Star Wars Adjacent

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is a huge thing right now - well, okay, it's been going on for well over 30 years; since 1977 - and it's still going.

I think I saw the first one, but was too young to remember seeing it. But by the time the next few came out, we did go and see them; and I was old enough to remember seeing them and have the Star Wars fever that accompanied them.

Now, there's an author out there who's writing books about Star Wars: Chuck Wendig. He's written a book I'm currently reading titled 'Star Wars Aftermath', and it's the first in a trilogy. I first heard about it when it came out in September - but only online. So, when I found it in a local bookstore, I jumped on it and bought it immediately. 

Very cool!

And yes, this Star Wars is everything to do with the Star Wars everyone is watching right now. I love it in every way. It's written in first person, it's filled with action, filled with page-turning adventure and passionately written! 

I haven't gotten halfway through the first book yet. 

So, while everyone is rushing around the stores looking for that last minute present for the person they forgot on their list, go out and buy this book. It's well worth it! Or better still, buy it off Amazon and get it delivered before Christmas, so you have something to dive into while everyone is in the food coma over the New Year. 'Star Wars Aftermath' by Chuck Wendig... I love it! It's got everything about Star Wars... it's adjacent to Star Wars, and it'll keep your mind and imagination ready for the next one - yes Star Wars VIII; seeing you've just see VII. Until my next post, happy reading.

Ray Bradbury's House Demolition

I read recently that the famed - and one of my favourite writers of all time - Ray Bradbury's house has been demolished.  It was bought last year for over one million dollars and the person who bought his lovely yellow home had demolished it over the last few days.

I'm astonished that the fan of the writer didn't really care about what happened to the house, he just wanted to change the whole thing.  He said wasn't anything he expected and so went ahead and changed it... not expecting any backlash.

However, the people of the neighbourhood were astonished to find Ray's former home being pulled down was the most dreadful thing to have happened; as the writer lived in the house for over 50 years.

Find the whole article below.

The Rest of Ray Bradbury's Home

'Breeders': Book One - by Ashley Quigley

Ariet lives in a protected world free from diseases, free from abnormalities and free from anything from the outside world - better known as the Old World, which was destroyed by the Great Illness.  She lives in a world where her every movement is carefully monitored, measured and manipulated to the smallest degree - even what she eats and how much food is permitted to each family is carefully shared out.  Her very existence has been tested and scanned by the Creators of the New World so she and her family works at their best.
In this New World, the people must pick out their breeding partners - and their life partners - by the age of 21 so they can procreate at the best time in their lives and have the right amount of genetically healthy offspring to keep their families going.  However, Ariet has reached 20 and she has yet to find a partner; so one will be picked out for her by the Creators.  Not only is this a creepy thing to do in her eyes,but it's something she hates; seeing her parents were picked for each other.  But the Creators have been watching her carefully and have found her a perfect match - Mason Black; a Creator.  This stuns and horrifies her as she is told she will never see her family again and she is to procreate within the month of meeting him.  
At first, she goes into mourning and shock as Mason tries to help her adjust to her new life in his home.  He makes her meals, takes her out and talks to her, but she hates him, hates what's happened and wants to go back home.  He also wants to go home, as he was ordered away from his girlfriend and given Ariet as a mate instead.
As their new lives together continues over the next month, both Ariet and Mason find out that not only her name replaced by a number for the first fortnight, but her family has been told Ariet is dead. Ariet finds out that he's the grandson of the head Creator of the New World; and she hand picked Ariet to be his mate for him.  
Almost as soon as they have been ordered to, Ariet falls pregnant.  However, on their second visit to the medical centre, they are told there are problems with the fetus and it must be terminated; and a date is set for termination within a week or so.  Once home, Mason lets Ariet in on a secret about the termination - that it's not only the fetus which is killed, it's also the mother who is also killed, as she is seen as defective too.  
By this time, Mason and Ariet have begun to have serious feelings for each other, and they start to put together a plan to get her out of the New World (which doesn't sound like such a great place to live after all) and into the Old World - which they have all be told is empty, filled with disease and has nothing to live on in it.  So, the plan is hatched between Mason, Ariet and Thor (Mason's best friend) to get her and Mason out of the New World... but when Mason volunteers to stay behind to make sure no more mother's are terminated with their 'defective' babies, Ariet wonders if she will ever see him again... and will Thor and her survive in this strange Old World they really know nothing about?

