A while back I was one of a bunch of authors asked to write some quick comments on their favourite novellas. My choice was 'The Reflecting Eye' by John Connolly. See the final feature at http://ttapress.com/611/their-favourite-novellas/0/5/
My bit's tucked away right at the bottom but I'm sure that's because they listed the contributors in alphabetical order and not just because no one's ever heard of me.
Showing posts with label John Connolly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Connolly. Show all posts
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Reapers signing
Went to a signing for John Connolly's latest novel The Reapers on Tursday.
John told some funny stories about the stupidity of criminals then discussed the themes of The Reapers and spoke about the film version of his short story 'The New Daughter' which stars Kevin Costner and the girl from Pan's Labyrinth. He also read an extract from the novel he's currently working on, The Lovers. With a wicked glint in his eye he revealed that it always annoys his agent when he reads work to the public before the agent has had a chance to see it.
After the signing John invited everyone along to a nearby pub where he had reserved the upstairs bar. He recently turned 40 so as everyone chatted away several of his fans presented him with birthday gifts. Continuing a joke on John's message board about his advancing years one of the gifts was a pipe and a pair of monogrammed slippers.
From the pub we went on to a restaurant which served what are possibly the best chips in the world. Wine flowed, as did the conversation, with John regaling everyone with witty anecdotes. At the end of the evening he picked up the bill despite the best efforts of one of his fans who was desperate to pay it himself. (I'm sure none of you will be surprised to learn that this fan wasn't me.)
On the train home I read the first couple of chapters of The Reapers. At first I was slightly worried to discover that it not only dealt with similar themes as one of my forthcoming stories but it also featured a piece of research crucial to that story. Just to make things freakier John even introduced a character named Bliss which is the title of my story. By now hyperventilating at the prospect of being sued for plagiarism I tried to reassure myself that there will be more than enough differences to set the two stories apart.
After all The Reapers is a finely crafted tale, full of well-rounded characters, snappy dialogue, stunning imagery and thoughtful insights into the human condition.
And 'Bliss' has been written by me.
John told some funny stories about the stupidity of criminals then discussed the themes of The Reapers and spoke about the film version of his short story 'The New Daughter' which stars Kevin Costner and the girl from Pan's Labyrinth. He also read an extract from the novel he's currently working on, The Lovers. With a wicked glint in his eye he revealed that it always annoys his agent when he reads work to the public before the agent has had a chance to see it.
After the signing John invited everyone along to a nearby pub where he had reserved the upstairs bar. He recently turned 40 so as everyone chatted away several of his fans presented him with birthday gifts. Continuing a joke on John's message board about his advancing years one of the gifts was a pipe and a pair of monogrammed slippers.
From the pub we went on to a restaurant which served what are possibly the best chips in the world. Wine flowed, as did the conversation, with John regaling everyone with witty anecdotes. At the end of the evening he picked up the bill despite the best efforts of one of his fans who was desperate to pay it himself. (I'm sure none of you will be surprised to learn that this fan wasn't me.)
On the train home I read the first couple of chapters of The Reapers. At first I was slightly worried to discover that it not only dealt with similar themes as one of my forthcoming stories but it also featured a piece of research crucial to that story. Just to make things freakier John even introduced a character named Bliss which is the title of my story. By now hyperventilating at the prospect of being sued for plagiarism I tried to reassure myself that there will be more than enough differences to set the two stories apart.
After all The Reapers is a finely crafted tale, full of well-rounded characters, snappy dialogue, stunning imagery and thoughtful insights into the human condition.
And 'Bliss' has been written by me.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
John Connolly video
Hour long video of John Connolly discussing various aspects of writing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2racaDOvxyI
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Our survey said ...
There's been some comments made over on John Connolly's message board that not many SF/F/H fans have heard of him as most of his novels are marketed as crime. Just out of curiosity how many of you had heard of him before I mentioned him here? And out of those who had heard of him how many realised that his novels contain a supernatural element?
Thursday, July 26, 2007
John Connolly on Youtube
Quick interview with John Connolly chatting about signings, violence in thrillers and deep themes vs. entertainment value in novels.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The Unquiet signing
Went to a John Connolly signing last night.John read an extract from his novel in progress The Reapers then did a very funny Q&A with the audience before moving on to signing books.
Turns out he has an excellent memory for faces because he remembered me from our brief chat at last year's FantasyCon. "Wow," I thought. "Nothing could make me happier than this." That is until he said he'd read the copy of Mask I gave him and he really enjoyed it and was pleased it won the British Fantasy Award. "Okay," I thought. "Nothing can make me happier than this." And then he invited me along for a drink with a group of his friends and fans. "My God," I thought. "Nothing can possibly make me happier than this ... Unless Jessica Alba suddenly shows up offering to have sex with me."
