QUANTUM ZOO!

I just wanted to post a quick note (off-topic as usual) that my short story, "Playing Man", was accepted for publication in an anthology titled QUANTUM ZOO. 

Other authors in the collection include J.M. Ney-Grimm, D.J. Gelnar, Bridget McKenna, A.C. Smyth, R.S. McCoy and John Hindmarsh, to name just some of them. 

The stories were to start with the writing prompt, "Zoo".  I had a story that I had started probably 18-20 years ago, but had written probably just a bit over a page.  Then I lost direction on it.  I'd looked at it a time or two over the years, and when I read about this call for submissions, I immediately thought of that story. 

So I went and finished it, and ran it by first reader Steven M. Moore, an accomplished SF/thriller writer himself.  Then I submitted it, and it made the cut! 

There IS a cover, and there IS a tentative release date.  I'll post the cover soon here, and when the release date is firmed up, I will post it as well.  Tentatively it's scheduled for early June as an e-book and soon after for trade paperback.  I'm thrilled to be part of the book!

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In the meantime, feel free to check out my title , Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort   It's available on Amazon for $2.99.

Thanks!

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Book Review: OUR KINGDOM OF DUST by Leonard Kinsey

I read The Dark Side of Disney and was impressed with Leonard Kinsey's writing skill. He made everything interesting, even when I wouldn't have necessarily been interested in reading about certain subjects. Even though I didn't think it was for everyone, I enjoyed the book - less as a guidebook to Disney and more as just an entertaining read.

So I was glad to see Our Kingdom Of Dust, a work of fiction centered around Disney World.  And when I finally got around to reading it (I've been busy with some other stuff, as you may have noted from the previous two posts), I found that I truly enjoyed it!  I expected no less.  I already knew that Kinsey could write.  What I didn't know was whether he could write fiction, and the answer to that question was "Yes!"

In this book, a rich but messed up young man decides to move to the Beach Club at Disney World, and he meets up with another messed up guy, who happens to be his limo driver.  The guy has this incredible collection of Disney memorabilia and collectible items, and he finances it by selling the "Dust", which gives users "that Disney Magic" feeling (my quotes, not quoted from the book).

It's a very entertaining story, a quick read, and it focuses on characters I might like to read more about someday.  Not necessarily for Disney "fans", but if you like a good story that is well written, you might want to give it a try.  And if you like stories centered around something Disney, this will work that much better for you.  If you don't want to read anything that doesn't put WDW or Disney Corp. on the highest pedestal, or don't like adult situations and some foul language in your books, do yourself a favor and don't read this.  But if you're not easily offended and you like humor and irreverence, Our Kingdom Of Dust might be for you!

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If you get a chance, please take a look at my latest offering, 14 Dark Windows, on Amazon for Kindle.  It's a collection of short stories, some horror, some milder with supernatural or horrific elements, some just nice stories, available in ebook form for $2.99!  Thank you!

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Disney Film: THE SWORD IN THE STONE

I finally got around to watching the animated film, THE SWORD IN THE STONE, yesterday. At 79 minutes, it didn't take an enormous committment of time.

I don't know how Disney film critics and historians view this film, but I'd guess they would see it as a fairly minor addition to the catalog. It was a good, but not great, movie, and was fun to watch. The songs seemed a bit forced and not really all that memorable. The animation was pretty basic but well done.

I believe it's based loosely on T.H. White's The Once And Future King, though they just say "based on the story by T.H. White" in the credits. In this one, Arthur, known as Wart, is a page trying to be a squire in the household of Sir Ector, and he is acting as Ector's son Kay's squire-in-training. Merlin meets up with him, and takes on the task of educating the young boy in something other than polishing boots and caring for armor and weapons. To do this he transforms young Wart into a fish, a bird and a squirrel. I'm not sure what lessons the boy learns from these things in the movie, but presumably it's something about using his head to solve problems.

As anyone who knows the Arthurian legends will recall, Arthur is the one who can remove the sword from the stone, which identifies him as king of England. In this (and, I believe, in T.H. White's) version, Arthur goes with Sir Kay as his squire to a jousting contest set to determine the king of England, and forgets Kay's sword. So he decides to go grab the one from the church courtyard that is set in stone. And of course, he removes it without being aware of the significance, and brings it to Kay.

And then the movie ends pretty abruptly, because once they realize Arthur is the true king of England, the film cuts to him sitting on the throne, an oversized crown on his head, and Merlin reappearing from his trip to Bermuda (in the 20th century) to advise him. The abruptness of the ending seemed very unlike Disney.

I felt like I could see some things that were used in Beauty and the Beast and Tangled foreshadowed in this film. Also perhaps some animation and ideas from other, older Disney films (Fantasia, perhaps?) seem to have been used here as well.

I enjoyed this movie, but wouldn't put it up with the greats of Disney animation.

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RIP Tony Hillerman, Michael Crichton

Tony Hillerman, author of the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mysteries set in the Four Corners region of Arizona/New Mexico (Navajo country), passed away on Sunday, November 2, 2008. I'll miss his unique tales of this region and the people there. He inspired me to make a swing through the area several years back, when I was able to check out Canyon De Chelly and some of the other sights in that part of the country. Hillerman was one of my "must read" authors, and leaves a gap in that list now. Maybe I'll find some other author worthy of buying the minute their books come out.

As if that wasn't enough, Michael Crichton passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Crichton was, of course, the author of such works as Jurassic Park, Congo, Eaters of the Dead, and The Andromeda Strain , to name a few of his works.

The world of genre fiction loses two important contributors.