Magic in London – Whistling

Posted on December 23, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Undecipherable babble bubbled through the crowd as Chuck walked down Shaftsbury Avenue towards Piccadilly Circus. The taste of buffalo sauce still lingering in his mouth from the burger he’d eaten half hour before at a little burger joint in Soho before saying goodnight to his friends to head back to the coach station. No one on the street seemed to notice him as he weaved through the drunken crowds. Maybe getting the tube would be quicker, he thought, but at the same time didn’t like the idea of going down in the depths of the underground by himself.

Not even ten minutes had passed since he’d left Chrissie and Jon at the diner. They’d invited him out to go and see an art installation at the Tate Modern that at first, Chuck thought sounded cool until he was there and found it mind numbing. As they walked around, he felt himself getting smaller and smaller in the room, more detached from any emotion he was supposed to be feeling. Still it was good to see old friends again. They met in the late morning for a coffee before heading down to the museum and then walked along the Thames, across the Golden Jubilee Bridges and through Charring Cross station to head towards Soho. Chrissie loved a little vegan burger place and couldn’t speak highly enough of it to Chuck.

Once they’d eaten the trio split, with Chrissie and Jon heading to Leicester Square station, and Chuck making his own way back to Victoria Coach station. Once he was there it would be alright, but Piccadilly Circus was busier than he liked. So many people moving about, the blinding -lights from the overbearing screens and the diluted music from restaurants echoed all around him. The sound of quickening drums coming from a building matched the rhythm of his heart as he continued to make his way towards Pall Mall, the buildings towering over him. Even away from the busier area there were still tons of people, all walking with no obvious direction.

They were coming from all sides, out of alleyways, out of buildings, from taxis, and everywhere else. People seeped upwards from out of the cracks in the pavement making obstacles that Chuck was sure weren’t there moments before. There were even people clambering out of obnoxious musical rickshaws. Chuck shied away from the droves of chatting people. Their laughs echoing around him as they walked past him. In his eyes they were all taller than him, his head barely making it to their shoulders, and he was still shrinking.

Pall Mall was quieter but there was still the loud sounds of shouting, the brilliantly bright Christmas lights glaring out at him. Tourists scattered about to get night time pictures and selfies. The last hurrah before Christmas. Life didn’t seem anywhere near as bleak as the news said, although Chuck wasn’t apart of it. His hands in his pocket, head lowered and half covered in a scarf and hat. His overhead bag bounced on his lower back as he quickly stepped through the thinning crowds and down some steps onto The Mall.

Everything was quieter, and almost no one in sight. Chuck turned towards the palace and started walking, noting quickly that there wasn’t anyone walking the same way as him. The only other souls were walking the opposite way, hurrying past him at speed. Even though he knew the way to the station, he still hesitated with each step, wondering why there wasn’t anyone heading there too. Where were they all coming from, he thought. A man holding a bookshop bag, walked by and gave him as much space as possible. He was just as anxious as Chuck was and they both deliberately avoided each other’s eyes as they continued onward.

He reached the palace, lit up as if in celebration despite there being next to no one around. Just a few of general tourists taking selfies outside the gates. You could probably walk past the palace at any point and see someone taking a picture there, no matter how dark, late, or cold it was. Chuck hurried onwards, wanting to get the coach station as quickly as possible. The palace was out of sight and a new string of restaurants stood in his way, although no where near as busy as the ones earlier. If he carried on at the same pace, he would have about a thirty minute wait by the time he reached the station.

There were enough people out on the streets to stop him from feeling nervous, but not too many that caused a sense of dread to form inside. He crossed a road and then another and then reached a massive office building on his right. The entrance was just up a few steps and the lights were on inside with a few people sitting behind a reception desk laughing away with each other. That wasn’t what caught Chuck’s eye though. At the top of the steps, just next to the front entrance, was a small child holding a teddy bear up to his chest, crying and wailing. No one else seemed to care, but Chuck steps faltered and he stopped.

“Hey,” Chuck said, his voice wavering. “Are you okay?”

The boy didn’t respond, and Chuck took a couple of steps up towards the building. He didn’t realise, but the people inside behind the desk had spotted him as soon as he had stopped, their laughter stopping so they could watch the newcomer slowly approaching the building. Chuck stopped, he feet on two different steps.

“Where are your parents?”

Again, the boy didn’t stop crying. He was wailing so loud it hurt Chuck’s ears, but he couldn’t just leave him there. Not like everyone else. People were walking passed and not doing a thing.

“Look, I’m going to call the police so they come to help you, can you tell me your name at least?”

No reaction, at least not until Chuck started to unlock his phone to search for a local non-emergency number and the boy started crying even louder. The noise was like shards of glass being pushed into Chuck’s ears. His screams grew louder and louder. The lights on Chuck’s phone got brighter and bright, as if in response to the boy’s screams, the case grew warmer as well. He couldn’t take his eyes away from his screen that was starting to burn so bright it was leaving imprints on his eyes. At the same time his hand couldn’t withstand the heat any longer and he dropped the phone.

“Ow, what the f?” Chuck said to himself, forgetting about the boy for a moment, before censoring himself.

“Who are you?” Someone said.

Chuck turned around to find a woman about his age standing at the bottom of the stairs staring up at him.

“I’m guessing you can see me then,” she said.

To be continued…

PART TWO: https://ashleymanning.com/2022/12/30/magic-in-london-whistling-part-two/

Yesterday I started writing, planning to write around 500 words to post something short on here. I wrote just shy of 700 words last night and didn’t really know where it was going, but as I was heading to bed a story started to form in my mind. So when I woke up I started writing again. I’ve now forgotten pieces that I came up with last night, but the essence is still there. I’m hoping to continue the story further next week. Hope you enjoy it! Feedback is welcome as always!

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The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

Posted on December 22, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

The Wasp Factory was the first published novel by Iain Banks. Originally Banks wanted to be a science fiction writer, and spent the majority of the seventies writing sci-fi novels that didn’t get picked up. After being fed up with receiving rejection after rejection, he decided to try his hand at something a little more mainstream and The Wasp Factory was the result of that, a dark twisted story with a dash of humour.

The story is told from the first person perspective of Frank, a 16 year old who is a full-on psychopath, at least at first glance. Frank lives a strange and isolated life on a small island with his eccentric father and spends most of his time completing rituals around the island, and trying to predict the future by using a device that he’s created in the attic that he’s called The Wasp Factory.

For most of the novel what The Wasp Factory actually is, is kept as a mystery. You know of its existence but Frank doesn’t describe it until one of the later chapters. It’s almost as if he expects you to know what he’s talking about at first and that it’s a completely normal thing to have in your attic. Finding out what the Factory is as well as the three children that Frank claims to have killed are two of the big driving forces of the book that keep you hooked.

At the start of the book Frank’s half-brother, Eric, has escaped from a psychiatric hospital and is slowly making his way back to the island. He was committed after having a breakdown at some point before the book starts, burning dogs alive and force feeding children maggots. Every night he calls Frank and tells him that he’s a little closer to get back home, which gives the book a sense of progression. The story is very wandering, and without much of a plot. Frank details his daily life, going out with his one friend to the pub, using the Factory, and completing his rituals. It’s the threat of Eric’s arrival that gives the book a sense of urgency and really sets off the events of the finale.

One of the more interesting ideas that the book plays with is the idea of masculinity and femininity. Frank was mauled by a dog when he was much younger, and there’s a sense that he feels inadequate because of it. The extreme violence in the book is Frank overcompensating for this. At one point in the book he graphically describes how he kills a bunch of rabbits, as well as describing how he killed three children earlier in his life. The book has some extreme violence in it, and it’s not surprising that the book has been controversial since it’s release. It’s definitely not for the light-hearted. Frank is not a likable protagonist, and his actions are cruel and mean to say the least.

I don’t believe that Frank actually commits the violence in the book. I feel that he wishes he was capable of doing so, and then passes that off as fact when telling us. The three children who die, are not explicitly by his hands, but by crafty techniques that could have been accidents. Maybe in his own mind he’s twisted memories to take blame for it. No one suspects him of any wrongdoing, and even the rabbit deaths aren’t mentioned by anyone else. Frank is far from a reliable narrator, with some of the twists later in the book showing that even he doesn’t know how unreliable he actually is, and I was left with the impression that he exaggerates the violence and murder that he’s committed. He seems to take on some of the personality traits that his brother shows, except when violence is committed by Eric others witness it.

Whether it’s real or fantasy playing out in Frank’s head, the book is still disturbed. It’s a look into the a very twisted mind and one that’s gripping from start to finish. Definitely worth reading.

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Decision to Leave – Film Review

Posted on December 21, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Park Chan-wook

Writers: Jeong Seo-kyeong, and Park Chan-wook

Starring: Tang Wi and Park Hae-il

Rating: ★★★★

Park Chan-wook’s new film is Decision to Leave, a romantic thriller that follows detective Hae-Jun (Park Hae-il) as he investigates the death of Ki Do Soo. At first it looks like it may be an accident, as he’s found at the foot of a mountain and died from falling, but something doesn’t add up. Hae-Jun starts to suspect that Ki Do Soo’s wife, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei), has something to do with his death. He starts to investigate her, slowly becoming obsessed with her and that obsession goes both ways.

Hae-Jun is an insomniac and an obsessively organised person. He’s haunted by the cases that he hasn’t been able to solve, keeping the pictures up on the wall of his rented apartment behind a curtain. He works in Busan during the week, and then spends his weekends in Ipo with his wife, Jung-An (Lee Jung-hyun). His life is very compartmented and organised. While he’s told by his superiors that he doesn’t need to investigate the death, since there’s bigger crimes to solve and it’s an open and shut case, he still follows the clues. That is until he starts to become obsessed and befriends the suspect. His life starts to unravel as he gets closer and closer to her, all the while not knowing if she’s involved with the death of her husband.

