Michael Crichton's The Eaters of the Dead and The 13th Warrior, a review of the book and movie

Year's ago I read the book and then watched the movie. This time I did it backwards, the movie, The 13th Warrior, and then the novel, The Eaters of the Dead. It was a better experience the second way around.

When I first read The Eaters of the Dead and then viewed the movie, my experience was that the characterization of the antagonists in the movie did not match well enough how I had imagined the wendol in the novel. The second time around, viewing the movie first, I realized that the archetypal forces that Crichton was utilizing could hardly be matched by movie special effects--the imagination deals with archetypes on too personal a level.

The movie stays close to the novel's storyline, though, and provides excellent visuals of the primeval Nordic forests, the small sailing craft battling the inexorable sea, and the warrior culture of Europe in the 900's. Crichton's novel uses two real sources as a basis or beginning for novel: a narrative of a journey with the Northmen by Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. Crichton spices up these stories by spinning the Beowulf monsters to be Neanderthal, so the traveling Islamic ambassador provides an objective account of the epic clash of two cultures and peoples.

The high culture of the Islamic culture is contrasted mightily with the rougher culture of the Vikings. A one-page except of an overview can be read at delanceyplace, entitled "Russians are Vikings." The except is from the non-fiction book Red Fortress.

Guests from Overseas

Both novel and movie provide an excellent sense of a man from a more refined culture entering into and finally accepting and finding acceptance in the Viking warrior culture. At several points in the novel, ibn Fadlan is asked to tell stories. They usually flop or even offend the warriors. Finally, though, as the warriors and ibn Fadlan are heading into the mists to battle the enemy with victory a slim hope, the Persian mentions a saying, that God in His kindness placed death at the end of life, rather than at the beginning.

The warriors laugh, full of the fate of their wyrd before battle, and ibn Fadlan realizes he has finally fit in with his comrades in arms--not just that they have accepted them but that he has finally seen the world as they see it.

Seamus Heaney in the introduction to his translation of Beowulf says that the epic poem's archetypal movement is challenge and battle for one's home, one's land, and finally for one's consciousness. Grendel is the local bully, the troll beneath the bridge. Grendel's dam requires an expansion of the battle outside the hall, and it requires Beowulf to accept greater responsibility than just one battle for glory. The epic poem's last monster, the dragon, arises from the very soil of Beowulf's land. The battle is the purification rite prior to death.

Crichton's novel provides an objective account of the hero's quest of Buliwyf, as the hero is named in The Eaters of the Dead. What we say and do arises from who we are. Crichton once mentioned that he wrote The Eaters of the Dead on a bet that he could tell the story of Beowulf in a manner that wasn't boring.

I'd say he won the bet.

Copyright 2014 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Jerry Seinfeld: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, a review

"When you make a TV show they always say you’re a guest in someone’s home. Online, you’re a guest in someone’s face," said Jerry Seinfeld in an exclusive interview with Huff Post about his online web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Every Thursday the series posts a new episode of about twelve minutes where Jerry calls a comedian friend about meeting for coffee. Jerry picks his friend up (each episode features a different car), they talk while driving, and then they stop for coffee, each week in a different diner.

I watched about a half dozen episodes (all that had been posted so far) on a Wednesday when I was home with a cough and a cold. Jerry's quote is accurate: one fifth of an hour is a good length to watch two comedians (all men, so far) while they sit, drink coffee, talk and joke. Viewing all the episodes in a row made the show's set-up wear thin. Twelve minutes is just the right time to hang out with some guys who have made a career of being funny, hearing them wisecrack and riposte their way through a cup of coffee.

My favorite episode is Jerry with comedians Colin Quinn and Mario Joyner. In addition to witty segments about "how the neighborhood's changed," Joyner tells some really funny stories and Quinn has a great comic moment while he silently samples a blood sausage. Blood sausage? Sounds gross, but the shared moment and that thoughtful look on Quinn's face are worth the eleven minutes of that particular show.

