Authors I’d Like to Meet

      Who wouldn't like to have a long conversation with the people they admire? Ask them why and how they did what they did? Here's a list of authors I'd like to meet and talk with.

1. Stephen King
2. Michael Crichton
3. J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Louis L'Amour
5. Zane Grey
6. Ray Bradbury
7. Douglas Adams
8. J.G. Ballard
9. Isaac Asimov
10. Charles Dickens

What would I ask them? Here's another list.

1. How did you find your love for and talent with writing?
2. Where did you get the ideas for your stories?
3. How do you feel about the success of your novels?

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Me, The Vaguely-Omnipotent Blogger

      With this post, I'm going to do a sort of 'profile' of myself. Have fun!

      What can I say about myself? I'm seventeen years old, in high school. I do enjoy writing, but I'm terrible about getting around to doing it (I'm trying to challenge myself by posting something every day). I can be opinionated about certain things, but I prefer not to be very outspoken about those opinions. I can be described as a 'nerd'- I like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc; I'm into computer-stuff, and I am a huge bookworm. Certain things do set me apart from other people (I believe)- I prefer cold weather to hot weather, I'm actually pretty anti-social outside school, I can be very stubborn, I listen to classic rock music (The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beatles, etc), I would rather use Windows (or a Linux distribution) than a Macintosh.
       I love, love, love keeping up with events around the world. I'm obsessed with world history, and I want to really keep up so I can recount to my children and grand-children what life was like in the crazy beginnings of the 21st century. It would be cool to keep a video diary so my descendants can actually see me in my youth, but alas, I have neither the video camera nor the patience.
      What do I want to do with my life? I have no clue. I'm thinking about going more into social sciences in college, and seeing what happens after that. Maybe living in a small town all my life, one where I know everybody, and where I could walk to all the places I needed. Maybe opening my own little business. I wouldn't be able to do the whole big-city thing. I can't handle the unadulterated chaos, the constant bustle, and the noise of the city. That's just me, I guess, and I'm just fine with that.
      Is that enough? I hope so- I'm out of anything to say.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Those Random Little Book-Shops

      You know what I love more than anything, other than a good book and a glass of Snapple? The little, quaint book shops you see in small towns- not the big chains, like Barnes and Noble, but the small independent shops. There's something a bit more personal and nice about the small shops, that they're free of huge, generalizing advertizing and such. That you know that they're run by individual people, not by huge corporations. 

      For example, while in Cape Cod this summer, I ran across this small shop, I think it was called the Yellow Umbrella (something like that). It was small, nice, not over-the-top. We stopped by for a quick look, then moved on to more sightseeing, but it sat down and occupied the back of my mind until I decided to drag everyone back there. I just had to buy a book. I high-tailed it to the back of the shop (which was about five steps), and looked for the Stephen King (you see, I'm obsessed) section. I looked through for a few moments, picked up a copy of Salem's Lot, paid the cashier, and now my memories of the rest of that trip to Cape Cod are connected to that book.

      Of course, I think all stores that sell books are cool, but there's just something different about those smaller, individually owned shops.

Stay safe with Hurricane Sandy!

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Darkness of the Night

All in all, what we see
can be just a fantasy.
Down is up, up is down,
Shadows dancing like a clown.

When he comes, for all to see,
you'll wish, you'll fight, the fantasy
Flames so bright, to set alight,
Will turn darkness into light.

Your leaders, in all their glory,
lay in bed pale and gory.
The young and brave, to gain their pay,
rush to battle, yet lose the day.

When all is gone, the good and light,
the peace and order and all that's right,
There will be, one young man,
who will lead a merry lam.

All in all, what we see
will be just a fantasy.
up is down, down is up
will you know your turn is up?

When he comes, for all to see,
you'll laugh, you'll point, he's history.
Flames so bright, to set alight,
again turn darkness into light.

A First-Edition Copy

      I have been recently reading Dune, a science-fiction novel first published in 1965, which I have borrowed. I also have borrowed a couple of the sequels- Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune. The copy I'm reading is the First Edition- straight from 1965. You can almost feel the age of the book in holding it, and it has that certain old-paper smell. I'm honestly hesitant to take it outside my bedroom but for its age- I don't want to damage such an old thing.

      Dune chronicles the actions of the Atreides house as they are forced to trade their Duchy over the planet Caladan for that over the planet Arrakis- a desert planet where water, essential for life, is a rare commodity. What does Arrakis have? Melange, a 'drug' of sorts that gives the user an extended life-span, heightened vitality, and increased awareness. The only drawback to Melange is in its addictive qualities, and withdrawal being fatal. It is the most valuable commodity throughout the galaxy, and is only found on Arrakis.
   
      The Harkonnen house forced the Atreides to move to this desert planet- their rivalry goes back millennia. The Harkonnens are rich, having worked their way up the ladder, while the Atreides are related to the Emperor of the Imperium by blood.

      The book itself is almost historical- being nearly 50 years since publication. The world has changed very much since the 60's, and I (being a history nerd) find everything from that era fascinating.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

My Current Reading Addiction

     Being the avid reader that I am, I have noticed a trend in the books that I read. Once I read a book, and I like it, I seem to become almost an addict to the works of that author, in a way. I have done so with J.R.R. Tolkien (author of the Lord of the Rings), and also with Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park). This 'addiction' of sorts lasts maybe for a year or two, as I become tired of the author.

     Right now- I'm into Stephen King novels. He's got to be one of the best authors of our time (okay, I admit, I am a bit biased). I'm wrapping up the Dark Tower series as of the moment I type this.. afterwards I'll take a short break as I take a chunk out of the backlog of books I have yet to read.

     What I love about the stories he writes isn't the horrific scenes or the extreme level of detail that he goes into, but the depth of the characters the he creates. You end up truly loving the characters, and want to  cheer them on through their hardships and congratulate them when they succeed with something. When you finish the book, you feel as if you had really known each character, and that they had been there for part of your life. It almost affects you when a character suffers a grievous loss, or they suddenly die in some way.

     There are so many possibilities when you really take some time to read. The written word can express so much more than film, I think. Novels aren't constrained by the amount of time people are willing to spend reading something, but rather how much people would rather read, and I believe that makes a big difference.

Long days and pleasant nights,
Neal

Introduction

     Hello fellow Interneters! I should think that introductions are in order, right? Well, I'll try to summarize myself to the best of my ability. My name is Neal, I am a HUGE bookworm (I am known for ALWAYS having something to read), I am currently fighting (quite successfully, so far) through the strange lands of high school. When I am not slaving away with homework, I am chipping away at the pile of books I have yet to read.

     As I sit cross-legged on the floor of my room, I am admittedly at a loss for anything to say. Is it the time? Nearly 10:30 at night. Is it the radio? The song (Turn the Page, Bob Seger) softly assaults my ears (wait, is it Metallica's cover of the song?). A slight ache emanates up and down my spine. Facebook is open, although I haven't checked it in a while. I glance towards the pile of books near my radio (now playing Heart- or Pat Benatar?). They call me, whispering sweet words of far-off worlds and experiences. The dunes of Arrakis, the infinite levels of the Dark Tower, the war-torn lands around Japanese-occupied Shanghai. I long to leave this world behind, to travel with Roland, Eddie, Jake, and Susannah throughout Mid-World and beyond, to sit down and listen to the many stories and decisions of the Council of Elrond, to wander the lonesome, beautiful western frontier. I jerk back to reality as a political ad declares something. I don't pay attention. Nearly 11:00 already. I need sleep- school tomorrow. Good night world.

Long days and pleasant nights, 

Neal