This book is a first of a trilogy.  I'm looking forward to reading the other two when I find them.  The 'Breeders' Trilogy is her published set of novels, and I'm impressed with how wonderful the prose is and now, I want to read the others when they are available.

Five Years and Two and Half Months

Last night, I crawled into bed at the ungodly hour of 1am.  Yep, I was up late burning the midnight oil to finish off writing a trilogy of books which have taken me five years and two and half months to complete.

Yes you read right!

'Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter - Book 3' has been finally finished as of 12:10am this morning.  I wrote the last line, saved it and then read the last two paragraphs back... it was almost perfection.

Almost...

I was too bloody tired to do anymore work on it.  So, I closed down the computer and went to bed.

Today, I looked at it with my eyes hanging out of my head and a coffee attached to my right hand and found what I had written wasn't all that bad!  All it needed was a bit of fleshing out and... well... that was it - so far.

I'll save it again and leave it for a few weeks and go back to it later.

What is my next project?  Well, I have about 60 Flash Fictions I've written over the last 2 years I'd like to sift through and put into a book... but they need grammar checking and looking at by my writer's group.  So, after looking at which ones I'd like to put into the book, I'll start editing them.  This should take another year or two before publication.

Until my next post, happy reading!

'Body Rentals' by Mark Gardner

Tom and Jean Smith are two retirees who are about to go on a two week cruise of a life-time.  However, they kind of want to rekindle their love life and so Jean suggests they go to Body Rentals and rent a couple of neat and sleek younger bodies to take on the cruise for a bit of fun!  It takes a bit of talking Tom into, but he warms to the idea, and without telling their friends or family of their plans, they go to the place and spend the money on renting out two younger bodies.

However, on their return home, Tom and Jean find out that their lives and identities have been stolen!  Their house has been sold, their bank accounts drained and the people who have been loaned their bodies have taken off!  Then, they run into their daughter, Kimberley, who doesn't recognise them; and they really wish they had told somebody about their plans of going to Body Rentals.  After chatting to her outside their soon-to-be-sold house, she gives in and goes and talks to the people she thinks is her parents while her younger-looking folks find themselves a hotel for the night.

The next day, Kimberley returns to the hotel they are staying at and promises to help them.  She talks to a few of her friends and, before they know it, they are told some cold hard truths about Body Rentals they don't want to know... such as:  they have only 4 months to find their original body before they expire. But first, they must find the original owner of the body they're in first; yep, the person they're in was stolen in the first place!  But will Tom and Jean Smith catch up with the mastermind of Body Rentals before it too late and save their marriage as well?

What takes place over the next twenty chapters of this short book is a non-stop adventure of two people who trusted a company which took and took without thinking twice about who they were harming.  I loved this book and over the last two days couldn't put it down!  Mark Gardner is a writer who lives in Northern Arizona with his wife, kids and pair of spoiled dogs.  You can find this book on Amazon and other good e-book stores for around $3.00.  Until my next post, happy reading!

How To Scare People!

Tonight, I listened to the radio.

Nothing out the of ordinary, right?  But what would you say if I listened to the original recording of 'The War of the Worlds' by H.G Welles?  Yeah... got your attention, didn't I?

Well, I did.  And you know?  It was a little wonder people in half of America were scared to death of what he did.  He didn't introduce his radio show!  He just began reading the damned thing!

Talk about how to scare you audience!  But he was great at science fiction... and it was how to grab the public's attention which got me.  Welles' used a radio show to make his work come to life in such a way that it kept me glued to the stereo for the whole time.  It was amazing how I could visualise everything he and his crew of actors were doing - how devastating it was all coming across as.  It was absolutely heart-breaking to hear it all and yet, I didn't need to see any of it.  

This was the amazing part!  

So, instead of me blabbing away here talking about it, here's the link to youtube so you can listen to it:

The War of the Worlds broadcast 1938 

And just in case you wanted to know more, I thought to include the report about it all too.

PBS Remembers H.G Welles' Reading 'The War of the Worlds'

Until my next post, happy reading!

