“Don’t die, Dad – but they die.” Les Murray, The Bard of Bunyah, 17 October 1938 – 29 April 2019
The papers have been full with news of the death of Australia’s most world-famous poet, Les Murray. He died yesterdayContinue Reading
Category: Current events
I composed a bit like Bach! – Machine Learning and the joys of aspiring to great art
Computer-generated artistic text and images tend to resemble FrankenArt and FrankenFiction. Using machine learning, designers can build software programs thatContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Media and Technology Review of anthology Review of new book Review of new science fiction Review of science fiction Reviews of short stories
Science Fiction versus HARD Science Fiction – The real science behind the Twelve Tomorrows Anthology
John Scalzi’s Science Fiction (SF) novel Head On was taken a step closer to being real when, in December 2018,Continue Reading
What tickles your funny-bone? Rhett and Link caption The New Yorker’s cartoons
Here’s something entertaining: the appearance on The New Yorker magazine’s video channel of my favourite You-tubers, Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal,Continue Reading
Backstories Current events List of similar books Modern fiction Published books Publishing technologies
Dismissive of mass market paperbacks? Think again.
This is the rack of “mass market” paperbacks that I see when I stand in the queue, every time IContinue Reading
Indie author causes uproar in the French publishing industry – shrugs it off as a matter of survival
I rarely repost news articles in their entirety but this one is a real eyebrow-raiser: – an independent author’s novel,Continue Reading
The Creative Process & Publishing I – How to get published
There are thousands of aspiring authors, thousands of unpublished books, and millions of readers who have not connected with particularContinue Reading
Anthony Bourdain is dead – No more “food-poetry”
Anthony Bourdain is dead – he killed himself. His body was found in Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France, on Friday, June 8, 2018. HeContinue Reading
Best of 2018 Constructed World Novel Current events Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction
The fatal thrills of zero inhibitions – The Pleasure Model Repairman, by Ruuf Wangersen
Any novel that has the words “pleasure model” in the title could be automatically relegated to the category of “chickContinue Reading
Authors to watch Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Review of radio script Review of science fiction
Freaky bedtime stories from “Night Vale”, the town where nothing is normal
“Welcome to Night Vale” it says on the cover. Inside, there are stories about the town of “Night Vale”, somewhereContinue Reading
Authors to watch Backstories Current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Trending
Hendrik Groen stubbornly clings to life – On the Bright Side, by Anonymous (Hendrik Groen)
The mystery over who “Hendrik Groen” is, continues. Groen is the pseudonym of a Dutch author who has produced twoContinue Reading
The Creative Process: What makes a literary one-hit wonder?
There is a lot more to the phenomenon of literary one-hit wonders than you’d think. There are many reasons forContinue Reading
Backstories children’s book Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Trending
Oh dear, Mary Poppins Returns – here comes the spoonful of saccharine
The teaser trailer for the new film based on the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers was released to coincideContinue Reading
Backstories Comic books Current events Humor Humour Reviews of graphic novels and comic strips Trending
The perks and perils of reanimating oldies but goodies – Bloom County, by Berke Breathed
After a 25-year absence, comic book artist Berkeley (“Berke”) Breathed restarted his famous and much-loved comic strip, Bloom County on Facebook,Continue Reading
4 The Creative Process – Performance enhancement for writers
In the previous article, I discussed the link between psychopathology and creativity. So here is a shortlist of authors whose bodyContinue Reading
54-second review of Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes
Compact Crits #7: 54-second review of Insomniac City, by Bill Hayes Read the whole story here. Make no mistake, thisContinue Reading
The funny, thoughtful poems of Brian Bilston, the Twitter poet
Brian Bilston’s saucy, witty and insightful poems on Twitter (@brian_bilston) have made him famous. In this podcast (recorded in 2016,Continue Reading
Backstories Cold Climate Novels for Summer Current events Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Trending
Classic crime fiction with a Canadian twist – The John Cardinal Series, by Giles Blunt
I watched the final episode of the second season of Cardinal, based on the books by Giles Blunt, on Feb. 8,Continue Reading
Share the stunning view of the Starman – and DON’T PANIC
“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever”, John Keats wrote in his poem “Endymion” in 1818 – aboutContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Humor Humour Publishing technologies Review of new book Review of new non-fiction Subjective non-fiction Trending Web series and vlogs
Will it…Print? – Rhett & Link’s Book of Mythicality
I have been watching Rhett and Link, a.k.a Rhett McLaughlin and Link (Charles) Neal, on their YouTube channel, Good MythicalContinue Reading
What does it take to create something new every day?
