#Travis McGee series

[pulpsandcomics2]

The Scarlet Ruse by John D. MacDonald     (Fawcett, 1973)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Bunch of Stuff Coming in August

July 2023 Wk 5

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 2-3 of 8 - Oh good, we now know that Thailand has the same statutory rape laws as the US. Dub con is as dub con does. MEANWHILE Oh my God I love evil lawyer cutie so much. Him and his beautiful weaponized smile, maybe my new favorite character. I like the way this director is playing with noir mystery tropes, settings, and archetypes too - it’s feeling very 60s pulp, I’m getting gay Travis McGee vibes. Grandma knowing that her grandson likes boys is so sweet. I have to be completely frank here, this is what I wanted from both Manner of Death and KP. I truly love this show

Hidden Agenda that isn’t hidden (Sun GMMTV YouTube) ep 3 of 10 - It’s a very Cyrano de Bergerac kind of narrative... If Cyrano fell in love with Christian instead of Roxanne. Mock date was fun. 

Low Frequency (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 8 - Into the lion’s den. Investigation begins. Why isn’t the ghost acting lookout? Who are these random side characters? I’m confused. Half way through kiss is right on schedule tho. 

Wedding Plan (Weds YT & iQIYI) ep 2 of 7 - The kiss was nice, but it’d be nicer if Nuea had punched Lom. Manipulative arse. A trash watch is happening!

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 4 of 12 - Meh. 

Dinosaur Love (Sun iQIYI) ep 5 of 8 eps - The hazing has begun + secret relationship and it’s kinda like a v soft SOTUS. Dino is getting a bit too controlling and obsessive for me so it slid down the ranks. I much prefer La Cusine’s version of this dynamic. The friends protecting Dino’s interests were funny tho - boy is so obsessed he outsources his stalking. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 10 of 12 - Max is BEST BOY. I hate Kawi. Tra la la. Trash watch here.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thurs Viki) 2 of 8 - Our ex idol is a total FLIRT. Nice to see an uke with agency. I mean baby girl is a newbie worker bee… but still flirty, good for you, sweetie. I see your little lip bite and so does your soon to be husband. Speaking of, I love Choi Jun’s style of seme aggression: a little sleezy + a bit too handsy + ultra clever with his words. Plus tie tug!!! Also threatening to take off your TAILORED suit so baby wears your shirt and smells like you? HOT. Boy you sped right past American style and into Italian - that’s real Corinthian leather, that is. 

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) 5 of 10 eps - Mid series kiss right on schedule. Thank you for never upsetting me, Taiwan. Omg. Such boyfriends. Only Taiwan gets this sappy. I have to say, I watch this show after Tokyo on purpose. (I need the pallet cleanser.) Still, I’m scared that the perception will be that Bu Xia is using Jiang Chi, not in love with him, when the truth about ghosts comes out. Why doesn’t BX’s useless sister do something for her disaster brother? I guess JC likes a needy boy? Oh no, the kiss confusion. Lip touch but rejection (?). Nooooo. I suppose they have to draw this out for 10 eps. Gah, they’re so cute. But BX is a bit dim, isn’t he? Poor thing. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) 4 of 12 eps - Shin is such a worrywart, over protective, over the top boyfriend. I guess we saw a little bit of give from Minato? More than usual, baby steps. This is Japan after all.

Tokyo in April is... AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - Japan’s favorite trope = the running of the gays. Kazama knows everything now. Ep ends on one of my few triggers. SKIP! Japan you better NOT go there.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 11-12fin - terrible ending, he turned back into a cat and the whole thing was pointless. I am very annoyed. 4/10 FATALLY FLAWED 

It’s airing but ...

Stay With Me ... NO I WILL NOT! And you can’t make me.

In case you missed it

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) finished its run at 7 eps. It’s mostly English & set in LA (shudder) so I did not bother. I say little to no chatter about this (that’s normal with the Pinoy stuff tho). Did anyone watch and enjoy? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming August 2023

8/1 Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) 5 eps - Yes we have had BL from Hong Kong before, but that was... before... who knows what it’ll be like now. Hayden, moves into a new apartment and starts a complicated relationship with his neighbor’s grandson, Damien, after an unexpected kiss. Meanwhile: Archie rekindles a romance with his high school sweetheart, Kelvin, who is now married.

