Lonfiction

Scalzi is brilliant on Art vs. Commerce in Genre Writing

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:30:50 GMT

I've long thought these kinds of conversations were just a tail-chasing exercise, but now I see that it's all in the nuance! ;)

The last few weeks in pictures (HAPPY ONES!!)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:31:30 GMT

Finally got around to pulling a bunch of pictures off my camera's card last night when I got home. Felt like posting a few of my favorites from the last month or so. (Orlando, Virignia, Ohio, Codex Writers Retreat in Chattanooga, and back home again.

Yes, Yes, they are behind a cut. These are the highlights. The truly masochistic can check out the whole unsorted and (not very accurately named) album for April-June 2008 here.

The F-1 Engine from a Saturn V Rocket.

Old spacesuit, Well-traveled.

Someone should tell the conspiracy theorists that the moon landing
was actually filmed at the Kennedy Space Center Museum...

View of a launch pad through palm trees.

At the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, VA
I prove once again my complete inability to read or
follow simple instructions.

Two nineteenth century gentlemen guarding the fire and warming their haunches in
one of the Poe Museum buildings.

The Center of the World is in Ohio, and it is very dark there. Who knew?
I'm told that the same man laterfounded a town called "End of the World" as well.

...which might leave the folks who live on this mountain in Virginia
a little upset. But at least the VIrginians are smart enough to have a good escape route
when Ragnarok comes around!

After Florida and Virginia (and Ohio again) I spent the last few days (Fourth of July weekend) at the Codex Writers Retreat. What a Blast! Despite what it looks like here, we actually did a lot of writing... I just managed to only get out the camera at meal times and breaks.

vylar_kaftan in the log house. A fine old building with numerous comfy couches, a balcony with quiet fans and a view of the woods, and a large conference area.

Don Mead and a bottle of what I think
the label calls "Writer's Little Helper" :)

NYT bestselling fun person princessalethea prepares freshments for Movie Night. She promises to write more, and soon. :P

Rick Fisher and amberdine on the porch where dreams become manuscript.

Not a great picture, but the only one I have of our exceptional hostess, maryrobinette.

amberdine and Chris looking on. We did the pizza on movie night, which was a fun bump in the routine. All the other meals were amazing and delicious recipes put on by maryrobinette with rowdy assistance from an able crew of sous chefs. I made my chocolate-blackberry-pecan dessert one night, which was a hit. It had no name beforehand; princessalethea dubbed it Lon's 'Ganza.

Mary's mom has a wonderful collection of face jugs. A couple more shots of those can be found here. Woodthrush Woods is home to an incredible, eclectic collection of art and oddities. It's a bit like the curiousity shop on that old Friday the 13th television show, but without the creepy factor. Shelves and walls are filled with interesting and inspiring things to look at, and every item has a history. Not only are the houses overflowing with interesting things for a writer to ponder, they possess a distinctive and friendly architectural character. If you are ever a guest, ask to see the infamous "Stairway to Nowhere."

Interesting ( in the way lots of stuff gets more interesting when traffic is not moving)
dynamite blasted rock in lower Kentucky,where bluegrass still has its own radio station.
A fact which made me happy.

Another roadside shot from the return trip. This one is an edifice alongside the interstate
down Cincinnati way that some local wags refer to as
"Touchdown Jesus"

Things of Beauty. Murder. Editing. Oh, and Even More Murder.

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 13:10:09 GMT

I see tbclone47 has added names and logo to the gorgeous wraparound cover for next Talebones. I usually appear on the covers of books and magazines under my psuedonym "Ann Dothers" (which they always misspell) so this is something of a departure for me. A very very pleasant one.

In other news, I've made happy use of my time at the Codex Writers Retreat. Since I got here late Thursday night, I've managed to knock out six shortish sections and five deaths (one reversible). Hey--if you're going to make an Alamo omelet, you have to kill cowboys! :)

Having a great time when not writing as well, hanging out with maryrobinette, vylar_kaftan, Rick Fisher, Don Mead, princessalethea, amberdine and Chris, and of course Mary's wonderful, hospitable parents. I'm sad to be headed home today, but duty calls.

On the home front, I've gotten some pretty cool news at work. I'm being transferred over to the part of my organization that edits and publishes the school's textbook and the quarterly journal of our field. I guess learning which was the pointy end of a semicolon has finally paid off! :D

And Finally, not one entry so far in the Jack Haringa MUST DIE Giveaway. What gives?

Murder (He Donated!)

