Over the last few weeks I’ve posted about some of my Christmas – New Year viewing and reading. Obviously the holiday’s been over for some time now, but it’s still appropriate to talk about Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed (first published in 1974) in that context, because I picked it up in a secondhand bookshop in Picton, while waiting to cross from the South Island to the North on the Cook Strait ferry.

A fact that resonated when I began reading, because The Dispossessed is a tale of two worlds, Anarres and Urras, that lie in close proximity (Anarres is, in fact, the moon of Urras) and whose people were originally one. Now, by choice and treaty, dealings between the two are restricted to a closely controlled trade, all of which is limited to one spaceport. In terms of a setting, it’s as if NZ’s North and South Islands decided to limit all their dealings to a trade that could only occur in Picton, and where the traders and sailors from the North Island could never go beyond the port limits.

The reasons for this division in The Dispossessed is political, with the people of Anarres having departed persecution in Urras to establish a libertarian-anarchist society on its moon, with the basis of the agreement being that they would never return. For those who associate libertarianism with the thought and writings of Ayn Rand, I note that the society of Anarres is modeled more closely on the ideas of William Godwin and Prince Kropotkin’s famous treatise, Mutual Aid.

The Dispossessed is centered on the character of Shevek, an Anarres’ physicist whose work on the Principle of Simultaneity offers the potential to revolutionize interstellar communication and travel. It is written in alternating sections. Those in Anarres chart the course of Shevek’s life, leading to his revolutionary decision to self-exile to Urras in order to develop his work more fully. The second storyline is set in Urras, following that fateful decision.

The Dispossessed is a character study, exploring the personality and thought and influences that shape Shevek and his work. It is also an exploration of social and political difference, including how those differences shape and are shaped by misogyny, sexism, and sexual mores. The book also establishes two distinct worlds within Ursula Le Guin’s larger interstellar civilization, a loose affiliation of worlds that will become known as the Ekumen. In addition, the narrative explores the scientific thought underpinning the Principle of Simultaneity.

In other words, The Dispossessed works at several different narrative levels and in my view represents Ursula Le Guin at the height of her powers, as does her equally famous novel The Left Hand of Darkness. The latter has been one of my favourite books for a long time, but The Dispossessed has now joined it on the favourites’ shelf.

The edition I bought was published as part of Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series, a title that is apposite to the work, imho. I also note that The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed both won the Hugo and the Nebula Awards for Best Novel, deservedly in my view, as both are outstanding works of fiction.

The edition I acquired in the Picton secondhand bookshop was a paperback, 336 pages, brought out in 1999.

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The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:

“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”

~ from my Legend Award Finalist’s Interview, 2013

Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, by name, of course!

At present, we’re currently in the realms of “L” – a popular one for names in the Haarth world. 😉

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Ler: a marine escorting Lord Nimor, the Sea House envoy

Kalan laid about him with the longer of the black blades … Reith was fighting alongside him for a time, then Ler took his place, covering the retreat until the Darksworn horn sounded again and more cavalry swept forward.

~ from Daughter of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three – Chapter 49, The Burned Man

Naturally “self-isolating”…

Several times last year, I posted on the solitary aspect to the writing life. (I’ve included the links below in case you would like to take a look, or revisit.)

For me, periods of solitude are a necessary part of the creative process, but within which I sometimes find myself “listening to the silence.” Possibly because I seek my necessary solitude in relatively solitary places.

On almost every occasion, though, I realize that what I am hearing is not silence at all. Being near the sea, the waves are a constant background murmur on even the calmest days. Some days, needless to say, they roar – but I would not describe those days as silent, not in any way. 😉

Amid the solitude

Listening past the sea’s voice, a myriad other constants may be discerned: the tweet and twitter of birds, the hum of insects, and the sound of leaves, moved by the wind. The occasional voice, or car engine, or dog barking, provides a “pop” that marks the contrast.

Whenever I stop and consciously listen, I become aware of how these background sounds create a texture that shapes my perception of milieu just as much, if not as overtly, as what I see.

