And Sometimes Life Takes You By The Throat With Its Teeth
There should be a term for that, he thought. Like the French have one for missed last words: l'esprit d'escalier. In this case, the word should describe how you could know where a particular person was in a room even without looking.
To see without seeing, he mused, to mark that someone at the barest corner of your eye as you take in the room. Like a shiver in your shoulder blades or a feeling of ghosts in your brain.
Or a heartbroken radar.
In other words, I'll be working, working, working.
So what are you guys doing?
23 comments:
working on ths hort stories i'll be submitting for loads of anthos and my quickie fiction submission
I'm currently regretting not picking up Jack McDevitt's Infinity Beach when I saw it today. It had an interesting premise, but I wasn't sure if the novel itself would live up to it. When I went online, I saw several good reviews.
I'm also gearing up to find a US hardcover of Peter Straub's in the night room and any paperback of John Le Carre's Smiley's People. But in the meantime...
...I'm reading Look to Windward.
fuhrer: Hehe me too. Unfortunately, my workload is a bit heavy nowadays and limiting my time to write. Am hoping one month is enough to finish all my writing stuff.
eldritch: One thing nice about McDevitt's books are the great-looking covers. However, I still haven't picked up anything about him.
On the good side is that charles told me Booktopia has a sale so am off to make a dent on their stock!
P.S. I've seen Smiley's People around. And have you picked up the Campbell in A Different in Eastwood yet? It's on sale.
P.S. Dammit, I hate not being able to comment in livejournal.
Hey Kitty-cat,
I'm lurking on people's blogs and making a valiant attempt to migrate the beebox to wordpress. :) I see you are busy as well. All your remaining lives OK? Take care!
You certainly are right about McDevitt's book covers. I rather like how much of his work revolves around "first contact" themes. He certainly has published a lot of titles revolving around that, though I've read reviews which indicate that his work can be rather hit or miss.
I might hit Booktopia today as well, perhaps pick up the Campbell novel in A Different Bookstore. ADB's sale is a sign I shouldn't ignore, I believe. Thanks again for that tip.
(Incidentally, I know you're busy, but I was wondering--whenever it's no trouble--if you can pick up the copy of Tom Piccirilli's The Deceased that you once saw in Books for Less, Visayas Branch? I will of course meet up with you and pay you! If and when it's convenient, of course.)
Where have you seen Smiley's People? And can you let me know as well if you see a US hardback of Straub's in the night room? Thanks so much for all of these "favors"!
As for LJ, why not sign up for an account that you can use for commenting? I do realize that having yet another username-password set can be such a hassle.
Anyway, keep your head above water in these busy days.
bz: hehe. ako din. sobrang daming schoolwork
bee: Hey there! How you doing na? :-) Yeah, been so busy no time to post properly nor even to visit other blogs. Hopefully, this week my load will lighten. (It better be because I can feel my words starting to knot up already!)
eldritch: Hmmm, will try if I can swing around to Visayas. Haven't passed by there for quite some time so this would be an adventure. Hopefully will also have time to check out SM City Booksale branches. Ditto for an eye out on Straub.
On the other hand, I've seen the le Carre book in SM Mega Booksale and Books for Less Pearl Drive. I thought you had passed over them because of quality or something.
:-D
Hmmm, I have thought of getting an LJ (hey, you have a blogger ID!) but haven't had the time to get around it. Hopefully it won't kick me out despite it! 8-O
fuhrer: Hmmm, kelan finals nyo?
BC: Thanks, I'll go take a look at those copies of Smiley's People. As long as it won't fall apart, I think I'll pick it up already.
Oh, I went to Booktopia today, and the fella there (what was his name again?) said you passed by yesterday. This was after I mentally decided to break the bad news to you that the copy of Evolution's Darling was no longer there. I guess this means you bought it, right?
I just got Robert Charles Wilson's The Perseids and Other Stories today. I bet that sounds like I was a good boy who didn't splurge, but that's a lie:
I went to A Different Bookstore first, where I finally picked up the Ramsey Campbell and the two Culture novels I was still lacking. Ah, retail therapy.
bc: matagal pa. but our midterms will be on the 27th.
tapos case presentation sa hospital on Monday and on the 30th.
hindi tuloy ako makapag-basa ng maayos!
Hehe the guy's name is Robert. And nup, I wasn't able to pick up the Westerfield though as far as I know, that copy didn't last long on their shelf. Someone else must be a fan of the guy locally.
Har! Finally got the Campbell, I see. Btw, do you already have a copy of his Incarnate? I saw a 2nd-hand of it in Shopwise Libis, didn't know if it was good. Meself, I got John Shirley's classic City Come A-Walkin' and 11th Year's Best by Datlow, Windling.
fuhrer: So skinny guessed right. Are you studying medicine?
