Oh boy, I’ve left it until the last minute to write my February blog. I could blame the ridiculous brevity of the month – I mean, just 28 days, really, how’s a fellow supposed to get everything done? On the other hand, I’ve seen a few Februaries come and go over the years, so I should be getting the hang of them by now.
First up, let’s explain the peculiar title of this month’s blog. “Famigeration” is another glorious word gleaned from The Phrontistery. It means “the bringing of news from abroad.” The news in question comes from mainland Europe, where Fischer has just reissued the German edition of the first Crown of Three book, my epic fantasy for young readers written under the pseudonym J.D. Rinehart. Loving the broody cover. The subtitle translates as On Golden Wings, by the way.
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’ve been busily promoting my new novel String City, which is out next week. If you’re sick of the sight of it, don’t worry, I’ll ease off soon. Maybe. As part of the promotional drive, I’ve been tweeting a series of “Stringscapes” – images showing various regions of my imaginary universe, each one dominated by its own unique tangle of cosmic string. I’m already up to Stringscape No. 16, and the damn things show no signs of stopping yet. When I get the chance, I’ll collect them all together in a gallery on this blog.
Cinefex 163 is just out, with my Bumblebee story inside – I blogged about it the other day. I’ve already finished my two assignments for the next issue, which is out mid-April, at roughly the same time the new Hellboy reboot hits theatres. Why mention Hellboy? Because it’s the film covered in my first article for Cinefex 164.
The second article is a little different – a history of CG animals which I’ve called The Nature of the Beast. It’s a little different from our usual fare, being topic-led rather than focusing on a single movie. It was a huge challenge to gather the research, interview industry professionals and turn the whole thing around in a very tight timeframe. In fact, someone told me it was an impossible job, but as the White Queen says in Alice Through the Looking Glass: “Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
This last day of February also happens to be the first day of interviews for my next Cinefex article. As one month ends, so another assignment begins. I’ll tell you what film I’m covering in Cinefex 165 a little further along the tracks.
What’s coming in March? Well, with the new month right around the corner, you won’t have to wait too long to find out.
Graham Edwards 