Jack Fielding's Blog
January 3, 2015
Cowboys and samurai rockabilly
With Man in a Zen Ambulance I wanted to try and fuse 1950s music and fashion with Serge Leone’s spaghetti Westerns and the samurai films that inspired them. The setting a surreal retro Thailand. Even some of the narrative construction is designed to be a little like a Zen haiku poem.
So does it work?
Well, I’m going to post a brief extract from the novel which has the hero heading into the railroad station for the violent showdown. I’ll let you be the judge:
“I reckon we’ll be there in about nineteen minutes,” said White.
Milo felt nauseous at hearing that, trying to clear the rum-shit-muddle out of his head. Way out of practice.
Black checked his wristwatch. “Yeah, about nineteen max.”
White turned to the Kid. “You reckon you got a plan, son?”
“Yes, mister, I have.”
“Well, you better get on and sort it ’cos you and Milo don’t have much time left.”
“Mister, I am on it.”
“I can see the station,” said White.
Black nodded. He took out a record and chose the red Dansette Major. He adjusted the speed setting from 45 to 78rpm. Then he placed the record on the deck, brought the arm over until it clicked into position and then gently let the needle down. He flicked the switch. A split-second later, nine giant chrome-finned speakers jumped into life and rose out of the bow of the train in perfect unison like holy nagas.
Johnny Izu’s Kamikaze Boogie blasted out ahead.
The train roared down the line.
And into the station.
http://pulpzen.blogspot.co.uk/
So does it work?
Well, I’m going to post a brief extract from the novel which has the hero heading into the railroad station for the violent showdown. I’ll let you be the judge:
“I reckon we’ll be there in about nineteen minutes,” said White.
Milo felt nauseous at hearing that, trying to clear the rum-shit-muddle out of his head. Way out of practice.
Black checked his wristwatch. “Yeah, about nineteen max.”
White turned to the Kid. “You reckon you got a plan, son?”
“Yes, mister, I have.”
“Well, you better get on and sort it ’cos you and Milo don’t have much time left.”
“Mister, I am on it.”
“I can see the station,” said White.
Black nodded. He took out a record and chose the red Dansette Major. He adjusted the speed setting from 45 to 78rpm. Then he placed the record on the deck, brought the arm over until it clicked into position and then gently let the needle down. He flicked the switch. A split-second later, nine giant chrome-finned speakers jumped into life and rose out of the bow of the train in perfect unison like holy nagas.
Johnny Izu’s Kamikaze Boogie blasted out ahead.
The train roared down the line.
And into the station.
http://pulpzen.blogspot.co.uk/
December 28, 2014
Cowboys and Samurai
Here’s an excellent article I found written by Steven Garrard a few years back, about how the samurai films of Kurosawa and films about the Wild West have influenced each other. For example, Seven Samurai remade as The Magnicent Seven. I was particularly interested to read about A Fistful Dollars and Yojimbo, which I now realise had a big impact on much of the action scenes, plot and sensibilities in Zen Ambulance.
Garrard doesn’t mention Once Upon a Time in the West but that’s surely another samurai-cowboy fusion, especially with the visual settings. The scene with the cowboys waiting at the railroad station is simply brilliant.
http://www.thebubble.org.uk/film/kuro...
Garrard doesn’t mention Once Upon a Time in the West but that’s surely another samurai-cowboy fusion, especially with the visual settings. The scene with the cowboys waiting at the railroad station is simply brilliant.
http://www.thebubble.org.uk/film/kuro...
December 1, 2014
Zen and the Art of Chuck Berry
The one hand clapping books start with an enigmatic verse. Each one is slightly different but they’re all based on a famous Zen saying by a Chinese master called Fu-daishi:
Empty handed I go, and behold, the spade is in my hand;
I walk on foot, yet on the back of an ox I am riding.
The master taught his students that people are imprisoned by thinking logically and in terms of opposites, e.g. the hand is empty or the hand is holding a spade. On foot or riding. He tried to help his students break out of these constraints and use their intuition. So one way to do this was to hit them with these apparently nonsensical, contradictory sayings, which they had to overcome. Another master, Basho, simply said in his sermon, “If you have a staff, I will give you one; if not, I will take it away.”