Unquestionably, I bring this awareness to my writing in order to create atmosphere and to “worldbuild.” The process is not always conscious, any more than experiencing the complexity of apparent silence. Yet just as I occasionally pause to consciously listen to the silence, when writing I will actively consider the sounds – and other attributes – that best support the mood or physical environment I wish to convey.

All of which led me to decide this was an “Inside The Writing Life” post, although it arose, quite simply, out of pausing to listen.

These little guys always have a lot to say — Fantail; credit, B Miller

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Those Earlier Posts:

Writing In A Time of Corona Virus – March 23

Inside The Writing Life: “Naturally Self-Isolating” – May 28

Inside The Writing Life: Fun With Friends – September 17

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Hey, hey — my US editor (the wonderful Kate Nintzel) has let me know that Daughter of Blood (The Wall Of Night, Book 3) is a Kindle Monthly Deal for February, so will be available at the ‘bargain basement’ price of 0.99c throughout that time. 😉

The qualifiers are that it’s for the USA/Canada and their related markets only, and being Kindle it’s also ebook only.

But for those of you who’re ‘over there’ it’s a great opportunity, whether buying for y’ownself or as a gift for someone else — and, of course, if you know someone else who may be interested, please do let them know.

I’m working on the assumption, of course, that those of you who follow me here are already convinced it’s a good book. 😀

There’s more info here:

HarperVoyagerUS: Daughter Of Blood

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And here’s a wee excerpt, just to get in the spirit…

Prologue

Tongues of lightning flashed out of a bruised sky, the wildfire flickering along a broken colonnade before splitting apart around a man’s tall figure. Dead leaves drifted to either side as the rift in the air closed, but no ripple disturbed the length of the newcomer’s surcote, white over blue-black mail, or the fall of his long hair as he passed beneath a crumbling arch and into an open court, bounded by twelve paired pillars. A wide pool lay on its far side, with shallow steps leading out onto a stone platform where a woman gazed into the motionless depths. Her gossamer sleeves stirred in a slight breeze, but otherwise she was as still as the surrounding water and did not turn when the man joined her.

…

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Later today, the second in my Magic Systems in Fantasy series will be posting on the Supernatural Underground (sometime earlyish on February 1, US Standard Time.)

This month I’m interviewing Teresa Frohock about the magic in her LOS NEFILIM series, with a particular focus on A Song With Teeth, the final novel in the current trilogy, which will be OUT on February 9!

Regulars here have no doubt grokked to the fact I am a Teresa Frohock fan, as well as a friend-in-writing, but even allowing for a certain degree of natural bias, I have to tell you that her A’s to my Q’s are absolutely “stonking.” (With thanks to the excellent Rosie Cooper for adding so evocative a word to my lexicon. 🙂 )

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Meanwhile, here’s a taster:

“TF: For those who haven’t read the series, the nefilim work their magic through music, light, and movement by creating sigils. They experience sound accompanied by color—a form of chromesthesia—that enables them to use the vibrations of color to shape their sigils, which manifest their willpower into reality. 

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The world the nefilim inhabit is the very real world of the early twentieth century, so their magic is quite often dependent on the science and music of the period. As they learn new things, they incorporate this knowledge into spells. A good example is Carme’s fascination with the Devil’s Fingers [Clathrus archeri], a type of fungus that she mimics with a very nasty spell that she inflicts on her enemies. …”

And there is so much moar, all equally indepth and offering a wonderful insight into the LOS NEFILIM world.
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I’ll be checking in again later this evening to add the specific link for the Q&A — & here it is!

