LEGO

I’ve spent the last couple of evenings playing with LEGO bricks. Now, before I’m accused of being a “big child,” let me explain. I’ve got a ton of old vintage LEGO bricks dating back to the late 1970s, including many kits from the first ever range of spacecraft. The boxes and instructions are long lost, but I came across Brickshelf, a website which has all the old instructions online and ready to print. I’ve already got some of the old kits reconstructed, including an old favourite of mine: the Space Transport. I saw one of these fetching forty-five pounds on eBay recently. Sadly, mine is missing four important bricks. But I think I’ll be able to get a few brick collections cheaply on eBay to solve that.

The idea is, of course, to sell my old LEGO models and make some money, but I’m slightly reluctant. Looking at the newly reconstructed Space Transport brings back memories of the fun I had with it as a boy. It’s almost like rediscovering a long lost photograph. Guess I’m a big child after all!

First short story in four years

Yesterday I sat down at the computer and started writing my first short story in over four years. Every idea I’ve had since Terror on Tarthlogue Road (Christmas 1999) seems to want to expand itself into a novel, so it was an elating experience to finally put something short together. I used to be a member of a couple of writers organisations, where I’d see all these short story markets and I’d be frustrated that I had nothing to contribute. Finally, that’s changed! Well, nearly. I was all keyed up for finishing the story last night but a friend called round, curse his name (just kidding, Chris).

I think this sudden interest in the short story format has been brought on by a collection I’m reading at the moment: Different Kinds of Darkness by David Langford, full of quirky little sci-fi ideas (expect a review soon).

My story is called Calling All Time Travellers, and I’m hoping it will be the first of many. It’s kills me that I can’t just post it straight onto the site, but I have to do the sensible thing and try to get it published in a magazine. I’ll keep you posted.