ommadawn.dk - Books

Interview with the creator of the MogPog's

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Interview

Interviewing the author of The Crystal Point of the Mog Pogs, Don Cambou.

Your book seems to take a stand on pollution, global warming etc. Which other causes and organisations do you recommend or support yourself?

I think converting our energy infrastructure to renewables, like solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal, coupled with population control, is the key to avoiding a truly apocalyptic future. It's doable, if we make it a national and international priority. Let's build photvoltaic cells rather than land mines and two billion dollar fighter jets. I like and support aggressive environmental organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund and Rainforest Action Network.

How did you transfer knowledge of visual media to writing a book?

For me, writing a novel and writing a screenplay or documentary script aren't that different. At the heart of each endeavor is verbal story telling. When I was the Executive Producer of Modern Marvels, I always told my producers to write a good story first, and then worry about the visuals. If the story was strong enough, we would always find ways to support it visually. At the same time, I'm a very visual person. I think The Crystal Point of the MOG POGs is very cinematic in image and structure.

Our hero loves Discovery, and his bow and arrow. Which real life person is he based on, if any?

Lew, my protagonist, just came into my mind and started talking to me. Sometimes while writing I actually say, "Lew, talk to me." He hasn't stopped talking, as I polish the second book and plunge into the third. Lew is part me, part the kid I would have liked to have been. My father died when I was three, so my grandfather became a very strong influence in my life. Like Lew, my favorite meal as a kid was a grilled cheese sandwich with dill pickles. Also like Lew, a part of me has thankfully remained an eleven year old boy. I picked the bow and arrow as his weapon because of it's mythic, archetypal significance.

If you've had children read the book, before and/or after publication, how were their reactions?

I wrote The Crystal Point for a broad audience. But I also wrote it for Middle Grade readers, especially boys. I want to turn boys on to reading. I had several eight to fourteen year old boys read it prior to publishing. Everyone of them loved it. They couldn't put it down. A producer friend told me that her young cousins actually fought over the single copy they had. I wanted to write a book that grabbed you fast and didn't let go. The Crystal Point is nearly non stop action. Below is an email I received from the fourteen year old son of another friend.

Wow... How should i say this. The book was great and i couldn't stop reading it. I almost missed dinner i was so into it and i ended up finishing it in one night. The creativity was what really made the book, and the whole idea i found very cool and like no book i have read before. I think that you really managed to master talking in the point of view of a 11 year old boy. It actually sounded like a kid about that age and it made it that much easier to relate to. The character personalities also were perfect, in my opinion, partially because i can relate to them, and partially because i thought they fit the role perfectly. I would say the only problem is that I am not sure I can wait for you to write the second book. Like i said, i am anticipating the next book if there is going to be one, and i hope this book gets published soon because it is something I think many kids would enjoy.

-Adam J

> Do you write fantasy because of a love for fantasy? Or were you surprised > you ended up there? Might you write science fiction or mystery the next > time?

Ever since I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, four decades ago, I've loved fantasy. After working in non fiction television for thirty years, and spending much of that time polishing other writers' work, I was ready to take off my critical blinders and let my mind run free. Writing The Crystal Point was a consuming, altogether pleasant experience for me. I've also loved science fiction for at least four decades. At seventeen, I read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. The book changed my life. I've read much of Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Crichton. I liked them both because of the strong scientific foundations upon which their books were written. Crichton my not have been the world's greatest stylist, but he could sure write a compelling, cinematic novel. I have several ideas for science fiction novels. I find these ideas disturbing, since they challenge what it is to be human. Look what we've done to dogs through selective breeding. What will happen when we really start messing around with the human genome?

Why did you release your book on Kindle?

On Kindle, an author can publish what he or she wants, when he or she wants. Traditional publishing is a waiting game with many obstacles to overcome. I've talked to other fantasy writers who've done up to four free drafts for publishers, only to have their manuscripts rejected in the end. I've dealt with the notes of network executives for thirty years. Sometimes, they help. Often, they hinder. I didn't want to subject The Crystal Point to an editor's whims. Instead, I sought editorial advice from a successful screenwriter friend. She helped me immensely, but was always ready to defer to my vision of the story. Of course, the price for this freedom is that an author has to create the awareness for his or her own book. Big publishing houses know how to push a book. Kindle authors must try to do it themselves, with a tiny fraction of the budget.

Outline for Misery

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Me, Stephen King

What would an outline for Misery look like? What can I learn about writing novels from this novel?