Being able to break of logic and our world of duality means being free to follow the Buddhist ‘Middle Way’ and act purely. Right action!
In the one hand clapping books I’ve reworked Fu-daishi’s saying. Zen City, Iso is set in the ‘Noir Age’ which is roughly the forties to early fifties. So I replaced the ox with a tram (used in Bangkok at that time) and spade with silk cord, which could have been used to kill the women:
Empty handed I go, and behold the silk cord is in my hand;
I walk on foot, and yet on the seat of a tram I am riding
Man in Zen Ambulance fast forwards the action to the ‘Atomic Age’, the mid to late fifties. So this time I replaced the ox with a classic American car made famous in Chuck Berry’s rock and roll song Maybelline. The Mk2 Oka is the outrageously overblown automatic handgun used by the assassin-monk, Milo:
Empty handed I go, and behold the Fuji-Kool Mk2 Oka is in my grip;
I walk on foot, and yet a Coupe de Ville I am driving
I’ve tried to do three things with these verses. Firstly, I wanted to introduce my readers to a little slice of Zen that made such an impact on me when I was a teenager. Secondly, set the stage for the contradictory, surreal Buddhist world the one hand clapping action takes place in. And finally, raise uncomfortable questions about the dark places corrupted Zen Buddhism can take us to.
Empty handed I go, and behold, the spade is in my hand;
I walk on foot, yet on the back of an ox I am riding.
The master taught his students that people are imprisoned by thinking logically and in terms of opposites, e.g. the hand is empty or the hand is holding a spade. On foot or riding. He tried to help his students break out of these constraints and use their intuition. So one way to do this was to hit them with these apparently nonsensical, contradictory sayings, which they had to overcome. Another master, Basho, simply said in his sermon, “If you have a staff, I will give you one; if not, I will take it away.”
Being able to break of logic and our world of duality means being free to follow the Buddhist ‘Middle Way’ and act purely. Right action!
In the one hand clapping books I’ve reworked Fu-daishi’s saying. Zen City, Iso is set in the ‘Noir Age’ which is roughly the forties to early fifties. So I replaced the ox with a tram (used in Bangkok at that time) and spade with silk cord, which could have been used to kill the women:
Empty handed I go, and behold the silk cord is in my hand;
I walk on foot, and yet on the seat of a tram I am riding
Man in Zen Ambulance fast forwards the action to the ‘Atomic Age’, the mid to late fifties. So this time I replaced the ox with a classic American car made famous in Chuck Berry’s rock and roll song Maybelline. The Mk2 Oka is the outrageously overblown automatic handgun used by the assassin-monk, Milo:
Empty handed I go, and behold the Fuji-Kool Mk2 Oka is in my grip;
I walk on foot, and yet a Coupe de Ville I am driving
I’ve tried to do three things with these verses. Firstly, I wanted to introduce my readers to a little slice of Zen that made such an impact on me when I was a teenager. Secondly, set the stage for the contradictory, surreal Buddhist world the one hand clapping action takes place in. And finally, raise uncomfortable questions about the dark places corrupted Zen Buddhism can take us to.
November 23, 2014
Putting the Zen into Pulp Zen #1
I’ve been really interested in Zen Buddhism ever since I was a teenager. While everyone else was doing school projects on Crystal Palace football club and Ford Escorts I was putting together something much more unlikely on the samurai and transient nature of cherry blossoms. My form tutor, Mrs McSherry, acidly remarked that every school had a Jack Fielding (I’m not sure it was meant as a compliment).
Matt Carrell recently suggested I write more about the Buddhist elements in my stories and post them on my blog. That gave me food for thought. After all I dreamt up the sub-genre of ‘pulp Zen’ – although it never occurred to me that readers might actually want to know more about the philosophy behind the surreal world of Zen City and the rest. Nothing preachy or horribly pretentious. Just simply sharing some of the little I’ve learned over the years with my readers. I hope they’ll find it as interesting as I do.
Abbot Od at the Happy Heart Temple often says it’s best to start at the beginning. So I’m going to start with the enigmatic poems that kick off every one hand clapping book, inspired by a Chinese Zen master.
Coming soon.
