Round up the usual suspects

In Search of Space, 2012

So, my final post of 2012, and another idea suggested by Deanne. I’ve attempted a round-up of all the books featured in TFIPM in the last year (in reverse order of appearance). Before we get to the round-up, I’d like to say thank you to Stephen D. for lunch yesterday (fab!), and to everyone who has visited, liked, commented or contacted the blog in the last year – I really appreciate it.

Stephen D, 2012

I posted an awards page (https://thefutureispapiermache.wordpress.com/awards/digging-for-fire/) a couple of days ago. Lazy I know, but I haven’t got the time or energy to email everyone to tell them they’ve been nominated, so please check it out. And I started a new blog here: TFIPM Remix if you want to see a lot of the street portraits in one place.

A big thank you to John and Deanne and Terry for title shenanigans, and to J.E. Lattimer (Arcane Arrangements , Mysteries of the Wasteland, and Fictional Machines ) for a fantastic collaboration on George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).

And lastly but not leastly to Richard from CK Ponderings for being a brilliant, inspiring collaborator for the last six months (and a bit), and an all-round cool guy – it was great to finally meet him in November.

Right onwards…Taxi!

Taxi!, 2012

Recommendations 2012

From the bookshelves:

Hotel World (2001) by Ali Smith

Triangle Square Circle (1995) by William Wegman

House of Suns (2008) by Alasdair Reynolds

Re-Make/ Re-model (2007) by Michael Bracewell

Riddley Walker (1980) by Russell Hoban

Empty Space (2012) by M John Harrison

20 Fragments of a Ravenous Youth (2008) by Xiaolu Guo

The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps (2001) by Michel Faber

The Entropy Tango (1981) by Michael Moorcock

England’s Dreaming (1991) by Jon Savage

The Lowlife (1963) by Alexander Baron

Sombrero Fallout (1976) by Richard Brautigan

Stone Junction (1990) by Jim Dodge

Travel Arrangements (2001) by M John Harrison

Kleinzeit (1974) by Russell Hoban

Species of Spaces and Other Pieces (1997) by Georges Perec

A Brief History of Time (1988) by Stephen Hawking

Exit Music (2007) by Ian Rankin

Ask The Dust (1939) by John Fante

The Dancers At The End of Time (1981) by Michael Moorcock

Under The Clock (2005) by Tony Harrison

Utopia Parkway (1997) by Deborah Solomon

The Frequency of Souls (1996) by Mary Kay Zuravleff

The Light of Day (2003) by Graham Swift

The Happy Owls (1963) by Celestino Piatti

The Accidental (2005) by Ali Smith

Fowler’s End (1957) by Gerald Kersh

Five Miles From Outer Hope (2000) by Nicola Barker

Pale Fire (1962) by Vladimir Nabakov

Walking on Glass (1985) by Iain Banks

From The History of Abstract Painting Week:

History of Abstract Painting (1989) by Jean-Luc Daval

From Science Fiction Fortnight:

The Cornelius Quartet (Comprising The Final Programme (1969), A Cure For Cancer (1971), The English Assassin (1972) and The Condition of Muzak (1977) by Michael Moorcock

The Ash Circus (a short story) (1969) by M John Harrison

Millenium People (2003) by J G Ballard

The Lathe of Heaven (1971) by Ursula K Le Guin

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell

Signal To Noise (a short story) (2006) by Alasdair Reynolds

Perdido Street Station (2000) by China Meiville

The Stars My Destination (1956) by Alfred Bester

Breakfast In The Ruins (1972) by Michael Moorcock

Swarm (a short story) (1982) by Bruce Sterling

In The Country of Last Things (1987) by Paul Auster

Crash (1973) by J G Ballard

King of the City (2000) by Michael Moorcock

I, Robot (1957) by Isaac Asimov

Blood Music (1983) by Greg Bear

Under The Skin (2000) by Michel Faber

Light (2002) by M John Harrison

The Illustrated Man (1951) by Ray Bradbury

The War of the Worlds (1898) by H G Wells

The City and the Stars (1956) by Arthur C Clarke

Slaughterhouse 5 (1969) by Kurt Vonnegut

The Stainless Steel Rat (1961) by Harry Harrison

Concrete Island (1974) by J G Ballard

Street Portrait #43

Street Portrait (for and of Jonathan), 2012

This shot was taken around the Inns of Court – I’m not sure of the exact location. Jonathan was finishing his lunch when I asked him if I could take his portrait. He very generously agreed – and I took four shots with slightly different settings. This is my favourite. Thanks, Jonathan. I hope you like your picture.

Double Street Portrait #13

Double Street Portrait (for and of Zane and Robin), 2012

It was supposed to be sunny today, so I set out full of optimism, but pretty much as soon as I stepped out of the door there were spits of rain. Quietly cussing I did the rounds of some usual haunts, but nothing was working. And then I saw Zane and Robin, and was delighted when they agreed to a few shots. I think they’re just fabulous – separately they’re extremely stylish, but together what an incredible look. Anyway, thank you Zane and Robin for rescuing my afternoon! Hope you like your picture.

