R.J. Evanovich's Blog, page 2

Grick Speaks 4

Another question has come up, one I would like to address this time around. Some of you have asked how it was that I happened to come across Amos on that isolated beach in the first place. Was it pure chance or did something draw me to that particular spot at that specific time? This is something I have thought about, often asking myself that same question.

I have discussed it with Silag and he suggested that perhaps the forces in play to transport Amos to my world could have registered in my senses at a level beneath conscious awareness. Both Kerna and Arnal also agree that this is a distinct possibility. I have gone over that time interval in my memory, trying to remember anything out of the ordinary and I do not recall seeing, hearing, smelling or otherwise sensing unusual just prior to finding Amos. I know that happenings beneath my awareness do occur however, and I would not find it hard to believe that such events could cause responses that might seem unintentional. Maybe Amos’ violent entry into my world emitted energies that I unknowingly detected, signals that drew me to the beach nearest to their origin. I cannot say with certainty that this is what actually happened on that fateful early morning. I say only that it is possible.

Questions like this can are often discussed and speculated upon, delving into areas of philosophy and belief structure. Personally, I prefer to take things as they come. It matters very little to me WHY I was at that place at that time. It is important only that I WAS, both for me and my friend Amos. However it came about, I think our meeting and the friendship that came of it has greatly enriched both of our lives and that is what really matters.

That is enough for now. If you have not already done so, please read one of the “Man’s Best Friend” series books. I think you will enjoy it.

RJs Corner – Ray Harryhausen Films

The late Ray Harryhausen made some of the best science fiction films ever made in my opinion. His artistry was in bringing fantastic creatures to life (an artistry that has few peers). I would like to single out three great films from his career: The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and Jason and the Argonauts. This is where dynamation, Ray’s technique for stop motion cinematography using articulated, intricately designed model/machines, became a special effects art form used throughout the motion picture industry. Right up to the classic 1981 Clash of the Titans, dynamation was used by a host of special effects wizards, but Harryhausen was the top master. Watch Clash and you will see dynamation at its pinnacle.

I began watching science fiction in the late 1950s where I discovered to my great joy the Friday night double feature and the soon to be added Saturday Afternoon Science Fiction/Horror Matinee! My parents were indulgent enough to let me take over the TV room and watch all the available science fiction and horror movies – actually this was a ploy to have some alone time from the kid. It was 1958 when I watched The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. It began a lifelong love of dinosaurs and science fiction.

Released in 1953, Beast was during the time atomic energy became the bogyman unleashing a swarm of deadly monsters, (some still around today). Nuclear detonation testing in some remote Artic Circle location – we’d test nukes anywhere – thaws out prehistoric creature; The Rhedosaurus! The reptile first surfaces in the artic and then makes its way down the Eastern Seaboard. It sinks a couple of fishing vessels, tears down a lighthouse (for an alternative to that scene read Ray Bradbury’s short story The Fog Horn), runs amok in Manhattan, terrorizes the populace (180 dead, 1500 injured, $300 million damages – newspaper headlines screamed), leaks radioactive blood all over the place and is finally killed in a grenade launching scene set on a roller coaster. In short, all the trappings of a first rate action film. The special effects for that film hold up today. I would love to see a pristine copy of the film in a theater and relive my youth spent at the afternoon SciFi/Horror double feature with a serial episode (Rocket Man) thrown in. Ah, the good ole days.

In 1958 The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was released to excellent reviews and breath taking special effects. The stop action technique was being marketed as  DynaMation (later versions were coined Dynarama)! I’m not sure how long this name hung on but the effects of Harryhausen’s dynamation were superb. The Cyclops definitely steals the show.

In 1963 Jason and the Argonauts hit the theaters and was the first film of Harryhausen’s I would see as a first run movie in a great theater, the Cinerama in Seattle. It was spectacular. From the giant bronze statue of Talos coming alive to three men fighting seven animated skeletons, Jason and the Argonauts delivered a grade one theater experience.

All three of these films are on my Top 20 Science Fiction Films of All Times. In subsequent blogs I’ll print the list. As a matter of fact, feel free to list your own Top 20 as a reply to our blog. In future columns I will discuss more of Mr. Harryhausen’s work and his genius. There are so many great ones. I just might have to revise my list Top 20 list again. Until next time.

