iPad, iFad – why I won’t be buying electronic books in a hurry

Posted by Martyn – February 5, 2010

With the recent announcement from Apple regarding their new tablet device, the iPad, and with Amazon announcing the newer (and bigger) Kindle, I’ve come to the conclusion is that the future seriously sucks for electronic books.  I won’t buy an e-reader of any description.  Firstly there is the digital rights management system that locks the book into whatever device you’re using.  And there are different digital rights management systems, almost all incompatibile with each other.

I used to subscribe to Audible and I “own” two of Susanna Clarke’s titles in audio format.  Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and The Ladies of Grace Adieu.  I am locked, through iTunes on my Mac and PC, to listening them on up to 5 devices.  I could, if I wish, burn the contents onto CDs (and for JS&MN I’d need a LOT of CDs) and taken them wherever I wanted.   But it’s impractical.

Google very recently sent me a Nexus One smartphone, as a gift, for my volunteer work on their Google Apps forums.  This is a marvellous device (although not without it’s flaws) and I use it as a general multimedia portable (as well as a phone!), replacing my iPod for much of the time.  I say that because I can’t transfer my audio books over to the Nexus One – because of Apple/Audible’s DRM.  I still have much of my iTunes library tied into DRM and Apple want to charge me £61 to replace the DRM content with DRM-free versions.  No, no, NO.  But much of this isn’t Apple’s fault.  No; they have actually tried to give the public something useful, but this has been at the expense of some freedom.  It’s the content providers that are to blame.  Publishers set tight controls on the content and DRM is the result.  This not only greately inconveniences consumers, but says to them: “We don’t trust you”.

Now that Apple are bringing out the iPad, we are to get the iBook store.  Already publishers are forcing price hikes on Amazon and other services and this is going to be horrible for the consumer in the long run.  Google, who are trying their best to put a bit of kick into the electronic book ecosystem, is already soliciting lots of bother from publishers and even Governments for their attempts at creating a digital library.  As well as the technical problems associated with reading books on a screen, I really just can’t invest in ANY e-reader.  Especially if I’m going to be locked down to a DRM format that I can migrate from or have publishers tell me when, how and what to read.

Give me a bound paper book ANY day of the week.  Gilbert Norrell would have probably told these electronic book publishers to f**k off.  Well, he wouldn’t.  But I’d like to think he would.

Tails of Wonder and Imagination edited by Ellen Datlow – available NOW

Posted by Martyn – January 24, 2010

Just checked up on the availability of Ellen Datlow’s anthology of cat-related stories, Tails of Wonder and Imagination (for US folk – it doesn’t appear to be available in the UK yet – at least not through Amazon.co.uk)  which includes Susanna’s short story, The Dweller in High Places, which originally was a piece read by Georgina Hagen for BBC Radio 7.  FoEM still holds a copy of the audio version here for anybody interested.

Price is US $11.48.

More on the Amber Entertainment/Tesco pair up..

Posted by Martyn – January 24, 2010

From the Granuiad:

There is an unlikely new player in the British film industry with ambitions to change the world of entertainment. Tesco, the supermarket giant, has moved into movie mogul territory this weekend with the launch of a multi-million-pound production arm poised to make films of books by a slew of bestselling authors.

The first release from the Tesco studio will be Paris Connections, a tweaked Jackie Collins tale being shot on location in Paris early next month. Set in the glamorous world of fashion shows and rival couturiers, it tells of investigative journalist Madison Castelli’s efforts to uncover the truth behind a series of murders of Size Zero models.

Directed by Harley Cokliss and starring Anthony Delon, it will go straight to DVD after a number of cinema preview screenings. The film will then be sold exclusively in Tesco stores and has been specially adapted by Collins for the chain from her 1999 bestselling murder mystery LA Connections.

“Jackie has rewritten the book for us, which is fantastic, because we thought Paris would be the most glamorous location to film in. But all the other stories we are adapting are closely based on existing books,” said Ileen Maisel, of Amber Entertainment, the production company making the films in collaboration with Tesco. Next in line for production are titles by Dick Francis, Jacqueline Wilson, Philip Pullman and Judy Blume.

“We are able to involve the writers at every stage, even with the casting decisions. And Tesco sells an enormous amount of books, of course; so for an author to have his DVDs on the shelf alongside his books and to sell them simultaneously sounds like a very good thing,” said Maisel.

