#My funny little ten year hiatus on fiction book series

[surfinthehighway]

Some rambling, but I actually only got back into fiction as an adult recently. Last year I followed along with a Frankenstein Weekly mailing list (the first fiction book I’ve read since high school), then took a break from fiction for half a year before impulsively borrowing the audiobook for Our Hideous Progeny, a spin on Frankenstein with women and dinosaurs. I ended up loving that and I’ve been engaging (not exclusively) with a lot of Frankenstein-adjacent media since.

WHAT’S FUNNY is that as much as Johannes Cabal resembles my beloved Victor Frankenstein, I actually found JCtN on an old Reddit thread for books with similar vibes to the Addams Family sitcom. The resemblance to Frankenstein (obsession, preoccupation with death, introversion yet devotion to loved ones, restoring life, basically medical fantasy, et cetera) was a happy surprise 

[an-american-whovian]

• The Story Thus Far:

This is the one that started it all fer me! The reason I bleed all things Doctor Who -- like my anus bleeds beer shits of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

My Series 2 review of NuWho (just rolls off the tongue).

• Goodbye, My Liveeer -- Goodbye, My Friend:

In all honesty, I don't know how it happened -- one day I came across a fan made Doctor Who video to James Blunt's 'Goodbye My Lover' on YouTube. More specifically, the episodes 'Army of Ghosts'/'Doomsday'.

It had that bit in which he asks, "How long are you going to stay with me?" To which she replies, "Forever." Then to see the whole conclusion with her getting sucked into a parallel universe/the stuff on Badwolf Bay all to that terrible song.

I was sold. (Mostly 'cause I was fresh off a break up, myself.)

• But I'm Getting Ahead of Myself:

As I watched all four minutes and twenty six seconds of that corny ass shit, I recalled Classic Who and asked myself, "Wasn't Doctor Who some big nosed dude with a long scarf and really bad special effects? Who's this hot bitch -- and the blonde!?"

Well, according to the nerds at Brainstorm Comics in Wicker Park, Chicago, it was this long running sci-fi series that had finally made a comeback after a long hiatus.

Then I remembered the TV Movie on Fox. That came and went like another one of their illfated shows, 'M.A.N.T.I.S.' (NO ONE ever remembers that one.) Then I remember as kid watching a different dude play the Doctor. This guy wore beige clothing and hung out with teens.

Total pedo' vibes.

Well, luckily fer me, those nerds at Brainstorm had a rental section and I proceeded to rent series two of NuWho -- 'cause i wanted to see how we got to that conclusion. (Then I proceeded to copy it onto VHS -- as was the fashion at the time.)

It was all downhill from there.

• Controversial Statement Up Ahead:

If a US network ever had the AUDACITY to do Who -- it would pro'ly look like this series (one could kinda say the same about series five, too). Handsome lead; hot companion. Easily to digest science fiction stories and culminating in a two part epic in which the hero fights off giant metallic salt shakers with plungers as they wage war against the British equivalent to the Borg. (Yea, I know -- Cybermen came first. I said it fer comparisons sake, ya nerd.)

Also, anyone remember that episode of 'Community' in which they do an American version of 'Inspector Spacetime'? They're TOTALLY supposed to be Tennant and Piper-esque. (The show would then go ahead and predict that the first female Doctor would go onto suck -- "but not because she's a woman".)

• Onto the Good Shit:

'The Christmas Invasion' is a fun festive romp -- that has the Doctor in it fer about ten minutes. Extra points fer 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' reference. It's, also, where I learned that out there they call baby oranges "satsumas". (Y'all are funny.)

'New Earth' brings back Cassandra from the series one story 'The End of the World' -- along with that giant head with dreads that lead into testicles known as The Face of Boe (love the enigmatic shit with him). The body switching stuff is fun; but how the Doctor saves the day is just plain lame. "Lemme dump all these cures into one giant concoction and bukkake this whole hospital!" *high fives all around!*

'School Reunion' brings back Sara Jane -- and till this day I use her "Everything has its time and everything ends" speech (almost to a fault). It's got Giles from 'Buffy' in it -- so that's dope. Be that as it may, I don't like how the kid takes credit fer blowing up the school at the end. Like, dude, eveyone's gonna think yer a prepubescent psycho.

