The Creative Identity

Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla – Part I

I was recently perusing the contents of one of my bookshelves, the one with the thick, ancient anthologies that I've had for many years. One of these is a hardback volume that I picked up for three quid in a charity shop: The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories edited by Alan Ryan. This is a classic book to own if you're a Gothic scholar, an English literature undergraduate or a reader with a little more than a passing interest in vampires. Over the years, I've been all three, but it was as a reader, and a very young one at that, that I most often returned to one story in particular: Carmilla. It is a seminal novella for sure, but one that has not elicited the same widespread interest as Polidori's The Vampyre before it, or Stoker's Dracula after. Yet, the very subtle combination of innovative themes and skillful execution make it unique to this day. I've decided to share a few thoughts about Carmilla which those of you in the middle of research (or various degrees) may find of interest. As I am working on a comprehensive bibliography of vampire literature, both primary and secondary, to make available for download, it would be silly not to talk about the most pivotal story of its kind. And, of course, it's always nice to be able to recycle one's own PhD thesis. The biblio quotations throughout are indeed from The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories, although please note that the edition... Read more →

Intermission

Turns out there is something that actor/writer/artist/model James Franco can't do. Thanks for the laugh JF. Read more →

Why I Don't eRead

When I am browsing in shops and I come across eReaders I feel like I am on safari in a nursery. The things are mildly interesting for a few seconds, then I move on, with no wish, nor plan, ever to have one of my own. I used to work in technology for one of those companies that do computerised systems for some of the world’s largest institutions, both public and private. My knowledge and understanding of how technology changes our lives and of how our lives require new technologies is profound and is never rooted in fleeting excitement for gadgets or processes. It’s solely rooted in the bottom line and in how much business (and businesses) can flourish by creating or adopting the technological ‘new’. In technology we may be working towards simplifying our lives (that’s what we say anyway), but in many ways what we really do is replacing inadequate workers with computerised processes that rarely fail and never need to take a day off (SkyNet already lives dear reader). However, when my own personal chips are down, I am a hopelessly old-fashioned person whose idea of perfect happiness is an afternoon spent with a book and a coffee. The book, though, must be a paper one. While as an indie publisher I do not resist the idea of e-publishing (in fact, I think it’s a necessity), as a reader I am entirely oblivious to the advantages of a piece of kit that would allow me to get... Read more →

Intermission

Try This

True love stories never have endings. –Richard Bach– I wish Vogue had a section for personal adverts. I've always found them intriguing, if not gripping when they come from the back of The Times Literary Supplement. In this age of instant communication and gratification, they remain vestiges of the days when fluttering surprises and mystery underpinned social relations much more than they do now, which I find to be a shame, really. I am not the only one with such passion for personals, though, see this book and this one too. I also think that to write a really good personal, one needs to be an excellent writer. Write an ad to find the love of your life but don't forget to add a little bit about yourself. In... shall we say... 50 words? Read more →