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Hewitt
(NJ) Author's New Novel To Appear As Online Serial
With about 60 titles already published on both sides of the Atlantic,
award-winning NJ author John Grant thought he'd seen every way there
was of his books being published ... but he was wrong!
With about 60 titles already published
on both sides of the Atlantic, award-winning NJ author John Grant
thought he'd seen every way there was of his books being published.
But then along came international op-ed website Blue Ear (www.blueear.com)
with a new proposal.
Blue Ear editor Ethan Casey wanted to commission an original novel
to appear as a serial on the website, and he wanted John Grant to
be the one write it.
"There was a novel I'd started playing with three or four years
ago," recalls John, "but I'd never had the time to do much about
it. My wife Pam read the few pages I wrote, and she's been nagging
me ever since about it. And it was a book I wanted to write myself.
So this seemed a golden opportunity - to finish the novel, and to
stop Pam pestering me!"
The novel is called The Dragons of Manhattan, and it's a
fantasticated satire rooted in an ultimate conspiracy theory - that
most of the positions of importance in the world have been taken
over by immortal shapeshifting dragons who look just like us.
"In a way it's a very silly idea," says John, "although of course
it would explain a lot of things . . . But I thought it was perfect
as the basis for the plot of a humorous satire."
He suggested The Dragons of Manhattan to Ethan Casey as
the proposed Blue Ear serial novel, and Casey commissioned the book
at once.
As soon as the project was announced within the trade, there was
a movie agent on the phone. "I can't talk too much about that at
the moment, for obvious reasons," the author says, "but things are
looking good."
Of John Grant's 60 books, about one-third are fiction, mainly fantasy.
He has won the Hugo Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award
and other international awards. As an editor, he has won the international
Chesley Award.
In addition, in the UK, from which he came to these shores on marrying
Pam, a New Yorker, four and a half years ago, he has won a British
Science Fiction Association Special Award.
The "illustrated fiction" book Dragonhenge, which he did with world-renowned
artist Bob Eggleton, has been shortlisted for a Hugo Award this
year; the result will be announced over the Labor Day weekend.
His best-known nonfiction book is probably The Encyclopedia of
Walt Disney's Animated Characters, now in its third edition. Other
well known books are The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, which he did with
John Clute, and Masters of Animation.
Last year he wrote the text of Perceptualistics, the book of paintings
by NJ artist Jael, a dear family friend.
"But I've never been so terrified going into a new book before,"
he says. "Always I've had a chance to revise my text once I've finished
it, so that the book I hand over to the publisher isn't too embarrassing.
And, of course, I've known that my editor will doubtless find any
horrors that I've missed. But this time, with me writing the novel
in episodes just before they're published, there'll be no chance
for second thoughts. One day I'll be writing it, and the next it'll
be there online for all the world to see. Help!
"Well," he adds, "at least it means readers will have a nearly
unique opportunity to see one of my novels in its raw state as it's
being written, almost as if they were watching over my shoulder.
And, if nothing else, I hope the jokes will make them laugh a lot."
The serialization of The Dragons of Manhattan starts on
July 1 on Blue Ear at www.blueear.com.
Although Blue Ear is a subscription site, the novel will be made
available free to all.
Jessica Martin
 Did
you like Dragons of Manhattan? Post Here.
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OTHER CONTENT - August 2003
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The concept of throwaway entertainment comes in all forms, shapes and sizes. And as everybody and their grandmother already knows, an exceedingly high dosage of boisterous brain-dead eye candy is what usually satisfies the majority of giddy moviegoers during the summertime blues.
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ConJose, the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention, issued reimbursements to
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in late May 2003.
(CONVENTIONS)
Hewitt
(NJ) Author's New Novel To Appear As Online Serial
With about 60 titles already published on both sides of the Atlantic, award-winning NJ author John Grant thought he'd seen every way there was of his books being published ... but he was wrong!
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Jon Courtenay Grimwood Interview
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The Subtracted Dimensions of Lisa Snellings
The hugely admired kinetic 3D creations of fantasy sculptor Lisa Snellings are a constant source of fascination to those lucky enough to own them, or to visit the people who do. A new development - Snellings-as-fantasy-illustrator - has come about through the creation of an anthology of original stories.
(INTERVIEWS)
July 2003 Offworld Report
SFF imprint Earthlight is axed, John Jarrold angrily speaks out on this, Richard E Grant becomes the new Dr Who, why Clarion matters, Eric Van Lustbader is interviewed, and a fab review of POD-based SFF fiction (hint, it's really, really bad).
(NEWS)
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This juiced-up futuristic fable is delightfully on maximum overdrive and Arnold S. does what he does best ... deliver his brand of robotic ribaldry with the precision of an extremely well-oiled machine.
(FILM REVIEWS)
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(TV REVIEWS)
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(TV REVIEWS)
First Flight (Star Trek Enterprise)
Archer gets word than an old colleague has died, prompting him to tell T'Pol about the early days of warp test flights. Goofy in spots, but fairly charming overall says our Tim.
(TV REVIEWS)
Regeneration (Star Trek Enterprise)
The discovery of a crashed ship in the Arctic leads to humanity's first ever encounter with the Borg. Mostly a collection of horror-movie cliches. Good moments, but that's all.
(TV REVIEWS)
The Breach (Star Trek Enterprise)
While Trip, Reed, and Mayweather must travel through treacherous caves in order to find some lost Denobulans, Phlox finds himself facing a patient with a long-standing grudge against Phlox's own race. The character material is good, the jeopardy sub-plot is not so great though
(TV REVIEWS)
The Expanse (Star Trek Enterprise)
In the season finale, an attack on Earth by a new alien race brings a change of mission for the Enterprise. Tim discovers lots of setup, but not a lot of payoff.
(TV REVIEWS)
Martian Opposition
Rod ponders the Red Planet's fascination for writers of science fiction and fantasy and muses over the host of space probes which will shortly be descending there from America, Europe and Japan.
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Kevin J. Anderson: An Impolite Interview
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(FILM REVIEWS)
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(FILM REVIEWS)
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This is almost certainly the most exciting pirate film ever made. This fast-paced confection of an adventure has wit, a good story and imaginative visuals. Johnny Depp gives what is probably his best performance as a grubby yet stylish pirate captain.
(FILM REVIEWS)
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(FILM REVIEWS)
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Mark's Take
An interesting premise from a graphic novel makes about half an hour of interesting story, mostly for the introduction of the characters. But the film needed a good plot to make it more than just a comic book origin story. This one seems to have a plot that was patched together as it went along. The film has a nice look, but the viewer is never intrigued by the villain or his machinations.
(FILM REVIEWS)
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