Originally published in December of 2010, this entry is about one of Mr. Wingrove’s favorite pasttimes: football. Or as we Yanks call it: soccer. Full text after the break.
Category: Goodies
100 Days
This post was featured yesterday on the official Chung Kuo page, but I’m re-posting it for posterity’s sake (with permission). We’re only 100 days away from the publication of Daylight on Iron Mountain! I know I’m excited! Full text after the break.
Rare Earths and Hostages
Just received a blog-in-exile from Mr. Wingrove concerning China’s monopoly over rare earth elements as depicted in the recent National Geographic issue and the broader implications on the world’s financial markets. Pretty interesting scary stuff…
Full text after the break. Thanks David!
Of Games and Thrones and Things
This blog post was kindly sent over by the man himself, as the official website is undergoing some reconstruction for the next 6-8 weeks. Thanks David!
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Of Games and Thrones and Things
Okay. I ought to be mad or jealous to the point of being vengeful, or something equally apt, but try as I will, I can’t help thinking that George R R Martin’s A GAME OF THRONES is A-1 bloody superb, even if it has knocked me off the number one spot in Amazon’s SF kindle bestseller ratings. I mean, how could I not love such a dark and yet magnificent portrait of a world, not to speak of all its different shades of characters, from Ned, Lord of Winterfell, through Jon Snow and Dany and the Imp, Tyrion Lannister, my favourite.
What a masterful work this is, both on the page and on the small screen. I’ve been enjoying noting the differences between the two versions. Oh, and it’s so nice to have something adult on our screens. Something that – like CHUNG KUO I hope – shows human life in all its breadth and complexity.
King Tolkien is dead! Hail to King Martin!
And before you ask, I’ve set aside Robert Jordan for a time – 438 pages into book six, LORD OF CHAOS. I’ll finish it, I promise – I’m still very fond of the characters and the scenario, even if the pace has slowed to a crawl. Yes and I’ll continue to give a commentary on it as I do, but it’s going to have to share my attentions henceforth with the Song of Ice and Fire.
And while we’re at it, has anyone noticed that spooky similarity? The fact that one of my books is called (and was always called, even back in 1989, when it first appeared – at least, for the German, Japanese and Polish versions), ICE AND FIRE – a good seven years before George RR Martin used it. I think Martin’s use of it is more telling than mine – with Winter coming, a la Helliconia, to his seven kingdoms.
Anyway, I shall be tuning in again this coming Monday evening, for episode four. As one epic writer to another, let me say, Well done, George R R. May you reap the just rewards of your labours.
David Wingrove – 7 May 2011