| Author | Message | ||
     Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.167.124.163 |
I had the pleasure of reading Joel's very handsome PS novella The Witnesses are Gone yesterday. I was supposed to just take a quick sneak peak at the opening chapter yesterday evening- and then I just couldn't stop...The book is impossible to put down (except when I had to check that detail in my Von Trier book- there was rien-nada- at least on a first investigation) An ectoplasmic existential thriller that intensifies layer by layer with writing that becomes increasingly crisp as reality begins to crumble- pair that with some very justified political outrage- and you've got a no holds barred descent into darkness, uncertainity, obsession. Already a candidate for one of the best novellas of the year. Oh and if someone says Cent franks I'll always be reminded of a particular scene from this book. Highly recommended. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
My copy was waiting for me when we arrived back from New York - can't wait to read it. | ||
| Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.167.124.163 |
In reading this I was reminded of the films of Kenneth Anger and Maya Deren- particularly her film 'Meshes of the Afternoon'. And even though Rien is mentioned here, I was thinking of the San Francisco avant guarde scene of the seventies- people like Stan Brackage, Bruce Baillie, Peter Hutton, Smith's forbidden Heavenly creatures- and the world of some of Bergman's most dreamy films. No we live in a world of grainy video, but there is no comparison to finding a sixteen or thirty-five mm print of these masters one night in the local film department. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.208.112.230 |
Joel's reading of the excerpt at Fantasycon was enough to convince me that I had to get this. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.241.143 |
My wife, who hasn't been exposed to much horror fiction, felt the tectonic plates of her world shift when she experienced Joel's reading...either that or the chair vibrated when I farted. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.208.112.230 |
That made me laugh out loud.  | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.115.127 |
Ooh, I'd forgotten this was coming out. Just ordered it... | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.241.143 |
 Started reading Joel's novella this morning and I'm half way through already. As expected, it's brilliant. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.241.143 |
Just finished this. Fuck me. It's beautiful. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 61.216.32.72 |
I've only just heard of this, and am off to order a copy. Now if someone would just reissue The Earth Wire, or bring out a 'Joel Lane's Greatest Hits'... I'm way behind in my reading. I've only just started Thieving Fear, which I've had for a few months but just haven't been able to settle down and read (in the right frame of mind) for one reason or another. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.177.115.127 |
...or bring out a 'Joel Lane's Greatest Hits' It'd have to be on Blue Note, I reckon. | ||
| Gcw (Gcw) Username: Gcw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.151.125.173 |
"Joel's reading of the excerpt at Fantasycon was enough to convince me that I had to get this." It's that one yeah? I loved that reading...tuck a copy in yer satchel for September Joel, I will have one of those. gcw | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.16.77.159 |
Can you get it on Kindle? | ||
| Karim Ghahwagi (Karim) Username: Karim Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.167.124.163 |
My copy appeared as a dog eared manuscript under my bed. No idea how it got there, and now strange things are happening around the house. | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 82.20.31.211 |
>>>Can you get it on Kindle? You askin Joel that is like someone asking Pierre Marco White whether his latest recipe will be available through McDonald's. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.233.191 |
I actually was just poking Joel in the ribs, Gary.... But now that I think on it: For short-stories or novelettes or novellas or such... how come you authors don't offer the option of selling it via pdf.? A whole book, sure, that's unwieldy... but maybe that too! But why not? Set up a PayPal account, I purchase it for a fair price, you whisk it to me in my email, I print it out, and read at my leisure. Also: instant gratification. I'm sure there's rights things involved... all that. In that case, and in this new media world, it sounds like it might be time for there to be a revolt on the prose writers' end, not just in Hollywood.... | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.208.112.230 |
I've yet to read this novella yet, so it might reference it in the book. Apologies if it does; but is the title taken from the Leonard Cohen song? Or is there another meaning? | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.215.89 |
Hi Steve. Yes it is, though which of the infinitude of meanings it has it has in the Leonard Cohen song might be echoed in my story I'm unable to guess. Thanks for your feedback and interest, comrades. I hope those of you who've just purchased the book are not disappointed by the contents. You certainly won't be disappointed by the cover, which is awesome. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.208.112.230 |
Thanks, Joel, for satisfying that itch. I'll probably be starting the novella later in the week. Looking forward to it intensely. | ||
