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It was exciting to see Neil Gaiman live at the City Recital Hall in Sydney on the weekend. It was a satellite event of the Sydney Writers’ Festival (surely one of the world’s best writers’ festivals). As Jemma Birrell, Artistic Director, mentioned in her introduction, Neil has over 2 million twitter followers so no wonder […]
Although we rarely stop to think about the origin of the elements of our bodies, we are directly connected to the greater universe. In fact, we are literally made of stardust that was liberated from the interiors of dying stars in gigantic explosions, and then collected to form our Earth as the solar system took shape some 4.5 billion years ago. Until about two decades ago, however, we knew only of our own planetary system so that it was hard to know for certain how planets formed, and what the history of the matter in our bodies was.
Then, in 1995, the first planet to orbit a distant Sun-like star was discovered. In the 20 years since then, thousands of others have been found. Most planets cannot be detected with our present-day technologies, but estimates based on those that we have observed suggest that almost every star in the sky has at least one extrasolar planet (or exoplanet) orbiting it. That means that there are more than 100 billion planetary systems in our Milky Way Galaxy alone! Imagine that: astronomers have gone from knowing of 1 planetary system to some 100 billion, in the same decades in which human genome scientists sequenced the 6 billion base-pairs that lie at the foundation of our bodies. How many of these planetary systems could potentially support life, and would that life use a similar code?
Exoplanets are much too far away to be actually imaged, and they are way too faint to be directly observed next to the bright glow of the stars they orbit. Therefore, the first exoplanet discoveries were made through the gravitational tug on their central star during their orbits. This pull moves the star slightly back and forth. Only relatively heavy, close-in planets can be detected that way, using the repeating Doppler shifts of their central star’s light from red to blue and back. Another way to find planets is to measure how they block the light of their central star if they happen to cross in front of it as seen from Earth. If they are seen to do this twice or more, the temporary dimmings of their star’s light can disclose the planet’s size and distance to its star (basically using the local “year” – the time needed to orbit its star – for these calculations). If both the gravitational tug and the dimming profile can be measured, then even the mass of the planet can be estimated. Size and mass together give an average density from which, in turn, knowledge of the chemical composition of that planet comes within reach.
Star trails, by MLazarevski. CC-BY-ND-2.0 via Flickr.
With the discoveries of so many planets, we have realized that an astonishing diversity exists: hot Jupiter-sized planets that orbit closer to their star than Mercury orbits the Sun, quasi-Earth-sized planets that may have rain showers of molten iron or glass, frozen planets around faintly-glowing red dwarf stars, and possibly some billions of Earth-sized planets at distances from their host stars where liquid water could exist on the surface, possibly supporting life in a form that we might recognize if we saw it.
Guided by these recent observations, mega-computers programmed with the laws of physics give us insight into how these exo-worlds are formed, from their initial dusty disks to the eventual complement of star-orbiting planets. We can image the disks directly by focusing on the faint infrared glow of their gas and dust that is warmed by their proximity to their star. We cannot, however, directly see these far-away planets, at least not yet. But now, for the first time, we can at least see what forming planets do to the gas and dust around them in the process of becoming a mature heavenly body.
A new observatory, called ALMA, working with microwaves that lie even beyond the infrared color range, has been built in the dry Atacama desert in Chili. ALMA was pointed at a young star, hundreds of light years away. Its image of that target star, LH Tauri, not only shows the star itself and the disk around it, but also a series of dark rings that are most likely created as the newly forming planets pull in the gas and dust around them. The image is of stunning quality: it shows details down to a resolution equivalent to the width of a finger seen at a distance of 50 km (30 miles).
At the distance of LH Tauri, even that stunning imaging capability means that we can see structures only if these are larger than about the distance of the Sun out to Jupiter, so there is a long way yet to go before we see anything like the planet directly. But we will observe more of these juvenile planetary systems just past the phase of their birth. And images like that give us a glimpse of what happened in our own planetary system over 4.5 billion years ago, before the planets were fully formed, pulling in the gases and dust that we now live on, and that ultimately made their way to the cycles of our own planet, to constitute all living beings on Earth.
What a stunning revolution: from being part of the only planetary system we knew of, we have been put among billions and billions of neighbors. We remember Galileo Galilei for showing us that the Sun and not the Earth was the center of the solar system. Will our society remember the names of those who proved that billions of planets exist all over the Galaxy?
Headline image credit: Star shower, by c@rljones. CC-BY-NC-2.0 via Flickr.
"In the absence of Galactic operations, the only passengers who have lifted off from Spaceport America are the cremated remains of people whose families have paid UP Aerospace to launch their dead loved ones on a final joyride.
"… UP Aerospace’s first operation, the first launch from Spaceport America in 2006, malfunctioned well before it got suborbital, crashed, and spilled the ashes of a veterinarian in the desert. Celestis is the company handling sales of space burials for clients like James Doohan (‘that old guy from Star Trek’) and Gordon Cooper (the last of America’s Right Stuff astronauts to orbit Earth in Project Mercury). About its burials the company says, "Celestis missions are environmentally friendly in that no cremated remains are released into space.’"
—A few months old, but this article on the Spaceport in New Mexico is fascinating. Also: Ashes of a Veterinarian would make a really stately novel title.
0 Comments on "In the absence of Galactic operations, the only passengers who have lifted off from Spaceport... as of 7/3/2014 3:05:00 PM
I'm home, after ten days in New York and Boston and Cape Cod. I've left Maddy behind in New York, where she is doing an internship before going off to college. Then I left Amanda behind in Boston, where she is packing before she goes to France and Italy to do interviews about her new album before she flies to San Francisco for her art show and Kickstarter-backer concert.
It's a beautiful night. I'm told it was evilly hot while I was away, but it's glorious now, a night filled with fireflies, somewhat spoiled by Lola dashing off into the darkness while walking through a cornfield, and returning in triumph with a young raccoon she had just caught and killed.
Barnes and Noble have once more started to sell the Sandman graphic novels (along with the other DC Comics graphic novels they'd stopped selling) in their brick and mortar stores, so I am happy to link to them once again. I doubt either boycott actually did anything, but mine made me feel marginally empowered. Anyway, they are selling copies of STORIES, the anthology I edited with Al Sarrantonio, in hardback, for $2.99. (It contains my story "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains", and many other wonderful stories by wonderful authors, and it won the Shirley Jackson award and the Locus award for Best Anthology.) I'm not sure how long they'll be selling them at that price.
Here's the video (via the Open Spark project "Your Music Played By Lightning") of the 8in8 song Nikola Tesla, words by yours truly, played on enormous Tesla Coils. It is impossible to describe the glorious nerdy rush of pride I felt looking at (and listening to) this.
Here's a fan-made-video of the song with lots of cardboard in it, and fewer giant electronic zaps...
There were many wonderful things on the kitchen table waiting for me, but my favourite was the mock-up of the new edition of Stardust.
There hasn't been a hardback of Stardust in print in the US for about 13 years. I'm not sure why not. Jennifer Brehl, my editor at William Morrow, talked to me about what I wanted to see in a book. I told her I wanted it to look and feel like something from 90 years ago, like the books I treasured as a kid that I found in the school library (the ones I'd buy for a penny in the school library sales, and loved ever after). Bless her, she got it. She took all my blathering and went off and has started making it into a book.
She's commissione
0 Comments on Tesla Coils, A Stardust Cover, A Sinister Photograph of Beautiful Women, and a small and unfortunate murder. as of 1/1/1900
I know I’m going to get myself in hot water with this one. Books are so personal, and movies are so personal (but in a different way). There are films of children’s books that I should have seen but haven’t – The Secret of Moonacre (The Little White Horse) for instance, or How To Train Your Dragon (which I am desperate to see, but I’m having to wait for the DVD).
I think it’s harder with children’s books than it is with adults’ to find a movie that’s better than the book. Is that an indication of the higher quality of children’s books? I like to think so. At any rate, I can think straightaway of many adult movies that are better than the book – The Godfather, Jaws – but that very rarely applies to children’s books-to-movies.
I can, though, think of lots that are just as good but different. I actually think the different is important. I'm not crazy about films that are true to the book, which is why you won’t find any Harry Potter movies on my list – for me they are too faithful to the books and (with the exception of the third) don’t really have their own identity as films.
I don’t mind one bit when films take reasonable liberties with a book, because they need to be good in their own right, not just exact translations of page to screen. I want to be transported by movies and books in entirely different ways. I’m swept away far more by Inkheart the novel than Inkheart the movie. But (if I’m allowed to count abridged versions as children’s favourites) I’m far more enchanted by Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Tarzan (1999) as movies than as books.
I seem to have gone for five very recent movies (sorry, Bambi, I did want you). And I wanted more than five. I wanted Stuart Little, too, and Shrek, and Stormbreaker, and The Black Stallion, and I desperately wanted The (supremely quotable) Princess Bride, and... oh, that’s cheating. Get on with it.
Each of the five had to pass a simple test: do my children – one girl one boy – ask to watch it over and over again?
Peter Pan (2003)
A Peter who is ‘the personification of cockiness’ and whose American accent only makes him more otherworldly. Lost Boys you don’t want to throttle. Terrifying mermaids and thoroughly sinister pirates. A scheming, naughty, funny Tink. Jason Isaacs as a deliciously wicked and handsome Captain Hook - but ‘not wholly evil’. A soaring soundtrack. Scenes that make my spine tingle no matter how many times I watch them – Mr and Mrs Darling running home in slow motion, only just too late! Bankers and strict aunts and sleeping children chanting that they DO believe in fairies, they DO, they DO! Ah, I love this movie.
Completely agree with Stardust, Coraline and that version of Peter Pan which came closest to capturing the relationships between Wendy, Pan and Tink. Found Nanny McPhee awfully boring (despite Colin Firth) but will give it another go as you like it. Also think Babe and The Nightmare Before Christmas should be on the list. I enjoyed How To Train Your Dragon much more than the usual hollywood kid's fare though it annoyed me that the kid characters spoke with american accents and the rest of the Vikings were Hollywood Scotch, but it was a fun movie though not as quirky as the books. I also liked the movie version of the Golden Compass though it is not even close to being in the same class as the novel. The brilliant story still shone though.
Totally with you on Stardust - it's a fabulous film. I would add the first Twilight film although I confess I've only read the first few pages of the book (over the shoulder of my daughter who then told me to go away). I found the setting and the way it was filmed terrifically atmospheric and then, of course, there's Robert Pattinson in all his brooding loveliness...
I don't think you've missed much by not seeing The Secret of Moonacre. I read the book as a child and it was totally magical - the film just wasn't, for an adult. I'd have to include The Secret Garden - the version with Maggie Smith as housekeeper. I think it might be the walled garden that fascinates me but Lizzie loved it too when younger.
Gillian, I think we may have been separated at birth. Inkheart, check - the film was the cinematic equivalent of a five-year-old's repainting of the Mona Lisa. Peter Pan, check - whisper it quietly but I was never that fussed about the written version anyway. Stardust, check - the brilliance, deftness and economy of the plotting came over just as well, if not better, on screen (why can't more screenplays be like that?), and you're right about Bob de Niro too. Fellowship, check - the film captures and expands on the character dynamics that raise that book above the sequels, for all their epic derring do. However, as two out of five seems excessive, even for one of Mr Gaiman's godlike genius, I'd replace Coraline with Jurassic Park. Like LOTR, not a children's book, but not only did the film have dinosaurs (DINOSAURS!), it redefined kids' expectations of monster movies. Priceless.
I absolutely love both LOTR and Stardust, but I'm afraid the purist in me has to discount both of them as neither are children's books (check out the sex scene in Stardust - I hope that's not aimed at kids). Sooo...
1. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - minor historical inaccuracy forgiven (the children would probably have been evacuated before the bombing actually started, but that scene is perfect, such a good way to explain their situation to children unfamiliar with the history and the whole theme of war is brillinatly handled) 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - which I think is better than the book, having lost all the padding and focussed on the story. It's also my favourite Harry Potter film. 3. The Secret Garden (the one with Maggie Smith) - just perfect. 4. Disney's Alice in Wonderland 5. Hook. I know it's got a terrible reputation, but I saw it as a child and loved it.
Honourable mention to the Muppet's Christmas Carol, also ineligible as not based on a children's book!
Cold Comfort Farm (not sure if that should really count. Teen, maybe?)
I loved the recreations of Hobbiton and Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring- perfect, and by far the best of the three films I agree. (Thought Rivendell looked a bit damp).
Oh oh oh! Loved Stardust - didn't know it was adapted by Gaimon - explains a lot - haven't seen Coraline am scared I'll hate it as I loved the book. Inkheart possibly the worst film I've ever seen - didn't even make it to the end was so irritated by it...this is a ll a bit unfair though because I know How to Train Your Dragon would be in your top 5 if you'd seen it - not at all like the book but brilliant none-the-less - and the black dragon in it is just like my dog ( only not as smelly)...Funny though - I hated the LOTR films. Bored senseless, too boring even to do the ironing too - I realise this means there is something wrong with me.
Kathy - I think the script for Stardust was written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughan, but adapted from the Neil Gaiman book. Stardust is an interesting choice actually, because it is adapted quite liberally but works really well as a film. The climax in particular is a wonderful bit of imaginative action, but completely invented for the film.
Have to agree with Juliette's choice of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - a great film in it's own right and very likely to be my favourite Potter film unless David Yates pulls his finger out on the last two!
ha, watched Stardust AGAIN, last night. Love Nanny McPhee and Coraline and Stormbreaker. Would also have to add to the list: the Spiderwick Chronicles (I suspect a lot has to do with Freddy Highmore being so cute and who could not love Hogsqueal and Thimbletack!) and Matilda, Billy Elliot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (though it took a while to get used to the Johnny Depp version) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
I loved Stardust but then I haven't read the book. It is a film I can watch again and again. I also loved Fellowship of the Ring. I love the whole hobbitness of it all. I agree about Inkheart. The film was appalling. The book was good. Same with City of Ember. I love the book but the film was at best mediocre. Again same with Percy Jackson but then I am a HUGE Camp Half Blood fan.
Wow, thanks for all the comments - I just knew they'd be interesting!
Jo, I forgot about Babe (how could I?) - yes, that has to be a contender. And Elen, same with The Railway Children - probably not in my top five but I do always blub at that ending.
Rachel, hi! Yes, I liked the Twilight movie much better than the book - I watched it on Keren David's recommendation and she was right, it had a nice dark indie feel.
Ben, good point about Jurassic Park - not a children's book at all, but with a lot of changes it made a terrific kids' movie (and that's another one my children watch over and over). It still looks good, years later!
Juliette - I know what you mean but I allowed Stardust in on the same grounds I allowed FOTR - it's an adult read that's easily & frequently enjoyed by quite young teens, and I think it's definitely a movie for children as well as adults. For that reason I'd definitely count Hilary's Cold Comfort Farm, too!
Tracy (and Juliette, unless you meant the earlier animation?) - Alice in Wonderland is one that seems to divide people down clear lines, isn't it? I have friends who absolutely adored it, but it left me completely cold and unmoved (especially Johnny Depp, which is definitely against all precedent). But it did look very beautiful.
Lynda - I would have liked to include Holes because I adore that book. It's one of my favourites. But (hides head in shame) - I have never seen the movie, so I couldn't. But I will, one of these days SOON.
Katherine - do you mean Claire Danes? WOW!! Seriously, I have an almost-crush on her!
I loved Stardust, and FOTR, Matilda and Nanny McPhee. Not seen Coraline yet, but intend to and Loved the book Holes but like you Gillian, I've not seen the film. Yes, must include Cold Comfort Farm 'cos there's something wicked in the woodshed...!
I adore The Princess Bride, but it fell at that all-important hurdle of being one that my children want to watch over and over again. They enjoy it, but it isn't a favourite. I suspect it has a lot of 'adult' appeal.
