FIND OUT by watching EGGHEADS on BBC2 at 6pm tomorrow (Fri 6 Jan). Will Ali Sparkes (front left) bring shame upon authorkind if she gets the Literature round? I couldn’t possibly tell you (they’ll send the Eggheads attack dogs if I do) but it’ll all be out there tomorrow teatime…

There have already been some fine things written about him. Here’s an obit in UK paper The Guardian. This one from his editor David Lloyd, is my favourite.

Though his creativity remained as strong as ever, Mr Hoban had been physically very frail for some time. I knew, via The Kraken, a mailing list of fans, that he was in hospital again: that’s partly why I posted Door below, as a way of wishing him well. Today I’m very sad.

As well as his warm and wonderful books, he leaves us his example. In a world which often seems like it only cares about the bottom line he pursued his own creative path where it led him, producing beautiful, original, astonishing writing on the way.

In recent interviews he said he’d begun to think of death as ‘a good career move’ – and maybe the flurry of tributes from readers all over the world who’ve been touched by his work will inspire more to discover it. Soonchild, coming in March, looks like it will be another Hoban treat. But right now, rather selfishly, I just wish he was still alive and working, so that I would have more of his books to look forward to, and know that one of my heroes was still there.

Sam

This picture was inspired by a very early poem concocted as a result of playing the Word & Question game with my old school and silly co-writing mate Val (Valerie Crook then, Valeria Cass Bell now).

Here’s how the game works. Everyone writes a word on a bit of paper. Any word. The sillier, the better. Fold over the paper and pass it along – or throw them all in a pile and randomly pick up another. Then everyone writes a question. Again, daft is good.

Then – throw in a pile again. Randomly pick out. Now you must write a poem including the word and answering the question. WARNING: the subsequent readings out usually result in someone choking on their egg nog.

The example from my teenage days is this – Word and Question set by Val: Bilberry. Has your hamster sharpened all the green pencils yet?  And my poetic response? Get ready for Byronesque greatness now…

Well, he’s trying very hard to get the pencils sharp

And his heart’s not really in it; he’d rather play his harp

But I put him in a cornflake packet with nothing but some nuts

I gave him one and said, ‘Now hack it – and none of your ifs and buts’

So he’s trying very hard now, very

Da da da da da, bilberry

(I think I was having an off day.)

OK – want to have a go? I’ll start you off. The word is Fossick and the question is Do you have one of those in green with spots on?  I wait with extreme excitement for your poems!  (I don’t get out much.)

At last! I’ve finally got around to starting my own blog: www.davidmelling.co.uk/blog

Which means as well as posting stuff like this mad eye-balled idiot here on Trapped By Monsters…

I might post stuff like this little chap…

Oh yes, we all have a dark and fluffy side.

Why not let me help you get in touch with yours here…and here.

Fair enough I reckon. When you share another mans puddle bonds are formed. Enough said.

So then, to the book. Well, it really is a fantastic read. It’s a no nonsense approach to just how it feels to be slowly turning into a werewolf. Possibly not for the young sensitive reader, this wolfish tail (see what I did there), is so engaging…a story that invites the reader into the mind of the Adam the victim for such a shocking, shared experience. Tommy takes you on a sensory journey from the first sensations of finger-tip-twitching through to the spasms of bone-cracking transformation. And it really grabs you from the fist page.

The story is dyslexia friendly which opens it up to reluctant readers and those who find some books challenging. This is a great introduction to the damp, murky world of Tommy Donbavand and his brilliant Scream Street series.

Got to love this!

Now that’s a monster that will make many Y7s run for their lives!

Look out for my STONKING new picture book and tell your CHUMS to SKIDADDLE down to your local bookshop and get one!

(Well, there’s three words I’m not sure I’ve ever used before – strange I should do so now – can you guess what they are?

I’ve been locked in my cave editing like crazy and I’m pleased to say that I think I’ve created my best story yet. If you like action, thrills, spills and surprises, this story has them all. It’s gone along paths that I didn’t see coming and I’ve had one heck of a journey following it through. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to wait until after Christmas to read it, but it’s on the way … and now I’m back in the land of the living, I’ll be popping up a whole load of posts about some fun stuff I’ve been reading and doing over the summer.