STEVEN J DINES

The Bug in the Suit available at Electric Spec

2009-06-30T19:15:00.005+01:00

The latest issue of Electric Spec is now live and includes my dark sci-fi tale, The Bug in the Suit. Read it here or download the entire issue in PDF or PRC formats. Note: italics seem to be omitted from the online version so I'd recommend the PDF. Comments welcome.

New Short Fiction Coming Soon

2009-06-09T20:57:00.001+01:00

Crawl your way over to Electric Spec at the end of June for my six-and-a-half-thousand word science fiction horror tale, The Bug in the Suit...

Book Review: Cujo, Stephen King

2009-06-08T21:54:00.002+01:00

My hopes weren’t high going into Cujo. King claims he can barely remember writing his famous tale of a rabid Saint Bernard (he was an alcoholic and drug addict at the time), but I wondered if perhaps he merely wanted to forget… That's not the case. Cujo may have a slow build-up to its tense climax (one of the author’s better closings, it should be said), but it’s never dull thanks in part to the surprisingly measured structure. For me, though, the novel’s real strength is found in its realistic portrayal of two families, the Cambers (country-dwellers) and the Trentons (former city-dwellers). Both have serious problems and are on the brink of falling apart. Enter Cujo. There may be some significance to the juxtaposition of these families, some metaphors to be found in the rabid dog and the disease-like rot that seems to infect the husbands and wives of the respective families; then, there may not. I suspect, however, that Cujo is meant to be viewed as more than a horror novel. Indeed, the grisly scenes of murder that litter other horror novels are few in number here; instead, the focus is suspense and the ever-present fear of death rather than death itself. I expected this to be one of King’s lesser efforts… I was pleasantly surprised.

All Quiet...

2009-05-12T19:55:00.002+01:00

Aside from a couple of book reviews I’ve been pretty quiet on the blogging front. So here’s a brief update:

I’ve been writing (on-and-off, the opening of a short story, notes for a mainstream and possibly highly commercial novel), reading (a lot, by my standards—The Great Escape, Homer Hickam’s latest, and a Raymond Chandler biography), as well as doing some general pondering (something I do in quiet moments, which don’t seem to come around as often as I would like) about possible future directions for both myself and my writing. Rejections have been trickling in, too. No acceptances, but I have stories sitting in the final stages of consideration at several good publications. Meanwhile, my wife’s grandma has been recuperating in hospital from a fractured shoulder and my flat has been flooded by a burst water pipe. The vagaries of life. Fingers crossed, the month of May should hold some good news. Then, I shouldn't tempt fate...

Hope you are well.

Book Review: Red Helmet, Homer Hickam

2009-05-02T13:19:00.005+01:00

Romantic fiction and coalmining: two things I'm not naturally drawn to, but when they're delivered by Homer Hickam, one of my favourite storytellers, I'm willing to make the exception. This unabashedly romantic tale of Song Hawkins, successful New York City businesswoman, and Cable Jordan, superintendent of a modern West Virginian mine is told with such heart and passion it's hard not be moved. Sure, with some clunky dialogue and O-T-T religious moralising, it's like a child that continually misbehaves, but darn it if it doesn't have a good heart and the very best of intentions. In this cynical climate we should make room, now and then, for such tales of love and faith...

Book Review (part 2 of 2): Just After Sunset, Stephen King

2009-04-10T19:29:00.003+01:00

N.

A strange standing-stones formation brings on OCD in an observer, who visits his psychiatrist for help. Only, his OCD is catching… There is a lot going on in this story (there should be, it’s over 50 pages long), making it easily one of the best in the collection. Story and character blend here in near-perfect harmony, and the writing, particularly toward the end of the tale, convincingly captures the protagonist’s condition. Indeed, the focus here is the mind, fear manifesting itself through OCD, how quickly and easily it spreads and destroys. The more I think about this tale, the more frightening it becomes... 4/5

The Cat from Hell

For Halston this is a new kind of hit: a cat. But this cat has the blood of three people on its paws, and it won’t go out without a fight… This is vintage King, literally. Written and first published some 30 years ago, the style and content are very different from the rest of the stories collected here. The short, sharp prose of pulp crime fiction meets King’s nasty streak of old in this deliciously dark tale. Good enough to make me want to dig out some of the old collections but out of place alongside the more literary, character-driven stories. Nonetheless, an excellent read. 4.5/5

