One of the better kept secrets of my recent output has been my involvement in a short story collection entitled, “Meeting Across the River: Stories Inspired by the Haunting Bruce Springsteen Song.” It is just what it says it is: A series of short stories inspired by that one song.
Well, there’s now an audio version out, and it was the subject of a starred review in the January 2, 2006 Publishers Weekly (starred means that special notice should be taken). And amongst the various generally positive assessments, the reviewer says:
“Harlan Ellison supplies a rich, no-holds-barred reading of Peter David’s inspired fantasy, “Killing Time by the River Styx.”
Basically, the folks who were doing the adaptation approached Harlan as to whether he’d like to do the reading (since, in case you don’t know, Harlan has done many readings of material that wasn’t his own.) Harlan in turn wouldn’t have taken the gig if it wasn’t cool with me. And part of me would have liked to do the reading myself, but then I thought, “Y’know…it’ll probably sound better if Harlan does it, so what the hëll.”
Obviously PW agreed. So try and turn up a copy of either the original book in order to read the story (anthology edited by Jessica Kaye and Richard Brewer) or the audio version on Blackstone Audiobooks, ISBN 0-7867-7632-6). And, hey, if you’re voting for the Hugos for short stories of 2005, remember, PW says it’s an “inspired fantasy.”
PAD
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After I wrote a series of short stories, I received an email from a friend including an audio clip of her reading one of the stories.
It had never occurred to me that something I wrote would be read out loud. When I heard the audio file, it completely threw me for the rest of the day.
You oughta get it listed here:
http://www.islets.net/audio/audiolist.html
The first non-Ellison story I heard him read was Philip Roth’s Defender of the Faith, which I really enjoyed.
1
I might keep an eye out for that. Lately, I’ve been getting more and more into audio books, as my work schedule (midnight shifter) just makes it very hard for me to actually read lately.
On a tangent, I just bought the Sci-Fi channels adaptation of ‘Dune’ on DVD. There is an extra on it called “Science Fiction/Science Future Rountable”, which has authors talking about the book, sci-fi, and science in general. Among them is Harlan Ellison (enjoyed all of his commentary the most), Octavia Butler (gonna have to find one of her books on disk) and others.
Ooooh. I wasn’t planning to get the book — I like Bruce, but I’m not THAT far into his fandom — but this may wind up changing my mind.
TWL
“it’ll look like you’re carryin’ a friend…”
I got the book as a Christmas present, not realizing it until I opened it that Peter had written one of the stories. (as well as Eric “Anonymous Rex” Garcia”). After having been OD’ing on Bruce on Sirius’ E-Street Radio (courtesy of Dish Network), getting the book was a nice gift and even nicer when I realized some of my favorite authors contributed to it.
Now I find out that Harlan has read Peter’s story, so I should probably get it to have Harlan sign it at the Nebulas (and I need to send a certain PAD an email to see if he might be coming….)
Lee Whiteside
SFTV.org Webmaster
Nebulas Awards Weekend 2006 Chair
I just ordered the book, the audiobook, and “Born To Run” CD at Amazon. The audiobook took some detective work, as there’s two different versions with about a $50 difference (one is regular, the other is a library edition) and I wanted to get the cheaper version that was a physical product and not a download.
But I was rewarded at the checkout by being offered a 3 month free trial for Amazon Prime, which means I get 2 day shipping for free! Hoody hoo!
Bruce Springsteen? Really. Woah. Good for you, anyway. But, sorry, I don’t get it. I just assume Springsteen Must be a New York / Jersey thing. Aside from “Born to Run” I really can’t hack any of The Bruce’s songs.
Still, “Born to Run” is an awesome song. Like, really awesome. Are there any songs as good as that one? That song from that thar Tom Hanks movie don’t count.
Speaking of music, I realized I missed a Moneen show that happened 5 days ago. A whole bunch of songs off their new album would have been played. I am Jack’s broken heart.
