Movie download: The Survivor

Here’s a little 15-minute horror movie for you. I’ve been making this since last October, at the sluggish pace of one afternoon per week, with some of the pupils at Clounagh Junior High (members of the school’s filmmaking club). Long time blog readers will know that one of these movies comes around each year about this time. Last year we released Cat Trap, the tale of a panther that wanders into the school ten minutes before class-change (still available for download at www.clounagh.com). This year we’ve made a ghost story, one that’s a bit tricky to get your head around. But that’s something I like about it. The film went down a treat this afternoon, when we held a premiere in the school assembly hall for Year 8 pupils. I hope you enjoy it, too …

[Readers of Ulterior might like to know that one of the movie's scenes features the infernal elevator that played such a big part in the novel.]

Chapter 1 of 2:

Chapter 2 of 2:

Chion raises money for orphanage

I’ve recently been enjoying promoting Chion among the children at Clounagh Junior High. There are around thirty classes in the school. What I do is individually hijack each class’s library period and spend half an hour talking about the book. Five years ago, when I did this with my first novel, Ulterior, I quickly learned that the best approach was to be interactive. So, I tell the first few pages of the novel in my own words, then I ask questions about the apocalyptic scenario - questions designed to lead them to the conclusion that there is no hope of rescue and that everyone in the story is going to die. Then I throw them a life-line. I say, “One person figures out a way to survive indefinitely.” By this stage, they’re dying to know what the solution is. Do I tell them? Heck, no! The whole point of the discussion is to get them interested enough to buy the book. And many of them do.

So far, I’ve sold around 100 copies to the pupils. And I’m happy to report that this now takes me beyond my initial print-run of 250 books, into a second lot. Any books that I sell through the school are priced at the usual £4, except £2 from that is being donated to Katya Vanchev Orphanage in Bulgaria. So, there’s £200 raised already, and there’ll be more, with the new intake of kids due in September. What’s my profit? Mere pennies, if anything, as each book costs £1.75 (plus shipping) to produce.

Katya Vanchev is an orphanage that the school has an ongoing affiliation with. Each year, the children who take part in the annual ski tip visit the place, bringing money raised from various school activities.

I’m a lot happier about raising money for a small orphanage than for a faceless charity. With Ulterior, I raised money for BBC Children in Need and ended up being spoken to in harsh tones by one of the reps over the fact that I had put a Pudsey logo on my website. Never again. And besides, with a big charity, you never know how much of your money is going to administration costs. At least with an actual orphanage, I know that 100% of the money I’ve raised will benefit the children there - children I can actually see for myself, via the school’s online ski trip gallery.

Altruism - Part II

I was hesitant to put my previous post online, because I felt I hadn’t fully worked through the issue of altruism in my mind. This post will hopefully add a little balance to the matter.

I think I’m being a little hard on myself. My problem is not that I don’t do anything to help others, it’s that I often don’t do the things with the right attitude. What it boils right down is, what kind of a person am I? Am I a giver or a taker? Are my actions motivated by the good I can do or by what I can get out of it? Saly, I have to admit that a great deal of my recent life has been motivated by taking. Even though I have managed to avoid the trappings of materialism to the degree that I rarely purchase things other than the necessities of life, I am still motivated by the desire to consume, whether it’s videogames, DVDs, novels. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with these activities - except when they’ve risen to the level that they’re almost your reason to live.

I think this kind of a trap is a lot easier for married people to avoid, because they are caught with the business of looking after each other and their children. But, of course, no one is without responsibilities of one kind or another. The responsibilities of my job, for instance. And this is primarily where I have allowed myself to slip.

When I first started working at Clounagh, I loved the place. And my feelings stayed that way for many years. I even dedicated my first novel to the pupils, with the heartfelt words “To the pupils of the real Clounagh Junior High School, who make it a special place to come and work in each day.” I would look around me at all these jaded and complaining teachers and think to myself, “You folks have forgotten forgotten the wonderful and privileged position you occupy in these children’s lives, as a force for good, equipping them for life ahead.” Guess what? I’ve become one of those jaded and complaining people. At some point, I started looking at my job for what it could do for me, rather than taking pleasure in what I had to offer. It would be so easy for me to make excuses (and I’ve made them). I could talk about how the attitudes of children in society have gone radically downhill since seven years ago, when I started working at the school. And that’s actually true, in general; there is way more disrespect in the classroom than there used to be. But when I make that excuse, it only illustrates that all I’m interested in is what the job can do for me, not what I can bring to the job.

Well, I’m making an effort to change my attitude. As well as my usual IT duties, I have some involvement with the Scripture Union, with teaching First Aid, and with raising money for charity (at the same time encouring children to read, even if it is my own novel). These are all activities that have so much pleasure to give, when the person doing them is thinking about the good he can do.

I guess altruism was the wrong word for what I’ve been trying to get at. I’ve been criticising myself for being a couch potato in the evenings, when really there’s nothing wrong with relaxing, as long as you can do so in the knowledge you’re the sort of person who’s motivated by giving instead of taking. My own times of relaxation have been poisoned by my selfish attitude to life. Now that I’ve woken up to this, it’s refreshing to wake up in the morning and think, Here’s a brand new day. What good can I do in it?