The camera work and editing are also easy on the nerves--professional and clean; the pace is deft and makes the most of the material and moment. That is something to say because there is no plot or script other than the general format of each show: car, drive, coffee, and conversation.

Reviews for the online web shows are not universally full of acclamation. The New York Times review posits, "There’s not much to it, but it’s got some charm and a few laughs . . ." England's Telegraph reviews, "You can see why some people will find the cackling, back-slappingness of it all too self-indulgent . . ." However, these comments appear in balanced reviews of both negative and positive.

Is this a show about nothing? I think not. The episodes are not profiles of comedians, more portraits--or better yet, sketches. Through careful editing, what is revealed are pencil portraits of comedians enjoying their avocation: being clever with words, commenting on the humor of being human. They are more humorists in the tradition of Mark Twain, wittily observing what it means to be alive and blundering through life.

Don't take the shows too seriously; after all, it is humor. However, take seriously Seinfeld's commitment to producing a quality moment for the viewer. There is no advertising attached to the website. Each episode includes "Spare Parts" segments, outtakes not included in the twelve-minute episode. And, finally, the quality of image, sound, and editing of each show provides a professional dimension that is reassuring, eschewing the "warts and all" vibe.

Personally, I don't drink much coffee, but tea's allowed on the show so I feel invited. In his Huff Post interview, Jerry said, "I wanted to make something for comedy fans and people that wanted to maybe experience this other side of the life of these comedians."

It's what we all want: to be successful with what we love to do and to spend some quality time with friends, just talking and having fun. Thanks, Jerry, for allowing me to come along for the ride. 

 Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Prick of the Spindle: an online literary magazine review

I was thinking of things that represented that crucial moment, the turning point or the crux of a story, the thing that happens that changes everything.

In the classic fairy tale, when the princess pricks her finger on the spindle of the spinning wheel, it sets events in motion that are beyond her control, events that alter her future forever. I think some of the best stories are like this--they capture a moment that means everything and ultimately alters life as we know it.

It's about the way that danger, or the unknown, is always present, even when you are unaware of it.

--Cynthia Reeser, Editor-in-Chief and Founder, Prick of the Spindle

Erudite, aesthetic, passionate and compassionate. These words describe the online literary magazine Prick of the Spindle. . . . And maybe French . . .

Cynthia Reeser, though, graduated from Pine Forest High School, which, according to my research, is in either Florida, or North or South Carolina. I'm not going to dig deeper because I enjoy a little mystery. Cynthia does list the University of Oxford on her Facebook page, so that must account for the cosmopolitan vibe of Prick of the Spindle. And maybe her FB profile pic.

I was introduced to Prick of the Spindle through the writing of Julie Innis, and have found the online magazine to be a source of fulfillment in my online reading.

Here is how the magazine is described from its About page:

Prick of the Spindle was begun in March 2007 in the spirit of creating a journal whose contribution to the literary arts would be well-rounded, with an acknowledgement to the works of literary history. It is the goal of the journal both to recognize new talent and to include those who have one or more feet planted in the writing community; we are simply looking for well-written, interesting pieces which embrace the fabric of diverse voices who have something to say, say it well, and say it originally.

Prick of the Spindle publishes a variety of literature: "poetry, fiction (from flash to novella-length), drama, creative and academic nonfiction, and literary reviews." It provides author interviews, and the tab bar also includes podcasts and art. The art section provides gallery thumbnail images, a bio, and a link to the artist's website. Prick of the Spindle also publishes a Kindle version of its issues.

Ack! The magazine's snail mail address is Pensacola, Florida . . . the mystery fades . . .