At this point my luck ran out so I had to settle for drinks with John and his pals.
Turns out he has an excellent memory for faces because he remembered me from our brief chat at last year's FantasyCon. "Wow," I thought. "Nothing could make me happier than this." That is until he said he'd read the copy of Mask I gave him and he really enjoyed it and was pleased it won the British Fantasy Award. "Okay," I thought. "Nothing can make me happier than this." And then he invited me along for a drink with a group of his friends and fans. "My God," I thought. "Nothing can possibly make me happier than this ... Unless Jessica Alba suddenly shows up offering to have sex with me."
At this point my luck ran out so I had to settle for drinks with John and his pals.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
John Connolly Ghost Stories
Totally forgot to mention this in the original John Connolly post -- you can sample some of his ghost stories over at his website.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
FantasyCon stuff
Okay, I keep forgetting to mention this so I'll bung it down quick.
HUGE thanks to Mark Samuels for his help with Mask. Not only did he write the introduction he did so whilst on his sickbed. Actually this probably explains why he said such nice things about the book, he was delirious. Cheers, Mark!
Also, at FantasyCon I got to meet John Connolly. Really nice bloke. He signed my copy of The Book of Lost Things, gave me a CD and we chatted about genre restrictions, Joe Lansdale and the addictive effects of coke (the soft drink not the drug). Yay!
Of course Katy had to spoil it all. As John walked off she gazed after him, dreamily. "He's really trim. Do you think he works out?"
I pulled in my stomach. "Dunno."
Katy continued staring after him, sighing. "He had really vivid blue eyes."
I was particularly upset about her infatuation as I had been stupendously brave on her behalf on the Friday night.
Here's the story:
We stayed in the back-up hotel, the Rutland Square hotel. Nice place but our room was right next to two connecting doors in the corridor. Every time someone walked through the doors they crashed shut making it sound like someone was trying to break into our room.
This wasn't so bad during the day but when people kept going through the doors at two in the morning it became a bit of a pain.
Every time we started to drift off to sleep ... BANG!
We both lay there for hours not only trying to get to sleep but also trying to remember that the noise was from the doors in the corridor, it wasn't someone trying to break into our room no matter how much it sounded like it.
Finally, at some ungodly hour I finally felt myself becoming drowsy and started to slip off into sleep ...
Just as someone really did burst into our room.
A huge bloke crashed through the door, thumping the light switch, flooding the room with blinding light, scowling as though he was ready to kill someone.
At this point Katy will tell you that I screamed like a girl but it was in fact a fierce battlecry designed to startle the intruder long enough for me to leap out of bed and face him on more equal terms. Not that the terms would be that equal as I was tired, out of shape and (those of a sensitive disposition look away now) naked. Still, standing I might have a chance in a fight, laying down I was a dead man. At the very least I could put myself between the intruder and Katy, giving her a chance to cry for help, call the police on her mobile, or, more likely, mumble at me to keep the noise down as she was trying to sleep.
So, facing the intruder, I yelled at him as loud as I could, forcing my voicebox into overdrive.
Next thing I know I'm sitting bolt upright in bed in the classic 'I've just woken up from a nightmare' pose to find Katy staring at me with a worried look on her face. Turned out she'd got up to use the toilet and the door had banged just as she had turned on the light. My drowsy brain had transformed this sensory input into a dream about an intruder.
Katy stood framed in the bathroom door, the light blazing behind her turning her to a near silhouette. "Are you all right, baby?"
I sat there for a couple more seconds just in case there really was an intruder then I lay down and went back to sleep.
In the morning, when I explained to Katy what I had happened, she took the piss out of me mercilessly. "I can't believe you did that! You frightened the life out of me yelling like that, you idiot!"
"But I was trying to protect you."
"I didn't need protecting!"
"I didn't know that ... Anyway, you should be flattered that even when I'm asleep I'm willing to leap to your defence."
She didn't look convinced. "Idiot."
Of course come Monday morning she had to take it all back. "There was a man hiding behind the curtains."
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. "Eh?"
"Last night. There was a man hiding behind the curtains."
"What are you going on about?"
She looked embarrassed. "The light was streaming through the curtains this morning and it turned into a little man. He had a face and everything."
"Okayyy ..."
"And then he started marching towards the bed. I had to get up and check behind the curtains to make sure he wasn't real."
"Remind me -- exactly how much did you have to drink last night?"
"It's not funny. At first I was too scared to even put my glasses on to see if there was really someone there. If he was real I didn't want to be able to see him."
"If he had been real you not putting on your glasses wouldn't have made any difference."
"Yeah, but at least I wouldn't have to see anything when he killed me."
I didn't even bother trying to argue with that one. "If you were convinced there was someone in the room intent on killing us both then why didn't you wake me?"
"Oh," she said, "I didn't want to disturb you."
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Anyway," she continued, "after a while I realised that he wasn't going to hurt us."
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Hang on. You saw a man? And he was walking towards you as you lay in bed? You've been fantasising about John Connolly again haven't you?"
HUGE thanks to Mark Samuels for his help with Mask. Not only did he write the introduction he did so whilst on his sickbed. Actually this probably explains why he said such nice things about the book, he was delirious. Cheers, Mark!
Also, at FantasyCon I got to meet John Connolly. Really nice bloke. He signed my copy of The Book of Lost Things, gave me a CD and we chatted about genre restrictions, Joe Lansdale and the addictive effects of coke (the soft drink not the drug). Yay!
Of course Katy had to spoil it all. As John walked off she gazed after him, dreamily. "He's really trim. Do you think he works out?"
I pulled in my stomach. "Dunno."
Katy continued staring after him, sighing. "He had really vivid blue eyes."
I was particularly upset about her infatuation as I had been stupendously brave on her behalf on the Friday night.
Here's the story:
We stayed in the back-up hotel, the Rutland Square hotel. Nice place but our room was right next to two connecting doors in the corridor. Every time someone walked through the doors they crashed shut making it sound like someone was trying to break into our room.
This wasn't so bad during the day but when people kept going through the doors at two in the morning it became a bit of a pain.
Every time we started to drift off to sleep ... BANG!
We both lay there for hours not only trying to get to sleep but also trying to remember that the noise was from the doors in the corridor, it wasn't someone trying to break into our room no matter how much it sounded like it.
Finally, at some ungodly hour I finally felt myself becoming drowsy and started to slip off into sleep ...
Just as someone really did burst into our room.
A huge bloke crashed through the door, thumping the light switch, flooding the room with blinding light, scowling as though he was ready to kill someone.
At this point Katy will tell you that I screamed like a girl but it was in fact a fierce battlecry designed to startle the intruder long enough for me to leap out of bed and face him on more equal terms. Not that the terms would be that equal as I was tired, out of shape and (those of a sensitive disposition look away now) naked. Still, standing I might have a chance in a fight, laying down I was a dead man. At the very least I could put myself between the intruder and Katy, giving her a chance to cry for help, call the police on her mobile, or, more likely, mumble at me to keep the noise down as she was trying to sleep.
So, facing the intruder, I yelled at him as loud as I could, forcing my voicebox into overdrive.
Next thing I know I'm sitting bolt upright in bed in the classic 'I've just woken up from a nightmare' pose to find Katy staring at me with a worried look on her face. Turned out she'd got up to use the toilet and the door had banged just as she had turned on the light. My drowsy brain had transformed this sensory input into a dream about an intruder.
Katy stood framed in the bathroom door, the light blazing behind her turning her to a near silhouette. "Are you all right, baby?"
I sat there for a couple more seconds just in case there really was an intruder then I lay down and went back to sleep.
In the morning, when I explained to Katy what I had happened, she took the piss out of me mercilessly. "I can't believe you did that! You frightened the life out of me yelling like that, you idiot!"
"But I was trying to protect you."
"I didn't need protecting!"
"I didn't know that ... Anyway, you should be flattered that even when I'm asleep I'm willing to leap to your defence."
She didn't look convinced. "Idiot."
Of course come Monday morning she had to take it all back. "There was a man hiding behind the curtains."
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. "Eh?"
"Last night. There was a man hiding behind the curtains."
"What are you going on about?"
She looked embarrassed. "The light was streaming through the curtains this morning and it turned into a little man. He had a face and everything."
"Okayyy ..."
"And then he started marching towards the bed. I had to get up and check behind the curtains to make sure he wasn't real."
"Remind me -- exactly how much did you have to drink last night?"
"It's not funny. At first I was too scared to even put my glasses on to see if there was really someone there. If he was real I didn't want to be able to see him."
"If he had been real you not putting on your glasses wouldn't have made any difference."
"Yeah, but at least I wouldn't have to see anything when he killed me."
I didn't even bother trying to argue with that one. "If you were convinced there was someone in the room intent on killing us both then why didn't you wake me?"
"Oh," she said, "I didn't want to disturb you."
I shook my head in disbelief.
"Anyway," she continued, "after a while I realised that he wasn't going to hurt us."
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Hang on. You saw a man? And he was walking towards you as you lay in bed? You've been fantasising about John Connolly again haven't you?"
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
John Connolly
Just noticed that John Connolly is on the attendance list of FantasyCon. Dead excited as I first read his Charlie Parker PI novels while I was writing Mask. Helped me with finding the novella's voice (God, that sounds pretentious). Anyway, I really want to meet him.
Knowing my luck it'll turn out to be a different John Connolly.
Knowing my luck it'll turn out to be a different John Connolly.
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