INTERACTION

Ah, but the kiss will be in the book

Pete,

Just wanted to say thanks for the link to the Salon piece on the Library of America's publication of a collection of Jackson stories. The piece itself was a sharp riposte to Malcolm Jones snobbish article in Newsweek, and Lee Siegel's laughably ill-informed New York Observer piece on the irrelevance of modern American fiction.

Jackson deserves her place in the LOA, irrespective of the genre she chose to write in; she was, simply, a fine, psychologically acute, writer.

Cheers Mike, and I agree absolutely about Shirley Jackson.

Now somebody read the latest blog post and give me some Wheatley love

Or disdain. That works too

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http://trumpetville.wordpress.com
http://ttapress.com/blackstatic/casenotesblog/

Pete

I also read a lot of Dennis Wheatley in my teens, starting off with The Devil Rides Out mainly because I saw the film on television and it scared my older brother (!). I liked him then, and also like to think I learned everything I know about the French Revolution from the Roger Brook series.

But, having read your blog I'm not sure I should go back.

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http://neilcarstairs.blogspot.com/

I saw The Devil Rides Out in my teens also. But I could never quite get into the books.

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http://paulwoodward.wordpress.com/

I remember reading some of his novels in my youth and enjoying them, but I never became a fan. However, he had a pretty bizarre life. Wasn't he involved with the secret service at one stage? The bio might be worth flicking through just for your own entertainment before you file it.

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http://jimsteel.wordpress.com/

According to wikipedia he was involved in planning operations during WW2, as was Ian Fleming, so wonder if they ever crossed paths (I could look in the bio, but it's in the other room and I'm too lazy to get up ). I'll almost certainly read the book one day - I'm stockpiling titles against the day when the review copy gravy train stops running, or print books become outmoded.

Like you guys, I've watched the films - "The Devil Rides Out" and "To the Devil, a Daughter", both of which were great fun and just about stand the test of time. I also seem to remember another one based on his work, "The Lost Continent", which was completely barmy - set in a ships' graveyard, where people walked about on air filled bladders, and there were men dressed as conquistadors, or maybe they actually were conquistadors.

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http://trumpetville.wordpress.com
http://ttapress.com/blackstatic/casenotesblog/

I think they really were conquistadors who thought the inquisition was still on

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063240/plotsummary

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http://paulwoodward.wordpress.com/

I might be getting confused with another of his titles but there was a similar one where the hero ended up as a human sacrifice by Nazi supporting satanists and finished fighting a spirit battle over the D-Day landing grounds - or am i making that up? I shall have to go up into the loft and search it out.

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http://neilcarstairs.blogspot.com/

That's the film Paul. I remember they were dressed as conquistadors - pantaloons, breastplates and conch shaped helmets - but had forgotten that they actually were stranded Spaniards.

Can't say I've read that one Neil, but it sounds very probable for a Wheatley story.

I just checked the bio, and he did lunch with Fleming one time at least, so they did know each other.

And I've also found a Stephenie Meyer "Twilight" link. The BBC filmed "The Haunting of Toby Jugg" in 2006 as "The Haunted Airman", and Robert Pattinson starred

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http://trumpetville.wordpress.com
http://ttapress.com/blackstatic/casenotesblog/

I think I remember The Haunted Airman thing it was quite good

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http://paulwoodward.wordpress.com/

The Wheatley book I was rambling about was "The Man Who Missed the War". I might be starting to feel the need to re-read some of his books.

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http://neilcarstairs.blogspot.com/

You're only too right Pete. I lost two so-called"friends" because I failed to praise their work.
A couple of other writers have being, as you very nicely put it, " throwing all their toys out of the pram" because of negative ( or not enough positive )reviews.
Of course since then I've simply avoided reviewing any book by those people. A dignified silence sometimes is the best response...
Mario

I enjoyed the war stories post. I think the worst response to a review I've heard of was Pop Will Eat Itself (I'm pretty sure it was them, but Google's not confirming) sending an NME reviewer a box of their faeces...

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Theaker's Quarterly Fiction

Ah, no - it was the Levellers:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=37078530546

Other packages sent to the NME for bad reviews have apparently contained axes (from Bono) and offal (Suzi Quatro)...

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Theaker's Quarterly Fiction