A journal had been forming in my brain for a while, starting when I was an undergraduate student. I toyed with the idea of seeking institutional backing, but knowing I would be returning to my home state after graduation, I swept that notion aside. I backed away from the idea for a bit, hoping that it would germinate and eventually emerge more fully formed. A few years later, with the knowledge of web and graphic design under my belt, the idea began to once again push its way to the surface. I was scared as hell. I thought, who am I to start a journal? I think my heart was pounding the entire first year, especially when things really began to take off.


Flash Fiction excerpt from "When You Heard," by Cami Park:

Resolved to use the brains God gave you, you employed a package of spaghetti to extend your reach and blindly, haltingly, nudged several cans to the front of the shelf. You leaned back then, to examine what had been brought forth. There, among beets and stewed tomatoes, were the necessary beans, so far forward that you glimpsed, over the precipice, a sliver of tin moon underside. 

 A sliver of tin moon underside: these are the kind of gems found in Prick of the Spindle. Feel rich. Fill your hands with gems and let them trickle through your fingers. Read Prick of the Spindle, and feel free to enjoy a little bit of France in Florida.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

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Figment: Write Yourself In (a new writing site for young writers)

They're out there--the sites where writers can upload their writing and get feedback from others.

Figment is a new site, organized and catering to young adult writers, although there are no restrictions on age (after all, I'm a member). However, one of Figment's moderators, Lindsay, is twenty-two, according to her forum post.

"What is figment? Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you're into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels, you can find it all here."

In a recent article titled "Web Site for Teenagers with Literary Leanings," the Wall Street Journal discovered that the creators of the site had originally envisioned a sort of "literary Facebook for teenagers." They discovered, though, that teenage writers wanted something different.

“I really went into it and thought, ‘We’ll be the social network for young-adult fiction,’ ” said Mr. Lewis, a former managing editor of The New Yorker. “But it became clear early on that people didn’t want a new Facebook.”

The young people on the site weren’t much interested in “friending” one another. What they did want, he said, “was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself.” 

 To me, an apt comparison is that Facebook is standing on a street corner and chatting. Figment is sitting in a coffeehouse or bookstore, friends gathered round, sharing the literary ambiance.

Even in its days-old infancy, the site has the challenges one would expect. An avatar which contains a four-letter word beginning with "F" that ain't fish or fork. Folks on the forum complaining about the concept of "appropriate material" and asking all kinds of questions about exceptions. In other words, normal stuff.

The tabs bar icons for the site read as follows: home, figment library, figment features, contests, forums, blog. The personal signed-in tabs read my desk, my writing, i'm following. Yes, this really is a site for text-messaging writers; the "i'm" is not capitalized.

I'm following and interacting with the site for a while. If it looks dynamic and nurturing, I'll recommend it to my students. In the meantime, I've uploaded four pieces: some flash fiction, a poem from my book Bare Ruined Choirs, and the first four chapters of Love Ya Like a Sister.

Enjoy!

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

365tomorrows: Online Flash Fiction Zine Review

So I was browsing flash fiction online zines, seeking something of interest: then came the thought, "I've submitted to 365tomorrows, read the stories, read the About section, like the zine . . . and the only reason I'm not reviewing is because I have a story submitted with them?

Hmmmmmmm . . .

Okay, I won't send an email telling the zine about my review until after the editors respond to my story. That seems a reasonable balance between sucking up and allowing myself to write about a zine I like.

From the About page: "365 tomorrows is a collaborative project designed to present readers with a new piece of short science and speculative ‘flash’ fiction each day. Launched August 1st 2005 with the lofty goal of providing a new story every day for a year. We’ve been on the wire ever since."

I really like the visual 1950's vibe this zine provides with black and white images and satellite dishes. Rampant raygunners and mad motorcycle gogglers. Fedoras and femme fatales. (See Writers section.)

According to URL Dogg, "365tomorrows.com gets about 4,585 pageviews per day."

Kathy Kachelries is listed as "Founder and Staff Writer" on the byline of the 365tomorrows' article "What Is Flash Fiction?" The article is framed by Stephen R. Smith, "Site Admin and Staff Writer."