What does this have to do with PAD’s blog and this thread? I have no idea. I just wanted to vent. Thank you for participating. I’m done now.
Born to Run still rules.
Still, “Born to Run” is an awesome song. Like, really awesome. Are there any songs as good as that one?
Yes. “Jungleland”, from the same album (which also has “Meeting Across the River”, the song that inspired the book that this blog entry’s about). It’s better than BtR, in my opinion.
TWL
I always thought the kickiest part of “Born To Run” was the short-lived attempt to make it the official state song of New Jersey – and a standup comic’s examination of the song’s appropriateness for that.
(“‘Baby, this town rips the bones from your back/It’s a death trap/It’s a suicide rap/We’ve got to get out while we’re young…’ Yeah, sounds like Jersey to me!”)
I’d also cite just about every song on THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD, an atypical album of pretty much all-narrative songs in which Springsteen pretty much establishes himself as one of the greatest, and sparest, creators of short stories currently alive. (I’m 100% serious.) The “New York / New Jersey thing” is not in evidence here: just brilliant storytelling, in song form, with lyrics that capture character, irony, tragedy, and redemption in inspired turns of phrase.
Of course, those who know his work as more than a series of power anthems know that this is nothing new. Some of his three-minute songs have been made into movies, with little fanfare. “Highway Patrolman” was made into a film, not of that name, by Sean Penn. I would say the name right now, but the title escapes me. Good film, though.
I remember that comedy bit, Tallest. It was Robert Wuhl in his pre-Arliss days. I just heard part of Springsteen’s interview on Terry Gross last week or so and his deconstruction of the lyrics immediately popped into my head. Classic stuff.
Not only do I remember Wuhl’s bit, but Lisa and I always wind up applying it in another circumstance. (Major geek alert.)
B5’s “Gropos” has Gen. Franklin’s troops preparing for a high-risk mission to liberate some planet or other. They’re on the station because Sheridan has some tactical expertise with the area, if memory serves.
In any case, Sheridan is talking about some big fortress and says, “It’s a deathtrap.”
The preview takes that line out of context, so you’re sitting there watching a preview and up comes Sheridan’s talking head with “It’s a deathtrap.” Invariably, even after years, Lisa and I immediately turn to each other and say “It’s a suicide rap. We’ve got to get out while we’re young,” a la Robert Wuhl.
Ah, geek love. (Our daughter is either going to out-geek both of us or wind up rejecting anything with even the slightest hint of geekiness. I’m not sure which yet.)
TWL
I remember hearing you read this story aloud at Vericon a couple of years back, Peter. To take nothing from Harlan, you did a fair job reading it yourself. Before reading the story you asked if there were any Bruce Springsteen fans in the audience and I was the only person who raised my hand.
Kevin
I always thought the kickiest part of “Born To Run” was the short-lived attempt to make it the official state song of New Jersey – and a standup comic’s examination of the song’s appropriateness for that.
Holy crip on a crapple, that’s genius. I wish they had gone through with that.
Regarding Springsteen, did you catch this week’s “Cold Case”, which used a number of Springsteen songs to illustrate the story of four Jersey kids caught up in broken marriages, infidelity, auto theft, and murder?
I thought they used his music effectively, though I can’t identify the album they used.
Well, first off, congrats to PAD on the good critical notice of another work. Sounds like an interesting project …
Re:Springsteen – I have two of his albums [not Born to Run or Ghost of Tom Joad, so I can’t speak to them one way or the other]; for a while, didn’t listen to them that much, but much more often in the past few years. “Born to Run” … I get why people are into it, but it doesn’t get to me as much. I think a lot of my problem is the overblown “wall of sound” thing he was going for; there are parts where it seems like he threw in everything but a kazoo, with the appropriateness of a kazoo.
But, I would say that he does have other good songs, Tallest. The whole first side of Born in the USA is a good listen (not to say that there’s nothing good in the second half, including John Kerry theme “No Surrender”; though I got pretty tired of hearing “Glory Days” so often from various sources – and this was two or three years ago); “Ain’t Got You” is a nice little longing lament from Tunnel of Love; also from the Love album, “Brilliant Disguise” is a story about doubt within a relationship which I really enjoy listening to. These are what come to mind more or less off the top of my head ….
