How about you write about the writers you admire (here on Substack maybe? Elsewhere?) and help shine a little light on folks who may be unknown or underappreciated? I'd love to know that sort of thing -- the whos and the whys and the where we should start reading their stuff and etc.
That's a good idea. I started with a lot of political stacks here but have been weeding them out and heading more toward arts. When I've got a good enough list, I'll do that!
Particularly I'd like to hear you talk of Clive Barker and how you came to his work ... I heard you did some work on a Weaveworld TV thing, but never heard any more.
I thought Only Forward (I got a pre-release copy to review for my college magazine in about 1994 and took it home and adored it!) had a hint of his style mixed with Douglas Adams, in that you had the ability to write horrific and stark (sorry!) scenes which made the reader smile at the whimsicality of it all, but then look back and shudder at what they had casually laughed off!
And over on the fresh hell of bluesky I am told that substack is a hotbed of nazism! actually platforming them. Delightful. And what are we to do? I do object to giving them money, but until to shift to Patreon, I guess we're stuck. The media is taken over and we might as well use their platforms to organize.
My dad's house was taken over by the SS for a field station. The townsfolk were hiding out in the hills, foraging, drinking ditchwater. Fighting Nazis is a proud family tradition and I am going to continue to uphold it, though I am utterly uncertain what I can do at this point.
I am so exhausted by the "liberal v leftist" shrieking that goes on. Can we agree on our common enemy, and that we must fight that enemy with all we have? Or must we divert all our strength to a purity campaign. Right now, aside from a few Black women who are given airtime, and of course AOC, Washington seems to be composed of jellyfish.
Do not get me started on the sheer stupidity we run into every single second. My rage gland is already overactive.
Back to the tax returns, though I am told that the IRS is going to dissolve any minute. HAH. So very unlikely.
Yeah, I suspect the IRS will keep going long enough to keep taking our money ;-)
And yes, there's definitely some explicit nazis and anti-semites here. There are everywhere, though. I think we just have to drown them out. And fight them... making it a proud family tradition for all of us.
It's always beer-o-clock, so I'm about to ramble a bit. It's really hard to fight the tide. Christa has a book coming out in 2 weeks. I had a cover reveal today for mine. I know there's more. There's art out there to celebrate (not necessarily mine, but I think you get what I'm saying). The way this tide will turn is through art. Art feeds us in a way that builds us up so that we can endure and make change. I might be a pagan, but art to me is more powerful than the gods. I get what your grandmother is saying. It's a wince-worthy statement to stay positive. But I say stay powerful. Mike, whatever you create here, on paper, for the screen, that's art and that's staying powerful, even if it feels more like a bit of origami stuck in a tree after a storm.
How about telling us about your writing process, what a typical day as a writer involves. How do you motivate yourself. How do you know if what you have written is any good or not. I toy with the idea of writing, but life gets in the way, and there are too many good books to read...
"And maybe most of all myself, for being a self-righteous twat sitting here angrily typing about all this — rather than contributing anything of real value to the world."
That’s just not true. You know how I know? Because I’ve been in that place—questioning whether what I do matters—and I came out the other side knowing that I am making a difference. And so are you.
Making a difference doesn’t have to be some grand, world-changing act. It’s in the way we build, nurture, and strengthen our communities. It’s in the time we invest in local causes, in the businesses we support, in the way we show up for the people around us. And Mike, I see you doing that. What you contribute does matter. More than you probably realize.
And this writing you do? It has weight. It has impact. It has mattered to me. I'm grateful for you.
Thank you April — that means a lot. And I shall keep typing... and I guess we all just keep doing whatever we can in the hope it makes a difference somewhere!
Thank you Stephen — and I've been really glad to see you calling this shit out over on FB. My one hope is that all this starts to firm up a coalition of Empathetic Sane People...
