Hestia Housekeeping

Hestia Housekeeping amounts to the 'What's New' section of pHpubs. Consequently I always start it with a 'What's Old' link to where I put its previous update.

Now that that's done, we can get on with this edition of Hestia Housekeeping. So what is new in the Summer 2006 edition of PHANTACEA on the Web?

Firstly, in order to mark the 10th anniversary of PHANTACEA on the Web I've resurrected some of the colour combinations and favourite background images that I've used in 'pHpubs' over the years.

Images include the sand-heads from Saturna Island, the tyranno-cliff from Turkey, the 1987A Supernova, the Giza Sphinx and Pyramids, the Abu Simbel, the 2006-recent Brazil and the India 2005 backdrops.

Secondly, to wrap up the long-running serialization of 'Coueranna's Curse' in the accepted manner, I've prepared the the Curse-conclusive instalments of its synopses. They can be found as follows:

1. "Apis Isle"
2. "The Tholos Tomb for Pygmies"
3. "Onwards, Inwards and More Innards"

By my count Curse was the 9th complete novel I've presented since I began web-publishing PHANTACEA in 1996. Must be time for the commencement of the 10th complete novel, right? Yes and no.

Yes, Number 10 is here. As promised last time up, it's entitled 'The Volsung Variations'. But, no, so is Number 11: 'The Vampire Variations'. I'm looking forward to presenting both of them, sooth said, and I'll tell you why. Eventually.

Next door there's the latest list of lynx to illustrated mini-essays I've done or redone of late. One I've haven't updated is the Character Likeness study I did for Fisherwoman a couple of summers ago.

Even though I had the postcard of Currin's 'Moroccan' (the woman with fish on her head to the right of this paragraph) at that time, I decided to hold onto it for a more appropriate moment.

Now appears to be that moment. That's because, along with Sorciere (born Solace Sunrise) and Bat-Bait (born Barsine Mandam), everyone's favourite, ever-fishifying Fish (born Scylla Nereid) starts out as one of the featured characters in Vamvar. Only then she goes away.

She'll be back of course. (She has to be back in the 1938 serials because she's still around for the ones set in 1980, particularly 'The Trigregos Gambit', where she gets to kick some serious turbot.)

The problem is, in the Summer of 2006, I can't remember when or where. It could be in Vamvar or it could be in Volvar. Could well be it's in both of them.

Which brings us to the 'Eventually' of a few paragraphs back.

As detailed in the chronology of my PHANTACEA Mythos material, I wrote the 1938 Web-Wheaties (as in serials) in a creative flurry occupying many of my weekends in the late 90s. One led into the other and indeed, due to how lengthy they were becoming, I moved some sequences initially written for one into the next.

A case in point is the first four chapters of Volvar. They were meant for Curse. Then Volvar became so long I hived parts of it, notably the Sociere-Shahiyeda sequences, into Vamvar.

As near as I can recall Volvar's intended finale became part of one of the concluding sections of Vamvar. I then finished off all the 1938 story sequences when I concluded Vamvar.

Got that? I haven't. Not yet. But I will, once I get the chance to reread both Volvar and Vamvar.

That's the main reason I'm presenting Volvar and Vamvar simultaneously. That's also why I haven't finished either of their teasers and haven't even begun their synoptic sections as yet.

I'll get to it eventually, though. You can mark me on that.

I still intend to print-publish "Feeling Theocidal". In truth, assuming I can sort out a few more details, I may yet publish it in the Summer of 2006 as originally promised.

As for the PHANTACEA PDF advertised on the ordering page, well, there are five other print publications readily available from there. I'll happily email you the PDF even if you only order one of them. Or maybe even if you don't order any of them.

In the meantime, down below in the topic section, I've prepared a couple of collages re the Thrygragos Talismans, which figure as prominently as the Trigregos Talismans do in Theocidal.

That's only fay-fairy fair. I did a mini-essay on the three Sisters' power foci last year at this time so it's about time I got around to that of the three Brothers.

(The two synopses referring to Thrygragon remain where they've always been, just in case you need to whet your Theocidal appetite the more.)

Even though I haven't finished the teasers that go with either Volvar or Vamvar, I've compiled plenty of graphics, new and old, to go with them. Smaller ones are down below in the topic section. Their lynx usually go to bigger ones in a variety of places.

What about Serendipity? Glad I asked. As well as a list of lynx to previous instalments of said-Seren, there is a new entry there. It has to do with Methuselah (PHANTACEA's Amemp Tut), the ages of the Golden Age patriarchs, powdered gold and golden apples.

There's nothing new in terms of TIMP, however. Got a few more interesting images re Faeries and Tholoi, though. At least think I do.

Have I mentioned my recent difficulties with memory (not Human Memory, nor any of PHANTACEA's myriad other Memories)? Seems I've already forgotten!

Feedback encouraged. Oh and, lest we forget, as always, good reading.

"Yield, Nightmare!"

Black Macha looked up at the near-Irache through bleeding eyelids. She must have wondered who was the worst off, her or the outworlder with the cut-anything knife.

He wasn't just a redskin. He was blood-drenched, most of it being his own.

He should have been dead. Decapitation worked on full devils and, deviant or not, it should have worked fully fatally on this one.

Had to be the influence of that old Wayfarer in the Weird Shamanitoulin's Fetishim. They had obviously merged again since the teenager was sprouting feathers along his arms and upper body.

What part of it that wasn't seeping away his life, that is!

-- from 'SEA, SICKNESS, SUNDOWN', the third chapter of 'The Volsung Variations'

Jim McPherson's Latest Collection of Mini-Essays and Character Likeness Studies

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