BARBARY COAST

BARBARY COAST - Those were the days when San Francisco was a port city, a destination for 49ers on their way to strike it rich working in a gold mine. Nightfall in Sin City transformed the Barbary Coast into a dangerous red light district with prostitutes, gamblers, saloons and opium dens. The exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers is part of their continuing series of garden railway exhibits that runs through April. Last year I posted on a previous exhibit, Playland, go to my blog archive to view that post. The small scale railroad winds its way through miniature buildings, boats and plants. If you’ve never been, a trip to the conservatory is worthwhile; to take a trip into the city’s colorful past. Or, if you want to re-trace the steps of the long gone 49ers; walk around Maiden Lane near downtown, the former location of the red light district.  

THE DEFENDERS SHORT STORY REVIEW

THE DEFENDERS SHORT STORY REVIEW - A nuclear war renders life on the surface impossible. A future race is relegated to life in metal bunkers. The Defenders by Philip K Dick derives its name from robot soldiers defending underground inhabitants from an ongoing war. The ending reveals that the war ended long ago, the robots had not informed the subterranean dwellers, thought to be immature and incapable of peace. The author was a prolific maverick of the sci-fi genre who wasn’t fully appreciated in his lifetime. His books have an enormous readership and have been translated to multiple media projects. The following is a short list of some of my favorites.

1.    Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

2.    The Best of Philip K Dick

3.    The Defenders (Short Story)

4.    Colony (Short Story)

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-defenders-by-philip-k-dickpdf.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-defenders-by-philip-k-dickmp3.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/11/short-story-review-defenders.html

X Minus One Philip K Dick

The Defenders by Philip K Dick.mp3

The Defenders by Philip K Dick.mp3

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-defenders-by-philip-k-dickpdf.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-defenders-by-philip-k-dickmp3.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/11/short-story-review-defenders.html

   

FLIGHT THROUGH THE UNIVERSE

GZONE RADIO INTERVIEW

GZONE RADIO INTERVIEW - Listen to Chad Schimke on Gelatis Scoop GZONE Radio Show (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2012/11/01/marsha-hubler-chad-schimke-are-my-guests). The date is Thursday 11-1-12 and the time is 7 PM Eastern. Or, look up the podcast at a later date. He is the author of Picker, Pieces, Walker and Weirder. Find Chad on his blog (http://www.chadschimke.blogspot.com) for postings on occult paranormal novels, crime dramas, art installations and city life in San Francisco.

#Radio #ChadSchimke #SanFrancisco #SocialMedia #AmWriting #Horror #Thriller

The Defenders by Philip K Dick.pdf

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF EBOOK

The Defenders by Philip K Dick.pdf

guest post: Weirder by Chad Schimke

guest post: Weirder by Chad Schimke

NANOWRIMO TIPS

NANOWRIMO TIPS - With November only a few days away, the reluctant novelist might want to consider National Novel Writing Month (NANOWRIMO). What started out as a grass roots Bay Area community group has become legitimate cultural phenomenon. I have heard numerous testimonials that NANOWRIMO has helped aspiring writers realize their dreams. That being said, I haven’t done the NANOWRIMO program myself. But with so many overwhelming testimonials it’s worth checking into. At the very least you owe it to yourself to check out the page that lists published NANOWRIMO novelists. The goal is a 50,000 word novel that can be verified by uploading to the website. I have heard that a great way to get started is by using Book in a Month (BIAM) to complete scene cards, work through an outline, develop characters and the list goes on. If you are not anticipating major life changes (a new job, moving, a divorce, a new baby, etc.) in the month of November, give NANOWRIMO your best shot, your dreams are worth it, see the web link for much more information.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/
http://www.nanowrimo.org/publishedwrimos/

Congrats to @johnnybotts for a feature on his art covered in the NYT. Amazing! http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/10/05/arts/design/06costco-ss-arts-4.html

21 KEY TRAITS BY JAMES V SMITH JR.

21 KEY TRAITS - Today’s post is a snippet of a Writer’s Digest article. See below for the link that takes you to the full article.

The 21 Key Traits of Best-Selling Fiction excerpted from The Writer’s Little Helper by James V. Smith, Jr.

1.    Utility (writing about things that people will use in their lives)

2.    Information (facts people must have to place your writing in context)

3.    Substance (the relative value or weight in any piece of writing)

4.    Focus (the power to bring an issue into clear view)

5.    Logic (a coherent system for making your points)

6.    A sense of connection (the stupid power of personal involvement)

7.    A compelling style (writing in a way that engages)

8.    A sense of humor (wit or at least irony)

9.    Simplicity (clarity and focus on a single idea)

10. Entertainment (the power to get people to enjoy what you write)

11. A fast pace (the ability to make your writing feel like a quick read)

12. Imagery (the power to create pictures with words)

13. Creativity (the ability to invent)

14. Excitement (writing with energy that infects a reader with your own enthusiasm)

15. Comfort (writing that imparts a sense of well-being)

16. Happiness (writing that gives joy)

17. Truth (or at least fairness)

18. Writing that provokes (writing to make people think or act)

19. Active, memorable writing (the poetry in your prose)

20. A sense of Wow! (the wonder your writing imparts on a reader)

21. Transcendence (writing that elevates with its heroism, justice, beauty, honor)

http://www.writersdigest.com/qp7-migration-books/the-21-key-traits-of-best-selling-fiction?et_mid=574188&rid=2992568

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.mp3

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.mp3

http://www.chadschimke.com/2020/07/frankensteins-monster.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/06/mary-shelley.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/frankenstein.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2012/10/frankenstein-by-mary-shelleymp3.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2015/07/frankenstein-1931.html

https://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2015/07/frankenstein.html

https://www.chadschimke.com/2012/10/frankenstein-or-modern-prometheus-by.html

FRANKENSTEIN

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

FRANKENSTEIN - This horror story has elements of mystery, supernatural, a gloomy setting and a character that bridges the worlds of the living and undead. The result is arguably the most identified classic gothic novel. The genesis of Frankenstein came to Mary Shelley in a dream. She was a part of a group visiting Lord Byron (poet of the romantic movement) confined to a villa remaining indoors due to incessant rain. He issued the famous challenge to write a horror story, which ultimately led to Frankenstein and John Polidori writing The Vampyre. Percy Bysshe Shelley was in the villa also, a prominent romantic poet in his own right, as well as Mary’s husband. I am particularly fond of the 1931 film version starring Boris Karloff. Don’t be put off by the movie era or black and white format. This was a pre-code film that didn’t flinch from controversial content. The pace is quick, black/ white reinforces the tone, utilizes stark visual imagery and pioneering movie effects/ sets. This is a classic Universal Pictures monster picture in an era where no other studio could have done it better. Not to be missed!

View all my reviews