Category: ATLANTIS

Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate Submission

I have had a heavy period of writing. Mainly starting the sequel to Iron I: Too Bright the Sun.

Also I submitted Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate to BigAl’s blog for review. If you missed it his blog went viral last week when he reviewed a book by Jacqueline Howett and she blasted him for picking up on her grammar. A whole load of people then backed him up which made her even more furious. If you haven’t read it, it’s here:
https://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html

I thought his review was very fair.

Unknown Place, Unknown Galaxy

If you are wondering why I have been so quiet it’s because I have started tentative work on the follow-up volume to Too Bright the Sun (which I am still waiting for a female reader to have a go at before I start the editing process).

I have tried a very different kind of opening to anything I have tried before. It’s a strange kind of hook if it is a hook at all but as they say, rules are there to be broken and a I have heard it said that not one rule in writing has not been broken at least once successfully.

Also today I saw an article on slashdot about selling kindle E-books for 99 cents and how this is the trick that earned one author over 350K dollars since 1 January. The article has some big inaccuracies though so I have commented on these and offered some thoughts of my own. I am posting under the username Kite43:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/03/09/0618234/Crime-Writer-Makes-a-Killing-With-99-Cent-E-Books#comments

Too Bright the Sun – Illustrations

My third reader to finish the draft novel has commented that he thinks it would be nice to have a few pages of illustrations of the various vehicles, guns and devices in the book and I must say I think it’s a good idea. More value for the reader. I might have a go myself.

Anyway looking for illustrations (would need to black and white although there is space for 1 colour illustration on rear cover) of:

MCS (both versions Mark 6 and 7)
J5 (Standford Torus Space Station)
X.50 laser
X.77 short-range laser (X.77 is equivalent of an Uzi – short barrel, no stock, optional second handle). Both this and X.50 would have the Trion logo on the side
Alien ‘Clover-leaf’ laser
IM truck
SU 401 Attack Fighter

All-comers welcome

IM Alien ‘Clover-leaf Laser’ by El’Phantasmo

Morals, Ethics, Movies and Writing

Well, since its the Christmas break I have been doing some thinking – more than the usual amount of thinking – and also there is a new movie channel Cinemoi available to me which just shows French movies, so encouraging even more philosophical thought.

I came across this quotation in a French Movie of the 50s or early 60s called ‘Le Petit Soldat’ (The Little Soldier) starring Anna Karina: ‘Ethics is the aesthetic of the Future’ from Hegel. I thought, ‘Hmmm, that’s interesting’ and have been pondering its veracity. Of course the sentence seems a little ambiguous at first: does he mean that the aesthetic of the Future informs Ethics or the other way around? But of course if the process is two-way and simultaneous then it holds true and I would guess that is what he meant. So then I wondered if my new book (unpublished yet) Iron, (also working title Too Bright the Sun), set in the future, has an aesthetic and if it does, is that informed by my Ethics? I realised that yes, it does have an aesthetic but so far, whether this is informed by my ethics or not eludes me. Continue reading “Morals, Ethics, Movies and Writing” →

Movie Review: The Big Knife (1955)

Has anybody seen this 1955 film? Its a classic – about Hollywood corruption and very nearly didn’t get released. If you haven’t seen it, try and get hold of a copy.

Some of you may know I am a big fan of Jack Palance, who is the star of this modestly-budgeted film. Here he is at the pinnacle of his acting powers and there is some really stunning dialogue – sparkling like stardust in the ordure of Hollywood.

At times it is sluggish – overburdened with dialogue and lack of scene changes but at times it is almost Shakespearean in its witty sweep of ideas and perspectives. Tonight I will re-watch and pick out a few phrases to quote here. Okay I watched it again and here are some quotes:

Castle to Hoff: “Were you ever told that the embroidery of your speech was completely out of proportion to anything you ever had to say?” Continue reading “Movie Review: The Big Knife (1955)” →

Who Plays the Best Drunk in a Film?

It occurred to me the other day to do another vote – this time on the best drunk in a film. There must be loads but the funny thing is that I can’t remember too many off the top of my head. So suggestions please to add to my short list:

1. Walter Matthau in Earthquake (this is also definitely my funniest)
2. Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagons
3. Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou (I’m still going to check out Paul Newman in The Sting though)
4. Paul Newman in The Hudsucker Proxy
5. Shelley Winters in Alfie
6. Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now (thanks for suggestion El’Phantasmo)
7. I forgot Nick Cage in Leaving Las Vegas
8. Embarrassing one this but Oliver Reed in Oliver! Okay, okay I know the film is a bit of old hokey’ but he really is very menacing – and he was Carol Reed’s nephew.
9. Okay – the butler in Dinner for One, although I am not sure I have seen this. I will look on youtube
10. Cary Grant in North by North West. Actually this is pretty good too.

I could add George Peppard in The Blue Max and indeed the book is about alcoholism but this is barely touched upon in the film.

Okay I think ten is enough. This time we will leave it 6 months before a final vote in case others come up and so that we have a chance to see some of the nominations we haven’t yet seen.

Experimenting with Adverts on my Blog

I am going to experiment a little bit monetising (as they say) my blog. It’s not that I am desperate for the cash or anything – just that I have an idea in the pipeline for a few years time and I want to understand better how this stuff works. At first I am just doing the ads to the right here, but may experiment with them in different places. If anybody feels they distract too much or are an irritation, let me know. If I feel they are, then I will remove them.

Flowers for Algernon Reviews

I finally got to read this wonderful little novel (read the novel and not the novella – my friend Gary informs me that the longer one is better) on holiday, and I have been pondering it before writing anything about it. I also saw the film afterwards, and I comment on that later:

Flowers for Algernon – The Novel

I must say this is the ideal book for the beach. Not only does it start off with very simple text: simple words and short sentences, but it is broken up into bite-sized chunks about half-page long. It couldn’t be easier. If you haven’t read the book, you will not know that this is because the text mainly consists of diary entries by Charly Gordon, an American with learning difficulties and subnormal intelligence, who is about to undergo an operation to make him clever. I have to say right away that it is a very touching book and in no way prejudiced or insensitive. Indeed its subject matter is a great source of pathos and humour and treated with great care by its author Daniel Keyes. Continue reading “Flowers for Algernon Reviews” →

Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson – final

As you may have seen from the comments on my original post, it looks like there is a more direct route to asking Cliff these questions that emailing the webmaster on his site. Steve Thompson contacted me and said he would pass the questions on to Cliff. So after some consultation among us, here are our final questions and the intro that I will send in a pdf letter to Cliff. Continue reading “Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson – final” →

Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson

Having watched a long interview with Cliff Robertson – one of my favourite actors, on youtube, I find I still have a lot of questions which it would be nice to hear him answer. He has a huge interest in aircraft and blogs regularly on the subject so I have decided to email him a list of questions. Of course there is only the very slimmest chance he will ever get them as I have to email the webmaster of the site but I think it’s worth a try. If anybody wants to add a question of change one slightly let me know before next Wednesday (20 October). This is what I intend to send in an email. Continue reading “Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson” →