Joseph Mallozzi's Blog! (SPOILERS For All SG Shows and Dark Matter)

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December 11, 2017

Photos: DarkGate Round 2


The highlights from #DarkGate Round 2, another Dark Matter/Stargate-related Q&A.

On the mysterious Cyrus King…

What of Solara Shockley?

What episode idea did Episode 309, “Isn’t That A Paradox?” replace?

As for what else we had in store for ONE/Derrick Moss…

On Ryo, Misaki, and Teku…

And how would FOUR have adjusted to life as a returning crew member?

On The Mikkei Combine’s role in the alien invasion storyline…

What were the plans for Lt. Anders?

What about Dr. Shaw?

And Wexler?

What else did we have planned for SIX?

We would have even explored an increasingly complex Alt. Portia…

And, finally, what of Alexander Rook?

Thanks for everyone who took part. Let’s try to do another one in the New Year!

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December 12, 2017

Photos: Suji, Lulu, spring, winter


Bundle up, kids! It’s cold outside. It’s I’m-not-going-out-unless-I-absolutely-have-to cold. And it’s going to get even colder. I mean, come on! What happened to the promise of global warming? Spring in winter? Summer in autumn? A world safe from runaway icebergs and douchey ski pros. More of this –

And less of this –

Despite the deep freeze, I did venture out tonight to join my buddy Ivon and actor Jeff Teravainen for dinner. Some drinks, some burgers, some nice conversation, and we wrapped things up with an apple pie sundae and Jeff going to town on everyone’s fries. I’m a big fan of the guy, and not just because he picked up the tab.

Tomorrow, it’s an early morning for Lulu and Suji who will be heading over to our new dogsitter’s place where they will be spending the night. This will mark the first night Suji will be separated from Akemi since we adopted her last year. She’s in great hands, but I’m very curious how she’s going to react. She can be a little…testy.

While the dogs are away at the their B&B (Bed and Barkfest), Akemi and I are going to take the opportunity to take a quick trip to Montreal where we will spend tomorrow afternoon and Thursday morning checking out condos. With my recent move cross-country, I thought it might be nice to have a pied-a-terre in the city of smoked meat and strippers. Who knows? Maybe we’ll end up neighbors of actor Anthony Lemke who now calls Montreal home. Or, at least, Home A.

Only 19 reading days until the year draws to a close and really, when you think about it, it’s actually less than that as I’ll need to post my Best Books of 2017 blog entry before or by the 31st. This was a pretty good reading year and, given the sheer volume, I suppose it makes sense. I’m at 232 books on the year and want to hit 250 when all is said and done (A new record by the way).

There’s still time! Recommend me a great book that was published in 2017.

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December 13, 2017

Photos: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week


My favorites –

Lady Killer vol. 2 (cover art by Joelle Jones)

Black and white and read all over. With a shock of green in those gorgeous eyes. Joelle Jones is fast becoming my favorite artist working in comics. Bloody sexy.

Mr. Miracle #5 (cover art by Nick Derington)

I’m a sucker for these atypical moments that nevertheless convey so much about the characters, in this case Mr. Miracle and Big Barda enjoying a quiet interlude. The beach, the pier, the setting sun – beautiful.

Mr. Miracle #5 variant (cover art by Mitch Gerads)

A completely different cover, more overt in its conveyance, but still delivering a wonderful moment. Amidst a backdrop of hearts, our two lovers smiling, gazing into each other’s eyes. Get a room already!

Astro City: Ordinary Heroes (cover art by Alex Ross)

Kind of creepy. Kind of funny. Somehow appropriate given the title. Alex Ross having fun.

Bug: The Adventures of Forager #6 (cover art by Mike Allred)

I’ve always enjoyed artist Mike Allred’s unique style and, while I have no idea what’s going on here, I appreciate the roll call of Fourth World players including, my favorite, Granny Goodness bottom right.

Detective Comics #970 (cover art by Rafael Albuquerque)

A dynamic instant captures our two heroes in motion, motorcycles streaking, capes trailing in the wind, the sun gold vibrancies of the street and background lending the whole an oil on canvas quality.