Outline.

Under, but not dead

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Books, Quotes, Science fiction, Stephen King

If you want a review of Under the dome by Stephen King, I suggest you skip to this one from RevolutionSF (Van Allen Plexico). If however you want a sample of the energetic dialogue, stick around.

"I checked the other shed just to make sure, thought somebody might have moved the tanks --" [said Twitch]
"Why would anyone want to do that?" [said Rusty]
"I dunno, O Great One."
[...]
"Let him sleep. And I'm not going to call him The Wiz anymore. Given how hard he's worked since this shit came down, I thing he deserves better." [said Rusty]
"Ah so, sensei. You have reached a new level of enlightenment."
"Blow me, grasshopper."

Chapter "Madness, blindness, astonishment of the heart", sub-chapter 9 / page 200-201.

Outline for Songmaster

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Books, Me, Orson Scott Card, Science fiction

What would an outline for Songmaster look like? What can I learn about writing novels from this novel?

Outline.

Libellus

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Computers, Education, Me

2003-2005 I wrote and maintained a book about basic programming within the field of multimedia. I called it Libellus. I don't maintain it anymore, but the idea is, that the content should be timeless, and don't require maintenance. However, some of the links may not work anymore. Note that you can change the language to English by rummaging around with the exit sign.

a-tag Actionscript Adf�rdsm�nster Array ASP, PHP Bibliotek Billedformat Browser B�ndbredde Client/server Computer Create, alter, drop CSS Database De 3 regler for normalisering U.c. De 5 dokument-dimensioner Director DNS Dokumentation Dreamweaver E/R-diagram EnSimpelSide.html Event Filsystem Firewall Flash Flowchart For Forfatterv�rkt�j / udviklingsmilj� form-tag Formatteringssprog frame-tag FTP Funktion HOME HTTP If img-tag Insert, update, delete Javascript Klasse-h�ndelses-tabel Klassediagram Komponent Komprimering Kontrolstruktur Kravspecifikation Lag i XHTML LINGO Lyd og video i XHTML Navigationsdiagram Netv�rk Normalisering Og/eller OOAD Operativsystem Patch Platform Port Proces Processor Program / applikation Program-element Programmeringssprog Protokol Prototyping Proxy Pseudokode P�n programmering RAM Router Select Shockwave Sikkerhed SQL SQL-statement Storyboard Struktur i XHTML Struktureret analyse Systemdefinition Systemudvikling table-tag TCP/IP Test Tidsplan Udforskende udvikling Udgrening Vandfaldsmetoden Variabel Webserver While XHTML XHTML attributter XHTML syntaks XHTML-tag XML Vejledning Baggrund Guide Background

London, 2002

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Events, London, Me, Movies, Music, Pictures, Science fiction, Vacation

In the summer of 2002, July 3-9, I had a summer holiday in London. This time I didn't have much planned before I left home - only some addresses, some vague ideas, and a feeling that I would get up every morning and then decide what I wanted to do that day. Actually I ran out of ideas the last day, bought a guide book, and went to the first place that sounded interesting. It worked!

This review of my trip won't mention dates and stuff like that, and I won't include every single thing I did. Only those I found very interesting, and would recommend to others.

Forbidden planet

For the first time I had a strong feeling, I would shop while in London, and this feeling primarily had something to do with going to Forbidden planet. This shop has everything a fantasy and/or science fiction fan could wish for: books, videos, merchandise, autographs, a discount system for Star Trek fans... I found some books, I very much look forward to reading, including a book of Star Trek quotes - boy, at some point I was planning to do one of my own! It feels great to have been here (I heard about it for the first time a few years ago), it didn't quite meet my expectations, but I will still come back here, I hope.

The store

Tate and National Gallery

One of my big plans was to see a lot of paintings, and I had a couple of guided tours at Tate and National Gallery. I have this feeling seeing a painting is just like reading a book: a story is being told, or a feeling is being conveyed, or... Trouble is, in this case the book is in Japanese, or in other words: I don't quite know the language of painting yet. Which is why I need the guided tours, because they translate the paintings for me. I saw a depressing picture (1), and didn't know that depressing was "bad" at the time it was painted - today it is accepted. I saw a picture with nature showing its teeth (2) - and didn't know, that at the time grandeur of any kind usually was connected with the greatness of God. And then one of the really complicated pictures, where everything was a symbol for something (3): the number 9 on the sun dial (the holy trinity if I remember correctly), the poppy flower (opium addiction), the dove (innocence) and so on. I saw Virgin Mary in a blue dress (4) - blue usually meant royalty, because the color blue was very expensive. And so on, and so forth. I just loved the guide mentioning the hover tiger (5)! And for some reason, I quite liked the few van Goghs I saw (6). And of course, with some pictures (7), the story wasn't that important - the colors were beautiful, that was everything that mattered. And with other pictures (8), I never quite understood why the painting was ever done - there was no story I could see, it was ugly and so on.