| Steve Bacon (Stevebacon) Username: Stevebacon Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 90.210.209.176 |
I just finished this novella last night. Read it in two sittings. I thought it was superb. Forget the 'best novella', it was my favourite piece of fiction at any length I've read this year. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.176.6.105 |
Quite agree, Steve... | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.152.176.126 |
I agree with Steve B. More from me later one day. des | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.189.175 |
I've just received my copy, and it is indeed a beautifully produced book. I'm going to start reading it as soon as I've finished Thieving Fear, which I'm ashamed to admit I still haven't finished, thanks to various interruptions...  | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.154.104 |
Huw, it's difficult to find a place to read THIEVING FEAR where it doesn't feel like someone is looking over your shoulder while rolling a cigarette as thin and grimy as his fingers. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 89.168.154.205 |
Craig, here's a little bit of what you fancy: http://store.pspublishing.co.uk/acatalog/Extract_Witnesses_Are_Gone.pdf I don't have a copy yet, cos I'm skint. A grand's worth of vet bill has seen to that, and it's not like my wallet's been stuffed full of legal currency of late anyway. But I shall be having one of these soon as funds allow. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 89.168.154.205 |
(Incidentally, and without wishing to hijack Joel's thread, I think Ramsey, Probably would make a great e-book.) | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.239.57 |
Thanks, Mark - I only read to chapter 2, since I don't want to have to be frustratingly cut off "mid-stream" - enticing and delicious so far, certainly; you get a hint of what may come here. I'll have to scrape some $ together soon, methinks... time to deep-dive the sofa.... | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 80.47.222.21 |
Just finished reading this out loud to my hubs at bedtime. We both loved it. So full of mystery and of course the search for the truth behind what we perceive to be reality. | ||
| Martin Roberts (Martin_roberts) Username: Martin_roberts Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.5.239.91 |
Joel - just a quick note to let you know that Iwas not disapointed by your novella. A piece of work you have every right to be proud of... and my reward for finishing this today? The Terrible Changes arrived  | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.187.185 |
Next time just sacrifice a goat: it's quicker. Thanks, Ally and Martin. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.171.129.70 |
Santa is, I hope, bringing one in his sack for me. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 81.155.31.72 |
For fans (like me) of 'The Witnesses Are Gone', I can let them have an edition of 'Nemonymous Two' just for cost of package & postage (to me by Pay Pal) instead of the normal £7, if they mention this thread to dflewis48@hotmail.com Offer restricted to ten editions, so be quick! I have hardly more than ten left anyway. | ||
| Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 85.222.86.21 |
Just bought Joel's novella through Waterstones online. Looking forward to reading this, heard great things. | ||
| Frank (Frank) Username: Frank Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 85.222.86.21 |
I read this in one sitting last night. I'm almost speechless with admiration. My favourite novella/novel of the year. The writing ached with a beautiful intensity, and simply sucked me right in. This is exactly the reason I read horror. It had everything I cherish and hope for in a book. Masterly. It was hard getting back to the keyboard and my novel today because mine is about horror cinema, and seems pale and shoddy by comparison. But it is also inspirational. The book affected me so much that I had a dream in which Joel was being interviewed by Ramsey on Radio Merseyside. An utterly mesmerizing book. Many thanks Joel for letting us in. The journey was frightening, but well worth the price of admission. One gripe: I loved it so much I wish it hadn't ended. I wished it were longer so I could have carried on reading it today. But that's not really a gripe, but a compliment. | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
He is one of the greats, Frank. I was similarly impressed after reading 'The Earth Wire' collection. Some authors transcend their genre origins to create a landscape of the psyche (Poe, Ballard, Dick, etc) and Joel is one of them imo. | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.37.199.45 |
Thanks, Frank and Stevie. I'm a fan writer trying to take a place among a generation of fan writers who are trying to build bridges between genre and literary fiction. I would hate to think I was one of the best because I expect the best to be a lot better than me. And I'm not fishing for compliments with that: I mean it, and think it needs no discussion. Frank, 'The Witnesses Are Gone' arose from a very bad time in my life, and was about the only compensation for that time. It seems pretty dark and deranged even to me. And the lighten up pills don't work either. | ||
| Stephen Theaker (Stephen_theaker) Username: Stephen_theaker Registered: 12-2009 Posted From: 62.30.117.235 |
Brilliant book. I especially liked the bit with the madeleine. (I got the main character's name wrong in my review.) |