Matt Carrell recently suggested I write more about the Buddhist elements in my stories and post them on my blog. That gave me food for thought. After all I dreamt up the sub-genre of ‘pulp Zen’ – although it never occurred to me that readers might actually want to know more about the philosophy behind the surreal world of Zen City and the rest. Nothing preachy or horribly pretentious. Just simply sharing some of the little I’ve learned over the years with my readers. I hope they’ll find it as interesting as I do.
Abbot Od at the Happy Heart Temple often says it’s best to start at the beginning. So I’m going to start with the enigmatic poems that kick off every one hand clapping book, inspired by a Chinese Zen master.
Coming soon.
November 22, 2014
The Prince of Enigma, Sister Wendy and an elephant called Caligula
Back in the nineties I used to do visa runs across the Mekong to Laos then spend a few days recovering in the Meeting Place, a guesthouse tucked away down a side street in the sleepy border town of Nong Khai. The guesthouse attracted nefarious westerners with activities to match. One particular oddball was the Prince of Enigma, a black guy with razor-sharp sideburns and a French accent who told me he was staying in the temple opposite. Over the course of three late nights, he popped into the guesthouse always as I was about to lock up (Alan the owner had unwisely left me in charge while he went on a trip to the Plain of Jars). In return for discounted German beer and Sangthip whisky chasers, the Prince told me an entertaining story about a long-forgotten French expedition to Siam sponsored by Napoleon – whilst all the time avoiding my questions about what exactly he was doing in Nong Khai. After the third night I never saw the Prince again and when I asked the abbot in the temple neither he nor his monks knew anything about him.
The eight years I spent in Thailand were very much the ‘the best of times, the worst of times’ and when I eventually returned to the UK I was armed with a burning desire to write fiction, finally fulfill a childhood promise. But write what exactly? OK, I knew I didn’t want to write about the usual suspects. You know, about bargirls or Pattaya criminals or backpackers with all that stereotypical baggage. No, give readers a fresh take. Share the passion. Somehow draw on my experiences to take readers on an exciting, wholly unexpected journey. And then I remembered the Prince of Enigma.
Back in the UK I soon got myself a job and enrolled on a two-year MA in Creative Writing at Brunel. In my limited free time I pored over my diaries, books and notes (forever jotting things down in temples, cafes and sing-a-song restaurants). I eventually decided there were two ways to go: write an adventure based on the Prince’s tale or a crime story in a retro Thai setting. Based on the mass of popular crime novels out there and absolutely zero interest in Siamese gothic adventure I reckoned on crime being the savvy, sensible commercial choice.
So naturally I started work on a gothic adventure. As well as the Prince’s story, I drew heavily on my collection of non-fiction books by European travelers of the time (published by White Lotus). The best was Aymonier’s Isan Travels, a treasure trove of maps and detailed descriptions of journeys all across north-east Thailand; its cities, everyday life, rituals and folklore. I also delved into ghost books. My primary source was Gothic Short Stories edited by David Blair, which I’d acquired for a mere seventy baht in a Siam Square bookshop. I slipped in all sorts of references to this wonderfully macabre collection, such as the haunted 252 Rue M. le Prince, the eerie Dragon Volant Inn and Schalken the death-bride painter. I also included broader gothic themes like vampirism and hidden knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of researching the novel. Surprisingly, there were actually elements of the Prince’s story grounded in fact so I learnt a lot about Old Siam as well as getting reacquainted with forgotten stories I’d once read and really enjoyed. It was like meeting old friends again.
Two and a half years later the novel was finished. Around one hundred and twenty thousand words in length, it had first been called The Pagoda of Earthly Delights and then The Adventures of Baron Schalken. The former title was based on Bosch’s painting, the latter on Sheridan Le Fanu’s ghost story. The novel’s fast-paced plot centered on a rogue Napoleonic general who escapes France and leads a motley crew in search of treasure in Siam. A speculative element to the historical world setting was hinted at. There was swashbuckling swordplay, shadow-filled jungles and oversized hats. Throughout 2006 I sent the manuscript to agents and publishers all over the world – only to be met by complete and utter indifference.
