Reassurance and travel plans
Hello, fiends. How the fuck are ya?
Let me start by reassuring folks. Last newsletter was perceived by many as a bit doom and gloom and several people checked in to make sure I was really okay. I really am! Honest. This business sucks balls sometimes, but taking the big picture into account, I’m really okay.
I will always be honest with you in missives like this because I believe you deserve truth, not some plastic façade, and I think it’s important to point out that it’s not all unicorns and roses. Most of the time people only say stuff when it’s good stuff, which gives a skewed perspective of how much good stuff there is. Even if there is a lot of good stuff – and I’m well aware of how fortunate I’ve been – there is at least as much, if not more, shitty shit too.
There is still a lot of inertia for me right now. I’m still waiting on any good calls from my agent. I’m still struggling to get things done and I don’t cope well without solid projects on the horizon. But right now, there aren’t any, so I simply have to fortify my pants and get on with things. Because getting the work done is how this works.
And there are some positives. One thing that was really getting me down last time was the looming general election. I was terrified of Trumpism infecting Australia. I’m very pleased to say that the idea of Trumpism was so soundly rejected by the Australian electorate that our conservative party saw their biggest defeat in the history of their existence and their leader lost not only the election but his seat in parliament too. Fuck off, you fascist. That’s just brilliant.
While I’m still waiting to hear about any of the work that I have out there (either with my agent or actually on submission) I’m working on something new which is quite exciting and I have a possible indie project coming up, which will be something good to focus on.
Also, the hardcover of Recall is available now, as well as the paperback and ebook. So if you’ve been hanging out for that, you can get it anywhere you buy books. Ideally, grab it from me or directly from the publisher, as that’s always the best way to support authors and publishers.
I’m also getting out into the world again soon, and that can only be a good thing. I’m very excited to have been invited back as a guest at the awesome Supanova Pop Culture Expo, this time in Sydney and Perth. Along with a plethora of movie, TV, comics, voiceover and gaming guests, I’ll be at the QBD Literary Legends booth along with excellent fellow scribes like Luke Arnold, Lauren Roberts, Lynette Noni, Juliet Marillier and a bunch more I can’t even remember right now. Check the guests on the Supanova page. It’s amazing! If you’re near those cities, please do come along.
Meanwhile, I’ll just keep scribing away and hoping for news. Cross your fingers for me, sacrifice a chicken maybe, exhort the will of Elder Gods, whatever else you might consider worthwhile. I’m sure it helps, and even if it doesn’t, it’s all a bit of fun, right?
What I’ve Been Enjoying
Talking of fun, I’ve had loads recently with TV and movies. Thirty years too late, I finished watching all of Babylon 5. It still holds up, almost too well with the current rise of the right. About the only anachronistic element is they still read newspapers, which was pretty funny. I was solidly disappointed with how they resolved the Shadow War – I felt like that was weak as hell – but then the continued exploration of the alliance was really well done. The final episode made me cry, it was truly powerful stuff.
I’ve caught a couple of movies in the cinema recently too. For my mental health, I’ve been giving myself an occasional afternoon off where I head up to Hobart and catch a film. I saw Sinners, which is a superb blend of historical, musical and horror. I mean, blues and vampires, you can’t go wrong. In some respects, it was a fairly trope-following idea, but it was presented from a wonderful perspective that we just don’t see enough of. I loved it.
Then just last week I went up and saw Final Destination: Bloodlines, which is just bonkers fun. A while back I binged all the movies to date and thoroughly enjoyed them. I can’t remember the order I rated them now, but the Final Destination conceit is a stroke of genius, really. People escape death, so death comes for them in increasingly wild ways. Trying to predict the ridiculous Rube Goldberg death sequences is enormous fun. Then you leave the theatre and spot at least a hundred ways to die walking back to the car.
With reading, I loved the new Chuck Wendig novel, Staircase in the Woods. I wasn’t sure where he was going with it and it turned out to be a really cool exploration of friendship and flawed people. And I absolutely loved Christopher Golden’s novel, Road of Bones. That’s a genuinely scary book that will make you feel the cold of Siberia. I highly recommend both of those.
Righto, I think that’s all from me for now. Back to work, back to waiting on that email from my agent. Such is this business! If you’re keen to know a bit more about what I’m working on, I share a lot more of that stuff along with excerpts and other exclusive fiction at my Patreon. I’ve only got a small following, but it helps towards at least one grocery bill a month and that really makes a difference, I’m so grateful for everyone who hangs out with me there. If you’re keen, go check it out. You can try it for free.
Meanwhile, be kind to each other, fight fascism, stand up for what you believe and I’ll see you next time.
Al