There is a very strange and small subgenre of literature that is so esoteric and self-reflexive that conventional attempts at categorisation seem to be powerless to define it. The Norwegian academic Espen Aarseth, in attempting to define the outer limits of literary potential made possible by advances in electronic media, noted such texts as ergodicContinue reading “Literature Long Read: Utter Dismemberment in House Of Leaves”
Author Archives: Dan Jones
The Rings Of Saturn – Chapter 1
After publishing two novellas last year I’ve been encouraged to serialise another here on the blog. This novella was concocted after one of my visits to Madrid, one of my favourite places. I’ve visited Madrid around a dozen times, and I almost always get the hankering to visit the magnificent Museo Del Prado, especially asContinue reading “The Rings Of Saturn – Chapter 1”
Creativity in orderliness
Continuing my thoughts on the nature of the creative personality from last week, I’ve been considering how creativity can stem from orderliness. I believe it’s worth diving into these topics, because it’s well accepted that we are creatures of narrative. We all respond to the power of narratives and storylines when they are well toldContinue reading “Creativity in orderliness”
Chronscast Season 1 Episode 3 – An American Werewolf In London!
The latest episode of Chronscast is live! For this episode Chris and I were joined by Richard Sheppard, host of The Constant Reader Podcast, which takes a deep dive into all things Stephen King, from his numerous novels to the equally numerous movie and TV adaptations of his work.
Creative Creatives
Creativity seems to be a fairly easy thing to define on the face of it. Those of us who are active in the pursuit of the creative arts will quite happily describe ourselves as creative, and the more po-faced of us will even deploy the word as a noun: we’re creatives, dahling.
January Roundup
You know it’s funny, January always seems to drag its feet, taking forever and a day to haul us past that post-Christmas and New Year hump, and yet it’s been and gone in nothing flat.
Literature Long Read: You Better Watch Yourself
In the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill 2 the titular character Bill, played by David Carradine, delivers a withering critique of Superman, saying that Clark Kent – a clumsy, skittish, slightly nerdy and shy figure – is Superman’s critique on the human race; that that personality is what’s needed to fit in. It’s a flawedContinue reading “Literature Long Read: You Better Watch Yourself”
Chronscast Goes Live!
At long last Chronscast goes live today, with episodes 0 and 1 released! Episode 0 serves as an hors d’oeuvre to the main podcast, telling listeners what we’re about and introducing Chris and myself. We also talk about our rationale for starting Chronscast, and how it links back to SFF Chronicles, and what listeners canContinue reading “Chronscast Goes Live!”
Brave New Year
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope the holidays gave everybody the chance to rest, reflect and recharge, ready for 2022. Over the Christmas period I was invited by the splendidly mad AnRoinnUltra to contribute to a bit of festive science-fiction whimsy he’s called Twelve Robots of Christmas. The premise is simple: over the twelve daysContinue reading “Brave New Year”
Literature Long Read: There’ll Always Be An England in Mythago Wood
Dame Vera Lynn’s version of the unabashedly patriotic 1939 song There’ll Always Be An England would no doubt have helped bolster the spirits of the British Tommys during the unending days of slogging their way through the western front during World War II. The song is like White Christmas in that respect; just as theContinue reading “Literature Long Read: There’ll Always Be An England in Mythago Wood”
Dan Jones - the Official Site 