The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates

Many of the stories in Just After Sunset touch upon the subject of death. Here, Annie Driscoll receives one final phone call from her late husband, who died three days earlier in a plane crash. Though the call is short, Annie will never forget it, and never quite let go of the man who made the call, regardless of the path her life takes. An understated and believable tale where story and character are well-balanced. Memorable. 3.5/5

Mute

In a church confessional, a travelling salesman recalls an encounter with a deaf-mute hitchhiker to whom he ranted about his cheating wife... Mute draws the reader in but the so-called twist can be seen coming for miles, making this one end on a slightly disappointing note. Indeed, the moral questions King asks here (which I won’t mention to avoid spoiling the story for those who haven’t read it), aren’t particularly new or interesting either, and certainly don’t justify the story’s 24-page length. An enjoyable but forgettable read. And Playboy published this... 3/5

Ayana

Here we have miracles and questions…why do some people live and some people die? King himself says in the afterword that this tale is about the questions rather than the answers. He says that often, and here he gets away with it. There’s no bells and whistles here, no horror per se but an understated and tender story. 3.5/5

A Very Tight Place

Curtis Johnson finds himself trapped in a Port-O-San (portable toilet) in this almost novella-length tale of revenge and rebirth. It’s probably the best example from Just After Sunset of vintage King meets new King, a delicious marriage of nastiness and richly detailed prose in the darkest, grossest tale of the bunch. The perfect choice for the final story, too. 4/5

In Just After Sunset, Stephen King often writes about questions without providing any answers. The less successful stories of this ilk feel disappointingly unfinished, but some do linger beyond a first reading. It isn’t the author’s strongest collection to date, but it is a thoughtful journey that is never less than interesting; a journey in which time and time again he forces the reader to confront the subjects of death and dying. At times unflinching and horrific, at others subtle and poignant, this uneven collection is nevertheless worth your attention, as even its lesser tales offer the discerning reader something beyond character and plot. And King’s prose has never been so rich, so layered, so compelling.

Book Review (part 1 of 2): Just After Sunset, Stephen King

2009-04-01T21:02:00.008+01:00

As promised, here is the first part of my story-by-story review of Stephen King's latest collection, Just After Sunset:

Willa

While the victims of a derailment in Wyoming gather at a station to await a recovery train to take them on to their destination, David goes off in search of his fiance, the eponymous Willa, who has wandered into a nearby town. The ‘twist’ in the tale is soon revealed; King isn’t stupid, he’s seen The Sixth Sense like the rest of us. Besides, the story is really about love, how it sets us apart, how it survives everything, even death. There’s plenty of his trademark attention to detail to be found here, which can at times make his work seem bloated and gassy, but mercifully the pacing here, although a little out-of-balance, is just about right. A tale that lingered with me… 3.5/5

The Gingerbread Girl

Since losing her baby, Emily likes to run. She runs from her husband and her life all the way to a beach retreat in Vermillion Key, Florida, where she runs straight into the arms of a psychopath. Part character study, part action-suspense tale, The Gingerbread Girl is an easy if overlong read. Though the protagonist is an interesting and sympathetic character, King has given her a fairly insipid plot through which to navigate. More disappointing than that, however, is her main antagonist, a psychopathic serial killer who is pure stereotype. No surprises. 2.5/5

Harvey’s Dream

What this story lacks in action and plot, it more than makes up for in character and to a lesser degree suspense. A richly detailed portrait of a man and woman nearing their retirement years. Add to the mix a vivid and disturbing dream, and their ‘thin’ world is suddenly, irrevocably changed forever. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed the detailed writing and slow, simmering build-up, even if it was all fairly predictable in the end. 3/5

Rest Stop

A popular writer stops for a bathroom break and overhears a man beating on a woman. He has to decide if and how he will intervene. I won’t reveal what happens next, just that Rest Stop is another classic example of King’s highly readable style carrying a straightforward story. He’s truly a magician with detail. Indeed, as he did with the previous tale, he takes the simplest of situations and works his magic to somehow make it feel immediate and exciting. 3/5