Daily sci fi fare is a combination of submitted stories and stories written by staff writers. It is a labor of love and a business. (URL Dogg states that the site "earns an estimated $13.76 daily" and is the 238,639th most visited site on the internet.")

The site is capricious, utilitarian (think "cold steel in outer space"), and literary: a wonderful combination.

If you submit flash fiction to 365tomorrows, be sure the word count is 600 or fewer. 

"Legal breakdown: When your story is accepted, you're giving us first electronic publication rights and non-exclusive subsequent publication rights. This means that we get to be the first to publish your story, and then, after it's been put up on the website, we can stick it in a printed book or on a flyer or something of the sort, as long as we give you credit. We don't, however, own your story. After it goes up, you are free to sell it for millions of dollars or cut a movie deal without needing our approval, as long as the people who buy it know that they're buying it non-exclusively."

The site includes a forum, podcast capabilities, and a news link.

And, of course, the stories. Care to try one?

• How about "Good Humor," by Eric Kimball
• An audio podcast from Voices of Tomorrow called "Grandpa"

A last word from the online zine: "Flash fiction is, in my opinion, the next frontier in writing. With the world moving along at a breakneck pace, fewer and fewer people have time to read longer works, which some would argue is leading to a decrease in overall reading. Not true. People read more now than they ever have before: the internet is made for reading. That's why I started 365tomorrows: to make fiction for the internet generation."


There! A good pitch for an excellent online science fiction zine. And, of course, if they receive a Google Alert and read this review, I just hope the editors don't, in fairness, over-compensate and reject my story to demonstrate that I haven't swayed them with my Vulcan mind meld.

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Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

The Paris Review Interviews Online

The Paris Review began publishing in 1953 with the aim "to emphasize creative work—fiction and poetry—not to the exclusion of criticism, but with the aim in mind of merely removing criticism from the dominating place it holds in most literary magazines and putting it pretty much where it belongs, i.e., somewhere near the back of the book" (from the About online page).

During these years, the magazine also interviewed noted authors, including the greats such as Hemingway, Faulkner, Pound, Steinbeck, Frost, Neruda, Sexton, Carver, Bishop, Williams (both William Carlos and Tennessee), Baldwin, Angelou, Bly, Mailer, and Bradbury--to name just a few of more than three hundred interviews.

The list is truly staggering in its stellar comprehensiveness.

From Faulkner:

"All of us failed to match our dream of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. In my opinion, if I could write all my work again, I am convinced that I would do it better, which is the healthiest condition for an artist."

"I'm a failed poet. Maybe every novelist wants to write poetry first, finds he can't, and then tries the short story, which is the most demanding form after poetry. And, failing at that, only then does he take up novel writing."

 William Carlos Williams:

"I would gladly have traded what I have tried to say for what came off my tongue, naturally.  "

 James Baldwin:

"I remember standing on a street corner with the black painter Beauford Delaney down in the Village, waiting for the light to change, and he pointed down and said, “Look.” I looked and all I saw was water. And he said, “Look again,” which I did, and I saw oil on the water and the city reflected in the puddle. It was a great revelation to me. I can’t explain it. He taught me how to see, and how to trust what I saw. Painters have often taught writers how to see. And once you’ve had that experience, you see differently."

 Maya Angelou:

"It’s myself . . . and my reader. I would be a liar, a hypocrite, or a fool—and I’m not any of those—to say that I don’t write for the reader. I do. But for the reader who hears, who really will work at it, going behind what I seem to say. So I write for myself and that reader who will pay the dues. There’s a phrase in West Africa, in Ghana; it’s called 'deep talk.' For instance, there’s a saying: 'The trouble for the thief is not how to steal the chief’s bugle but where to blow it.' Now, on the face of it, one understands that. But when you really think about it, it takes you deeper. In West Africa they call that 'deep talk.'”

