I pegged Joe Hill as one to watch after reading his wonderful Heart Shaped Box. Now I've read his latest novel, Horns, and the peg ain't moving from the spot.
Horns defies categorisation - something I like in a book. Chances are you'll find it shelved under Horror, but it is by turns a mystery, a romance and a supernatural thriller.
It kicks off a little like a Twilight Zone episode, with Iggy Perrish discovering he's grown demon's horns overnight. The horns give him certain insights into other people's secret thoughts. The first part of the book presents a series of episodic encounters as Iggy meets - and discovers he can influence - various people he knows.
This first chunk of the novel is pure entertainment. The story is both comic and tragic. But then Hill delivers a real sucker punch as Iggy realises there are some secrets he'd rather not know.
It's from here that the novel starts revealing its onion-skin layers, as Iggy sets out to uncover the truth about the night his girlfriend Merrin was raped and murdered. Hill throws us a bunch of time-shifts, mixes Twilight Zone with a healthy dose of John Irving, and ups the ante with a truly terrifying psychopathic villain.
Throughout, Hill's real skill is in keeping our emotions firmly with Iggy, despite his gradual (is it real or not?) transformation into a full-blown demon. He even lets us into the psychopath's head and darn it if we don't get to understand him a little bit too.
Add in Hill's perceptive, confident prose and an explosive climax and you get a package that's really rather special. It's a week or so since I finished reading Horns, and it's still bubbling away in my head - always a sign of a class act. Despite the horns, Iggy Perrish is someone I'm not going to forget in a hurry.
Sympathy for the devil indeed.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Realms of Fantasy reborn - again
Hearty congratulations to Shawna McCarthy and Douglas Cohen and all the rest of the folks at Realms of Fantasy for the successful resurrection of their wonderful magazine. In case you didn't know, ROF went under early last year, only to be resurrected by Tir Na Nog Press. Sadly things didn't work out, and this year its death was announced for the second time. Now Damnation Books have raised it phoenix-like from the ashes. Talk about a rollercoaster.
I have a lot of affection for the magazine, not least because Shawna's published a whole bunch of my fantasy gumshoe stories. So Happy Thanksgiving, guys, and may you sell many copies in the future!
I have a lot of affection for the magazine, not least because Shawna's published a whole bunch of my fantasy gumshoe stories. So Happy Thanksgiving, guys, and may you sell many copies in the future!
Thursday, 11 November 2010
I blame Frank Darabont
I blame Frank Darabont and the walking dead.
It’s like this: I’ve become resistant to new TV shows. I think it’s partly because of the arc. Not Noah’s, nor that of the Covenant, but the one that means there’s no such thing as a series any more – everything’s a serial. I’m old enough to get nostalgic about all the old episodic cop shows and cowboy shows and yes, even SF or fantasy shows (not that there were so many around in the old days – all hail the wondrous infiltration of the genre into the mainstream, at least on the big and small screens). Back then, you got a story a week and if you missed one it didn’t matter, because there was no arc.
Now it’s different. Every series has a continuing story, complete with mid-season climax and end-of-season finale, which usually delivers the kind of twist or cliffhanger that leaves you climbing up the wall. Now don’t get me wrong. I love the epic storytelling that’s made possible by this format. The screen in my house is smaller than the one in the movie theatre, but the canvas is actually bigger. And spreading the budget means the writers have to focus on storytelling and character, which are the things that are really going to bring me back week after week.
The down side, of course, is when the writers lose focus. Or the show gets cancelled. I loved the first series of Lost. That bastard actually got my attention; it was the best thing I’d seen on the telly for years. Series two ... pretty good, but the finale left me literally screaming. Then it switched networks and I just couldn’t stay committed. I stuck with FlashForward, which began well, drooped in the middle and ended strong ... but then it was taken off the air. Sorry you invested, old chap, but you’ll never know how the story turns out. Thank you and good night.
I’m old-fashioned, you see. I like a story – however long it may be – to have a beginning, middle and end. And if the end is a cliffhanger, I want it to be because that was the writer’s intention, not because some network chief forgot where he keeps his testicles.
