My brother sent me this link to a site that shows the real revenue (as well as adjusted for inflation revenue) for all of the bond movies. Yes, this is a book and writing blog, but I blog alot about James Bond novels so there is a tangential relationship. That being said, I still find it sad that there are so many great bond novels out there that got lost in translation . . . lost may be the wrong term, I don't even think they read the novel, just stole the title.
The biggest surprise is not that when you adjust for inflation that Thunderball is the biggest revenue winner. The surprise is that Live and Let Die is the highest grosser for all the Roger Moore movies. What's up with that? Have these people not figured out that Christopher Walken is in A View to a Kill? Secondly, where's Never Say Never Again?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
On the Cusp
As I am on the cusp of completing this next novel and shall presently be adding to both my last lines and first lines labels, I'm going to resort to a bit of a re-post.
I re-post this at least once a year if only cause I find it so dang useful. The Literature Map link that you see on the right of this blog is an incredibly useful application. I doubt if it is updated and administered as much as many folks who read this blog might like, but it is useful nonetheless.
Go try it out. Put in the name of an author you like, and see what is returned. I use it tons.
I re-post this at least once a year if only cause I find it so dang useful. The Literature Map link that you see on the right of this blog is an incredibly useful application. I doubt if it is updated and administered as much as many folks who read this blog might like, but it is useful nonetheless.
Go try it out. Put in the name of an author you like, and see what is returned. I use it tons.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Glad I Found My Way Back
It is stunning to me that the movie version had a submarine car, Jaws, a secret underwater hideout for villains and so much more nonsense when the book was perfectly good by itself. I'm not quite sure why they share a name to tell you the truth. Granted, I didn't enjoy the book too awful much, but it was solid and fun to read like all of the other Bonds.
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The story was written not from Bond's perspective which is the norm, but from the girls. This was a bit different and although it made me not think as much of the book, this twist did make me applaud Ian Fleming all the more. I like the fact that he wrote what he felt like writing and didn't fall for any demands that might have been pressed on him by others. It's as if he's always trying something new just to see how it will fit for a bit.
Unlike the movie there is a ton of introspection and flashbacks from the main character. It's not till halfway through the book that Bond actually shows up. I know I was supposed to care if only cause part way through the book Fleming writes how his protagonist is learning to write.
Well, I settled down in my new job as ‘Assistant to the Editor’ and I was given more writing to do and less legwork and in due course, after I had been there for a year, I graduated to a by-line and ‘Vivienne Michel’ became a public person and my salary went up to twenty guineas. Len liked the way I got on with things and wasn’t afraid of people, and he taught me a lot about writing—tricks like hooking the reader with your lead paragraph, using short sentences, avoiding ‘okay’ English and, above all, writing about people.
Although he was writing about people, I still had a hard time caring about this people. I even faltered in starting this book. I read the first few chapters, gave up, read two other books that you can find in previous posts on this topic, The Corpse Goddess and Wool, then came back to it. I'm glad I did. It was worthwhile all told.
The story was written not from Bond's perspective which is the norm, but from the girls. This was a bit different and although it made me not think as much of the book, this twist did make me applaud Ian Fleming all the more. I like the fact that he wrote what he felt like writing and didn't fall for any demands that might have been pressed on him by others. It's as if he's always trying something new just to see how it will fit for a bit.
Unlike the movie there is a ton of introspection and flashbacks from the main character. It's not till halfway through the book that Bond actually shows up. I know I was supposed to care if only cause part way through the book Fleming writes how his protagonist is learning to write.
Well, I settled down in my new job as ‘Assistant to the Editor’ and I was given more writing to do and less legwork and in due course, after I had been there for a year, I graduated to a by-line and ‘Vivienne Michel’ became a public person and my salary went up to twenty guineas. Len liked the way I got on with things and wasn’t afraid of people, and he taught me a lot about writing—tricks like hooking the reader with your lead paragraph, using short sentences, avoiding ‘okay’ English and, above all, writing about people.
Although he was writing about people, I still had a hard time caring about this people. I even faltered in starting this book. I read the first few chapters, gave up, read two other books that you can find in previous posts on this topic, The Corpse Goddess and Wool, then came back to it. I'm glad I did. It was worthwhile all told.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Incredibly Short, But Incredibly Clever
The title describes both this post and the Word Smith . . . my son. For previous posts about his ability to "know things up" hit the link in this sentence or the Word Smith link on the right side of the page.
We have been watching the Olympics. I'm trying to instill in him a sense of patriotism and and understanding of the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, he saw archery, fencing, biking et al. Whilst watching swimming today he decided he wanted to watch a different event.
"Dad, can you fast forward to Jump-nastics"
I knew immediately what he meant, and why he might say it. Then I wondered about my own pronunciation. Perhaps I'm saying things too quick. Perhaps he just has better ideas on what things should be called.
We have been watching the Olympics. I'm trying to instill in him a sense of patriotism and and understanding of the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, he saw archery, fencing, biking et al. Whilst watching swimming today he decided he wanted to watch a different event.
"Dad, can you fast forward to Jump-nastics"
I knew immediately what he meant, and why he might say it. Then I wondered about my own pronunciation. Perhaps I'm saying things too quick. Perhaps he just has better ideas on what things should be called.
