The Sad Mistakes of Television & Sacrifice of Good TV

The mistakes and frequent stupidity of television often amazes me.  The long list of tragic mistakes is eternal, though I have a short personal list of issues that have bugged me.  The blame is wide-producers, networks, bad writing, studios, etc...but the end result is the same-the ruin  or banishment of great shows.  Often science fiction and fantasy are axed.    Tragic, especially now that we are in an age of mostly rotten unimaginative TV.  The few good shows struggle while wretched cheap reality shows, boring law or medical dramas or shows with toilet humor prevail.  So, here is my list of  some  great shows that were cancelled by the idiots that rule TV/or some plain stupid moves that give me a headache.  It is a short list as I could never list them all.

1.  Firefly.  One of the best science fiction shows with a great cast and massive potential crushed after barely a dozen episodes.  Nathan Fillion was perfect and the dream ended too quickly.  Shame on you TV!

2.  SciFi Channel Demise.  Now for some reason the channel is now called SYFY???  And they show wrestling?  Beyond stupidity and I now pronounce the channel sehffee. 

3.  Original Star Trek.  The first of original science fiction shows to be treated like an unwanted stepchild.  The potential for greatness was not erased, despite its cancellation.   Yet the networks still disregard science fiction despite the great love its fans show.

4.  Crusade.  Part of the Babylon 5 franchise, I loved this show and was again disappointed when they cancelled it after 13 episodes.  Great original characters and mystery, plus they were going to clean up stuff left over from Babylon 5.  

5.  Original V Series. I loved this show and after barely a season and a big cliffhanger, they cancel it.

6.  Alien Nation.  One of the best science fiction shows made and set in a contemporary time.  They give it a big cliffhanger and cancel it.  Despite the furor that followed and the resulting TV movies that followed, it was never the same.  For shame!

7.  Beauty & The Beast.  I started watching this show with skepticism, but the two main characters of Catherine & Vincent drew me in.  Then to cancel it after 2 seasons (with another cliffhanger) and then to try to reboot the show by killing Catherine after she gives birth to Vincent's child was a violation of everything the show stood for.  It quickly ended but not before I had a bad taste in my mouth.  I own the first two seasons.  Season 3 does not exist-ever.  BAD TV DECISION!

8.  Space Rangers.  Only broadcast for 6 episodes and cancelled.  Sigh.  Another victim of network morons in suits.

9.  Robin Hood. Okay this is the newer BBC edition that I attempted.  They killed off Maid Marion (yet allowed her & Robin a quick marriage ceremony as she bled out).  I stopped watching.  Another dumbhead move.  Despite it's problems,  at least I have the 80's Robin of Sherwood that was so good, but also cancelled too early.   

10.  Adventures of Brisco County Jr.  Bruce Campbell & Kelly Rutherford at their best.  Fabulous show that had adventure, science fiction, romance, comedy, suspense in a tight package.  Perhaps you were to good for TV..but it was a crime to cancel you after 28 glorious episodes.   Sigh.  I still feel sad about this one,

11.  Moonlight.  Though I an weary of the vampire romance thing, the two stars of Moonlight (Sophia Myles & Alex O'Loughlin) raised the level with their shining characters & talent.   you cared about them.  With barely a season of episodes they cancelled it.  RIP Moonlight.

That is my short list of television sins.   I have more of course, but I must get back to writing.

Verna McKinnon  

Write, write, write

Okay, between bouts of frantic games of Plants vs. Zombies & Scrabble online, I am writing.  Writing is a strange occupation if you think about it.  We create worlds and characters in our heads and often think about cruel things to do to those characters.    My poor characters are going to be put through many many tortures in the next 3 Familiar's Tale books-but I am also a believer on happy endings-for some.

I am also angling to play Skyrim-we just bought the game.  Nothing boosts the creative juices like a dragon chasing you whilst you try not to pee your armor.   But in between I am getting some great stuff written for book 3 and the new fantasy book for a new series.  So, as I am off work today in Seattle due to freezing blizzard conditions, I shall put my creative juices to proper use and write a new chapter of excitement where Mellypip is trying to teach a baby dragon to read.  This goes well until Mellypip's scrolls end up burning from the dragon's burps of flames when he has an upset tummy.  Dragons are very high high maintenance.

More later.