Flash #36 (cover art by Neil Googe)

Here it’s all about the composition – Flash foreground about to pull the sheet away to reveal the corpse’s identity; rogue’s gallery background conveying a range of emotions from shock to sadness. I need to know who’s under there!!!

Suicide Squad #31 (Tony S. Daniel and Danny Miki)

Well here’s an eerie little PSA about the dangers of space travel. What were they doing in planetary orbit and where do those oxygen hoses lead? The framing that suggests the answers may lie just out of our eye line.

I.T.: The Secret World of Banking #3 (cover art by Hubert Khan Michael?)

Slick! The textures, details, and color palette sing. This is one badass cover.

Falcon #3 (cover art by David Acuna)

Love the use of shadows and light, the framing of our hero laid low, cuffed and captive, the rainfall illuminated by the patrol cars’ flashers.

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December 14, 2017

Photos: Tv shows


TWIN PEAKS

I loved the first season of this delightfully weird series; the second season less so. Never saw the prequel movie, but I’m all sorts of curious to check out the new, 20 years later, series that has been both revered and reviled…just like the original.

VIKINGS

This one looks epic.

BLACK SAILS

Pirates! Need I say more?

THE CROWN

To be honest, it didn’t look all that interesting but everyone I know who has seen it raves about it.

NARCOS

This one comes recommended from none other than my buddy – and Dark Matter Co-Exeuctive Producer – Ivon Bartok.

OZARK

A successor to Breaking Bad? Let’s find out!

THE NIGHT OF

As a big fan of the limited series format, I have high hopes here.

THE NIGHT MANAGER

Speaking of which, here’s another one that’s received its fair share of critical praise. And, bonus – it stars Hugh Laurie.

UNREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

Looking for a show that will fill the 30 Rock-size hole in my heart. And I think this might be it!

TERRIERS

Only one season and it was produced way back in 2010. It’s about time!

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December 15, 2017

Video: Sneak peek of Joe's interview for Stargate Command


Last month, former Stargate Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok got together with Gateworld’s David Read and MGM’s Kieran Dickson to talk about the old days…

More to come at: https://www.stargatecommand.co/home

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December 16, 2017

Photos: Suji, Lulu, Joe's sister and mom, Kona, Joe, snow monkey


Stage 2 of The Suji Experiment was a rousing success. While our frenchie, Lulu, settled in nicely at the dogsitter’s (ignoring my goodbyes and disappearing down the hall seconds after dropping her off), Suji was a little more uncertain (attempting to follow Akemi out the door when we turned to leave). But, by all accounts, her overnight stay was a success. She stuck close to Lulu and was fairly quiet – until later that night when she became quite vocal about her displeasure in not being allowed to sleep on the bed. When we picked them up, she was so thrilled to see Akemi that she peed all over her coat. Lulu, meanwhile, left grudgingly. All in all, this bodes well for Stage 3, a multi-night stay, should we decide to head to L.A. in January or (Dare I say it?) Japan.

We took the opportunity to fly in to Montreal for the day and resume our condo hunt. Ideally, we’d like to find a place in condo but finding something we really like has been challenging. Montreal, surprisingly, offers a lot more options at a lot more value. We checked out about a half dozen places, and there was one we really liked. We’ll revisit when we’re back in town next week and, if we’re still feeling it, maybe put in an offer. Who knows? If the price is right…

Some of the highlights from our recent visit…

Sis and mom.

Kona thinks she’s a lapdog.

Pensive.

I’m on the edge of my seat. It’s do or die time for my Snow Monkeys as they take on The GOATS in fantasy football league semifinal action. I have the better team, but injuries and luck, both good and bad, have a way of swinging fate. I’m still agonizing over my lineup. Hopefully, it’ll all fall into place tomorrow and, next weekend, we’ll be securing our first championship since 2011. Great memories, right?

Snow Monkeys Win! Snow Monkeys Win!

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December 17, 2017

Photos: Fantasy football league, Suji


It’s not quite a final, but up 65+ points with only one player to play against, we can give my Snow Monkeys the W and stamp their ticket to the big dance. Next week, it’s the championship game and my Snow Monkeys have opened as slight 3 point favorites. And with a starting lineup like this, who’s gonna bet against them?