Altruism

If you’re a long time reader of this blog, you may have noticed that it goes through phases, reflecting my changing interests (obsessions) as the months and years go by. What I’m noticing is that it’s been a long time since I’ve written anything remotely personal, especially about my Christian life. This, sadly, is a reflection on my spiritual state. Until yesterday, I can’t remember the last time I actually picked up my Bible; the only things I’ve been reading are novels. For a long time, my faith has taken a back seat, and consequently I have no spiritual adventures of which to speak … except this one.

Over the last year or so, one particular philosophical theme has been occupying my mind: altruism (definition: the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others). Astute readers of Chion might have noticed that this is a major theme of the novel: altruism as it relates to the meaning of life. That sounds overly intellectual, but what it boils down to is this: The only kind of life that has any meaning is a life lived for the benefit of others; everything you do for your own self-centred interests ultimately amounts to nothing when you’re six feet under and gradually turning to dust.

I got some worrying news just before the weekend regarding my health. I’ve developed a touch of osteoarthritis in my neck, due to an old injury aggravated by overly long periods in front of the computer and games console. It’s not serious, but it is permanent. This news had the effect of getting me thinking about mortality again - how we’re all on the way towards death, with our bodies gradually decaying and picking up damage through the wear and tear of living. So I decided to ask myself: “If you knew you were going to die tomorrow and you looked back over your life, what would you say you’ve have done with it, in just a few words?” In my case, the answer is, “I have entertained myself as much as possible.”

I didn’t like the answer, but I felt it was honest. Maybe you think I’m being unfair to myself. Maybe you think that the fact that I’ve written novels and made movies counts for something. To be honest, most of it’s pretty self-serving, even all the charity stuff I’ve done selling copies of my books in the school where I work. All I cared about was being as widely read as possible. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying there’s going to be no more books and films. I’m just saying that my life has to amount to more than these things.

One of the most startling Bible passages is when Jesus bent down with a towel and a basin of water and washed his disciples’ feet. It’s a strange lesson he was teaching, because foot-washing is not something that is done in the modern day, with our cotton socks and perfectly moulded shoes. I suppose the modern equivalent might be the Queen bending down with a tin of polish to shine your shoes. Jesus was saying that true greatness lies not in the magnificence of your achievements, but in simple humility and a willingness to serve your fellow man. And if the master - the Messiah, the savior of the world - is willing to humble himself to this degree, how can we think such actions are beneath us? I find that inspirational. Not only is it radical, but it forms a meaningful alternative to the futile hustle and bustle of Capitalistic existence. Serving your fellow man is the only way to lead a meaningful life. Since you don’t gain from what you do for others, not even your own death can rob the meaning from what you have done.

The trouble with me is I’m all talk. My working day has gone from something that I used to find inspiring to something that I’ve gotten used to and merely tolerate. I look forward to getting home in the evening and vegetating on the sofa in front of DVDs and videogames. On the eve of 2007, I made a stab at trying to change, but it didn’t amount to anything. I started writing a diary, which I intended to put online as a secret blog where no one would know my identity. The blog was intended to be an adventure in selflessness, where I would document the various things I was doing for others and hopefully grow spiritually and inspire others. I didn’t have anything to write, because I didn’t have the heart for the quest. And I’m not even talking about anything grand here. My intention was merely to keep a look-out for situations where someone was in need of my help, and to offer my help. But I’m so wrapped up in my own selfish pursuits that I don’t keep my eyes open for others’ needs. And on the occasions when I do help, it’s rarely done with a sense of joy in being useful; I consider it an irritation to be overcome as quickly as possible, so that I can get back to the more important work of serving myself.

Are any other Christians relating to this? Because I don’t think I’m the only one who is affected. I think this is a problem that’s affecting the whole Church. Our lives are steeped in mediocrity. And we’re like that simply because we belong to a society that teaches us to be like that. We’re Capitalists, but we’ve forgotten that we’re called to be in the world but not of the world. The sad thing is that I’ve lived most of my Christian life without realising my responsibility. We can easily fall into the trap of measuring our spiritual growth in terms of the avoidance of sin, whereas it should be about the pursuit of the highest good. At least I’m no longer blind to the problem.

So what’s next? Well, I don’t think I’ll be jet-setting off to the Third World, or anything so radical, but I think I need to start seriously keeping my eyes peeled for ways that I can be of help to others. I have a couple of brief memories from the past, where I beat the odds and did something special for somebody when everyone else was blind to the opportunity for service, but these really are only a couple of memories - although they are the very best. Better even than receiving the very first copy of my novel in the post. Sadly, these memories are not characteristic of me.

I hope this post is an encouragement to other Christians to “beat the odds,” and I hope it shows the nay-sayers that there’s a lot more to the Christian life than merely a crutch to lean on. When you read between the lines, Christianity is not for the faint of heart.