One of my favourite marketing professionals, Seth Godin, wrote his 7,000th post on Nov. 14, 2017. That’s quite something. TheContinue Reading
The Year in Books – Fancy yourself in a crowd?
Book blogs and book review aggregators exist because people like being part of a community that shares their interests. ThisContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction
Just way too wordy – The Hippopotamus, by Stephen Fry
I did not think that I would get tired of reading the heavily stylized and very British English of StephenContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Review of new book Reviews of short stories Trending
Debut fiction from Tom Hanks – “Uncommon Type” – is a labour of love
Tom Hanks’s debut work of fiction, a collection of short stories, came out on October 17, 2017. It has beenContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book
The food is better than the family saga – The Prodigal Daughter, by Prue Leith
Prue Leith, as Anglophiles and food show fans would know, replaced Mary Berry as the co-judge with Paul Hollywood whenContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Review of modern fiction Review of new book
Making Light of Autism and Lust – Best-laid Plans, by Kathy Lette
In popular author Kathy Lette’s latest novel, Best Laid Plans, her writing style is a torrent of words, which you eventuallyContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book Trending
This is what being old is really like – The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, by…?
There is a current trend for novels with long titles about eccentric old people: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed OutContinue Reading
Art Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series List of similar books Review of historical fiction
It’s all in the timing – Film of Tulip Fever and exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings
With books, as with films, success depends a lot on the timing and the tie-ins. Whether it will resonate withContinue Reading
Angela Merkel’s take on Julian Barnes’s novel about Shostakovich, The Noise of Time
Julian Barnes October 8 at 7:03pm · Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, on Julian Barnes’s novel The Noise of TimeContinue Reading
Author of The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro, awarded Nobel Prize for Literature
I know a good thing when I read it! Yesterday, 5 Oct. 2017, the British author Kazuo Ishiguro was named thisContinue Reading
Pulping Your PC or Publishing Posthumously – Future Options for Authors
Icelandic writer Sjón has spent the first half of this year in Lillehammer, Norway, where, on June 2, 2017, heContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction Reviews of short stories
Reality from a different perspective – Giants at the End of the World, Finnish Weird anthology
At the 75th World Science Fiction Conference (Worldcon 75) held in August 2017 in Helsinki, Finland, the bag of goodiesContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Reviews of Screenplays and Dramas
When the film is better than the book – A Man Called Ove
I think people fall into three categories: 1) those who read the book first, then go see the film ofContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of Autobiography Review of memoir
Goodbye, Sir Roger – My Word Is My Bond, by Roger Moore
You could be tempted to dismiss Roger Moore’s autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, as a bit of a joke,Continue Reading
Six rules for writing about AI set out at Worldcon 75
AI, Artificial Intelligence, is the one element that many SF writers like to work into their stories, particularly robot-human interactions.Continue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Literary analysis Review of science fiction
Readers set the critics right at Worldcon 75
On day 2 of Worldcon 75 in Helsinki, I finally got to have a word with one of the “insider”Continue Reading
How Chinese SF writers deal with “the invisible” – Worldcon 75
Day 2 of Worldcon 75 delivered an Academic Track session that was on par, at least in terms of content,Continue Reading
Splashes in a suikinkutsu – Experiential content on the Internet
See me, hear me and walk with me – that’s what many websites try to achieve; in other words, connectContinue Reading
Not much of a mirror – You Don’t Look Your Age, by Sheila Nevins
Update: On Dec. 18, 2017, the New York Times reported that Sheila Nevins is exiting HBO after 38 years. TheContinue Reading
Twists on famous opening lines
(Above: Spot the possum details on these re-imagined book covers. Graphics by M. Bijman) I wondered what would happen ifContinue Reading
Book reviews in published magazines, vs review aggregator sites
Dum-dah-dah…Another one bites the dust…♬ (Sorry, Queen.) A few months ago I announced that my reviews will be published inContinue Reading
Current events Detective fiction Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of new book Review of new science fiction
Hard-hitting Alt-history novel – Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
Ben H. Winters wrote the acclaimed, award-winning Science Fiction series, The Last Policeman. I called the hero of the series,Continue Reading
Backstories Children’s Literature Current events Discussion of writing style Published books Review of previously published novel
“The Little Prince” – The tricky business of fan fiction versus copyright, Part 4 of 4