And I do agree, it's an argument for authors adapting their own work - but there are so many other arguments for the opposite! Most authors are not screenwriters, and it shows. In saying this I am of course baiting fate, in the hope that someone will some day want to adapt one of mine... ;-)
Gillian, I love your choices, and for me I would include The Secret Garden, Holes, The Little Princess, The Railway Children, Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz...
I was interested to hear your take on "Sweeney Todd," because I also loved it and thought it was brilliantly done. My thirteen-years-old-in-four-days daughter is begging me to take her to see it, so I have to ask: how did Maddy like it? I'm hesitant to take my daughter due to the graphic nature of the film, and while she thinks I'm being overprotective, I think I'm simply being considerate of her sometimes oversensitive nature. So, I'd love to hear Maddy's opinion on the film!
and sent it on to Miss Madeleine, who replied....
Why hello there blog readers! This is Maddy. I would like to say that I, being thirteen-and-four-months-years-old, enjoyed Sweeney Todd a lot! If you're almost thirteen I don't think it should be too bad. In my opinion it was a little bit icky, but I just turned away or covered my eyes at those parts. They might have made my stomach lurch a little bit, but I mean it's not enough to give me nightmares or anything. If your daughter really wants to see it then I think it would be a mighty fine idea! Have a nice day. :)
and an informative PS on the post from this morning,
Hi Neil,
Regarding the woman who was offended by Stardust: I work in a Barnes & Noble and can say that it is not categorized under Young Readers (which has a sign indicating a recommended age range up through 12). It is only available in the Teen Fiction and SciFi/Fantasy sections.
Also, when I was 12, I think I was starting to read Stephen King.
That was my assumption. (The first bit anyway, about the placement in the bookstores. The bit about what people read at 12 -- I'd just point at what I said this morning. I don't think it's about age, at that age. I think it's about who you are and what you're ready for in your fiction. Some 12 year olds are ready for Stephen King, some aren't. Maddy discovered King on her own age 12 and loved him. I gave Holly Carrie when she was an 11 or 12 year old Goosebumps fan and scared her off horror for life.)
0 Comments on The Guest Blogger Reviews Sweeney... as of 12/29/2007 1:41:00 AM
I took the family to see Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd last night, which I absolutely loved (even down to a couple of grace notes, the St Dunstan's market and the Bell Court street sign -- in the earliest versions of the Penny Dreadful, Sweeney's shop was part of St Dunstan's Church and Mrs Lovett's was around the corner, in Bell Yard). I even loved Johnny Depp's early-Bowie-when-he-was-still-doing-Anthony-Newley singing style. (At least until, on the way out, I found myself trying to imagine a blood-spattered Sweeney Todd singing "The Laughing Gnome" as he waited for customers, and was unable to explain to anyone else why this was funny.) I think it just edged out Ed Wood as my favourite Tim Burton movie. Puzzled as to why we had to drive many miles to see it in the only screen showing it outside of the Twin Cities, and sad that the room we saw it in was mostly empty.
Dear Neil,
I wonder how you feel about both Beowulf & Stardust being among the top 10 most P2P traded movies of the year?
Are you glad that they're popular, or do you wish people would actually pay for them?
Thanks!
Laura
I'm simply glad that they're popular.
I suspect that in a few years you'll be able legitimately to download a film the same day it goes on general release, and go to cinemas for an experience you'll not be able to get elsewhere (Beowulf is a much better film in 3D, and, interestingly, did 40% of its first week business on 700 3D screens. The 3D thing is not something you can experience from a pirated download, not yet,) and one day the people who made the film (including the writers) will be properly compensated for it. Because mostly the solution to piracy seems to be providing the pirated thing yourself...
My 12-year old daughter chose Stardust for a school book report. We purchased it in paperback at Barnes and Noble. From the packaging, it looked like an appropriate fantasy story for her age and her 6th grade teacher approved it. We were very offended to find that it had an explicit sex scene and the word "fuck" in it. The marketing of this book was misleading. Were you intending to mislead children into reading it? Why would you do this? Nope, not trying to mislead anyone, and I'm sorry you were offended.
While I'm sure there are many twelve year-olds who would qualify as Young Adults and who can happily read books intended for and marketed for teenagers, just as obviously many of them wouldn't and can't, and if you feel yours doesn't I'm sure you're right. I'm not as convinced as you are that the sex scene is "explicit", although the word fuck is definitely there, printed in very small letters. But Stardust is definitely not one of my children's books, like Coraline or Interworld, or (when I finish it) The Graveyard Book. It's an adult book, with, in the US, a Young Adult edition as well.
...
The first real online community I encountered was the Compuserve Comics forum in late 1988 or early 1989, more or less the week it started in the UK. I'd messed around on bulletin boards and such before, but from 1989 until around 1995, the Compuserve Comics forum was the place to be, and a lot of that had to do with the reassuring and wise presence of Paul Grant, who went under the online name of Zeus (because he was huge and bearded, not because he wore a toga and flung lightning bolts). John Ostrander mourns Paul's passing, and a lot of old-time Compuserve people come out of the electronic woodwork to join him.
0 Comments on "I'm the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and you can't catch me..." as of 12/28/2007 4:09:00 PM
Several hundred people wrote to let me know about Terry Pratchett being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers.
Yes, it's very upsetting and no, it's not a good thing. Also, and most importantly, as Terry points out, twice now, he's not dead yet(although you mightn't know it from the reaction on the web), and he has a few more books in him besides.
It's not time for wakes, or for mourning, or for "Terry Pratchett -- An Appreciation and Remembrance" or any of that stuff, not now and probably not for a long time. He's still here, he's still writing. He's not done yet.
The sore throat thing seems to have subsided to the point where I finally have a more or less functioning head back. (A good thing, as I can start writing again, rather more successfully.) On the down side I think someone crept in during the night and filled up my lungs with thick glue. (A bad thing.)
Sometimes making stuff up feels a lot like Coyote* running across the empty space between one rocky pinnacle and the next, and as long as you keep moving you're fine. When you stop and look down, it's suddenly all too apparent that there's absolutely nothing underneath and that you're keeping in the air by a peculiar effort of will.
And then a good day comes, and you start running through the air once again, and, if you're smart, you resolutely don't look down.
...
It's nice to see the Stardust film turning up on end of the year Best Oflists.
I've had a few people ask how they should support the striking writers. I'm glad I can now point them somewhere which offers suggestions -- http://www.fans4writers.com/participate.shtml.
At the Stardust afterparty I ran into someone who looked exactly like Mark Millar did the last time I saw him, only this gentleman was about, oh, 17 years older. He writes about the fun he had at http://forums.millarworld.tv/index.php?showtopic=73753&st=0
Over at http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/category/comics-in-context/ Peter Sanderson is now four essays in to his dissection of The Eternals. I think my favourite moments of these essays (as an author) are the bits where I read something Peter says and think "I didn't expect anyone ever to notice that." My second-favourite bits are the moments where I go, "Oh. I never thought of that. Bugger."
Oh, and a word from our sponsor: my short story collection Fragile Things is now out in paperback, with an Olive-and-dayglo-Orange-coloured cover.
(And on Amazon, I just noticed the Audiofile review of the Fragile Things audiobook I'd never seen before, which I am posting here because I'm much nervous about my reading than I am about my writing, and a review like this one made me grin.
Master storyteller Neil Gaiman begins this collection by introducing many of the stories, his introduction proving to be a story in its own right. Gaiman's performance aptitude matches his writing ability, as each tale resonates with subtlety and insight. Every character, no matter how brief his or her appearance, receives impeccable attention vocally and textually. And every word of narrative shines. Listeners new to Gaiman will be surprised by the variety of literary genres in this collection, from fairy tales to crime to romance and even science fiction. Gaiman steps nimbly through each, offering a shadow of meaning here, a barely perceptible nuance there, a punch of anger or a featherbed of sweetness where needed, leading his audience through 10 hours of the best listening of the year. R.L.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award
There.)