They're Everywhere!

I've been noticing that when I'm not looking a particular author's work will pop up everywhere!  And I mean everywhere!  I've been finding Piers Anthony books throughout my local Life Line Charity store lately; and they're going for $3.00ea... what a steal!  Quite a few of them are First Editions and they're in great condition too!

Have you found any books from a particular author which has suddenly just popped up somewhere and you can't seem to stop finding them?  Until my next post, happy reading!

Instore or Online

Recently, I was online looking at what some of my writer friends overseas had published and asked Chuck Wendig which of his books would be the best to start with in reading - as I didn't want to buy one and find that I had come in halfway through a series if he was writing his books this way.  He recommended 'The Blue Blazes' and 'Blackbirds'.  So, I jumped onto the QBD site and found his books were there! Yay!  But... when I found myself at the Garden City branch of the store the next time I was up there, they told me that I could only order his books off their online store; damn!  
There was another way:  I could order them instore but they could take up to 3 weeks to arrive; due to them being an overseas order.  Hey that was cool... I mean, I didn't mind waiting for that long.  So, I paid a deposit on the books to make sure they arrived, and then waited about 3 1/2 weeks for them to arrive today!  Very cool!

Now, I do this a lot. I look around online for things I want, then go out and find them instore.  And if I can't get them instore, I ask if they can order them in for me.  A lot of the times the store can get them in but it does take time and a small deposit.  

So, do you do this kind of thing?  Or do you do you most of your shopping online for your books, e-books or other products?  Seeing I don't have a debit or credit card, I like to go out to the shopping centres and take the time to enjoy the social aspect of book-shopping.  It's fun; and makes book-shopping very interesting too as you never know what you're going to find.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Sci-Fi Month At Logan Libraries!

This month is Sci-Fi Month in all Logan City Libraries!  This is where authors, sci-fi books and themes take place throughout the libraries around Logan City here in Brisbane and everyone who loves this kind of genre gets in and enjoys themselves.

During past events, these libraries throughout Logan City have had authors talk about their books, how to write sci-fi, publish the genre and how to make and create complete worlds, languages and other-worldly realms seamlessly in the sci-fi genre you're writing in and make your readers believe it along with you.

This month there's some great writers who are gracing the libraries where I live and are talking about how they got published and how they created their worlds and have kept on creating them without fault.  I'm going to an event on 17th, August at the Logan North Library to see Rebecca Timmis talk about sci-fi and world-building (as I'm having a problem with keeping my sci-fi worlds intact once their built).  Bookings are essential through the Logan Libraries or through the Logan City Council website.  Until my next post, happy reading.

Ged Maybury's Book Launch

Yesterday, and over the weekend, was the Logan Arts Festival at the Kingston Butter Factory.  However, I only arrived there for the afternoon yesterday to do a speech for Ged Maybury and it finished up for this year.  

I wish I could have spent more time this year than I did.  But I had a family get-together for the first year that marked the passing of my Uncle Allan from Prostate Cancer last year.  We all had brunch at The Coffee Club at Stones Corner and Mum, Dad and I made it to the Kingston Butter Factory by around 1:30pm.  We managed to have a good look around, grab a coffee and enjoy some great live music while we were there.
And I also touched base with The Logan Writers Group to let them know I had arrived for Ged Maybury's book launch - as I was to launch him and his book with a speech.  However, he hadn't arrived as yet, so this gave me time to sit and relax to take in a talk from the organisers of the whole event.  I enjoyed knowing exactly who was working so hard to have us artists heard.

However, soon enough, it was time for Ged and I to take the stage.  Beforehand, I called Mum and Dad to let them know it was about to happen and they showed up and I introduced them to Ged and Anna (Ged's wife) and soon, he and I were preparing the stage to do the book launch.  I nervously took the microphone from the spokeperson of our group and I found myself full of nerves and fumbling my way through my very organised speech... don't you just hate that!  Yeah, me too.
Well, I made it through and everyone laughed in the right places - especially when I said I was nervous - and finally, Ged had a giggle over my nerves too; as he was almost as nervous as me!  So, I guess they're catching.  Anyway, here's the photo album to the day.  I enjoyed myself... as did Ged, Anna and my folks. Until my next post, happy reading.