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:07:06 GMT

Been quiet around here. Much reading, writing and traveling to keep me busy. I'll get around to posting a list of what I've read so far this half year, and maybe a stats update if I ever get a chance, but till then, a few items of note:

-In Novel-land, I killed off not one, but THREE named characters--and a slew of unnamed ones--in the last session. (Watch out, he's out of control and the power is going to his head!)

-Frontier Cthulhu didn't win the Origins award, but it was a finalist alongside some pretty heavy hitters. I'm thrilled just to have a book with one of my stories be among the final five nominees!

-Finished a new story for a themed anthology. "Symphony for the Aligning Stars" Got great feedback from first readers that was much appreciated and definitely made for a better story. Anxious to hear back from the editor on this one.

-Off to the Codex Writers Retreat tomorrow. Have a lot of writing to accomplish if we're to meet the deadline on the collab, and the end is in sight! Wish me luck.

-Jack Haringa Must Die was reviewed quite favorably over at this link. As you probably know it contains a haiku set of mine, and lots of cool, funny death scenes for our beloved mssrcrankypants. As you probably also know, the book is being sold as a fundraising vehicle of The Shirley Jackson Awards.

Now for the part you didn't know: I'm going to buy a copy of the book as a special gift for the reader who posts (in comments of this thread) a picture of the printed sign, billboard or newspaper headline that I feel "boasts" the most egregious violation of accepted spelling and grammar rules. You have to take the picture yourself, honor system applies. If I can't make up my mind because the egregiousness of it all is just too much to handle, I'll call on mssrcrankypants himself to settle the tie.

Contest ends 1159 pm EST on Thursday, 10 July, 2008. Winner will be announced by 12 July. Feel free to spread the word, all you grammar nuts and shutterbugs!

PS I am not affiliated with SJA, just a fan of what they are doing who wants to help out.

THE STRANGERS

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:56:37 GMT

THE STRANGERS: A good job of leaning toward creepy and tense scariness rather than gore. Solid pacing and skilled camera work. Overall a B effort, even though Liv Tyler crawling around on all fours for half the movie makes her look even more horsey than usual. The ending suffered from either a) a blatant desire on the part of the producers to ensure the IP has a good shot at being sold to a sequelizing machine a la SAW and Hostel, or b) a weak, cheapened denouement that takes the scariest element of aforementioned Hostel (that it's all being done purely for kicks: man's inhumanity to man) and turns it into a one-liner.

Scratch that, it's both.

Still, the movie has an above-average quota of chills and only one or two minor gaffs (in one scene the flaming wreck of the car is missing from the driveway) and forgiveable plot-divots. Worth a look, if you like psychological horror, or just a fairly fresh take on the serial killer genre. (Though I hate to go so far as to call it in that genre-- Despite the masked boogeyfolk, it holds more in common with Dead Calm than Friday the 13th, if you get my meaning.)

The New Slave Trade

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:29:59 GMT

Anyone not concerned about Trafficking in People ought to be.

Anyone who thinks they know what it's all about... probably doesn't know the half of it.

Anyone who wants to find out how much work there is for modern day abolitionists should click here and then here.

I didn't do it, but I can appreciate the urge

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:45:38 GMT

The Wacky Morning DJ says Democracy's a Joke...

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:12:32 GMT

Surreal is...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:33:06 GMT

Watching the black and white original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD* (as brought to you by the Right Rev'rend Chubby of the Cult of UHF) on my ipod and looking up every so often at throngs of other business travellers here in O'Hare.

Creepy!

After 16 days away from home **, I am sooo ready to get back. If the zombies--err, suits--don't get me first!

* It's research! No, really!! :D

** well, as close to home as a place I've only lived a few weeks can be. Heh.

The Differences We Make (a photo essay)

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 03:31:21 GMT

I haven't been much on church for a long time. I find I get more of a sense of the precious transience and absurd relevance of our time here by visiting cemeteries or staring off into the sea. They focus me in some way that pulpit posturing and shillyshally about the hereafter just isn't able to. On my way to take a few pictures of Lake Michigan, I noticed this small graveyard tucked out of the way in a corner of the naval base at Great Lakes. It lay surrounded by woods, a small parking lot and an unlabelled building that huddled close by like a protective mother. I got out of the rental car, intrigued.

It's as small a cemetery as it looks. A placard nearby claims there are 277 plots, but I would guess that more than half are not in use. At first it seemed like those interred here were predominantly World War I and II sailors buried from 1900-1950, with a sprinkling of WAVES and Korea/Vietnam veterans. There is also this.