Everything about the world within the film feels very real and grounded. The characters are all deeply flawed and not entirely likable, and there’s no pretending that the protagonist is close to perfect. When the film starts, he’s on another case that overlaps with the death that becomes the focus of most of the film. You get to see that case play out and later on another one that he’s assigned to. It feels like there’s more to the world than what the story shows, and that you’re only getting a glimpse of the full story. There’s also a great sense of humour, with a fair few funny moments that don’t feel obtrusive to the main story.

Visually the film is simply stunning. The cinematography and editing are vibrant and alive. The scenes flow into each other perfectly and it’s spellbinding to watch.  All of it is backed by a chilling and subtle score that really heightens the tension. It’s masterful storytelling that’s completely engaging from start to finish, and the almost two hour and twenty minutes run time just passes instantly. The opening is a whirlwind, setting up the story and pieces, and when it settles down the mystery has you hooked completely. Decision to Leave is a completely absorbing and mesmerising thriller. It’s beautifully shot, filled with captivating characters, and a mystery that twists and turns throughout.  

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – Volume 8 – Manga Review

Posted on December 20, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

With Volume 8, Zom 100 goes back to having almost completely stand alone stories where the characters get up to zany adventures while slowly weaving their way through Japan to try and find a cure for the zombie apocalypse. The stories in this volume are a lot shorter than the ones in the last few story arcs. That’s not to say they’re not good, because they’re just as funny and silly as anything that has come before.

Joining the main group is the A.I. butler from the last volume, Lambda Chop. While he appears throughout the volume, he’s not a main character just yet, although he does have some impact on how the chapters play out. Instead, mostly Lambda appears just to spout facts and to help guide the characters on their search for a cure.

The first chapter, titled Sake of the Dead, finds the group in Niigata, where there’s a ton of sake breweries. It doesn’t take long for them to let loose and get drunk. But as always there’s a zombie hoard just waiting around the corner. The chapter is a little weird, as it seems to be in favour of drinking so much you become a bit of a nuisance. They meet someone who worked at the brewery, who doesn’t drink anymore after drinking too much earlier in life, and they end up encouraging them to drink more. It doesn’t really take alcoholism very seriously, which is more than a little strange to read.

After that the gang end up digging for dinosaur fossils at a tourist attraction next to a museum. Again, zombies interrupt their plans, and they end up fighting for their lives. This is one of the funniest parts of the manga so far, filled with incredibly goofy moments and laugh out loud action. It also contains one of the darkest moments as well, although it keeps the light-hearted tone throughout.

One of the best things about Zom 100 is how it manages to walk the line between completely bananas silly and a more serious tone, without ever coming across as heavy handed. It’s very funny and still feels like there’s a little more than just what’s on the surface. The final chapter of the book really emphasises that, as Akira is finding the freedom he’s found in the apocalypse a little boring. He gets to reflect on what he’s learnt during the series so far, but in the goofiest way possible.

Zom 100 continues to be one of the funniest mangas available at the moment. The art is fantastic, the characters are great, and it’s all still very funny. Very easy reading that’s always a good time.

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Asadora! – Volume 6 – Manga Review

Posted on December 19, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Asadora! is a fantasy/historical drama manga by Naoki Urasawa that follows Asa Asada, a school girl who also works as a secret pilot for the government to monitor a potential kaiju (giant monster) situation that has been spotted off the coast of Japan. In Volume Six the story has reached the opening of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, picking up where the previous volume left off with the threat of the kaiju being kept under wraps to ensure the Olympics goes ahead.

The last couple of volumes of Asadora! have been action packed and very fast paced, while this one is much slower and the stakes are nowhere near as high. It’s nice for the story to take a little slowdown and to focus on character moments. Showing the effects of Asa’s secrets is having on her life, as well as seeing more of the sub-plots revolving around her friends. There’s a lot of plot threads that are continued in this volume.

Quite a bit of the book is focused on Asa’s childhood friend, Shotaro, who dreams of becoming an Olympic runner. He missed out on competing in the Tokyo Olympics, but is still training hard to make to the next games being held in Mexico. He’s desperate to prove himself, not only to his family but to Asa as well. It does seem like his character arc is about to really get going in the next volume, with the seeds of tragedy being planted in volume 6.  

While the series is about a giant monster that could cause great destruction, it’s also a historical drama as well and both work so well together. A fair bit of the story is about rebuilding Japan and its reputation after the Second World War. There’s also some interesting history about how the relationship between Japan and America in the post-war period, specifically the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. It’s mentioned in the story and then towards the end of the book is a page that has some information about how it worked originally and how it’s adapted over time.

Like always Urasawa’s artwork is great, it’s always easy to follow and the characters are all unique and the scenery looks great. The dialogue is well-written and feels natural and there’s a few funny moments in story. The volume does set up that something big is about to happen in its final chapter, and it’s going to be a long wait until volume 7 gets released.

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