'Girl in the Fireplace', The Cybermen two parter and 'The Impossible Planet'/The Satan Pit' are all time classics in my book. (Fun Fact: TO THIS DAY I refer to my basement as "The Satan Pit".)

• Controversial Statement Part Deux:

I don't hate 'Love & Monsters'. 😳 Like, I think Elton insinuating at the end that he skull fucks a slab of cement with his girlfriend's face is pretty fucked up and the Abzobaloff looks like it was designed by a child (oh, wait, it was) -- it's still a lot of fun and a different take on a Doctor Who story. (DW is ALWAYS at its best when it takes chances!)

Like, ELO is prominently featured in the episode. How can anyone hate that!?

• All Filler and No Thriller:

'Tooth & Claw' is just too boring to even talk about. I can't even remeber a characters name or which Queen was ruling at the time.

'Fear Her' HAS TO BE one of the worst episodes -- EVER. The less said about it the better.

• Let's Cut This Short -- Like the Doctor Gets Cut Off on Rose:

Series two isn't as great as series one; but it's not too far off. Yea, jokes are gonna be dated like bad CGI werewolves. Deal with it. Have you ever seen 'Warriors of the Deep'!?

It's all worth while fer a balls to the wall finale.

"You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?", asks a Cyberman.

"We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek! You are superior in only one respect."

"What is that?"

"YOU ARE BETTER AT DYIIIIIING.", adds the Dalek. *DROPS MIC!*

Finally, don't tell me you dont get all chocked up when Ten tells Rose, "I'm inside the TARDIS. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close; and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a supernova.

I'm burning up a sun just to say good bye." 😭

ALL THE STARS AND FRESHLY ROTTEN TOMATOES.

• Epilogue; i.e. Controversial Statement No. 3:

Are Timelords low key pedos!? Like, the Doctor is over 900 years old at this point and Rose is, like, 19 or 20.

Talk about a midlife crisis, bruh.

[sincerelybluevase]

My top ten favourite fictional female characters

I was tagged by @swearronchanel​, thank you! These are in random order (also this was really hard). I’ve put it under a cut because it became very long haha.

1 Shelagh Turner from ‘Call the Midwife’

The bae to best all beas. She is cool, calm, collected, and professional, but also adorable and intelligent and kind. I saw the second season of CTM a few weeks before I turned 16, and let me tell you that Shelagh’s storyline hit me like a brick in the face. I’d never understood everybody’s romantic swooning over Twilight. In fact, I’d never cared about romance at all. All of this changed with Turnadette, and I realised it’s not romance I don’t like, it’s badly written romance. Shelagh offers a lot more than mere romance, of couse. I adore how she manages to navigate the rather strict gender roles of the 1late 950′s and early 1960′s yet always remains true to herself.

2 Matilda Wormwood from ‘Matilda’

I read this book when I was about seven years old, meaning that Matilda and I were very close in age (a large part of the book takes place when she is five years old). I think she was one of the first characters I could identify with. I mean, I’ve had a very happy childhood that was nothing like hers and, sadly, I also lack her awesome powers, but I could understand that she often felt misunderstood because she had unusual interests. Like her, I am a bookworm. I also like how incredibly courageous she is; she is absolutely determined to help Miss Honey and does so by devising a brilliant plan that she executes to perfection, all by herself. Basically, Matilda is Hermione Granger before Hermione even existed.

3 ‘I’ from ‘Rebecca’

The ‘I’ in ‘Rebecca’ is such a wonderful character. I mainly like her because she is so relatable; she is very shy and often feels stupid and awkward in situations that involve other people, even when other people don’t get that impression of her at all. She also has a huge imagination, which is what gets her into trouble more than once, but she has some good characteristics, too: she is extremely friendly and tries to make those around her happy. Ultimately, I find her to be quite compelling. 

4 Elphaba from ‘Wicked’

Elphaba is a smart bookworm with a lot of ideas about the world. She also isn’t afraid to stand by these ideas and her own morals, even if this makes her a social outcast and unloved; she simply has to do what she feels is right. She is, therefore, smart and courageous and loyal to herself (I’m starting to see a pattern here…) Also, in the musical at least, she is quite awkward and pretty funny at times, which is always interesting to read about.

