Richard [K] Morgan's News and Views

37 Comments:

Let me be the first to say - welcome home!

You're going to miss spiders and snakes?

On the other hand, Glasgow sounds pretty exotic to me.

When you've rested up, please write more!

Linda

By  Anonymous, at 02 June 2009 06:15  

Aaaah yes. I remember that. Where the redback spiders hang in the garage spinning webs and the only comment you get is 'to leave them be'. Where a dreamlady on a sailing boat in the reef tells me seriously that it would be nice to do something else, as all this cruising is deadening her mind.
I need to get back there again, someday not too long away.

By  lexstok, at 02 June 2009 07:08  

Yeah, it's nice down there but after a month I was clawing to get back to Glasgow. I missed the dark humour and the edge. It was when I realised I was European to my core. I loved the Greek islands, Paris and Glasgow too much to move to the other side of the planet. I would definitely miss my swords.

By  Anonymous, at 02 June 2009 09:48  

Well for my part I am glad you enjoyed your time down here, hopefully it has both relaxed you and given you some sort of spark or idea that we will soon see through the twisted and distorted lens of your brilliant mind. It was fantastic to meet you and hear you talk in Brisbane(getting my books signed was also pretty nice ;-)).
Glad you made it safely home and the next time you decide to travel this way may I suggest New Zealand with a small stop in Wellington for a pint or two!
Just let me know :-)

By  Kyle Gilchrist, at 02 June 2009 14:12  

Everything but the insectoids sounds cool and interesting - well, twenty hours on an airplane, regardless of class and I would be your basic basket case. Almost volunteered to go to Viet Nam, way to hell and gone, when I was a grunt, just so I could take R & R in Oz. Probably would have stayed, though..

But, enough about all this and that. Glad you made it back in one relatively sound piece. Now get to work and write me another Tak adventure.

Seriously.

By  Rich, at 03 June 2009 16:39  

You think your vacation was cool? Try lying in bed wrapped in Scarlett sheets attempting to conduct diplomatic relations with North Korea all rather whimsically while outside your house you hear birds chirp, "Pretty Girl." Now that's my version of Oz and the Emerald City. I notice how you list mostlly all things horrific, scarey, and barbaric. Then you say you miss it. I think you just miss being glorified as a great author. Grin.

By  Alexandria Evalena, at 04 June 2009 10:38  

Perhaps he likes the element of danger.

By  Black Widow, at 04 June 2009 10:40  

Almost volunteered to go to Vietnam? If you are talking in light of recent events, I am glad you shortened your name down to Rich. While Democrats sleep Republicans are busy robbing the Chinese Treasurey. Just as the religious whacks in the middle east reinforce Republican control, China's rise helped hand America an honest election last year. They have a capitalist sector, and my sources assure me they are transitioning their society without a civil war. That's smart and good politics. They have a private sector as well as human rights legislation. They stand proudly as a proscience, progressive, proeducation nation when our real enemies harbor hate toward skeptics and value faith over science, as well as striping women of their rights. You can't stand alone and fight every single other major force in the world to become number one. Sometimes you have to shake hands with people you expect to reform. Grow up, Rich tard. I am hoping you aren't of the RKM variety?

By  Alexandria Evalena (again), at 04 June 2009 11:03  

You're kidding.. right? I have no idea where all this vitriol comes from, or just what it is you think you are saying, but my political leanings have nothing to do with my comment. Yeah, I was in the Army.. from 1967 to 1970, when I suspect you were not even a gleam in your father's eye. Truth be told, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that your father is younger than I, but that is neither here nor there. I was in the friggin Army because I had no real choice back then. End of story.

And, yep, I voted for Barack Obama. I have always voted Democrat. Not that even that is really any of your business, but there it is. What I care about the Chinese, Middle Eastern Morons or what have you, you couldn't fill a thimble with. And, you know, before you go around taking pot shots at someone, you might want to know a little bit more about them. I'll tell you what I've told many others, though. I'm not the person you want to get into a battle of wits with, so don't be foolish enough to force me into combat with an unarmed opponent.

Later....

By  Rich, at 04 June 2009 15:23  

Unarmed?? Me? Never. I have a water ballon at all times to be prepared for this sort of moment.


Water balloons

Call me reckless
Kamikaze
Tell me that I bring great folly
Me? I’m the naturally blond girl in the bushes
Who’s hurling waterballoons
at a man who threatened me
With an M-16
I’m outmatched
This doesn’t stop me
I hurl one at him
A crowd gathers to watch me
I hit him in the heart
A waterballon
Can’t cause much pain
I think
He vanishes without a trace
He hides from me
He’s filled with hate
And now I’m left wondering why
Why I should feel badly about
Throwing a balloon
At a man who
Threatened me with an M-16
I think I’ve won
This war’s not over
He attacks
Believe me
His weapons are much stronger
Because of him my heart does bleed
Because of him I cry and scream
You see, He owns an M-16
This war and blood
How long can it last
Someone get a gun
I need a gun fast
Or maybe I could coax him
Into laying his weapon down
Is a ceasefire possible?
Are we safer staying muses that are illusions, at least to me?
Should we keep our distance for all eternity?
I do not know the answers to these questions that I ask
I close my eyes to take a rest
I dream in red and black
I can keep my dreams separate, far from the reality that I lead
I can put my weapons down
But unfortunately,
I think war is what you seek.

I take it that you're lack of concern (you couldn't fill a thimble) comes from the fact YOU feel you are DOMINANT.

And if that's the case, you might want to put in a good word for me to whoever's controlling the world. Tell them to keep up the hissing and partaking of the forbidden fruit. I have a book to write!

By  Alexandria Evalena, at 05 June 2009 11:27  

I don't know why I keep bothering, but what the hell.. I've wasted more time on more pointless endeavors.
Your poem, like everything else, makes no sense to me.
First of all, I was, no shit, a dyed in the wool, card carrying Hippie after I got out of the Army. I am anti-gun and think the eight years of Bush and Company did more to undermine our standing in the world than the two hundred years of bullshit that preceded it. On the other hand, I harbor hope that Obama will at the very least turn the corner on that.
My less-than-thimble-full of concern has nothing to do with my feeling of dominance. Hardly. Read a little history, young lady. From the moment Mohammad died, practically, Muslims have been slaughtering Muslims wholesale without let up and show no signs of stopping any time soon. The first four so called "Great Leaders" of the Muslim faith, in fact, were all assassinated. Then, of course, they split into factions, based upon who thought whom should be in charge, which has been the basis of all the killing since. That they now have turned that hate outward, towards us Infidels, is directly related to the Moron in Chief and his henchmen. But, believe me, once we're off their radar, they'll happily go back to slaughtering each other again, with happy abandon.
As for the others, it's a simple matter of not caring about people who don't have the gumption to take the bull by the horn and take control of their lives. I know all about their restrictive regimes, yeah, but we started out under the thumb of the English. At some point, despite everything else, if freedom really matters to you, you have to go after it. Better to die facing your enemy than cowering before him.

I live my life by my rules, kid, don't doubt it. I do my best to run below the radar of the Man, but I follow my conscience in all things. Which means I don't go where I'm not invited and I don't fuck with anyone who doesn't fuck with me. But, like Mr. T, I pity the fool who steps over that particular line. Peace, Love and all like that there. I firmly believe in that and live my life in pursuit of same. But I will not suffer fools or put up with anyone invading my space or tranquility. If that makes me any sort of 'ist', then so be it.

Thus spoke Zarathustra.

And, of course, my apologies to each and all, for this public display.

By  Rich, at 05 June 2009 15:33  

Well then be a hippie, and walk barefoot through the parks unarmed. You'll probably be killed.

