If you need two assistants for your Austin date let me know. We would love to help. Also, hope that penguin I sewed for you ages ago still exist and has survived the years.
I’d love a kangaroo outfit for Boston, dude. I don’t think my subscription is up for a while, is it? Enjoy it. I stole a hard copy of Choke from Barnes and Noble in 2001. I owe you.
It may not be relevant as it isn't what you were writing about but have you ever read The Things? I very much enjoyed reading the story from the viewpoint of "The Thing."
It's "a science fiction short story by Peter Watts, revisiting the universe of John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing (derived itself from John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?") from the viewpoint of the alien. It was first published on Clarkesworld, in January 2010."
Dude, spectacular work! I'm really struggling with plot. I am bad, bad, bad at it. No seriously, I can't cleverly find a way to surprise and audience. I know it's in your nature to try and convince me of otherwise. Having said that, I read Denis Johnson's short work, THE STARLIGHT OVER IDAHO. Have you perused it? Holy Lud. After I read that, I wrote a letter to my dad and had some spiritual relief. He did himself in in 2020, April, right when COVID started ramping up.
And a part of me is losing interest in language arts. (Is that what we call it today? We used to call it that in grade school.)
I will never not love reading except when I read something exceptional and *garsh!* why didn't I think of that?! Still, there is a certain frisson (or is it jouissance?) in nourishing the spirit of covetous.
Anyway, I will keep sculpting out my little notes and . . . I don't know. Whatever the point is at the end of the day.
Wonderful essay. WWII has been on my mind a lot and your comments about popular fiction and science fiction of the 50's and 60's are spot on. I was reminded of how Lafcadio Hearn's essay on Ants (written around 1910) really surprised me. He was writing science fiction before science fiction was invented! I'll try to post his essay on my Substack.
Using genre as a proxy for dangerous writing always puts me in mind of Ira Levin and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ because of the thalidomide subtext. And speaking of Levin, I think his dystopian sci-fi novel, ‘This Perfect Day’, is his most underrated.
Hey Chuck, it's not like you ask your publisher not to give you an advance because you can't write for a couple of months, right? My subscription stays. Consider it a recurring, trustworthy advance from someone who's got total faith and trust in you.
Side note: I'm still looking forward to fly to Portland at some point. Maybe for a workshop, a reading, anything. Time is a bitch and all those days off accumulated at work won't use themselves up.
Let those kangaroos jump around. Happy tour. It'll be memorable. I wish Europe was on the list. But like my nan used to say, "Things aren't the way we want them, but just the way they come." Whatever that means.
Thank you for hammering in your concepts. They're fantastic. It almost seemed like censorship back then made people like Rod Serling think more creatively, to take problems of that day and weave them into something entertaining, which ultimately made his work timeless.
Also, you know what might be a new form of anthology television? Love, Death & Robots. The series takes sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories and animates them. I talked about it before and I'd like you to give it a peek.
And don't worry. I'm gonna keep my sub going if I can help it. If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to pull my computer from my cold dead hands. I mean, my robotic hands.
If you need two assistants for your Austin date let me know. We would love to help. Also, hope that penguin I sewed for you ages ago still exist and has survived the years.
It’s also so much more fun figuring out how to convey emotion through objects than characters.
Enjoy the Substack break, and see you on tour!
I’d love a kangaroo outfit for Boston, dude. I don’t think my subscription is up for a while, is it? Enjoy it. I stole a hard copy of Choke from Barnes and Noble in 2001. I owe you.
Thanks for the shout out about the workshop! Also, this is a great summer for pulp immersion.
1. I'm thrilled to find out we're allowed to record at the events, and it's encouraged!
2. If you have an XL kangaroo suit for Portland (or Seattle just for fun) count me in!
3. Will you announce when we should resubscribe? (I'd rather you just keep the extra revenue and not miss anything.)
4. I love to make lists!
I will see you in Denver and I guarantee you I’m too short for a kangaroo costume at 4’11.5” 😜
I want an assignment. Give me something to do, will ya?
It may not be relevant as it isn't what you were writing about but have you ever read The Things? I very much enjoyed reading the story from the viewpoint of "The Thing."
It's "a science fiction short story by Peter Watts, revisiting the universe of John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing (derived itself from John W. Campbell's story "Who Goes There?") from the viewpoint of the alien. It was first published on Clarkesworld, in January 2010."
Dude, spectacular work! I'm really struggling with plot. I am bad, bad, bad at it. No seriously, I can't cleverly find a way to surprise and audience. I know it's in your nature to try and convince me of otherwise. Having said that, I read Denis Johnson's short work, THE STARLIGHT OVER IDAHO. Have you perused it? Holy Lud. After I read that, I wrote a letter to my dad and had some spiritual relief. He did himself in in 2020, April, right when COVID started ramping up.
And a part of me is losing interest in language arts. (Is that what we call it today? We used to call it that in grade school.)
I will never not love reading except when I read something exceptional and *garsh!* why didn't I think of that?! Still, there is a certain frisson (or is it jouissance?) in nourishing the spirit of covetous.
Anyway, I will keep sculpting out my little notes and . . . I don't know. Whatever the point is at the end of the day.
No Canadian tour dates 😔
Oh no. No more Substack and homework from Mr. Palahniuk?
Wonderful essay. WWII has been on my mind a lot and your comments about popular fiction and science fiction of the 50's and 60's are spot on. I was reminded of how Lafcadio Hearn's essay on Ants (written around 1910) really surprised me. He was writing science fiction before science fiction was invented! I'll try to post his essay on my Substack.
Happy to be a lanky kangaroo in Portland if you need it. But I suspect you have plenty of volunteers on home turf.
Your thought processes are enthralling and compelling. Do share your reading list.
Using genre as a proxy for dangerous writing always puts me in mind of Ira Levin and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ because of the thalidomide subtext. And speaking of Levin, I think his dystopian sci-fi novel, ‘This Perfect Day’, is his most underrated.
Hey Chuck, it's not like you ask your publisher not to give you an advance because you can't write for a couple of months, right? My subscription stays. Consider it a recurring, trustworthy advance from someone who's got total faith and trust in you.
Side note: I'm still looking forward to fly to Portland at some point. Maybe for a workshop, a reading, anything. Time is a bitch and all those days off accumulated at work won't use themselves up.
Let those kangaroos jump around. Happy tour. It'll be memorable. I wish Europe was on the list. But like my nan used to say, "Things aren't the way we want them, but just the way they come." Whatever that means.
Thank you for hammering in your concepts. They're fantastic. It almost seemed like censorship back then made people like Rod Serling think more creatively, to take problems of that day and weave them into something entertaining, which ultimately made his work timeless.
Also, you know what might be a new form of anthology television? Love, Death & Robots. The series takes sci-fi, horror, and fantasy stories and animates them. I talked about it before and I'd like you to give it a peek.
And don't worry. I'm gonna keep my sub going if I can help it. If you wanna stop me, you're gonna have to pull my computer from my cold dead hands. I mean, my robotic hands.