Rebecca Fisher

I said on Monday that one of the things I’d done on my weekend (none of you ever did say what you’d done on yours… huh! ;-)) was catch up with Rebecca Fisher, who *of course* brings us Big Worlds On Small Screens every other Wednesday.

So what better to do this Wednesday, than remind you (in case it’s slipped by you in her bio) that Rebecca has recently started her very own “They’re All Fictional” blog, where she mainly focuses on reviews and the life fan-atique…

But why take my word for it? Hie thee over thar and check out “They’re all Fictional” for yourself. If you enjoy Big Worlds On Small Screens, you won’t be disappointed.

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Hayao Miyazaki

And on another note… Rebecca’s latest feature-focus was on Miyazaki films from Studio Ghibli. So I was interested to see a post on TOR.com that discussed recent rumours that with the final-final retirement of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli might be closing its doors. Interestingly, Vox picked it up as well. You can check out both posts via the following links:

Vox: The studio Hayao Miyazaki co-founded might be shutting down. Here’s why it’s important.

TOR.com: Is Studio Ghibli Actually Closing or Just Restructuring?

Butterfly

We entered a year of slow burn
I stole a line from her eyes
She wrote by hand return

The body awoke to the act of yearn
Moisture met the heat of July
We entered a year of slow burn

A door ajar, could yield or close firm
From colleague to intimate ally
She wrote by hand, I wrote in return

Disclosure inched by turn
A long striptease of send and reply
We entered a year of slow burn

Shining and wild were in
Our lines, barely disguised
She wrote by hand in return

All grew from a pact of adjourn
Overwintering, waiting a sign in the sky
Fused on a year of slow burn
Word at the start became touch in return.

(c) Rhian Gallagher
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Published in Shift, Auckland University Press, 2011

Reproduced here with permission.

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On 23 August, 2011, I was guest editor on The Tuesday Poem blog and featured “Butterfly” from Rhian Gallagher’s soon-to-be-published collection Shift (Auckland University Press) — which went on to win the NZ Post Book Award for Poetry in 2012.

Here’s what the judges said about Shift:

“The poems offer elegance, mysteriousness, musical harmonies, satisfying quietness and subtle emotions. Sounds and themes stitch the collection with an assured and unifying touch. You fall upon little autobiographical traces in the shadows, traces that are both moving and intense.”

And a little bit of what I said about “Butterfly” in 2011:

“Butterfly follows the form of the villanelle, although it reflects the contemporary trend of allowing variation in the wording of the refrain. I believe this poem is representative of Rhian’s work in terms of the beauty and delicacy of the writing, a delicacy that nonetheless enhances both the emotional depth of the poem and also the adherence to a demanding form.”

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To check out the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets from around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

“Uh-oh chungo” it’s Monday!

So what happened over your weekend? Or is coming up for you this week?

I caught up with the local SpecFicNZ Christchurch crew—for the first time in quite some time given the long slog on finishing WALL3—and there was plenty of fun conversation around many things spec fic, including what’s coming up at the WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers festival at the end of the month.

I also met up with Rebecca Fisher who does the Big Worlds On Small Screens column and spec fic reading, writing, and film/TV formed the lion’s share of that conversation as well: “surprise!” 😉

The ongoing ‘task in hand’ right now is editing WALL3, but as for what, beyond that, is happening this week, the really big ticket item is that there’s to be a meeting with our insurance company to kick off — I hope! — the repair or rebuild of our house, which was damaged in the 2011 earthquakes. So the other thing I was doing over the weekend was getting organised for that, because it is *huge.*

“Watch this space” as the saying goes…

The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick

The A Geography of Haarth post series is exploring the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. Each entry is accompanied by a quote from the books in which the place appears, currently either The Heir Of Night or The Gathering Of The Lost, or both.

At present, we’re deep in the terrain of “T.”

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Terebanth:  a city of the River
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” “Tarathan of Ar and Jehane Mor, heralds of the Guild,” one of Nhairin’s stewards roared out, above the hubbub. “From Terebanth, on the Great River.” Silence crashed down as every face turned toward the man and woman who stepped through the door. The man had multiple braids of chestnut hair flowing below his shoulders, while the woman was fair, with a single plait twisted around her head like a crown. They were both of middle height and clad alike in gray, their long cloaks cast back. A badge pinned each cloak on the left shoulder and a dagger was sheathed at their belts. Both their faces were drawn and weary, their clothes mired from the road, but they walked steadily through the watching, silent hall until they stood before the Earl’s chair. There they stopped as one and bowed, first to the Earl and then, slightly lower, to the woman at his side.”

~ from © The Heir Of Night, The Wall of Night Book One: Chapter 2 — Heralds of the Guild

“Spring came to the River in a flurry of blustering winds and driving rain that turned the local roads into quagmires and hurled the first fragile blossoms to the ground. Two heralds were blown out of the city of Terebanth with the weather and turned east toward Ij, following the great Main Road that had endured since the days of the Old Empire.”

~  from © The Gathering Of The Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two: Chapter 1 — The Road To Ij

Book Review: 

The Gospel Of Loki by Joanne Harris — Reviewed by Andrew Robins 

Gollancz, 2014, Trade paperback , 302 pp

The Gospel Of Loki is a highly accessible retelling of the Norse creation cycle myth.

Much of the source material is derived from the poetic Eddas that are themselves based upon the oral traditions of the ancient Nordic skalds.

If you are familiar with the Eddas, and the stories that derive from them, then most of your enjoyment of this book will be in the retelling of them “slant”.

The story is told from the perspective of Loki, and is his attempt to “set the record straight” and counter some of the bad press he feels he has received at the hands of a largely ungrateful set of Aesir and Vanir “gods” who have wronged him, betrayed him, annoyed him and failed to accept him or acknowledge their need for him.

Loki’s story is episodic in nature, but shows a consistent progression from creation towards destruction.

Most of the characters that share the stage with Loki are fairly two dimensional, but the character of Loki, and his primary antagonist, Odin, are well drawn. The strengths and weaknesses of both are on display for the reader, and there is a complex, developing relationship to explore.

This relationship was the aspect of the story that I most enjoyed. The cornerstone themes of mutual need and ultimately, mutual betrayal, kept me engaged with the story until the end.

There were some rough patches towards the middle of the book where I thought to myself, “Just why is Loki spending so much time with that idiot, Thor”—a question that was never satisfactorily resolved by the story—but this is a minor quibble.

The language employed in The Gospel Of Loki is contemporary, which may jar  some readers. I did not care for it myself, but believe it suits the style of story being told: a ‘slantwise’ look at the traditional myths, which focuses on Loki as an antihero, which is also a very modern approach.

The author did a good job of working the various different story threads into a consistent narrative. We understand why Ragnarok happens, and why Loki chooses the side he does, even knowing what he knows and what his fate is likely to be.

Spoiler Alert! Given that this is Ragnarok we are talking about, the fate of all is pretty dark, so if you are looking for an optimistic read, then this is not the book for you.

But this is a clever story told in a clever way, by a clever author. Reading this I was reminded of Roger Zelazny’s Jack of Shadows and Phyllis Ann Karr’s Robber Girl. So if you are the kind of reader who enjoys a good anti-hero (and who doesn’t?), then this could be a book for you.

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About The Reviewer:

Andrew Robins is a long time reader – and sometime reviewer – of science fiction, fantasy and history. People pay him to test stuff, which most of the time is more fun than it has any right to be.

To read more reviews by Andrew, see “Book Reviews for ‘on Anything, Really’” in the right-hand side bar. Recent examples include:

• Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Existence by David Brin
• Aralorn by Patricia Briggs

~ by Rebecca Fisher

Introduction:

It seems fitting that we began Miyazaki May (now Miyazaki July) with the dark and epic Princess Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and now finish with the light and poignant The Secret World of Arrietty. They make for good bookends in regards to their distinct tones, and yet are unified by their protagonists: two inquisitive, daring, friendly and compassionate heroines. And as an added coincidence, they’re both red-heads!

Granted, Hayao Miyazaki did not direct Arrietty, passing the torch instead to Yonebayashi Hiromasa, but his influence on the film and screenplay is obvious. As ever, it captures his interest in detailed world-building, in depictions of warm family life and in the wonder of the everyday world. The story that isn’t afraid to unfold at a mild pace, taking its time as it establishes the mood, characters and setting, and which foregoes a complex plot for a very simple tale of transition and friendship, is also characteristic Miyazaki.

Premise:

As they did with Diana Wynne Jones, Studio Ghibli once again turns to a prolific British author for inspiration, this time in adapting one of the most quintessentially English stories of all time: Mary Norton’s The Borrowers, first published in 1952.

But unlike Howl’s Moving Castle, which at least keeps the book’s British setting (albeit in an alternative steampunk-hedged universe), The Secret World of Arrietty is transposed into modern-day Japan. Gone is the book’s framing device that calls into question whether or not the narrator’s story of the Borrowers is actually true, for instead the film introduces Sho, a young boy brought to his great-aunt’s house to prepare for a heart operation – one that he isn’t expected to survive.

During his stay, he almost immediately becomes aware of others living in the house: tiny people who survive by “borrowing” bits and pieces from the inhabitants. Arrietty is one such Borrower, a teenage girl about four inches tall who lives with her mother and father in the secret spaces under the floorboards and behind the walls.

Story:

The Clock family, comprised of Pod, Homily and Arrietty live a quiet life behind the walls of the house, taking only what they need from its inhabitants. As the breadwinner, it falls to Pod to make nightly excursions to the outside world to provide for his family, but it’s becoming more apparent that he must soon pass on his skills to his only child. As far as the Clocks know, they are the only three Borrowers left in the world, and Arrietty needs to become self-sufficient if she’s to survive.

Arrietty prepares for her first borrowing outing

But a chance meeting with Sho threatens to expose their secretive little world, especially when the meddling housekeeper Haru begins to realize that her young house-guest is hiding something. If there’s one thing a Borrower must never do, it is be seen by a “human bean” and soon the Clock family are making plans to flee the house entirely. Could it be that there are more Borrowers out there?

The film takes several departures from Mary Norton’s book, and sadly many of the charming details of her story have been exorcised, such as Arrietty’s defence of how the Borrowers don’t steal, but simply borrow, and her astonishment in learning about the Earth’s massive population (having been led to believe all her life that humans exist solely to provide for Borrowers).

Yet Studio Ghibli adds plenty of its own magic to compensate, revelling in the challenge it sets for itself in exploring how tiny people might navigate and negotiate a giant house.

Arrietty’s bedroom

The first time Arrietty sets foot in the kitchen, the film conveys its intense vastness to a girl her size: the soft echoes, the frightening heights, the loud ticking of a clock, and the immensity of space that lies between the bench, the floor and the tabletop. The attention to detail given to perspective and spatial relationships leads to some of the film’s most innovative scenes, such as the perspective shift between Sho and Arrietty as the latter hitches a ride on the former’s shoulder. For Sho it’s a casual walk across the room, for Arrietty it’s a hurtling journey that makes her hair lift from her shoulders.

Characters:

In many ways Arrietty is a quintessential tomboy, one who scampers about the house, wields a tiny pin for a sword, and relishes any adventure that comes her way, but at the same time she’s decidedly feminine – always garbed in a pretty skirt or dress, and scrupulously checking her hair every time she scoops it up out of her face with a tiny butterfly clip.

Far from the portly and fastidious figure in Norton’s book, Arrietty’s father Pod is portrayed as strong and manly, though her mother Homily remains more faithful to Norton’s worrisome and rather excitable woman.

The human characters (or “human beans”) are not as well-realized as the Borrowers, mainly serving as an audience stand-in when it comes to interacting with the little people. (Who would you be – a Sho who respects their autonomy, or a Haru, who immediately seeks to exploit them?)

There are a number of options when it comes to the voice actors; not only the original Japanese cast, but also an English and an American dub. Unsurprisingly, I prefer the British cast. They’re far more in keeping with the original book, and include such talents as Mark Strong, Olivia Coleman, Saoirse Ronan and Geraldine McEwan.

Conclusion:

It’s always hard to know how a child will react to a film such as this, especially since children’s films these days are so relentlessly hyperactive. There’s no telling how an average five-to-ten year old will respond to the slow pace and non-eventful storyline here, especially sense the film foregoes the usual beginning/middle/end format of traditional Western films in order to tell a story that plays out more like a slice of life; a transitional phase that concludes on a very open-ended note – you may even be surprised when the credits start rolling.