How about some articles on pairing up diverse pieces of art? Which Rolling Stones song best matches Dune? Or Death of a Salesman? Or A Fistful of Dollars? Which Dickens book adaptation would be best directed by David Lynch or David Lean or Greta Gerwig? Which painter goes best with a soundtrack by Bach or Rachmaninov or Glass? What particular qualities do those artworks in different forms have in common?
I’d like you to write about my art, no seriously, I’d love to read your musings on other art forms, you’ve done some on music. And yes to you revisiting your own work, such as how much the slow meander through genres form straight up horror, comedic sci-fi via Hannah Green to thrillers has occurred, was it all you or external forces, I love it all but I’m sure there are fans out there down the years screaming pick a lane (pick a name), stay strong this shit show too shall pass but never soon enough, be well
Thank you Seamus — and hopefully sanity will prevail. Some writing about art... hadn't thought of that! And maybe a look back at my own stuff... though I don't want to seem too self-referential... might be interesting... hmm. Thank you for the ideas!
I'm in Canada, so... yeah, fuck all of y'all ''Merica is the greatest country in the world!" asshats. But Michael, you're an intelligent, creative, and passionate person... so *use* that. You've written books about some of the sickest, nastiest, most perverse people and societies, and it's always been both entertaining and, well, redemptive to the reader (and, I'd hope, to you as the creator?). Brian Koppleman talks about how anger is a never-ending source of energy, but it doesn't burn clean. That sounds very much like a description of one of your characters - and maybe a part of you, I'd wager. Sounds like it's time for you to ignite that flame, and maybe light up some folks who deserve to burn?
What I want to say is "But nothing. Just do the fucking thing!" 🫵
But what I should say is that I have no knowledge of how the business works. But given the helplessness we are all feeling right now, I'd suggest (full disclosure: I'm a psychologist) to use whatever tools & talents one has, and simply *do something*. It'll help pass the time, maybe make you feel like you're at least being productive, and could even lead to something that'll help others. Plus, doing nothing just digs us deeper into the hole, and apathy drove us to this hellhole in the first place, didn't it? I feel like we're in a "shit or get off the pot" kind of an age, and it's empowering to do something so long as it's something other than just complaining (not to imply that that's all you're doing). I'll shut up now :)
“I inherited from my father the belief that you don’t vote for who’s right for you, but who’s best for the majority of people in the country, most especially those worse off than you.”
Perhaps focus on the real resisters, the people going to the town hall meetings, many of whom voted for Trump, who have awakened, and those already awake, who are demanding Democracy and the rule of law, on their behalf and the behalf of those even more vulnerable.
I enjoy your writing on art, books, ideas—and I think your voice is an important weapon against authoritarianism.
I like several of the ideas put forward here. I’d also add that I miss your photography. I feel like that, and music, and stories, and film, are all things we can usefully spend our attention on. Yes, we have to be vigilant and appalled, and the fact that so many people treated a watershed election as a swipe-left-or-right trivial piece of business is enraging…. But the better things about us as humans matter, and are under threat, and we must continue to celebrate them. I hope you will show us the way!
How about you write about the writers you admire (here on Substack maybe? Elsewhere?) and help shine a little light on folks who may be unknown or underappreciated? I'd love to know that sort of thing -- the whos and the whys and the where we should start reading their stuff and etc.
That's a good idea. I started with a lot of political stacks here but have been weeding them out and heading more toward arts. When I've got a good enough list, I'll do that!
Particularly I'd like to hear you talk of Clive Barker and how you came to his work ... I heard you did some work on a Weaveworld TV thing, but never heard any more.
I thought Only Forward (I got a pre-release copy to review for my college magazine in about 1994 and took it home and adored it!) had a hint of his style mixed with Douglas Adams, in that you had the ability to write horrific and stark (sorry!) scenes which made the reader smile at the whimsicality of it all, but then look back and shudder at what they had casually laughed off!
Personally, I'm happy to be furious alongside you!