I tell you where most of my money goes these days (after paying the bills, of course).  To the cinema.  Jennifer and I regular go each weekend – possibly more if we have the time – and watch as many films that interest us.  We rarely buy DVDs and Blu-Rays – we use LOVEFiLM to rent them (which works out much cheaper) and if we ever do buy, we buy through eBay (using Easyfundraising to raise funds for our charities of choice) and stick to a strict upper limit.

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a film from a supermarket.  Nor do I want to.  Will these films be sold through other outlets, because I can’t see how Tesco sales alone could allow a company to recoup it’s budget and make a profit.  Also, I see this cheapening the film process and the work of those involved.  When I think of Tescos, I’m thinking of quick shopping and food.  For quality, I think of Waitrose.

Can’t wait to see Lidl get involved in film making.  Or Netto.  How about Kwik Save?  Lord help us if our local corner shop starts whipping out their video cameras and remake Gone with the Wind in the nearest bus shelter and selling the result on DVD recordable  next to the milk and Rich Tea Biscuits.

Introducing FoEM Discussion Groups

Posted by Martyn – January 19, 2010

I’d like to officially launch the FoEM Discussion Groups.  These will directly replace the current web forums which I will eventually retire.  These Discussion Groups can be used as a web forum or as an email discussion list, so one can choose whatever method suits them best.

There us just one requirement to using them.  The first is that you have a Google Account.  You would normally have a Google Account if you’re using a regular Gmail email address ending in @gmail.com or @googlemail.com.  If, however, you do not have a Gmail account, you can still register for a Google Account here.  You register using your non-Gmail email address and from that point onwards sign into FoEM Groups or any other Google operated service.

When you join a FoEM Group, you’ll see a screen with a login prompt like this:

Unless you have foem.org.uk email address, you’ll need to click on Don’t have a Foem.org.uk account? Enter your email address to access the document. Enter your email address (whether it be your Gmail address or your regular email address with Google Account access) and press Go.

You will then be presented with your subscription options (email or no email, etc.) and you’ll then become a member of the FoEM Group(s) of your choice.

Any problems? Please post here, or email martyn@foem.org.uk with any queries and I’ll help you out.  I know the requirement for a Gmail or Google Account is a pain in the backside, but it is quick and easy, and you need only do it once.  You’d have to register with the forums anyway, so this is no more different than doing that.

Amber Entertainment teams up with Tescos..

Posted by Martyn – January 17, 2010

And this just fills me with fear. Jackie Collins. Run away!!!! RUN AWAY!

Just kidding. OR AM I?!! What concerns me is that they mention Phillip Pullman. Are they going to proceed with more His Dark Materials? I bloody well hope not after the first film.

Yes, it’s a slow news month, I’m afraid.

Harry Potter and the Half Price Blood

Posted by Martyn – January 4, 2010

No, no – I didn’t mistakenly mis-type the title. This was something that Jennifer and I overheard on a bus when the Half-Price.. I mean Half-Blood Prince first hit the shelves all those many moons ago.

I’ve finally had a chance to see the film, this being the last one I’ve worked on for MPC and for whom I was responsible for secure data transfer over encrypted links to and from Leavesden Studios and editorial, as well as setting up and making sure the pre-viz team was all set-up (the department which generates low grade CG to visualise sequences to help production plan complicated sequences – think of pre-viz as a moving storyboard).

On my last ever visit to Leavesden, I did get to see the Privet Drive set after eating a particularly expensive mushroom burger at the WB canteen (which goes to prove how long WB have been hiring out the studio for – it’s almost exclusively used for Harry Potter). Also saw many of the set pieces – including a Hogwarts bell and the numerous bicycles used by staff to get around the studio. All left alone, somewhat looking forlornly.

24072006074

The film is yet again directed by David Yates, who worked on the previous Order of the Phoenix and whose work on that I immediately liked having seen 10 minutes of OotP prior to it’s release as part of a lovely thing Warner Bros. did for it’s VFX teams. I did see the full film shortly after that and was even more amazed as to what had been done.

Like OotP, Half-Blood Prince is rather inspirational for big book film adaptions. It covers the main plot points wonderfully, although I felt cheated that they had to reveal just WHO the Half-Blood Prince was at the end, in about 30 seconds, and it felt like a massive cheat. The book takes some time setting this up, and I felt that Steve Kloves (the screenwriter) could have handled this far better than he did.

