Thursday 25 September 2008

YA Sci fi and Fantasy

It seems that the blog sphere and the internets in general are talking alot about the YA market in books. I'm probably behind the eight ball on his one as even John Scalzi has written a YA Science Fiction novel (Zoe's Tale) set in his Old Man's War universe. Ofcourse I'm not saying that J.S. could not write one it's more that he is on the pulse of these things and if he has done it millions more will follow...


So in order to check out this in world of Fiction (and by that I mean Sci/Fi and Fantasy) I have read a few. Scott Westerfeld's, amgonst them. And you know what? I liked them, I mean really liked them. Sure some of the stuff was things that I don't deal with now, teenage issues and some of the situations the protaganist gets into I think WTF do this or that! But the story, the elements in the writing are all very good better then some of the Sci/Fi Fantasy I read that are adult books.


So what does all this mean? Should we all be jumping on the band wagon and getting our kicks from YA Sci/Fi? Will our favourite Authors all turn to the cash giving youth? The simple answer is;


"No of course not you idiot!"


YA's are not stupid and they are a fickle bunch - if you can trust any of the teenagers I know or have known including myself! - they don't want some "hey look at me I am coola nd hip down with ya'll I can write this YA fiction stuff and conect with the youth of the world..." Especially when they have such great writers like Cory Doctorow and Scott Westerfeld who write YA in an Adult way. Man I wish thay where around when I was younger, all I had was TSR pumping out more Dragon Lance novels with the same plot line and simple dialogue... and between you and me I really like these books - even if I am not in the demographic for them!


So in conclusion, should I fear that my favourite genres are going to get killed for the for YA market - no! Will this market create better fiction in years to come? Hell yes! and why? Teenagers get older (it's a fact face it girls and boys) they still buy books as they get older... this means aiming books at a aging audience... therefore more books for me to read an enjoy. WIN.

Monday 22 September 2008

Past Catching Up

In high school I knew a guy, he was tall, and like most of my crowd a little off centre - not in a bad way - he just wasn't a footie player nor was he a chesty, maybe a geek, maybe a bit weird but then again I was too. He left before we finished school and went to... Sydney first then to the UK. His Dad was an Elvis impersonator I think... that may be the strange mind playing games with me - and it has nothing to do with no dead cats a'ite..

We have recently caught up - in the digital word, he still lives in the UK, Scotland to be precise and he is attempting to become a full time writer. Here is his blog and following are some of his stories in the digital world for you to enjoy. Here you can buy an anthology which has one of his stories in it and plenty of other great work including some great Aussie music.

One September Morning
When It Collapsed
Rasberry Roulette
Father, Brother, Nephew, Son
My Wife Glows in the Dark
These next are pdf's or get them in text only here
Blind Man's Bluff
Wet Secrets
After the Flood
Footprints

Flash Fiction
Drip

I hope you enjoy these treats as much as I did...

Friday 19 September 2008

The Past

It seems sometimes life has a way of catching up on you when you least expect it to. Let me explain that...

I never really wanted to get a Facebook account - I hardly have enough time to keep up with friends and family that are in the same town as me let alone adding to it through virtual connections. But I have really gotten in touch with people who I thought where lost to the past, a friend from my first Uni days got in touch with me and even a guy I knew in High School, and even my Cousins from Tasmania... It probably helps that I have an unusual last name which is easy to find in the ether of the Internet.

So what do I think of this has this changed things for me are we planning to meet up in the near future? Well aside from my Cousins who I would like to invite to my upcoming Wedding I have no plans to meet up with anyone else - but I can at least send them a message from time to time and remember pasts that I though had been buried and forgotten (not that I mean to say the pasts are bad and need to be forgotten - far from it).

It makes me wonder if this is the new way of things - we no longer keep in touch the normal or traditional way we use these brief safe messages of text to keep "in touch" and to connect with people. Maybe one day we will only exist in friendships forged in text based relationships. Are we turning into Gibson's future but far bleaker then he showed us? I mean even now I sms my friends "How are you doing?" knowing full well that things are not good with them but either I do not have the time or energy to ring or see them and face the extra questions and conversation. A text can tell me the smallest amount of info which will be the usual "Doin' OK" easy for them as well as they don't need to get into specifics and have to think about things and I get brownie points for being thoughtful...

From now on if I have something to really ask or say to someone I am going to ring them or (shock horror) drop in and see them. Lets at least see how long this goes for. Sms is great for "Meet for coffee at 10 - the usual place" but not for conversations... That is why we learnt to speak.

Saturday 13 September 2008

Musical ride...

Here Come the Birds

This was the songle of the week from iTunes... a fantastic little song fromthis Newcastle (Australia) band. Check out their My Space and the song Bravery and Defeat.

Bennie James and the Hesitant Few

One half of the act I saw in Sydney the other week, here is a link to the great little song Bubbleboy great pop tune. If you get a chance check them out live as they are a really great little band! Bennie has some of the live recordings from the gig I attended on his MySpace so check that out as well...

Well that about does it for the newest music that I have found in the last few days... I should do this more often - spread the word...

Smiles


Thursday 11 September 2008

Secondment

I am going on secondment... to my old job - but in a higher grade position! weird but true. I'll be back at the Visitors Centre for the next 2 and a bit months being all managerial and even being able to pay bills and stuff - WoW that is the ultimate level of Power at Local Government... hehehe

But seriously it'll be more money and right now that would be handy what with Weddings and such like although I am very grateful that our parents are helping out with a LARGE amount of that... (wipes brow)

For some reason today I have Pink Floyd on iTune (I upgraded to v8 and have started Genius - so far not overly impressed) I am slipping back into the world of Pink and I have the reoccurring memories of Uni days in Canberra. Some good some bad... Speaking of which I am going to a training session in Queanbeyan in November (a Friday) I even get to stay in a Motel the night before and then I am staying (they don't know this yet so keep it quite) with friends in Canberra for the weekend and come back Sunday night... the joys of Government work - they don't make you get up a 4 am to go to training...

Anyway this is more of a keeping you all up to date Blog not about anything too exciting... Chat later.