Stationary Bike

The point King makes in this cautionary tale about the dangers of over-exercise could easily be made in fewer pages than the 30-plus he uses here. But when it’s delivered in such a readable style, it really is hard to complain. Freelance artist Richard Sifkitz is overweight, has high cholesterol and, after the bluntest of warnings from his doctor, buys a stationary bike. He puts the bike in his basement, paints a road on the wall, and marks off his route on various maps. Great, so far. You might think you can guess where King takes it from here, for he’s revisiting familiar ground, mixing elements from some of his other work—The Road Virus Heads North and his last novel, Duma Key, spring to mind—but he literally informs the reader that this story won’t end as they might expect. And to an extent he’s right and it doesn’t. There’s much to enjoy here, but like a lot of King’s work the payoff doesn’t quite live up to the build-up, unfortunately. Still, this is a strong if slightly overlong story. 3.5/5

The Things They Left Behind

Almost a year on from 9/11, Scott Staley, a man who should have been working in one of the Towers that day, discovers objects belonging to his deceased co-workers in his apartment. Objects with stories to tell... What follows is a journey of understanding and for me, boredom. This one didn’t connect at all. Despite my initial interest and high-hopes, it had me zoning out for pages at a time. Overwritten—even more so than the previous story—and thin on plot, this could easily stand to lose 40-50% of its length. I may revisit this to see if it engages me second time around, I’m stubborn—or stupid—that way, but after a first reading this is the most disappointing story of the collection so far. 2/5

Graduation Afternoon

Like Harvey’s Dream, Graduation Afternoon showcases King the writer more than King the storyteller. It is a simple and fairly effective literary tale, full of detail like the other stories in this collection, but ultimately lacking story. Structurally and thematically it bears some similarities to Harvey’s Dream, in that he details the lives of the players before hitting them hard at the close. Enjoyable, but I think writing this good deserves more plot. 2.5/5

Part two of my review will follow soon...

Finally, a GUD home...

2009-03-25T08:35:00.004Z

After a difficult four-year journey, my short story, Lost Lying on Your Back, will finally see publication in Issue 5 of GUD Magazine (Autumn 2009). Lost Lying is dark, literary, written in 2nd Person, and deals with some pretty heavy subject matter. A tough, tough sell, in other words. But I always felt it was one of my best and therefore worth the effort. I’m really happy at the moment, and hope to build on this success by finding homes in 2009 for my two science fiction stories, The Bug in the Suit and Clean Until the Final Act. Onwards.

Also, Sand Between a Dead Boy’s Toes, has now survived a painstaking third draft. Minor edits aside, it looks ready to submit. I’ve got pretty high hopes for this story, too (don’t we have high hopes for every one, though?), so watch this space.

Coming soon: my story-by-story review of the Stephen King collection, Just After Sunset.

Book Review: Castaways, Brian Keene

2009-03-08T19:41:00.004Z

I am quite familiar with Brian Keene’s work, having read The Rising, City of the Dead, Ghoul, and Dead Sea. He is a prolific writer with an aptitude for fast-paced horror thrillers that grab and don’t let go. So when I read the blurb of his latest offering—monstrous half-human creatures start killing a bunch of reality show contestants on a supposedly deserted island—I immediately ordered it, and got to reading. It’s been a while since I’ve read anything so bad I wanted not only to close the book but to inflict actual physical damage to it. Castaways took me there. I suspect Mr Keene, an author I have come to admire, had a particularly tight deadline or an unexpected bill to pay or please some other good reason for allowing this substandard effort to be published.

So what’s wrong with it?

It’s lazy. Despite what many reviews would have you believe, it’s not scary, nor is it well written. That’s not strictly true. There are some scenes in the second half of the book that are mildly disturbing. The characters are, without exception, stereotypes that constantly spout laughable dialogue and react in ridiculous ways. Description is sparse (Richard Laymon style, yes, I get it) but completely flat and uninspired, meaning trees are trees and the wind is always “howling.” As for the supposedly terrifying creatures? Read this:

“One of them looked horribly deformed. Its bulbous head seemed overly large, like a melon. A few others had obvious deformities as well.”