Grick Speaks 3

Some of you have asked about the similarity of my species, the Nacker, to the “dogs” of your world. There is a physical resemblance to a type of earthly dog called the “Harrier,” though I frankly do not see it quite as much as Amos, Ryan and Alex insist. The “dogs” of earth are actually much more like the unenhanced Nackers of my world, creatures with some intelligence to be sure, but extremely limited when compared to me, Nix and the others in the Nacker settlement. This does not even address our telepathic ability, another attribute that sets us above and apart. These observations are not intended to convey a negative view of your “dogs,” but rather to define the differences. After all, my species did not always possess these qualities and any arrogance on my part would be quite inappropriate.

I had occasion to meet a few “dogs” during my brief stay in your world. I can tell you that while not of superior intellect, they were sensitive creatures, some of whom even displayed telepathic aptitude, albeit at a rudimentary level. I am confident that if selected individuals were to participate in an enhancement program similar to that of my ancestors, their progeny would achieve great things in the future.

As to where we Nackers originated, I can only tell you what I have learned from the sketchy records in the Binaltro Archive. It is thought that we came to Ronala with the ancestral space-faring race that is presumed to have colonized our planet in the distant past. Our notable affinity for the Ronalan Citizens, as well as the humans who so closely resemble them, would seem to support that theory. Of course until sufficient evidence either confirms or refutes this idea, it remains in the realm of conjecture.

That is enough for this installment. Until my next post, enjoy the “Man’s Best Friend” series. I can recommend them from personal experience.

RJ’s Corner – Old School Gaming

I was talking to my daughter the other evening and the discussion eventually turned to gaming. To my surprise she told me of a group she gets together with periodically to play Shadowrun. I was flabbergasted to find that pencil, paper, charts and dice RPG gaming is still popular. And, Shadowrun is in its 4th edition. I played it in its first edition. This started me thinking about a game that I purchased back in the 1980s called Aftermath.

According to Wikipedia  “ Aftermath! is a role-playing game created by Paul Hume & Robert Charette which was published in 1981 by Fantasy Games Unlimited.

“It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the characters typically have to fight for food, water, basic supplies and shelter. The rules are reasonably complex and include many flow charts and tables to enable the Games Master to simulate the world. This leads to a very immersive gaming experience. However, it does require a good knowledge of the rules.

“The nature of the Apocalypse is up to the Games Master but it is reminiscent of the Mad Max films. There is even an expansion (Aftermath! Magic!) to play in a universe dominated by dragons in the style of the film Reign of Fire.”

This description only touches very lightly on what that game was like. The levels of game play were highly detailed and enormously complex. However, a skilled Game Master could make this game fly causing the action to be swift, exciting and, under the right conditions, pulse pounding. Any post-apocalyptic dystopian loving fan would find this game entertaining and absorbing. Once past the steep learning curve the players find a believable and scary world to compete in.

I sold most of my Aftermath! and Shadowrun materials years ago. along with most of my AD&D tomes. Now days I mostly game on the computer either in a stand-alone environment or on an MMO platform. But occasionally I look back nostalgically on the “old school” RPG gaming and find that I miss that human interaction that occurs when a group of serious gamers get together and pit their mettle against a competent Game Master. I find it heartening in many ways that a younger generation is still enjoying this type of gaming and hope they in turn pass the skill on to yet another generation.

Now, if Dream Park would only become a reality!

This week we have Grick answering some email questions and I start my first entry to RJ’s Corner; a potpourri of random thoughts related to writing, science fiction with an occasional foray into gaming.

Grick answers questions about the world of Man’s Best Friend

A few questions about my world have come up, so I will do my best to answer them. In the course of my explorations both before and since meeting my friend Amos, I encountered many of its unusual inhabitants and phenomena.

Many of you have wondered about the nature of my world and its parallel dimension. From what I have learned, it is a universe similar to yours, filled with galaxies of stars, a few of which host planetary systems. Our sun star was known as Sonam in the times before the great catastrophe obscured it from view. It is a star much like your sun, which Amos says is classified as a “K-Type orange dwarf.” It was only when I came to your world that I saw a star shining in the daytime sky and understood why Amos lamented its absence in mine.

I have also learned that my world is much different today than it was before the great catastrophe twelve thousand years ago. There now are tribes of Ronel in colors of red, blue, green, yellow and gray, as well as many forms of life that did not exist in those ancient times. The “Man’s Best Friend” series will document how this happened and chronicle the efforts to restore my world to its former benign abundance.

One reader asked about the weapons used by the Ronel warrior tribes, commenting on the absence of the “bow and arrow,” a device routinely found in ancient cultures of your world. I first learned of this weapon from a television program I saw and have wondered the same thing myself. Amos pointed out to me that in your world, an ancient tribe called the Australian Aborigines did not use this weapon, presumably finding spears better suited to their purposes. Having seen the incredible skill with which a Gray Ronel warrior can utilize a spear, I can well understand that view. When time permits, I will consult the weapons history in the Central Civic Archive in Binaltro to research this topic more fully.

Regarding the use of telepathy, I can only say that it is a superior means of communication between intelligent beings. I am profoundly thankful that the ability was developed and nurtured in my ancient forbears and passed along to me. I hope that you all will someday be able to enjoy its enormous advantages.

That is all for now. I will return with another posting soon. Until then, keep reading, preferably one of the books from the “Man’s Best Friend” series.

RJ’s Corner

Pinterest and Time Management

One word can sum up Pinterest: Wow!!!! This is a very visual site and the depth of science fiction related subjects (boards with individual pins attached) is huge. One section had hundreds of old B movie Science Fiction Posters. Another had book covers from the 40s through the 90s. One of my boards SciFi Stuff has 80 pins each connecting to other boards which each connect to yet more boards. See what I mean? Then there are the artists. One that catches my eye is James Wolf Strehle. Last week we showed a thumbnail of one of his exquisite ‘Modern Ruins’ pieces. His talent is outstanding. Check out the two samples above. To view more go to http://jamiestrehle.com and see for yourself.

There is a wealth of visual candy on Pinterest which can suck up serious time. It’s that good. For those not familiar, simply go to http://Pinterest.com and check it out.

Music and the Muse

Music during a writing session is a necessity for me. While some prefer a quiet space, I listen to certain classical music pieces when I write and the habit was started years ago with LJ Stamm as we wrote the screenplay for Man’s Best Friend,

The screenplay started in 1972 as a hobby while stationed together during our Navy enlistments. Working evenings and weekends it took over a year to complete the project. Through it all, music was always played as we crafted each scene. Foremost among the pieces was Holst’s The Planets. A number of Russian romantic composers were featured including Rimsky-Korsakov, Khachaturian, Rachmaninoff,  Mussorgsky to name a few. Add to the mix Mahler, Ravel, Beethoven, Copland, etc. The background was always filled with lush sounds. When I read the old screenplay, I still hear the music in the background that may have helped in creating the scene.

Today, I still have classical music playing when writing. My iTunes library has two Playlists used when I’m working on scenes within the novel. I’ve named them Easy Writer and Easy Writer Light. They are both a mix of the artists mentioned above with a few motion picture soundtracks such as Legends of the Fall, Wind and the Lion, Star Wars, Star Trek and Copland thrown in for good measure.

Start a discussion thread. Tell us what music brings forth the muse within you. BTW, the pic above is Rimsky-Korsakov.

Afterthought

PAX Seattle sold out in one day!  The Labor Day Gaming Con is huge. My daughter is taking me on one of the days and I am stoked. Even at my age, I’m a shameless geek when it comes to gaming. Hope there a a couple of Man’s Best Friend fans there. I am tempted to do some shamless self-promotion. However …

Steel Bridge At Sunset Portland OR by RJ Evanovich

This column is from Grick’s POV in the novels and will appear from week to week. Also included is the first book review column by LJ Stamm.

Grick’s Thoughts

I found a number of things quite interesting and enjoyable during my short tenure in your earthly dimension. One of the best was television, with its huge variety of stimulating entertainment and information displays, not to mention the overabundance of what you call “commercials.” Amos explained to me that they are needed to pay the costs of presenting the displays, but that delved into facets of your economic system that seem particularly deceptive to me. In spite of that, I found much to like on television, mostly in the so-called “soap operas, which presented stirring dramatic sagas of life in your world. There was also a lot of “sports,” most of which were little more than incomprehensible and pointless exercises in bluster and violence. There were also the “reality shows,” completely misnamed programs that depicted nothing remotely resembling actual reality and were a total waste of time.