0 Comments on Leftovers mostly as of 10/9/2007 11:01:00 AM
Stardust is the tale of Tristran Thorn’s quest to find the Fallen Star for his love, who promised him anything he desired if he were to achieve the impossible task. Tristran does end up finding the star, but gets more than he bargained for -- he is not the only one searching for it. The evil witch queen is after the heart of the star, for the star is actually a gorgeous young woman and eating her heart will make the witch queen young and powerful again.
Some who are reading this review probably have already watched the movie, but the book and the movie are two completely separate things. The book had more adventure than the movie and ended better, in my opinion. I will give the movie props for being funnier though.
In the book, I enjoyed the way Neil Gaiman switched points of views throughout the story. I liked reading the witch’s perspective and getting into her thoughts because, personally, I haven’t read many books like that.
I give Stardust 5 daggers out of 5. I felt that all the loose ends from the beginning of the book got tied into perfectly neat bows.
Keep an eye for more reviews.
--Twyla Lee
Well, for once Twyla and I agree on the quality of a book. That's interesting. Anyhow, I adored Stardust. Neil Gaiman is masterful in his storytelling and the world that he created in this book was simply marvellous. Somehow, he managed to make the entire book heartbreaking within the very last paragraph. Genius, really.
I give the book five daggers (of five) worthy of cutting out the heart of a star.
Read on....Avery Trelaine
Oh my! Total consensus! Whatever shall we do?
I think that this unprecedented event comes on account of the fact that Stardust is indisputably, fantastically amazing. To take a cue from the Uglies trilogy, it is happy-making.
Stardust managed to make me extraordinarily happy and then completely rip my heart out. How, you ask? Do not ask. Read.
Also, I need to see the movie. I'm told that there's a cross-dressing Robert De Niro.
Yesterday was Mother and Daughter day. This evening, Daughter had a sleepover so I got to spend some quality one on one time with Son. We went to dinner at Meli-Melo, the wonderful crepe restaurant we both enjoy. After a savory crepe, Son had a beurre et sucre crepe and then we split a second one. Afterwards we went to see "Stardust" which I can heartily recommend for anyone who enjoyed "The Princess Bride". It's got that same sly humor and non-sappy romance, and has hilarious cameos by Robert DeNiro and Ricky Gervais, plus a fantastically wicked performance by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Son had been a bit dubious about going to see the film because he hadn't heard for it, but he really enjoyed it. And I enjoyed spending some one-on-one time with him.
AND I even spent some time on my new WIP today, sitting out in the garden. It felt good.
What do you think of Chengdu? asked the president of Science Fiction World as we came in from the airport yesterday.
I can't see very much of it through the mist, I said, which was probably the wrong answer.
It's a big city, and it feels like a big city. It looked amazing last night as we walked through it in the rain, all neon reflected in wet pavements. I just got up and looked out of my window. The mist is back, yellow in the morning light, and the world looks like a science fiction film...
Last night I met my translator for today's talk. Saw my fellow authors (David Brin and family, Nancy Kress, Robert J. Sawyer and wife and others) we were fed (I was warned that the food here would be too spicy, but it was all great) and then went to the bookworm meeting.
Today I give a speech about The Nature of Fantasy.
Notably, that people outside the US can't watch the trailer. Not the best PR in the world!
Ian
For some reason probably having mostly to do with being in China, most blogs don't come up on my computer and that's one that doesn't, so I can't see the rant. But as far as I know the Beowulf "red band trailer" is exactly the same as the European Trailer that's already been out for weeks.
Hi Neil,
Not so much a question but I thought you might be interested/could pimp it out far better than I ever could. I've just set up a group on Flickr for Sandman related body modification after getting one myself ('sometimes, when you fall, you fly.' from Fear of Falling, on my inner arm to be precise - my first tattoo too.) and what better way to get photos of all the wonderful mods inspired by Sandman together in one place?You can find it here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sandman_bodyart/
rejoicing under the name 'green mouse icecream'. It's open to all submissions. I'll only step in if it's unrelated/spam.
Cheers! Meg.
Consider it, er, pimped.
Took my wife to see Stardust on opening weekend. She liked it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done by all, especially the character actor bits which added so much depth. On to the question, which I have never seen answered elsewhere: Stardust cost $70 million, and you projected it would gross $100 million worldwide. I know Hollywood regularly performs voodoo accounting, wherein they claim with a straight face that every movie ever made has lost money (except Titanic, which barely broke even), but what's the real story? How much of that $100 million goes to the studio and how much stays with the theaters? Does it vary substantially, and if so, based on what factors? Different regions of the world, different theater chains, different studios, what's the scoop?
Good question, and I don't actually know. I'll try to find out as best I can and answer you here. I've always assumed that voodoo accounting would mean that nothing would ever make money anyway, no matter what you make. I remember learning in 1990, the first time we sold GOOD OMENS that "net points" on a film are nice things in theory but nothing you're ever likely to take to a bank.
Stardust seems to be doing fine currently -- it came out in another three territories last week, according to Box Office Mojo, and "picked up $4.8 million from five markets for a $9.1 million total. The fantasy feature added two more impressive starts in South Korea ($2.3 million from 176 screens) and the Ukraine (a top-ranked $577,317 from 75 screens), but looked awful in the United Arab Emirates ($102,840 from 19 screens). In Russia, it fell 40 percent for a $6 million total. " I wonder why the United Arab Emirates didn't like it. But hurrah for Ukranians and the South Koreans. So after 14 days, it's made $31 million, with most of the world to go.
...
Here's the view from my window. And my reflection. The yellow morning mist has gone though. I'll try and be quicker with the camera tomorrow.
0 Comments on mist in the morning as of 8/24/2007 5:57:00 PM
I was meant to be on NPR's TALK OF THE NATION tomorrow. But their schedules have shifted and I'll be on the radio this afternoon -- Wednesday the 8th of August. I think that http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5 is their website. I'll be on towards the end of the second hour (the hour that some stations don't get).
I have no doubt at all that Stardust will do brilliantly around the world, rock out on DVD, and become one of those films that is beloved. But how it will do this weekend... ah, that's a mystery. I was fascinated by this article about success and failure -- and, more importantly, the perception of success and failure -- in movie box office: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/hollywood-where-ignoran_b_59464.html (link via.)
I remember the first time I went to Hollywood, with Terry Pratchett, in 1992 I learned that you could frame any conversation about something you wanted to do in a plot that Hollywood Execs didn't understand or had a problem with if you referred to another movie that they'd seen. ("So why don't they...?" "Because they forget about it, um -- just like at the end of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK." "Oh. Got it.") And it was useful for talking about the feel of things -- you simply positioned what you were talking about against or with other films.
By 1996, when I went back to Hollywood, something had changed. I remember naming a movie in one of those conversations -- talking about look and feel or about lighting or about something like that -- and having the Exec look at me as if I had something unpleasant on my shoe, and he said, simply, "But that film didn't make any money." He couldn't understand why I would even have brought it up.
Hi Neil,I was wondering if you knew what's up with Rich Horton's Fantasy: Best of the Year 2007 Edition. There are three authors touted prominently on the cover of the mass market paperback: you, Gene Wolfe, and Peter S. Beagle. Of the three of you, Beagle is the only one who actually has a story inside. What happened? Was there a story of yours that was supposed to be in it? And what about Gene Wolfe?
It was a screw-up - the publisher reused the names from the previous year, by accident. They wrote to me and apologised, and I told them that somewhere in my basement I have a handful of copies of the UK edition of THE SANDMAN BOOK OF DREAMS in paperback, which proudly lists Stephen King on the cover as having written a story, for reasons no-one was ever able to explain. That time we were lucky, and we caught it in time to pulp the print-run. But sometimes you can't.
Hi Mr G, Can I download the clip of Maddy's interview of you? I want to hear it over and over again to boost myself. It's just inspiring to listen to a daughter interviewing her dad. It makes me want to write more too, just like you; and just like you, you write for the people important to you. Thanks,
That would be cool even if I wasn't getting one...
Wow.Hey! Why have you stopped putting a "stardust"/"stardust movie" label on posts that involve Stardust?(Of course the choice of labels is completely your prerogative, but it would make it a lot easier to find certain posts, and it seems like this would be an ideal time to make use of the label function - is there a particular reason you have stopped using the labels in this case?)