Is it me or is the image of a melon not frightening? And how about providing the reader with some specific deformities? It’s this kind of clumsy, lazy, insipid writing that destroys the impact of every scene early on, so that by the time things improve (marginally) in the second half, this reader couldn’t care less.

I wholeheartedly recommend you give Castaways a wide berth, at least until you have sampled Keene’s other, stronger work (such as those mentioned in the first paragraph, particularly The Rising). At least then you might have it in your heart to forgive him this half-assed effort. 3/10.

Starts with a sigh, ends with a high (of sorts)

2009-03-01T17:33:00.005Z

*sigh*

On the workshopping site I frequent, Clean Until the Final Act has gone down like a sack of onions. I would have said potatoes but onions have more layers, which if you read on will make a little more sense. It appears all the subtleties have been spectacularly overlooked and the story is just a predictable revenge tale. Rather unfortunate, to put it mildly. But I don’t see the point of trying to explain. After all, can I be there to point out to every potential reader that, for example, there may be a reason why Triggerman Joe’s speech is all italicised? No. Or that one of the themes is the (ab)use of religion as a means to an end (in this case violence)? Again, no. So, um why bother? Besides, maybe the story, which I had high hopes for—the highest, in fact—does indeed stink. I don’t think so, but then I wrote the damn thing. Time or rejection slips will tell...

My usual reaction to a small disaster such as Clean Until is to do an about turn and head in the opposite direction. So, my densely-written treatise on religion/religious motivation segues into a simple tale about a boy who sees sharks. Oh, and dead people. Well, actually it’s one dead person. His brother. Anyway, instead of taking three weeks to write the first draft of this story, it’s down in just two sittings. Admittedly, it’s rough, as in unreadable-to-anyone-but-me rough, but all the elements of what I call the surface story are there, in place. All they need now is some care, attention, and much polish. The title, if anyone is interested, is probably one of my best: Sand Between a Dead Boy’s Toes. I think the finished story may live up to that and at the same time heal the wound caused by the response to Clean Until...

On The Radio...

2009-02-21T09:05:00.003Z

...community radio in Burbank, California to be precise.

Pulp fiction podcast site Well Told Tales have a small weekly radio show now, and tonight they're broadcasting the podcast of my supernatural short story, Hear Not the Murmur on the Wind. So, if you're free and looking for something to do on Saturday night around 9pm Pacific Time, why not head on over to 925kyhy and listen to the Internet feed...

Australian author Kris Ashton has this to say about my tale:

Finding a new angle in a ghost story is nigh on impossible, but Steven J. Dines has done it. It's a complex and sometimes confusing narrative (as the comments on the WTT site show) but if you follow it through the pay-off is intense.

Kris has a story called "The Pothole" coming soon to Well Told Tales. Check it out!

'Hear Not..." review and First Acceptance of 2009

2009-02-18T08:30:00.004Z

Over in The Fix’s From the Podosphere section, Paul S Jenkins has this to say about my short story, Hear Not the Murmur on the Wind, which appeared on pulp podcast site Well Told Tales last month:

This is a ghostly revenge story, told from the viewpoint of the ghost, which is a common theme, but here given arresting atmosphere by good writing, complemented by J. B. Goodspeed’s reading. A man returns to haunt the wife who murdered him, but finds not what he expects. Short and effective.

In other news...my first acceptance of 2009 - the good folks over at Words and Images magazine have expressed an interest in publishing one of two flash fictions I submitted to them in November. We’re still finalising details at the moment, but I should have definite confirmation soon.

Clean Until the First Draft

2009-02-15T14:03:00.006Z

The first draft of Clean Until the Final Act is done. At 4970 words it’s much longer than originally predicted, but you know what? I’m not complaining. All the elements are roughly in place, they just need aligning, and if I can do that, this could and should be one of my better stories. I’ll get to those edits in the next day or two and hopefully have this one ready to submit in a couple of weeks. Oh, and the title stays. I've been hoping it would.

So, what’s next?

Well, I’m switching from dark science fiction to the weird and the literary for my next short. It’s about a boy and a shark, that’s all I can reveal at the moment. Okay, maybe there are a lot of sharks - I'll find out when I get there. Once that's written I’ve got an idea for a children’s fantasy adventure (short story) that I’d like to explore further, and then there’s a possible collaboration with Brian G. Ross to be thinking about, too.

Busy times ahead.

Size matters...

2009-02-10T11:18:00.004Z

A brief update, folks—Clean Until the Final Act edged over the 3000-word mark on Sunday. Although I have that good feeling writing it, I really have no idea if it will work for readers or not. See, I like to push myself, only sometimes I push too hard. I’m praying this is not one of those times. Yesterday, I (half-)jokingly told a work colleague that this story has the feel of being either a complete disaster or an eventual award-winner. Chances are it will turn out neither, but I think that about sums up the knife-edge it’s walking at the moment. Anyway, as I’ve said elsewhere, I am determined to bring this one in under 4000 (I already have three tough sells on my hands that are longer than that and I do not want another one), but it’s looking increasingly likely it will be too long. If this thing stretches over 4500 I can probably kiss half the potential markets goodbye. There’s never been a better time to use the right words…

Day 3 of 3...

2009-02-04T17:56:00.004Z

Day 3 saw me continuing Clean Until the Final Act. The first draft now sits at 1700 words, with another 1000 of scene snippets, dialogue, notes, etc. I want to say more about this piece, but I don’t want to jinx it. I described it to my wife as trying to build a wall without mortar. All the bricks seem to be in the right place, but one nudge and the whole thing might fall...

So it’s back to the 9-to-5 tomorrow (actually, the 8-to-5)... If the past three days have taught me anything (or reminded me of anything) it is that I love to write. For a long time now I have neglected my duties as a writer by failing to apply ass to chair often enough. Why? The main reason was the voice in my head that kept saying, do you still enjoy doing this? Invariably, my answer was—I don’t know. In just these three days I have a new answer—a resounding and unequivocal YES! Previously, when I came up with an excuse—I’m not in the mood, I’m too tired, I’ve got this or that to do first—it wasn’t, not at its heart, a lack of interest in writing. It was simply Real Life and all its pressures, distractions, and depressions threatening to ruin my writing ambitions. Somewhere along the way, I forgot how good this shit feels, and how right...

The challenge for me now is to somehow bottle this feeling. To drink from it deep and drink from it often.

Day 2 of 3...

2009-02-04T08:06:00.003Z

Day two I spent working on the first draft of a new science fiction short story, which has the working title of Clean Until the Final Act.

It's a strange and complex tale about a rest home android who witnesses the death of a resident under her care, Joe (also known as Triggerman Joe), a retired gun-for-hire or shooter. She starts hearing his voice. She becomes convinced that his is the voice of God, that Triggerman Joe is God...and so on. Like I said, strange and complex! 730 words of polished first draft complete so far and about twice that in notes, scene extracts, dialogue snippets, etc.

Day 1 of 3...

2009-02-02T16:56:00.005Z

This week I'm taking three days off work (Monday thru Wednesday) for the sole purpose of kickstarting my writing. Here's how I spent day one...

Morning:
-Read and edited 2007 science fiction short story, The Bug in the Suit (6520 words)
-1 submission

Afternoon:
-Read and edited 2006 flash fiction, No Place for a Pink Angel (960 words)
-2 submissions

I spent a lot of time today trying to find respectable homes for The Bug in the Suit and The Manny Prior Halloween Show. At 6520 and 7850 words respectively, it did not prove easy! Further proof, if it was needed, that short stories should come in at 5000 words MAX.

See you tomorrow.

(Going Going) GONE

2009-01-28T10:07:00.009Z

This year's special publication from Not One of Us, (Going Going) GONE, featuring my short story, In the Cage with Ghosts is available now from Genre Mall (scroll down).

CONTENTS:
Stories:
Patricia Russo: Claude’s Ghost Story
Eric Del Carlo: That Season
J. Michael Shell: Too Cute
Steven J. Dines: In the Cage with Ghosts

Poems:
J.C. Runolfson: Kumiho
Sonya Taaffe: The Golem in Flight
Sonya Taaffe: The Road to Volodny (Partisan Song)
K.S. Hardy: Shy in the Sky

Art: John Stanton (cover), Aunia Kahn

Hard Case Crime

2009-01-27T19:35:00.006Z

If you’re looking for something to read on the bus or train to work, let me point you in the direction of the Hard Case Crime series. Starting in September 2004, founders Charles Ardai and Max Phillips have published one hardboiled crime novel every month since, recently passing the fifty mark with no signs of slowing down.

This is an easy genre to dismiss (I’m relatively new to it myself), but take some time out to read one or two of the HCC novels and you’ll find enthralling stories written in the kind of sharp prose that most authors can only dream of writing. I’m currently reading Little Girl Lost, the fourth in the series and my fifth HCC title so far (having bucked numerical order to read #13, Stephen King’s, The Colorado Kid), and the selling point is simply this: consistent quality.

So drop by their website, browse through the titles and authors on offer, or maybe even let the gorgeous cover art influence your choice...but make a purchase. Not convinced? Well, check out the price tag. Over at Amazon UK, HCC titles start out at as little as £3.53, at Amazon US, $7. Worth every penny or cent if you ask me.

Movie Review: Disturbia

2009-01-19T11:04:00.005Z

While the build-up is superb in this homage to the Hitchcock classic, Rear Window, the movie descends into overblown slasher horror for its slightly disappointing climax. David Morse (perhaps best known as prison guard Brutus Howell in The Green Mile) has little more to do here than look sinister with a craggy face and slicked back hair, while fast-rising star Shia LeBeouf carries the entire movie on his young shoulders. He is a strange but watchable mix of James Stewart and Tom Cruise – a stuttering Everyman capable of springing into immediate action. A name to watch.

Modern technology features prominently throughout Disturbia. Whether it’s Xbox Live, the iPod, the mobile phone, the digital video camera, or the latest PC software, it serves the story without feeling too much like blatant product placement. In fact, one example is quite inspired. In Rear Window, James Stewart’s character, L.B. Jefferies finds himself housebound (well, in a wheelchair) following an accident. Disturbia’s creators came up with the modern equivalent for their troubled teenager – the house arrest ankle bracelet. It works brilliantly by confining LaBeouf’s character, Kale, to the family home and immediate surroundings while also allowing him full movement within that perimeter. It’s this kind of prop/idea that helps give the movie a fresh, contemporary gloss while also reminding the audience of its source material. Indeed, even as a massive fan of Rear Window I wasn’t offended by this movie. While not a shade on the Fifties classic, it’s good, solid entertainment with a working blend of thrills and laughter; a charming tribute with much to recommend it in its own right. As mentioned, the ending does let it down, and the movie probably couldn’t stand up to the scrutiny of the more fastidious viewer, but for simple, face-value entertainment, it ticks all the right boxes.

Movie Review: The Ruins

2009-01-18T00:58:00.004Z

Take a group of Young Adults, preferably attractive ones, drop them into a Bad Situation, turn up the heat. It’s horror-by-numbers, but it works, dammit. The Ruins is highly watchable thanks in large part to its running time of 86 minutes. It's long enough to tell the story, short enough to keep its audience entertained. As horror premises go, it's irresistible. Our group of YAs find themselves trapped atop a temple in deepest Mexico, surrounded by superstitious locals ready to kill them if they attempt to escape, and trying to stave off the unwelcome attentions of the local plant life. The balance in The Ruins is tipped toward the red stuff more than the psychological, with a double amputation and some self-inflicted gouging with a knife by the Sexy Blonde Girl in Panties being two of its most visceral and memorable scenes. The special effects, particularly the gore, are above-par for this kind of movie, the performances likewise – to their credit all the actors play ‘scared’ convincingly well. The biggest star of the movie is the location; it’s simply stunning (Queensland, Australia doubling for Mexican jungle), and for that reason I regret not renting the movie on Blu-ray.

So, no big surprises and yes yes yes it's formulaic, but it’s a terrific example of a formula that works. You could do much worse than rent The Ruins.

Movie Review: Stephen King's The Mist

2009-01-17T10:52:00.007Z

I’ve been waiting for my online DVD rental company to send me Stephen King’s The Mist for at least two months now. No luck. So, last night my wife and I took matters into our own hands, walked to the local Blockbusters, and for £25 bought the 2 Disc Special Edition on Blu-ray (along with Assembly, a Chinese war movie, which currently sits at 7.6 on imdb). Not the best deal, but not bad either. We opted to watch the colour version (there is a black-and-white version on the second disc, supposedly superior, the director’s version of choice) and here are my thoughts...

I had high hopes going into The Mist (pun intended), possibly the highest I’ve had for any Stephen King adaptation since The Green Mile. Frank Darabont directed both movies, so I felt in pretty safe hands. Well, it’s fair to say it is no Green Mile, and certainly no Shawshank Redemption, but it is a fun horror tale, a strange hybrid of Sixties throwback and modern shocker with obligatory gore. I admit to being extremely worried when the first monster showed up (in the form of tentacles reaching under a loading bay door) because the CGI was dreadful by today’s standards - too shiny, too stuck on. It wrenched me right out of the movie for a time. But the giant insects won me over again, and I was almost able to forget those tentacles. Almost. Another minor gripe was the performance of the lead, Thomas Jane of The Punisher and, er, Dreamcatcher. His reactions were unconvincing if not annoying at times. The rest of the cast put in solid enough performances. On to the good...the psychological aspect and the ending. The real horror in this movie, for we’ve all become desensitised to CGI monsters and gore thanks to the franchises of The Lord of the Rings and Saw respectively, is human in nature - the fast-formed religious mob with its murmurs of sacrifice in the name of ‘expiation’. If that doesn’t at least make you uncomfortable, check the colour of your blood. As for the ending...I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie. I will say it’s the most memorable and frustrating scene by a mile, and as such the scene you’ll want to discuss more than any other.

Stephen King’s The Mist isn’t perfect, but it is a welcome antidote to the torture-porn that seems to represent the horror genre these days. On a final note, though I haven’t done so myself yet - make it a point to watch the black-and-white version. I put it on for a few minutes after watching the movie in colour and it immediately felt...right. You’ll see what I mean. Even those shiny-ass tentacles didn’t seem quite so bad...

Revision: a vent

2009-01-16T11:53:00.005Z

Last night, while revising my 2007 horror tale Manny Prior’s Halloween, it struck me that perhaps I am becoming obsessive about editing. I spent at least forty minutes on a single paragraph and ended up unconvinced I made any noticeable improvement. It’s very frustrating work. Time is short and I have many other projects I could be working on, including a novel that has lain stagnant for six months, and yet I end up endlessly circling the same group of sentences. Why? In this case it was tone. Many readers (and editors) probably wouldn’t even notice the effect of the changes I made, which begs the question: was it really worth it? Should I have stuck with a straight descriptive paragraph instead of trying to create a descriptive paragraph that also has a specific tone and intimates the narrator’s state of mind at a particular point in the story? In other words, should I have just moved on to free up time to work on something else? Compromise quality for quantity. The perfectionist in me screams, No! Faced with the choice, I’d opt for the former over the latter every time. But I wonder where other writers stand on this? How much editing is enough? Is it ever enough? Where do you draw the line? The easy answer is, of course, stop when it’s done. I don't believe it’s that simple.

Anyway, it’s lunchtime. Half an hour. Maybe if I skip lunch I can revise a sentence or two…

The Far Reaches, Homer Hickam

2009-01-11T14:01:00.004Z

The first half of this novel, the third in Hickam’s Josh Thurlow series, failed to ignite my interest in the way his previous books have. I didn’t particularly like Josh in this tale. Indeed, his presence seems less important than some of the supposed secondary characters. This novel belongs more to them, Ready O’Neal (familiar to anyone who has read the previous novels) and Sister Mary Kathleen, a nun with a secret and possibly Hickam’s least interesting character to date, than it does Josh, virtually unrecognisable here from his previous outings. I hope Hickam revisits the series again, but this diminished return perhaps suggests he set it aside for fresher projects or at least until inspiration strikes. Still, it would be a pity if the series ended on a ‘medium’ rather than a high. Worth reading if you’re a fan, but by the incredibly high standards set by the author’s previous work, this was a little disappointing.

Listen to...the Murmur on the Wind

2009-01-09T12:21:00.006Z

My gothic-esque short story, Hear Not the Murmur on the Wind, is available now from pulp fiction podcast website
Well Told Tales. J B Goodspeed reads.

Drop by, listen to my tale online, or download the mp3. Either way, I hope you enjoy it...