An Interview with T Frohock — Talking Magic in A Song With Teeth & the Los Nefilim Series

But you can also just click on the main Supernatural Underground link. The  Q&A should be at the top of the masthead for a couple of days, if you take that route — and only a very brief scrolldown, after that. 😀

Meanwhile, why not take a look at last month’s interview with AK Wilder, if you havena already:

Magic Systems in Fantasy: AK Wilder Talks Crown Of Bones with Helen Lowe on the Supernatural Underground

Or check out what I had to say about LOS NEFILIM in my Romance in Fantasy series in 2019 (also on the SU):

#8 Teresa Frohock’s Where Oblivion Lives and Endless Love

The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:

“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”

~ from my Legend Award Finalist's Interview, 2013

Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, by name, of course!

At present, we’re currently in the realms of “L.” 🙂

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Lawr: an honor guard, serving the House of Night
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“[Asha] had been promoted from the Keep garrison after the Swarm attack five years before, one of the few guards who had managed to survive the ambush that killed the former Keep Commander and most of his troop. Her shield comrade, Lawr, another survivor of that disaster, was on watch … in the darkness beyond their camp perimeter.”

~ from The Gathering Of The Lost, The Wall Of Night Book Two – Chapter 28, Border Crossing
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“Doesn’t this place creep you?” Asha asked Garan, “It’s vast, but so empty, too… The only voice you hear in this whole wing, outside our rooms, is the wind?” …

“No wonder they needed nursemaiding,” Lawr said, from his place by the fire. “I don’t think any of the old Lady’s lot had even been outside their towers before.” He paused, frowning. “And there aren’t enough of them to hold even half of this great pile, assuming they know how to do it.”

~ from Daughter of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three – Chapter 13, Watch and Ward

Along with film and television viewing, a rainy Christmas – New Year break also presented the opportunity to settle in with a good book.

The standout read was definitely Jane Harper’s The Dry (genre: police procedural/murder mystery.) The protagonist Aaron Falk, an officer with the Australian federal police, returns to his hometown in the rural hinterland, to attend the funeral of his boyhood best friend, who appears to have murdered his family then committed suicide.

Not unexpectedly, plot-wise, the apparent murder-suicide increasingly looks like murder committed by a third party (or parties.) Also, not unexpectedly for the genre, the death of Falk’s friend is tied to another unresolved death from their shared childhood in the same community.

What makes a book standout, though, is not necessarily whether the story steps outside the norms of its genre, but the combination of character interest, narrative depth, and the “texture” of the community of family, friends, and suspects, as well as the cultural and physical landscape within which the story unfolds.

Jane Harper delivers the goods in all these areas. I particularly liked the depth of Aaron Falk’s character. The story not explores the ramifications of the current crime, but also the effect of the past death in shaping his character and relationships, including with his father and with the dead best friend, along with others in their childhood peer group.

On occasion, literature is discussed as if character and plot driven stories are mutually exclusive. In my view, the best stories deliver on both – and The Dry does this “in spades.” (No pun intended. 😉 ) I particularly liked that I did not start to suspect the actual perpetrator, or their motivation, until immediately before the big reveal. I also really liked the way the events of the past and present resolved. In fact, I found the ending, along with every other aspect of the book, extremely satisfying.

I was not at all surprised to learn that The Dry was a New York Times bestseller. As you may have guessed, I’m recommending it highly.

The Dry has also been made into a film, starring Eric Bana. I haven’t seen it yet, but I hope to soon.

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Disclosure: I read my sister’s copy of the book, which is the mass market paperback version. The Dry was first published by Macmillan in 2016.

I know, I know, I am clearly shallow – but I liked it!

For starters, the French settings (especially in this time of Covid when travel is largely on hold) are ooh-la-la, in the most pristine of tourism-poster ways, and as for the clothes— Did I say ooh-la-la already? Well, I’m saying it again!

While I am not a fashionista at all, I can appreciate the art, so thoroughly enjoyed the ensembles Emily and other cast members got to wear. Another scene, another ensemble – but I am not saying that like it’s a bad thing.

OK, a great many of the characters are clichéd – but they strut their clichés with panache. Plus the show is lighthearted and funny, which is what you (I!) want in a comedy. And although I understand it’s been described as “ridiculous”, I felt that was pretty much the point…

Mindy

An aspect of the show I felt was a strength was the women’s friendship between Emily, Mindy, and Camille, along with the brief appearance of Mindy’s friend Li. (There is a wrinkle in the friendship angle, but no spoilers…)

The other strength of the show, one that saved it from being mere eye-candy floss of the sort that swiftly cloys, is the way in which it canvasses—albeit within the lighthearted format—more serious subject matter. Starting with Emily’s assumption that it’s OK to come to Paris to live and work and not speak French, and carrying on with #Me,Too and the “Sexy or Sexist” conversation, along with Mindy’s need to move on from a public failure.

Emily is rom-com so of course (rolls eyes) there is a love triangle. Sometimes who you fall for can be complicated, but I am reserving judgment on how the show handles the triangle going forward. Not least because it appears to intersect several of the strengths that made Emily work for me, such as the women’s friendships and #Me,Too aspects.

On balance, though, if you’re looking for something light, funny, and with fashion pizazz, you may well enjoy Emily In Paris.

Last week I shared a few pics from the Christmas-New Year holiday, and also let fall that it had been a fairly rainy experience. The great thing about that, though, is that it totally justifies concentrating on catching up on reading and viewing, both ‘at home’ (TV!) & ‘abroad’ (cinema!)

When it came to the film viewing, the surprise positive was Nomadland. I say ‘surprise’ because I didn’t really know what I was going to see, and the format was unexpected. Nonetheless, I was immediately interested in and engaged by the film.

The unexpected format was a hybrid between a documentary and a drama, with (I believe) only two of the main characters being fictional. It was not a “docudrama”, though (imo), because the “arcs” of the main characters were fictional, albeit within a very “slice of life” format (hence putting the reference to character arcs in quote marks.)

Otherwise, the majority of those that appeared in the film were real people, the “nomads” who have chosen or been forced by circumstance to live in vans / mobile homes, following an itinerant lifestyle. I call the film “documentary” in the sense that it documents their lives, albeit through a fictional lens. Some give the impression of choosing the lifestyle voluntarily, while others move continuously in order to obtain casual seasonal employment.

Frances MacDormand as Fern

What holds it all together is the central figure of Fern, played by Frances MacDormand. Her fictional arc of an ageing woman who has lost her home and livelihood due to adverse circumstances, but whose determination to remain independent leads her into the nomadic, itinerant worker existence, provides a “window” into the lives of America’s real nomadic community.

Frances MacDormand’s performance is stoic and the narrative minimalist, the film’s physical and emotional landscapes stark. Together, this troika deliver a film experience that is understated and powerful in inverse proportion.

While the past has famously been said to be, “… a foreign country: they do things differently there” (LP Hartley, The Go-Between) I felt Nomadland opened a window into an aspect of America that was previously unknown to me, where people do indeed live in a way that is foreign to my experience. I found the viewing experience thought-provoking and rewarding. Accordingly, I’m recommending the film.

Note: I understand Nomadland is based on a book, Nomadland: Surviving America In The Twenty-first Century (W.W. Norton & Company, 2017) by Jessica Bruder. The book is non-fiction.

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Recently, a reader asked whether the character of Kalan, in The Wall Of Night series, is based on a real person.

In penning my reply, it occurred to me that others might be interested in my answer, so am sharing it here:

“Kalan isn’t based on a real person, but is his own character, one who has been shaped by the events and experiences of the narrative, which has itself evolved from my original concept. Having said that, I think stories and characters are undoubtedly shaped by the experiences and observations of the author. Such experiences and observations, though, can be very broad-based, going well beyond the author’s own life to accounts in the media, biographies and autobiographies, historical accounts, and the archetypes and traditions of myth and legend. So although I feel sure characters are born somewhere amid such material, pinpointing a particular event or other character determinant is usually very difficult, and most often impossible.”

I could have just said “no”, of course, and left it at that — but I feel this is a more interesting, as well as more informative, response. 😉

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