I have to give it up to next week’s opponent, Steve. He hustled, made some bold moves, pulled of some terrific trades, then came on strong in the back half of the season. He won’t win the championship but it doesn’t matter because he’s won the next best thing: my respect.

But not the championship.

Anyway, that was my day. Also, I revised an outline and finished reading my 239th book of 2017. And here I was, worried I wouldn’t be able to hit 250 by year’s end.

Okay, I’ve got three shopping days left before we’re Montreal-bound once again, this time with the dogs in tow (including Lulu who has been doing a fine imitation of a neutron star of late – a shockingly dense little package she is!).

Who dat?

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December 18, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter


Well, this sums it up nicely. Compliments of the gang at River’s Reavers, a group of Firefly Online gamers looking to recruit crew for job’s that need to get done. Thanks to Erika for bringing it my attention.

So, back when I did my last twitter Q&A, #DarkGate round 2 for the international fans, I made mention of this –

Say it aint so. A downbeat ending? Well, it aint so for a couple of reasons. First, things changed (my sentiments for one) between the time I envisioned that ending and a couple of seasons into production, so that original ending was drastically changed to something…different. Second, Syfy cancelled Dark Matter, denying us any ending, thus rendering the point moot.

That being said, I thought it might be interesting to reveal the original dark ending I had planned.

“Not a happy ending for everyone, but a positive result for the rest of the galaxy”were Future FIVE’s foreboding words.

So, what did the dark timeline hold in store for our anti-villains. Well, here are a few hint…

ONE and THREE

TWO

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

The Android.

So, whaddya say? Interested?

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December 19, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter Dark Timeline Revealed


Back in 2012, I went out with a well-developed plan for a space opera, one with a beginning, middle and end to every storyline and character arc, answers to every question. It was to be a self-contained and satisfying narrative. But after the show was green lit and we went into production, those plans changed – slightly at first (ie. making our Android female), then more significantly (ie killing off the character of ONE). And yet, while the changes required adjustments that necessarily echoed through future narrative threads, they didn’t really affect the promised answers to all the questions the show would pose, or the endings I had intended for these characters. As time wore on, however, and I spent more time on the show, with these characters, interacting with fandom, I began to have a change of heart. And I began to think that, maybe, that downbeat heartbreaker of an ending I had planned for the series wasn’t really appropriate anymore. Maybe these characters, and fans, or at least some of them, deserved a more hopeful conclusion to Dark Matter. So I began to make more adjustments, pulling up storylines, making slight character modifications, ensuring it would all track and those little set-ups would nevertheless pay off in some fashion down the line.

In time, I decided on another ending, one I began to seed and build toward – but, alas, never got to reveal. That particular conclusion will remain a secret, for now. But as for that alt. dark timeline, here it is:

We see a version of this story play through Dark Matter’s second and third seasons. In the show, Ryo’s relationship with Hiro isn’t emphasized to the extent I’d originally planned and the murder of his half-brother is decidedly deliberate rather than accidental. Of course, as outlined in my recent #DarkGate Q&A, the plan wasn’t for TWO to execute Ryo (although she comes tantalizingly close in Episode 312, “My Final Gift To You”) but for the Android to essentially “restore” FOUR via the transfer transit pod he used in Episode 207, “She’s One Of Them Now”. Still, I loved the bittersweetness of this ending and I can only imagine what a fantastic scene TWO’s farewell conversation with her old friend could have been.

Again, we see echoes of this intended storyline in season 2 and 3 – the guilt that weighs on him for his past actions (turning in the crew, his indirect responsibility for the destruction and loss of life on Hyadum-12), knowledge of the family he left behind – but rather than succumb, our SIX fights through it and actually helps TWO battle parallel inner demons following the destruction of EOS-7. Again, as explained in my recent #DarkGate Q&A, the plan was for SIX to seemingly sacrifice himself at the end of the show’s third season – only to find his way back to our reality by drawing an assist from a most unlikely ally, the mercenary and mercurial Alt. Tash. In hindsight, I really loved this planned ending for SIX because it touched on Dark Matter’s central theme of our memories making us who we are. It also offered up the single hopeful end to our crewmembers’ individual journeys.

