Category Archives: reads

Dear Edgar 28~ The Murders in the Rue Morgue

At some point in your life you will have learned of this story, you will most likely not recollect when and how you learn of it, but you know of the story. ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ is one of those stories that is part of the zeitgeist of humanity. It is a story so intrinsic to our collective culture, so ingrain within us, so referenced and repeated, that it exists beyond itself. Continue reading

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Dear Edgar 27: The Man of the Crowd

 It was well said of a certain German book that “er lasst sich nicht lesen” –it does not permit itself to be read. There are some secrets which do not permit themselves to be told. Men die nightly in their … Continue reading

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Dear Edgar 16 ~ The Business Man

At home, on the shelf above my desk, just to the left of the raven black quill and owl tormented ink stand, and in front of the leather bound scroll case of dubious origin, I have a porcelain phrenology skull, … Continue reading

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Dear Edgar 25 ~ Why the Little Frenchman Wears his Hand in a Sling

One of the most lauded and successful novels of the early 1990’s was Trainspotting by Scottish writer Irvine Walsh. It is undoubtedly one of the best books I have never successfully read. The same can be said for Anthony Burgess … Continue reading

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Post-Newtonian Magic

When writing fantasy, be it high, low, grim dark, romantic, steampunk, urban or whatever, a writer can’t just throw words at a page and see what sticks. Well, that is not entirely true, that is in fact quite often the … Continue reading

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The Esoteric Cricket Ball…

Well its finally here, 3 years after the original short story, The esoteric Cricket Ball is pitching down the leg side… The novel started out as half page of dialogue between two unknown participants written about ten years ago. It … Continue reading

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Atheljack and Ethejill went up the hill

‘Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water’ This begs the important question, to wit, which idiot built a well at the top of the hill? The water table is reasonably consistent meaning the best … Continue reading

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The personalities of books

I am passing the time working through an old WIP that stilted at 15k, but which I keep coming back to. Its a couple of years since I worked on it, and I have got to a section in which … Continue reading

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What’s in a name

I do like a good title. For example ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the soul’ is one of the finest titles ever devised, despite the fact its is my least favorite Douglas Adams book. Admittedly that is like saying a particular orgasm was your least favorite orgasm. Its still a fucking orgasm, ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the soul’ is still a fabulous Douglas Adams novel. Its just not quite as brilliant as ‘The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’… Continue reading

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Terrifying Joy from the Forests of Flanders

Terrifying joys, and glimpses into Europe’s our collective cultural past. For while these are all Flemish tales, they are tales that are echoed throughout Europe. Which is only natural, as travels tell tales of their homelands and those tales get retold and made anew. A such this book is tales of the kind told around the camp fire, on the edge of the woods, with twilight all around. Told to frighten, and to warn. The woods are dark, the wise do not wander there.

But who wants to be wise… Continue reading

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