The whole first side of Born in the USA is a good listen
Seconded, at least mostly. “Downbound Train” in particular is an underrated piece, IMO.
“Brilliant Disguise” is a story about doubt within a relationship which I really enjoy listening to.
Also seconded. I’m also quite partial to “One Step Up”, from the same album.
TWL
She won’t “out-geek” you, Tim. However, if my 11-year old daughter is any indication, yours will “discover her own path” of geekness.
My daughter is still just a bit too young to go too far afield from us. She likes Trek, B5 and LotR. Of course, she sighs whenever Legolas enters the picture. If Orlando Bloom ever comes to D/FW, I may have to lock her in her tower – I mean room.
After watching “The Incredibles”, though, she has little tolerance for James Bond villains. She can’t believe they spill their guts all the time.
The “Cold Case” episode was okay, except that the songs they used for specific scenes were almost all released *after* the time period the scenes were from. (And they used songs from multiple albums.)
Even assuming that’s just nitpicking, I thought they used the wrong songs on more than one occasion, when much better choices were available. (For instance, playing “I’m on Fire” when the scene was a marriage starting to break up, when the absolutely fantastic and far more relevent “Loose End” would have done.)
But then again, I’m a big Bruce geek.
“Jungleland”, from the same album (which also has “Meeting Across the River”, the song that inspired the book that this blog entry’s about). It’s better than BtR, in my opinion.
TWL
Ok, I’m gonna listen to that right now and provide live listening feedback. Why? Cause its fun, its 4 AM in the morning on a Saturday, and I’ve had a few drinks. So, uhm, yeah.
However, I have 2 more songs to go on my winamp playlist before I hit that Bruce song, these songs are – “Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Going Down” & then “Finch – What It Is To Burn”. So, I must say, Springsteen is at a disadvantage because I *love* those two songs. (anyone reading this thread, go download “What It Is To Burn” & “Sugar, We’re Going Down” right now. Yes, I mean you, the person reading this sentence).
Anyway, “Jungleland”. Right. .. listen to it right after Finch. Ðámņ, “What It Is To Burn” is a great song. Superb.
As for “Jungeland” . . .
woah, 9 minute song. Ok, cool, I’m down with that. Just need another beer to absorb it all.
Nice piano & violin intro. Me likey. I love long songs. I dig how upbeat the piano riff is. Goldness.
I think I know this song is going, a big, huge, EPIC song … this hits me right in my musical sweet spot. Good call. Catchy chorus riff with Bruce enunciating empathically “Down in Jun-gle-Land”. I can see this being an encore song at any given concert, for sure.
Hey, Max Wienberg ain’t showin’ off his chops in this song very much (sure, he’s there doing drum rolls and all, but he ain’t all over the place). Me no likey cause I love the jazz drumers who become rock drummers, it works so well (See “The Smashing Pumpkins” for an example of a jazz drummer in a rock band, much like Max in Burce’s band. JC rocks. Whoot.)
Hey, a trombone solo at the 5 minute mark. That’s kind of unexpected, yet cool. . . nice, I love how mellow it gets. . . you know The Rock is comming down soon, but its all about the delay until the aforementioned Rock comes down.
….but it doesn’t come down! Woah, I did not expect that ending. But it was so good because you didn’t see it comming. Wow. Crazy.
I’m sure there are words in this song, but I don’t care now, I’m totally into the musical vibe right now. Someone fill me in on the lyrics later.
I just changed my MSN name to “song of the week – Bruce Springsteen: Jungleland” so everyone on my list (all 7 of them) can DL it as well.
Wow, this song is so good, I love it. I just listened to it twice in a row. Thank you. Awesome song. Coolness.
3 days later and I still totally dig this “Jungleland” song.