Idea for a time travel short story anthology

My idea for a superhero anthology went down like a lead balloon, so now I’m going to throw something else at you: a time travel anthology with a difference (I hope). First, we need to be familiar with a certain piece of science. Here’s an excerpt from an article Space-Time Physics and the Future of Time Travel by Alex MacLellan:

The time dilation factor theory says that the faster you go the slower time gets for you, because of the fact that time is elastic and relative, not constant … The method for stretching and shrinking time is very simple - all you have to do is move very fast … One example of a test took place in 1971 when two physicists, Joe Hafele and Richard Keating, took very accurate atomic clocks and put them in airplanes, which they then flew around the world. They then compared the readings on the clocks in the planes to an identical clock on the ground. The results were unmistakable; the clocks in the planes were 59 nanoseconds slower … Time as most people know it is constant and never changing, but this is very wrong … There are many other affects on time that can allow for time travel, such as gravity. Gravity slows down time. There have been studies where scientists have tested these slowdown factors of time. An example of this is an experiment conducted by Harvard University to see if time acted differently at different heights. They found that at the top of a building time was moving slightly faster than on the ground.

Trust me, you needed to know that. What I’m proposing is not an anthology of time travel stories where you can go back in time and create all sorts of weird and wonderful paradoxes with history. I’m proposing something a little closer to mundane science fiction. What if someone managed to take the time dilation factor theory and bottle it: to create a machine where time inside the device could be stretched or contracted at will, by simply turning a dial? Perhaps one of the first practical uses of such an invention would be an alternative kind of refrigerator: one that doesn’t rely on cold to keep food fresh, but relies on decelerated time within the fridge. Conversely, if your morbid curiosity leads you to wonder what a one hundred year old dead rat looks like, just put a live one in the fridge and turn the dial the opposite way. Stop the device after two minutes, and presto! Instant rat skeleton.

Imagine this device could be as large or small as you wished (within reason). Need an extra hour or two of sleep before you get up for work? Why not simply slow time down in your special bedroom and take it easy. Have you got a half finished novel and your publisher’s deadline is approaching? Well, simply slow time down in your house and get on with the work. Feeling peeved off with 2007? Fast forward to 2008. Better still: you’re in love with a girl, but she’s fifteen years younger than you. Speed time up inside your house; let the world fly by for ten years while you age only a few days.

Imagine the chaos that would ensue if such a device were readily available and cheap to buy and install for any conceivable application. Imagine a world where anyone and everyone is a potential time traveller. But let me remind you: there are no paradoxes here. If you go forward in time, you can’t come back. Time can be contracted and expanded, never reversed.

So, once again, my question to you is, do you think this idea can support a collection of stories?

6 new book reviews

Over at Darryl’s Library, I’ve added six new book reviews since the last update in February:

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Mind’s Eye by Philip Henry
• Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
• Demon Seed by Dean Koontz
• Dying to Live by Kim Paffenroth
• Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Book swapping

Like most avid readers, I’ve got a collection of books in my house, many of which I’m unlikely to read twice. I’ve come across a neat way to trade those books for other volumes: Read It, Swap It. I discovered the site when I was vainly Googling my own name, to see if there were any new mentions of Chion out there on the far reaches of the worldwide web; I was delighted to come across a past pupil of the school (hello, Megsy) plugging my novels on the site’s forum.

On Read It, Swap It, you create a username for yourself, then put together a list of books you’re willing to exchange. Now you’re ready to browse the full library of books on offer by all users. When you spot something you want, you click to request it. The owner of that book then has opportunity to browse through your books. If he sees something he likes, a successful exchange takes place. What I find charming about this site is that it’s completely devoid of any monetary exchange; even kids can use it.

I’ve made several requests for books, but unfortunately the other user doesn’t always find anything of interest to him in my selection. It’s a pity, because I located a few books that I really wanted (in particular, the original novels behind the movies Battle Royale and Ring, translated from Japanese), but I couldn’t pique the owners’ curiosity. Likewise, I’ve received requests for some of my books, but I don’t always find the other user’s selection interesting. The system works on a simple book-for-book basis, so it’s possible you might end up swapping a perfect-condition 500-page first edition hardcover for a tatty old 150-page paperback. You can think of these as drawbacks, but I actually feel it adds a bit of excitement to the process.

One thing I’ve found interesting is that I’ve had requests for several small-press print-on-demand books by practically unknown authors. It’s probably too early to suggest that there’s any kind of trend to be witnessed here, but it’s possible that in this second-hand trading environment, people are more on the look-out for the unusual and unfamiliar. Thus far, I’ve traded two self-published books (by two authors who have now completely dropped off the radar) for Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Simon Clark’s Blood Crazy. (The plot of the latter got me excited: think 28 Days Later except it’s only the adults who go bananas; kids are left to fend for themselves in a world where every adult is out to slaughter them. What a great idea for an apocalypse!)

Read It, Swap It is a UK-only service. Here’s my book list, if anyone out there wants to trade books with me, whether inside or outside the system.