Ignorance, madam. Pure ignorance. Or at least, ineptitude when it comes to labelling.
0 Comments on As Dr Johnson said... as of 8/8/2007 10:40:00 AM
Today we went on location to film Hellboy 2 and it definitely was not as fun for me. The temperature was about 100° F and 38° C, meaning it was quite hot! I got a little tan on my arms though! Anyway, they were filming up on a hill and I wasn't allowed to go up there so I just had to sit down by myself and read my book, and occasionally people would tell me to move because I was in the camera shot. They are building a whole troll town in a quarry for the movie, and we got to go visit it today. The air felt really good down there because it was quite cold!! We had to wear hard-hats. Tee hee hee! Apparently where we were filming on location there were many ticks, and I was just wearing white flip-flops. Guillermo wanted me to wear socks so my feetsies wouldn't be exposed to the ticks. We went to costumes to see if they had any socks, and they did. Unfortunately it was a pair of men's long black socks. I think I might have looked a little funny walking around in pink shorts, black socks, and white flip-flops. Talk about embarrassing.
Dad would also like me to put this link up. It's a Stardust review. I am very excited about Stardust by the way! I am going to the premiere in Hollywood! Woot woot!!! A lot of people at my school have made up secret gestures for me to do if I happen to be on TV that will send secret messages to them. You're not allowed to know those secret gestures because they are secret. Did I mention that the secret gestures are secret?
Tomorrow is my sister's birthday so you should expect a post all about her her her! Go Holly.. go Holly ..it's your birthday...
Okay, well I want to get an early night tonight because I only got 4 hours of sleep last night! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!?!? Well, you should. It's true.
--Addy-May (That's Pig Latin.)
0 Comments on Addy-May's fun tales. as of 6/25/2007 2:00:00 PM
Lots of you have written in this morning to let me know that there's a Stardust sort-of-trailer up on a Russian site.
I just looked at it -- it's not an actual trailer, and it seems to be a bunch of shots cobbled together from unfinished CGI footage and has some Pirates of the Caribbean music on it, and I'm not sure who did it or for what, and it honestly isn't something I'd feel good about linking to and saying "This is a Stardust Trailer". So I won't. It should take you a second or two to find it with a google if you go looking for it. It's possible this might encourage Paramount to bring the real trailer out a week or two earlier than they were going to, but I believe the trailer will be out in the next three weeks anyway.
0 Comments on Mystery Russian Leaks as of 1/1/1970
Q: I’d like to go into Stardust for a second if you don’t mind.
Lorenzo diBonaventura: Okay, sure.
Q: I heard that they’re test screening out in Pasadena and it had very, very high test scores.
Lorenzo diBonaventura: It did, which I was surprised by actually.
Q: How has it been going on that as well?
Lorenzo diBonaventura: Exceedingly well. It’s a weird thing to say. I don’t think everybody’s going to love the movie because it’s not a movie that’s designed to be that and yet when we went and tested it, they really flipped for it so it caught me off guard. It was a movie where I expected to have a larger portion of the audience go ‘well, that’s sort of out there. I’m not sure it’s for us.’ And what happened was that we delivered I think the romance so spectacularly well – Matthew (Vaughn) did such a good job with it – that it caught a segment of the audience in that I wasn’t expecting.
Q: I’ve heard an anecdote along those lines saying that the studio was afraid to call it a fairy tale similar to like a Princess Bride and that Matthew really wants to call it but that it’s sort of being discouraged.
Lorenzo diBonaventura: That’s not true. We all have the same fear which is when you use the word fairy tale… It’s interesting. We learned this from the focus groups. When we asked them to describe the movie to us and then they would give us a description and then we’d say to them, ‘What do you think if we describe it as a fairytale?,’ they’d say ‘NOOOOO!’ like that and we’d go, ‘Whoa! Okay, alright! We’re not going to call it that!’ It was really sort of an interesting thing. Because it’s not a movie that fits into any simple genre -- it is an adventure movie, it is a romance, it is a fantasy, it is Neil Gaiman’s bizarre world view -- there’s going to be some struggle for us to find the way to voice this thing, so we’re really going to need you guys to help us actually. (Laughs) It’s true. We’re going to be a very print-driven movie.
I've known Lorenzo for a decade now, since he ran Warner Brothers, and he is a very wise man. Although I probably think my worldview is more normal than he does....
Hi Neil,
This isn't a question, but some information: At dinner on Friday evening, my friend's mother was telling us a that a man in Wal-Mart told her the Russians are stealing our bee technology, which would be the reason for all the vanishing bees (re: the article in your journal for 3/5/07). He seemed pretty sure of it, so I figured I'd pass along the warning just in case. Watch out for all those new bees in your garden.
Sincerely, Stephanie H.
It could be Russians with apian transporter beams stealing our bees, I suppose. ("Locked onto the hive co-ordinates, tovarisch." "Good. Bring them in.") God knows, if we don't listen to friends' mothers telling us what men in Wal-Mart said, we'll never learn anything...
My own theory about the disappearing bees is that some bright bee in each of the now-empty hives said, "'ere, why are we eating this appalling corn syrup muck out of container tankers when we've spent all year making lovely honey? Why are we being driven around the country on the back of trucks? Why do we put up with this? We're bees for god's sake. We can fly. Let's go somewhere else." And then the rest of the bees went "She's got a point, you know," and then they went elsewhere.
Is there any plans to do an unabridged production of Neverwhere? Your stories have always been best when read aloud, they lend to such wonderful story telling. I'd read most of your books once, and recently listened to Anasi Boys, and Stardust. I felt like a kid again, telling and listening to stories around the camp fires with my friends when reading out loud was the fashion. Thanks for your good works. ~Chad
Yup. I recorded it already. The existence of the extremely abridged version of Neverwhere with the astoundingly truncated ending has always irked me, despite the Brian Eno music and the really solid Gary Bakewell reading, but the license for it has now expired, and I am happy to say that it will vanish from the world.
The new version will be out later this year, probably in the Autumn. I actually recorded it from the "author's preferred text" version, so it's the longest version of the text. I loved recording the audiobook, and doing all the voices, and found myself remembering how much I liked all those people, and wanting to write The Seven Sisters all over again.
0 Comments on "I am the emperor, and I want dumplings" as of 3/14/2007 12:20:00 AM
Today was spent doing Absolute stuff. For the Absolute Stardust (which is technically not an Absolute Stardust but an oversized hardback Stardust with stuff in) I proofread all the extra material, added a postscript to the reprinting of the original "pitch document" to publishers from 1993 (did I really think that Croup and Vandemar belonged in Stardust?), and for the next volume of Absolute Sandman we dug out dozens of little thumbnail comics I'd drawn for Sandman over the years, found the still-unopened First Sandman Statue (#1 of 1800) in order to photograph the box for the book (which will also have the short story on the back of the box in it) and even found photocopies of the pencils of the first 8 pages of Sandman 23, which will probably be the script that gets published in the book.
Also mysterious boxes of stuff to do with beekeeping have arrived. I've always wanted bees in the garden, and it turned out that thebirdchickhas always wanted to be a beekeeper but didn't think that it would work, keeping bees in an apartment in Minneapolis, and anyway her rabbit would object, so we've agreed to join forces: she gets to keep bees in my garden, I get to help, and all our friends and loved ones get to keep their distance nervously and eat honey. What could possibly go wrong? In this way we shall make up for the vanishing of bees across America.
I've just heard that there will be a limited edition of M is for Magic, the story collection for young readers, from Subterranean Press. The copies in the bookshops will be illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen. The Subterranean edition will have illustrations by Gahan Wilson: one thousand numbered copies and 26 lettered copies -- details up at http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/2007/03/05/announcing-m-is-for-magic-by-neil-gaiman/
...
Hi Neil, random question. So does Lorraine live there? Because she seems to be around all the time.
