In 1996, my novel Dragoncharm – a fantasy adventure with a cast made up exclusively of dragons – was optioned for TV and movie production by a UK production company called Dandelion Distribution. The novel had been optioned once before, by a company in New York. They were considering a TV adaptation using Muppet-style characters. … Continue reading “Dragoncharm” – The TV/Movie Adaptation
Revisiting Cinefex (4): Outland and Altered States
The front cover of Cinefex #4 features a still from Outland: a long shot of the Con-Amalgamate mining complex on Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. On the inside front cover there’s a full page ad: looks like Disney were hiring Special Effects Apparatus Designers for EPCOT and Disneyland. After that, we get two articles spanning the … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (4): Outland and Altered States
Revisiting Cinefex (1): Star Trek and Alien
Cinefex, in case you didn’t know, is a quarterly magazine about visual effects – specifically, behind-the-scenes articles on major movies. I’ve got a big stack of them piled on the floor beside the upstairs bookcase. It’s not a complete collection – I’ve lapsed occasionally over the years – but there’s one hell of a lot … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (1): Star Trek and Alien
“The Lord of the Rings” on BBC Radio
I love my boxed set of The Lord of the Rings. I’m not talking about the Special Edition DVDs of Peter Jackson’s movies (cherished though they are), nor my rather smart hardback of Tolkien’s novel. No, I’m talking about the radio show. The series was broadcast by the BBC way back in 1981, in 26 … Continue reading “The Lord of the Rings” on BBC Radio
Magical Patterns in Stories
I write and read in pictures. For me, all books are illustrated. Yes, it’s the words that do the hard work – God love ‘em. In the end, however, what counts is what those words help me to see. You might think I’m talking about visualisation – reading a scene in a book and having … Continue reading Magical Patterns in Stories
Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius
A lot of people are unbearably snooty about genre fiction – especially SF, fantasy and horror. I’m not the first to remark on this – the debate rages daily across the interwebs. It seems there are lots of folk who feel this way, and I think I've finally worked out why. It’s all the fault … Continue reading Liking Science Fiction and Fantasy Makes You a Genius
Why Don’t Authors Switch Genre?
Cinema and literature. Movies and books. It frustrates me how people take for granted certain things in one, but not the other. Take genre. Movie directors – if they so desire – are allowed to tackle a range of genres. In the course of his career, Steven Spielberg has bounced from The Sugarland Express to … Continue reading Why Don’t Authors Switch Genre?
“Kraken” by China Miéville
China Miéville must be good with Lego. Give him a pile of bricks and he'd lock them together in ways you never thought of. That's what he does with words at any rate. In his novel Kraken his skill with language ranges from the deceptively simple - "his tongue flopped over, momentarily meatlike" - to … Continue reading “Kraken” by China Miéville
Disaster Attraction — The Eternal Appeal of the Apocalypse
Why crave the apocalypse? Why watch Charlton and Mel grapple doom-spawned vampires and leather-clad crazies? Why pursue the ash-strewn trails of Viggo and Don (Tiger too), only to end up hunkered down in a craterish bed sitting room waiting to thumb a lift from Ralph in his horse-drawn Rolls? If all is truly lost, why … Continue reading Disaster Attraction — The Eternal Appeal of the Apocalypse
“Inception”
During the Christmas holiday, I finally caught up with everyone else and watched Inception. What a ride. Another great performance from Leo, and I don't believe director Christopher Nolan dropped the ball once in the execution of his complex storyline. I say complex ... actually, you know, I think it's pretty straightforward. In a good … Continue reading “Inception”
Graham Edwards – Author & Journalist 