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Wednesday, November 11
Something for Remembrance Day
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 11 Nov 2009 09:44 AM GMT
This is a prose piece + a haiga – a haigun maybe?
Lieutenant Joseph Phillips’ lonely memorial
One day, driving down a Norfolk byway, I spotted this lonely, neglected wooden cross, silhouetted against a country skyline. I asked a neighbour. He said it was erected to mark the place where a cornered German bomber pilot, shot-down during World War Two, had been beaten to death by angry locals before he could be rescued by the authorities. Intrigued, as this was the first I’d heard of any Luftwaffe pilot suffering such a fate in the UK, I did a little research. The truth wasn’t hard to find. This was no guilty memorial to a hapless Nazi but a cross to mark the site where a Canadian pilot had crashed in 1917, after steering his stricken plane clear of the nearby town of Harleston. By his efforts he saved lives that day. By his efforts, he lost own. Fatally wounded, he a few hours later. And so it comes down to this: within the space of three generations, a hero’s honest death reduced to a forgotten, crumbling cross and a muddied, muddled memory.
Wednesday, October 21
Is three the magic number - a modest rant
by
Charles Christian
on Wed 21 Oct 2009 08:03 PM BST
I'm currently in the middle of reading And Another Thing – Eoin Colfer's sequel to Douglas Adams' Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy series – but last night I suddenly realised that, frankly, I didn't give a damn (copyright Gone with the Wind) about the characters or the outcome of the story. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Eoin's writing or plotting or jokes – it's just that six parts into the trilogy, I'm getting Dent/Ford/Trillian/Zaphod fatigue. The novelty value has gone, the story and the characters have been flogged to death – I no longer care – it's time to move on with my life.
Yes, I did say this was the sixth part of the trilogy – and this brings me to the nub of this rant, namely are three volumes, episodes or whatever the most any creative writer (or team) can manage before the storylines start to pall? And I'm taking here about stories etc that are written as three-part trilogies, as distinct from series of short stories, novels etc that feature or 'star' the same characters (Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple etc etc).
Look at the examples... The first three on the Hitch-Hikers Guides were great but the next two – So Long and Thanks for all the Fish and Mostly Harmless – sorry, not so memorable. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings – fantastic – but The Silmarillion ? Strictly for Middle-Earth anoraks. Another oldie – Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy in the early 1950s (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) – these were outstanding books. But the Extended Foundation follow-ups in the decade before his death in 1992? Strictly so-whatsville – with people like me left thinking 'actually that's spoiled my memories of the original'. Then there is Frank Herbert's Dune series – the first three (Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune) – good, but getting weaker towards the end. But, after that – three more novels by Frank and another 12 by his son – sorry but the law of diminishing returns kicks in. This is overkill.
And, it is not just books. In fact probably the worst example of three being the magic number but any more risks killing the franchise, is with the StarWars movies. The original 1970s-80s Harrison Ford trilogy (StarWars IV to VI – A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi) – are quite rightly rated as being among the most popular movies ever made. But the prequel trilogy – starting with The Phantom Menace in 1999 and ending with Revenge of the Sith (which I fell asleep watching on a transatlantic flight)... Oh Mr Lucas, why did you do it? (And, talking of Harrison Ford – I'm not sure the recent fourth Indiana Jones outing was such a good idea?)
So there you have it – three episodes good – the classic trilogy. But go further, to a quartet or beyond – and you risk pushing the credibility of your characters and plots – as well as the interest, patience and attention of your audiences. But feel free to disagree with me on this blog's comments page.
Tuesday, October 20
Back to some haikai - a new tanka
by
Charles Christian
on Tue 20 Oct 2009 08:44 PM BST
over a fish supper
my wife discusses
a friend's breast reduction op
i'm squeezing ketchup
...when she mentions burst stitches
Thursday, September 3
New sci-fi story published in Paraphilia magazine
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 03 Sep 2009 02:57 PM BST
Big
thank you to Paraphila Magazine for publishing by SF short story
Kastellorizon in issue 4 of their glorious zine - it's a tale of the
power of love in the face of adversity - oh yes, and there are some
killer aliens who wipe out half the human race but apart from that it is a romance. You can download it at http://www.paraphiliamagazine.com/magazine.html
Thursday, August 20
Observations from four miles high
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 20 Aug 2009 02:02 PM BST
I flew down from Edinburgh yesterday – I'd been visiting the Fringe festival – on the flight-path to Norwich than runs down the east coast and goes over my old hometown of Scarborough. I had a window seat and my observations resulted in this haiku and tanka...
4 miles high, view so clear –
a speedboat’s wake seen
circling the headland
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
against the clouds
3 concentric circles
each one a perfect rainbow
surrounding the plane’s silhouette
like a roundel
Saturday, August 15
Country living – illustrated light verse
by
Charles Christian
on Sat 15 Aug 2009 08:29 PM BST
Sunday, July 19
Found tanka prose - from Russia with love
by
Charles Christian
on Sun 19 Jul 2009 09:11 PM BST
Here's a little piece of 'found' tanka-prose (like haibun but with a tanka, rather than haiku suffix) based on a spam mailing that arrived in my in-box the other day. Apart from editing out the gibberish and re-ordering some of the lines, its pretty much as is. I've even included the picture of 'Tasha' that was enclosed – tho I suspect that if I ever followed up this message, I'd find myself being hunted down by some black-clad, crone of a Babushka with legs like the hut of Baba Yaga.
MINE NAME IS TASHA
Hello!!! How are you? Thanks for your letter!!!
Well, let's begin our e-mail acquaintance?!!!
As you already know, mine name is Tasha.
It not my true name, it’s my nickname on the internet.
My real name is Tatyana
but I love more when people call me Tasha.
I want that you sent me also some photos of you. Agree?
What it is more interesting to communicate and receive a photo?
It will be remarkable to have your photo on my computer
and to look at you more often. I will wait it.
It is a pity but I really have few photos on my computer.
I will send some photos with this letter.
Inform me what you think about them.
Do not hesitate because I love compliments!!!
I will tell to you not much about me. Mine name is Tasha.
I go in for sports at leisure because it is my second work.
Certainly, I love sports and am a very sports person.
In my free time I like to walk in park.
For me the season and weather is not important.
I think this very good and useful to health.
Sometimes it is necessary to have a break
from dirty city air and to leave on the nature!
Sometimes, when it turns out nice
I happen on picnics with my girlfriends on the nature.
I love animals. Especially I love cats and dogs.
I have three dogs which live at my summer residence.
In cold time they live at my place. You love cats?
Right now on my knees sits my cat Tomis
who also helps me to write you this letter:))
I can assure you that I wish to learn you better!
It will be good if you tell to me more about your hobby?
You like to read books? You prefer what literature?
I love detectives and books about psychology.
Well, I think that I will stop writing this letter.
I think next time I will tell to you more about my family
and why I search for relationships on the internet!
I hope it will be interesting for you to learn it?
If it is interesting then I will tell it to you.
Mine name is Tasha. I wish you a good and sated day!
e-mail order brides
spamming the West for men
Iron Curtain down
PC firewalls up
...from Russia with love
Thursday, May 28
Chelsea Flower Show haiga
by
Charles Christian
on Thu 28 May 2009 10:01 PM BST
Monday, May 11
Two new haiga - sex and cars
by
Charles Christian
on Mon 11 May 2009 09:32 PM BST
Two new haiga (words & photos by me) on the subject of sex and cars – what else is there!! 
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