Ah, now this was a change that required a little more fiddling, chiefest of which was a rethinking of TWO’s essential being. In my original vision, her physical being, while still biological, was nevertheless more bio-synthetic in design. When I abandoned this ending, I moved up the storyline involving her failed nanites, addressing the issue, instead, in the show’s second season. Another bittersweet conclusion which echoed one of my favorite anime of all time, and an inspiration for Dark Matter as a whole – Cowboy Bebop.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment I had to make pertained to the character of ONE who I’d envisioned continuing his role as the angel to THREE’s devil, developing that love-hate bromance to the point where, in their last moments, either has the opportunity to save themselves by abandoning the other but, instead, choose to go down fighting – a nice little bookend to our opener.

Most heartbreaking of all was this intended ending for our lovable Android that, again, harkens back to the recurring memory theme that is the heart of our show. Of course, this would have worked much better if FIVE was younger (closer to 12) and if the Android’s sad demise wouldn’t have triggered the inevitable mass fandom uproar.

And our last show would have been of FIVE on the bridge of The Raza, all alone.

End of series.

And, at the time, I would have been satisfied with this conclusion – but even then, I did consider the possibility that fans may not have shared my feelings for the ending I had given them. And so, just in case, I had a back-up plan…and the in to one final miniseries adventure…

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December 20, 2017

Photos: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week


My favorites…

Luke Cage #168 (cover art by Rahzzah)

Another week, another Rahzzah cover. This one gives me a real creepy Descent vibe.

Old Man Logan #32 (cover art by Mike Deodato Jr.)

Logan braves a rain of streaking metal weaponry. I feel we’re taking in the cover upside-down.

The Shadow #5 (cover art by Daniel HDR)

A cinematic shot that makes me yearn for a contemporary big screen adaptation.

Wildstorm #10 (cover art by Jon David-Hunt)

So much to like. The light and details of the background buildings contrast with the blurred motion of the black birds in the foreground. Our lone figure, braving the impossible height but not seeming to give a damn, leaning forward even as the wind rushes up from behind.

White Cell Inoculation #5 (cover art by Nicholas Melanshek)

Love the color palette and the ship and character designs. If this was a show, I’d watch it. It’s a comic book so, yeah, I’ll read it.

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December 21, 2017

Photos: Joe, Joe's mom, Dark Matter


Ta-da! Just in time for Christmas. The perfect stocking stuffer! Who could resister their very own Bathing Suji t-shirt? The first in what I suspect will be a long line of Suji-related merchandise – including the pins and lapels Akemi has designed and special-ordered for an early January delivery. Yep, as I’ve said before, if all goes as planned, I’ll start production on a new series later in 2018, run the show for five seasons, and then retire and live off Suji’s various modeling gigs and paid spokespug appearances.

Well just in time for Christmas – a new refrigerator for mom. I believe the last one came with the house (purchased, if I remember correctly, in 1974) so it was high time to say goodbye to ole unreliable. Despite my insistence on wrapping it placing it under the tree for as a Christmas morning surprise, my sister overruled and had them simply deliver it straight into the kitchen.

Yes, Akemi, Lulu, Suji and I will be spending the next couple of weeks in my hometown of Montreal where we’ll be eating, spending time with family (and their innumerable dogs), and drawing ever closer to buying a condo. There’s a place we have our eye on that we’ll be paying a return visit to next week. Akemi likes it because it’s an open new construction with plenty of natural light located in a nice neighborhood not too far from downtown. I like it because it’s two blocks away from this little french bakery that serves up a brioche slathered with nutella topped with whole hazelnuts. That’s a win win!

Check out Paste Magazine’s 20 Best TV Characters of 2017

Coming in at #5…

I don’t know what it says about 2017 that this Best Characters list includes not one but twoidiosyncratic artificial intelligences in our top 5, except that maybe we are, collectively, beginning to truly accept the fact that humanity could just…be better. In any case, SyFy’s space mercenary comedy Dark Matter gave us one last gift before its abrupt cancellation: Zoie Palmer’s loving and beloved Android, who brought to the crew of the Raza a much needed sense of lightness and a reminder of the kind of uncomplicated joy the discovery of the good parts of the world can bring—when she wasn’t kicking every kind of ass, that is…

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December 22, 2017 - Part 1

Photos: Books


In advance of my BIG Best Books of 2017 blog post, I give you the Best Books I Read In 2017 That Weren’t Published in 2017!

Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta

Global warming has changed the world’s geography and its politics. Wars are waged over water, and China rules Europe, including the Scandinavian Union, which is occupied by the power state of New Qian. In this far north place, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio is learning to become a tea master like her father, a position that holds great responsibility and great secrets. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that Noria’s father tends, which once provided water for her whole village.

But secrets do not stay hidden forever, and after her father’s death the army starts watching their town-and Noria. And as water becomes even scarcer, Noria must choose between safety and striking out, between knowledge and kinship.

It’s not often you’ll come across something truly unique in the realm of sci-fi, but this book offers up a refreshingly original take on a not-so-far future setting.

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

Set in rural southern Ohio and West Virginia, The Devil All the Time follows a cast of compelling and bizarre characters from the end of World War II to the 1960s. There’s Willard Russell, tormented veteran of the carnage in the South Pacific, who can’t save his beautiful wife, Charlotte, from an agonizing death by cancer no matter how much sacrifi*cial blood he pours on his “prayer log.” There’s Carl and Sandy Henderson, a husband-and-wife team of serial kill*ers, who troll America’s highways searching for suitable models to photograph and exterminate. There’s the spider-handling preacher Roy and his crippled virtuoso-guitar-playing sidekick, Theodore, running from the law. And caught in the middle of all this is Arvin Eugene Russell, Willard and Charlotte’s orphaned son, who grows up to be a good but also violent man in his own right.

If you’re a fan of southern gothic, look no further.

Personal Days by Ed Park

In an unnamed New York-based company, the employees are getting restless as everything around them unravels. There’s Pru, the former grad student turned spreadsheet drone; Laars, the hysteric whose work anxiety stalks him in his tooth-grinding dreams; and Jack II, who distributes unwanted backrubs–aka “jackrubs”–to his co-workers.

On a Sunday, one of them is called at home. And the Firings begin.

Rich with Orwellian doublespeak, filled with sabotage and romance, this astonishing literary debut is at once a comic delight and a narrative tour de force. It’s a novel for anyone who has ever worked in an office and wondered: “Where does the time go? Where does the life go? And whose banana is in the fridge?”

Fans of the office – and, frankly, anyone who has ever worked in an office – will appreciate this book and its myriad endearingly oddball characters.

Promise of Blood: Book One of the Powder Mage Trilogy by Brian McClellan

It’s a bloody business overthrowing a king…

Field Marshal Tamas’ coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas’s supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces.

Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.

But when gods are involved…

Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should…

I’m admittedly not a fan of magical elements in the fantasy genre but their handling here is so deft and engaging I happily made an exception for this masterful tale of gunpowder and wizardry.

The North Water by Ian McGuire

Behold the man: stinking, drunk, and brutal. Henry Drax is a harpooner on the Volunteer, a Yorkshire whaler bound for the rich hunting waters of the arctic circle. Also aboard for the first time is Patrick Sumner, an ex-army surgeon with a shattered reputation, no money, and no better option than to sail as the ship’s medic on this violent, filthy, and ill-fated voyage.

In India, during the Siege of Delhi, Sumner thought he had experienced the depths to which man can stoop. He had hoped to find temporary respite on the Volunteer, but rest proves impossible with Drax on board. The discovery of something evil in the hold rouses Sumner to action. And as the confrontation between the two men plays out amid the freezing darkness of an arctic winter, the fateful question arises: who will survive until spring?

Grim, suspenseful, brutal historical fiction.

The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock

It is 1917, in that sliver of border land that divides Georgia from Alabama. Dispossessed farmer Pearl Jewett ekes out a hardscrabble existence with his three young sons: Cane (the eldest; handsome; intelligent); Cob (short; heavy set; a bit slow); and Chimney (the youngest; thin; ill-tempered). Several hundred miles away in southern Ohio, a farmer by the name of Ellsworth Fiddler lives with his son, Eddie, and his wife, Eula. After Ellsworth is swindled out of his family’s entire fortune, his life is put on a surprising, unforgettable, and violent trajectory that will directly lead him to cross paths with the Jewetts. No good can come of it. Or can it?

Another terrific book by a modern day Flannery O’Connor.

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December 22, 2017 - Part 2


Extreme Fear: The Science Of Your Mind In Danger by Jeff Wise

Fear is a mysterious force. It sabotages our ability to think clearly and can drive us to blind panic, yet it can also give us superhuman speed, strength, and powers of perception. Having baffled mankind for ages, fear is now yielding its secrets to scientific inquiry. The simple model of fight or flight–that people respond to danger either by fleeing in terror or staying to fight through it–has been replaced by a more complex understanding of the fear response.

Veteran science journalist Jeff Wise delves into the latest research to produce an astonishing portrait of the brain’s hidden fear pathways. Wise, who writes the I’ll Try Anything column for Popular Mechanics, favors a hands-on approach, volunteering to jump out of an airplane while wearing sensors and to endure a four-hour simulated missile attack on a Navy destroyer. He returns with a tale that combines lucid explanations of brain dynamics with gripping, true-life stories of mortal danger: we watch a woman defend herself against a mountain lion attack in a remote canyon; we witness a couple desperately fighting to beat back an encircling wildfire; we see a pilot struggle to maintain control of his plane as its wing begins to detach. By understanding how and why these people responded the way they did, Wise argues, we can better arm ourselves against our own everyday fears.

This fascinating read on the science of fear was a recommended by Wynonna Earp’s Beau Smith Ranch. I’m now inclined to join his book club.

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as five other awards, The Sympathizer is the breakthrough novel of the year. With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a “man of two minds,” a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.

I’ve often found many of the big award winners strong on premise but relatively unsatisfying in execution, but that’s not the case with this book that proves at turns touching, stirring, and surprisingly humorous.

The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill

Laos, 1978: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has been unwillingly appointed the national coroner of newly-socialist Laos. Though his lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky to say the least, Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often frustrating days.

When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead.

When this book was first recommended to me, I was skeptical – but the humor and charm of our investigative protagonist, 72 year old Dr. Siri Paiboun, thoroughly won me over. Looking forward to more in this series.

The Body by Stephen King

In 1960s America, four young boys go on a journey to search for the body of a boy killed by a train. As they travel, they discover how cruel the world can be, but also how wondrous.

I liked the movie a lot, but loved the book even more.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother’s tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that’s true enough, but there’s something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse.

From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father’s castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.

Finally, I’ve discovered a grimdark author I enjoy as much as longtime favorite Joe Abercrombie. Not for the faint of heart.

Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane

Boston private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are hired to find four-year-old Amanda McCready, abducted from her bed on a warm, summer night. They meet her stoned-out, strangely apathetic mother, her loving aunt and uncle, the mother’s dangerous, drug-addled friends, and two cops who’ve found so many abused or dead children they may be too far over the edge to come back. Despite enormous public attention, rabid news coverage, and dogged police work, the investigation repeatedly hits a brick wall. Led into a world of drug dealers, child molesters, and merciless executioners, Patrick and Angie are soon forced to face not only the horrors adults can perpetrate on innocents but also their own conflicted feelings about what is best, and worst, when it comes to raising children. And as the Indian summer fades and the autumn chill deepens, Amanda McCready stays gone, banished so completely that she seems never to have existed.

Then another child disappears. . . . Dennis Lehane takes you into a world of triple crosses, elaborate lies, and shrouded motives, where the villains may be more moral than the victims, the missing should possibly stay missing, and those who go looking for them may not come back alive.

Never saw the movie but I can’t imagine it could achieve the complexity of the characters and plot of this endlessly surprising thriller.

IQ by Joe Ide

A resident of one of LA’s toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.

East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood’s high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can’t or won’t touch.
They call him IQ. He’s a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he’s forced to take on clients that can pay.

This time, it’s a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monstrous attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.

I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed reading a book so much.

[Jumper_One]

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December 23, 2017


THE BIG IDEA-ER: This individual comes into the room with a vision, a big idea, sometimes a single visual, occasionally a cool plot twist, and will move heaven and earth to see it realized. In the hands of a pro, it will all come together in glorious fashion, but a lesser writer will drag the entire room kicking and screaming into the abyss.

