OUT AND ABOUT:
I visited Tintagel on what must have been the hottest day of the month. Far too manic, with many paying the exorbitant fee to cross the (IMHO) horrible bridge to the castle ruins. Not something I will do and, as the cost has risen so much, I dare say my walks on the island are now a thing of the past, remembered with some wonderful photographs of the view.
While there, I met with a friend for breakfast and then went on elsewhere fast. I think I need to hibernate in July and August and go out for the rest of the year. I wonder how many I will surprise when they hear people living in the South West don’t go out on Bank Holidays. Was also unhappy that someone in a flash car yelled at my friend (who was driving) to ‘get over’. I glanced out of my side window and there was nowhere to ‘get over’ to. Unfortunately, visitors anywhere can be thoughtless. And yes, I’ve been one of them, but I know always that the place I’m visiting is where people live and I act considerately. People playing music at volume, walking in the road, leaving dog mess behind… I did none of this and am as tired of this as anyone. Please be considerate when on holiday and on the subject of dog faeces, please bag up and dispose sensibly. I heard a news report of people regularly picking up down a country lane and throwing the bags into a nearby field. Ponies in the field accidentally ate the bags and died. Behaviour has consequences.
FILM/TV:
I’m more of a Marvel person than DC, though both universes have wonderful characters. I had to watch Aquaman and not only for Jason Momoa. Unsure how I feel about the film, neither loving it nor loathing it. I found it enjoyable but likely forgettable, perhaps owing to the ladened effects although I cannot see a way to tell this story without them. For anyone still into their zombies, but who wants something a little more innovative, complete with political machinations and if one doesn’t mind subtitles, they might want to check out Netflix’s ‘Kingdom’. I’m waiting for the second series now.
One noteworthy film for me was Bad Times at the El Royale. I’d not heard of this film, but the cast caught my attention. Reviews seem mostly good though I’ve read mention of a Tarantino style film that doesn’t quite pull it off. I think it’s good that it’s not quite a clone of someone else’s work. People arrive at a hotel and then strange things happen. It’s not possible to say much without spoilers. Turned out to be the circular storytelling I love with surprises thrown in. The type of thing I wish I’d written. Plus Chris Hemsworth.
READING:
NOS4R2, by Joe Hill, reads like a children’s book for adults blended with a dark thriller. Though surreal, perhaps bizarre, the increasing conflict kept me enthralled. It’s been a while since I felt I couldn’t put a book down and while I maybe didn’t feel like that all the way through, I did for most of the novel. This may be in part because Joe Hill has created a better heroine for me than many blockbusting movies. Victoria may be a mess but she’s a mess with reason, has stamina, purpose, tenacity, and an entire list of exceptional traits that many female leads lack. Perhaps some belief edged close to the line, but in a world where Christmasland exists a thought or bike ride away, I’m prepared to suspend my doubts for the sheer enjoyment of reading. I like the way he stretches the story over time told at different points in the characters’ lives. I may never enjoy Christmas in quite the same way, but will happily live with that too for such a well-thought and excellently presented story which tugs on so many emotional strings.
Voice of the Night
A reread as part of a hoped-for book clearance though I didn’t remember this story at all so, the first time around, it couldn’t have made an impact and I can’t say it did this time either. As with much of early Koontz, it’s a book of its time. The oft sexual violence as imagined by one character is particularly off-putting as it should be, but it’s still dated. Oddly, this book breaks a general rule of publishing in that if the protagonist is a child, then the book is for children but there’s no way this book would be for suitable for kids or, as the boys in question are teens, for a Young Adult readership. Nothing to do with the book, but it crossed my mind to wonder whether this would have ever seen print these days. Another thing that ages the book is a ‘boy’ of Colin’s age would likely not, these days, sleep with a nightlight. I perceived the boys as much younger, maybe 7, 8, or 9, and Colin’s father was particularly devolved. The good parts of the book for me are Colin’s perceptions of the dark, a haunted house, a creature ready to jump out of the shadows, having lain in wait for him, wonderfully described.
WRITING:
THE INFINITE TODAY, featuring Matt’s Smith eleventh Doctor and companion, Jo Grant, read by Jo herself ‘Katy Manning’ is up for pre-order at Big Finish Productions. https://www.jms-books.com/erotic-romance-c-29_94/swansong-p-2867.html
I also re-released a short GLBT romance story that previously featured in a charity anthology, a story I’m proud of for the layered construction. Swansong is available from JMS books and other reputable outlets for 99c/p:
Richard stands at the door of his living room watching a young man move about the room, examining mementos of his life. He has brought this man here for one reason — to lay both him and a ghost to rest. Like the poster hanging on his living room wall, Richard has lived a sepia life for too many years. With his wife gone but not forgotten, his grief is complicated, yet Gloria’s presence lives on guiding him towards a happier future.
Richard believes what little love he had in his life has withered, but before she died, his darling Gloria unlocked her silent throat. Now the time has come for Richard to sing his own song, to face the future, to make the right choice.
