FORCED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR

I’m a sore and tired old man.

It’s a list.

That’s what this is.

1.

40% OFF IAIN RYAN (Sale)

For once, I’m organised enough to offer a discount just in time for Christmas. If you use the following code:

4B4TX8C4XN2K

on my website, you can get 40% off any order over $15 AUD, and it’ll reach you before the festive season. Now is a great time to gift your friends and family (or yourself) the crime fiction of Iain Ryan. Very festive!

I sign all the books that go out — except for the occasional copy of What Living & Dying Is Like because I run out of stock and have to ship it direct from the warehouse. But if you’re the first 5-10 people to order this time, you’ll get a signed copy because that’s how many I’m holding.

2.

TWO NETFLIX FILMS (Streaming)

David Fincher’s new one, The Killer, is probably my favourite of his since Gone Girl. Strangely enough, I didn’t love Mindhunter, which could have been Fincher-does-Silence-of-the-Lambs, but ended up looking cheap and getting axed before the dreaded BTK killer got into the mix. The Killer is smaller and less ambitious, which seems to really suit Fincher this time out. He goes berserk with the details and composition instead; as rigid as the protagonist.

Less enticing is Pain Hustlers with Emily Blunt. It is what it is: they let the guy who made a bunch of Harry Potter movies remake the Wolf of Wall Street, but about the opioid epidemic. Gross. I have no idea why I watched it.

(Actually, I do know why I watched it. See #7 below)

3.

2 LITRE DOLBY (Rarities)

Sydney’s 2 Litre Dolby were one of the best Australian bands of 1990s. If you know, you know. I only ever saw them once — at The Orient Hotel — somewhere in 1998. But the recordings remain incredible, including all the long-lost seven inch singles that some kind soul has put on YouTube. Just skip the first track, I reckon.

4.

JUPITER’S CASINO POOL (Research)

This is nuts, right?

5.

CURRENTLY READING

Currently reading Super-Cannes by JG Ballard. Diving back into the Ballard-void because I recently read an interview with Jarett Kobek where he cited this quote from Crash:

“I wanted to rub the human race in its own vomit, and force it to look in the mirror.”

I think we need some more of this in Australian fiction, tbh.

6.

COMING SOON (Consumption)

I can’t remember how I ended up reading this interview between Dan Ozzi and Chris Norris (writer/graphic designer) but it got me curious enough to check out Norris’ book Hunchback ‘88 and I think I bought it 10 mins later. I guess this is how media coverage is supposed to work. Good job, team.

7.

LIFE UPDATE (Trivia)

This fortnight’s list is a little sparse for two of the lamest reasons:

(1) I changed up my gym routine from 3 days a week to 4, and then revised all my workouts. End result, I’m a sore and tired old man. So sore and tired I watched Pain Hustlers instead of, you know, anything else.

(2) I’m also in the grind of self-publishing my forthcoming novel The Strip. There’s a 2-week period in self-publishing where you really remember why it takes a team of people to do it professionally. It’s very boring, very tedious work.

8.

THE RIP (Short Story)

In a nice little echo, last week’s story was inspired by an artist discussed the week previous a la Portishead. Their track The Rip comes highly recommended.

As for everything else about this story: I don’t remember why it is what it is.

Vibes, I guess.

That’s all.

— IAIN

PS: Read my public-facing thoughts Twitter and see how I live my life on Instagram.

PPS: This newsletter is brought to you by Noise by Boris.

PPPS: Buy my books direct here.