it means to be an editor and having strong friends and acquaintances. Or almost any other profession or important role – hence the universality.

Regardless of formality, there are services that people give to other people. Sometimes there is a strong acquaintanceship or friendship involved, or developed. This is fine but the person giving the service must be wary. The reason why is because friendship and love are hard to define and even with good will, people are people and they want to be more involved. Before you know it, the involvement goes beyond the pale and people get hurt – especially when there is friendship or love involved. This situation was classic with the example I gave above, but it also happens in the professional field all too often – and exacerbated when relationships are formed virtually.

I have experienced, as an editor, authors dictating to me what I should do. I have the authority to exercise my role and I have the training – no one else does in the business relationships I have. Then it gets worse – because in the minds of the individuals concerned they are in the right and because they are 'friends' or the like, there is compulsion to be 'reasonable'. As editor, I have to draw the line on occasion, for many varied reasons – and suddenly I hurt the individuals concerned. In hindsight, it was inevitable. From day one it was going to happen.

What's the answer; what's the universal approach? Not sure really, but I can say be careful who you befriend within professional (or serious-role) relationships, beyond professional courtesy. At the same time, don't separate yourself completely. Life has risks. But do not, I repeat, do not befriend willy-nilly. A friendship, like a marriage, can be just great, but suddenly out of the blue someone, usually unwittingly, steps over the line, and then there is a lot of discord, and nervous energy spent.
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Writing: Latest Work

In a fairly concentrated period I wrote a 5k short story yesterday and, like God resting on the seventh day, found it was good. Well, ultimately readers will decide that bit, but I felt good that I got it out of my system. This seems to be the way with my short fiction writing lately – with all my day job, family and publishing commitments, I need to be productive with the eyes of the storms that come my way, and yesterday was one of them.

This story, titled The Girl Who Floated To Heaven, is a dark and tragic piece, which isn't always my style, but I do tend toward the dark these days. The best 'dark' stories are ones that show a glimmer of hope, or at worst, provides some insightful comment. I think this story is more the latter.

I always post my stories into my writers' group wiki for comments, so soon after that cycle of review, I will find a market for this precious little gem.
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Book Review: Against The Elements by Esme Carpenter

I have had the privilege of reading this book prior to publication. This is a young teen fantasy, that was written by a teen – that is, when Esme Carpenter was a teenager. She has revised it at the age of twenty.

The story is about a girl called Delphi, living on an island that doesn't state, but has the definite feel, of a Mediterranean island. She is a servant in a regimented household, but quickly gets thrust into an adventure that is both life-threatening and has the state of the world at stake. A familiar line? Yes, but what makes originality isn't the macro-plot – there are no such new beasts anymore – but it is the way all components of the title hang together. It is original and fascinating.

The land where Delphi lives – the world – isn't just that. The universe is held together by the balance, and the co-existence, of worlds that represent the four elements. And it is Delphi's task to journey through these four elemental lands as part of a quest – one I would rather not spoil by divulging to you, the good reader.

This story has it all that a young teen would love (and possibly a mature pre-teen), and most importantly it excludes what young teens don't want – they don't want over-indulgence of love, nor the angst of 'teenagerhood'. This story is adventure-driven with nail-biting episodes. It has magic, deities, and battles. More importantly, it has strong characters, a sense of what evil is about, and what goodness entails. It is also about companionship and faith.
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I heartily recommend this story to children from about twelve to fifteen, but adults will love it as well. A deserving 5 stars.
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Book Review: Blackthorns Of The Forgotten by Bree T. Donovan

The IFWG Publishing blog site provided an intriguing description of what Blackthornes Of The Forgotten is – by stating what it isn't. Firstly, it is labeled as a paranormal/romance story, for want of a better label (which, I agree, there isn't). The site then says that even though it isn't paranormal, it has no vampires, werewolves, zombies or witches, nor does it have unrelenting action and gore. And yet it is paranormal. While it is labeled as romantic, there are no long passages of passion, and certainly no erotic narrative. But it is about love, and more importantly, it is about 'soulmateship'.

I am not big on paranormal fiction, and certainly not on romance, but this story was a superb read. And the reason why was because a) it was technically well written, and b) it has its own, unique voice, hence the labeling issue.

This is a story where there is an incredibly strong connection between the world as we know it (Ireland in this case), and the 'higher plane' which is only obliquely described – in fact, hardly at all. It really is Irish in my mind, and how modern day Irish people who believe in such things, would look at it. This makes for a subtle, evocative set of parallel worlds, devoid of ham, over-worn tropes, and the over-theatrical.

Another thing I liked about the book is the complete lack of black and white, good and evil. The angelic types have amazingly serious (and ironically human) flaws, and the few evil types have their chances of redemption – they are grayish-black, so to speak. In other words, the characters are well crafted, and to be honest, represent the core of what makes this novel. That, and the enduring power of love and sacrifice.

If you are after action and pyrotechnic magic, you will be disappointed. If you are after torrid sex scenes, or small talk in Victorian parlors, etc – or the emerging sexuality of young adults, then you will definitely be disappointed.

If you are after subtle relationships among adult characters – not always in the expected manner – that are three-dimensional, and if you want an in-depth probing of what love is about, and what soul-mates are, set in a vivid world that parallels another, then you will be delighted.

Five stars without question.

Book Review: Ferryman by Jonathon Wise

Paul Goat Allen, B&N speculative fiction reviewer, says that 2012 will be the year for post apocalyptic fiction, in no small way to do with the media beat up of the Mayan end of the world predictions. I heartily agree, not just because of his logical reasoning, but because if Jonathon Wise's new novel, Ferryman, is indicative of what's turning up in 2012, I'm happy to read many more.

Ferryman is, in my mind, treating well worn tropes in a fresh way, and I am impressed with the extent to which he raised the bar in this sub-genre of science fiction. These are, in my mind, the main reasons why it is fresh:

1. There are no zombies.
2. There are no zombies. There, I got that out of the way.
3. While there have been top notch virus-based post-apocalyptic fiction in the past – the one that comes to mind as one of the best, was Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain, most such stories are focused on the main protagonists solving the problem – finding the cure for the virus, snuffing out the contagion, or some other rescue technique. This is goodness, but it is also, in mind, rather well-worn. Ferryman is clearly about the effects of the virus that affects humanity (and in fact, most animals – naaaasty), but this is secondary, the backdrop. This story is about people – how they are affected in various ways by a catastrophic disaster and how the human spirit rises. Again the human spirit thing is not new, but the way Wise balances the science/effects and placing focus on those who survived, is remarkably fresh.
4. This isn't about good versus evil, which is so well constructed by Stephen King in The Stand. There is definitely evil generated in the aftermath of the pandemic, but it isn't intrinsic. It has reasons attached to it, explored in detail by Wise's excellent narrative. There are moments in his story that wrench your heart – both in terms of brutality as well as sacrifice or unjust loss among some of the characters the reader emphathises with – this is a differentiating feature of the Ferryman.
5. The conclusion. I won't give it away, but I found it appropriate, well balanced, and unexpected. We don't have a cataclysmic good versus evil clash, nor a laboratory cure of a disease. But we have a very good ending nevertheless.

Ferryman is appropriately titled because the main protagonist is a man who, through complex and evolving reasons, turns into a hero. A man who saves others, by getting them from one place to another. A ferryman. Wise develops complex and vivid characters, which is certainly another key feature of this novel.

This is a stand-out novel of 2012, and well aligned with the popular interest in post-apocalyptic fiction (I should mention here that no mention is made of the Mayan end of world prediction – this is also, in my mind, refreshing).

Five well deserved stars.
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