Also, the week after week thing can be a slog. I don’t know about you, but I’m a busy beaver. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone watch the boob tube. Committing to a regular time slot – 10pm Fridays, or 9pm Tuesdays or whatever – is a big ask. Yes, I can record the shows, but then they start stacking up. I have to make time to watch them. Suddenly I’m three episodes behind, and I can’t discuss the show with anyone for fear of spoilers. Oh the pressure!
The other solution is to resign yourself to being behind everyone else, wait for the DVD box set to come out (better still, to get cheap) and treat yourself to a concentrated blast. This worked a treat for me with Battlestar Galactica (which I only just finished watching this summer). By the way, I have to say Galactica is the single best thing to come out of US television for a very long time. Fabulous writing, awesome performances and at the end of it all a stunning and beautifully played-out conclusion. Beginning, middle and end, you see, with quality running through it like words through a stick of rock.
All of which brings me round to The Walking Dead. When I heard about the show, I waxed and waned. Did I really need another zombie story? But wait – the guy behind it is Frank Darabont. You know, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist ... in short, all the really good Stephen King adaptations (although let’s not forget Rob Reiner here, who also understands what King is all about. Will Ron Howard be up to the task of bringing The Dark Tower to the screen? Screens plural, actually, since I hear it’s going to be hitting both the cinema and a TV set near you. God, I hope so!).
Anyway, last Friday I tuned in to the opening episode of The Walking Dead, which has finally reached UK network TV. I enjoyed the first ten minutes in a routine way. It was smooth, with a patient, lengthy dialogue scene between the two cops right near the start. Then we reached the scene where our hero wakes up from a coma after the Big Zombie Event and starts exploring Wrecked Small Town America and I thought haven’t I seen all this before?
Then it all just kicked in. Smart pacing. The first proper zombie scenes. Some graphic violence – very graphic, actually, but beautifully controlled, and a milion miles from Danny Boyle’s epileptic undead in 28 Days Later (which I love, by the way). A slightly dodgy fake beard. A neat subplot about the father and son ... and the mother. A cop on a horse. Unexpected action in Atlanta. And, yes, a twist in the tail. And, what struck me most of all, particularly in the scene where the father’s got his undead wife in the sights of his rifle, and the cop tracks down the pathetic legless zombie he saw in the park to put it out of its misery, unexpected beauty and lyricism. In short, I loved it.
Will I be tuning in again next week? You bet. Am I glad to hear the show’s earned a second season? I’d have to be crazy not to. Am I twitchy about committing myself to a story that may never actually end? Yep. But this time I’m prepared to go out on a limb. Damn you, Frank Darabont!
It’s like this: I’ve become resistant to new TV shows. I think it’s partly because of the arc. Not Noah’s, nor that of the Covenant, but the one that means there’s no such thing as a series any more – everything’s a serial. I’m old enough to get nostalgic about all the old episodic cop shows and cowboy shows and yes, even SF or fantasy shows (not that there were so many around in the old days – all hail the wondrous infiltration of the genre into the mainstream, at least on the big and small screens). Back then, you got a story a week and if you missed one it didn’t matter, because there was no arc.
Now it’s different. Every series has a continuing story, complete with mid-season climax and end-of-season finale, which usually delivers the kind of twist or cliffhanger that leaves you climbing up the wall. Now don’t get me wrong. I love the epic storytelling that’s made possible by this format. The screen in my house is smaller than the one in the movie theatre, but the canvas is actually bigger. And spreading the budget means the writers have to focus on storytelling and character, which are the things that are really going to bring me back week after week.
The down side, of course, is when the writers lose focus. Or the show gets cancelled. I loved the first series of Lost. That bastard actually got my attention; it was the best thing I’d seen on the telly for years. Series two ... pretty good, but the finale left me literally screaming. Then it switched networks and I just couldn’t stay committed. I stuck with FlashForward, which began well, drooped in the middle and ended strong ... but then it was taken off the air. Sorry you invested, old chap, but you’ll never know how the story turns out. Thank you and good night.