The magazine also has close to fifty audio interviews online.

Enjoy.

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Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Online Fiction Review: a Review of an Online Flash Fiction Magazine

I'm thinking of something like the paper-printed magazine the North American Review, which was founded in 1815 and is "the nation's longest-lived literary magazine and among its most distinguished."

Thomas Jefferson was one of  NAR's early subscribers; I am one of Flash Fiction Online's early subscribers.

(And now, I suppose, it's time to get down to business.)

Flash Fiction Online casts a dignified shadow on the virtual literary world, publishing 2-3 new stories a month in addition to commentary and/or "classic flash," short fiction by our venerable predecessors, now out of copyright. 

Quality is an item Flash Fiction Online must focus on, since it has cast aside the concept of quantity. Longevity is also a fragile term for the internet; Flash Fiction Online has been around since 2008, not quite as long as the North American Review.

Published monthly, the "front page" features six sections: the "In This Issue" in the upper right hand corner, and the hooks of the other five features. The arrangement works well, once I realized the logic. On the left is a sidebar for navigation to previous issues, and "about" section, and other traditional pages.

From the "About Us" page:

At a high level, our goals are pretty simple.

• To serve flash fiction readers and writers with a professional, sustainable market for flash fiction stories.
• To promote the general population's reading of great short stories in general and of great flash fiction in particular.

That implies a variety of sub-goals:

• Provide fiction readers with accessible, interesting flash stories that have a plot, characterization, and, to the extent possible, setting.
• Meet the SFWA requirements for being a pro market: 1000+ consistent subscribers, $.05 / word, non-vanity press, and consistent publishing for a year.
• Provide fiction writers, and especially flash writers, with links and information about writing.
• Promote the short story form to a general audience.
• Provide new writers with an additional shot at professional publication.

Magazine staff are from the United States: a retired commercial nuclear power industry guy, a father (8 kids from the same wife), former elementary school teacher, and software engineer. Slush readers are journalistic, tree-hugging, car-pooling, dermagraphic artistic (think tattoo), Utahan Wyomingistic fantasists--the usual mix.

I found the flash fiction story in the August 2010 issue, "Is, Not Mighta Been," by Dave Hoing, a very powerful story.

"Some folks see the hand of the Lord in happenings that nothing but dumb chance. They say He separate people or bring them together by His own plan. Well, I say God don’t bother Hisself with our daily affairs, so if you see a man in a place you don’t expect, then that just one of them things. Ain’t no beam of light breaking through the clouds or angels singing hallelujah. Just is, is all."

An "Author Page" lists some of the zine's writers; it has a formal look with photos of just the authors' eyes--cool concept. The magazine also hosts a flash forum that is fairly active, judging from the number of topics and posts. There is a useful arrangement of posts: for readers, for writers, for art, and a place to introduce yourself or add something "general."

If you like to sip and savor your fiction, try Flash Fiction Online. As a writer, if you can write "a complete story in one thousand or fewer words," then submit. Remember, though: Stories have characters. Stories have plots. Stories have settings. (And this magazine is looking.)

Along with all our venerable predecessors.

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Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Metazen: Online Flash Fiction Zine Review

"On behalf of Metazen, and my own disdain for double negatives, I've chosen your piece 'Cull' for publication on the site. I'll write you soon with the exact date that it will go up, but in the mean time, I send my congrats!"

Metazen is the perfect second flash fiction magazine review, since it has just accepted one of my flash fiction stories for publication. The reference to "double negatives" is one relating to my short story: the main character, a retired English teacher, disapproves of a former student's behavior--and the fact that he never moved past speaking in double negatives.

The first review of this series was of the online zine Every Day Fiction. I characterized that publication as having "an orderly, conservative appearance," adding "and that's fine by me. I prefer the 'flash' to be in the fiction."

Metazen is more whimsical, quirky, eccentric. I like the feel of the publication and the unexpected humor, both visual, literary, and editorially self-inflicted. The magazine isn't afraid to poke fun of submission/publication rituals, and the editors aren't leery of poking fun of themselves. I'm still "poking" around the publication itself, finding little nooks of information--decoding little nuggets such as "metazen began in March 2009 on a small coffee table with Frank staring at a bluish screen. Frank was drunk and hopeful" and "metazen does not believe in non-fiction, both in a literary sense and an existential sense."

I'm still thinking about that last example.

Metazen publishes both short fiction and poetry, following a daily schedule. "On Saturday- a ‘literary saturday morning cartoon’ is published," and "on Sunday- a “best of metazen” is (usually) published."

A visual is provided to increase one's understanding (see rocketlady).

 Submissions: You need to read this page because it's a joy.

• Here's a flavor: "We will accept stories no longer than 3000 words. If your story is longer, please query first. Send a snippet. If it is batshit good then of course we will bend." 
• And here's another: "Here come the tired the best way to know what we want is to read what’s on our site line. Though this is very, very true, if you are one of those A-holes that doesn’t like to read the site before submitting then maybe the list below will help you out a bit."
• I feel like I should comment on the publication's stance regarding metafiction, but feel self-conscious about doing so.

These lines begin the Submissions page, though--words that show a respect for literature and writers: "Metazen accepts pieces of fiction, poetry and art. We look forward to reading your submissions and we treat every piece we recieve with a respect for its potency. We publish daily and therefore are (as of this update) never closed to submissions."

 Go to Metazen, enjoy yourself. Read some stories before you submit. That way you won't feel guilty for being one of those shameless "A-holes."

Subscribe (or "follow") this blog for future online magazine reviews.

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Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Every Day Fiction: Online Flash Fiction Zine Review

I have the honor of having been rejected by Every Day Fiction. 

"Relationship stories," both make-ups and break-ups, are tough sells to EDF, particularly when they seem to be the point of the story. We see a lot of them and for one to stand out, it has to be really good or bring something new to the table. (Regarding the story "Snow Gone to Rain.")

One learns to take rejections in stride--to reflect, to learn, and to move on. One editor did mention the following: "There is lots of talent here and I would like to see more work by this author."

Nonetheless, the letter ended with the ubiquitous "We wish you good luck in placing the story elsewhere." 

There is a point to my comments on the story's rejection (other than whining): it was accompanied with personal comments from two editors. I've learned to enjoy and appreciate any feedback that extends beyond a form rejection letter. Thank you, Every Day Fiction magazine.

Every Day Fiction publishes each day a story of no more than 1,000 words. "There’s no such thing as too short. if you can tell a story in 50 words, have at it!"

All fiction genres are acceptable, and stories that don’t fit neatly into any genre are welcome too. While personal experiences and other non-fiction can be great sources of inspiration, please turn them into fiction for us, or send them elsewhere.

Our readership is adult, so children’s stories are unlikely to be accepted unless they are relevant to adults as well. On the other hand, we are not impressed by gratuitous sex and violence, or pointlessly foul language; edgy content should be necessary and appropriate to the plot and characters.

It ought to go without saying that any story submitted to Every Day Fiction must be your own unpublished original creation. If you publish a story on a blog, even your own personal blog, it is considered published and therefore inappropriate for our market.

 Every Day Fiction pays three dollars per story--a mostly symbolic yet appreciated gesture of respect. One may donate the remuneration back to EDF. The zine also provides links to your blog, webpage, or your Amazon book page.

I have published two poems through EDF's sister zine, Every Day Poets. The staffs of both publications have been friendly, respectful, and industrious (a poem/story a day!). The magazines have published "best of" anthologies and EDF also maintains a blog, Flash Fiction Chronicles. The zine's staff is international, although the publication appears to be based in Canada.

The webpage embodies an orderly, conservative appearance, and that's fine by me. I prefer the "flash" to be in the fiction.

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Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved