Cat-Parked

  • 22 June 2013

It’s gone very wet this last week or so and the Bamboo Clump birds are turning up more often to share the hen’s wheat. Not that I or the hens mind that. Back when I built the cat-park for Rasti, the original cat here, I also planted a clump of bamboo in the corner of that. It grew, as bamboo does, and is now well past the wire-netting overhang, and around 8 feet in height. The upper levels have long since been colonised by small birds, Sparrows, Chaffinches, Green-Finches, and a lone Yellowhammer pair. Around 60-80 birds. They live in surprising safety since Thunder my Ocicat  isn’t that interested in them really, and as he has a massive objection to other cats, any intruder is sent on his way after a brutal beating. So the small birds are suprisingly safe from predation. They seem to know it too, and while they don’t approach my feline friend, they don’t mostly bother with alarm calls about him either. It isn’t exactly the lion lying down with the lamb, but it isn’t a bad compromise.

What’s Fair and Right. A brief cynical look at a few expectations.

  • 22 June 2013

Good authors whose work you love have no right to stop writing and/or die… until you die.

People who have rented you a house for many happy years – have no right to sell the darn place so you have to move at great inconvenience and expense.

New Zealand publishers have no right to reject your brilliant NZ-backgrounded book, even when it’s then snapped up by US publishers.

Small cute dogs have no right to act like a large ferocious dog and bite when you stop to pat them.

The cat you praise for every dead mouse/rat offered has no right to offer little dead birds as an alternative.

editors have no right to edit your work into something totally different…and then expect you to be happy that at least it’s being published.

If you prefer to write work that has no sex/violence, publishers have no right to reject it on those grounds.

If you prefer to write work that is full of sex/violence, publishers have no right to reject it on those grounds.

If you prefer to write work that has gay characters, publishers have no right to reject it on those grounds.

In fact, publishers have no right to reject work…until they go bankrupt which may not take long.

a writers’ organisation has no right to offer memberships at triple the cost when they give no more benefits than the cheaper one.

The NZ Government has no right to provide a superannuation so low a recipient may have to choose between food and heating.

And, life has no right to be unfair to me. Okay, to others, but not to me!

(And no, half that happened to others, not to me, but it still isn’t RIGHT!)

Collection finished

  • 22 June 2013

I finally finished editing my collection of SF/F Cat stories (Katalagein) with UK Editor Stuart. It was a pleasant exercise, he’s not only a good editor, I found him very easy to work with and it was he who suggested the title. Katalagein – a South African term which is connected to compassionate justice – ‘sacrifice, mercy, reconciliation, righteousness and restoration of dignity, peace and joy.’ All of which fitted in one way or another, the fifteen cat stories in the collection. The collection is scheduled to be out from Sky Warrior Books sometime in September and I’m looking forward to it, the more so as the cover I’ve seen is gorgeous and the artist may have prints of it available at our National SF Convention in July this year. (2013.)

Wooden It.

  • 9 June 2013

Yes, I can say that winter is now here and that has been heralded by firewood arriving for the coming cold wet months..and by much physical effort, some of it mine. Several cords were dumped on my lawn outside the woodshed and I was left to heave it from lawn into the shed. Last weekend that involved all Saturday, as my house manager did almost all of the work for the first delivery, but she’d gone by the second and I was left alone, hurling heavy chunks of wood across the gap between where the shipment had landed, and to under cover. I managed about half in a series of work episodes/rest-and catch-my-breath episodes before running out of daylight and energy. Fortunately a friend took pity on me and came over to toss the rest under cover over the next couple of days. So I now have a shed full of firewood, and Thunder and I can look forward to days and night of NOT freezing – just the way we both like it.

Still Practising by David Grant

  • 9 June 2013

published paperback Pocket Books 2001.

I always enjoy a good vet-written book and have half a shelf of them ranging from all of the James Herriot volumes to a couple by Oz’s Dr Harry, and half a dozen by Hugh Lasgarn as well as others. And now this one, which I picked up recently, will be joining them. The writer started in a private country practise but then moved on to work for many years at the RSPCA’s Harmsworth hospital in London. The book is well-written, the animals’ (and owners’) stories are great, and it is a fascinating contrast to most of the other books by vets – which normally cover country practises – although I also have the series by David Taylor – a zoo vetwho travelled the world caring for ill or injured exotic animals.