8/11 Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) 10 eps - Hyun, Minwoo and Joo-Hyuk are looking forward to their freshman year at college. But trials and tribulations of love that await them outside the classroom: from learning about maturity to being unable to forget the scars of past lovers. (All new cast from season 1.) 

8/12 My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat ????) 8 eps - hum. 

8/19 Love in Translation (Thai Sat One31) ? eps - Two strangers start working in a cafe together.

8/20 My Universe series begins (Thai Sun iQIYI) 24 episodes - This is sampler pack BL, 12 pairs, each pair gets 2 episodes, not entirely sure on the order they’ll drop in. Known couples include EarthBank from Destiny Seeker and KaownahTurbo from Love Stage!!!, mostly fresh faces otherwise. Jane to direct several. 

8/22 Kisseki: Dear to Me formerly known as Miracle (Taiwan Tues ????) 13 eps - From screenwriter Lin Pei Yu (We Best Love, H3: Trapped) features a student doctor forced to take care of a gangster. I love the premise and like the writer, I’m thinking Viki or Gaga will get this one.  

8/24 Man Suang (Thailand movie domestic cinemas) - historical drama about Thai burlesque with KP’s MileApo. Tong is in this one too? 

8/? Sing My Crush previously Follow The Wind (Korea ????) 8 eps - supposed to have released in the first half of 2022 this is a adaption of Myung’s webtoon, from the director of My Sweet Dear, and the Love Tractor production house, looks like Korea does About Youth.

8/? Why R U? (Korean remake)  is supposed to be out this month, filming started in sept 22. I find everything about this hilarious. I mean if Korea remakes it, we lose all the sexy and then... would we have a story at all? No we would not. Not even for six short eps. It’d be like one of those mesh shopping bags. 

We can probably expect a new BL from GMMTV too, to slot into BMF’s spot mid month. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I do love a hyung romance, and this aggressive ghost-ish thing is working for me. (Low Frequency) 

Hidden Agenda + My Ride. 

So coy

I agree with @heretherebedork​ that these two make a great side couple but I am utterly in love with...

HER. (All Laws of Attraction.) 

(Last week)

[kurtbusiek]

What are some good PI/mystery novels you enjoy that you can recommend?

When I felt in the mood for a comfort read, I’d often turn to Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder novels or his Bernie Rhodenbarr series -- the Scudders are dark, the Bernies are funny, but a stack of those would keep me reading not just for the plots but to see the leads and the ongoing supporting characters interact and develop over time. Others that work well for me: John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport novels (and his Virgil Flowers novels, which are sort of a second-track for the Davenports, interacting often) have a very satisfying sense of work-related bullshitting -- the mystery always gets addressed, but the crime-solvers have a great sense of co-workers who’ve been together for long enough to comfortably banter back and forth. Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller novels work very well as series reads too -- it’s actually worth reading Connelly in publication order, because even when he starts a different series or does a standalone novel, characters from those books wind up showing up in other series books, so it’s rewarding to take in the whole universe of Connelly crime. [Sandford does this too -- there are a few novels that focus on other characters and then they show up in the Lucasverse, which is enjoyable.] Robert Crais’s Elvis Cole mysteries are not only enjoyable reads, but the characters and mood develop a lot over the series, so they make good multi-book reads, too -- and again, there are characters who start out in their own novels and then feed into the Elvisverse. The standalones that don’t connect tend to be extremely good, as well.