Friday, July 27, 2012
It Kept Me Reading
Who wouldn't want to keep reading when you read this as the first line and the first few passages:
Bud Mitchell drove his Ford Explorer along Dune Road. Up ahead was a sign that said CUPSOGUE BEACH COUNTY PARK— OPEN DAWN TO DUSK. It was dusk, but Bud drove through an empty parking field, on the far side of which was a wide nature trail, partially blocked by a roll-up fence. A sign said NO VEHICLES.
He said to the woman sitting in his passenger seat, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Jill Winslow replied, “Yes. It’s exciting.”
Bud nodded without enthusiasm. He skirted around the fence and continued on in four-wheel drive along the sandy trail flanked by high, grass-covered dunes. Having extramarital sex should have been exciting enough for both of them, he thought, but Jill didn’t see it that way. For her, cheating on her husband was only worth it if the sex, romance, and excitement were better than at home. For him, the taboo of having sex with another man’s wife was the turn-on.
DeMille, Nelson - Night Fall (John Corey)
It gets even better when their video tape recorder records the missile that shoots down TWA Flight 800.
Bud Mitchell drove his Ford Explorer along Dune Road. Up ahead was a sign that said CUPSOGUE BEACH COUNTY PARK— OPEN DAWN TO DUSK. It was dusk, but Bud drove through an empty parking field, on the far side of which was a wide nature trail, partially blocked by a roll-up fence. A sign said NO VEHICLES.
He said to the woman sitting in his passenger seat, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Jill Winslow replied, “Yes. It’s exciting.”
Bud nodded without enthusiasm. He skirted around the fence and continued on in four-wheel drive along the sandy trail flanked by high, grass-covered dunes. Having extramarital sex should have been exciting enough for both of them, he thought, but Jill didn’t see it that way. For her, cheating on her husband was only worth it if the sex, romance, and excitement were better than at home. For him, the taboo of having sex with another man’s wife was the turn-on.
DeMille, Nelson - Night Fall (John Corey)
It gets even better when their video tape recorder records the missile that shoots down TWA Flight 800.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
That Was Fast
Unharmed? What was it the captain of detectives had said about ‘scars’? I just didn’t believe him. The scars of my terror had been healed, wiped away, by this stranger who slept with a gun under his pillow, this secret agent who was only known by a number.
A secret agent? I didn’t care what he did. A number? I had already forgotten it. I knew exactly who he was and what he was. And everything, every smallest detail, would be written on my heart for ever.
Fleming, Ian - The Spy Who Loved Me
Despite the speed with which I read it, and despite my history of liking Ian Fleming's novels, I didn't really like this one. I'll have more on this in the upcoming review, but savvy readers might be able to guess from the first and last lines from the book why I didn't care for it.
A secret agent? I didn’t care what he did. A number? I had already forgotten it. I knew exactly who he was and what he was. And everything, every smallest detail, would be written on my heart for ever.
Fleming, Ian - The Spy Who Loved Me
Despite the speed with which I read it, and despite my history of liking Ian Fleming's novels, I didn't really like this one. I'll have more on this in the upcoming review, but savvy readers might be able to guess from the first and last lines from the book why I didn't care for it.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Old Standby? Not So Much.
Back to an old standby . . . James Bond thanks to Ian Fleming. I'll have more on this one later, but the first line should have been a clue that I was getting something different.
I was running away. I was running away from England, from my childhood, from the winter, from a sequence of untidy, unattractive love-affairs, from the few sticks of furniture and jumble of overworn clothes that my London life had collected around me; and I was running away from drabness, fustiness, snobbery, the claustrophobia of close horizons and from my inability, although I am quite an attractive rat, to make headway in the rat-race. In fact, I was running away from almost everything except the law.
Fleming, Ian -The Spy Who Loved Me
I was running away. I was running away from England, from my childhood, from the winter, from a sequence of untidy, unattractive love-affairs, from the few sticks of furniture and jumble of overworn clothes that my London life had collected around me; and I was running away from drabness, fustiness, snobbery, the claustrophobia of close horizons and from my inability, although I am quite an attractive rat, to make headway in the rat-race. In fact, I was running away from almost everything except the law.
Fleming, Ian -The Spy Who Loved Me
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Not a Bad Diversion
As I said in yesterday's post, reading The Corpse Goddess by Kristi Jones was a bit out of the norm based on my historical reading preferences. It's a good thing that the book and it's content is also out of the norm. I liked getting out of my comfort zone, particularly with this book. It wasn't a commitment book, it was more of a light read, but it had a fun story that rolled along at a decent pace, interesting history lessons in a area I knew little about, but best of all the characters were intriguing and engaging.
I would be among the first to disparage and bemoan the swelling crescendo of fantasy novels particularly those spawned off of the Harry Potter and Twilight series. On BookBlogs, and in my local writing group, the results of this uptick can be seen quite readily and most of the writing is syrupy and not worthwhile. For a moment that's what I thought I was getting into with The Corpse Goddess. Instead I found a fun story with compelling characters and an eminently fresh story that had a fantastic bent and flashes of humor.
I read an article a few weeks ago in the Writer's Digest about creating suspense and providing surprises and twists to keep the reader involved and always guessing. Miss Jones does this throughout her novel. One of my favorite parts occurred when the protagonist, Meg, drives home to confront her parents and runs into her father. Keep in mind that Meg is slowly decomposing and turning into a corpse. Her father should be shocked to see her decay.
Meg shifted her feet, feeling exposed, while her father looked her up and down. His eyes lingered on her bandaged hands. "Ah. I see you have begun your transformation. This is a surprise. Your mother will be most definitely pleased."
I saw a few of her twists coming and was happily surprised with them. This one was one I missed and thought was well done.
I liked some other aspects of the book. Particularly this simile:
Their captive struggled into a sitting position, his arms bound behind his back. His delicate white skin burned peeled tomato red. Snot ran from his nose. Hatred radiated off of him like a Texas heat wave.
Finally, I said I really like the character development. There is one major character, Dr. Gonzalez, who was turning out to be a somewhat shallow character, all of a sudden hit new depths when he told his son why he had to help Meg. This little passage too came out of left field, but did so much to provide needed character development that it really made the character.
“I couldn't save your mother, Armando. But what wakes me up at night is knowing that I didn't do everything I could to help her. God help me, I couldn't watch her die. I stayed away from the hospital, and I buried myself in work. I did everything to avoid seeing her wither away. I did everything to avoid the pain and the mess and the decay. I won't do that to another human being ever again. Not ever.”
All in all it was a good book to read and although the genre isn't my cup of tea, I will read Miss Jones' next book and look forward to the next in the series.
“I couldn't save your mother, Armando. But what wakes me up at night is knowing that I didn't do everything I could to help her. God help me, I couldn't watch her die. I stayed away from the hospital, and I buried myself in work. I did everything to avoid seeing her wither away. I did everything to avoid the pain and the mess and the decay. I won't do that to another human being ever again. Not ever.”
All in all it was a good book to read and although the genre isn't my cup of tea, I will read Miss Jones' next book and look forward to the next in the series.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Last Week's Last Line
I just finished reading a book that was a tad out of my comfort zone. It's always good to try something different and see what the other side reads. This was also a book by a local writer, so it was good to support the arts. I'll have more on it later when I write a review, but for now, here's the way Kristi Jones ended The Corpse Goddess:
Mother drops her shrunken hand, temporarily releasing me from her granite grip. Mother is ruthless. She is clever and cruel. She is, after all, a goddess. A Valkyrie of the highest order. She was smart enough to have more than one child, and she knows how to use us. I'm certain that when she sees my vision for the future of our kind, she will become my first follower.
The Corpse Goddess - Kristi Jones
I thought the ending might have been one of the best parts. It was a nice little, somewhat expected, twist that sure got my attention and made me think Miss Jones has a good little franchise started.
Mother drops her shrunken hand, temporarily releasing me from her granite grip. Mother is ruthless. She is clever and cruel. She is, after all, a goddess. A Valkyrie of the highest order. She was smart enough to have more than one child, and she knows how to use us. I'm certain that when she sees my vision for the future of our kind, she will become my first follower.
The Corpse Goddess - Kristi Jones
I thought the ending might have been one of the best parts. It was a nice little, somewhat expected, twist that sure got my attention and made me think Miss Jones has a good little franchise started.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Sci-Fi World Building
I'm not a huge fan of Sci-Fi, but I have my favorites. Having just read Wool, I started thinking about my favorite Fantasy and Sci-Fi authors and why I like them.
As you know from my past posts, I really like Vernor Vinge and George R.R. Martin. I like them because they are great at world building. Constructing an entire world from nothing, with its own problems, people and concerns. I think these two are the best of the best at this. Hugh Howley did a good job with Wool, but the world was a pretty tight little world. More like building an aquarium, not a whole world. One of the worst well known authors is Neal Stephenson. Go read Anathema and try to be impressed.
I bring this up for two reasons. First I read this article from a blog I like called The Kill Zone that was entitled 5 Tips on World Building from Scratch. It's a decent article and well worth a look. The second reason is that I am shying away from writing a novel, Soul Food, because the idea of world building is so scary. This would be a huge undertaking and having never tried it, I'm a tad overwhelmed by the idea. I wonder if there is some way to try a small world building exercise.
As you know from my past posts, I really like Vernor Vinge and George R.R. Martin. I like them because they are great at world building. Constructing an entire world from nothing, with its own problems, people and concerns. I think these two are the best of the best at this. Hugh Howley did a good job with Wool, but the world was a pretty tight little world. More like building an aquarium, not a whole world. One of the worst well known authors is Neal Stephenson. Go read Anathema and try to be impressed.
I bring this up for two reasons. First I read this article from a blog I like called The Kill Zone that was entitled 5 Tips on World Building from Scratch. It's a decent article and well worth a look. The second reason is that I am shying away from writing a novel, Soul Food, because the idea of world building is so scary. This would be a huge undertaking and having never tried it, I'm a tad overwhelmed by the idea. I wonder if there is some way to try a small world building exercise.
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