No, she has her own house, and she's goes there in the afternoon when she finishes work, and at weekends. It's a very nice house, filled with paintings, dead things and even a small Hallowe'en village. (As Lorraine was off in LA Hallowe'en week last year I got to go to her house to feed the trick-or-treaters -- because nobody ever comes to my house on Hallowe'en, possibly because it's too far from everything or too spooky or something -- and the kids all looked around when they came to the door and were impressed that someone had made that much effort for Hallowe'en, and I didn't have the heart to tell them that Lorraine's house was like that the rest of the year as well.)
Lorraine will not, however, be there next Sunday night, March the 11th. This is because Hera is going to be coming in from New Zealand and the two of them will be playing together in Stillwater, MN. (Details at http://lorraineamalena.blogspot.com/2007/03/hera-and-fabulous-lorraine.html) Lorraine has been learning lots of Hera songs in preparation. Lorraine says that I should make a point of plugging the gig on this blog because that way the whole of Minneapolis will turn out to see them.
This is a photograph of Hera. Lorraine is certain that if I post it, the gig will be completely full. If you're in this part of the world, you should go. After all, it's Sunday Night in Winter in Minnesota; you have perhaps something else are you going to be doing?
I recall that a while ago you mentioned your daughters' fascination with a web site where photos of models and celebrities were retouched, often substantially. Here's a consumer software package that offers to do the same. It's been on BoingBoing so a hundred other fans have probably also sent you this link, but here it is in the unlikely event you haven't seen it yet. http://www.portraitprofessional.com/
But, but that's horrible. I mean, I looked at their gallery, and it seems to be software that turns photos of human beings into photos of soulless androids, and they are proud of it. All of their befores have interesting human faces. Their afters just look wrong...
...
Lots and lots of emails coming in each day from people with lists of questions for me to answer for their papers or magazines or websites -- normally five questions, for some reason. I explain why I don't do them here http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2003/08/fair-and-balanced-well-fair-anyway.asp and here http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2006/06/hmg.html, and it's still true. I suppose it's probably time to amend the FAQ line thing to explain that not only do I not do homework for people, but alas, I don't answer lists of interview questions either. I might do if people would send in the time to answer them with the questions, mind you.
Were your high school english classes helpful to you as a writer, or were they a waste of time?Thanks, Amy
Probably more much helpful than a waste of time. I remember enjoying them, for the most part, although I sometimes suspect that if I'd come to Thomas Hardy on my own, when I was ready, I would have really enjoyed him, and instead I found English to be a sort of Thomas Hardy aversion therapy.
Truth to tell, when I became a writer I realised that a lot of stuff I had thought pointless at school was now desperately important, and I had to teach myself piles of history and geography and science that I hadn't bothered with, and which were now really interesting subjects because I had a use for them. Writing and English I always had a use for, and some fairly decent teachers so they were never boring.
0 Comments on Absolute Mondays as of 3/14/2007 12:36:00 AM
Let's see. Recently I've written an introduction to a book on The Twilight Zone, and am currently doing my editorial pass on the galleys of INTERWORLD, a young adult book that Michael Reaves and I wrote some years ago that we're currently bringing out of mothballs, dusting off and sending to meet the nice people.
I also got swept up in a small adventure that turned me into a giddy twelve-year-old comics fan, and about which I shall say nothing more until the time is right. And possibly not even then. It was all Jonathan Ross's fault, anyway.
And now the weather forecasters are predicting the mother of all winter storms for us in the midwest this weekend. Ten inches of snow. Freezing rain. An ice storm. Everyone is making contingency plans and buying several months' suppies of toilet paper, and I'm being English and am convinced it won't happen. Interesting weather almost never does, not when they say it will.
This just came in from Charles Vess, who wonders if any of you have any of the STARDUST art he's looking for...
From Charles Vess:
From June until September of this year I'll be mounting an exhibition of my Stardust art at the the William King Regional Art Museum in their premium exhibition space.
A LOT of people will be seeing the exhibition and I want to put my best 'face' forward. So I'm looking for various pieces of Stardust original art that I've sold over the years and would like to borrow that art back for this show. The names of the donors will be included in various publications concerning the exhibit as well as being on the identifying labels themselves.
In particular I'm looking for these full page illustrations:
(All page numbers refer to the trade paperback edition)
1. (page 46) The couple on the hill (with the Village of Wall in the background) beside a tree looking up at the falling star.
2. (page 52) Tristran in his bowler hat entering the deep woods surrounded by various fairy types.
3.Cover art to mini #2 with all of the Lords of Stormhold floating in the air around the dark rocks of Stormhold.
4.(Pg #96 -97) The two pages of multiple panels with Tristran's first candle walk between worlds.
5.(Pg #104)Tristran and Yvaine walking in the wood. She has a crutch. 6.Tris and Yvaine riding the unicorn through woods with gnarly creatures in the fore ground.
7..(Pg #161) Small figures of Tris and Yvaine looking up as galleon passes through golden clouds above them.
8. ( Pg #188)Tris passed out on ground w/ Yvaine sitting beside him. A dark haired woman (his mother) stands above him. Red goblin creatures frolic in the fore ground tree limbs.
9.( Pg #193)Tris in a sitting room w/ Victoria Foster surrounded by nick nacks and green men. A cat sits on the rug beside him.
10.( Pg #205) Yvaine gives Tris the medallion. Dark haired Mom looks on. The air around them is filled with all manner of people and beasties.
11. ( Pg #209) Looking down at the fair w/ the Village of Wall off to the left. Very small figures of Tris and Yvaine walk off thru the field. In the far distance the mountains of Stromhold rise w/ Flying Galleon beside them.
12. (Pg #213) Last piece in the book. Colored pencil on black paper. Yvaine stands amidst dark stones and raises her arms towards her 'sisters' that dance through the night time sky above her.
Here's my e-mail if you have any information on the location of these pieces: [email protected]
Thanks!
Charles
...
The previous post drew a lot of responses -- most of them agreeing with me. A few articulately disagreeing, and I thought I'd post a couple of them....
Mr. Gaiman-
If I may, a few comments about today’s posting about the appearance of the word “Scrotum” in the children’s book.
1. A few librarians in this NY Times article were quoted out of context from e-mails taken from LM_NET, a listserv for school librarians. In fact, LM_NET postings are subject to copyright and librarians were not contacted by the Times in response to their quotes. 2. All librarians are not tight-bunned, tight-assed “Shh-ing” maniacs. (I know, I am one—a librarian, that is, not tight-assed.) 3. Given the current climate of education in the US, you can’t blame a public (or private) school librarian for being incredibly sensitive to this issue. Unfortunately, we live in a period where it’s easier to throw away books and tell kids to “just google it” rather than keeping librarians on-staff. Each of us fights for our credibility and necessity every day. One conflict with a prominent community-member over (an admittedly) ridiculous matter such as this can end a career, as it’s easier to drop a staff member’s salary than fight a legal battle over censorship. While there are those of us who are willing to throw our chins out and fight, there are many battle-scarred vets of the library wars who have been cowed by the system and will quietly drop it rather than fight anymore. The public school librarian is fighting to keep of the endangered species list.
While I’ve been an ardent fan of yours, I could not let today’s journal slide without some commentary.
Yours,
Harry F. Coffill Library Media Specialist East Grand Rapids Middle School
I'm afraid that just because something is "copyright" it doesn't mean it can't be quoted. It can. It's called Fair Use. And I don't see why the Times would have to contact the people about their quotes -- if it's written down, that's all you'd have to show the fact-checker, if there is such a thing... Once you've said it, it's out there. (This blog is copyright me. Doesn't mean it doesn't get quoted, or that I'm consulted about it when it is. Here's an example of one time it happened. If you're going to say something in a semi-public forum, you're quotable, or misquotable, and that's just how it is.)
Hey Neil,
Speaking as a librarian, I happily bask in your general approbation.
Speaking as a librarian, I detest the idea of censorship, and the thought of choosing not to purchase a Newberry-winning book simply because of a single word.
