What’s Pye Parr up to now…?
By the way, if you’re interested in reading a bit more about how Pye works, and how the first BLOOD AND FEATHERS cover evolved, there’s a really detailed interview with him over on the Shewolf reads site, including his mock-ups for concepts which didn’t quite make the cut…
Posted by loummorgan on January 25, 2013
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/featherbomb/
My WordPress dashboard is snowing. That can only mean one thing: it must be nearly Christmas.
Look, I can’t help it – and if you think that’s a bad way of judging the start of the holiday season, you should meet Other Half. He declares it to be officially Christmas when one of his online forums puts up the twinkly fairy lights gif around the border of the page. So, you know…
Anyway. Christmas is rolling towards us like a tinsel-strewn juggernaut, and this means it’s prime festive shopping season. Ever helpful, I’ve come up with a couple of suggestions for gifts for those really difficult people to buy for. I warn you: these are, largely, Things What My Friends Have Made – but you shouldn’t let their questionable judgement in hanging around with me put you off. Everything on this list is awesome, and would make an amazing present – and frankly, if you can’t plug your mates’ stuff on your blog, then where can you do it?
So, without further ado, I present (see what I did there?)…
THE NICE LIST
(for the sake of simplicity, the majority of these links are Amazon physical ones. Feel free to sub in the physical / ebook retailer of your choice….)
- For action junkies:
SHIFT – Kim Curran
DEPARTMENT 19: THE RISING – Will Hill
Scott Tyler and Jamie Carpenter are, between them, as average as your average teenage boy gets. Except they aren’t… because as you soon discover if you pick up either of these two books, Scott has the power to change any decision he’s ever made and Jamie’s a vampire hunter with a secret government department. Gory, gripping and action-packed, these books are brilliantly paced and plotted. And if you can’t choose between them… why not pick both?
- For Doomsday Preppers:
THE TESTIMONY – James Smythe
Let me tell you a story about this book (in which a blast of static is heard by almost everyone on the planet, followed by a voice. Is it God? Is it aliens? Is it a mass hallucination..?). I took this on holiday with me earlier this year, and it was the last book I read before heading home. I was sitting in the airport at the Seychelles, which is a tiny little thing, at around midnight, waiting for my flight to be called and reading the last couple of chapters of THE TESTIMONY. There were one or two people already in the departure hall, but we were the last flight out for the night so it was pretty quiet.
And then someone, somewhere, leaned on a button and switched on the PA. There was a burst of deafening white noise… and nothing else.
Not that it mattered, because by that time I had dropped my book and hidden under the departure lounge seating.
That’s how good this book is.
It’s complicated, twisty… and utterly terrifying.
- For Western fans & short story addicts:
A TOWN CALLED PANDEMONIUM – Jurassic Press
I’ve been involved in the Pandemonium project (one of my stories appeared in the apocalypse-themed anthology, now out of print) but this one’s a different animal altogether. A shared-world, weird Western anthology with some of my favourite writers involved, it will transport you to a town with secrets, tragedies and horrors. So what are you waiting for? Saddle up…
For urban explorers:
THE CITY’S SON – Tom Pollock
Urban explorers know that cities have a life of their own – and London is no exception. But you’ve never imagined it quite like this. Tom Pollock gives you a version of London where street lights come to life, where the ghosts of trains ride the rails and where the building sites scarring the surface of the city lay the foundations for something sinister…
One part urban fantasy, one part New Weird, one part utterly itself, read this and you’ll never look at the city in the same way again.
- For art buffs:
Vincent Chong prints
Nominated for a World Fantasy Award last year, Vincent Chong has produced book covers for Stephen King, Joe Hill and China Mieville among others, as well as illustrating collector’s editions of some incredible novels (I have a copy of THE CLUB DUMAS, which is one of my favourite books and is probably the most expensive copy of a novel I’ve ever bought!). I have a bunch of his prints, including one (predictably, I guess) of a fallen angel, and they’re beautiful. Also, I have this as my desktop right now, because I love it.
###
So there you go. Yes, they’re all my friends – and I’m utterly unapologetic about recommending their work, because every single one of them is immensely talented. You won’t go wrong with any of them.
Posted by loummorgan on December 10, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/the-nice-list/
I hadn’t intended to (a) pop back on here quite so quickly, or (b) turn this into an unofficial “Hell Tourist Information Week” (which sounds so Screwtape-y that I refuse to believe Lewis didn’t already do it), but sometimes you find stuff that’s just a bit too cool to leave out.