Verna McKinnon









 

New Year Coming

Happy Holidays to all my friends out there!  It is almost 2012 and I am ecstatic.  As I type it is rainy and windy here in Seattle.   But I like the rain and the feel of a new year coming.  New Year means a lot me,  It is a new beginning to start fresh-all shiny & new.  We all have the similar goals in the new year like getting fit or losing weight or getting that great job.  Some people hate doing new year resolutions, but I like the ritual of it all. 
For me, (I have a great job at last, so no fuss there) among getting fit part, is the resolution to write more.  I have books to complete and a publisher to keep happy.  I have a couple short stories coming out soon, but I need to keep doing the books.  I also want an agent.  I want to finish The Rose & Sparrow: Goblin Cabal (working title, but a new fantasy book series I am writing) and finish another Familiar's Tale novel.  My publisher Joe swears it will be soon, as soon as we have the cover art.  So I am excited about that.   Reb Brown is a genius and I cannot wait to see his work.  So my goals are clear, which is a good thing.   I also want to develop more of a following for my fan base, especially for my novels.  So to any of you out there interested, become one of my followers on my blog and also on Facebook.   I will also be doing some exciting changes to my website soon with the help of my friend Sally.  She is a genius who did my website and I am forever grateful.  I may write on a computer, but comuters do not always like me.  With my new novel Tree of Bones coming out soon, I will be posting more chapters from Gate of Souls to read, and several chapters from Tree of Bones to tantalize my readers when it is released.

So Happy New Year! 

Verna McKinnon

Respect The Pulp!

Hello Fantasy Friends,

I bought the new Conan the Barbarian movie and am going to watch it tonight with a side of chips and diet coke.  Personally, I thought Jason Mamoa made a great Conan.  This movie is (in my opinion and a lover of Robert E. Howard work) great.  Nothing will be exactly like the stories, but this adaptation is much closer to the wit,  personality & smarts of the Conan character.  Jason portrayed Conan as smart and clever, though with steely determination and a rough chivalry.  I will not comment on the first 1981 movie or the television show with the clone of Arnold.  I love old fashioned, gritty pulp writing.  Robert E. Howard short stories are the best in this genre.   Personally, I hope they make another film.   My biggest complaint is that they made is another revenge fantasy and Conan was all about the adventure and walking the misty roads of a magical, dangerous world with a glint in his eye and a sword in his hand.  Hey Jason-need someone to help with the script?  I write great dialogue and understand the genre (so  does my husband Rick Hipps).  Read my novel or check out one of my short stories.  I would love to work on a Conan film script.  A girl can dream.

Which brings me back to my first thought about respecting the pulp-understand your genres.

Back to the pulp talk.  People tend to assume a literature-fringed snobby attitude and claim they would never read this type of genre or watch films derived from it, yet so much of what we love to see in movies and read about bursts with pulpy goodness.  You think back to the greats-such as Robert E. Howard, H. Rider Haggard and many more writers that composed adventures with feral imagination.  Stay true to your story and its characters.  This goes for any genre.  The era in which Robert E. Howard wrote is gone forever, but his pulp stories will always survive the ages.  That is because pulp writing at its best conveys action and its characters spring to vibrant life off the page.  It is a genre to respect.  There are many genres because life needs variety to spice up the brain cells.  Romance has its place, as does horror, fantasy, mystery, true crime, drama, children, comedy, and more.  Pulp has many elements of course, because it can fall into any genre (crime, fantasy, horror, science fiction, adventure, etc.), but the execution of good pulp writing has a particular style of urgency.   Do not do a classic pulp-derived character like Conan and try to make a social commentary from issues in today's society.  Pick another genre for that.  For Conan and other great pulp characters, stick to the core of what the character is about-action, adventure, gritty sex, and epic quests.  Do not soften the tale with current social commentary.  Some things are universal in the world,  and do not need to be paired with unnecessary politically correct foot notes.  An example is making fairy tales politically correct.  Fairy tales are important folk tales that conveyed a harsh ancient morality and sense of justice for the suffering heroines.  They were meant to be dark.  The magic is meant to be dark.  They are not fluffy tales to read to your four year old while they hug their store bought teddy bears.  Changing them to a modern view is unpleasant and turns the characters & stories into stale white bread.  It destroys the magic.  The same goes for old-fashioned pulp-do not water it down.  Take the heart of what it is and honor it.  Do not destroy the magic.  So respect the pulp.
   

Halloween's 13 Most Fun & Scary

Happy Halloween!

I love this time of year and Halloween has always been my favorite holidays.  You get to dress up in costumes, be silly, eat candy, tell ghost stories, and watch scary movies.  There have been many great films and books about horror, but I am going to list my current 13 favorite classic movies.   I have other favs in my contemporary & TV genres, but these are classics from the 1930's to the 1960's.  Many of these films are from Universal's great horror vault where they carved out the horror genre with class and simple artistry.  Also, wonderfully scary stars like Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee lead the pack in this classic list of horror greats.

1. The Mummy (1932) with Boris Karloff and Zita Johann.  One of the early greats with a mixture of lost love, reincarnation, curses, mummies, and wonderful black & white film atmosphere. 
2. The Mummy(1959) with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.  There were many mummy movies, but after the initial classics, but they paled until this one with two giants of the horror genre.  These guys could act and always added class to the horror and fantasy films.  How could you not love Hammer Horror???  The basic tale retold with Hammer's signature mood and casting.  Always fun.    Pick any Hammer classic and you will have a good Gothic time.
3.  Dracula (1931)  This film made Bela Lugosi a star.  The signature spooky clack & white film and stark atmosphere still hold up today.
4.  Frankenstein (1931) Boris Karloff rose to greatness as Frankenstein's monster, adding yet another notch to the Universal Studios mastery of horror.
5. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) The continuation of the story finally appeared in 1935, with Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester playing both Mary Shelly and Frankenstein's bride. 
6.  The Thing From Another World (1951)  Howard Hawks production shines though it only touched on the original short story.  Both horror and sci-fi, it was great and also had strong women in the film.  A classic good for Saturday and your bowl of popcorn.
7. Curse of the Demon (1957) Dana Andrews stars in a chilling horror/film noir classic.  Though the demon might be silly by today's spoiled uber special effects generation, as a kid I found it scary.  The core of the story about cursing someone with a piece of parchment and a little poetic justice at the end still holds. 
8.  The Masque of Red Death (1964)  Vincent Price was a joy to watch in anything, but this is one of the truly dark efforts he made and his class lifted the film to a higher status.
10.  The Devil Rides Out (1968)  A rare & obscure wonderful horror film where Christopher Lee gets to be the hero instead of the monster.   There is a battle with a devil cult to save some souls and as always, if you have one of the greats like Christopher lee, how can you lose?
11.  Pit & The Pendulum (1961)  Vincent Price and Barbara Steele take on Edgar Allen Poe in this atmospheric horror film.  Gothic horror with a 60's spin.
12.  I Walked with a Zombie (1943)  A great little film with big spooky heart.  I regard it as a Jane Eyre type story with zombies. 
13.  House of Wax (1953)  Vincent Price shines in the horror classic.  There is tragedy, innocent maidens, betrayal, & horror chills.

Well, there you have it.  My list of 13 old classics of horror for Halloween.  Check them out and pop some popcorn.  Have a great Halloween!

Snow White Lives!

Hello all.  Just a quick blog to let everyone know a couple things.  First, my new short story, "Snow White: My Story," will be published by Mystic Signals in their February 2012 print edition.  The quarterly fantasy fiction magazine can be bought at their websites or Amazon.com.  I am proud because Snow White has always been one of my favorite fairy tales.  Many good (and bad) writers have done versions of this classic fairy tale.  I have kept my tale in a mythical fairy age time, but have given Snow White a stronger voice and added some humor.  I have also been bothered by obvious holes in the old story-Why the demand for her bloody heart in the iron casket?  Why do bluebirds land on her shoulder?  Why the dwarfs and who were they really?  What about stepmother's past?  Why the gruesome red-hot iron slippers on stepmother?  I have answered these and more, and yes- it is still funny and still dark. 

 Fairy tales should be dark.

But these old folk tales of magic, lost princesses, stalwart princes, and witches were also morality tales with stark fates for the good and the bad.  I love fairy tales, but the dark ones, not the sanitized tales that parents want to read to their five year olds.  That is not why fairy tales were invented.  Read them the Care Bears instead.

On another happy note,my husband Rick Hipps has a new short story accepted by Weird War Anthology.  The story is called "Hunter's Run."  It is through War of the Words Press and is a British print anthology.  I am so proud. 

That is all for now.  I am writing another short story and waiting to hear about another submission.

 Luv & Hugs

Verna McKinnon

Red Palace: The house that darkness built

I have posted another "Tales of Obsydian Nights" short story for your reading pleasure.  It is the darkest and most violent of my Obsydian stories and was one of those published in Descending Darkness as part of my series (sadly that webzine is no longer).  Obsydia is darkness personified and clever in her cruel recruitment.   She demands worship and sacrifice, and knows how to play the weakness of the human soul.  

This story is important for another reason.  At the end of the story, when those poor folk that have not succumbed to darkness are escaping the city, we meet a powerful wizard helping those people.  His name is Neelam and he is important for many reasons, not only because he is a strong adversary to Obsydia in several stories, but because he is an important character that will be in my Familiar's Tale series starting with book 2, Tree of Bones.  Neelam is a wonderful no-nonsense character.   He is strong, gritty, and when I write him, the dialogue flows like water.  There are certain characters that rise to take control of their rightful place in the story.  Neelam is one of those.   So was Darcus, who started as a two chapter one-shot character in my book and blossomed into the weary and noble mainstay that refuses to leave the tale.  Neelam is someone I like to write, and his familiar Surya make a wonderful balance of wizard and familiar.  There will be more Obsydia tales coming-and Neelam will be in some of those fighting her evil with sword and magic. 

More later.  I await more news on my book cover for Tree of Bones.  Also, happy birthday to my publisher and editor, Joseph Dickerson.

Verna McKinnon