ARGHHHHHHH
It's always time for a beer.
I just learned about a Swedish brewery called OMNIPOLLO which is not available near me. Sigh.
👊🏻
And over on the fresh hell of bluesky I am told that substack is a hotbed of nazism! actually platforming them. Delightful. And what are we to do? I do object to giving them money, but until to shift to Patreon, I guess we're stuck. The media is taken over and we might as well use their platforms to organize.
My dad's house was taken over by the SS for a field station. The townsfolk were hiding out in the hills, foraging, drinking ditchwater. Fighting Nazis is a proud family tradition and I am going to continue to uphold it, though I am utterly uncertain what I can do at this point.
I am so exhausted by the "liberal v leftist" shrieking that goes on. Can we agree on our common enemy, and that we must fight that enemy with all we have? Or must we divert all our strength to a purity campaign. Right now, aside from a few Black women who are given airtime, and of course AOC, Washington seems to be composed of jellyfish.
Do not get me started on the sheer stupidity we run into every single second. My rage gland is already overactive.
Back to the tax returns, though I am told that the IRS is going to dissolve any minute. HAH. So very unlikely.
Yeah, I suspect the IRS will keep going long enough to keep taking our money ;-)
And yes, there's definitely some explicit nazis and anti-semites here. There are everywhere, though. I think we just have to drown them out. And fight them... making it a proud family tradition for all of us.
It's a lot more than that. If you are on the bsky, Imani Gandy has the whole story.
I have two machetes. I am ready.
Have you thought about reconsidering your old short stories and novels and writing about them?
Hmm. Very interesting idea - thank you!
It's something I've been considering doing for mine for a while.
I like this idea!
Hi. I read "Hannah Green and her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence" recently. I'd love to know more about Vaneclaw. :)
Ha - me too! I kind of miss him...
Books. Right now books are keeping me sane:). Of course I don’t live in the states…
Never felt anything like I did yesterday — all of the sane people of a nation appalled at once.
It's always beer-o-clock, so I'm about to ramble a bit. It's really hard to fight the tide. Christa has a book coming out in 2 weeks. I had a cover reveal today for mine. I know there's more. There's art out there to celebrate (not necessarily mine, but I think you get what I'm saying). The way this tide will turn is through art. Art feeds us in a way that builds us up so that we can endure and make change. I might be a pagan, but art to me is more powerful than the gods. I get what your grandmother is saying. It's a wince-worthy statement to stay positive. But I say stay powerful. Mike, whatever you create here, on paper, for the screen, that's art and that's staying powerful, even if it feels more like a bit of origami stuck in a tree after a storm.
I suspect you're right, Maria — and doggedly shoving art out there is one of the few ways forward. Love the cover, BTW!
Thank you!
Oh and the artist Tim lives in Bristol. Love him.
Given that The Straw Men is the book I've re-read the most, how about writing about yours?
As in writing about my books, or the books I've re-read the most? And I'm delighted to hear that you've enjoyed it enough to re-read...
The books that made a big enough impact on you that you read them more than once.
Aha, okay. I'll start making a list!
How about telling us about your writing process, what a typical day as a writer involves. How do you motivate yourself. How do you know if what you have written is any good or not. I toy with the idea of writing, but life gets in the way, and there are too many good books to read...
That's a great idea - thank you.
"And maybe most of all myself, for being a self-righteous twat sitting here angrily typing about all this — rather than contributing anything of real value to the world."
That’s just not true. You know how I know? Because I’ve been in that place—questioning whether what I do matters—and I came out the other side knowing that I am making a difference. And so are you.
Making a difference doesn’t have to be some grand, world-changing act. It’s in the way we build, nurture, and strengthen our communities. It’s in the time we invest in local causes, in the businesses we support, in the way we show up for the people around us. And Mike, I see you doing that. What you contribute does matter. More than you probably realize.
And this writing you do? It has weight. It has impact. It has mattered to me. I'm grateful for you.