Personally I'm a former hippie who's looking for a man with an aresonal. HAHA.

Arabs initiated an attack on the U.S. They want to be the world's moral police, handing down fatwas.
You are a case of identity theft, I'm afraid.

By  Alexandra Evalena, at 05 June 2009 17:01  

Hey Rich - no worries. And you don't need to justify yourself to anyone here. I don't know where all this shit came from either, but Alexandria Evalena, there is no call for it. Rich has done nothing to offend or attack anyone; it's you that is behaving....oddly. So please stop it.

By  Richard Morgan, at 05 June 2009 17:06  

Fine, then. Some people have no sense of humor. And all of my favorite people are eccentric. But I suppose being Kool is more appropriate on a site like this.

By  Icey Estelle, at 06 June 2009 14:42  

Being one of your favourite people isn't high on my list of priorities, kid. This is a forum for people to express themselves freely, but in order for that to work, some basic norms of courtesy need to apply. You broke them. Weird is fine, humour is fine. Random attack on other contributors is not.

By  Richard Morgan, at 06 June 2009 15:04  

This post has been removed by the author.

By  Rich, at 06 June 2009 15:08  

I gotta tell ya, Rich, much as I hate to; but, man, you do seem to attract some strange folks. Not that I have just a whole lot of wiggle room here, don't get me wrong. But, no shit, I can deal with being dissed once in a while, though I at least like for it to make sense when it happens.

I still love your books, dude and suspect that, despite all this, you'd be someone I would enjoy sharing a Guinness (or two or three) with.

By  Rich, at 06 June 2009 15:11  

Ya know what.. maybe I should qualify that just a tad, come to think of it. Because, no kidding, I think part of this could be me. I mean, seriously, this isn't the first time (or the weirdest) that I've had some wing nut latch onto something I've posted somewhere and try to twist it into a shape they found more pleasing. Distortion being what it is.

So, you know, we ever have that beer, we might consider doing it NOT in a public place. Between the two of us, there is every reason to believe we could be the catalyst for the goddamn Apocalypse.

..er, something.

Later, dude.

By  Rich, at 06 June 2009 15:20  

now who is acting odd? To infinity...

By  Odd girl out, at 06 June 2009 23:38  

God, this sight censors worse than China.

By  odd girl out, at 06 June 2009 23:39  

a place where you can watch kangaroos as tall as men go chest to chest and brawl like incompetent pub drunks,... like something out of some cheesy post-apocalypse SF movie.

It's even more exotic when you get out of the suburbs.

By  Mike, at 09 June 2009 04:14  

Oh Fuck, I'm so dumb I can't even right. Sorry. Write.

By  odd girl out said..., at 10 June 2009 22:11  

And I can't even copy paste correctly, it seems...

By  odd girl out, at 10 June 2009 22:13  

Actually, I made the Dean's list twice in a year and a half of college.

But kittens will be kittens.
And terrorists will be terrorists.
And thieves thieve for a reason.

So you get called dumb and fluffy? Interesting, in the last few years those are the last words people would use to describe me. Eccentric and odd are words used quite often. However, the bookish beauty of Beauty and the Beast was called "odd" as well. I don't mind much.

This fall I'm going to continue to help run the universe by mastering physics and I.T.

Interestingly, I read a report today that showed that software sales in China rose 84 percent in 2008.

So they were in fact sharing technology before we invaded their seas.

Liars, thieves, and impersonators often travel in the same circles. So beware, beware.

By  Alexandria Evalena, at 13 June 2009 01:08  

I find it funny how visitors react to everyday situations here in Australia. The fact that our pool fence is infested with redbacks and there's a huntsmen currently in my room (I call him Tony. I tried to feed him a dead fly today, but he didn't seem interested...) is really of no concern to most people who live here.

In fact, I find it hard to believe there are countries where there is no dangerous wildlife. It just seems odd that no matter what happens while out in the countryside in England (for example) the worst thing you're likely to come across is a cow or a drunkard.