I also greatly enjoyed your sunlight and blue skies, things it is hoped can be restored to my world at some point in the future. The village of Baycrest, where most of my time was spent, seemed to embody the best of your culture in a community of friendly people who displayed a genuine shared concern for each other. The surrounding countryside also reminded me a bit of my homeland, with its rolling hills and skyline of snowcapped mountains.

The great city of Seattle and its accompanying settlements were also very interesting, but the crush of population, machines, malodorous air and noise were detractions that made me long for the open spaces of my own world. Amos tells me that many regions of your world are even more densely populated. I earnestly hope you find some way to limit your numbers before causing irreparable harm to your environment. You have a lovely world, filled with wonders and worthy of your best efforts to preserve it from further damage.

In my next posting, I will answer some questions you may have about my world and its inhabitants. Until then, enjoy reading one of the books in the “Man’s Best Friend” series.

LJ On Books

LJ Stamm Book Reviews will appear monthly. This posting LJ gives us several pocket reviews.

Sea of Glass  by Barry Longyear

A darkly gripping and starkly graphic picture of the near future, told in compelling first-person by the central character, as he grows from child to adult. It’s difficult to put down, almost forcing the reader to continue to the end. This book is among Longyear’s best and easily on the long list of all-time best science fiction novels.

Earth by David Brin

Having read most of Brin’s other works, I finally got around to reading  this one, which is an ambitious and epic near-future story which explores environmental and social issues extrapolated from contemporary times. Too much science and not enough fiction was the main problem I had with this book. The story often bogs down in muddy scientific and theoretical minutiae. Character development is spotty, with some fleshed out nicely, while others remain shallow and flat. All in all, a decent read, but not up to par with Brin’s better works, like the “Uplift” series.

The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson

This is an interesting and unusual story of a few immortals living through human history, from the distant past to the far future. Good character development and social commentary, along with a suitable amount of action and drama combine for a satisfying result. I highly recommend it.

 The Madness Season by C.S. Friedman

This is an interesting and unusual story incorporating several compelling themes and a good variety of well developed characters, against the background of an earth that has been subjugated into the empire of a strange alien culture. Multiple aspects of science, sociology, love, and the politics of conquest are woven into a complex and satisfying work with Friedman’s customary skill. I highly recommend it.

The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke

This is a book of imaginative and thoughtful science fiction about a small human colony on a far world and their encounter with a passing ship of humans bound for another new world. I have read it many times and it never fails to stimulate the sense of awe and wonder which all great works of science fiction evoke. A superior work by one of the masters of the genre, it has my highest recommendation.

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

A book written in 1949 that handles the “post-apocalyptic” scenario as good as any you will ever read. A few survivors of an unknown plague do their best to survive and endure in a world suddenly stripped of the technology it has depended upon. Like all good stories, it makes you think, reflect and consider the possibilities about what technological development has brought us and what might happen if it was lost. Though this story has no good versus evil overtones, Stephen King has acknowledged it as an inspiration for his great work “The Stand.” Don’t be put off by its age. This book is terrific.

Feel free to comment on our post or send lJ a comment to [email protected] . Any general comments or questions direct to [email protected]. That’s it for this week. Look for a new blog next week. any comments for the moderator contact [email protected]

By April 7, our website http://binaltro.com will be on a new web hosting service. As with all moves, there can be some strange results once I hit the send button. We will be ironing out any problems as they come up.

In the next several weeks we will be posting more content to the blog. I am shooting for weekly and working up from there. We definitely encourage guest blogs so get in touch through the blog site or the web site or email to [email protected]. We also relish discussions of anything SciFi. Feel free. The blog is moderated by the authors and anything unbecoming (or for that matter downright mean) will be removed. In short, be civil and the authors will leave your post alone. We also encourage discussions about the our books and look forward to answering any questions regarding the world and denizens of Ronala.

We would like to start an email list  This will usually be in the form of this blog or any special happenings regarding special offers and the like.

Until further notice any of our giveaways will be done via pdf files. We encourage readers to go to Calibre.com and download the free eBook handling software. You con convert pdf to ePub or eMobi for loading onto your eReader.

Camille Buckles did the art for Man’s Best Friend. Her work is outstanding and she came up with a couple of icons for the series. Foremost  was her Kark rendition. Below you can see the final pencil art before the lower one was inked in and put on the back cover of the first novel. Be sure to check out her website www.camilleb.com.