5 Miss Honey from ‘Matilda’

As a child, I really identified with Matilda and often hoped for a teacher to come along who was just like Miss Honey. After a recent reread as an adult, I have come to appreciate her character even more. She is the only one in the book to really understand that Matilda is exceptional and does her best to help this little girl by giving her extra material to keep her incredible mind occupied. She also tries to reason with Matilda’s parents and even goes as far as meeting the abusive headmistress to try and improve things for Matilda (which, when you know her backstory, is actually very courageous). She also refuses to be broken by her past (even though she thinks of herself as cowardly and weak, there is enough evidence in the text to show us that she really isn’t). There are quite a lot of parallels between her and Cinderella; both had a past of abuse (similar abuse, even) but still stayed empathetic and compassionate. Also, both get saved in the end by someone else, though Miss Honey partly provides Matilda with the means to do so (and, ultimately, she gets to do some saving on her own+ she did her utmost best to save herself and it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t accomplish that goal, unlike Cinderella who tried very little). So, in short, Miss Honey is intelligent, sensitive and very kind.

6 Hermione Granger from the ‘Harry Potter’-series

She fits right into the pattern of my other favourite female fictional characters, I’d say: she is smart, kind and courageous. She also has strong morals and isn’t afraid to stand by those. Then there’s the fact that she is incredibly talented witch, saves her friends countless of times, solves riddles that were meant to detain adults when she is just eleven, uses a time-turner without creating paradoxes just to be able to attend more lessons…

7 Anna from Downton Abbey

I know I said that Turnadette made me realise that I do really really like romance, but Anna and Bates from Downton Abbey sure helped soften me up. I love how Anna remains true to her feelings and is steadfast. She’s also kind and remains kind despite the nasty things she goes through and despite not always being surrounded by the kindest of people.

8 Joan Livesey from ‘The Crimson Field’

I watched this series during the hiatus of Call the Midwife (and because Tumblr said it was awesome). Got punched right in the feels! Another romantic couple that has to fight to be together (great romance!). Joan is just the best. She does what she has to do to get information about her fiance, plus she gives no shits about gender roles and gleefully rides a bigass motorbike (and that hair!). She’s also a great nurse. What’s there not to like?

9 Rachel Bailey from ‘Scott and Bailey’

Rachel has her flaws (a great many of them) but she has a good heart. She’s a bit unconventional in her methods, but she is also a great detective and a good friend. 

10 Vanessa Ives from ‘Penny Dreadful’

Vanessa is dark and mysterious and interesting (it doesn’t hurt that Eva Green plays her, I do confess). She has made mistakes in the past, but she does her best to atone for them. She’s brave, charismatic, and intelligent. Plenty to like about her!

I tag (if you guys want to do it) @kienova66, @alice1nwond3rland, @lovetheturners, @like-an-officer-and-a-sergeant @turnt4turnadette!

[dofthea]

Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday!

For those who don’t know, the Top Ten Tuesday Tag is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

10. Batgirl of Burnside –  Cameron Stewart

Brenden Fletcher, Jared K. Fletcher (Letterer), Maris Wicks (Colorist), Babs Tarr (Illustrator)

Batgirl of Burnside split the DC readership right down the middle. People either really liked it or they didn’t. I really enjoyed it. This version of Batgirl was marketed towards the #millennials with the narrative focusing around social media, online dating and identity. The story was small and personal, making it a nice break from the large scale narratives happening in the rest of the DCU.

The art is also worth mentioning. It’s bright, expressive and eye catching. If you’re looking for a quick fun read than I suggest you pick up this Batgirl run.

Check out our review of Volume One of Batgirl of Burnside here.

9. Watchmen – Alan Moore

When people are arguing whether comics are capital “L” literature, Watchmen is the comic that most people bring up. The first time I read this book I had a hard time getting into it, I think I was too young. When I picked it up for a university course years later I fell completely and totally in love.