Now that I think about it, cows are scarier than spiders, sharks, scorpions, massive lizards or crocodiles.

By  Grant, at 14 June 2009 10:34  

*skulks in*

Apologies for disturbing you, but in case you've not got a responder-alarm-thing set up (and in case you're extremely bored and have nothing better to do than argue with nobodies over the internet), I responded to your response at

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8068873&postID=6065907178129755123&page=1

Feel free to ignore it of course. And if you do read it, feel free not to reply (frankly, even having anybody begin to read anything I say is far more than my humble ego can begin to cope with as it is... actually being replied to makes me far too giddy).



*looks at the rest of the thread*
I'm not sure whether to view the fact I've wondered into an asylum as an excuse and mitigation for my impolite attention-seeking post, or as an ironic pre-condemnation of it... does one's company elevate by contrast, or degrade by comparison?

[No offence to the sane and non-frightening majority on this thread, of course].

By  vacuouswastrel, at 18 June 2009 21:59  

All right, all right. SO I'm somewhat of a chinese nationalist. Any country that stands proud and says we clone as well as standing firm in atheism has my loyalty. The numbers may be a tad bit high on the 84% increase in software sales in China in 2008. Yet the Universe is vast. And like most powerful countries, China has alien alliances. I admit I get my news from organizations that are pro communist.

Yet I'd like to start an open dialogue (stones not included sigh missed opportunity for much fun).
What do other (or Morgan himself) think of us jingoistically attacking Korea and Vietnam as if communism {an ideal for worker's rights} is worse than fundmentalist religion or the plague. And then expecting anything less than aggression from communists in the 50 plus years. North Korea deserves weapons. Who else will defend them when the enemy valiantly attempts to rob them blind as they try to with China. I want to arm buddhists and atheists and scientists. Freeing the mind is true freedom. That's the war really worth fighting.


I argue that religion has done more to oppress and cause unwarranted violence than communism. My myspace says facitiously yet somewhat seriously, "Be sure to tithe. The Catholic Church needs to arm their arsenal. Who else is going to guard Mary's husband?"

But I'm no where near admitting myself to a hospital. I'm prepping to study Astro physics, English, and Asian Studies.

By  Alexandra Evalena, at 19 June 2009 22:51  

Wow...how bizarre.

I thought this was a thread replying to a post about Richard Morgan's return to Scotland from Oz?

Anyway, welcome back.

Re: the wildlife...I always imagine, when people speak of the more exotic (read: deadly) wildlife that one finds in places like Australia, that you'd be living every minute on the edge constantly scanning for creeping, crawling, leaping, spitting death.

I think I'd be a nervous wreck if I spent any time there...

"Is that spider in possesion of volumious posion sacs? Will that snake sink 6 inch fangs dripping with viscous venom into my leg? Why is that Koala looking at me like that? Etc."

By  redrichie, at 23 June 2009 21:34  

I Am that pesky neighbor of yours who, when coming across news that China will grow a projected 7.2 percent this year, skips outside to sing Alice in Chains, "We came to kill the rooster, yeah but he ain't gonna die." I am a cock by sign and feel a tremendous amount of joy from the connections I have made with this beautiful, advanced culture of science, atheism, and alien connections. According to UFO Evidence.org one in every five UFO's spotted is found in China.

As it turns out, enlightened entities don't always want to hail Mary and offer blood sacrifices to attain a heaven that they know can be crashed without invitation.

As I mentioned earlier, China has conceded some to the capitalist pigs of the world by allowing a private sector in the communist economy. The owner of Gome was worth at least $6.3 billion in mainland China in 2008 according to Wikipedia, dispelling any myth that a person who works harder can't get ahead in China. In 1997, Deng Xiaoping famously agreed "one country, two systems" would be the policy between Hong Kong and China.

Yet with China's projected and current growth as well as alien connections, socialism should remain strong in mainland China. The color red shall not fade!! RM don't Bee.