Hugely disappointed I took a time out and concentrated on finishing the draft manuscript of my next novel. But the Baron kept tapping me on the shoulder and I eventually returned to the haunted streets of Paris and pagodas of Old Siam. Of course, I fell in love with it all over again – I still believed in the Baron and his extraordinary escapades – but I realised the novel didn’t really work on a number of levels. For a start the language was too archaic. A better framing narrative was needed, more female characters and some way of better drawing in the reader. The speculative and the occult needed to be bolder too. So I got to work all over again.
By December 2010 the novel had been retitled Shadows and Pagodas, and undergone a series of major and minor transformations with the help of formidable taskmaster Doug Watts, copy-editor at JBWB.
I got the idea for a framing device from Sister Wendy, the celebrity nun who lived in a caravan. No, honestly. She narrated a TV series and wrote a book on fine art, and made the subject refreshingly accessible, unpretentious. One of the paintings Sister Wendy explored was Charon Crossing the Styx by Joachim Patinir. His brooding masterpiece was perfect! I worked the painting into the beginning and end of Shadows, linking its religious symbolism and weird landscapes directly to the story.
The main character had morphed into Baron Parzifal: now a contradictory, outrageous rogue of uncertain origins who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Prince of Enigma and had a gift for mesmerism. Two strong female characters made their entrance in the form of the Baron’s formidable, resourceful niece Camille and the rapier-thrusting Condesa Isabella. The reader was drawn into the action by sharing in young Peter Fielding’s journey of self-discovery as he becomes embroiled in the adventure.
If readers chose they could now enjoy the story on another level as a retelling of the Grail legend with a Buddhist-occult edge. The expedition a Quest for a Treasure that promises Redemption becomes a journey on the Path to Enlightenment. Numbers became significant: three temples (Triple Gem), the Four Noble Truths and so on. A wily Buddhist abbot makes a number of comic appearances and, of course, we have Parzifal himself as a supremely inappropriate reincarnation of a Grail knight.
I developed the speculative elements of the novel’s ‘topsy-turvy’ world. For example, the Emperor’s victory at Waterloo, espionage, campaigning in the Americas and the battle of Tolentino replaced by Otranto. I also described in much richer detail a weirdly-skewed Paris now in thrall to the magical allure of Ancient Egypt. Sarcophagi stacked in a cart outside an occult bookshop, nasty beasties lurking in the sewers…
Gone is the heavy nineteenth-century narrative, replaced by a faster-paced contemporary style. However, for the dialogue I was careful to retain old forms of address and vocab where possible. I also took a deep breath and put my foot down on The Rather Absurd Dark Comedy Pedal. The result of all this? Rather than a restored piece of gothic, the novel now read a little like an extended episode of Blackadder or Monty Python! Comedy counterpointed by violent disaster. Pathos and bathos poured in generous measures.
I also decided to sub-title the novel A Meddlesome Adventure. This was important because I really believe the model established with Shadows has enormous potential as a starter for a whole series of adventures in which the Baron subverts history in an absurd and darkly comic way.
Finally, I taught myself how to build a website, set up a blog and use Serif PhotoPlus. These are great. They’ve enabled me to post ‘dusty secrets from the attic’ – notes, ideas and musings – for my readers and get all creative. Pre-digital these would have appeared as author’s notes at the back of a printed book, which actually I started preparing in the novel’s earlier reincarnation. Some of these dusty secrets must go back ten years now. It’s really interesting see how the novel has evolved! I’ve even managed to rescue a few of the Baron’s rather awful poems he composed for his elephant Caligula.
And I guess that’s the story behind the story. On reflection, it’s been quite a journey from that guesthouse in Nong Khai to a lovingly crafted work of speculative fiction. But as the Baron told Vinkle on the steps of the Temple of the Destroyer, “It’s a long walk to heaven, Doctor!”
http://meddlesomeadventures.blogspot....
The eight years I spent in Thailand were very much the ‘the best of times, the worst of times’ and when I eventually returned to the UK I was armed with a burning desire to write fiction, finally fulfill a childhood promise. But write what exactly? OK, I knew I didn’t want to write about the usual suspects. You know, about bargirls or Pattaya criminals or backpackers with all that stereotypical baggage. No, give readers a fresh take. Share the passion. Somehow draw on my experiences to take readers on an exciting, wholly unexpected journey. And then I remembered the Prince of Enigma.
Back in the UK I soon got myself a job and enrolled on a two-year MA in Creative Writing at Brunel. In my limited free time I pored over my diaries, books and notes (forever jotting things down in temples, cafes and sing-a-song restaurants). I eventually decided there were two ways to go: write an adventure based on the Prince’s tale or a crime story in a retro Thai setting. Based on the mass of popular crime novels out there and absolutely zero interest in Siamese gothic adventure I reckoned on crime being the savvy, sensible commercial choice.
So naturally I started work on a gothic adventure. As well as the Prince’s story, I drew heavily on my collection of non-fiction books by European travelers of the time (published by White Lotus). The best was Aymonier’s Isan Travels, a treasure trove of maps and detailed descriptions of journeys all across north-east Thailand; its cities, everyday life, rituals and folklore. I also delved into ghost books. My primary source was Gothic Short Stories edited by David Blair, which I’d acquired for a mere seventy baht in a Siam Square bookshop. I slipped in all sorts of references to this wonderfully macabre collection, such as the haunted 252 Rue M. le Prince, the eerie Dragon Volant Inn and Schalken the death-bride painter. I also included broader gothic themes like vampirism and hidden knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of researching the novel. Surprisingly, there were actually elements of the Prince’s story grounded in fact so I learnt a lot about Old Siam as well as getting reacquainted with forgotten stories I’d once read and really enjoyed. It was like meeting old friends again.
Two and a half years later the novel was finished. Around one hundred and twenty thousand words in length, it had first been called The Pagoda of Earthly Delights and then The Adventures of Baron Schalken. The former title was based on Bosch’s painting, the latter on Sheridan Le Fanu’s ghost story. The novel’s fast-paced plot centered on a rogue Napoleonic general who escapes France and leads a motley crew in search of treasure in Siam. A speculative element to the historical world setting was hinted at. There was swashbuckling swordplay, shadow-filled jungles and oversized hats. Throughout 2006 I sent the manuscript to agents and publishers all over the world – only to be met by complete and utter indifference.
Hugely disappointed I took a time out and concentrated on finishing the draft manuscript of my next novel. But the Baron kept tapping me on the shoulder and I eventually returned to the haunted streets of Paris and pagodas of Old Siam. Of course, I fell in love with it all over again – I still believed in the Baron and his extraordinary escapades – but I realised the novel didn’t really work on a number of levels. For a start the language was too archaic. A better framing narrative was needed, more female characters and some way of better drawing in the reader. The speculative and the occult needed to be bolder too. So I got to work all over again.
By December 2010 the novel had been retitled Shadows and Pagodas, and undergone a series of major and minor transformations with the help of formidable taskmaster Doug Watts, copy-editor at JBWB.
I got the idea for a framing device from Sister Wendy, the celebrity nun who lived in a caravan. No, honestly. She narrated a TV series and wrote a book on fine art, and made the subject refreshingly accessible, unpretentious. One of the paintings Sister Wendy explored was Charon Crossing the Styx by Joachim Patinir. His brooding masterpiece was perfect! I worked the painting into the beginning and end of Shadows, linking its religious symbolism and weird landscapes directly to the story.
The main character had morphed into Baron Parzifal: now a contradictory, outrageous rogue of uncertain origins who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Prince of Enigma and had a gift for mesmerism. Two strong female characters made their entrance in the form of the Baron’s formidable, resourceful niece Camille and the rapier-thrusting Condesa Isabella. The reader was drawn into the action by sharing in young Peter Fielding’s journey of self-discovery as he becomes embroiled in the adventure.
If readers chose they could now enjoy the story on another level as a retelling of the Grail legend with a Buddhist-occult edge. The expedition a Quest for a Treasure that promises Redemption becomes a journey on the Path to Enlightenment. Numbers became significant: three temples (Triple Gem), the Four Noble Truths and so on. A wily Buddhist abbot makes a number of comic appearances and, of course, we have Parzifal himself as a supremely inappropriate reincarnation of a Grail knight.
I developed the speculative elements of the novel’s ‘topsy-turvy’ world. For example, the Emperor’s victory at Waterloo, espionage, campaigning in the Americas and the battle of Tolentino replaced by Otranto. I also described in much richer detail a weirdly-skewed Paris now in thrall to the magical allure of Ancient Egypt. Sarcophagi stacked in a cart outside an occult bookshop, nasty beasties lurking in the sewers…
Gone is the heavy nineteenth-century narrative, replaced by a faster-paced contemporary style. However, for the dialogue I was careful to retain old forms of address and vocab where possible. I also took a deep breath and put my foot down on The Rather Absurd Dark Comedy Pedal. The result of all this? Rather than a restored piece of gothic, the novel now read a little like an extended episode of Blackadder or Monty Python! Comedy counterpointed by violent disaster. Pathos and bathos poured in generous measures.
I also decided to sub-title the novel A Meddlesome Adventure. This was important because I really believe the model established with Shadows has enormous potential as a starter for a whole series of adventures in which the Baron subverts history in an absurd and darkly comic way.
Finally, I taught myself how to build a website, set up a blog and use Serif PhotoPlus. These are great. They’ve enabled me to post ‘dusty secrets from the attic’ – notes, ideas and musings – for my readers and get all creative. Pre-digital these would have appeared as author’s notes at the back of a printed book, which actually I started preparing in the novel’s earlier reincarnation. Some of these dusty secrets must go back ten years now. It’s really interesting see how the novel has evolved! I’ve even managed to rescue a few of the Baron’s rather awful poems he composed for his elephant Caligula.
And I guess that’s the story behind the story. On reflection, it’s been quite a journey from that guesthouse in Nong Khai to a lovingly crafted work of speculative fiction. But as the Baron told Vinkle on the steps of the Temple of the Destroyer, “It’s a long walk to heaven, Doctor!”
http://meddlesomeadventures.blogspot....
Book #5
Passionate water colour artist outlines vision of European Union involving extensive architectural and boundary changes.
http://pithyguide.blogspot.co.uk/
http://pithyguide.blogspot.co.uk/
October 31, 2014
Zen and the Art of the Teddy Boy
Incredibly busy on all sort of creative things. First off, I recently launched a satirical blog aimed at providing a peculiarly 'Jack Fielding' take on films, books and anything else that wanders into my sights. I hope my readers enjoy it as much I've enjoyed putting it together!
http://pithyguide.blogspot.co.uk/
Also working on a brand new edition of Neville Changes Villages. My aim is to streamline the narrative, inject more pace and crank up the surreal comedy.
Following Matt Carrell's advice, I'm also going to start posting Zen-related content on my other blogs. The idea will be to explain some of the Zen and more general Buddhist ideas that permeate the One Hand Clapping novels (Shadows and Pagodas too, thinking about it).
I've given all my blogs a makeover, including new background art, links and more gadgets.
After Neville I'm going to make a start on a collection of retro sci-fi stories...
http://pithyguide.blogspot.co.uk/
Also working on a brand new edition of Neville Changes Villages. My aim is to streamline the narrative, inject more pace and crank up the surreal comedy.
Following Matt Carrell's advice, I'm also going to start posting Zen-related content on my other blogs. The idea will be to explain some of the Zen and more general Buddhist ideas that permeate the One Hand Clapping novels (Shadows and Pagodas too, thinking about it).
I've given all my blogs a makeover, including new background art, links and more gadgets.
After Neville I'm going to make a start on a collection of retro sci-fi stories...
August 4, 2014
The man in a Zen ambulance has now arrived
Hi folks,
Pleased to announce that Man in a Zen Ambulance is now available as an eBook and paperback. Whereas Zen City, Iso was set in the Noir Age MZA propels the series into the 1950s Atomic Age. I hope my readers will enjoy the hi-octane mix of Nikkatsu-inspired action and pulp Zen comedy!
Pleased to announce that Man in a Zen Ambulance is now available as an eBook and paperback. Whereas Zen City, Iso was set in the Noir Age MZA propels the series into the 1950s Atomic Age. I hope my readers will enjoy the hi-octane mix of Nikkatsu-inspired action and pulp Zen comedy!