So, following yesterday’s video of the door to hell, I now give you your map.
They say there’s a different version of hell for every soul who ever lived, and that may well be true. Medieval artists sure liked their representations of hell, but I certainly don’t think I’ve ever seen two that looked exactly the same as one another… especially not in the case of Jake & Dinos Chapman’s “Hell”, which I remember seeing as part of the Sensation exhibition years ago.
When I was coming up with mine, I went back to Dante, mostly. There were a few other places I looked for inspiration, but more of that another time: if anyone’s interested, I can do a separate post about hell in BLOOD AND FEATHERS….
Another post on the same site as the topography one poses the question “What does hell sound like?” – and that’s an interesting thought. Again, in my own version, it’s very, very quiet for the most part… but if you could record it, what do you think you’d get? (First person to say “Rebecca Black” gets a very stern look and has to go sit at the back of the class for the rest of the day).
I’m rather fond of the “Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell” album by way of answer.
Well.
I say “album”. What I actually mean is 8 hours‘ worth of ambient music and sound which ranges from mildly unsettling to really quite alarming by way of absolutely stunning… but is altogether genius. You can stream it, or download it for $1… but I’d recommend the streaming option wherever possible. Mostly because you’re looking at over a GIG of space…
So. Your own personal hell. If you were Dante, and could take a guided tour, what would you expect to see (or hear)?
Posted by loummorgan on September 19, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/the-rough-guide-to-hell/
Because I simply don’t have enough things filling my time (insert mildly hysterical laugh *here*) I’ve now joined Pinterest, and you can find my boards here.
They’re still very much a work in progress – again with the whole “time” thing – but if you’re on there, do swing by and take a peek. I’m building up a nice collection of angels in the wild, and am always looking for more to add. If you see any, give me a shout so I can add them. What’s particularly interesting to me is how many turn up in street art at the moment, so those are always extra-welcome.
There’s also the slightly mysterious one labelled “Faces“. Because that couldn’t possibly be connected to anything.
Speaking of pretty pictures, by the way, this month sees BLOOD AND FEATHERS’s turn in the Cover Wars at the Qwillery site. There’s some very pretty books on there this time around, but I know where my heart lies. If you’re thus inclined and want to go and show Pye’s gorgeous artwork some love (and of course you do) then head over and vote.
And one more thing. There’s a few more character notes gone up on the Characters page on the B&F site, including one of my favourites, Brieus.
“We’re talking about the Fallen. Of course they’re stupid.” Brieus peered into the eye-socket of a skull. “This guy must’ve been a looker; just get a load of those cheekbones.”
“That’s a woman’s skull, Brieus.”
“Even better. Hellooo.”
That guy just can’t help himself…
Posted by loummorgan on July 16, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/pinned-down/
So you’ll remember the other week, I was bemoaning the general lack of letters we send to each other these days?
Well. Look what landed on my doormat.
It’s a postcard from Chris Roberts (better known as Dead Clown Art) who’s a US-based artist specialising in mixed-media and found-object pieces. I met him at last year’s World Horror Convention in Texas, and he’s an incredibly talented guy – as well as a real sweetie. And not a little nuts, given the comment on the back: “Not electronic. Go ahead… put your tongue on it. No shock!”
See? It takes a true artist to point out that the real problem with e-mails is that you can’t lick them…
Posted by loummorgan on April 7, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/best-blog-comment-ever/
You remember I showed you the first draft of the cover back in December?
Well, here’s the finished version, which we revealed this morning….
Isn’t he lovely?
I just want to stroke him. Although I’m also slightly worried about getting my fingers all messy.
I’m so pleased with the cover – I think it’s absolutely beautiful, and I can’t wait to see it on the front of the book.
Simon‘s done an outstanding job, and I’m blown away by how well the cover matches the feel of the story.
It’s awesome.
[insert silly grin here....]
Posted by loummorgan on March 14, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/blood-feathers-final-cover-art/
A friend linked this fantastic old blog post from James Gunn‘s site the other day, and I couldn’t just let it slide.
It’s genius. The anatomy of cartoon characters… including Pacman, Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote, Tom & Jerry, and a slightly disturbing Care Bear.
Oh, and Bugs Bunny (in case you hadn’t worked it out from the teeth…)
Take a look at the original post – and the amazing art – here.