By  Daphne Alexandra, at 25 June 2009 13:19  

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this! I for one, having grown up in South Africa still expect to see ginormous bugs at every turn, even after having lived in cold Canada for 5years. It really is a strange thing, traveling the world.
It's amazing what a strange reality it can be - traveling between countries, where one thing you're in one reality and a few hours later it's a whole new world.
I've just bought Altered Carbon (I found it at http://www.audiobooks.net) and have just started it but am thoroughly enjoying it, your writing is just the style that I love!

By  Joy, at 26 June 2009 19:58  

Another reason why we should love China: they are making it popular for governments to protect citizens from internet attack.

The insane media calls this censorship. Yet the Chinese government needs to filter the sites dangerous to their people.

In China, software called Green Dam will be installed on all computers distributed to China. Please note that green is the color of Arabic terrorism.

The chinese, yellow though they may be, are concerned that this will inhibit their porn intake.

Yet some violent porn may come with a safety price.

I applaud China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. As biowarfare becomes more and more complex, the people need protection.

The software can be disabled if needs be.

By  Daphne, at 02 July 2009 06:19  

I should also add that Obama upped recently upped his internet security at the White House.

By  Daphne, at 02 July 2009 06:21  

@ Richard M: More Kovacs PLEASE! (I did say please nicely) / (and I did enjoy Market Forces as well)....

[Concerned that you said Woken Furies was probably the last Kovacs novel on the web page]...

Great to see you so accessable over the net....

I had no idea you lived in Glasgow! Did you come to Worldcon when it was there??? It was [co-incidentally] where I bought Altered Carbon ...

Looking forward to reading Black Man .... (and hoping your Fantasy is as good as your Sci Fi)! ;-)

(Gutted I missed your signing session @ FP)....


Al Boy

By  Anonymous, at 09 July 2009 20:05  

First off, I am a huge fan of your books and only discovered this website when searching to see if you were continuing to write. Market Forces is an incredible book.

However had to comment on this thread, with irony. I travel a lot for my job and last year spent four months in Australia as well. We finished in Perth, WA having spent 3 weeks there and I then had to transfer immediately to Sunderland. Horrendous! Missed it terribly (and the economy class didn't help ;))

Didn't know you were based in Glasgow, love the city was up there 3 weeks ago.

Anyway all the best and have to agree with the prior poster who requested a new Tak book, I know you want to write the sequel to 'The Steel Remains' but we're waiting for more....

Paul

By  Paulo, at 09 July 2009 21:33  

hi richard

i am not in ur class of breadth of mind or imagination. so as i eagerly awaited each new book from u i was amazed that each was better than the last. saying that, my favorite was naturally the last--the steel remains. there r other favorite authors but ur works hold up much better on rereading, finding new things to laugh at or not each time.

a short list of fav authors

lee child
neil asher
david drake
thomas perry
richard stark
john ringo

and yes, i read the recommended
--the next 100 years....and it makes great sense of this current confabulation of events..

the current cycle of accountants/assassins had seemed new but it is a reordering of the business model by ---market forces.

well nuff said. the struggle of the individual aginst the massive tide of events signifies
much but makes little difference to
the outcome of repeating history.

thanks for it all.
my 1st fan blog lol

sincertely
ks

By  knap sleepstalker, at 10 July 2009 18:43  

Well this is my first post too and it seems I am not alone in looking forward to another appearance by Takeshi Kovacs. Also... Please let us know if you are dong any appearances in London soon. Not that I have been to a book thingy either but I will definately put time aside if you are in the city!

Love reading your work so keep them coming.

By  stefan, at 13 July 2009 13:23  

Your post put me in mind of a Kipling poem, "Chant-Pagan", of a soldier returning to England after serving in South Africa You can read it here:

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=62227164

Just thought I'd pass it along.

By  Anonymous, at 02 August 2009 22:35  

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