Speaking as a librarian, I must also point out that the issue is, unfortunately, perhaps a bit more complicated than that, and that referring to those librarians who choose not to buy the book as "rogues" who've gone over to the dark side is likely to be an unfair oversimplification, at least in some cases.
Are there prudish librarians who have knee-jerk reactions to "bad language" and "inappropriate content?" Of course. We're only human, and therefore only flawed.
However, in many cases...using, as an example, the librarian cited as saying that SADLY, they will not be purchasing the book...it is likely NOT the librarian's own personal choice or even preference to exclude this book from their collection, but is the decision of the library director, library board, or school itself, based upon community outcry and patron pressure. In many cases of books being challenged, the challenge never goes as far as a banning. However, there are still cases in which otherwise excellent books are banned due to some small piece of "questionable" content. Don't forget, one of the most challenged and banned authors of all time is Judy Blume, the author of well-beloved, classic, but very frank (and therefore "dangerous"), children's and young adult books.
Librarians, as much as anyone and everyone else in this country, are subject to mob rule at times, and are always always subject to the workings of bureaucracy and politics. It's sad, but it's true.
...which I understand, but both of which emails leave me thinking that surely saying "It won the Newbery Medal. We order the books that do that. It's been the most respected guide to quality children's literature since 1922," would fend off most threats to a school librarian's job... wouldn't it?
Ah well. My next children's book, the one I'm currently writing, is very unlikely to have any rude words in it at all, but people I've read the first few pages to tend to look at me with a concerned sort of look and say "Is this really a children's book? I mean it's scary and then that stuff..." and I say yes, and I'm sorry but that's how the book goes and there's nothing I can do about it. Of course there is -- I could cut it out and write a book that wasn't as good. And I can hope that anyone who gets past the first couple of pages will find it very hard to put down. I can hope. But I'd understand any school librarian who was worried.
And I also got this from the "Higher Power of Lucky" post, which made me smile...
Hey there, Neil. I illustrated "The Higher Power of Lucky" (although it didn't occur to me to provide a picture for the minor scrotum incident). Thanks for weighing in on the whole kerfuffle. Coincidentally, I read "Endless Nights" yesterday, absolutely loved it, and made some sketches this morning which I posted on my blog: http://planetham.blogspot.com/ I'm also a Writers House client, so maybe I'll see you at some swanky cocktail reception sometime (if they even have such things).All the best,matt phelan
Well worth checking out Matt's cool artblog, if just for the masonic raccoon... And alas, while I have been a client of Writer's House for almost 20 years, I've never been to a swanky cocktail reception there yet (although they once threw a lovely bash with nibbly bits at the Franfurt bookfair for all my foreign publishers).
...
I get a lot of appeals for good causes in and I long ago sighed and decided that I can't post all of them. But this one has camels in it...
Not a question, so much as a request. There is an amazing thing going on in Kenya involving librarians, generosity, and of course, camels. The link is http://camelbookdrive.wordpress.com/ if you could post it for the fabulous readers of this blog. If you have already mentioned it, I apologize. It's been awhile since I've visited, although now I seem to have spent about 3 hours reading past posts. Damn.
Beth (librarian in training, who, for the record, is perfectly happy about the word scrotum in any book)
consider it posted. And I'll see if I can't put together a bunch of books for the camel library...
And finally, another article from Nerve's comics issue. This one's about the Gordon Lee case and the CBLDF. I've written about it here before -- I've been writing about it for years. But if you've missed it, or you thought it was over... http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/clark/gordonlee/
0 Comments on Will no-one help the widow's raccoon? as of 3/14/2007 12:44:00 AM
What is http://www.nfctd.com/home.html ? Why did Hayley Campbell send it to me? I keep playing with it, and I am no nearer to answers, if such things can exist in this context, than I was when I started playing (if, indeed, it was playing, and not powering some diabolical and infernal device...) ...
Someone kindly sent me a graphical representation of what happened when you lot ganged up on and googlebombed Penn Jillette last month...
There's lots of Stardust news over at FOEM -- http://www.foem.org.uk/ -- and you can write in and ask flame-haired scribe (and producer of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year) Jane Goldman your Stardust Movie questions.
0 Comments on Small ponder on mysteries... as of 3/14/2007 12:54:00 AM
[Edit to add -- right now if you click on the link you'll just get an Error message, as it wasn't ready to go public and it was running too slowly and so on and has been taken offline. I'll put something up as soon as it's back. Sorry.]
[Later Edit. It seems to be back up -- give the video a chance to load before playing, though, or it will be a bit stuttery...]
I'm not quite sure how widely this is meant to be spread, but Paramount have decided to change direction on their Stardust website at www.stardustmovie.com. Which means the website will take a bit longer to come out, and be a bit different when it does.
Meanwhile they've had a finished version of the early website ready to go for some weeks, containing a few video interviews with me, some answers to Stardust questions, Stardust wallpaper and even a do it yourself Charles Vess colouring thing (which is much too much fun). So we talked to them and they talked to us, and the webelf did webmagic, and if you just happened to click on
you might find yourself somewhere that looks very different and has Paramount copyright notices and things all over it, but is actually here on www.Neilgaiman.com.
I'm not sure how long we're going to be allowed to keep this up, so if you're interested you should probably go and play with it now, and tell anyone who might be interested that it's here.
0 Comments on Not quite authorised, not quite not as of 3/14/2007 1:51:00 AM
Still deadlining. Have lost a bunch of weight now, hurrah. I've now got to that place where I'm comfortable with just not eating as much, while eating more veg, using grapefruit as a snack food, drinking more water, all that. Just trying to make up for a year spent eating on the road, really. (There are four tubs of jeans in my closet, each a different waist size. I'd reached the tub at the far end, and they were getting tight. Am now at the next one down from there. And one more size to go before I'm back at my proper BMI wossname. As I learned a couple of years ago, if I get to the jeans in the thinnest tub at the end, people point out that I'm looking gaunt. And this is probably the last post about weight because a) it's boring and b) if you mention losing weight in a blog post people start sending you emails telling you that you're contributing to the current epedemic of Anorexia and ruining the self-image of the young.)
Guillermo del Toro's gothic fantasy Pan's Labyrinth has been named the best film of 2006 by the National Society of Film Critics.
Guillermo is the executive producer on the DEATH movie, which appears to be beginning to possibly think about perhaps seeming to come back to life, maybe, so I'll congratulate him soon enough in person.
But it's nice to do it here.
And I know I meant to link to this Charles Vess blog post, showing the stages of the Stardust sculpture he's been working on, but I don't think I did. Lots of pictures... http://greenmanpress.com/news/archives/98
Just a heads up -- some time in the next couple of days the Stardust Movie site is going to go live. It's been up at www.stardustmovie.com for a while, but hasn't had any content until now.
I've just been sent a preview of the first round of content, and it's really fun -- there's a gallery of Charles Vess Stardust art, much of it previously unseen, there are video interviews with me about the origins of Stardust and about Charles Vess, and I answer the first five Stardust questions...
By: [email protected],
on 2/1/2015
By: Alex Guyver,
on 1/5/2015
Posted on 7/3/2014
By: Neil Gaiman,
on 7/7/2012
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By: Gillian Philip,
on 7/13/2010
By: Yours Truly,
on 9/8/2007
By: Sarah Darer Littman,
on 8/26/2007
I don’t mind one bit when films take reasonable liberties with a book, because they need to be good in their own right, not just exact translations of page to screen. I want to be transported by movies and books in entirely different ways. I’m swept away far more by Inkheart the novel than Inkheart the movie. But (if I’m allowed to count abridged versions as children’s favourites) I’m far more enchanted by Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Tarzan (1999) as movies than as books.
Stardust is the tale of Tristran Thorn’s quest to find the Fallen Star for his love, who promised him anything he desired if he were to achieve the impossible task. Tristran does end up finding the star, but gets more than he bargained for -- he is not the only one searching for it. The evil witch queen is after the heart of the star, for the star is actually a gorgeous young woman and eating her heart will make the witch queen young and powerful again.
This is a photograph of Hera. Lorraine is certain that if I post it, the gig will be completely full. If you're in this part of the world, you should go. After all, it's Sunday Night in Winter in Minnesota; you have perhaps something else are you going to be doing?
