By the time you read this, we will already be in May! We’ve had some lovely weather lately, so I’ve spent a lot more time out in the garden, sitting on my deck. And long may it continue! I’ve actually done some writing this month, and can feel the progress building momentum!
I’VE STARTED WRITING! Not a lot, only a handful of short paragraphs on a short story. BUT it’s a start. From small acorns and all that jazz. It’s the first story in the collection I’ve mentioned previously. I’m not going to give too much away just yet, I don’t want to spook it! But I’ve got plans, actual plans. I know the theme for this collection – it’s not as obvious as Stocking Stuffers, and it’s not just a vague collection of short stories like A Flash in the Dark. There’s a solid thread, and I have ideas for keeping the thread while allowing each story to breath on its own. I am SO excited for this, and yet also loving approaching it without commitment. I’ll write it when I feel like it, not because “I’ve not written in a few days so I suppose I should”. This is probably the most excited to write that I’ve been for some time. More news to come!
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
A new release from Joe Hill, King Sorrow, seemed a good entry for letter K in my alphabet reading challenge. It’s a fantasy horror that follows a group of college students when one of their number is threatened by a family with a history of drugs and criminal activity. In a desperate bid, they seek to bring a supernatural entity, a dragon called King Sorrow, through from the Long Dark. While he helps them to eradicate their immediate problem, it becomes clear that a deal with the King is not one easily broken. His power and influence corrode friendships and corrupt once-decent people. It’s a lengthy book, but not unnecessary – a fantastic read filled with tension, unease and betrayal.
The Long Walk by Stephen King
I watched the recent film adaptation not too long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was tense and dark, with a constant impending dread. So I jumped at the chance to read this King (originally written as a Richard Bachman) novel for the first time. And it did not disappoint. This beautiful dystopian novel follows a group of teenage boys who take part in The Long Walk. 100 boys walk until there’s only one left. It chronicles the hopes and dreams of each and their motivations for joining. And it is so immensely harsh – the cold, detached killing of each boy and the continuing desensitisation of the remaining Walkers to death as their physical and psychological states decline. A fantastic, if dark read.
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
The Discworld series is one I know well. I’ve read all of the books, except the last. Once I’ve read that, there won’t be any more, and that’s a sad thought. Afterall, my book reviewing (which led to my writing) began with a blog dedicated to reviewing the books. But with the Penguin release of the full series on audiobooks, I thought I’d give these a go and hit the entire series end to end. With Bill Nighy narrating the footnotes Sir Terry Pratchett was known for, the brilliant Peter Serafinowicz narrating the character of Death, and a rotating cast of narrators, Colin Morgan in this instance, it seemed a nice, tight cast rather than a full cast production. The Colour of Magic is widely considered one of the weaker books in the series, a fact acknowledged by the author as he hadn’t found the winning formula yet, but it serves as a wonderful intro to his unique humour, epic worldbuilding and diverse characters. For its slight issues, I still love this as I feel like I’m returning to familiar haunts.
The Capture
My wife and I binged our way through all three seasons of this having been intrigued by the by-line description, and it didn’t disappoint. AI is a hot topic at the moment, so the idea that the authorities might start to use it to produce the missing evidence required for conviction based on “likely escalation of behaviours” was both exciting and troubling in equal measure. A lot of series lean into a narrative that goes so far down the rabbit hole as to feel entirely implausible. Somehow, this manages to just stay on the right side of the line. It’s politically charged, dealing with timely topics and current affairs, while demonstrating the potential harm if AI is allowed to continue unchecked. I loved this series.
Slow Horses (Season 3)
This might be my favourite season of Slow Horses to date. When MI5 are tested by a “tiger team” to find any weaknesses, things take an unfortunate turn. Catherine is abducted, and River is given a tight deadline for her release. It turns out the planned test was a ploy to access the MI5 stores, leading to an audacious rescue attempt by the Slow Horses, while aiding a wronged and disillusioned former agent. When the security forces set out to clean house entirely, it becomes a battle for life and death for the Horses. This season felt more tense and with a greater level of jeopardy for the team.
Slow Horses (Season 4)
Slow Horses season 4 starts with a bombing in a busy shopping centre in London. And it escalates from there with revelations about River’s biological father sending him on a solo mission to the French countryside. Meanwhile, a violent shootout in Slough House leads to the death of a member of the team, already reeling from the assumed loss of River and Catherine’s resignation. There are revelations about River’s grandfather’s past in MI5, too, making season 4 explosive in more ways than one.
Mouse P.I. For Hire
Imagine 1920s-style detective noir atmosphere – monochrome, loads of jazz music and stereotypical heroes, villains and damsels in distress befitting the genre. Now make all the characters cartoon mice, not dissimilar to Steamboat Willie if Walt decided to go noir. It’s full of mouse-related puns, cheese, but also a lot of detective work and plenty of shooting. It’s crazy, it’s entertaining, it’s filled with catchy jazz-era music. I love the look, the art design is stunning, the options to make the music sound aged and of its era are incredible, and all come together to make a really fun game.
The good weather is here to stay (hopefully). I’ll be out and about a bit more hopefully, but I also plan to get more writing done over the next month!
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Steven Smith 