The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" is Complete

All 17 chapters have been uploaded. Not counting the project introduction, the chapter files run for about seven hours. Wow! I can't quite believe it is finished.

If you are interested in the novel itself, I have written a longish essay on The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" for Wikipedia; see the Wikipedia article here. Wikipedia now also has the glossary I was working on earlier; there is a link to it on the main page for the novel. There are some more words I need to add to that glossary when I get around to it.

I am generally quite satisfied with the result, although there are things I would have done differently.

While I've used hardware compressors before, this was my first time using a software compressor. I got a little bit better as I went on, but there is still no doubt room for improvement in my compression settings.

I am aware of the occasional "glitches" (crackles, like static) in the voice recording. The inexpensive USB headset microphone I used for the project was not my first choice; I purchased it out of desperation after I was unable get rid of "glitch" problems affecting my more expensive, higher-quality USB microphone. I had already switched computers, versions of MacOS X, recording software, hard drives, cables, and everything else I could think of. For a while it seemed like the headset did not exhibit the "glitching" problem, but then it began to show up, and got worse as I continued to record.

This is a hobby project, and I was rapidly becoming fed up. I've been a software engineering professional for for almost 20 years, and yet couldn't make a relatively simple voice recording without technical problems. I nearly dropped the project until such time as I could purchase all-new hardware, but that might not have been feasible for a year or more.

Instead I made a conscious effort to let go of my usual technical perfectionism and use the setup I had, defective though it was. This meant using a very time-consuming editing process, re-recording the worst of the "glitched" words and phrases and paragraphs, some of which wound up with "glitches" of their own. Some of them I left alone, realizing that trying to re-record portions of the text and edit them in often produced a very discontinous-sounding recording. When that happened the cure was worse than the disease.

I am working on a more reliable recording setup for the next project; the USB microphone went in for repair and the manufacturer sent back a brand new one, one that (so far) does not seem to exhibit the data loss problem. I have made some test recordings and if it works reliably I will use it for my next project. A reliable setup would allow me to focus much more attention on my reading, which could only improve things.

I would welcome any comments on this production. I am also considering what piece of Hodgson's work to adapt next, and how best to do it. I'm considering lots of possibilities ranging from radio drama to live ambient music and vocal performance. Get in touch if you are interested! "Boats" will be 100 years old next year (or 250 years, if you take as fact that the "Glen Carrig" sank in 1757!) and it seems like I should do something to celebrate the novel's centennial.

The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 17: How We Came to Our Own Country

The good ship Seabird is repaired, and all aboard her long to see England once agan. A vicious fight with the weed men claims one final victim before the ship is finally free of the Land of Lonesomeness. The friendships forged in that strange land will not be quickly forgotten.

The music is by Samsa, from the album The Laurentian Divide, the tracks "Make Me Know" and "Glow, Sparkle, Dust," and by PHOLDE, from the album In Favor of More Permanent Pleasures, the track "The Apex Towards the Observer." These works are available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 16: Freed

Aboard the ship, the men use long reeds from the island to help push the weed aside, and as the line is tightened the ship inches ever closer to the island. Our narrator and Mistress Madison find that they are in love, and at last the ship pulls itself free of the weed and into open water!

The music is by Adaptcore, from the album Sunset After Wind, the track "Dark Path from Rays in Water," and by Formication, from the album Pieces for a Condemned Piano, the tracks "On the Dying Pathway" and "The Final Stage of Trauma." These works are available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 15: Aboard the Hulk

The narrator rides aross the rope to the vessel in the weed. There he meets the dead Captain's wife and young niece, Mary Madison. But the rope line is already beginning to show signs of fraying, and so it is too risky for the narrator to return to the island. Can the hulk pull itself free from the weed before the rope breaks?

The music is by Samsa, from the album Sounds Good on Paper, the tracks "Plate Walk Away," "Unused Vessels," "Dead Telephones," "Quantum Foam," and "Ubligum Day." These works are available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 14: In Communication

Another sailor is presumed lost after the tragic weed-man attack, and Job's grave has been plundered. The giant crossbow has failed to fire a line across to the trapped ship, but as luck would have it, one of the sailors is an expert in kite-making! Soon a heavy line connects the ship in the weed and the island. The ship begins to draw the line taught. But will it be strong enough?

The music is by Caul, from the album Apophasis, the title track. This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 13: The Weed Men

The survivors' worst fears are realized when in the moonless darkness their camp is attacked by vile and terrifying creatures. It seems that only fire can deter these evil beasts, but the men are rapidly running out of fuel!

The music is by Slutmachine, from the album Inching Glaciers, the title track, and by PHOLDE, from the album In Favor of More Permanent Pleasures, the track "To Curse While Calling a Deity to Witness." These works are available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 12: The Making of the Great Bow

The survivors work to construct a giant crossbow in order to fire a line across from the island to the ship. But the island is unquiet in the night! Uncanny things are moving about in the valley, and in the waters between the island and the mysterious continent of weed.

The music is by Formication, from the album Pieces for a Condemned Piano, the track "Exit." This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 11: The Signals from the Ship

The bo'sun continues work on the ship while keeping one eye on the ship in the weed. When the people on board the ship discover that there are people on the island, there is much rejoicing. But neither group can reach the other, and the men scratch their heads until the narrator proposes to bridge the gap with a cord shot from a giant bow.

The music is by Exit, from the album Sleep, the tracks "Sleep Part One" and "Sleep Part Two." This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 10: The Light in the Weed

The men bury the young seaman, Job. As they climb to the highest point of the island, they are relieved to discover a source of fresh water. The bo'sun orders the men to move the camp to more defensible high ground, while he continues his work on the boat. The men work diligently, and aside from a fight with a giant crab, the afternoon passes uneventfully. The narrator feels gloomy as he goes to sleep, but wakes to find that there is a light visible aboard the derelict vessel, trapped in the weed only half a mile from the island!

The music is by Samsa, from the album A Forest Without Trees, the tracks "Belief Revision," "Journey Beyond," "Centering Prayer," and "Evening Meditation." This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 9: What Happened in the Dusk

While the survivors work on the boat, Job is taken from the tent. Following the the slime trails of strange creatures, the men find Job's still-warm body in the valley, drained of blood. In their rage they set fire to the giant toadstools in the valley, which burn all through the night.

The music is by Mystified, from the albums Ophir and These Fragments. The tracks used are: from the album Ophir, the tracks "Constant" and "NV"; from the album These Fragments, the track "Vacuum Grains." This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 8: The Noises in the Valley

The survivors try to care for injured seaman Job, who remains unconscious. The bo'sun starts repair work on the boat, and the other men establish camp. But while he sleeps, the the narrator is attacked by a slimy, tentacled beast, and as the men run out of fuel for the watch-fires, they wonder what strange things slither in the dark.

The music is by Mystified, the title track from the album These Fragments. This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" Chapter 7: The Island in the Weed

At last the survivors discover an island in the weed, and all go ashore to explore, except Job, who is left to look after the boat. But this island refuge may not be the place of safety that they long for -- Job is injured as a giant devil-fish attacks the boat, damaging it.

The music is by Mystified from the albums Ophir and These Framents (tracks: from Ophir: "Wind Hands Edit"; from These Fragments: "The Wind Was Heavy Seetyca Anemra Remix"). This work is available at darkwinter.com.

Sound effects are taken from the album Thaw -- Field Recordings from Minnesota, available at wanderingear.com.

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