Completely agree with Stardust, Coraline and that version of Peter Pan which came closest to capturing the relationships between Wendy, Pan and Tink.
Found Nanny McPhee awfully boring (despite Colin Firth) but will give it another go as you like it.
Also think Babe and The Nightmare Before Christmas should be on the list.
I enjoyed How To Train Your Dragon much more than the usual hollywood kid's fare though it annoyed me that the kid characters spoke with american accents and the rest of the Vikings were Hollywood Scotch, but it was a fun movie though not as quirky as the books.
I also liked the movie version of the Golden Compass though it is not even close to being in the same class as the novel. The brilliant story still shone though.
Hi Gillian,
Totally with you on Stardust - it's a fabulous film. I would add the first Twilight film although I confess I've only read the first few pages of the book (over the shoulder of my daughter who then told me to go away). I found the setting and the way it was filmed terrifically atmospheric and then, of course, there's Robert Pattinson in all his brooding loveliness...
What about the Railway Children? Jenny Aguiter saying 'Daddy, my daddy...' Sob!
I don't think you've missed much by not seeing The Secret of Moonacre. I read the book as a child and it was totally magical - the film just wasn't, for an adult.
I'd have to include The Secret Garden - the version with Maggie Smith as housekeeper. I think it might be the walled garden that fascinates me but Lizzie loved it too when younger.
Gillian, I think we may have been separated at birth. Inkheart, check - the film was the cinematic equivalent of a five-year-old's repainting of the Mona Lisa. Peter Pan, check - whisper it quietly but I was never that fussed about the written version anyway. Stardust, check - the brilliance, deftness and economy of the plotting came over just as well, if not better, on screen (why can't more screenplays be like that?), and you're right about Bob de Niro too. Fellowship, check - the film captures and expands on the character dynamics that raise that book above the sequels, for all their epic derring do. However, as two out of five seems excessive, even for one of Mr Gaiman's godlike genius, I'd replace Coraline with Jurassic Park. Like LOTR, not a children's book, but not only did the film have dinosaurs (DINOSAURS!), it redefined kids' expectations of monster movies. Priceless.
I absolutely love both LOTR and Stardust, but I'm afraid the purist in me has to discount both of them as neither are children's books (check out the sex scene in Stardust - I hope that's not aimed at kids). Sooo...
1. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - minor historical inaccuracy forgiven (the children would probably have been evacuated before the bombing actually started, but that scene is perfect, such a good way to explain their situation to children unfamiliar with the history and the whole theme of war is brillinatly handled)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - which I think is better than the book, having lost all the padding and focussed on the story. It's also my favourite Harry Potter film.
3. The Secret Garden (the one with Maggie Smith) - just perfect.
4. Disney's Alice in Wonderland
5. Hook. I know it's got a terrible reputation, but I saw it as a child and loved it.
Honourable mention to the Muppet's Christmas Carol, also ineligible as not based on a children's book!
Just looked at the comments and realised I forgot The Railway Children! Put that in the list instead of Hook!
Ballet Shoes
Little Women
Cold Comfort Farm (not sure if that should really count. Teen, maybe?)
I loved the recreations of Hobbiton and Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring- perfect, and by far the best of the three films I agree. (Thought Rivendell looked a bit damp).
Oh oh oh! Loved Stardust - didn't know it was adapted by Gaimon - explains a lot - haven't seen Coraline am scared I'll hate it as I loved the book. Inkheart possibly the worst film I've ever seen - didn't even make it to the end was so irritated by it...this is a ll a bit unfair though because I know How to Train Your Dragon would be in your top 5 if you'd seen it - not at all like the book but brilliant none-the-less - and the black dragon in it is just like my dog ( only not as smelly)...Funny though - I hated the LOTR films. Bored senseless, too boring even to do the ironing too - I realise this means there is something wrong with me.
http://mrsbung.wordpress.com/
Kathy - I think the script for Stardust was written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughan, but adapted from the Neil Gaiman book. Stardust is an interesting choice actually, because it is adapted quite liberally but works really well as a film. The climax in particular is a wonderful bit of imaginative action, but completely invented for the film.
Have to agree with Juliette's choice of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - a great film in it's own right and very likely to be my favourite Potter film unless David Yates pulls his finger out on the last two!
ha, watched Stardust AGAIN, last night. Love Nanny McPhee and Coraline and Stormbreaker. Would also have to add to the list: the Spiderwick Chronicles (I suspect a lot has to do with Freddy Highmore being so cute and who could not love Hogsqueal and Thimbletack!) and Matilda, Billy Elliot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (though it took a while to get used to the Johnny Depp version) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
and oh yes, have to add the Secret Garden too!
I enjoyed the film version of Holes which is a novel I really love.
I love the LOTR trilogy.
Coraline looks fantastic and I think I much preferred the film to the book.
Lynda's mentioned Holes and I have to say I enjoyed that too.
The Golden Compass - what the hell were they thinking!! I love the books but the film was a travesty IMO.
Stardust I enjoyed more on the second viewing but I'm not sure I believe it's really a kids film.
Nanny McPhee I found really quite dull and disappointing.
And the recent Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland was a sheer, visual pleasure.
And the Harry Potter films are generally really high-quality and entertaining.
Glad to see some Stardust fans here. Had come to the conclusion it's a film people love to hate.
I loved Stardust but then I haven't read the book. It is a film I can watch again and again.
I also loved Fellowship of the Ring. I love the whole hobbitness of it all.
I agree about Inkheart. The film was appalling. The book was good.
Same with City of Ember. I love the book but the film was at best mediocre. Again same with Percy Jackson but then I am a HUGE Camp Half Blood fan.
I liked Stardust! (And I've met the original of the star...)
Wow, thanks for all the comments - I just knew they'd be interesting!
Jo, I forgot about Babe (how could I?) - yes, that has to be a contender. And Elen, same with The Railway Children - probably not in my top five but I do always blub at that ending.
Rachel, hi! Yes, I liked the Twilight movie much better than the book - I watched it on Keren David's recommendation and she was right, it had a nice dark indie feel.
Ben, good point about Jurassic Park - not a children's book at all, but with a lot of changes it made a terrific kids' movie (and that's another one my children watch over and over). It still looks good, years later!
Juliette - I know what you mean but I allowed Stardust in on the same grounds I allowed FOTR - it's an adult read that's easily & frequently enjoyed by quite young teens, and I think it's definitely a movie for children as well as adults. For that reason I'd definitely count Hilary's Cold Comfort Farm, too!
Tracy (and Juliette, unless you meant the earlier animation?) - Alice in Wonderland is one that seems to divide people down clear lines, isn't it? I have friends who absolutely adored it, but it left me completely cold and unmoved (especially Johnny Depp, which is definitely against all precedent). But it did look very beautiful.
Lynda - I would have liked to include Holes because I adore that book. It's one of my favourites. But (hides head in shame) - I have never seen the movie, so I couldn't. But I will, one of these days SOON.
Katherine - do you mean Claire Danes? WOW!! Seriously, I have an almost-crush on her!
Thanks again everybody, terrific comments!
I loved Stardust, and FOTR, Matilda and Nanny McPhee. Not seen Coraline yet, but intend to and Loved the book Holes but like you Gillian, I've not seen the film.
Yes, must include Cold Comfort Farm 'cos there's something wicked in the woodshed...!
How could you pass over on the sublime Princess Bride? And what a good argument it is for allowing authors to adapt their own books!
I adore The Princess Bride, but it fell at that all-important hurdle of being one that my children want to watch over and over again. They enjoy it, but it isn't a favourite. I suspect it has a lot of 'adult' appeal.
And I do agree, it's an argument for authors adapting their own work - but there are so many other arguments for the opposite! Most authors are not screenwriters, and it shows. In saying this I am of course baiting fate, in the hope that someone will some day want to adapt one of mine... ;-)
Gillian, I love your choices, and for me I would include The Secret Garden, Holes, The Little Princess, The Railway Children, Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz...