Books as time machines

So this is my first post for the year in which I’ve given myself a mandate to crap on about anything I like, then stick a small reference to any writing news I may have right at the bottom far away from the unblinking gaze of the public.

Ahem.

So, the family and I took the weekend off into the hinterlands of Victoria, namely Ballaarat at surrounding towns. Ballaarat is an old mining town, site of the only armed insurrection against British rule by fellow colonists. A lovely old town full of buildings funded from all that gold money, and a nice place for a bit of family R&R in between checking out the local, impressive art gallery, antique shops and of course (for me) books shops.

Not the stores that sell new books – overpriced tat, mostly, but lovely second-hand or charity shops chock full of books of yore to fill out my shelves or flog on ebay for a premium.

One of the joys of second-hand bookshops is hunting for particular titles you’ve been after for years. I spent the better part of twenty years completing the War of Powers series, by Vardeman and Milan (short precis – fantasy with lashings of sex – published, of course, by Playboy). I don’t think it’s a coincidence I found these books in my teenage years…

And this weekend, in a converted house called Book Heaven, I found another of the holy grails – the 6th Armada Monster Book, edited by prolific and noted UK horror writer, R. Chetwynd-Hayes

Let’s not beat around the bush here – these aren’t great horror short stories – they’re clearly pitched at teenagers and while the YA market has deepened in recent years, we’re talking about a book published in 1981, so don’t expect too much in the way of depth. Or characterisation. Or scares for that matter.

And yet… This particular book is a link back to my early years – I bought the book when my sister and I were staying with my aunt and uncle for a couple of weeks, and I distinctly remember asking him for some money to buy the book after spotting it in a local newsagency (which was a great source for books – lots of gamebooks, and I memorably, The Omen!). Sadly, the book section of the store has gone, but the memories remain.

My copy from all those years ago has gone missing (unusual, since I’m obsessive with keep and maintaining the roughly three thousand books that are the millstone of my life) so when I did find this copy, the chuckle of glee I gave was heartfelt.

The evocative cover is as effective now as it was 30 years ago, and I’d forgotten the neat black and white interior illustrations. For all that the stories are a bit juvenile, I’m going to enjoy dipping into the collection over the next week.

On the writing front, I’ve almost finished my first story for 2012, with the aim of having it ready for a side job I’ve been invited on. Except for a section which will need a heavy trim, I think it’s coming along nicely.

On the reading front, I’ve completed Matthew Glass’s new opus, End Game – he’s not a great stylist, but he does seem to know how to combine the inner workings of government and high geostrategy into a decent thriller. I’ve also made a start on a breathtaking collection of science fiction short stories by James Tiptree, Warm Worlds and Otherwise.

My story, Widdershins, has been getting some nice comments in the Pseudopod forums. Any feedback, good or bad, can only improve my writing.

There’ll also be some news in the next week, which will mark a bit of a shift in my writing (don’t get excited – it’s a great opportunity, but not a sale or anything).

And that’s about it. Hopefully I can maintain a regular schedule of these.