A few spoilery thoughts on SPECTRE.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
A Brief Ode to Tie-In Fiction
Posted: July 27, 2015 in UncategorizedTags: Alan Dean Foster, Hammer Films, Lon Chaney, London After Midnight, novelization, Reptilicus, tie-in fiction, Tod Browning
I’ve just been reading London After Midnight by Marie Coolidge-Rask. This is the 1928 novelization of the Tod Browning film starring Lon Chaney. It is one of the most famous of lost films, one that has tantalized generations of horror movie fans with the gorgeous stills of Chaney in monstrous make-up, even as it frustrates with the knowledge of the twist — the vampires in the film are not the real deal, and are part of the plan by Inspector Burke of Scotland Yard (Chaney again) to unmask a murderer.
(Yeah, I know, no spoiler alert. But as this twist is beyond infamous, and has been discussed for 87 years, I think we’re past the statue of limitations.) (more…)
My Keycon 2015 Schedule
Posted: May 14, 2015 in UncategorizedTags: autograph, convention, Keycon, panels
Keycon is almost upon us, and I’ll be there Saturday, May 16. I’ll be participating in panels, signing books, and going a Blue Pencil editing session. The latter is my first event in the morning, so if you’re interested, sign up early!
Here’s what I’ll be doing:
11:00 am — Blue Pencil Sessions
12:00 noon — Reading (with Gerald Brandt)
2:00 pm — Taming the Swampy Middle of Doom
3:00 pm — Autograph Session 2
4:00 pm — Establishing Setting
5:00 pm — Writing in a Shared Universe
Hope to see you there!
The Bell Begins to Toll for Physical Media
Posted: April 10, 2015 in UncategorizedTags: Blu-ray, collecting, DVD, Netflix, streaming
So this news greeted me this morning: future seasons of The Simpsons will not be released on DVD (and the article presumes this applies also to Blu-ray). And so it begins: the decline of physical media now approaches an actual death. It won’t be immediate, and I hope the collector’s market will stave off the final demise for some time to come. But I fear the worst now. (more…)
Don’t Panic In Large, Friendly Letters
Posted: February 11, 2015 in UncategorizedTags: fantasy, Jupiter Ascending, science fiction
I’ve seen a number of people being very worried that the (expected by everyone, including my cat) dismal box office showing of Jupiter Ascending (domestically – it is doing better internationally) is going to result in Hollywood shying away from making original SF/F movies. Now, I know very well that if the film industry can take a wrong turn, it will, but at the same time, I submit that it is too early to panic. Especially with Interstellar (over $670 million worldwide) having barely left the theatres. (more…)
2014 — The Tally
Posted: December 31, 2014 in UncategorizedTags: Grey Knights, Horus Heresy, Kaiju Rising, Warhammer 40k, Yarrick
So I just sat down and sorted through what I wrote and what was published in 2014. A few things remain under the veil of secrecy, but this still works as a broad picture. (more…)
Interstellar and the Arrogance of Sentiment
Posted: November 28, 2014 in UncategorizedTags: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Christopher Nolan, exceptionalism, Interstellar, science fiction, Stanley Kubrick
I finally saw Interstellar. On the whole, I enjoyed it very much. It’s ambitious, takes the time it needs to tell its story, and is stunning to look at. The scene of the arrival at Saturn is one of the most awe-inspiring sights of recent SF cinema, and is a moment where Interstellar is in closest sympathy with 2001: A Space Odyssey. There have been many comparisons drawn between the two films. Well, you lucky people, here’s another. Spoilers follow.
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Yarrick: The Pyres of Armageddon
Posted: November 4, 2014 in UncategorizedTags: Second War of Armageddon, Warhammer 40k, Yarrick
So the title of my the Yarrick novel I’m working on has popped up on the German Amazon sight, and a could of questions have come my way. So here’s what I can tell you. I’m pretty damn excited to announce that this is a tale of the Second War of Armageddon. It opens on the eve of the war. As far as Overlord Herman von Strab is concerned, all is well with the world. Sebastian Yarrick still has two arms.
But then…
Well. I guess you’ll have to find out. For any further information, I refer you to this gentleman.
The Crop — A Story for Hallowe’en
Posted: October 31, 2014 in UncategorizedTags: horror, short fiction
[Happy Hallowe’en everyone! Here’s a story for you — enjoy! Some of you who’ve known me for a long time might recognize the origins for this one…]
The joke rose. It bubbled up from the dark heart of the earth. It gathered cruelty as it climbed to the surface, drawn by a land blood-soaked in caprice and malice. It reached the surface and expanded. The joke leaped into the air, then fell back to earth, drenching the soil, spreading contagion, setting up the punchline. When it was done, there was the metallic click of an opening switchblade. (more…)
On Stingers
Posted: August 29, 2014 in UncategorizedTags: comic book movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Universe, Stingers, X-Men: Days of Future Past
A discussion I had on the other day — with, among others, Rachael Acks, Thane-Dominic Carr, Abhinav Jain and Paul Weimer — has me thinking about the increasing — and perhaps inordinate — weight movie stingers are acquiring. The point of departure for the discussion was the stinger for Guardians of the Galaxy. It appears to be generating a wide variety of reactions, and the reasons for them, and the strength of these reactions, strike me as interesting. (Spoilers endemic to what follows, obviously.) Howard the Duck was an important figure to me as a comic-reading child in the 70s, and seeing him done right, if only for a few seconds, was a treat, and a salve on the still-burning memories of that awful 1986 adaptation. I read the scene as a quick joke, and no more, and walked out happy. (more…)
David Annandale 