The Next Big Thing

Under a spot light I do tend to look old and pudgy, actually under any kind of light these day. Here is my small installment on The Next Big Thing. I write slower than I think and I think way too fast for my meagre mouth to translate, so mummbling has become one of my better comnnuicative methods of late. Will this be the next big thing to come out in Australian literature -- I can't speak for others in the publishing game but I seem to think it is pretty damn good.

I am asked a series of questions and the answers will show what I am working on and how I feel about it. The title for this work in progress is The Stainless Steel Hammer of God, a long title that sums up the contents of the book nicely when you join a few dots. The actual idea for the book comes from my own life when I was a needle pushing drug addict living on the streets of Adelaide; much of the deeply troubling events for the character happened to me, so a sense of realism is captured. This book isn't autobiographical, but I do relate very closely to many things pictured and spoken about by the character. When I was writing the novel's draft I was confused as to what the genre would be, mainly because I am a Fantasy/SF/Horror writer but this story is none of these genres, in fact it is vastly removed from my normal mode of writing and the subject matter is very contemporary. If cliche were a genre I might think I am inside one with this book, but when you expect the same old same old to happen it doesn't and it is this part I am pleased with. If I had to think seriously about genre and find the editor to read this I would say contemporary literature with a touch of crime mystery and thriller.

I was asked some time ago what film stars would be best suited for my charaters and I think Keira Knightly would be fine for Star and a very grizzled Brad Pit for the other main character. Nick Nolte would also play a starring role and he would have to do very little more than be himself. The story in a simple manner is a girl, addicted to drugs and prostitution sets out to save her life and rediscover the love of her farther.

While my last book was self published in the end after many years of floundering on editor's desks, I will once more run the mill of agents and editors to see if this heady novel can float someones boat. It is tough writing these days, when anyone with a computer churns out dribble that hits some screw loose marketting wiz kid's desk and I do wonder why I take the time and care to write in the manner I do. But, it is a business I love and I will continue to send my work to publishers in the hope it is picked up by one of these wiz kids and given a life others will enjoy.

When it comes to first drafts of books I tend to write them very fast, this one took about 12 weeks from start to finnish, but I take a long time to rewrite and edit. This book started its life in 2010 and has sat gathering momentum for a couple of years. I am now rewriting and moulding what I had into something I believe it can be. If I must compare any book to this I might suggest  'Go Ask Alice' which was written in the late 70s I think. It is a harsh book that pulls no punches and I hope that is what I am doing here, but where 'Go Ask Alice' is a personal story on its own, The Stainless Steel Hammer of God in complex and dangerous and draw upon a part of Adelaide that is sometimes spoken about but quickly hidden so it doesn't affect tourism. I suppose this hidden secret inspired me to take parts of my life and fictionalise them into a vehicle for the exploration of the city through a character. Yes, Star is important, but of equal importance is the place she lives and I wanted this to show as well as the mystery around her.

When I complete the final draft and have it sent to editors I hope what they see inspires them to act. It is not a light story, in fact the first few pages are so dark it is if the pages had been coloured in with black ink and then shaken so little bits fall off to reveal the white paper beneath. There is love here, but strained and wearying. There is hope but with it comes the greater sense of loss and there is salvation but the cost of it comes close to the ruination of everybody associated with the charcaters.

Is there a selling point to the book? It is pretty damn harsh and probably not a light weight read for children and the world of sparkles. This is indeed a book for adults and sadly this may also be its weakness in the end.

Thank you for sparing the time to read this blog - may you share it with others and lets us hope the book finds a good home.

Robert N Stephenson

The End of the World as We Know it

2012 is meant to be when it all ends, or to some anyway. Doomsday psychics are queuing up for those hapless souls ready to sell their homes and beg salvation, but none are sure which God to follow or which one to blame. While it can be true the religious types that border the not so intelligent, and this a broad statement, will decry everything as a sin to God, from the end of the world to someone sexual position – even a person’s political stance is now a sin unto God. But it must be made clear here that a goodly majority of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and even Hindus do not see things in this somewhat narrow and harmful way – for every media driven outcry of the insane and inane you will find a hundred times the persons of reason and logic. For every estranged view reported as being at the pulse of society you will fund thousands who hole a saner view.

What will be coming to an end in 2012? Many things will find their natural demise and one such demise may befall aspects of the banking sector, which has for the last few years been found to not only be wanting is fiscal management but to be completely morally bankrupt. Though is could be argued what banker has morals in the first place, they are no different to Lawyers, Politicians and media reporters and editors. Being as everything done in the world is costed by economists who justify themselves through high fees and finger pointing, is it any wonder the end of the world is at hand. The wealthy have decided the Earth is in trouble and they will indeed increase the price on everything to make the most out of the planet before it dies. And if you think about this it doesn’t make sense, yet it is happening and despite the work of science, experts, visionaries and the person in the street who has taken the time to understand their world and their role in it, the minority – the few who own everything, have the last say in what can and should be done, and like in 1859 to cry from those governing few is still ‘Do Nothing’.

Perhaps one of the greatest things that could come to an end is the secrecy and political manipulation of the modern, so called FREE, media. Only a handful of men own ALL the media outlets and th world no longer receives news, but more events tainted by the views of the few. These few influence and even have governments over thrown with their empire controls and yet they are untouchable by the law. A policeman wanting to interview any one of them would have to wade through 6 months worth of lawyers just to ask a rehearsed question. Perhaps the Mians knew of the way of the world after all and their predictions were not just an oddity of their calendar system, Maybe they foresaw the fall of the wealthy and the rising up of the poor and disenfranchised to take back control over their world, its food and its energy. It is clear something will be at an end but the prediction beyond the speculative is best not entered into.

True, it is a new year, but it has started like any other with economics jumping in and claiming success as more people go into debt. In a few months time the same economist will be reporting issue with being in debt and then they will blame someone or some entity for it and we will once again start the standard spiral down into despair the controlling few want us to feel just before they announce their sales and feel good promises.

The mega wealthy of today even make profit from the poor and homeless, they invest in the unemployed potential for being unemployed and how much it will cost a government to care for them. This is one thing the Mians might have seen and it is with disgust they saw this to be the ultimate end of the human race. Whatever happens in 2012 the future will not be the same as the last few years. There is only so many times the mega corporations can rape and pillage before there is a true fight back. Yes the world will drop into a dark time when the poor will increase even more, but basic commodities will be in the hands of those with no grander aspiration than to feed, clothe and help.

Will the world come to an end in 2012? Not in a physical sense but it will indeed see the end of a number of things we have grown increasingly tired of. There will of course be another war as some try to express their new found greed, while others will simply fade away much to the happy gasps of the billions who have been enslaved by a handful of souls. The planet will not die this year, but some of it threats will.

May 2012 be the year for you.