Both a super hero story and a critique on the nature of superhero stories, Watchmen is beautifully put together. The twelve part follows a now disbanded team of vigilantes who are being picked off one by one by an assassin. Watchmen uses the panel structure and page layout as much as it uses dialogue and images to tell its story. Because of that Watchmen is a highly structured and stylized book.

This comic series is not perfect and I’ve been throwing around the idea of doing a series of posts analyzing it. Maybe I’ll get to it. Someday. Hopefully.

8. Batwoman – J.H. Williams III (Writer, Illustrator), W. Haden Blackman (Writer), Amy Reeder (Illustrator), Richard Friend (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colourist)

The art in Batwoman is breathtaking.

The series follows Kate Kane as she returns to Gotham City. Kane needs to find a way to balance her social life (a new romance) and her life as a crime fighting caped crusader. It doesn’t help that the woman that Kane is interested in also happens to be one of the police officers trying to track Batwoman down.

Volume One: Hydrology was my first ever introduction to the character and I fell in love with her instantly. A little more stylized and dreamlike than her male counterpart, Batwoman is perfect for anyone who is looking for a little bit more magic and monsters in their superhero stories.

7. Hark A Vagrant – Kate Beaton

Kate Beaton makes funny comics based off of history, literature, art, or whatever strikes her fancy. Her work never fails to make me laugh. I suggest picking up her two collections Hark a Vagrant and Step Aside Pops and binge read them. You’re going to laugh so hard it’s going to hurt.

At the time of writing this post, Beaton is on hiatus as she finishes up a graphic novel. But you can check out her comic archives on her website.

6. Hellblazer

John Constantine is a magician and a bastard and I love him.

My father introduced me to Hellblazer when I was a teenager and I started following the story religiously. His original run ended in February 2013, but since has been rebooted twice.

Constantine combines two of my greatest loves: magic and hard boiled detective fiction. This is a man that is followed by constant pain, especially when he attempts to do right by others. His past is always coming back to haunt him. Hellblazer is able to walk the line between the superhero story and the cosmic horror story.

My favourite issue of Hellblazer “On the Beach” can be found in the Volume 2: The Devil You Know. In it, Constantine tries to spend a relaxing day at the beach, but things go from wrong to weird when a nearby nuclear plant goes critical…

5. Locke and Key – Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodríguez

I discovered Locke and Key after reading Joe Hill’s novel Horns. Locke and Key follows three siblings who move into an old house after the death of their father. In the house they discover magical keys that do different things and can give them different abilities. They also discover that their family’s past might be a little darker than they ever imagined. Locke and Key is both a heartfelt story about growing up and the loss of innocence. It’s also really creepy.

If you’re a fan of dark fantasy, then this might be your cup of tea. The story starts out strong and has one of the most satisfying conclusions I have ever come across for a comic. The art is pretty rad as well.

Locke and Key is supposedly being adapted into a film trilogy, so here’d hoping that actually happens.

4. The Mighty Thor – Jason Aaron (Writer), Russell Dauterman (Illustrator), Jorge Molina(Illustrator)

Thor is no longer worthy and cannot bare Mjölnir. But, when the Frost Giants invade earth an  unknown woman takes up the hammer to defend humanity. Who is this new Thor? Not only does she have to defend the earth from the usual rogue gallery, but from Odin who is insulted by her existence.

The female run of Thor has been a lot of fun. I was originally worried that this was going to be a short lived gimmick and I’m glad to see that I was wrong. At the time of writing this post our Lady Goddess is still going strong.

Check out our reviews for The Goddess of Thunder, Who Holds the Hammer and Thunder in Her Veins.

3. Rat Queens – Kurtis J. Wiebe

Rat Queens follows four badass female adventurers living in a fantasy world. They’re crude, they’re hysterical and they feel like they’re your best friends.

The series has been rocked by controversy when it came out that artist and Rat Queens co-creator Roc Upchurch was arrests for domestic abuse against his wife. Which was then followed up by a weak self destruction of a third story arc.

Creator Kurtis J. Wiebe is rebooting the series. So hopefully good things will be in the future for our favourite adventurers. I’m hopeful. I miss them.