Donald E. Westlake’s Dortmunder series and his Parker series (under the name Richard Stark) are very much not PI novels -- both characters are professional thieves, though Dortmunder’s world is one of comedic disaster and Parker’s is tough and spare and mean, and both are great. There’s even one book (JIMMY THE KID) where the Dortmunder gang decides to follow a crime plan from a Parker novel and the chapters alternate between the tough-guy procedural and the comic everything-goes-wrong. Dick Francis’s racing mysteries rarely have series leads (there are a couple of leads that recur here and there), but the novels all take place in the horseracing world and the leads tend to be similar, so reading through a stack of them can be a lot of fun too. I’m sure there are plenty I’m leaving out -- I like the first 13 or so Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker, but think that after that they largely get less and less interesting, though the banter is always readable. Laura Lippmann’s Tess Monaghan novels have a lot of engaging growth and change to them, too. Chelsea Cain’s Archie Sheridan/Gretchenn Lowell serial-killer novels are unsettling but, again, have change and growth over the series. When I was younger I loved John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee, but I fear those haven’t aged well. Hammett and Chandler are the classics of the form, but the Continental Op doesn’t change or grow, and I never read Chandler’s novels in chronological order. I also remember scarfing down Leslie Charteris’s Saint novels and Manning Coles’s Tommy Hambledon, but haven’t read either for years. I’m still sure I’m forgetting series I love, but that ought to be a respectable list. As for where to start in all these series, I’d say start at the beginning for most of them. Maybe start four or five books in with Lucas Davenport, because he got more interesting as he went. The same might be true for Elvis Cole, and with Robert B. Parker I’d say start with MORTAL STAKES. If you like them you’ll eventually want to read the early ones, and they’re not bad, it’s just that the series kinda rev up a few novels in as the writers find their footing.

[dirtyriver]

The Moving Target, the first Lew Archer novel originally published in 1949. This is the 1959 Pocket Book paperback, with a cover by Jerry Allison.

Kenneth Millar used the pen name John Macdonald for the first time with this novel, and would later change it to John Ross Macdonald and then Ross Macdonald to avoid confusion with the author of the Travis McGee series, John Dann Macdonald.

Another name change occurred when the novel was adapted into a movie starring Paul Newman and Archer became Harper.

[disneytva]

Pupstruction to Wag Its Tail on Disney Junior and Disney+ in June 14 With Merchandise Plans and Music Album

Disney is getting ready to unleash a pack of new animated pooches on June 14 with Pupstruction an imaginative, music-filled animated series from Titmouse Inc.& Disney Junior Educational Resource Group the show is set to premiere WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, with a simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior (8:00 a.m. EDT). An initial batch of episodes will premiere the same day on on-demand platforms and Disney+.

Joining the previously announced voice cast in recurring and guest star roles for season one are Olga Merediz (Walt Disney Animation Studios “Encanto” Franchise) as Grandma Dee, Todrick Hall (“The Masked Singer”) as Harvey Hare, Gabriel Iglesias (Netflix Animation “I, Chihuahua”) as Felipe and Nate Torrence (Walt Disney Animation Studios “Zootopia” Franchise) as Chameleo.

“Pupstruction” centers on crew leader Phinny, an innovative young corgi who dreams up some of the biggest and wildest ideas to help his town of Petsburg. The other members of Pupstruction are Luna, a comically spontaneous sheepdog; Roxy, a can-do rottweiler; and Tank, a lovable, snack-obsessed mastiff. Although Phinny might be the smallest pup on the crew, he proves that you don’t need big paws to have big ideas. Together, the Pupstruction crew uses mud, sweat, drool and plenty of heart to build and create.

The series stars Yonas Kibreab (Pixar Animation Studios “Elio”) as Phinny, Carson Minniear (“Big City Greens” Franchise) as Tank, Scarlett Kate Ferguson (“I’m Dying Up Here”) as Roxy and newcomer Mica Zeltzer as Luna, as well as Yvette Nicole Brown (“Firebuds”) as Mayor Gilmore, Bobby Moynihan (”DuckTales”) as Bobby Boots, Grey DeLisle (“Scooby Doo Franchise”) as Maya, Kari Wahlgren (“The Ghost and Molly McGee”) as Scratch, Eric Bauza (“Muppet Babies 2018”) as characters Harry, Sniff and Lloyd, and Alessandra Perez (“T.O.T.S. Tiny Ones Transport Service”) as Bailey.

Pupstruction is created by Travis Braun (”T.O.T.S. Tiny Ones Transport Service”) the series’ creative team for season one includes Victor Cook (”T.O.T.S. Tiny Ones Transport Service”) as executive producer, Robyn Brown (“Muppet Babies 2018”) as co-producer/story editor and Abigail Nesbitt (”T.O.T.S. Tiny Ones Transport Service”) as supervising director. Rob Cantor (Disney Television Animation’s “The Ghost and Molly McGee”,Chibiverse”) is songwriter and composer.

The main title theme song, written by series’ songwriter/composer Rob Cantor, will be released on Friday, May 12. The full digital soundtrack, “Disney Junior Music: Pupstruction,” featuring the theme song plus additional songs from the series, will be released by Walt Disney Records on June 14.

Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing is developing product lines inspired by the series featuring apparel, figures, vehicles, role-play products, plush, books and more.

[ncisfranchise-source]

PARKER DISCOVERS HE’S A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT WHILE INVESTIGATING THE UNUSUAL MURDER OF A NAVY ENSIGN, ON “NCIS,” MONDAY, JAN. 16

“Bridges” – Parker discovers he’s a victim of identity theft while investigating the unusual murder of a Navy ensign. Also, Knight and Jimmy face hurdles in their relationship as their connection heightens, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, Jan. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

REGULAR CAST:

Sean Murray

(NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee)

Wilmer Valderrama

(NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres)

Brian Dietzen

(Medical Examiner Jimmy Palmer)

Diona Reasonover

Katrina Law

(Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines)

(NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight)

Rocky Carroll

Gary Cole

(NCIS Director Leon Vance)

(FBI Special Agent Alden Parker)

GUEST CAST:

Austin Cauldwell

(Ryan Aaronson/ Travis Jacobs)

Rachel Ticotin

(Joy Sullivan Aaronson)

Jason MacDonald

(John Watts)

Sadie Stratton

(Renee Watts)

Jason Manuel Olazabal

(Todd Mercer)

Brenda Kate

(Sheila/Wife)

Shane Blades

(Husband)

Nicole Rainteau

(Kaytlynn)

Leah Grosjean

(Navy Ensign Ashley Watts)

Kathryn Melton

(Cleaning Lady)

Warren Sweeney

(Priest)

WRITTEN BY: Chad Gomez Creasey

DIRECTED BY: Lionel Coleman

[thetetra]

So I am listening to this audiobook series from the 60s and it is WEIRD to hear him talk about world War 2 vets as guys in their late 40s.

Like broski Travis McGee, that's not okay those guys are in their 80s and shall remain that age forever please and thank you

[silvercompassjournal]

“McGee will take a hotel hot tub and a very cold gin. This is where the mind works.” - Travis McGee.

Currently Reading. Get the whole series at Silver Compass Books.

[native-blog-deutsch]

Krimis auf der Navajo Reservation - Dark Winds bei RTL Crime

„Das Labyrinth der Geister“ von Autor Tony Hillerman wurde von prominenten Producern wie George R. R. Martin und Robert Redford zur Serie namens „Dark Winds“, die heute Deutschlandpremiere feiert. Zahn McClarnon und Kiowa Gordon spielen in der Neo-Noir-Westernserie zwei Navajo-Cops. Am heutigen Dienstag, den 12. September um 20.15 Uhr feiert die US-Serie Dark Winds Deutschlandpremiere beim Bezahlsender RTL Crime. RTL Deutschland hatte sich die Erstausstrahlungsrechte beider Staffeln gesichert. Die erste Season besteht aus sechs Episoden und wird an diesem Tag auch komplett bei RTL+ zum Abruf bereitstehen. Ob man die zweite Staffel direkt im Anschluss sendet oder nach einer Pause wurde noch nicht verkündet. In den USA ist die zweite Runde am 30. Juli bei AMC angelaufen.   „Dark Winds“ Hinter dem Format stehen Serienschöpfer Graham Roland (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) und Showrunner Vince Calandra (Castle Rock, Sharp Objects), die damit die Romanhelden von Tony Hillerman auf den Bildschirm bringen. „Dark Winds“ wird als psychologischer Neo-Noir-Westernthriller beschrieben, der uns in den amerikanischen Südwesten der 1970er Jahre mitnimmt. Hier ermitteln die Polizisten Jim Chee und Joe Leaphorn vom indigenen Navajo-Volk im Fall eines grausamen Doppelmordes, der sie dazu zwingt, ihre Spiritualität infrage zu stellen und sich mit den Traumata ihrer eigenen Vergangenheit auseinanderzusetzen. Gespielt werden die Ermittler von Zahn McClarnon (Westworld, Reservation Dogs), der auch als ausführender Produzent an Bord ist, und Kiowa Gordon (Roswell, New Mexico). Rainn Wilson (Star Trek: Discovery) ist in einer weiteren Rolle als Missionar Devoted Dan an Bord - ein frommer Missionar, der zwar Gläubige um sein Gebrauchtwarengeschäft herum schart, aber schon so gut wie jede Sünde auf dem Kerbholz hat. Auch an Bord sind Noah Emmerich (The Americans) als FBI-Agent Whitover, Jessica Matten (Burden of Truth) als Navajo-Polizistin Bernadette Manuelito und Deanna Allison („Edge of America“) als Leaphorns Frau Emma. Game of Thrones-Vorlagenautor George R. R. Martin, der ebenfalls zu den Producern zählt, sagte damals zur Serienbestellung: „Tony Hillerman war einer der Großen, wie alle Krimileser wissen. Hier im Südwesten sind Joe Leaphorn und Jim Chee so berühmt wie Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Philip Marlowe und Travis McGee. Als meine Freunde Robert Redford und Chris Eyre mich baten, Leaphorn und Chee zurück ins Fernsehen zu bringen, konnte ich nicht schnell genug zusagen. Wir haben großartiges Basismaterial mit Tonys Roman 'Listening Woman' ('Das Labyrinth der Geister'), ein großartiges Pilot-Drehbuch von Graham Roland, einen tollen Regisseur mit Chris (Eyre)... und was für ein Hauptdarstellerduo mit Zahn McClarnon als Leaphorn und Kiowa Gordon als Chee!“ Ein weiterer Produzent ist Schauspiel-Legende und Regisseur Robert Redford („Zwei Banditen“, „Captain America: Return of the First Avenger“, „Die Unbestechlichen“). Originalartikel Lesen Sie auch den Artikel bei der FAZ.

