Book review - Time will darken it

William Maxwell’s Time Will Darken It (1948) is a quite haunting tragedy of manners and relationships. Set in the small town of Draperville, Illinois in 1912, this literary novel mainly concerns the lawyer Austin King, his wife Martha and their daughter Abbey.

Maxwell employs the omniscient point of view, understandably, as he is depicting several denizens in this small township, and entering into many of their heads. It’s a slow, measured narrative, words and phrases clearly considered over months if not years, certainly not rushed out in a few weeks or months; he probably allowed the characters to gestate and conduct their monologues in his mind over time.

Austin King has reluctantly invited the family of foster ‘cousins’ from Mississippi to stay in his house, against his wife’s wishes. They have never met the Potter family, but Austin feels he must do the right thing. He is plagued by that condition, and is hostage to always wanting peace. With the first paragraphs we appreciate the tension between the married couple. This is not the first time they’ve been at loggerheads.

There are several instances where Maxwell gives us an authorial aside (and a number of these asides are surreal, observations made by furniture and such like!); not from any particular character’s viewpoint: ‘It was not his failure entirely. Women are never ready to let go of love at the point where men are satisfied and able to turn to something else. It is a fault of timing that affects the whole human race. There is no telling how much harm it has caused.’ (p12) This is a telling conclusion to a chapter, excellent foreshadowing of harm to come.

Mrs Potter’s first appearance is colourful and described with amusing wit: ‘… so small, so slight, here dress so elaborately embroidered and beaded, her hair so intricately held in place by pins and rhinestone-studded combs that she seemed, though alive, to be hardly flesh and blood but more like a middle-aged fairy.’ (p14)

Maxwell is good at conveying mood, too. ‘… and the clock threatened once more to take possession of the room.’ An awkward silence fell between them and the clock’s ticking again intruded. Another example: ‘The front stairs creaked, but not from any human footstep. The sunlight relinquished its hold on the corner of an oriental rug in the study in order to warm the leg of a chair. A fly settled on the kitchen ceiling. In the living room a single white wheel-shaped phlox blossom hung for a long time and then dropped to the table without making a sound.’ (p71)

Time will darken most things, perhaps; or fade them, if left out in daylight. Take this description, for example: ‘The rooms were large and opened one out of another, and the cherry woodwork, from decades of furniture polish, had taken on the gleam of dark red marble.’ (p1`59). Good visualisation, indeed; you can almost smell the age, and the polish, of course.

Austin’s father was ‘the nearest the town of Draperville had come to producing a great man.’ Unfortunately for Austin, he was forever in the dead man’s shadow, but acquiesced, rather than ruffle feathers and change things.

There’s a clever piece of flashback employed, too. When Martha spends time unpicking the sewing of her dress, an expressed favourite of her husband’s, she unpicks her courtship with Austin and her running away from him when he first proposed. ‘Although so much time and effort have gone into denying it, the truth of the matter is that women are human, susceptible to physical excitement and the moon.’ (p75) She yearned for a man ‘who would give her the sense of danger, a man who would look at her and make everything go dim around her’ (p73). But finally she settled for staid upstanding Austin.

While the township gives the appearance of being genteel, it isn’t. Another aside tells us ‘The world (including Draperville) is not a nice place, and the innocent and the young have to take their chances…’ (p53)

To the local townspeople, the Potters seem almost exotic, and before long Mr Potter is inveigling certain prominent folk into investing in his cotton business. Their daughter Nora is besotted with Austin and declares her love for him, and instead of telling her not to be foolish, he does nothing save allow her to stay behind with neighbours when the rest of the family return south. The neighbours have their own fascination, whether that’s deaf Dr Danforth who feels cut off because of his affliction and then finds companionship and marriage unexpectedly, or the middle-aged spinster sisters Alice and Lucy Beach, dominated by their mother, or Austin’s senior partner, the relatively idle pompous Mr Holby, or the rumour-mongering card club ladies, or the Kings’ Negro maid and cook, Rachel, who suffered domestic violence.

Slowly, inexorably, a crisis approaches as Martha’s pregnancy comes to term, as a disastrous accident occurs, and as a possible suicide looms.