THE MASTER SPINNER: This individual can take a kernel of an idea and spin it into narrative gold. Fearless, endlessly creative, I’ve seen this type generate an entire episode from a single misheard word.

CAPTAIN LOGIC: As the vanguard of logic, this individual ensures that every beat of your story makes perfect sense, from character motivations to astrophysics. On the one hand, this results in tight, well-structured episodes; on the other, they can be a real creative show-stopper.

THE DEFLATOR: This individual has a knack for throwing out lame ideas that will grind the proceedings to a halt, sucking the creative air out of the room and forcing the other writers to entertain their imbecilic notions before resuming track.

THE SPOT PICKER: This individual is generally quiet for the most part but, every once in a blue moon, will pipe up with an idea so brilliant that it will blow the story off its creative hinges.

THE FOLLOWER: This individual, generally a lost cause in the room, will offer little in the way of actionable contributions. Fully aware of their shortcomings, they will follow up someone else’s brilliant idea with a slight embellishment or, in some cases, proclaim co-ownershp of the idea with an ass-covering: “I was just about to say that!”

THE CIRCLE-BACKER: This individual performs better as a solo artist than an in-room collaborator. As such, they will often bring their work home with them after the writers’ room wraps up for the day, hashing out a solution to narrative roadblocks overnight, then returning with most, if not all, the answers the following morning.

THE GREENHORN: A newbie, this first-timer will make the occasional gaffes, pitch out the most implausible of ideas, but, over time, will find their footing and become a solid contributor.

THE CHARACTER GENERATOR: This individual will approach every story beat viewed through a character lens, eschewing plot concerns and construction for a single-minded focus on the characters – their actions, their motivations, and how each contributes to fleshing out and fully realizing them.

THE GHOST: A non-entity who will occasionally make their presence known with an idea as insubstantial as their presence in the room.

In truth, most writers are a mix of several of the above, but always predominantly one type. I, for instance, am, for the most part, a definite Circle-Backer. Which type are you?

[Jumper_One]

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December 24, 2017

Photos: Books


I grew up a voracious reader. In elementary school, I shared my classmates’ love for comic books – but, unlike my fellow classmates, I also had a passion for science fiction. It was a habit my mother fed, often surprising me with the books I would read through the summer months. From early July to late August, while all of my friends were out and about, my outdoor activities consisted of sitting poolside, flipping through sci-fi classics. There were a lot of terrific SF authors I discovered later in life (Octavia Butler, John Scalzi, Gene Wolfe) but, looking back, I really owe a lot to the following writers who helped shaped my imagination during those formative years where my creative output consisted of twisty short stories and The Robot Revolution, a 200+ page novel I handwrote on loose leaf during fourth grade…

10) Pierre Boulle

Makes the list purely on the strength of a single novel that gave birth to one of my favorite SF movie franchises of all time: The Planet of the Apes.

Favorite book: Monkey Planet

9) Michael Moorcock

I discovered his science fiction work through my appreciation for his Elric of Melnibone fantasy series.

Favorite Book: The Final Programme

8) H.P. Lovecraft

Technically horror, yes, but with sci-fi underpinnings.

Favorite short story: “The Colour Out of Space”

7) Stephen King

Though considered a horror author, it’s easy to overlook the fact he’s written some fabulous science fiction as well.

Favorite short story: “The Lawnmower Man”

6) Douglas Adams

His work greatly inspired my affinity for sci-fi with a sense of humor.

Favorite book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

5) Isaac Asimov

One of two SF titans who made multiple appearances on my mother’s Literary Gifts list.

Favorite book: The End of Eternity

4) James Blish

His Star Trek tie-in novels lined my bookshelves, but his original novels were equally great.

Favorite book: A Case of Conscience

3) Arthur C. Clarke

The second of the two SF titans who made multiple appearances on my mother’s Literary Gifts list. I loved the humanity in his stories.

Favorite book: Childhood’s End

2) Ray Bradbury

It started with an in-class reading assignment of “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” and continued with books like Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles.

Favorite book: The Illustrated Man

1) Harlan Ellison

Like Bradbury, a master of the short story. I’ve read everything he’s ever written twice over.

Favorite book: I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream

I’m sure there are more than a few sci-fi fans out there. Which classic authors inspired your love for the genre? Do tell.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!