The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

Andrew and I listened to the BBC 10-part podcast of Lovecraft’s second-longest work* over two evenings this week. Verdict— well worth listening to, though I felt it didn’t quite stick the ending. Part of that may simply have been disappointment that the plot didn’t go where I thought it would in the last two episodes, which is no one’s fault; but also it did seem to me that in the last act (some spoilers) ( Read more... )

Overall, though, I found it fascinating, partly because I’d been reading an article a month or so back on true-crime podcasts, and the podcast medium in general, and had as a result been thinking about the difference between podcast and radio— I’d commented that it would be hard to duplicate the Mercury War of the Worlds as a podcast, because the listener would have to click on a link with the title — there'd be no accidental stumbling across it midway through the first act. You still have to choose to listen to Charles Dexter Ward; but it does its damndest to convince you you’re listening to the latest series of Mystery Machine, a podcast that investigates unsolved crimes, whose two hosts, this time out, may have bitten off more than they can chew. I still don’t know whether the other podcasts advertised at the end of each episode are real, or part of the universe of the story.

Afterwards, Andrew asked if we could by a blu-ray copy of The Resurrected (1991), another adaptation of the same story with a kind of Kolchak/neo-noir vibe and starring Chris “Prince Humperdinck” Sarandon as Ward/Curwen. We already have an old copy, but the new one, which arrived today, has a better picture and some interviews.

* His longest was, of all things, a travel guide to Quebec City.

Journaling Prompts, Day 4

Happiness is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be like right now, and sincerely appreciating it for everything that it is. So, RELAX. You are enough. You have enough. You do enough. Breathe deep… let go, and just live right now in the moment. What do you appreciate most about your life right now? Why?

Hm. I mean, my life is, like, 90% privileged and 10% awful, so I really shouldn’t complain about anything; but there’s a difference between “I feel duty-bound to appreciate this” and “I actually appreciate this.” I suppose what I do genuinely appreciate is how easy it is for me, partly due to circumstances and partly do to my own mindset, to view my life as an interesting story. Of course that can be a dangerous trick to pull.