Posted by loummorgan on February 29, 2012
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/whats-up-doc/
Yes, yes. I know. I give you a pretty picture to look at and then I disappear for a fortnight. Sorry. I have been a bit rubbish, haven’t I?
If it’s any consolation, I have spent most of the last two weeks running around like a cat with its tail on fire, stopping only to whimper quietly in a corner. I’m knackered. I’ve worked nowhere near as much as I’d have liked (although this morning’s attempt at research has landed me on a website with a very scary url beginning http://www.secretservice…; so if I suddenly disappear, it’s probably best if you don’t come looking for me. But I do appreciate the thought.) and have eaten far more than I should have.
Christmas has apparently Been Done Properly.
Just before Christmas, though, I went to Burning the Clocks here in Brighton. Held every year around the midwinter solstice, it’s a lantern-lit parade through the centre of town, down to the beach. Once the parade reaches the shoreline, the lanterns (which are made of willow withies and paper) are thrown onto a huge bonfire and ceremonially burned.
Some of the “clocks” are built to look like… stuff, as opposed to being little lanterns. I was particularly taken with these two: a phoenix, and a griffin.
And there’s fireworks. Because Brighton is never knowingly subtle.
It was a fantastic way to start Christmas, and if you happen to be round this way for next year’s, I thoroughly recommend it.
There are, by the way, much better pictures on the Guardian’s site, here. See if you can spot the geek-tastic lantern in photo 3…
Posted by loummorgan on December 29, 2011
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/burning-the-clocks/
So, I have a new favourite page on the internet.
It’s this one.
Yes, kids. That is the “Blood & Feathers” page on Amazon’s UK site (what’s that? You want to see the US one? Oh, go on then... I like that one too.) You may have seen it before. Perhaps you have. In that case, you should go and look again. Seriously, because I’m worried that if I take my eyes off it for a second, it’ll scuttle off somewhere and hide. And sooner or later, I’m going to need to blink.
I have a cover. And it’s, like, out there. With pictures and words and cool stuff.
There’s still one or two tweaks that need doing, so the Amazon sites are likely to update once they’re complete, but–give or take the odd detail–this is how it’ll look.
I’ve been sitting on the draft version since late September, when we’d talked about ideas for it at the Solaris offices… and then the amazing Simon Parr (who is also Pye. It’s a thing. I don’t ask. He may well be some kind of gestalt art/comics/awesome guru) went off, had a think, and came back with what you see there.
I absolutely adore it. It’s gorgeous and feels completely right and you must all immediately rush over and tell @PyeParr that he is, basically, a genius.
Keep an eye out for the final version, which I hope I can put a big, shiny high-res copy of on here soon so you can see it properly.
Posted by loummorgan on December 13, 2011
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/angel-face/
Today, interestingly enough, is Michaelmas, the feast day of the archangel Michael.
He’s my favourite. Well, one of them. Yes, I’m allowed to have favourite angels.
What?
Essentially being the alpha-angel, legend and scripture between them record a long list of his attributes.
For instance, we all know that Michael is the one who defeated Lucifer – but did you know that when he weeps, his tears turn to gemstones? (Or, slightly more alarmingly, cherubim?)
He’s connected to knowledge, to light, patience and repentance; righteousness, mercy and sanctification. He assisted in the burial of Moses and depending on who you’re reading, technically it’s Michael who holds the keys to the gates of Heaven… and not St Peter.
That last one does rather make sense: if you’re going to have a bouncer on the door, you want someone who’s not afraid of a fight. And preferably carries a sword.
I’ve collected images and descriptions of Michael for a while now – but my favourite comes from Hastings’ Encyclopaedia of Religion & Ethics, where he’s described in one early tradition as having wings the colour of “green emerald”, as well as being covered “with saffron hairs, each of them containing a million faces and mouths and as many tongues”. You can see why most people opt for the more familiar armour / sword portrayal, can’t you?
Once, he was also associated (benevolently) with death: he was the one who would lead the souls of the faithful into Heaven – and perhaps this is why he is sometimes also referred to as the angel who foretells Mary’s death.
Chief of the order of the virtues, chief of the archangels, prince of the presence and ruler of the 4th Heaven: with a list of titles like that, he must have one hell of a business card.
Happy Michaelmas.
Posted by loummorgan on September 29, 2011
http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/merry-michael/
