2009-06-09

MS POLICY introduced (plus the next five books of 2009)

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NOTE: With this post I will be reviewing unpublished manuscripts or unfilmed screenplays. I've not finished a booklength MS in some time --- not since beginning my booklisting --- and I've been unsure how to handle them. After all, it's not fair to treat them the same way I treat a published work; by virtue of being an MS, they are unfinished and worthy of every reasonable doubt. It just so happens that the two that appear here are truly excellent (or at least show every sign of becoming excellent in the near future) and so I have no reason to Play Nice. However, my policy will be, when mentioning MSs, not to say anything at all except a couple nice comments that anyone with reasonable Google skills could guess anyway. Someone's kind enough to let me look at their MS, I will only say nice things. And very few of them. Sometimes I may not even mention a title or author, depending on what seems appropriate. This is my new MS POLICY.

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055) Blue Beetle: Boundaries by Sturges/Albuquerque/Coelho, finished June 6
    The last of the Blue Beetle books. Alas. Poor Jaime. I knew him, Horatio.

    two or three days




054) [title in flux] (MS) by B.G. Christensen, finished June 5
    I've been reading this book now for almost ten years, a chapter at a time, and over the course of it I've watched its author develop from a highly competent writer to a really really (really) good writer. I fully expect Ben to sell his superhero novel and all the planned sequels and I think you should all preorder as soon as you can.

    This is the book Mr Fob has been waiting to write all his life although he probably didn't know that before he started. Superheros, religion, homosexuality, teenagers, libraries, burger joints, murder --- all his touchpoints converging into an impressive work of art. Look forward to it.(MS POLICY)

    about twenty months



053) Invincible Volume 1: Family Matters words by Robert Kirkman, pictures by Cory Walker, finished June 3
    I bought this book because Kohl (see below) told me to check out the work of Mormon comics artist Ryan Ottley. I didn't realize that he didn't work on volume 1. Whoops.

    Anyway, it was still a fun book. Straight superhero. Love the mom, taking it all so calmly and matter-of-factly. Good stuff.

    two days



052) Der Ostwind (MS) by Kohl Glass, finished June 2
    If you haven't seen the Award-Winning Short Film you should. If you have, you know the gist, the great WWI flying ace (German, but not the Red Baron) and his search for a worthy opponent among the allies. Glass's feature-length version of the film takes the character into much deeper territory and has great potential as a film. I imagine it looking like Sky Captain but, unlike Sky Captain, actually having a good story (and no giant robots). I will say no more. (MS POLICY)

    two evenings



051) The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde, finished June 2


Previously:


the first five, 1-5
the second five, 6-10
the third five, 11-15
the fourth five, 16-20
the fifth five, 21-25
the sixth five, 26-30
the seventh five, 31-35
the eighth five, 36-40
the ninth five, 41-45

11 comments:

  1. A couple of thoughts:

    (1) I've idly wondered if LibraryThing's "Member Giveaway" program could be tweaked to include manuscripts. Right now, it's a way for self-published authors to give out books to interested folks, but it seems like asking people to read manuscript submissions wouldn't be much of a leap.

    (2) I loved Kohl Glass's movie "The Promethean" and even contacted him once to see if I could buy a copy of it, but never followed up on it. Do you know him, personally?

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  2. Those are definitely all my touchpoints, but especially burger joints and murder.

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  3. .

    I do and he's been here a time or two. I'll followup for you.

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  4. .

    Mr Fob: It was mostly the superheros I wasn't sure about.

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  5. The superheroes were mostly an afterthought. But you forgot illegitimate children with mysterious parentage.

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  6. .

    You're right: That is an important motif in your work.

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  7. "I do and he's been here a time or two."

    On your previous post, even, if I'd bothered to read the comments!

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  8. .

    That is indeed a good example.

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  9. Have people been sending you Manuscripts for Peculiar Pages or just in general for help with polishing?

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  10. .

    These are all friends.

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  11. I love Kohl Glass. The Promethean is by far one of the best BYU student films ever made.

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