Something like that always gets to me. I have often thought it would be one of the saddest things in the world to die with your loved ones never quite knowing for sure what happened to you. It's doubly cruel; a tombstone like that seems to mock the person buried there, saying that whatever good he might have accomplished in this world, however significant she has been in the lives she touched, it wasn't enough and it will forever after go unrecognized.

The cemetery has a section set aside from all the others. I thought these would be more ranks of veterans, but I was wrong.

I was shaken when I realized. On the verge of tears. I felt something close to shame as I looked over my shoulder at the UNKNOWN headstone. I had been ruminating on an unrecognized death, and here was an entire wing of the cemetery dedicated to lives completely unlived. I began thinking about how sad it must be to lose a child, and I spent a moment feeling that sadness and at the same time feeling grateful for the wonder of my girls and for the love I feel for them and from them.

I totally lost it when the full weight of this fell upon me.

Sixty years later, someone--probably his mother--
still remembers and treasures the son who died before he had a name.

I think overwhelmingly human revelations like this one are the reason I find a cemetery more focusing than a church pew.

People are capable of awesome and miraculous feats of unconditional love. Here and now. In this world.

And that's what makes the difference.

A Game for Your Saturday Amusement

Sat, 31 May 2008 17:34:21 GMT

Try to read this without letting your head jerk back in bafflement, or shaking it from side to side with a confused grin on your face. Bonus points if you can make it through the whole thing without thinking once about how different the article would be if you were the subject.

Yeah, I didn't make it very far either. :D

Wiscon Blur

Fri, 30 May 2008 04:37:11 GMT

Much of it is a blur, and I spent too much time hanging out with too many new friends and old to list everyone. But here's a quick set of highlights, some of which might even be in correct chronological order. :)

Friday

After a short two hour drive while under the influence of EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL (courtesy of the sweet and effervescent good_bye_kitty) I made it to Madison just in time to enjoy oyster shots and Japanese Fusion cuisine with maryrobinette, cat_rambo,vylar_kaftan and her dearly beloved. Got registered, checked in at the El Cheapolodge down the road, and went to a number of parties. Ran into many fine folks, and found out from Brad Beaulieu at the last minute about a midnight reading. All the readers put in solid efforts, but alexotica stole the show with his one-man performance of Zombie Romeo and Living Juliet's balcony scene. At some point that night I took this picture of Madison's Cthulhu tribute statue.

See how cleverly the local cultists have disguised it? Oh, they're wily in Wisconsin, I tell you!

Saturday

After some technical difficulties, I was able to get El Cheapolodge's wifi to connect to my Wii. Afterward, I was able to skip out from the con for a few Mario Kart Wii play dates with my girls over the next couple days. (Not the same as being there, alas, but fun and worth every minute of techsupportphonehell nonetheless.) When I made it back con-side, I sat in on an interesting panel Rick Bowes was moderating on Collaborations. Then hit up the dealer room where I was delighted to purchase a couple copies of joshrountree's Can't Buy Me Faded Love. After various random conversations with various random cool folks, I met up with tbclone47 and the two of us headed out for burgers, fries and glorious Red Robin dipping sauces. We got back in time for the parties to be kicking off. I got a charge out of Tobias Buckell's opener for Sly Mongoose and the reading by Alex Bledsoe. Was quite surprised to see morvenwestfield. We kept running into each other throughout the con afterward. I think this was the night I met snurri at his shared launch party too. But it is all a blur so that might have been one of the other nights. heh.

Sunday

Overslept bigtime today, making the decision to stay another night kind of a foregone conclusion. Bought some lovely trinkets for my girls in the dealer room. Sat in on the Taboo reading put on by Vylar, jenwrites, mkhobson, and one other person whose name would be so much easier to remember if I had my program here, or if it was available online The gal whose name I can't recall gave a phenomenal reading. Need to remember to figure out who she was and look for more of her stuff. The other readers put on solid non-PG fun readings as well. I'm really glad Vylar's bit of bathroom reading material didn't proceed in the coprophagic direction. After, I wandered out to the goblinfruit reading. Despite being off-site and put up against the Strange Horizons tea, this reading was robustly and rambunctiously attended. I read GF poems by mtentchoff,dkolodji and samhenderson, as well as my own from the next issue. The event was a great success. I suspect the Goblin Fruit/time_shark rivalry has just escalated quite a few notches. :) The Wiscon stomach bug was in full force by now, but I avoided it.

Monday

Just hung out at the con, chatting with tbclone47,tithenai and mer_moon. Back in the dealer room,

ktempest convinced me that I really wanted to buy A Secret History of Moscow and so I did. With my buying membrane newly busted, I went on to pick up Waldrop's A Better World's in Birth! especially since the vendor knocked it down by a third. I was pleasantly surprised to discover later that my copy is #500 of 500, and already signed. (That's one less thing to lug down to Armadillocon!)

Aftermath

Have finished reading Can't Buy Me Faded Love. I had already read early drafts of about two thirds of these stories, but rereading them was a rare joy; every one went down just as smooth the second time. The couple of stories that were new to me surprised and entertained. My favorites remain Can't Buy Me Faded Love and Gifting Bliss--oh! and Bury My Guitar at Wounded Knee--but everything else in there reflects the riotous, righteous energy of Rock n' Roll as translated through joshrountree's unique wawa bar. Howard Waldrop's call for assassination aside, I think he was a spot-on choice to introduce the collection; they both mine that weirdly historical and popular vein in ways that tend to tell us far more about the actual world than mere fiction has any right to. I have already given a copy of this book as a gift, and I'll probably do so again before too long. I'm biased perhaps, but I enjoyed this collection immensely.

Mean People Suck. Of the cons I've been to in the year or so since I started going, Wiscon came second only to WFC for me. Every person there (except for one blatantly dysmorphic and projecting soul) was happy to be there, upbeat and friendly. They were comfortable in their own skins and filled with joy. The thing I enjoy most at cons is hanging out having interesting conversations with interesting, happy people. There is a real positive energy to be found in the sense of community among fans of all stripes. Wiscon had a bigger share of this energy than most other cons I've been to. (Or so it seemed to me.) I felt bad to see such a happy experience twisted into a series of venomous images and commentary. It is really unfortunate that someone would be so unbalanced and full of pre-meditated ill-will as to do the crap she did. In mocking the wonderful people of Wiscon, regardless of their shapesizecolorgender, all she really did was show how much she despises who she really is, deep down inside her own whitethinfemaleskin where it counts. I hope she gets some therapy and maybe learns how to love herself--at least enough that she doesn't continue to lash out and hurt good-hearted people (and their children!!! GRRR.) who do not deserve it.

Read this far? Don't miss this last bit of ~~plugging~~ news!

Not so long ago, I participated in a mass hit on mssrcrankypants. Now the evidence is available to one and all as a fundraising project for the Shirley Jackson Award. Jack Haringa Must Die is a collection of grammatical deviltry and derring-do that can be yours for nothing more than a small donation supporting the cause of fine dark fiction. Look at that cover. Isn't it a thing of beauty? Did I namedrop all the cool people in it yet?

You know you want it.

Oh, the irony!

Wed, 28 May 2008 21:10:34 GMT

I will post a bit about Wiscon soon, promise.

I just checked my Gmail spam folder, as I do once a month or so, to see if any editor responses or other important emails were inadvertently tucked there. Generally, Gmail's spam blocker is exceptional; only rarely does spam get through to my inbox or good stuff get misfiled with the spam.

Today, of the 422 pieces of spam in the folder (which goes back 30 days), only 1 email was a good one that shouldn't have been there.

A Google Alert. :D

I Can Has PTSD now, but still no DEPRESSION

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:43:54 GMT

A decent writeup is here, but ignore the dog-and-pony-show hospital tour stuff. The really important part of this article, to me, is regarding Question 21 on the documents required to obtain and renew a security clearance.

I enlisted at age 17, became a part of the Navy's most academically challenging and stressful field: Nuclear Propulsion. Let me quantify that for you. In the eleven years I worked in that field, about two dozen of my fellow "nukes" at various duty stations attempted suicide--that I know of. Slightly less than half of them were successful. One friend was a gay man in a "marriage of convenience" with a serving lesbian. He took a stack of pills rather than seeking counseling for his depression and anxiety over getting "caught". If he had walked into a shrink's office or checked YES on the yearly medical exam "Are you or have you ever been depressed?" question, he would have set in motion of chain of events that would result in him losing his security clearance, his ability to work in the field he had trained in for over a year, not to mention a sizable portion of his monthly pay.

A handful shot themselves in the head. Some tried the razor blades in the bathtub technique. There was a bridge jumper, a person who walked deliberately into traffic, and a couple hangings and asphyxiations. Sleeping pills were very popular, particularly in the "cry for help" unsuccessful attempts.

There were probably a whole lot more than I know of... True or not, the common perception in the ranks at that time was that any depression or mental illness would get you de-nuked, and that your family would not get any serviceman's life insurance money if you killed yourself. I've wondered more than a few times how many accidental deaths in the nuclear field were not accidents at all.

And apart from suicides, there were lots of other responses that would indicate a higher than usual level of stress: alcoholism, binge eating, sleep disorders, rage issues, the list goes on.... One co-worker was found in the middle of an afternoon watch, buck-naked and catatonic sitting on top of some electrical cabinetry, drooling. Smelling salts did not affect him. When he finally spoke, the only thing we could make out was that he was "waiting for the bus to come take him home."

Some talked about paying out of pocket for mental health care and prescriptions, because the military doctors were bound to report anything that could impact security clearance. No doubt some followed through. Far more looked at the price tag and self-medicated with alcohol, herbal mood drugs and the ear of a shipmate instead. And even more than that made it through each day as best they could with no hope of relief--unless they were willing to trade their career for it.

So that's what I mean about it being a pretty stressful field. And nukes don't even get shot at, generally. Their job is keeping the lights burning and the shafts turning on the Navy's aircraft carriers and submarines. (And cruisers, once upon a time.)

Has Question 21 (and all the financial and career consequences that go along with it) stopped people who desperately needed help from getting it? Absolutely. On the personal sphere, I can tell you with no uncertainty at all: Had I still been in nuclear power during my recent divorce, I would not have sought out the trained help I needed to get through it. As it was, I refused to talk turkey with the counselor until he convinced me my problems were not of the "security clearance losing" variety. If that kind of thing happens in a relatively safe field like running the power plant of a capital ship, or my current position as a logistician, I can only imagine the effect of the mental illness stigma on those poor souls marred by the stress of actual combat. Not to mention pilots, ordnance techs and the intelligence community.

This Memorial Day, I am remembering those who have suffered needlessly while serving, and hoping the SECDEF doesn't let this initiative stop with a glad-handing hospital visit and some sound bites. Alleviating persecution based upon PTSD is a great first step, but it is just the tip of the mental health stigma iceberg.

Too many have already seen their lives fall apart in the name of retaining a security clearance, when the help they needed should have been available free of persecution.

Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:41:37 GMT

Bonus clip: New Book Reveals Wrestling Fans are Fake!

Wiscon-portunity Knocks!

Tue, 20 May 2008 05:05:21 GMT

Lucky scheduling finds me stranded not so far from Madison on a training junket in Great Lakes (home of Navy's sole surviving boot camp*) over Memorial Day weekend.

And Lo, some poor soul had to cancel and I was able to buy their membership!

So I'll be there for a big chunk of the events.

Talebones party, Goblin Fruit Reading and Journeyman Writers thingy are all on my list of stuff I want to try to make it to, once I nail down schedule.

Will I see any of youze guyz there? Anyone looking for a clean, non-snoring roomie for part of the weekend?

*Which reminds me... Whenever you people start thinking you should complain about a micromanaging boss, consider this before you do. That's right... My boss published a written instruction on how to wear underwear and where to write your name. I think that about trumps anything else out there. :)

Quote of the Moment

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:34:56 GMT

“The enemy is anybody who is going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.”

Joseph Heller

It's not supposed to be this hard / And something more important got blessedly easier

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:35:13 GMT

I defeated the tall grass in my new lawn, but not without casualties...

First I had to go across town so I could buy a used one from Craigslist. It worked fine there, so I took it home--where it refused to start. I fiddled with it for a good twenty minutes before I figured out the cable for the dead man grip was too loose, and obviously the seller had prestaged it to start with the actuator manually bumped open. Of course I figured this out AFTER I had already given myself a blister from trying to start it so many times.

So I manually bumped the actuator open and lo, it started, and I mowed.

Some. Because the safety thing shook itself closed and the mower cut off after about half the front yard. When I reached to push it back into position for re-starting it, I quite naturally burned my finger on the OHMYGODSCORCHINGHOT piece of metal dammit-thing. Blister #2.

Then I figured out a way to adjust it permanently that doesn't impede the safety cut off feature. (Go Me!) and kept right on mowing. (Intrepid, aren't I?) Kept right on mowing until the mower ran over this seekrit hidden pipe cover cleverly hidden in the tall grass. (Unlike the other one in the yard which is in a small clearing so as to make it visible.) The mower promptly makes a Popping-Screeching noise and a whiff of blue smoke escaped as the machine turned itself off. I was immediately worried about cracked engine stuff from the blue smoke, but it seemed to be fine for restarting...once I spent about fifteen more minutes straightening out the body of the lawnmower with a pair of pliers so it wouldn't impede the blade.

OK, so finally ready to go back and FINISH the front yard, which should have only taken 20 minutes, tops, and has now taken over an hour. Amazingly, I get that done. Then go to the rolling hill of my back yard... Where something in the angle makes the mower blade start hitting the body again. More fixing. And then something else (gremlins disturbed from their rest in the rusty pipe I hit?) makes the safety fix I had rigged, become, well, unfixed.

Ugh. So at least now the yard is finished. I lost just about every battle, yet the war itself is mine!

After all that frustration, I saw that my kids had called (here's where we segue into the part that makes me feel all better about the afternoon....) I called them back and let me say, getting them to talk for any period of time on the phone is tough. They are just at that age. But a tiny miracle happened today, perhaps instant karmic reconciliation for World War Lawn. My oldest (10) and I ended up talking for a very long time, probably a half hour. Pretty good when Dad has to fight for five minutes in a row on the phone.) And what, pray tell is it that would prompt my reticent eldest girl to be so chatty for so long?

The Zelda game on the Wii. :)

Hey, I'll take it.

Postpourri for Cornholers, Warren Ellis and the Rare Transylvanian Armadillo

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:50:03 GMT

- One thing I forgot to add to yesterday's list of anticipated reads is "Season 2" of Warren Ellis' newuniversal will be coming out very soon as well. Just in time to help with the sting of THE 4400 getting cancelled...

- I hope these fine neighbors of mine do not attract the wrong sort of company with their Craigslist ad. For those not familiar, the game involves sacks of corn being tossed at an inclined plane with a hole centered near the top. Scoring is similar to horseshoes. A decidely un-raunchy summertime game common in the South. Shame on me for spinning their ad that way. :P Shame shame.

- Mario Kart Wii comes out this weekend!

- Recently watched the 1931 Dracula again, turning on the new Philip Glass score about halfway through. Hadn't seen it since Saturday afternoon TV as a young'un. Love the score, and was interested to realize how much of my own emotional cues while watching movies are predicated by the music. I think I am going to look for the score for ipod or on disc somewhere because it struck me as being very good background music for writing; it had a strong sense of mood and motion, without being too distracting. Some of the best scoring occuring during the battle of wills scene between Drac and Van Helsing. Some other thoughts follow:

       -To a large extent the scenes were constructed like a play, with plenty of walking on and off the set. (Duh, as it said on the opening credits, it was based on a play!)

       -So much was left out that my adult mind would have sworn was included. Never once do you see Drac's teeth--in fact, he goes through odd facial contortions at times to keep you from ever seeing them. Ditto bitemarks. Every act of biting is accomplished, without fail, behind a blacked out screen or a cape or off screen.

       -If Hollywood ever wanted to refilm this loyally, the character of Renfield would have to be played by Jim Carrey pretending to be Brendan Fraser. Or vice versa.

       -The bats were hokey, but obviously the best they could do then. The rats and bugs coming and going from coffins were filmed in a way that even creeped this jaded 2008 dweller out a little. BUT THEN THEY HAD TO SHOW THE ARMADILLOS. I have no freaking idea what possessed them to add armadillos to this decrepit mountain castle scene, but there they are, in all their odd glory.

       -The words, when shown on screen were left there for a very long time. Particularly an extended newspaper clipping scene. I imagine this was because literacy wasn't what it is now, and they allowed plenty of time for slow readers to read it, as well as for someone to read it to their neighbors who had never taken up with book-learnin'.

       -Another noticeable sign of the times was the open air operating room. Brain surgery was going on in what was functionally the equivalent of a garage with two-deep seating along the walls.

       -At one point Drac says, very dramatically: "There are far worse things awaiting man...than death." Which struck me as a very Lovecraftian thing to say.

I checked this out from the base library, not realizing that it also contained the Spanish version of the original, filmed by night on the same sets, and Son of Dracula, Dracula's Daughter and House of Dracula. Enough to make a film fest all by itself--if I hadn't also checked out the The Wolf Man and Frankenstein DVDs. And each of them also contain several movies of their respective Universal Monster... Kind of a neat collection, though I doubt I'll watch much more than the classics, ie before they descended into pure campiness. Anyone out there have recommendations about which I cannot miss, and which I most certainly should avoid?

Can't Hardly Wait...

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:19:22 GMT

A season of good reading is nearly upon us. From the next couple days on out through June, a handful of books I have been eagerly waiting for will finally become available. Odds are good that these will be "drop all else" reads:

1) Cory Doctorow's Little Brother

2) Josh Rountree's Can't Buy Me Faded Love

3) Howard Waldrop's The Moone World

4) and of course, installment #1 of F. Paul Wilson's YA Repairman Jack prequels Jack: Secret Histories

Meanwhile the "Yet To Be Read Coalition of Bookshelf #1" are plotting a coup...

Postpourri for Uncomfortable Shoes and Armadillocon...

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:27:25 GMT

* A while back, a certain charming and respected angry black woman pointed out a mob of typically dismissive white males; I was a bit surprised to find myself among that mob. "Not me!" I thought. "All I was saying was that merit trumps gender quotas, and should." ABW's comments put me into uncomfortable shoes, probably some of the most uncomfortable I've worn in a while: being labeled as one of those who don't want to be educated. So I asked a different charming and respected female writer friend for her unvarnished thoughts on my comment/position, and the whole kerfuffle, and she was kind enough to enlighten me on some things. After quite a bit of thought, I've come to realize (1) I do carry more bias than I thought, and (2) that even at its very best, the world is still more full of hidden bias than those who are not its victims will ever realize. I'm forced to admit that much as I thought myself gender-blind and merit-focused, alas the bias shoes fit, if uncomfortably...I guess I'll probably never really be able to take them off. And that is the real lesson for me: Bias needs to be identified because it cannot be eradicated, and to assume that it can be (or has been) eradicated is dismissive and does make you a part of the problem. I'm grateful to the two aforementioned charming and respected women for helping me see how those uncomfortable shoes unconsciously affect every step I take, even when I think I am compensating enough to walk without a limp... Now as for not wanting to be educated: The day those shoes fit, feel free to cut me off at the knees.

Moving on...(this is a postpourri entry, after all...)

* My mad Texas Hold Em skills (aka "luck") won out. I entered a tournament at the Air Force Base and came in 1st of 37. No one was more surprised about it than me. Apart from a sweet $100 gift card, I won a week's worth of braggin' rights for the Navy, right'chere at Air Force HQ. =)

* Going to be in Great Lakes, IL for a couple weeks in May, including Memorial Day weekend. (Nothing like being alone in a strange town over a long weekend...) Any one in that neck of the woods want to meet up for dinner one evening or what have you? Email or post here if so.

* Since getting settled in to Dayton, the reading pile has been adding up. Latest Weird Tales, Talebones and Apex are on hand, don't get me started on novels and collections.... I did already slurp up the finale of Geoffrey Girard's CAIN XP11 in Apex. I enjoyed this serialization quite a bit. I predict there will be some criticism of the end feeling kind of cut short or emotionally rushed, especially given the twist the plot takes over the final installment, but I liked the way it ended nonetheless. The story was unafraid to be dark and horrific in a Shakespearean tragedy sort of way, reminding me a bit in the denouement of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Dead and Buried. CAIN XP11, over the course of four installments, managed to combine the guilty pleasures of a men's adventure series, serial killer documentaries, and some not at all overdone thematic brooding on the nature of good, evil, politics, aggressive violence and choice. It was largely this serialized novel, plus the stories like those by Cherie Priest, Gary Braunbeck, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ian Creasey--and of course Jennifer Pelland(!)--that earned my subscription renewal dollars when the time came last Xmas. Looking forward to reading the three great zines on hand.... Hopefully before the next issues arrive!

* I am dreadfully behind on emails and some writing commitments. Now that I am 98% settled in to Dayton, standby for a flurry of catching up.

* The compilation issue of The Sword Review #27 that contains my poem "Bearing His Crosses" is now available, alongside work by nancyfulda , stillnotbored , Terri Leigh Relf and many others. Also, I've gotten word that they will be including the same poem in their yearly anthology (Distant Passages, Volume 3.)

* I set up my leave days for Armadillocon. It may well be the only long distance con I get to for the rest of this year, so if you're going to be there, look me up!

* Well, back to bed, I guess. Darn after-work naps are going to have to stop, or I'll never get back on a regular sleep schedule...

Postpourri for Haunts, Abominations, Pulp and Poetry

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:28:25 GMT

* Don't usually watch TV much, but did catch the Ghost Hunters show on Wright-Patterson. Oddly enough, the episode before that (which I had on in the background just so I wouldn't forget to watch) investigated the Ledge Lighthouse in New London... clearly visible from my previous stomping grounds in CT. New London had no ghosties, but the buildings they checked out on WPAFB certainly presented as if something odd was going on there. Of course, it's far more likely that the Air Force was just testing out nano-robots, or inviso-suits or telekinesis enhancers or some other piece of tomorrowgear at the expense of our erstwhile Spook Chasers. As for the EMF reading bouncing around... I'm no expert, but I would suspect that some part of an operating military airport would be emitting an EMF reading or two. Fun to watch nonetheless.

Still doesn't explain the weird voice telling me to wake up yesterday, or the chills I get in the hallway and garage though. Just sayin. :-0

* It's official! My longest story (and probably darkest and grossest, too) has just been picked up by Shroud for their Abominations anthology. [ETA: The story is "Starvelito" approx 11K novellette!]

