Archive for July, 2017
Book Review: Damnation Alley, Roger Zelazny (1969)
I’m a science fiction writer and have been following this blog for some time now. In my mind, for science fiction lovers it needs more exposure.
The blog keeps alive the science fiction writers of the past, some well-known and some forgotten.
Give it a try.
(Jack Gaughan’s cover for the 1969 edition)
3/5 (Average)
As I read Roger Zelazny’s post-apocalyptical adventure Damnation Alley (1969), the relentless throbbing of Hawkwind’s 1977 song inspired by the novel along with cringeworthy lines of dialogue from the 1977 film version kept interjecting themselves into my reading experience.
First, a snippet from the song….
I’ve got the serum and I’m going to take it
All the way to Boston, oh I’ve got to get through
The going won’t be easy, but I’m going to make it
It’s the only thing that I’m cut out to do
Ride the post-atomic radioactive trash
The sky’s on fire from the nuclear flash
Driving through the burning hoop of doom,
In an eight wheeled anti-radiation tomb
Thank you Dr. Strangelove for going doolally,
and leaving me the heritage of Damnation Alley […].
Absent from Hawkwind’s interpretation that
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POEMS & FLEETING THOUGHTS
REALITY
We are no longer
A country
Where the welfare
Of the citizen
Comes first.
Historical Research for Writers
I find, for matter what you write, research providing facts make the story more real.
by Sheree Crawford
Researching is, believe it or not, a skill that not everyone has. If you do have it you should definitely put it on your C.V.; good research is often the thing you do not see, but the want of it is blindingly obvious, especially when you write historic fiction, or you’re writing about cultures and people you don’t know anything about.
Research isn’t about consuming every piece of information you can find on your topic; it’s about knowing what is and isn’t important. You can learn this by taking a degree of some sort (History in particular will smack you in the face with research skill requirements before you’ve even finished the first year… whoo-boy that was a learning curve, I can tell you), or you can piggyback my History degree; go on, I don’t mind. I’ll share some of the pearls I’ve discovered while cracking…
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I FALL BACK
The poor protest,
The rich fill their coffers,
Our society is controlled
By the 1%,
Greed buys politics
And controls our future.
AFTER A LONG ABSENCE, I RETURN
Forgive me for not communicating for a month and more, but there has been much on my mind about the state of our country. I know this blog is intended to benefit writers, but life also effects our writing in one way or another. Many events, which I follow daily, are beyond belief. I shall leave the discussion of the current political climate to those more knowledgeable and eloquent to express the opinions which I feel.
One last comment. Do our elected representatives have their constituents in mind with their decisions, or are those decisions governed by their perceived power and a warped ego.
I will return this blog to its intended purpose; to aid writers in finding their way to publication. My next topic will be one with which I struggle: The challenges of the elderly writer and the rapid pace of modern technology.
One last comment. You may have noticed my reblogging work from other blogs. I follow many blogs posting information for writers. I hope to spread the knowledge.
How to Take Criticism and Turn It into Growth in 5 Steps
An important comment for the writer.
by Daniella Levy
It hurts to hear people say negative things about something you poured your heart and soul into. It hurts to recognize that you are not perfect at what you do and can always use improvement.
However, criticism–good criticism–is a very powerful raw material you can use to build yourself as an artist.
People generally react to criticism non-constructively in one of two ways: resistance (dismissing, arguing, or denying) or withering (collapsing in feelings of shame and inadequacy). Both of these reactions deny you the opportunity to learn and grow from the feedback.
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3 Poems in Indra’s Net: An International Anthology of Poetry in Aid of The Book Bus
I’m delighted that three of my poems, including “How to Write a Poem,” are included in Indra’s Net: An International Anthology of Poetry in Aid of The Book Bus.
All profits from this anthology published by Bennison Books will go to The Book Bus, a charity which aims to improve child literacy rates in Africa, Asia and South America by providing children with books and the inspiration to read them.
Available at Amazon (UK) and Amazon (US)