The world and characters created linger long after the last page has been absorbed.

A highly regarded author, Maxwell was a famous fiction editor of the New Yorker from 1936 to 1975. He wrote six novels and a great many short stories. He died in 2000, aged 91.

Minor editing comments

Surprisingly, even an accomplished editor and writer such as Maxwell uses the dubious phrase ‘His eyes rested uneasily on the design…’ (p2) Nowadays, we try to avoid eyes doing these surreal things. His gaze rested uneasily, perhaps. Later, ‘Austin’s eyes wandered to the clock…’ (p10). Minor quibbles; in this latter scene we’re easily caught up in the strained relationship, only lightened by the appearance of little Abbey.

‘On the mantelshelf there was a brass clock with the works visible through panes of thick bevelled glass, and several family photographs.’ (p159). Perhaps it would read better thus: ‘On the mantelshelf there were several family photographs and a brass clock with the works visible through panes of thick bevelled glass.’

Many of the most dramatic events are off-stage, and that can frustrate some readers, but on reflection I don’t believe it matters too much, as it is the consequences these individuals have to deal with, not the actual occurrences that drive the narrative.

The Law of Chaos - the multiverse of Michael Moorcock

Michael Moorcock was born in 1939, and began writing in the 1950s and is still at it. Indefatigable, prolific and influential.

Jeff Gardiner’s comprehensive appraisal of Moorcock’s writing, The Law of Chaos is one of those ‘must read’ books for any fan of Moorcock, fantasy or science fiction, and even mainstream/literary fiction. 

“This new book, the latest Moorcockian meteorite to flash across the heavens, is a timely reminder of the scope, depth, heart and magnificence of an author with numerous readers, bright-eyed fans, global correspondents, but far less mainstream acknowledgement than he deserves. The glory of the work, in its astonishing reach and range, is that it can be freshly excavated by every rising generation” - Iain Sinclair

From Jerry Cornelius and the Eternal Champion fantasies to Pyat and more recent novels, The Law of Chaos is an entertaining and accessible reader’s guide that explores the life and achievements of Michael Moorcock, one of modern literature's most influential figures. All Moorcock’s works are examined and discussed in detail from early fantasies to his later philosophical novels. With an introduction and other material by Moorcock himself, The Law of Chaos travels the moonbeam roads through the enigmatic multiverse of a celebrated literary icon.

Here is an extract from Jeff’s introduction to The Law of Chaos:

Fantasy writer Angela Carter called Michael Moorcock ‘the master Storyteller of our time’ — a well-deserved title for an author who has influenced the literary world for well over fifty years. Carter, herself an avid reader of Moorcock, was keen to celebrate the importance of Moorcock’s work. In her enthusiastic review of Mother London in the Guardian, she concludes that: ‘Posterity will certainly give him that due place in the English literature of the late twentieth century which his more anaemic contemporaries grudge; indeed, he is so prolific it will probably look as though he has written most of it anyway’.

Michael Moorcock is one of Britain’s greatest writers and he is possibly the most consistently experimental author in the world of fantasy literature. Not only did he practically invent modern British fantasy and reshape science fiction as an editor, but he is also an exponent of mainstream literature. While he, ironically, rejects the notion of being a genre writer, he is probably most famous for his fantasy hero Elric the albino, and for the science fiction icon of 1960s psychedelia, Jerry Cornelius.

In The Encyclopaedia of Fantasy, John Clute calls Moorcock, ‘the most important UK fantasy author of the 1960s and 1970s’. This is misleading, as he continues to write prolifically into the twenty-first century and it could be argued that his later novels are amongst his best work. Clute does, however, suggest that Moorcock is ‘altogether the most significant UK author of sword and sorcery’ and it is probably for his interlinking Eternal Champion novels that he will be most widely remembered.

The extent of Moorcock’s popularity is demonstrated by his worldwide following, led by an active international appreciation society, The Nomads of the Time Streams, and by the fact that his work is translated into many languages. Type his name into any search engine on the internet and you will encounter innumerable web sites that pay homage to him. What is most impressive about Michael Moorcock is that he has continued to produce novels, stories and non-fiction to such a high standard.