And so ends our Miyazaki Film Appreciation Month(s). It’s been a lot of fun revisiting these films and enjoying the characters, storylines and artistry all over again, but my biggest hope is that readers have discovered something that they might otherwise never have come across.

Next Time:

What do you get if you cross Bruce Wayne’s millions, with Robin Hood’s bow prowess, with Robinson Crusoe’s stint on a deserted island? If you don’t know the answer, you’ll just have to tune in next time.

About The Reviewer:

Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com and her They’re All Fictional blog.

To read Rebecca’s detailed introduction of both herself and the series, as well as preceding reviews, click on:

Big Worlds On Small Screens

Windowpane

The cat rasps her claws on cabbage tree bark,
a note of bird, full chorus done.
Grasses wear a soft embalm. Twilight
could be ripped with engine roar
or the slam of a door, could be
pre-earthquake crackling. At the window
seeing through then seeing the through
— waved rippled glass
bubbled, a larger lozenge
you press your eye to:
edges fur, earth and tree,
all the old familiar ground
made queer. You live a moment of between
opened in a distraught glass. The glazier
left a perfect tear.
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© Rhian Gallagher
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~ published in Shift, Auckland University Press, 2011

Reproduced here with permission.

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This is part of what I wrote about “Windowpane’ when it first featured here on October 4, 2011:

‘I asked Rhian if I could feature Windowpane as my Tuesday Poem today because for me it has a strongly New Zealand feel, but also because of the deeply observational nature of the poem, and the way it captures that sense of experience and recollection, “now” and—in the same moment—“then.” ‘

Like all Rhian’s poetry, I feel “Windowpane” repays a re-read, so I am pleased to be shining the spotlight on it again as part of the re-feature series.

To read the rest of what I had to say in 2011, please click on:

Windowpane

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To check out the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets from around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.

Last Thursday I posted here about the very exciting WORD Christchurch Readers and Writers Festival programme for 27 – 31 August.

Laini Taylor

Elizabeth Knox

My personal part in the excitement is that on Sunday 31 August I shall be putting on my compere’s hat and chairing Elizabeth Knox (Mortal Fire) and Laini Taylor’s (Daughter Of Smoke and Bone) “Supernaturally” panel — facilitating discussion of their very successful novels but also their approach to writing and developing characters and worlds.

I hope it will prove a lively and insightful session and that we may see some of you there. 😉

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The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick

The A Geography of Haarth post series is exploring the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. Each entry is accompanied by a quote from the books in which the place appears, currently either The Heir Of Night or The Gathering Of The Lost, or both.

This week, we’re continuing our traverse of locales beginning with the letter “T.”

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Tenneward Lodge: country house belonging to the lord of the Tenneward, in Emer
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“Cicadas whirred and the poplar leaves rustled together although there was almost no breeze. Across the fields, Malian could see workers making their way home and towers of mellow stone rising above a low hill. She wondered what Lord Tenneward’s lodge would be like—and almost laughed out loud, a few minutes later, as the avenue ended in gates with stone lions, the entrance framing a house that looked larger than Normarch castle. The lodge was built of pale yellow stone, with tall windows and a creeper twining across its face. Stables and mews and kennels, all in the same yellow stone, were set on the far side of a wide graveled courtyard to the right of the house.”

~  from © The Gathering Of The Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two: Chapter 30 — The Welcome Cup

The Christchurch Writers and Readers’ Festival has revamped itself as WORD Christchurch and the very exciting 5-day programme was launched at an event hosted by The Press on Thursday 10 July.

The programme has a number of major strands that should — imho — appeal to a wide cross section. These include:

• Word and Music
• Performance Poetry
• Current international events
• Food
• Literary fiction stars — not least, Booker winner, Eleanor Catton, & fellow finalist, Noviolet Bulawayo
• Fantasy & world-building, including the graphic novel
• Crime
• YA & kids — including a strand of free events

This is ‘huge’ for Christchurch — and an exciting way to leap into spring, so if you haven’t already checked out the programme, you can do so by clicking here:

WORD Christchurch Programme: 27-31 August