The Official Matthew Reilly Homepage

Thought I'd talk a little about TV this week. As a kid, I was a prolific TV watcher. I was a child of The A-Team, Knight Rider (watching the young David Hasselhoff talk to a car), and a little known show called Tales of the Gold Monkey (I loved it; it featured a "Goose" seaplane, inspiring my use of that plane in TEMPLE). These days, the shows I watch religiously are:

• SURVIVOR - the original and the best reality show; a great way to watch humans interacting (witness the fall of Jerri). Indeed, this second series is just as good as the first. Last week's episode was one of the very, very best (it saw the camp get washed away in a flash flood; it also saw Colby's chances take a nosedive; for God's sake son, you should have thrown a luxury challenge!! Now you're outnumbered in the voting!)
• BUFFY - remains the best-written show on television (although SEX AND THE CITY is a consistently strong contender for the title); I'm a big fan of Joss Whedon's stuff (the original movie, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and of course, Alien Resurrection, it was a sequel which showed great respect for its predecessors). I'm also a big fan of Alyson Hannigan's. Willow is an awesome character and I loved her turn as the band-camp girl in American Pie.
• THE SIMPSONS - because, let's face it, every dilemma you face in life has been addressed in a Simpsons episode.

1. I hope all the aspiring writers out there got something out of last week's column (I wrote everything I know about how to get an agent or publisher). Someone recently e-mailed me asking if there is some secret entry key to the publishing world that only bestselling authors know, and which they keep to themselves. I wish it were that easy.

2. In book news, I have been going over the copy-edited manuscript of AREA 7, applying the finishing touches. Let me tell you, this thing rocks. And it is big - really, really big. When I set out to write a sequel to ICE STATION, I just decided to go completely all out, and make it the biggest, fastest, most outrageous action-adventure ever. It's also got what I believe is a hugely original premise which I'm dying to tell people, but can't! First week of September in Australia, Christmas in England and sometime next year in the US - so watch out. Oh, and keep an eye on the site. I might be putting up some prologue stuff a little early...

3. Oh, and in electrifying world news... Australia's next Governor-General has just been named. Now, to everyone out there in the world, this probably means little. But here in Australia, it reminds us of just how dreadfully embarrassing our Head of State situation is. For those of you in other countries reading this, the 'Governor-General' is the Queen of England's representative here in Australia. You see, odd as it sounds, even now, in the year 2001, the Queen of England is still Australia's Head of State. This is because my country's current Prime Minister believes that Australia can't be trusted to rule itself, but rather needs England to watch over us. (To put it in perspective, American readers, imagine that your President was actually the representative of Queen Elizabeth II - can you even imagine it!). Having the monarch of another country as my Head of State is truly the most embarrassing thing about my wonderful country.

(P.S. In sporting news, spent a fantastic day kart racing out at Eastern Creek Raceway the other day, in a grand prix event organised by my two mates of mine, Paul Roach and Andrew Whelan, of Whelan Roach Racing. On a very wet track, racing in pouring rain, I finished a creditable third out of twelve racers, having been squeezed out of second place on the final turn by Mr Roach. Damn it, he was the one guy I wanted to beat! Next time, next time...)