My lovely neighbour recently asked me why I write under a pseudonym. It was suggested that the nature of the books would probably determine the level of personal exposure an author may feel comfortable with. Since there could be at least one other person who may have contemplated the same question, I will briefly explain. … Read more
If the time I have spent on specific activities during my life had to be presented graphically, the biggest segment of the pie-chart would undoubtably represent the time spent reading. Books are magical. They educate, guide, comfort, entertain and provide an escape from the mundane and the depressing. There are few activities as rewarding as … Read more
For as long as man has roamed the earth (I have to assume), generations have been concerned about the later generations’ values and feared inability to deal with humanity’s future. Similarly, newer generations have been frustrated by preceding generations’ archaic beliefs and practices. The young is forever surprised that the old have managed to live … Read more
Everybody has one or two things that they find objectionable. I am not referring to the really important universal concerns such as global warming, war, famine, religious conflict or racism. What I have in mind here, are the small, mostly irrelevant things that individuals subjectively, and often irrationally, find annoying. We can all call to … Read more
I once met a very successful businessman who told me that stereotyping is really, really, bad, but that it is really, really, handy. Stereotypes do not just sprout from nothing – it is inevitably based on many collective experiences over long periods of time. Then someone is offended, the layers sue, the journalists write, and … Read more
As some may have noticed, I love metal music. References to a metal band named Hell’s Keeper appear regularly throughout the 3G series. Hell’s Keeper was inspired by my real life favourite black metal band, Abaddon. The Bible introduces Abaddon as the angel of the Abyss and I thought that Hell’s Keeper would be a … Read more
What is funny? A clever play on words? A man in funny shoes being hit in the face with a plank? Monty Python’s parrot-sketch? Russel Peters talking about Indian customs? Literature and humour have always made good bedfellows. Reading any Discworld novel is guaranteed to result in much smiling and regular chuckles – often because … Read more
Perspective seems to be the most unrecognised aspect of modern life. Perspective is invariably the product of culture, education, religion and other formative influences in an individual’s life. People, more often than not, seem incapable of appreciating that different perspectives give rise to different beliefs and value systems. Far more disturbing though, is the unwillingness … Read more
Although I am often irritated by a generation enslaved by social media, the opportunities and benefits presented by social media platforms are admittedly vast. For many, social media interaction has become an integral and essential part of everyday life. Social media is relied on for news, marketing and entertainment. It provides a forum for people … Read more
A frustrating reality is that legal constraints very often hamper efficient law enforcement. Criminals are emboldened by the knowledge that rules and laws often protect them more than law-abiding people. The rights of arrested criminals often seem to be far more important than what one would hope is society in general’s right not to be … Read more