Book Rec: Once A Spy by Keith Thomson
I'm about midway through listening to the novel Once a Spy by Keith Thomson. So far it's a keeper.
Charlie Clark is in trouble. He's been spending far too much time at the horse track and finds himself in debt to a nefarious Russian lone shark threatening to feed him a bucket of sand if he doesn't come up with the money and quick.
Charlie's father, Drummond Clark, is of no help. He's found wandering the streets in his pyjamas suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's. When Charlie helps his dad back home the bad guys are waiting - not the Russian mobsters Charlie fears, but unbeknownst to him, clandestine operatives from Drummond’s secret past.
After a narrow escape father and son join forces to find out who's pursuing them and why. Drummond works his tradecraft magic during brief moments of lucidity and saves their skins more than once. Charlie starts to realize there's more to his father than he'd ever imagined.
Charlie and Drummond have a (typical?) superspy-father/child relationship ala Jack & Sydney Bristow. As far as Charlie knows dad is a distant, mild-mannered, retired washing machine salesman. Let's just say there's more than a little Jack Bristow in Drummond. While Charlie is no carbon copy of Syd, they'd certainly find it easy to commiserate about their respective childhoods and the long term consequences of lackluster parenting skills.
This is not your typical espionage novel. It's much more tongue-in-check than the average fare. Fascinating, well-developed characters, twisted family relationships and a rollicking, action-packed plot: it's Alias! Sort of. If you're a fan of the Bristows consider giving this one a try.
--
The current fanfic/profic debate continues like a train wreck across the internet.
Fan fiction is about love, not theft.
I've yet to run across a fanfic author who plays in someone else's sandbox for anything other than affection and admiration for the original work. Reading fanfic inspires me to seek out the source material more, not less.
Jasper Fforde disapproves of fan fiction. Hmm.
(Most have probably seen this quote by now, but it bears repeating.)
"My thoughts on Fan Fiction are pretty much this: That it seems strange to want to copy or 'augment' someone else's work when you could expend just as much energy and have a lot more fun making up your own. I feel, and I think with good reason, very proprietorial about Thursday and all her escapades; clearly I can't stop you writing and playing what you want in private, and am very flattered that you wish to do so. But anything published in any form whatsoever - and that specifically includes the internet - I cannot encourage, nor approve of."
- From www.jasperfforde.com/faq.html (Emphasis mine.)
This slays me. Wasn't that Ms. Eyre and Mr. Rochester traipsing through his own work of fiction? (The Eyre Affair is an entertaining read, BTW.) I wonder what Charlotte Bronte would say about that.
--
We spent the weekend in the garden and have sore muscles, sunburn and lots of beautiful flowers to show for our efforts. We've had such a beautiful spring -- we're two weeks early with planting, but it seems like we're nearly a month late. Please, please, please, no late May frosts this year. *crosses fingers*
Charlie Clark is in trouble. He's been spending far too much time at the horse track and finds himself in debt to a nefarious Russian lone shark threatening to feed him a bucket of sand if he doesn't come up with the money and quick.
Charlie's father, Drummond Clark, is of no help. He's found wandering the streets in his pyjamas suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's. When Charlie helps his dad back home the bad guys are waiting - not the Russian mobsters Charlie fears, but unbeknownst to him, clandestine operatives from Drummond’s secret past.
After a narrow escape father and son join forces to find out who's pursuing them and why. Drummond works his tradecraft magic during brief moments of lucidity and saves their skins more than once. Charlie starts to realize there's more to his father than he'd ever imagined.
Charlie and Drummond have a (typical?) superspy-father/child relationship ala Jack & Sydney Bristow. As far as Charlie knows dad is a distant, mild-mannered, retired washing machine salesman. Let's just say there's more than a little Jack Bristow in Drummond. While Charlie is no carbon copy of Syd, they'd certainly find it easy to commiserate about their respective childhoods and the long term consequences of lackluster parenting skills.
This is not your typical espionage novel. It's much more tongue-in-check than the average fare. Fascinating, well-developed characters, twisted family relationships and a rollicking, action-packed plot: it's Alias! Sort of. If you're a fan of the Bristows consider giving this one a try.
--
The current fanfic/profic debate continues like a train wreck across the internet.
Fan fiction is about love, not theft.
I've yet to run across a fanfic author who plays in someone else's sandbox for anything other than affection and admiration for the original work. Reading fanfic inspires me to seek out the source material more, not less.
Jasper Fforde disapproves of fan fiction. Hmm.
(Most have probably seen this quote by now, but it bears repeating.)
"My thoughts on Fan Fiction are pretty much this: That it seems strange to want to copy or 'augment' someone else's work when you could expend just as much energy and have a lot more fun making up your own. I feel, and I think with good reason, very proprietorial about Thursday and all her escapades; clearly I can't stop you writing and playing what you want in private, and am very flattered that you wish to do so. But anything published in any form whatsoever - and that specifically includes the internet - I cannot encourage, nor approve of."
- From www.jasperfforde.com/faq.html (Emphasis mine.)
This slays me. Wasn't that Ms. Eyre and Mr. Rochester traipsing through his own work of fiction? (The Eyre Affair is an entertaining read, BTW.) I wonder what Charlotte Bronte would say about that.
--
We spent the weekend in the garden and have sore muscles, sunburn and lots of beautiful flowers to show for our efforts. We've had such a beautiful spring -- we're two weeks early with planting, but it seems like we're nearly a month late. Please, please, please, no late May frosts this year. *crosses fingers*