Logan Arts Festival 2013     

'Nosebleed' by Ged Maybury

Hamish Zupanek suffers from nosebleeds - lots of them.  But that's because his finger spends a good lot of time up one or both of his nostrils investigating to see if he's been abducted by aliens.

Hamish has it into his head he's been abducted by aliens and so he's collected a lot of information about things from outer space.  Whenever he's out at garage and yard sales, he seems to hone in on all kinds of things about them; which annoys his family to no end. But his best friend, Trev, is right there with him on the whole thing - selective chicken blindness and all!   
However, it isn't until Hamish 'meets' a friend on the net that things get really interesting.  There's codes to be broken, language barriers that weren't there before, but are there now... and all of this begins to scare Hamish.

Then, his internet friend wants to meet him - in person - and he has groundbreaking news for Hamish which will blow his mind.  Will he meet him?  Or is it all just a dream caused by a massive loss of blood from too much nose-picking?

I've been given this book to read now - a month before its release onto the market - and I love it!  It's funny, very Australian, and I know where the places are in it that Hamish go to.  It's a great little book to read in a day; or a few hours at least, so escape the world for a while.  Well worth the time to get into it.  Until my next post, happy reading!   

Book Blogs

Okay, this sounds really confusing, but do you like to read book blogs?  I don't mean blogs that are about book reviews, I mean blogs that have books written into them?  I run two such blogs and they've got a small number of followers - and any number of looky-loos who just drop in to have a read once in a while.  So, do you read book blogs and enjoy reading an unknown author's written works?  If so, let us know of some of the blogs you all follow and read.  Here are my two.

Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter 

Okay, this one is of novella/short stories.  But please do start with Chapter One - Initiation (book 1) and go from there otherwise you won't know what's going on; as it juxtaposes back and forth between the stories from time to time.  I have had some great feedback from this blog from people all over.

You Can't Go Back: And Other Impossibilities  

This one is of vampire romance and other mixed stories from time travel, weirdness and darkness I've only thought of while traveling around on holidays, had nightmares about (and thought would make a great story and found they did) and anything else I can think of to write... these are the odds and ends of the 'what if...' situations that run through my brain from time to time.  And yes, I did get published.  But it's fun to read the collection of stories here; and I will be adding to them soon as well.

I hope you guys enjoy these two blogs for your reading pleasure.  But do let us addicted to reading just about anything know of any blogs you've discovered where an unknown author has put their work on a blog to entertain the masses.  Until my next post, happy reading!  

Wet Day Thrift Shop Finds

Today, it's cold, wet and miserable... and this week isn't going to get much better!  It'll be wet, rainy and cold.  So, today, I thought to relish in this Wintery weather and get out in it.  I had spent two days inside doing what I could to keep myself from going stir crazy; now it was time to buy some veggies from the new fruit shop down the road and books from the Thrift Store as well.

So, off I walked, all rugged up in my coat and Docs down the road and I found plenty of books to add to my collection - and here's me saying I was going to be good this year!  Yeah, sure!  Anyway, I took my blue shopping trolley along because I knew I'd have some heavy stuff to bring home.

The books that were there were amazing. I even found one by a politician (Paul Keating!) and quickly put it back.

However, I found some books I've wanted to read for ages and yet haven't been able to find, such as: 'He's Just Not That Into You' by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo, 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' by Louis De Bernieres, 'Temple' by Matthew Reilly and a couple of others that I never thought I'd find: 'Sally's Story' by Sally Morgan which is a childrens' version of 'My Place' by the same author.  Then, I found 'Roget's Thesaurus of Synonyms & Antonyms'.  It was printed in 1972 and I thought I'd never find this book anywhere as they are out of print in this style.  So, I grabbed that and put that in my bag.  Then, I found a really cool book that wasn't in the shelves, 'The SF Collection'  This book is in hardcover, rather light-weight and very much full of short stories from every sci-fi author around from the classic Isaac Asimov to Anne McCaffrey.  Brilliant!  I'm so happy I bought all these books today.  They are sure to be read in the next year and reviewed.  I can't wait to get my nose into them all at some point in time.

Well, what have you bought recently?  Were they thrift-store bargains, or brand new purchases?  Until my next post, happy reading!

Prophets of Science Fiction

I've been watching this fantastic show on SBS over the last few weeks called 'The Prophets of Science Fiction' where futurists and Physicists are looking at sci-fi writers and finding that their books and stories from the late 1800's all spoke about what has gone on in today's world.

They covered great writers such as George Lucas, H.G. Wells and Isaac Asimov who all spoke of robots either helping us or hindering us, lasers, space travel and things that just didn't exist in their times.  I found it an absolutely brilliant show and didn't wish to miss it.  

On this show, they cover everything in a particular writer's life from where they were born to how many books they wrote and to how their work has affected our lives today.  It's amazing how much we do lean back on authors of the past to figure out what we need to do with science today; as they were our futurists of today in their own time.  Unfortunately, not a lot of them were taken seriously and when they tried to talk to people about anything, they were shut down quickly as what they said usually scared others.  So, the only way they could get their messages across to the public was through fiction; as it was less confronting and easier to accept, because it couldn't actually happen... could it?

That's the beauty of science fiction.  You can make up the most incredible things and - you never know - it may come to be accepted into society fifty years from now.  As it has written into a book by H.G. Wells that an Atom Bomb was used in one of his war-time books, around a century later, it was actually put to use in World War II (this was quoted in the show and it gave me the creeps).

Last night was the final of the show and I was kind of sad it was gone.  However, I do hope they put up another show of it as I find this kind of thing fascinating; to talk about authors and their works this way from specific genres.  It helps us understand the way people think and how particular authors lives, wrote and how they saw the world.  Have you seen this show?  If so, what did you think of it?  I thought having Ridley Scott as the host brilliant; and they were interviewing a host of other futurists and physicists was a great initiative as well.  I'd watch it again if something like it was brought onto the air again.  Until my next post, Happy Reading. 

My Guilty Pile

As you've all read below, I've broken a toe on my left foot; and now I have a week or so to sit around get some serious reading done.  So, today, I pulled out my trusty backpack which traveled around the UK with me in 1997 and brought it upstairs with me to pack with the books that I've got by my bed.  All of these books have been started, but not finished.  These books are my Guilty Pile; the books that haven't been finished but were great when I started them.  Have you got a pile such as this? I'm sure you have and just haven't gotten around to finishing any of them.  

Well, my broken toe has given me the opportunity to get in and do some serious reading; starting with these books.  And here's the list:

'The Dreaming Void' by Peter F Hamilton

'The Troy Game: Hades' Daughter' by Sara Douglass

'11-22-63' by Stephen King

'The Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes In New England' by Brock Clarke

'Star-Begotten' by H.G. Wells

'Oryx and Crake' by Margaret Atwood

'Neuromancer' by William Gibson

'Redeeming the Rogue' by Donna MacMeans

'Owls Do Cry' by Janet Frame

So, there you go.  My pile of books that have been sitting by my bed waiting for me to finish them.  I'm ashamed to have let them stay there for so long and not finish them.  I hope to finish them - one by one - soon and let you in on how good they were.  Which books do you have that are sitting awaiting for you to finish them with a bookmark a quarter or halfway through them?  Have you picked them up and finished them, or are they still waiting for you?  Or did you do what I did and almost forget them?  Until my next post, happy reading!

Lost In Translation

Last night, I stayed up late and watched the film version of 'The Wave' by Todd Strasser.  The book was based in the same place as the real-life incident: California.  However, the film was made in Germany;  so there were sub-titles.  I love foreign films and didn't mind this.  However, I thought it would have been better if the movie had stayed true to its word of the book and kept the characters and storyline in the place it originally took place; even though it was a more modern and up-to-date way of looking at things.

In this 2008 movie, they used the internet, MySpace, texting and e-mail.  I also found that the old-fashioned ways of bullying and gang warfare was still around and mixed in very well.  However, it still missed the point in that this is an American-based book; and this movie version disappointment me a bit, even though the plot and the way the story carried along was quite strong I did get lost a little in some places because the actions moved faster than the words on the screen.  And this is where it being made in English would have paid off.  

This isn't the only book where it hasn't been translated onto the silver - or small - screen well.  And it's not the author's fault for signing off to the wrong people.  They are made promises and the promises aren't held up; making the films one-sided and totally missing the point.  

I have noticed that 'The Stand' by Stephen King could have been made better.  It was a two-part tele-movie where the first part kicked-butt, and yet the second part fell apart.  However the book was a brilliant read!  And that's the thing with his books, a lot of them don't translate well onto the screen; and it's because they are multifaceted and the directors and screen-writers can't get the same feel as Stephen King into the scripts as he does in his own books.

However, there's always the other way around.  Yes, I've seen books that are drawn from films; and some work but most don't.  For some reason, there's people out there who think that a film/movie would make a good book, but when it does come out, it's a big farce.  I remember when 'The Fifth Element' came out as a film it was a funny and fun thrill ride with Bruce Willis out there saving the world and universe (well, okay, when doesn't he?).  However, about two years later, I found the book to it as a novelisation of the movie; and wondered who's bright idea that was.  I bought it to see how bad it was, and didn't get past chapter two when I gave it away.  It was the corniest, most far-fetched and dreadfully-written book I've ever found; and I swore I'd never buy another.  

Then, my brother asked me to look for 'Johnny Mnemonic'.  I knew it had been a movie as he had rented it out on VCR when I was younger, however, I didn't know it was book now.  It took me four years to find it, and it was the only book I found was worth finding.  After I gave it to Gabe (my brother), he read it and said it was just as good as the film.  However, I just looked up this movie, and it's from a book by William Gibson; this means we were both misinformed.  Now that says something about good writing.  You've either got it; or you don't... which means, you can either grab the action, feeling and dialogue from the film, silver and small screen and put it onto the page properly or you can't.  

Are there any books that you know of that have translated to the big screen - or even the small screen - that have done it well?  Or have there been movies that have done the switch to books in just the same way in a very good way?  Drop me a line and let us all know which ones are your favourites.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Oooh! Old Sci-Fi to Read!

I love receiving books - any books - from relatives and today I received a phone call from Mum who bought some books at a club she attends last night for next to nothing.  I'm thrilled to find she picked up books that I've been looking at to read lately; and wanting to read as well.

The Pilgrimage' by Paulo Coelho was one book I've wanted to read for a while; and now I own it, I can delve into its pages like I did 'The Alchemist' and enjoy his poetic writings.  Then, there's 'Star-Begotten' by H.G. Wells.  This is one book I haven't heard much about, however, I have read 'War of the Worlds' and loved it; and did wish to read more of his works.  I do look forward to reading this one as well.

There are titles and authors I haven't heard of, however, such as 'The Martian Inca' by Ian Watson, 'The Exile Waiting' by Vonda N. McIntyre, 'The Pastel City' by M. John Harrison and 'Shockwave Rider' by John Brunner.  And even though these authors are unfamiliar, I will read them to see how they write; and find out if they have any other works out there I can read and review for you all.  

There is another sci-fi book in the pile I received.  It's a very modern 'X-Files' book and I do look forward to looking into it.  A lot of these books are normally taken from the shows or they're stories about how the shows were written; so it should be a good book to have a look at.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Rainy Day Reading-Time.

Here in Australia, we've been having some really unusual weather.  With our Summer approaching, it's supposed to be getting hotter; however that's not what happening.  Instead, it's been staying cooler and it's raining as well.  We're getting our fair share of storms as we've been expecting, but it's the heat we're missing right now.

So, this is keeping me holed up in the house reading a great series of books that arrived on my doorstep about a month ago.  It's the Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian and I'm up to book four of six; and I'm reading these books at such a pace it's unbelievable!  I don't read books this fast usually and I'm just zooming through them as they're so addictive.

Before these, I was reading 'The Monkey's Mask' by Dorothy Porter.  This had me hooked from the first verse; and didn't let me go; what a book!  Otherwise, these next few books are going to be taking me right up until the Christmas holiday reading time where I'll get my nose into some serious sci-fi; as my Sci-fi bookbox came home this week.  In it, I found 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson.  This is a book I've had on my Bookcrossing wish list for a long time; and it was inside this box!  What a thrill to see it in there!  I'm looking forward to getting my nose into its pages when I'm at the coast.  Let's just hope it's not raining.