What also annoyed me slightly was that everything was graded (colour graded) so that everything had a faded, whitewashed look. This was rather depressing. While it can be argued that now the kids are growing up and the danger of the death eaters grow nearer and nearer that it should call for a cool like, it was rather overdone for my tastes. The music seemed to recycle some of the material from the previous film, but what new material there was went down well with me.

Overall it was very enjoyable apart from one or two issues that come from squeezing a massive book down into a two and hour half film. David Yates is still the best director for the job and I’m sure that he’ll work his magic with the final two parts in the series.

Other good films I heartily recommend: Where the Wild Things Are (absolutely incredible) and Disney/Robert Zemeckis’A Christmas Carol (one of the best adaptations I’ve seen and Image Mover’s technology is getting to the point where I’m actually liking it and not bothered by it’s imperfections – and this is a damn scary film for young kids – Zemeckis treats the original material well and gives the Ghosts much body (hahaha!))

FoEM Discussion to move to FoEM Groups

Posted by Martyn – December 30, 2009

As many of you will know, I’ve been contemplating switching forum software for some time now that prices have gone up.  Thanks to Google, I’m toying with the idea of moving our forums over to Google Groups – but these Groups are specifically hosted on the foem.org.uk domain and are not part of the general Google Groups system.  Moderators would remain the same.

There are a number of advantages to going down this route, but for the time being I’m going to be setting up a beta test of the new system to see how well it works.  More details to come after the New Year.

BTW, email is now working properly again.

A Happy Holiday season to our readers..

Posted by Martyn – December 23, 2009

May the next few days be peaceful and full of friends, family and roast thingies.  Many apologies for the poor site visibility over the past day or so – we encountered problems with an update which required getting the vendors of the software to take a look.  Should all be okay now.

MTV thinks Peter Jackson should tackle Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell movie

Posted by Martyn – December 11, 2009

To which I say, the man has a very full plate already.  Let’s not wear him out :)

Here’s the original MTV movies blog post which speculates, given Jackon’s success at adapting popular and successful novels, as to what other titles he could turn his hand to.  Of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, MTV says:

“Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” by Susanna Clarke
Shifting from the legit 19th century of “Under the Sea” to the mock-19th of “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” makes more sense than you might think. Susanna Clarke’s novel about a Victorian England where magic is commonplace would suit not only Jackson’s talent for high fantasy, but also his capacity for humor. His movies are invariably at their best when they’re allowed moments away from the dour, serious and stoic, and allowed to be a little silly. That’s why “Dead Alive” and “The Frighteners” work so well. Clarke’s novel allows for both the spectacular world creation as well as some levity.

A note about feeds..

Posted by Martyn – December 11, 2009

For those subscribed to FoEM through some form of news/RSS feed, please make sure you’re using either:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/foem

or

http://www.foem.org.uk/feed

(Note the www.foem.org.uk/feed should automatically redirect to the Feedburner feed)

The old Feedburner URL of http://feeds.feedburner.com/typepad/foem is no longer valid as from this point onwards.  So I lied about all URLs being kept during the move.  Well, sort of lied.  I’d quite forgotten that the Feedburner feed referenced Typepad in the URL.  Never mind.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies to be made as a movie..

Posted by Martyn – December 11, 2009

Well, blow me down and ram taramasalata up my nostrils, it appears that Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith,is to be turned into a movie.  They’ve already cast Natalie Portman, apparently.  Perhaps the film will rate higher than the book which only scores an average of three stars on Amazon(.co.uk).

The film is being produced by Lionsgate, which is currently set to distribute Stardust’s Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman’s adaption of Mark Millar’s ultra-violent “reality” superhero movie, Kick-Ass, in April 2010.

And the BAFTA goes to..

Posted by Martyn – December 8, 2009

Well, nobody at the moment.  Rather, I'll be going to the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) HQ in Piccadilly, London this Sunday to attend a screening of 12 short films about Christmas.  Commissioned by BSkyB/Sky (or whatever they call themselves these days), these are due to air over the Christmas period – probably on Sky One.