Check out our reviews of Volumes One & Two and Volume Three

2. Monstress – Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Artist), Rus Wooton (Letterer)

Monstress manages to combine mythology, steampunk and cosmic horror wrapped up in a beautiful art deco style.  Every single panel in this book could be framed and hung on a wall.

The comic follows Maika, as she tries to solve the mystery of her past and the connection she possesses with a demonic force. In the first volume, Monstress hints at a grand story set against a complicated world. This is one of those books that the less you know, the more fun you will have reading it. So check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out our review of Monstress here.

1.  Sandman – Neil Gaiman

Sandman was the comic that made me love comics again. With Sandman, Neil Gaiman blends mythology, superheroes, literature and religion into a complicated and beautiful story. Sandman follows Morpheus the Lord of Dreams, who at the beginning of the narrative has been captured by a cult who had laid a trap for Death. As the series progresses, Morpheus has to come to terms with his past decisions, the changing world around him and most importantly himself.

The art of Sandman varies from issue to issue which helps add to it’s dreamlike quality.

Sandman is my favourite comic of all time, but if I had to choose one issue to focus on it would be Desire from The Endless Nights mini series. It’s beautiful and bittersweet and gets to me every time I read it.

This list was long overdue, but a lot of fun to put together. I love comics and am always looking for new series to follow! if you have any to recommend send them my way. But until next time and next Tuesday (whenever that is) happy reading!

[rjdavies]

Interview with Edmund Kelly

Thank you for joining us, I have a special guest with me today Edmund Kelly author of “Addiction & Pestilence“.

Edmund Kelly (Ed) grew up in Massachusetts, just south of Boston. He recently published his first novel, Addiction & Pestilence, which is the first book in his Slaying Dragons: A Journey Through Hell series. Slaying Dragons is a term used to describe in this instance, someone who has overcome their battle with addiction to drugs and/or alcohol as well as defeating evil or the Devil. Ed took the biblical reference of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and created an exciting new modern retelling and turned it into a series. Each book deals with the wrath that each horseman brings but with an added twist to each book. The Four Horseman are: 1. White Horseman - brings pestilence (a deadly plague that is unleashed upon the Earth). 2. Red Horseman - brings war. 3. Black Horseman - brings famine. 4. Pale Horseman - brings death (Devil).

R. J. Davies (RJD): Hi, Ed thank you for agreeing to this interview. Do you ever Google yourself?

Edmund Kelly (EK): Thank you for having me. I have but only after I finished setting up my website. 

RJD: Makes sense. Which writers inspire you?

EK: I’m a huge fan of Stephen King. I love the worlds he creates and the way he sparks my imagination. I also love Dan Brown and the way he paces his books. He has this rapid pace to his books that I just love. Plus, his stories are really good too. Pulling up the rear is Lee Child. I cannot get enough of his Jack Reacher series. Thinking about it, I think I’ve taken a little of everything I love about them and rolled into my series.

RJD: Very good choices. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

EK: I’ve kinda always known. It’s funny because when I know how to do something I’m very confident when I do it. When I’m at work I’m very confident and I like to give it my all for my boss. I want them to be proud. I really don’t think about whatever I’m doing at work, I just do it. Now when it comes to my writing I’m very skeptical of my abilities. I’m always questioning myself. I know deep down inside I have a great story, but I question my writing abilities. I’m always doubting myself. I do think I write some killer dialogue and really tap into the emotions. I guess my fear of writing held me back. My wife has been one of my greatest supporters and pushed me to write. I’m very grateful for that.

RJD: That is beautiful. Do you believe in writer’s block? If so, how do you combat it?

EK: Yup, and it sucks. I’ve heard people say just write but what I write while battling writer's block usually sucks. I’ve found that reading, watching a movie or listening to music usually sparks that creative juice. I also like to write from the heart. Moments in my life and emotions are great fuel. I’m not a very outward emotional person but I am inside. When I write I try and tap into that emotional side. I try and remember how something made me feel. Good or bad. For the most part, it’s the hurt that brings the emotions out. My best friend once gave me the biggest compliment and the worst insult at the same time. Drew, the main character in Addiction & Pestilence is based upon myself and the dark road I’ve been down. He told me I reminded him of a Shinedown song ‘What A Shame” and said that the following lyrics from the song were me: On his hands and knees I watched it all up close I knew him more than most I saw a side of him, he never showed Full of sympathy for a world that Wouldn't let him be I was at rock bottom. I was about to lose it all, but I didn’t. I didn’t let that spark of hope die. I climbed out of the ashes. I use things like that to tap into and write from that place.

