Friday Link: Ghosts in the Machines by Neil Gaiman

Happy Friday-before-Halloween!

I have mixed feelings about Neil Gaiman’s writing. I like it, enough that I’ve read all of his novels and many of his short stories, but I don’t love everything about it. One thing I do love, though, is that he writes like an oral storyteller. If you’ve heard him read (which he does beautifully — see end of post!), then go and find something else he’s written, you can hear his literal voice behind the words. The language, the rhythms…well, here:

We are gathered here at the final end of what Bradbury called the October Country: a state of mind as much as it is a time. All the harvests are in, the frost is on the ground, there’s mist in the crisp night air and it’s time to tell ghost stories.

When I was growing up in England, Halloween was no time for celebration. It was the night when, we were assured, the dead walked, when all the things of night were loosed, and, sensibly, believing this, we children stayed at home, closed our windows, barred our doors, listened to the twigs rake and patter at the window-glass, shivered, and were content.

That’s from an article of his, recently posted at Tor.com. Read the rest.

If you haven’t heard him read, that’s easily remedied. You can listen to him read his Newbery Award-winning novel The Graveyard Book, chapter by chapter, here.

Okay, I’m out for the weekend. See you back here on Monday!

 

Friday Links: RIP Ray Bradbury

You’ve probably already heard the news that Ray Bradbury passed away this week. To me, he was a master of the twist ending, of combining science fictional ideas with beautiful prose. I remember being shaken by “The Veldt” and “All Summer in a Day” and “There Will Come Soft Rains” — I thought the endings were horribly sad, but I also never forgot them. Fahrenheit 451 also made a great impression on me, with its mingled dystopia and destruction and hope and sense of wonder. He was truly a giant.

Here’s a collection of remembrances and other related things from around the ‘net this week.

Neil Gaiman posted two tributes, one on his blog and one in the British newspaper The Guardian.

Gaiman also posted an audio file of himself reading a beautiful short story called “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury”. This is what finally made me cry. (Side note: even if you’re not big on audiobooks, if you haven’t heard Gaiman reading, go listen! He’s brilliant at it.)

SF author John Scalzi posted a tribute on his blog.

The New Yorker published a piece by Bradbury himself (via Better Know a Book).

Long may he be remembered.