Michael Moorcock has won two World Fantasy Awards, including one in 2000 for Lifetime Achievement; a Nebula award; the Guardian Fiction Prize; a John W. Campbell Memorial Award and even a nomination for the Whitbread Prize. He also has a collection of six British Fantasy Awards: four August Derleth Awards, one for the short story category and, of course, the 1992 Special Award for his Lifetime Achievement. In 2002 he was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

Moorcock has about 100 books to his name, some of which are republished and retitled editions of earlier works, and this can prove bewildering to the uninitiated. My own attempt to bring a semblance of order to this chaos can be found in my Moorcock bibliography at the back of this book.

While his books are still categorised under fantasy or SF, this doesn’t fully represent his whole oeuvre, which is perhaps better labelled as slipstream or fantastic realism. Moorcock has written about fantasy forms in literature in his book, Wizardry and Wild Romance, one of the best books about fantasy by a fantasist, and he both acknowledges and proves through his own writing that fantasy is an important and often under-valued art form.

Fantasy creates a tension between what is real and unreal, and this echoes Moorcock’s balance between law and chaos. While Moorcock acknowledges the part that fantasy has played in his own success he does admit: ‘I have difficulty defining “Fantasy” as a readily definable genre — or frequently even as an element. I don’t believe that any technique or method is more or less useful than another — everything depends upon individual human talent in the end.’

His dislike for generic terms is expressed in the following way: ‘I don’t believe there is such a thing as fantasy or science fiction or detective fiction and so on. I think there are certain writers who in their field shine and in every one of those fields you’ll get some good writers emerging. Sometimes the field itself can limit the writer’s work and then frequently the writer does something about it.’

Moorcock is a protean writer, whose work transcends literary and generic boundaries; like Charles Dickens, his novels are, paradoxically, both popular and literary. His writing covers fields as far ranging as romance, heroic fantasy, science fiction, fabulation, surrealism, popular fiction, satire, allegory, fantastic realism, postmodernism, magic realism, non-fiction, rock’n’roll, comics and even cinema. His novels defy categorisation because they are greater than the limitations of the critic’s vocabulary. As a ‘literary’ writer Moorcock shows artistic ability in his myth-making and story-telling; his creation of intriguing characters; the subtle irony and ornate vocabulary; an exploitation of metaphor and allegory; and his presentation of imaginary landscapes and emotional relationships. However, his greatest desire is to be a popular author.

He first came to prominence in 1964 as the editor of New Worlds magazine with his radical editorial approach that alienated many science fiction fans, but also won him great respect as a writer of vision whose vocabulary and ideas were second to none. His own early stories best exemplify his desire to experiment with structures, themes and language. It was in these early stories that he began to develop the symbolism and subjects that continue to dominate his later writings.

Michael Moorcock is incredibly prolific and what causes the most confusion is the interlinking nature of all his novels. Most of his books fit into a particular mythos or are related to a series of novels, although which one or how is not always immediately obvious. Beginning with a brief autobiographical sketch, this book examines Moorcock’s early career as an editor for the avant-garde literary magazine New Worlds, and then evaluates his early fantasy and the famous world of Jerry Cornelius that arose from the magazine. Then each chapter discusses a major work or series and attempts to do so in chronological order; that is, by the date of the first book in each series. Any confusion might be caused by the fact that Moorcock does not write his books in any seemingly logical order, and so many of his novels and short stories are repackaged and reprinted.

In this book you will find biographical detail, because to appreciate Moorcock’s work means understanding the writer. Moorcock’s influence on speculative fiction is evaluated and the Eternal Champion — Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon, Ereköse and von Bek — is assessed. Also examined are Jerry Cornelius, the spoof messiah of swinging London; the alternate worlds of Oswald Bastable; the comic fantasy of The Dancers at the End of Time; Gloriana; the crazed memoirs of Colonel Pyat; the fantastic realism of Mother London and its sequel, King of the City; and finally some of Moorcock’s later works.

The purpose of this book is to celebrate the achievements of one of literature’s leading figures. Fans should find the work a useful tool to explore the multiverse even further and those who are new to Moorcock’s work might catch a glimpse of the inspiration behind his mercurial mind. Moorcock successfully creates memorable characters and mystical landscapes using irrepressible wit and exotic language, reminding us all just how fantasy continues to be one of literature’s sharpest tools, as well as the key to developing the imagination.