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[ismacdonaldsopentoday]

Area of Suspicion, by John D. MacDonald

John D. MacDonald was one of the most outstanding post bellum mash authors. He mixed wrongdoing with brain science and social discourse, and recounted to the tales in a spotless style that actually sounds valid.

Area of Doubt is one of the numerous books he hammered out in amount until he accomplished bestsellerdom with the Travis McGee series and exhausted us with Meyer brushing Is Macdonalds open today ocean side rabbits somewhere far away from me.

This one begins with its legend Gevan Senior member pulled from the external Heaven of monetary autonomy celebrating, swimming and fishing with the tip top in radiant south Florida - - and the inward Damnation of the close to home torture and vacancy he's inclination.

His sibling Ken has quite recently been killed, and like it or not he's committed to get back to his old neighborhood and the privately-owned company which is currently a developing partnership, Dignitary Items.

Nearly despite his desire to the contrary, he starts exploring the conditions encompassing his sibling's demise, and finding Dignitary Items much different since he left a long time back - - for the more terrible.

However he's actually drawn to Niki. Uniquely for a MacDonald legend, he takes the widow, and, surprisingly, half-accepts that she is still enamored with him.

MacDonald is one of a handful of the essayists who seems to figure out the universes of both business and designing. The discussions and subtleties inside the plant in regards to items and government contracts are reasonable and valid.

Eventually, Gevan is saved by his feeling of expert obligation and the affection for a decent lady - - intermittent topics all through MacDonald's books. MacDonald clearly appreciated both amazing skill and lady who are energetic however particular in the men they give their affection to.

[the-bookmark]

Bright Orange for the Shroud

Travis McGee #6

by John D. MacDonald

Travis McGee had planned a lazy summer, but an acquaintance stumbled onto his houseboat, The Busted Flush, more dead than alive, and McGee was obligated to care for him and then persuaded to help the man regain his life savings from the group of con artists who had wiped him out.

The first chapter creates the atmosphere and the next couple of chapters detail the scheme by which Arthur had been conned out of his money, using a blonde sexpot as bait. And then we get into the heart of the matter: the means by which Trav will execute revenge, con the cons, and retrieve the money, half of which he will keep—a sort of finder's fee.

MacDonald is a master storyteller.

[ao3feed-veronicamars]

All He Needs [9-1-1, part 2]

by 305unreal

1961-2017

Josephina takes care of Ramon when their parents cannot. Ramon and Reston are the closest of friends, and only close friends share secrets like these

Sophia doesn't like being the middle child; where's the attention?