Empty Space (2)

Empty Space (II), 2012

Empty Space (III), 2012

Empty Space (IV), 2012

These were taken in Central London and Beckenham, UK.

Empty Space: A Haunting  is a novel by M. John Harrison. It was published in 2012. I’ve already posted about the anticipation of this book here.

I’ve finally started reading it. It’s slow going, not because of the book, which is engrossing and brilliant, but because of other stuff, mundane things, sticky situations. I’m on Chapter Eight, and gripped.

So far, the book is divided between three narrative strands – one set on Earth in the near-future, and two set in the city of Saudade, which is light years away. One of these strands is from the point of view of a not entirely above-board shipper and the other from an investigator of irregularities. I couldn’t possibly hope to summarise the book at this stage, so instead here’s the second paragraph from Chapter Three:

Whether you believed these claims or not, one thing was certain: Antoyne was no longer the loser you used to see beached-up in Saudade City, narratising his bad luck, drinking Black Heart Rum, reduced to making small points at the very edge of the game as errand boy for cheap crooks like Vic Serotonin or Pauli DeRaad. He owned his own ship. He had an eye for a transaction. He wasn’t even fat anymore.

The photographs are not representative of the text in any way except that they kind of felt right – maybe something of the atmosphere…anyway, there will be more (and a fuller review of the book when I’ve finished it).

In our house, this book can be found: bedroom in a pile of stuff on the chest of drawers.

M John Harrison has his own blog here.

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Thank as always,  John and Deanne and Terry for title shenanigans and Richard at CK Ponderings for being a super-cool collaborator.

London Faces

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Since 5th May 2012 I have been regularly walking up to strangers and asking them if I can take their photograph. I’m drawn to the stylish and the interesting and all of the people featured here are one or the other or both. I’m extremely grateful to all of them for letting me take their photograph – Londoners (temporary or permanent) are a really cool bunch.

When I started out I continually forgot to ask the person their name (it was the nerves). I’m getting better at remembering now, but there are still occasions when I get caught up in the moment and forget, and I can only apologise to those people I didn’t ask.

Most of the shots here have appeared in previous posts (apologies to my regular visitors), but I’ve tried to round up some previously unpublished to spice the montage up a bit. Thanks to Deanne and Seascapesaus for encouraging me to do this.

Star #8

Star (VIII), 2012

So, my Stars are all named after the song of the same name on David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. This was taken today, very close to Denmark Street AKA the British Tin Pan Alley, but I’m afraid I don’t know the exact  street name.

The man above very generously allowed me to take a couple of shots – I love his leather jacket. But the magic of the look is in the mix of styles and time periods again. I love these fashion time travellers who have come to visit London.

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David Bowie week is also being celebrated by Cardinal Guzman. You should also visit Deanne’s Obsolescence Project and David’s Spanish Stroll, where more fantastic Bowie-related posts have been made.

Stars #6 and #7

Star (VI and VII) (for and of Gurinda Singh and Unknown), 2012

The other day was bad photographically – just before I took this I was ejected from a private corporate development for potentially compromising their buildings’ security by taking photographs of people eating their lunch. Flummery, I think and depressing to boot. Anyway, feeling somewhat dejected I sauntered off, turned a corner and met these two men, who happily posed for me and restored my faith in people at a stroke – they were so friendly. For me they will always be stars.

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My Stars are all named after the song of the same name on David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

David Bowie week is being celebrated in spectacular style over at Cardinal Guzman‘s blog – I strongly urge you to check out his photographs! He’s also keeping a list of all the Bowie-related posts to date for your convenience. You should also visit Deanne’s Obsolescence Project and David’s Spanish Stroll, where more fantastic Bowie-related posts have been made.

Star #5

Star (V) (for John Pindar), 2012

So, my Stars are all named after the song of the same name on David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. This is quite an old shot that I’ve been saving up for an appropriate moment. It was taken on New Oxford Street.

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A hat, John, but perhaps the wrong type?

Stars #3 and #4

Star (III), 2012

Star (IV), 2012

These two shots were taken yesterday on Langley Street in Covent Garden, which is fast becoming one of my favourite haunts. There’s a dance studio there and a posh restaurant and I think the combination attracts really interestingly-dressed people.

The two guys above were really generous in allowing me to take their pictures. I think their clothes are extremely cool – a real mix of periods carried off with a street sensibility and a great lightness of touch. They look like the future.

Star #2

Star (II), 2012

So, another Star (named after the song of the same name on David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars). This was more of a hit-and-run shot to begin with, and then I thought she might be interested in the blog, so I went and apologised and gave her a card.

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David Bowie week is also being celebrated over at Cardinal Guzman‘s blog. You might want to check it out.