***

Jeff Gardiner is a British author who was born in Jos, Nigeria, lived for many years in West London but now lives in Sussex. He also has a great passion for rock music and films.

I reviewed Jeff’s excellent novel Igboland here

http://nik-writealot.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/book-review-igboland.html

I will be featuring Jeff in another blog shortly.

See also my blog: http://nik-writealot.blogspot.com.es/2016/01/michael-moorcock-and-tarzan-adventures.html

Moorcock books at Amazon UK – here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Moorcock/e/B000AQ6Q6G

Writing – Market – Granta

Granta is a leading literary journal that’s been around for many years (founded in 1889, it was rejuvenated in 1979 and yet again in 2007). Many well-known, famous and even popular writers have appeared within its covers; usually, its contributors are invited; however, each year it has an open submissions window and this year's closes on April 1, no fooling.

Submit in only one category at a time: fiction, non-fiction, and art will be considered for both their print and online editions, unless you specifically state otherwise in your cover letter. Actually, they remain open to submissions of photography and art year-round.

Granta only publishes original material, i.e. first-ever publication. There is no set maximum length or minimum length, though most of their submissions fall between 3,000-6,000 words.

Include a cover letter stating where your work has been published before, if relevant.

Do not submit book manuscripts, academic essays or reviews. Only submit work written in English.
 
Get more details and submit through their website http://granta.com/

You can read some of the fiction on their website, to get a feel for the style and content. Send only your best work.

Good luck!

Writing – Market – Sixpenny magazine

This new magazine is due to launch soon (Winter).

It’s looking for short stories and illustrations. As the editors say, “Long, long ago, there were magazines filled with illustrated stories. They created a market for writers and illustrators to hone their craft and make a living, and they gave readers a steady supply of stories they could truly enjoy. When these magazines began, some were called sixpenny magazines, because they cost a sixpence - affordable enough for just about everyone. But over time, all of these 'everyman' fiction magazines died. Luckily, while out in the woods one day, we found a single cell of a sixpenny magazine hidden away in a nugget of amber. Soon after, we discovered the emerging technology of the internet. Thanks to that little pocket computer called a mobile phone, people are reading again. We have decided that now is the time to bring back the SIXPENNY. 

“SIXPENNY is a digital magazine of illustrated short stories. Our stories will be classified as literary fiction, but they'll also be entertaining as a rule.  Each issue has six stories that take six minutes to read: three are by widely published authors, and three are by unpublished authors. We pay our writers and our illustrators. SIXPENNY exists to bring substance and real feeling to the in-between parts of your day.”

For Writers:

Pocket-sized stories. Literary fiction that keeps a reader engaged and excited from the first word to the last. Each story should be a six-minute read – 1,000 words, give or take (just a little). The six stories selected for each issue will be illustrated before publication in SIXPENNY.

How to Submit

The current reading period ends on October 31st.

Six stories will be selected for publication for the Winter launch. Stories can be submitted by clicking the ‘submit’ button on the website, which will take you to their submission engine Submittable. They will attempt to reply with feedback within two weeks after the end of the reading period. They will consider simultaneous submissions but would appreciate it if you would notify them promptly if your manuscript is chosen for publication elsewhere. Multiple submissions to SIXPENNY will be considered.

Payment and Copyright

You must own the rights if your story has been previously published. SIXPENNY acquires First Serial Rights for published stories. Copyright for any works published in SIXPENNY will revert to the author upon publication. “We will request, as part of our publication contract, your permission to feature in published works or excerpts on SIXPENNY’s website and in its advertising. We will also request permission to publish the stories accepted throughout the year in a yearly anthology.”

Writers will be paid $100 for each story published in SIXPENNY.

For Illustrators:

Please submit a portfolio by clicking the ‘submit’ button and follow the guidelines. If your portfolio is chosen, you will be included in their Illustrator Database, and they will contact you when they find a story for you. You will be paid $100 per illustrated story that is published in SIXPENNY. Each story typically needs 3 small illustrations.