Eddie and Shannon are a sure thing, right? Then why does it feel so wrong? He just wants to start all over

Words: 2766, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 3 of Huge Fucking Crossover, Part 2 of Friends and Family and Other Relationships

Fandoms: 9-1-1 (TV), Riverdale (TV 2017), Sky High (2005), Veronica Mars (TV), The Flash (TV 2014), Glee, The OC (TV), iZombie (TV), Breaking Bad, Kindergarten Cop (1990), The Facts of Life (TV), Growing Pains (TV 1985), Ghosts (US TV 2021), Baby Daddy (TV), Mean Girls (2004), Child's Play | Chucky (Movies 1988-2017), Life with Derek, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton, Reba (TV), Family Ties (TV), NCIS, Station 19 (TV), High School Musical (Movies), Desperate Housewives, 2 Broke Girls

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen, M/M

Characters: Ramon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Josephina "Pepa" Diaz, Hiram Lodge, Barron Battle, Lewis Snart, Maribel Lopez, Helena Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Adriana Diaz, Sophia Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz, Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Theresa Diaz, Blaine DeBeers, Emilio Koyama, Dominic Palmieri, Sam Arondekar, Damian (Mean Girls), Kelly Kuzzio, Liv Moore, Aurelia Curtis, Rosa (Kindergarten Cop), Sarah McGee, Ryan Evans, Sharpay Evans, John Rowland, Shannon Diaz, Deacon "Deke" Bromberg, Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV)

Relationships: Ramon Diaz & Josephina "Pepa" Diaz, Ramon Diaz & Barron Battle, Helena Diaz/Ramon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Barron Battle/Parker Rowland, Sophia Diaz & Dominic Palmieri, Travis Montgomery/Damian (Mean Girls), Sophia Diaz & Rosa (Kindergarten Cop), Eddie Diaz/Sam Arondekar, Eddie Diaz/Ryan Evans, Eddie Diaz/Shannon Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Eddie Diaz & Sophia Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Sophia Diaz/Deacon "Deke" Bromberg, Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)

Additional Tags: Sibling Love, Time Skips, somewhat canon compliant, Battles & Wars, Español | Spanish, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, hot wheels, Baseball

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/qlQ0hPc

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Sandman Slim's final adventure

It’s been more than a decade since Richard Kadrey blew the roof off supernatural horror with his hardboiled SANDMAN SLIM, the tale of an LA magician whose coven sends him to hell, who returns to wreak bloody revenge.

https://memex.craphound.com/2009/07/24/kadreys-sandman-slim-a-hard-boiled-revenge-novel-from-hell/

As impressive as that breakout was, Kadrey has only gone from strength to strength, publishing ten more volumes in the series that took James Stark — Sandman Slim’s birth name — through a series of ever-escalating supernatural challenges.

These sequels didn’t just demonstrate Kadrey’s incredible, deep knowledge of esoterica, which he mined relentlessly to fill in a rich, fresh multiverse that blended deep lore with contemporary themes.

They also turned Stark into more than a hardboiled antihero, going to character development places that classic noir never went — Philip Marlowe is the same reactionary asshole in The Big Sleep as he is in Playback.

Though Kadrey’s voice had more in common with Chandler’s bone-dry delivery and spectacular violence, his handling of Stark is closer to the way that MacDonald handled Travis McGee, humanizing him, having him grow.

Last year, Kadrey published BALLISTIC KISS, the next-to-last volume in the Sandman Slim series — a book that manages to be both a hard-driving pulp noir story…and a surprisingly touching story about depression and anxiety.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/08/25/anxietypunk/#bk

After all, what demon could Kadrey throw at Stark than the hosts of hell that he’d defeated in earlier volumes? Why, Stark himself.

Today, Harpercollins publishes KING BULLET, the twelfth volume and grand finale in the Sandman Slim series. After more than a decade of building the airplane in midflight, Kadrey finally takes it in for a landing.

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/king-bullet-richard-kadrey

King Bullet sees Stark at his most powerful and most vulnerable, because Stark has finally let others into his life, in ways that help him cope with and overcome his trauma. But these others are also threats, because they are vulnerable in ways that Stark is not.

So when LA is stricken with an epidemic that kills swiftly and turns survivors into blood-maddened horrors who chew their own faces off, Stark isn’t just facing down another bad guy — he’s defending his people.

To do that, he has to recognize and take account of their own priorities and fears, their own red lines. It creates complexity in the caper than no standalone noir hero ever really grapples with.