I’m old-fashioned, you see. I like a story – however long it may be – to have a beginning, middle and end. And if the end is a cliffhanger, I want it to be because that was the writer’s intention, not because some network chief forgot where he keeps his testicles.
Also, the week after week thing can be a slog. I don’t know about you, but I’m a busy beaver. Sometimes it’s hard to find time to eat, let alone watch the boob tube. Committing to a regular time slot – 10pm Fridays, or 9pm Tuesdays or whatever – is a big ask. Yes, I can record the shows, but then they start stacking up. I have to make time to watch them. Suddenly I’m three episodes behind, and I can’t discuss the show with anyone for fear of spoilers. Oh the pressure!
The other solution is to resign yourself to being behind everyone else, wait for the DVD box set to come out (better still, to get cheap) and treat yourself to a concentrated blast. This worked a treat for me with Battlestar Galactica (which I only just finished watching this summer). By the way, I have to say Galactica is the single best thing to come out of US television for a very long time. Fabulous writing, awesome performances and at the end of it all a stunning and beautifully played-out conclusion. Beginning, middle and end, you see, with quality running through it like words through a stick of rock.
All of which brings me round to The Walking Dead. When I heard about the show, I waxed and waned. Did I really need another zombie story? But wait – the guy behind it is Frank Darabont. You know, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Mist ... in short, all the really good Stephen King adaptations (although let’s not forget Rob Reiner here, who also understands what King is all about. Will Ron Howard be up to the task of bringing The Dark Tower to the screen? Screens plural, actually, since I hear it’s going to be hitting both the cinema and a TV set near you. God, I hope so!).
Anyway, last Friday I tuned in to the opening episode of The Walking Dead, which has finally reached UK network TV. I enjoyed the first ten minutes in a routine way. It was smooth, with a patient, lengthy dialogue scene between the two cops right near the start. Then we reached the scene where our hero wakes up from a coma after the Big Zombie Event and starts exploring Wrecked Small Town America and I thought haven’t I seen all this before?
Then it all just kicked in. Smart pacing. The first proper zombie scenes. Some graphic violence – very graphic, actually, but beautifully controlled, and a milion miles from Danny Boyle’s epileptic undead in 28 Days Later (which I love, by the way). A slightly dodgy fake beard. A neat subplot about the father and son ... and the mother. A cop on a horse. Unexpected action in Atlanta. And, yes, a twist in the tail. And, what struck me most of all, particularly in the scene where the father’s got his undead wife in the sights of his rifle, and the cop tracks down the pathetic legless zombie he saw in the park to put it out of its misery, unexpected beauty and lyricism. In short, I loved it.
Will I be tuning in again next week? You bet. Am I glad to hear the show’s earned a second season? I’d have to be crazy not to. Am I twitchy about committing myself to a story that may never actually end? Yep. But this time I’m prepared to go out on a limb. Damn you, Frank Darabont!
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Trilogy done
Yes, at last it's finished. I've finished editing the third book of the fantasy trilogy I've been ghosting over the last eighteen months, so the whole mammoth project is now officially done and dusted, off my plate, over and out. I can't say any more about it for contractual reasons - I daresay you'll breathe a sigh of relief I've now stopped not talking about it in this blog.
Meanwhile, the second book in the series is due to be published in a couple of months. When I get my advance copies, you can be sure I won't talk about that either!
Meanwhile, the second book in the series is due to be published in a couple of months. When I get my advance copies, you can be sure I won't talk about that either!
Don't trust the blurb
Funny how the blurb doesn't always match the book, isn't it. A couple of posts back I mentioned my recent novel Close Enemies, which is all about diplomatic action in the fictional African country of Rezengiland. Except it isn't. Well it is, but ...
Okay, when I wrote the book, the place really was called Rezengiland. But late on in the editing process it got changed to the Republic of Limpopo. Trouble is, by then the blurbs had all been written. So if you look it up on the web (yes, even on my own website) you'll find the old name stands. It's even on the back of the paperback edition, despite what's written inside. Publishing is all about dots, you see, and sometimes they don't all join up.
Something similiar happened with my earlier novel Stone and Sun. I had a character called Tom Steppe, but changed his changed at the eleventh hour to Tom Coyote. Unfortunately, all the advance blurbs had gone out to the book press and retailers, so for a while both names were flying around.
It just goes to show you can't trust anything you read in the media - or even necessarily on the back of a book. Your best bet is to buy the damn book and read it for yourself!
Okay, when I wrote the book, the place really was called Rezengiland. But late on in the editing process it got changed to the Republic of Limpopo. Trouble is, by then the blurbs had all been written. So if you look it up on the web (yes, even on my own website) you'll find the old name stands. It's even on the back of the paperback edition, despite what's written inside. Publishing is all about dots, you see, and sometimes they don't all join up.
Something similiar happened with my earlier novel Stone and Sun. I had a character called Tom Steppe, but changed his changed at the eleventh hour to Tom Coyote. Unfortunately, all the advance blurbs had gone out to the book press and retailers, so for a while both names were flying around.
It just goes to show you can't trust anything you read in the media - or even necessarily on the back of a book. Your best bet is to buy the damn book and read it for yourself!
Sunday, 3 October 2010
After the draft
I'm busy working through the second (and for me final) draft of the novel I'm ghosting. It's the third act of a trilogy, so by the end of the editing process ie the end of the month I'll be ready to move on.
What's next, I hear you cry?
Could be any one of a number of things, some of which I've already talked about on this blog. I have a couple of outlines under development, one of which I want to flesh out into sample chapters, although the historical setting means doing research - always a chore for me, although I enjoy the rewards. I'm also tinkering with an old, old idea I've had on the back burner for a very long time. If it ever comes to fruition, it'll be a mammoth project, my most ambitious yet. Up to now, I've only ever had shards of story, half-formed characters and a vivid series of mental images, all bobbing around like untethered balloons. Oh, and 22,000 words of manuscript for an aborted novel called Pilot that only my agent and I have ever read (we both agreed it wasn't going anywhere). Just lately though I've begun to see a shape for the thing, a structure on to which I may actually be able to attach some of those balloons. If the structure holds up, maybe I'll tell you about it ...
What's next, I hear you cry?
Could be any one of a number of things, some of which I've already talked about on this blog. I have a couple of outlines under development, one of which I want to flesh out into sample chapters, although the historical setting means doing research - always a chore for me, although I enjoy the rewards. I'm also tinkering with an old, old idea I've had on the back burner for a very long time. If it ever comes to fruition, it'll be a mammoth project, my most ambitious yet. Up to now, I've only ever had shards of story, half-formed characters and a vivid series of mental images, all bobbing around like untethered balloons. Oh, and 22,000 words of manuscript for an aborted novel called Pilot that only my agent and I have ever read (we both agreed it wasn't going anywhere). Just lately though I've begun to see a shape for the thing, a structure on to which I may actually be able to attach some of those balloons. If the structure holds up, maybe I'll tell you about it ...
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Close Enemies - new novel published
Yes, I've got a new novel out on the streets. It's called Close Enemies, and it's the sequel to my earlier crime thriller Runaway Minister. Like the first book, I wrote it in collaboration with Working Partners Two, under the pseudonym Nick Curtis.
There's a bit of a saga behind the publication of Close Enemies. It was originally due to be published by Black Star Crime, like its predecessor. Unfortunately, the Black Star Crime imprint folded after just a few editions, so that was that. Luckily for fans of Charlie Paddon and Alex Chappell, Dales Large Print have just picked up the next book in the series.
You can buy Close Enemies online - a quick search should turn it up - but be aware it's in large print, so it may take up a little more space on your bookshelf! For more information, and a synopsis, visit the page I've set up on my official website here.
There's a bit of a saga behind the publication of Close Enemies. It was originally due to be published by Black Star Crime, like its predecessor. Unfortunately, the Black Star Crime imprint folded after just a few editions, so that was that. Luckily for fans of Charlie Paddon and Alex Chappell, Dales Large Print have just picked up the next book in the series.
You can buy Close Enemies online - a quick search should turn it up - but be aware it's in large print, so it may take up a little more space on your bookshelf! For more information, and a synopsis, visit the page I've set up on my official website here.
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