* A nearby con I just heard of is PulpCon 37. Anyone going or been to it before? It's too close to me to miss at least stopping in at, I think.

* I wrote this haiku today in a ~~flash of inspiration~~ fit of whimsy. Hey it's still National Poetry Month, ain't it?

There once was a 'ku
from Ireland, that didn't know
it was adopted

As the proud new resident of a state with a Springfield in it...

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:43:08 GMT

Let me be the ~~first~~ next to say: I heartily endorse this event or product.

On a side note, the sounds of the new home unit are creeping me out. I keep thinking I'm hearing things move around upstairs when I am downstairs and vice versa. Probably just ectoplasmic spillover from the haunted Air Force Base.* That, or maybe residual chills from INFERNO, which was a damn fine showcase of the entire spectrum of horror fiction. (And one I'm following up with LOST BOY, LOST GIRL, in those spare moments I am able to sit still for any length of time.)

Now back to unboxing everything I own and finding places to put it...

(*Hope my cable is turned on by then so I can watch the spookiness unfold as well.)

McNaughton's THE THRONE OF BONES?

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:09:33 GMT

While I was ostensibly dropping off excess books at the used store here that pays cash (aka procrastinating about painting the wall back to flat white...) I found a copy of THE THRONE OF BONES by Brian McNaughton.

Thing is, I have never heard of any of the stories inside, or the markets listed for most of the first appearance credits. (Apparently one was in World Fantasy 1990 pubbed by Weird Tales ltd. That one I'm familiar with!) But it looked interesting, had an afterword by S.T. Joshi, and featured some good old-style interior art, so I paid the book ransom and took it home.

So my question, oh smarter-better-read-than-me people: Is THE THRONE OF BONES worth hanging on to and eventually reading or what?

PS I don't mind email responses in lieu of LJ comments for those who prefer to give unvarnished opinions in private. [ Lon dot prater at gmail. ]

America's Greatest Export: Our Jobs and Our Standard of Living....

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:39:07 GMT

Forbes on America's impending disaster: Our kids face a lower standard of living because people in India are reading our CAT scans for us OHNOES!!!

OK, OK, They give it more depth and seriousness than that, and the facts are on their side...BUT.

As a country we aren't willing to value education. We love to talk the talk, but when it comes time to back it up, we eliminate funding for "Reading is Fundamental", or some other worthwhile program. Or allow our representative government to do so on our behalf. Same-same.

A long time back I attended a Franklin seminar (before the Covey merger.) There was an exercise there where you tracked how you actually spent your time/money and then compared it to what you said your values and priorities were. For me it was an eye-opener. After such an exercise, if you refuse to spend your resources on the things you say are important to you, then they aren't really that important to you.   It is intellectual dishonesty of the first order to continue paying lip service to one thing and paying cash money to fund something else.

I want to vomit every time I hear a politico using education as an election gimmick. None of them are really willing to commit the money to it. Other stuff is just too urgent, other ~~lobbyists~~ wheels are just too squeaky.

I know it's hard for a politician to sign off on good money being wasted on intangibles, especially while there's still some unpaved mountaintops in West Virginia or puppet governments to prop up/bomb into oblivion. But you know what I would like to see?

I'd like to see a politician make a stand to let the citizens put the money into education that the government finds it hard to do. I would love to see an America where every dollar spent on education, public or private, was deducted from your taxable income. And I'd like to see it go farther than that. I want an America where not only do education costs come right off the top of your taxable income, but your donations to scholarships do as well. While I'm at it: If churches can be tax exempt, then why not universities and schools?   Teachers are at the forefront of our daily "War on Stupidity"? WHY aren't their salaries tax-free, like soldiers' pay while serving in combat zones? Hell, some of our inner city schools SHOULD qualify as combat zones.

Washington and our state/local governments need to put up or shut up. The things you choose to spend your resources on ARE your priorities.   Collectively, our representatives have made it abundantly clear that this nation does not value education enough to spend any tax money on it; they are just too tempted to blow the money on other things. So why not apply another time honored principle to the problem and PAY YOURSELF FIRST? (ie let citizens spend what would otherwise become taxable income on the really important stuff before the government ever gets its mismanaging little paws on it.)

I'm ready for a sea change, a culture shift. I'm ready for an America that spends its time and energy (and money!) on the one thing we all agree is important: equipping our children (and ourselves as well) with knowledge and skill sets needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

And the only way it's ever going to happen is if we pay for what we value most, first.