Ah yes, Robert. Thanks for the reminder, and now I'm curious who else out there is interested in Westerfeld. Unlike you, I actually don't know that many people interested in the speculative genres.
And yes, I finally got the Campbell, thanks to you. I should start with it in a day or so.
That being now out of the way...OH MY GOD. Incarnate is one of the few older novels I've been dying to get for ages now! I hope no one buys it before I get there. Are you going back there anytime soon?
City Come A-Walkin' seemed interesting to me, though I think I'd much rather try his horror work. It's certainly nice to know it has a nice home with you now!
As for me, I'm re-reading 'The Da Vinci Code'. Man, that book's a work of art. I'm actually thinking of visiting some of the places mentioned in the book. You know, just to see for myself.
:P
Seriously, I'm trying to get a perfect tone of flesh for FM Erwin Rommel - Africa '43 timeframe. Sun-beaten, dusty, etc.
don't work too much!!! take a nap too! :P
Yeah, you pretty much described my life at the moment, too, friend cat. We'll get through it. Somehow. :-)
eldritch: Well, before I started out on this Internet thing, I really had no idea. After knowing you, skinny, charles, etc., I know who my competitors are. ;-)
As for the Campbell...wow. I found something you don't already have? Will try to hit Shopwise again later on to pick it up. Are you still interested in the TWOC?
And if you're interested in Shirley, try to find a copy-- though it's pretty hard-- of his Demons. That one was pretty good (just don't mind the new agey stuff).
rhoch: Next time I see you I'm gonna whup your ass. :-D
I swear, you've been inhaling those glue fumes too much.
stg: Hey girl! Sorry haven't dropped by lately. Now you know why. :-) How's life on your end?
mahesh: Hehe tell me about it. Though I'd keep away from post offices while you're at it. Lowers the blood pressure quite nicely.
:-)
nah. but I wish i was. Am a nursing student.
That's not so bad. And it's all the news lately also. ;-)
Seriously, it's amazing you still have time to read and blog, man.
Seriously, it's amazing you still have time to read and blog, man.
Are you like me in the sense of taking an hour or so to compose a blog entry? I somehow get the impression that you are.
I really hate it when I end up compelled by mood to post something "quick and dirty," usually thinly-veiled cries for help and all that. I should be outgrowing all that by now!
It's nice to meet a group of people online interested in the same kind of fiction. And while certainly there's bound to be some competition, at least we also have the opportunity to help each other out as well.
I was so excited about the Campbell you saw that I posted (aha, thinly-veiled cry for help!) a list of the stuff I have and don't. There's a significant number of the latter, some of which are hard to find but some of which are more associational thrillers that aren't as high-priority for me as his more supernatural work.
As for TWOC, perhaps...unless you already know someone else interested in it.
Aeon Books once had Demons. It seemed interesting, but I didn't pick it up for some reason. Someone else did though. And funny that you mention "new agey stuff": this isn't the first time I've read about that in reference to Shirley, and I remember one of his more hardcore fans in the boards loudly (but politely) denying any such thing. *shrugs*
are you kidding? reading and blogging is my life so I make sure I still have time to do stuff I like. Otherwise I'll be dead.
But I don't forget school either. I still get good grades eventhough I tend to slack for some days.
Bad boy. Heheh
eldritch: Hehe more like 2-3 days. On the other hand, I don't like showing my personal or even emotional side on my blog. Something about preferring to be emotionally detached or something. ;-)
On another other hand (yes, I know that's three), am kinda grooving with the informal book circle we've got going around since I've found it really helps greatly. As skinny said, better to pay it forward, yes?
Btw, I can pass TWOC on to you but am not sure about giving you a Joyce that isn't his best work. Have you read any of his other stuff? (If I've asked this question beforehand, consider this as deja vu.)
Am not surprised with Shirley. I heard he's got some hardcore fans out there, being in the forfront with splatter- and the cyberpunk stuff. Really an underrated author despite his flaws, methinks. As for being new agey, I think it's more that he thinks extremely outside the box. It's evident in his blog.
fuhrer: Heh. Given how most of us blog at work, we can empathize.
BC, again, thanks so much for today! It certainly was a wonderful surprise, and I had a pleasant time talking books with you for a while. It's like our blog conversations come to life!
Incidentally, I just saw this today and thought it was one of those striking moments of serendipity. Not only have we been talking about Shirley here, but we've also once talked about having a shared fascination for matters apocalyptic. Enjoy!
that be John Shirley you're talking about? i love the guy for scripting The Crow, but other than that, i've got one of his books (Wetbones) which i have not read.
so he's good, is he? should probably find and bring that book back into the light then...
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