All this against a backdrop of LA in ruins, terrorized by the eponymous King Bullet and his blood-maddened, face-eating marauders. The contrast between the interpersonal and the spectacular makes for a lot of contrast.

It’s a Sandman Slim book, so the pace never lets up. It’s a Sandman Slim book, so the action is incredible. It’s a Sandman Slim book, so I read it in one sitting.

And when it was done — no spoilers — I put the book down and stared at the dark room around the pool of light from my reading lamp for a long time, and thought about how this decade-long journey ended.

Kadrey has written a true capstone, worthy of a significant and ground-breaking contribution to the field. Endings are hard, and this is a good one. I’m going to miss Stark — but I’m so glad that he got such a worthy conclusion.

[twins2994]

Braves Bats Back Wilson In Game 4.

Dodgers 2 Braves 10 W-Wilson (1-0) L-Kershaw (0-1) 

The Atlanta Braves shocked the world as they took the first two games of the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers came out swinging and beat up on the Braves to take Game 3. Tonight, the Braves sent Bryse Wilson to the hill and prayed for the best result. The Dodgers struck first in the third inning as Edwin Rios drilled a Bryse Wilson fastball out to right for a solo homer. This put Los Angeles up 1-0, but Atlanta would start to figure out Clayton Kershaw in the fourth. Marcell Ozuna crushed a Kershaw slider out to left for a solo blast and the game was tied at one after four frames. The Braves bats stayed hot in the sixth as they looked to force Clayton Kershaw out of the ballgame. Ronald Acuna started it with a lead-off single to second base. He went to second on a throwing error by Kike Hernandez and the Braves had a threat. Freddie Freeman doubled home Acuna and the Braves took a 2-1 advantage. Marcell Ozuna followed with a double of his own and Brusdar Graterol entered the game. He retired Travis d’Arnaud, but Ozzie Albies lined a base hit to right. Dansby Swanson doubled home a pair and Austin Riley singled home another run. Victor Gonalez came on and walked Johan Camargo to keep the inning alive. Cristian Pache hit an RBI single to center to cap off a six-run sixth for the Braves. The Dodgers would start to inch closer in the seventh as Justin Turner led-off with a single to center and Max Muncy walked. Cody Bellinger walked with one out to load up the bases. Edwin Rios greeted Chris Martin with a sac fly to center and the Dodgers were within five. Marcell Ozuna got that run back when he belted a Dylan Floro fastball out to center for a solo home run. This put the Braves back up by six after seven innings of play. Tyler Matzek silenced the Dodgers in the eighth. The Braves got some insurance in the eighth as Cristian Pache reached on an error by Matt Beaty. Ronald Acuna drew a walk and Freddie Freeman singled home a run. Marcell Ozuna added an RBI single to center and the Braves extended their lead to eight. Shane Greene threw a 1-2-3 ninth and the Braves took a commanding (3-1) series lead. 

-Final Thoughts- Clayton Kershaw sailed through five innings then hit a wall in the sixth. He lasted five-plus innings and allowed four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Brusdar Graterol wasn’t much better as he gave up three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Victor Gonzalez got out of the sixth, Dylan Floro got five outs, but allowed three runs. Jake McGee eventually got out of the eighth. Justin Turner had two of the three hits for the Dodgers tonight. They hit 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. The Dodgers are now put in a big hole. Dustin May gets the start against a yet to be determined starter for the Braves in Game 5. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[mackenzie-brown]

Watching the detectives

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

 The Prince of the City series is an homage to the best hardboiled, pulp fiction from the USA that sprung up in the 1930s and 1940s. As a lover of the work of Chandler and Hammett, I continued my foray into the world of noir by reading John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series, Ross MacDonald’s (no relative) Lew Archer books and these days I enjoy reading Robert Crais’ series featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. As a result of my love for these classic authors and their characters, I developed a desire to create my own version of noir fiction. So, you must forgive me if a few Americanisms find their way into the language of Vic Prince and his cohorts, particularly in the first book in the series, The Cat’s Whiskers.

 As the series developed into book two and three, I found that, as I’ve become more comfortable in the genre, my prose these days is littered with fewer phrases from US noir fiction and I’ve created something of a hybrid. I might call it British noir, so I suppose that leads me nicely into explaining why I set the series in Liverpool in the first place.