It notes on the cover that the author is “TV’s favourite vet.” A little over-claimed I would have thought, in my opinion that title would have to go to James Herriot. But wondering why they said that, I googled the author’s name, and found that there is a continuing TV series in the Uk. This is Emergency Animal Rescue, a documentary series  following the work of RSPCA officers across England and Wales as they tackle cases of animal cruelty. It’s based at Harmsworth Animal Hospital in London, and the series follows chief vet David Grant as he performs surgery on ill or injured pets and also follows the Special Operations Unit as they try to catch those guilty of harming animals. I couldn’t find much detail, but the series appears to be still running in the Uk, and from the listings it’s run for at least 6 seasons to date. This explains the books, no publisher would miss that opportunity, and in this case, certainly, they were right not to, Grant is a competent and amusing writer, and I’ll watch out for others of his books. Recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 30th Book is now out.

  • 5 June 2013

I’m delighted to announce that my 30th book, a Young Adult standalone novel entitled Flying Free is now out from Sky Warrior Books. It’s set in New Zealand and features Icarus, a Haast’s eagle. The cover was done by my talented friend Sharman Horwood (who also did the cover for our collaborated alternate history, Queen of Iron Years, currently nominated for a Vogel Award.)

The book can be found and purchased ($4.99USD) at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/322284

Quid Pro Quos of Writing.

  • 26 May 2013

A friend recently admired a long line of UK non-fiction magazine issues that I get twice a year and then looked at the price and blinked. “Wow, they cost!” Yes, they do, because although they aren’t gloss-covers, they are over 80 pages in foolscap per issue, feature some very well-known names in mystery fiction in both the letter column and contributed articles , and at that size postage from England is a fair amount. But they’re useful in keeping me up to date with the field, I love most of the articles and reviews, the pages covering people in the field who’ve recently died are often handy, and all in all they’re worth every penny. Then too, I very rarely pay for my copy. Instead I write reviews and articles for them and receive my current copy in exchange. And this may be something other writers can do if they like a magazine of this type. Swap your writing for copies of the magazine. Okay, most of us are used to doing some of that with fiction, but some factual magazines will do it too, where else do you think semi-pro get their contributions? My connection with this magazine dates back more than a decade – for most of which time I’ve been trading writing for copies. It’s been a good deal on both sides and I not only recommend it, I hope to continue for the life of the magazine – or mine – whichever comes first.

THE STRANGE LAWS OF OLD ENGLAND by Nigel Cawthorne

  • 26 May 2013

Published Hardcover, Piatkus 2004.

Some weeks ago I read that it it illegal to enter Michigan wearing a chicken on your head. I had quite a bit to say about that which, when attending a library sale the other day, inclined me to purchase the above book. This has provided both a lot amusement and food for thought. One of the meals being how often odd laws continue unrepealed. They aren’t enforced any longer, but for some weird reason they remain on the books, why, heaven only knows. But there they are, still in force. Announcing in England that it is illegal to bait bears in the metropolitan areas. (Always supposing you can find a loose bear to harrass.) That it is an offence to ‘impute unchastity or adultery’ to any woman in England, Ireland, or Wales. (Apart from, these days, what the woman is likely to do to you for saying that let alone what the law may do and I’m wondering why you can impute unchastity in Scotland with legal impunity?) Also still in force is the law that in Parliament MPs are not permitted to wear armour (although I bet a few feel that that law should be repealed when their colleagues get more difficult that usual,) and in London a taxi driver may still fall afoul of laws that require him to ask each passenger if they have smallpox or plague, (none of them ever asked me that) while being reminded that s/he may not carry corpses or rabid dogs. (giving you a very good insight into the lives of earlier cabbies.) And it is expressly forbidden for them to make ‘insulting gestures.’ (And if the police ever start enforcing that one, there won’t be a taxi-driver left on the roads of London!) And in case you thought that this sort of law always dates back a long time, it doesn’t. From the Outer Space Act of 1986 I find that ordinary citizens are prohibbted from launching ‘space objects,’ (schools with an interest in rocketry could be in trouble) and that Under Section 9, a magistrate is empowered to issue a warrant to turn back an alien invasion and yes, they really do mean little green men, not refugees. And on that note, I shall say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will keep it to re-read. The section on what the town of Congleton won’t allow is particularly funny. Recommended.