One such film is Statuesque - written and directed by Neil Gaiman and featuring Amanda "Fucking" Palmer and Bill Nighy (as well as Dave McKean's son, Liam).  More information can be found on the film's own IMDb profile.

These shorts are being produced (overall) by Hilary Bevan Jones (through her production company, Endor Productions), whom I met originally at Neil's private screening of Stardust back in 2007.  Hilary's most recent project was the Richard Curtis film,The Boat that Rocked (or if you're in the US – Pirate Radio) which also starred .. Bill Nighy!

Have absolutely no idea as to who else will be there, but we'll see how it goes.  Rest assured, as soon as I'm back near a computer I'll be blogging about Statuesque and the 11 other shorts right here on FoEM.  Very much looking forward to it.

Lev Grossman’s Six Greatest Fantasy Books of All Time

Posted by Martyn – November 29, 2009

Found via the very JS&MN friendly, io9 (who posts an excellent sketch of Drawlight's terrible predicament to go along with the article[*]), Lev Grossman lists his greatest fantasy novels.  I'm not at all surprised to see that Jonathan Strange & Nr. Norrell make that list (although number five – no, I would rank it very much higher – at least number one!).  I agree with Nancy J. in the comments that Ghormenghast hasn't made the grade because it is, quite simply, wonderful.

That said, I still haven't gotten around to reading Lev's The Magicians yet and I must do so.  I'm actually currently reading John Mole's I Was a Potato Oligarch, an account of his attempts to take over the Russian fast food market in the form of filled jacket potatoes.  It's very good, and I must say that it makes me want to re-visit Russia (I last went in 2006 visiting St. Petersburg, Pscov, and Moscow – and loved it).  It's on my to-do pile (along with a lot of other books – Carter Beats the Devil is up next).

As Lev has been mentioned a number of times here, he now gets his very own category! ;)

[*] I've been wanting to run a fan art competition on FoEM for ages, but alas, I have nothing of value in terms of prizes except for the honour of the win.  I have tried pumping Bloomsbury for a freebie to give away here, but again, alas, no joy.  In fact: no response!

Susanna Clarke on Jane Austen TV/movie adaptations..

Posted by Martyn – November 22, 2009

Just came across this blog post from Bibliokept about a new book edited by Susannah Carson in which contains 33 short essays on Jane Austen.  These include essays from the likes of E.M. Forster, W. Somerset Maugham, Martin Amis, C.S. Lewis, and Susanna Clarke.  Speaking of which, I like this passage from the Bibliokept review:

Contemporary writer Susanna Clarke scolds those of us
who might mistake film and TV adaptations as authentic representations
of the lady’s work: “Austen wasn’t a visual writer,” Clarke writes, ”
Her landscapes are emotional and moral–what we would call
psychological.”

My own view is that I am getting a tad fed up of constant adaptations of Jane Austen's work on TV, film and radio.  There have been numerous remakes and interpretations and it's getting to the point of asking why has nobody made a futuristic space version of Pride and Prejudice.  In Space.  We've had Zombies.  We've had Sea Monsters.  Now Space Aliens.  It's only a matter of time!

That said, I still secretly harbour a wish that Doctor Who visited Jane Austen whom together fight off space aliens disguised as wealthy merchants involved in a massive intergalactic slave trading operation. I'd call it, "Oh, Mr Darcy Xhjkj Zimbler IV: Ruler of One and a Half Worlds".  Or not.

A Truth Universally Acknowledged, edited by Susannah Carson is available now from Random House, priced £13.14 from Amazon.co.uk.

The Dweller in High Places .. in print form!

Posted by Martyn – November 21, 2009

I'm rather late in bringing this to you for all manner of reasons, but I've recently found out (thanks to Roger Silverstein who wrote to me recently), that Ellen Datlow is publishing what looks to be an anthology of stories called Tails (sic) of Wonder and Imagination that includes the first ever printed publication of Susanna Clarke's short story, The Dweller in High Places (link to Wikipedia).

You can still listen to the radio reading [1] of Dweller through FoEM (to the best of my knowledge the BBC has not published these performances on CD or online – which is a bit of a shame).

Still no news from Ileen & Co. with regards to the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell movie.

[1] I've managed to bugger the DNS for foem.org.uk when moving away from Google, and consequently there is going to be a delay in resolving files.foem.org.uk.  Mea culpa.