Here is the last part in a series of four posts on the subject of fan fiction versus copyright rules.Continue Reading
Backstories Comic books Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events Published books
The Unfinished “Tintin” – The tricky business of fan fiction versus copyright, Part 3 of 4
On the subject of fan fiction versus copyright rules, I am discussing examples of three cases of what seems toContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events List of similar books Published books
“The Aleph” – The tricky business of fan fiction versus copyright, Part 2 of 4
To continue the discussion on fan fiction versus copyright, here follows the case of the two “Alephs”, one by Jorge Luis BorgesContinue Reading
The tricky business of fan fiction versus copyright, Part 1 of 4
The Era of the Reboot and Sequel Whenever an author adds a new book on to a successful novel orContinue Reading
2016 Review – A Year in Books, by the numbers
Another year has passed on the Seven Circumstances book blog. Here are the site stats, courtesy of WordPress’s StatsMonkeys whoContinue Reading
Avoiding the reviewer’s fate of “praising trash”
As of this month, I’m going to be contributing book reviews to Fairlady magazine. For those who don’t know, it’s anContinue Reading
Books for Summer Current events Discussion of writing style Published books Review of literary fiction
Suffering and sublime beauty – The Famished Road, by Ben Okri
This novel, first published 1991, won Ben Okri the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. You might wonder what relevance aContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of new book Review of new novel Review of previously published novel
“Moonstone” and other books, by Sjón – Prepare to have your head messed with, brilliantly
Sjón: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Reader of Sjón. Her current mission: to explore strange new worlds,Continue Reading
Afrikaans Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style List of similar books Review of new book
Authors in deadpools and recent obits – Umberto Eco, Harper Lee and others
Two days ago, 19 February 2016, both Umberto Eco and Harper Lee died. Both their names were probably in theContinue Reading
Happy New Year and May you read many more books
As famous film director Werner Herzog explains in an interview with Stephen Sackur on the BBC’s HARDTalk program on 24thContinue Reading
2015 in review
The WordPress.com stats Helper Monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A New York City subwayContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of historical fiction Review of modern fiction Review of novel
The Big Business of Erotic Romances – Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
For the last in my series of festive season books, the theme is romance and erotica, and I have someContinue Reading
Of wars and remembrance
Today, Remembrance Day, I am remembering – unwillingly – the wars of the country I was born in, South Africa. EuropeansContinue Reading
Henning Mankell has died – No more Wallander
The Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell (born February 3, 1948) died of cancer on 5 October 2015. His most famous creation wasContinue Reading
To Kill a Mockingbird goes digital – other classics to follow – world e-book base grows
Last year I wrote about why old books, long-playing records and other non-digital media are gaining value, and why some unlikelyContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Non-fiction Published books Review of historical fiction Subjective non-fiction
Have you read People of the Deer? You should, especially now
Grand old man of Canadian literature dies Just last week I gave my copy of Farley Mowat’s Eastern Passage to a friendContinue Reading
Comic books Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of lyrics Review of classical fiction
Happy birthday William Shakespeare – 450 years on
It’s the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare, who is traditionally believed to have been born today, 23Continue Reading
Homage to Hennie Aucamp
South African author, poet, lyricist and playwright Hennie Aucamp died on 20 March 2014, aged 80 years, from a heartContinue Reading
Easily digestible lessons for modern life – The 100-Year-Old Man and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
New spins on old fables The past few years have seen an increase in films and novels that rework andContinue Reading
Best Wishes for the Season – In the words of Breyten Breytenbach
The best way to express my best wishes to my family, friends, followers and fellow book lovers for the newContinue Reading
The Grass Was Singing – Goodbye Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing, the Zimbabwean-raised author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007, died on 17 November 2013. Luckily forContinue Reading
Children’s Literature Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of genre Review of new book Review of new novel Review of novel
Depicting the minutiae of life – Dear Life, by Alice Munro
– (Penguin Books Canada, 2012) The significant moments in Alice Munro’s latest collection of short stories tend to creep upContinue Reading
Happy birthday Dylan Thomas, you lovely Welshman
Dylan Thomas would’ve been 99 today. Born 27 October 1914, he died 9 November 1953, only 39 years old, muchContinue Reading