The boring details. (1) The field of Waterloo; JMW Turner. (2) The fall of an avalanche in the Grisons; JMW Turner. (3) Beata Beatrix; Dante Gabriel Rossetti. (4) The virgin and child; Masaccio. (5) Tiger in a tropical storm (surprised!); Henri Rousseau. (6) Sunflowers; Van Goghs chair; Long grass with butterflies; A wheatfield, with cypresses; all by Vincent van Gogh. (7) Norham Castle, sunrise; JMW Turner. (8) Sunny morning - eight legs; Lucian Freud.

A wheatfield

IMAX

Before leaving home, I accidentally read about 3D movies in London. I sought out IMAX and saw Space Station 3D. They were very friendly at IMAX - I bought my ticket very early, and was allowed to see the end of the movie before mine! The 3D effects were very good - at some point I was sure I could have touched a thing on the screen! Alas, that was only the intro - the actual movie was very sober, and didn't abuse (?) the effects... It was a good movie, with a serious narrative by Tom Cruise. I learned a few things I didn't know about ISS - a project that has sort of snuck up on me, a big surprise for an old space program and SF fan!

Space Station 3D

Elvis

Saturday night I was lucky enough to be at a party. Some of the music was live, a man and a woman and a tape player or something. Suddenyl the man left, and in came - Elvis! I guess my fast mind thought: if he can be an Elvis copy, I can be a fan copy! So I threw myself on the floor in front of him, fondling his knees, looking at him with big, wet eyes. Well, he liked the joke, and played along! Before I knew it, he was singing a love song (Can't help falling in love with you) mainly for me, we were dancing and holding hands, and I even think he gave me a kiss, before finishing the song. The other party guest also liked the joke, and laughed. This was a very personal, very strong experience for me: Elvis sang a love song to me! And the biggest thing I remember from this vacation.

Smiling

Les Miserables

I had half a plan, and found the energy to turn it into a full plan: buying a very good ticket for Les Miserables. The musical, you know. Running for 18 years or something like that. Way back when it was playing in Denmark, everybody asked me whether I had seen it - after the show had ended! So for 10 years, I've wanted to see this. And now I had the chance! I knew the music quite well, but hadn't quite figured out the plot. Well. Now I know the plot. And I like this musical, and have plans to see it again, if possible. I actually cried a couple of times near the end - only quality does that to me! Since then, I've read the book.

Miserable child

The loot

And finally. As I said, I shopped a bit. And here's the loot.

Books and stuff

Quotes

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Mike Oldfield, Movies, Music, Olivia Newton-John, Quotes, Science fiction, Star Trek

I include a quote in my signature, changing once every week. And I try to choose quotes, that tells you something about me: my hobbies, my beliefs and so on. If you don't want to wait and send me a letter every week, just to see a new quote, you can cheat and look here. Quotes in italics are now retired.

Music

Olivia Newton-John

And if I close my eyes to the wild silent ruin, then I'm just like everyone else.: -- Olivia Newton-John, Gaia
I can sing one song - you can sing another, doesn't mean I'm wrong, don't let anything get in the way of love.: -- Olivia Newton-John, Gaia

Mike Oldfield

So if you feel a little glum, to Hergest Ridge you should come. In summer winter rain or sun, it's good to be on horseback.: -- Mike Oldfield, "On Horseback"

Others

Angels we have heard on High Tell us to go out and Buy.: -- Tom Lehrer
All you need is love: -- Beatles

Books

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams

Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.: -- D.Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
The large yellow ships hung in the sky in exactly the same way that bricks don't.: -- D.Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Duleek: Sudden realisation, as you lie in bed waiting for the alarm to go off, that it should have gone off an hour ago.: -- Douglas Adams, "The Meaning of Liff"

Terry Pratchett

The light was misty and actinic, the sort of light to make Steven Spielberg reach for his copyright lawyer.: -- Terry Pratchett, "Equal Rites"
Time passed, which, basically, is its job.: -- Terry Pratchett, "Equal Rites"
What time�s sunset around here? We normally manage to fit it in between night and day: -- Terry Pratchett, "Mort"

Isaac Asimov

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent: -- Isaac Asimov, "Foundation"
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them.: -- Isaac Asimov
The most exciting phrase in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka" (I found it!) but "That's funny...": -- Isaac Asimov

Stephen King

It's a long walk back to Eden, dear, so don't sweat the small stuff.: -- Stephen King, Insomnia
When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "one word at a time.": -- Stephen King

Other science fiction writers

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.: -- Arthur C. Clarke
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy ?: -- Ursula K. LeGuin

Movies

Star Trek

Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.: -- Kirk, "Star Trek"
Live long ... and prosper.: -- Spock, "Star Trek"
In any case, were I to invoke logic, logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.: -- Spock, "Star Trek"
(When asked why he saved Spocks life) Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.: -- Kirk, "Star Trek"

Star Wars

Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.: -- Yoda, Star Wars V

Red dwarf

No Silicon Heaven? Preposterous! Where would all the calculators go?: -- Kryten, "Red Dwarf"
Given that God is infinite, and that the Universe is also infinite, would you like a toasted tea cake?: -- Talkie Toaster, "Red Dwarf"

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Always look on the bright side of life: -- Monty Python, Life of Brian
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space, Because there's bugger all down here on Earth.: -- Monty Python

When Harry met Sally

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.: -- Harry Burns, "When Harry met Sally"

Shadowlands

We can't have the happiness of yesterday without the pain of today. That's the deal.: -- Joy Gresham, "Shadowlands"

Simpsons

The truth is not out there: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
I will not use abbrev.: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
I will finish what I sta: -- Bart Simpson writing on the black board
When you love somebody, you have to have faith that in the end, they will do the right thing.: -- Marge Simpson to Lisa

Other movies

Well, Miss Vale; ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? I always ask that of all my prey. I just kinda like the sound of it!: -- The Joker
If you want something very badly, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with.: -- Diana, "Indecent Proposal"
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.: -- Friedrich Nietzsche

Other stuff

Greenpeace

Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise that we cannot eat money.: -- 19th Century Cree Indian

The holy bible

... thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ...: -- Leviticus 19:18
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is plantd;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace: -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Other sources

On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.: -- George Orwell
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.: -- Anonymous
Happiness: The full use of your powers along lines of excellence.: -- John F. Kennedy
Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.: -- Donald Knuth
Shift to the left, shift to the right, pop up, push down, byte, byte, byte!
If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.: -- Isaac Newton
In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side with the giants on whose shoulders we stand.: -- Gerald Holton
If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders.: -- Hal Abelson
In computer science, we stand on each other's feet.: -- Brian K. Reid
Call on God, but row away from the rocks.: -- Indian proverb
Trust in Allah, but tie your camel.: --Old Muslim Proverb
Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.: -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing were a miracle, The other is as though everything is.: -- Albert Einstein
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.: -- Albert Einstein
Imagination is more important than knowledge.: -- Albert Einstein
To work is good as long as we remember to live!: -- Anonymous
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.: -- Galileo
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.: -- Malcolm S. Forbes
It has been said "it is not by amusing oneself that one learns," and, in reply: "it is *only* by amusing oneself that one can learn.": -- Edward Kasner and James R. Newman
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.: -- Teilhard de Chardin
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.: -- Attributed to Benjamin Franklin
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ... --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...: -- Declaration of independence, Thomas Jefferson

Books

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Tags: Books, Me

Well, I've certainly read a lot of them. And of course there's some favorites. I can remember seeing The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams on German television years ago, and I was thrilled to find it as a book as well. Terry Pratchett is just as funny, he just writes fantasy instead. And while I'm at it, I adore Garfield, and got all the albums that's been translated to Danish, and then some! For the more serious bits, I like the way Isaac Asimov handles the future. And I like the way Stephen King handles describing people, even though I'm not a great fan of horror. And recently I have fallen in love with the intelligent, loving, slightly unorthodox people in Robert Heinlein books. Larry Niven and Anne McCaffrey are also taking up space on the shelves. And finally I've got to recommend the Narnia books by C.S.Lewis. Yeah, they're books for children, but I still like to read them from time to time.

Oh yeah, the links: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Garfield, Isaac Asimov, Stephen King, C.S.Lewis.

Hobbies

Sun, 11 Dec 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Tags: Books, Me, Movies, Music, Science fiction

Wanna know some more about my hobbies? Here they are: