"Somewhere in space live the Herculoids!" Mention the word 'Herculoids' today and most people would scratch their head in confusion. Which isn't surprising - there weren't many episodes made in either of its runs in 1967 or 1981. In fact, I hadn't thought about the Herculoids in over 40 years. Until last weekend. I was … Continue reading Remember the Herculoids
Harold and Maude
"Hal Ashby's comedy is too dark and twisted for some, and occasionally oversteps its bounds, but there's no denying the film's warm humor and big heart." Rotten Tomatoes Harold and Maude was on TV the other day, and I watched it for what must have been the tenth time. I knew almost every scene, which … Continue reading Harold and Maude
Dark Farm, chapters 1 to 3
Well, my site is now in full production, with at least one chapter per week being uploaded, along with chapter notes for each. I'll be releasing the whole novel (115,000 words) through web serialisation, as a tribute to the old masters such as HP Lovecraft himself. (Never mind the fact he reportedly felt prostituted by … Continue reading Dark Farm, chapters 1 to 3
The meaning of life
I was reading some articles the other day about the probability (or not) of life existing elsewhere in the universe. The last article was arguing that, because we haven't yet encountered any other signs or signals of life, Earth may be the only place life has arisen - ie it was a freak occurrence or … Continue reading The meaning of life
Chapter notes | Dark Farm | 1. The buzzard
The buzzard started off as a prologue, but after finishing it I could see it was a story in itself, and deserving of greater status. It's vital to setting the scene for the rest of the book. The next challenge (and crucial to its identity) was to decide a title. It had a working title … Continue reading Chapter notes | Dark Farm | 1. The buzzard
Ogre battle
And when the black crow flies to find a new destinationThat is the sign Ogre Battle has been one of my favourite Queen songs since I was a kid. There's something powerful and evocative in its slow build-up, thrashing guitars, screaming vocals and weird lyrics. And I love the backwards tracking and how it's mashed … Continue reading Ogre battle
My succubus
Writing my post, Nightmares do come true, has creeped me out. I was taking Toby for a walk this evening when I remembered another nightmare I had a couple of weeks ago. This was a wake-dream, where I was conscious I was lying in bed in the dark, when something came crawling up the blankets … Continue reading My succubus
Nightmares do come true
I've had some awful nightmares. A few years ago, there was a period of a few weeks when I dreamt of being attacked by sharks almost every night. It got to the point where my worry about having the nightmare seemed to be what initiated it. The only way I stopped it was by realising … Continue reading Nightmares do come true
What is Kragn?
Kragn is the new cosmic threat in my Z’garh Khrl’ur trilogy. I can't give too much away - I'll save that for my second instalment, Kragn Rises - but here's an explanation from Chapter 2 of Dark Farm. It's a conversation between 17 year old Dylan Gates and the elderly Wilfred Waite. The exchange happens … Continue reading What is Kragn?
What Treasure Island taught me
When I re-read Treasure Island recently, it struck me what a powerful storyteller was Robert Louis Stevenson. I was so impressed, I kept a running list of the things I was learning about the art of storytelling as I read this masterpiece. Here they are, in the order in which I came upon them: Make the story seem compellingly real.Create … Continue reading What Treasure Island taught me
