Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

Ironically, I was wearing a relatively formal jacket under my overcoat.

Does a kind of hound's tooth tweed count?

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

My latest blog entry is mostly about Quentin. It re-uses a photo I've already posted here, but that couldn't be helped.

******Latest Blog Entry******

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

I agree with Rhys when he wrote to me in the early nineties: "To talk about your own writing is like putting footprints into a perfect surface of crisp new snow."

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

I've just started reading All God's Angels, Beware! (tells you a bit how far behind I am in my reading schedule...), and I just had to write something after finishing Ynis-y-Plag :

...Wow!

I may had something later, when my blood have come back to a normal temperature, if ever.

By the way, what have become of the intended chapbook of 'leftover' stories?

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

"Ynys-y-Plag" is one of my favorite weird/horror novellas of all time, the kind of story I look forward to rereading immediately after first finishing it. There's just so much there, from surface terror to visionary unease to philosophical despair to the subtle sociological element of the secret of the bwg.

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

Agreed.
This is a tiny bit of what I wrote in 2009 about this novella in my RTR of the whole book:
"This is an amazing novella, there can be no mistake - one that is remarkable and original and beautifully, mellifluously languaged, containing much of what I have already hinted at above and much much more. It is glib to say something is life-changing. But this must surely edge towards such a claim, at least."

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

I felt I shouldn't leave this unanswered. Some people may remember that I parted company with Ex Occidente. It was not an easy decision, but I exercised my judgement as best as I could. Unfortunately, for this reason, there will not be any chapbook. I apologise to all those let down by this. I'm afraid that if I were to go into the reasons behind the parting of ways it would revive a controversy that - in the middle of a riot-torn London - I currently have no appetite for, especially considering the abuse I received at the time for the decision I made. Sorry if all this sounds rather solemn, but I did want to give an answer.

Thank you for your kind comments concerning 'Ynys-y-Plag'.

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

Quentin, thanks for your answer. I really shouldn't have asked because I seem to remember now all about the problems between you and ExO... Nonetheless, I hope those stories will show up one day, because we need - the World needs! - more Quentin S. Crisp stories.

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

Hear hear!

Re: All God's Angels, Beware!
 

A short speech:

Thank you for the support and encouragement.

I think what I really need in order to put out more material is to stop reading de-motivational Buddhist texts and stock up on Red Bull.

The truth is, I have a great deal of unpublished material, most of which is better than my published stuff, but which is in particular need of revision.

Susuki, my sequel to Shrike, was written back in about 2008, but has only had minor revision, and needs more. As well as being a sequel, it is meant to be almost a stylistic/philosophical antithesis to Shrike, with lots of over-the-top stuff happening in it.

Domesday Afternoon, Volume I: Summerhill, was written... many years ago and is the longest thing I have finished in first draft, and in many ways the thing closest to my personal vision. It desperately needs revision. I think about three people have read it.

The Hideous Child was finished in first draft this January, and has made it to second and third draft. It needs at least one more draft. This is the one least in need of revision and for that reason most likely to get published, but it is by no means (in my opinion) the best.

The Lovers, a thematic but not literal prequel to Shrike. Not yet finished. A strange piece that a lot of work has gone into.

There are also various unfinished pieces scattered about in boxes here and there.

And I have plans for another couple of collections and a number of other novels. Not to mention translations of this and that.

The question is, will any of this ever see the light of day?

I hope that at least some of it will. I am actually hoping that my forties (which commence from next year) will be my most productive decade, and that I will finally put out some work I can actually be proud of.

What I most want to see the light of day:

The Magical Universe (a planned collection of futuristic semi-utopian tales, most of which are still unwritten, though one or two are written)
Argentopia (this will be a kind of epic fantasia based on a technicolour necrophile romance, as yet unwritten)
Susuki (with Domesday Afternoon, probably the best things I've written)
Domesday Afternoon (including the two volumes I have not yet written)

But there are other things that are more likely to see the light of day before these.

However, just let me finish those four things to my satisfaction, and release them to the world, and I think I can happily retire to Bhutan, or be eaten by soldier ants, or something.

Not that I necessarily want that to happen, because I do have other ideas for stories as well, which I won't even mention here.

What prevents the above from seeing the light of day?

Time, energy, motivation - lack thereof. That's all, really.

The future is uncertain. I shall try my best.

In the event that none of the above is ever finished, revised and published, I hope that what already exists is not too feeble to be of some interest or value.

Thank you.