Keeping the Old Folks at Home

  • 21 May 2013

Last year it occurred to me that now I’m officially retired and on a pension a short-term job could be interesting. I’m single, and I don’t mind taking the occasional risk. So, discovering that a special type of security firm is situated an hour’s drive from here I applied to them and offered to accept a short-term contract. Amongst other work, they supply crews for ships traversing the zone where many are taken by Somali pirates, and some companies put in a temporary crew over this section – some of those supplied by this local firm. I emailed twice offering to be a clerk in such a group. No response either time. I’m not sure if they felt I wasn’t qualified – and what would qualify one to be a clerk on such a voyage – or if they felt that I was too old – and frankly I feel that an older person would be better able to cope in such a situation unless they want me to be a ninja – and I don’t feel that they’ll find many ninja clerical workers.

Not yet deterred, this year I discovered that a private company in the USA is seeking an elderly couple to go to Mars, and volunteered. I pointed out that sending one person would be far cheaper. That I’ve lived alone for almost forty years and I like it that way, and that I would be happily occupied with writing books and short stories and transmitting those and less likely to suffer psychological problems – if you ignore that some friends feel I’m nuts already. No reply. Sigh. Just in case they didn’t get the first email I plan to send it again, updated and revised. But what is this? Keep the old folks at home? There is a growing pool of us out there, we’re more expendable, many of us wouldn’t mind taking a risk now and then for a solid financial return – or even the sheer fun of it as per going to Mars. And while we may be on various medications, if you’re shot by pirates, or your spaceship decompresses explosively, age or the medications you’re on won’t make much darn difference. Oh, well, I can’t say I didn’t give it a try.

HAVE YOU OVERLOOKED – GRANT CALLIN?

  • 21 May 2013

Grant David Callin was born in 1941. Callin graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963, and retired from the service in 1984. He holds a bachelor’s degree in basic sciences, and advanced degrees in space physics, physiology and biophysics. From 1986, he worked for Boeing as a research analyst, and was also involved with work on the NASA Space Station programme. He is currently in retirement in Washington. And in 1986 and 1987 while doing that, he also had two excellent books published. I discovered A Lion on Tharthee in 1987, bought it, read it, and added it to my permanent library, since which time it’s been read half a dozen times, with enjoyment each time. This however, is (sigh) a case of an author who wrote very well, but who for some reason, produced a miniscule amount of work over a short period, and then ceased writing. Callin had two books and four short stories out between 1982 and 1992 and that was it. His two books were listed as \The First and Second books in the Saturnalia series, which to me implied there were intended to be more, but maybe Baen Books decided against that, or perhaps the author lost interest. But it’s a real pity as his characters, plots, and dialogue were great. (I’m still hoping to lay hands on a copy of Saturnalia some time if anyone out there can offer one free or for moderate price?) Of course it isn’t too late for Mr callin to write more, he’s only in his early ’70s and SF authors have a long tradition of producing books much later than that.

A Lion on Tharthee tells how it was discovered that a space ship was waiting to be found once Terrans ventured far out from Earth. Then it offered a ride to another planet where they might find friendly allies. The offer is taken, and the book details who was chosen and how, and then tells of the trip to Tharthee. The Lion of the story is the captain, the oddly named Kurious Whitedimple. The race they find when they arrive are called Hexies by the Terrrans, who find that the two races have both a lot in common and some interesting differences.The depiction of the Hexies is great, sufficiently alien to be believable, and sufficiently ‘people’ to be fascinating. The crew of the High Boy are a mixed bunch, all highly intelligent and educated, but they have their own personalities, and the minor frictions and the ultimate trouble on their return are very well depicted. Callin clearly used all his technical and scientific knowledge in writing his work and it shows, there is such an air of solid believability about this book. Recommended.

Bibliography

Novels:

Saturnalia (1986)

A Lion on Tharthee (1987)

Short fiction:

The Turtle and O’Hare (1982)

Deborah’s Children (1983)

Saturn Alia (1984) – the short story upon which the novel was based.

The Carhart Shale (1993)

also The Didactics of Mystique (Part 2 of 4) (1984) [as byFlash Richardson a pseudonym of Callins. This title suggests that it is one of a series, in fact it was a one-off parody and the other three sections never existed.]