Liverpool is the city of my birth, a city steeped in history—not all of it positive—and, during research for a previous book, I found that enjoyed writing stories set in the forties.

As many fans of detective stories will attest, one of the many tropes is that the central character is often the underdog—someone who is fighting on all fronts, when everyone around them seems crooked and rotten.  That was one of the reasons why I opted to portray my titular character, Vic Prince, as a black man of African ancestry.  This ties in well with one of the shameful things about the city I love: the slave trade and the rampant racism of the era in which the series is set. This harsh environment Prince finds himself in also provides another way in which readers can empathise with the protagonist.

In the second book, Nine Lives, Vic ventures to Southport, an affluent and prominently white seaside resort.

Here, Prince faces an alien landscape in which the usual odds stacked against him are even more acute.

Each book has an individual mystery, but the series actually takes place over the course of a year. A more complex, overarching mystery runs through the series like a thread, acting as a bridge that connects the narrative across all five books.

In book three, Picture Purrfect, the most famous black actor in Hollywood is filming in the city and hires Vic to solve a rather delicate problem. Vic is forced to lock horns with a hard man from the North East in his quest to stop a stone killer in a dress.

The idea of using cats as a way of connecting each of the titles sprang from my own admiration for our four-legged friends, as well as the fact that, throughout the entire series, Vic is chasing down miniature charms, created in the feline form, known as the Nine Lives—and that every faction in the city is looking to get hold of them and unlock the secret they hold.

The fourth book in the series is almost ready for publication, Return of the Feline.

In this book, we learn that Vic’s best friend and black marketeer, Percy, had a bad breakup a couple of years before, and his former fiancée contacts Vic out of the blue. Vic knows Percy still carries a torch for Agatha, but when he meets her—instead of wanting him to smooth the path to a reunion with Percy—she reveals that she has four items from the Nine Lives collection to sell. It seems other factions in the city know what she is selling, and two men are trying to kill her, while another pair are on the lookout for her and her former business partner. Vic is left to pick up the pieces, managing his best friend’s emotions when she goes into hiding and keeping her alive long enough to keep the items she is selling from falling into enemy hands.

I am currently writing book five, King of the Jungle, which will conclude 1940 and the first overarching narrative of the series, and will be published in early 2021.

 Mackenzie Brown, November 2020

[disneytva]

TCA Winter Press Tour Sets Disney Branded Television Panel On Monday

The Television Critics Association is hosting its Winter Press Tour this month and Disney is taking part in the event, with multiple days being dedicated to Disney’s TV Units

This months edition is for Disney Branded Television, the main unit for Disney Television Animation, Disney Junior Educational Resource Group, Disney Channel Original Movies Productions, It’s A Laugh Productions, ABC Signature & 20th Television.

On Monday February 7th, the main focus of the TCA 22 press tour will be on Disney Branded Television and it’s projects for it’s networks.

Last time Disney Branded Television attended this event back on August 2021 for the TCA Fall Tour many details where unveiled such as:

-The Ghost And Molly McGee Premiere Month Unveiled

-Mickey and Minnie’s Wish Upon A Christmas Greenlight And Airdate

 Mickey’s Tale Of Two Witches Greenlight and Airdate

-Spidey And His Amazing Friends Season 2 Renewal

-Rise Up Sing Out Logo Reveal

-Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Intro And Sneak Peek (Only For Members Of The Press Tour)

-Pupstruction Greenlight Announcement

Greenlight of the DCOM:  From the Desk of Zoe Washingtong

Announcement Of Travis Braun (T.O.T.S., Pupstruction) making a DCOM

The Legacy Of Disney Channel Original Movies

Who knows what they could possibily unveil this time at the press tour but let’s hope for the following things for animation:

-Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Premiere Month

-Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Shorts Airdate

-Untitled Preschool Time Traveler Treasure Hunter Series Getting A Title

- New Disney TVA Show For Disney Channel (Cheyenne Curtis Pilot, Noah Z Jones Pilot)

New Disney Junior Educational Resource Group Show

-Development Key Art for Primos

The Owl House Season 2B Release Month

-Updated Finished Key Art For Hamster And Gretel Along With Cast Reveal

-Hamster And Gretel Release Month