By way of research, I've been re-reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I first read this book when I was thirteen, the same age as the two protagonists, and I've loved it ever since.
It seemed to be the perfect example of what I'm trying to do with my own novel. I remembered it as being a dark and delicious children's horror novel that didn't skimp on the scares.
It is in no way Lovecraftian horror, but it concerns a carnival run by Mr. Dark, and Ray Bradbury's first book was called Dark Carnival and was published by Arkham House, who were set up specifically to bring Lovecraft's works into print. So that's a connection too.
Re-reading it now, I find that this is a very adult horror novel about the loss of innocence that comes with puberty, and the reclaiming of innocence that can come with old age. I had previously re-read the book while in my mid 20s, and didn't pick up on it then.
I know a lot of people about 6 or 7 years younger than me, and I keep having to mentally adjust slightly to take into account things I get that they don't just because of life experience. It's weird to find that I can do the same thing with my past selves!
Posted by pearce at May 31, 2006 11:15 AMIf I had written this post, it would have been titled "By the thumbing of my prick..."
Posted by: Joey at May 31, 2006 11:23 AMThat's why you didn't get to write it.
Posted by: Pearce at May 31, 2006 11:26 AMJoey: Surely it would've been "By the thumbing of my pricks."
It implies that you'd be a gay pimp-lord, with a harem of turgid pricks within arms length.
Posted by: buzzandhum at May 31, 2006 1:55 PMbuzzandhum: that's why I chose my patricular wording.
Though I'm happy to pimp gay boys, if you're offering. It's legal now don't you know.
Posted by: Joey at May 31, 2006 2:22 PMProvided they're not boys, as such, but men.
Posted by: dritchie at May 31, 2006 3:49 PM"Boys" in the 18-20 age group, naturally.
"Boys" seems to be the right term anyhoo. "Bum boy" meaning taking it up the rear while "bum man" meaning the bum equivalent of a "leg man" or a "breast man". ("Leg man" not meaning James Spader in Crash.)
Would any faggots reading this care to enlighten us further?
Posted by: Joey at May 31, 2006 3:53 PMIt'd be nice if someone could comment on Ray Bradbury, as fascinating as homosexual prostituion is.
Posted by: Pearce at May 31, 2006 3:55 PMI remember watching the film based on the book at age 10 or 11. It was quite good at the time -- don't know how it would stand up now.
Posted by: dritchie at May 31, 2006 5:31 PMI also tried to watch The Martian Chronicles at about the same age. Boy it was shit.
Posted by: dritchie at May 31, 2006 5:31 PMI've never read any Bradbury. Is he any good? The Ray Bradbury Theatre which was filmed in NZ was cheap and nasty.
Posted by: dritchie at May 31, 2006 5:32 PMRay Bradbury is a gay hooker.
Posted by: billy at May 31, 2006 8:23 PMdritchie: a lot of people seem to like the Something Wicked movie, but as a kid I hated it for the same reason I hated that Willy Wonka movie: it changed the story from the book. Interestingly, in both cases the author wrote the script.
The Martian Chronicles does indeed suck, yea verily.
I agree about Ray Bradbury Theatre, though it was interesting to see Hutt Valley trains in "America".
I reckon his books are great, though he's lost it in the last 30 years.
Billy: very witty, Wilde.
Posted by: Joey at June 1, 2006 10:22 AM