The Official Matthew Reilly Homepage

As I mentioned a fortnight ago, I was about to go and see TOMB RAIDER. Well, it has been seen and...hmmm...much as I loved Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, I found the movie as a whole kind of uninvolving. My biggest problem was with the action-the film recycled the same action scene four times:
1. Lara v Robot on large set;
2. Lara v Armed Intruders on large mansion set;
3. Lara v Stone Warriors on large tomb set;
4. Lara v Bad Guys on large cave set. No chases. No cleverness. Have to say I was a little disappointed. The biggest plus, though, was Iain Glen, playing the bad guy (although I'm sure he's done a zillion other things, he's more recently known for playing opposite Nicole Kidman in the sexy play, The Blue Room).

Also saw SWORDFISH (John Travolta, Hugh Jackman) this week. Don't worry about the plot (the makers obviously didn't!), just go for the awesome 'bullet-time' shot at the start. It's worth the price of admission alone.

God, where did the last fortnight go? I've been busy researching, looking into a couple of ideas I've had for my next book. As for what's been happening in my world:

Did a quick-fire trip to Melbourne last Friday night for an appearance at the new Borders store in Chadstone. Great night. Very friendly crowd. Good questions, too. Did a short reading from the beginning of AREA 7. I also asked the audience if they would refrain from summarising what I read and posting it on the Internet (as happened last time I did a sneak preview from AREA 7!). I kinda figured that the sneak reading was a special thing just for the people who came to the bookstore that night. The nicest memory, for me, of that night, however, was one very young boy who came up and got his book signed and, as he was leaving, said, "Oh, and happy birthday for Monday." (That's right, it's my birthday today! I am now 27. It's getting harder to call myself a young author!)

ALTITUDE RUSH is a short story that I have written for the follow-up to the hit anthology GIRLS' NIGHT IN (it was a short story collection by female authors, the proceeds of which went to charity). The follow-up, featuring a few male writers as well, is called GIRLS' NIGHT IN: GENTLEMEN BY INVITATION, and will be out later this year. My fellow author, Jessica Adams, asked me if I'd like to be involved. I said sure, but did I have to write on a particular theme, like, say, a big night out or a romantic entanglement? Jessica said, 'No! You can write whatever you like!' So I wrote a full-tilt supercharged action romp, involving two crack thieves who have to get from one side of New York City to the other. The only catch: they can't touch the ground and they're being chased by three military helicopters. I love it! Look for it sometime in November.

Spoke to the good folk at Pan Macmillan the other day about doing a special sneak preview of the cover of AREA 7 on the site. So here's the skinny: mid-August, you'll see it here first! The AREA 7 cover. Stay tuned.

P.P.S. Oh, the Wallabies! What a painful experience it was to watch our undoing at the hands of the British Lions on Saturday night. Great game. And full credit to the Lions. They just bulldozed us. Come on, you Wallabies! Get back into it in Game 2. I'll be there for Game 3 and I'd love to see us win this series! Remember: "What-do-ya-wannabe? I wannabe a Wallaby!" Go you Aussies!