Thank you April — that means a lot. And I shall keep typing... and I guess we all just keep doing whatever we can in the hope it makes a difference somewhere!
Thank you for your honesty Mike. It’s precious to me. We are horrified too. But if is good to see others putting our disgust into words. Sending love.
Thank you Stephen — and I've been really glad to see you calling this shit out over on FB. My one hope is that all this starts to firm up a coalition of Empathetic Sane People...
How about some articles on pairing up diverse pieces of art? Which Rolling Stones song best matches Dune? Or Death of a Salesman? Or A Fistful of Dollars? Which Dickens book adaptation would be best directed by David Lynch or David Lean or Greta Gerwig? Which painter goes best with a soundtrack by Bach or Rachmaninov or Glass? What particular qualities do those artworks in different forms have in common?
Wow - that's a super-interesting idea. Hmm. Will think on that. Thank you!
Yes please!
I’d like you to write about my art, no seriously, I’d love to read your musings on other art forms, you’ve done some on music. And yes to you revisiting your own work, such as how much the slow meander through genres form straight up horror, comedic sci-fi via Hannah Green to thrillers has occurred, was it all you or external forces, I love it all but I’m sure there are fans out there down the years screaming pick a lane (pick a name), stay strong this shit show too shall pass but never soon enough, be well
Thank you Seamus — and hopefully sanity will prevail. Some writing about art... hadn't thought of that! And maybe a look back at my own stuff... though I don't want to seem too self-referential... might be interesting... hmm. Thank you for the ideas!
I'm in Canada, so... yeah, fuck all of y'all ''Merica is the greatest country in the world!" asshats. But Michael, you're an intelligent, creative, and passionate person... so *use* that. You've written books about some of the sickest, nastiest, most perverse people and societies, and it's always been both entertaining and, well, redemptive to the reader (and, I'd hope, to you as the creator?). Brian Koppleman talks about how anger is a never-ending source of energy, but it doesn't burn clean. That sounds very much like a description of one of your characters - and maybe a part of you, I'd wager. Sounds like it's time for you to ignite that flame, and maybe light up some folks who deserve to burn?
Thank you... and maybe you're right. As always it's a question of how to get it in front of people, but...
What I want to say is "But nothing. Just do the fucking thing!" 🫵
But what I should say is that I have no knowledge of how the business works. But given the helplessness we are all feeling right now, I'd suggest (full disclosure: I'm a psychologist) to use whatever tools & talents one has, and simply *do something*. It'll help pass the time, maybe make you feel like you're at least being productive, and could even lead to something that'll help others. Plus, doing nothing just digs us deeper into the hole, and apathy drove us to this hellhole in the first place, didn't it? I feel like we're in a "shit or get off the pot" kind of an age, and it's empowering to do something so long as it's something other than just complaining (not to imply that that's all you're doing). I'll shut up now :)
“I inherited from my father the belief that you don’t vote for who’s right for you, but who’s best for the majority of people in the country, most especially those worse off than you.”
Perhaps focus on the real resisters, the people going to the town hall meetings, many of whom voted for Trump, who have awakened, and those already awake, who are demanding Democracy and the rule of law, on their behalf and the behalf of those even more vulnerable.
I enjoy your writing on art, books, ideas—and I think your voice is an important weapon against authoritarianism.
This is good advice — there is a REAL resistance out there.
I like several of the ideas put forward here. I’d also add that I miss your photography. I feel like that, and music, and stories, and film, are all things we can usefully spend our attention on. Yes, we have to be vigilant and appalled, and the fact that so many people treated a watershed election as a swipe-left-or-right trivial piece of business is enraging…. But the better things about us as humans matter, and are under threat, and we must continue to celebrate them. I hope you will show us the way!
I shall try ;-) And yes, I'd like to get back to some more pictures. I kind of burned out on them after a while, but I've had a few years off, so...