RJD: Very inspirational. Brings me to my next question, do you carve out time, such as a structured schedule for your writing? How is your day structured when it comes to writing? Do you write every day?

EK: I’ve been on a little hiatus from writing and I just started back up again as we were working on the house. I get up at 5:00am for work and I pick my daughter up from daycare after work. I spend time with her until my wife gets home and then we eat dinner and have family time. I usually sit down to write around 8-9:00pm and I’ll write until 11-12:00am.

RJD: What draws you to the genre that you write?

EK: I’ve always enjoyed post-apocalypse books. I remember my mom reading Stephen King’s ‘The Gunslinger’ and I was blown away by the cover. I took it and read it when I was about nine or ten years old. I loved it. I loved the whole good versus evil. I guess it’s the same reason I love Star Wars. I’m trying to bring that to my series. A man who hasn’t had the greatest life and is torn but always does the right thing because its right.

RJD: I like that. What do you read?

EK: I’ve always enjoyed reading and I’ll read just about anything except for romance and erotic. They make movies for that. I’m a huge fan of Stephen King. I love the worlds he creates and the way he sparks my imagination. I also love Dan Brown and the way he paces his books. He has this rapid pace to his books that I just love. Plus, his stories are really good too. Pulling up the rear is Lee Child. I cannot get enough of his Jack Reacher series. Thinking about it, I think I’ve taken a little of everything I love about them and rolled into my series.

RJD: What does your family think about your writing? Do they read your work?

EK: My family has been very supportive. I think they like it, or so they say. No offense to them, but I really don’t think they’d tell me it sucked, even if it did. I’d never piss all over one of my family members dreams so I suppose they don’t either. I do send my sister and mom an advanced copy. My mom doesn’t care for the main character and how he is. I keep telling her that you’re not supposed to like him and that he’ll grow on you as he changes. A couple of the reviews I received have stated how Drew is a character that they hate but they want to read more about him. I think they relate to his struggle. That’s what I was going for. He’s also based on myself, so I guess my mom doesn’t like me. (He laughs)

RJD: Don’t say that. What is the craziest thing you’ve done in your life?

EK: Joining the Marines. Becoming a firefighter and working in Boston as an EMT.

RJD: Wow that sounds exciting. Final question, how would family and friends describe you?

EK: Loyal. I believe in loyalty and if you give your word you keep it. We all forget things but somethings we just can’t forget. Having a bond with several people who you will do anything for and knowing they will do the same, is a pretty awesome feeling.

RJD: Very well said! Thank you so much for joining me. I got a copy of Addiction and Pestilence and will be starting it tomorrow.  I look forward to reading.

EK: Thank you for having me. I hope you enjoy the book.

RJD: I know I will. Come on the Four Horsemen? What’s not to like?

If you are interested in finding out more about Edmund Kelly’s book click the link below. If you are a fan of the Four Horsemen go buy his book!

Addiction & Pestilence is an Award Winning, Post-Apocalyptic Thriller! 2nd Place Winner for Best Dystopian Fantasy in the 2017 Virtual Fantasy Con Awards! Finalist for Best Horror in the 2017 Best Excellence Awards!

Addiction & Pestilence is a compelling look at addiction and the perseverance of the human spirit. If you're ready, take the journey and see the world through the eyes of these colorful characters as they journey through Hell. Addiction & Pestilence is a work of fiction, but if you or a loved one are battling addiction, please remember that there is no shame in asking for help. The only shame is not asking.

Social Media links for Edmund Kelly:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15904397.Edmund_Kelly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edmundkellyslayingdragons

Twitter: https://twitter.com/edkell99Manage

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Pestilence-Edmund-Kelly-ebook/dp/B01M0TSI7T/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Thanks for joining us!

R. J. Davies

A Riveting Jacked-In Dreamy Mind-Bender