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The Secret Terrorists By Bill Hughes

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The True Classic of Terrorism

By Tom Reiss

• Sept. 11, 2005

"The Secret Agent," Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel about an anarchist plot to blow up the Royal Observatory at Greenwich -- in fact, a scheme by a secret police agent to stir up a government backlash -- has acquired a kind of cult status as the classic novel for the post-9/11 age. Conrad's villain, the Professor, who never goes out without a glass vial of high explosives in his breast pocket and a detonator in his palm, has been taken to be a prescient portrait of the terrorists who menace our own world.

Few remark on Joseph Conrad's "other" great novel of terrorism, "Under Western Eyes," published in 1911. Perhaps the problem is that it rhapsodizes not about detonators of chemicals but on the explosive materials of the soul -- and also that its terrorists are a bit too close to home: educated, middle-class, lofty in their delusions, yet far from the satisfying diagnosis of simple psychopathy.

By comparison, "The Secret Agent" is not especially prescient about terrorism, certainly not technically. The Professor was a stock figure of Edwardian fiction, and his dreams of mass destruction were nothing ahead of their time. Many novels in the late 19th and early 20th centuries involved plots far more deadly. Also in 1907 Jack London had a disgruntled university-student-turned-terrorist, in his short story "The Enemy of All the World," murder tens of thousands in Europe and along the East Coast with a superweapon he invents. There were even popular memoirs by terrorists themselves, books like "Underground Russia," written in 1882 by S. Stepniak, who had assassinated the head of the Russian secret police ("the terrorist . . . is noble, terrible, irresistibly fascinating, for he combines in himself the two sublimities of human grandeur: the martyr and the hero").

Though often invoked earnestly, "The Secret Agent" is essentially a satire of British and European attitudes toward terrorism and counterterrorism. Except for a handful of characters, the novel is populated by allegorical cartoons -- the wily Russian Mr. Vladimir, the meddling flatfoot Chief Inspector Heat, the haughty British aristocrat Sir Ethelred -- and the plot, deliberately small-scale, is based on a real-life, fairly harmless incident that occurred when an anarchist tried to blow up the Royal Observatory in 1894. In the novel, the attack is concocted by a secret agent of a foreign power in order to make the British change their liberal ways and crack down on terrorists. (This part of the story seems stunningly up-to-date: "England lags," says the diplomat who hatches the plot. "This country is absurd with its sentimental regard for individual liberty.") The real evil of the novel emerges from the exigencies of counterterrorism, not the anarchist plotting itself.

Conrad began writing during the first great terrorist wave of modern times. From 1881 to 1901, the death toll from anarchist attacks included two American presidents (Garfield and McKinley), one French president (Carnot), a Spanish prime minister (Canovas), an Austrian empress (Elizabeth) and an Italian king (Umberto I). Paris anarchists hurled their "engines" on the floor of the Bourse and in crowded theaters and cafes.

Yet despite its high profile in Europe, terrorist violence had a far greater scope within the czarist empire. The first generation of Russian terrorists came out of the 60's counterculture -- the 1860's in Russia bearing a striking similarity to the 1960's in the United States, with Russian students growing their hair, following gurus who extolled the "new man" and starting communes. Some of the students fell into the emerging terrorist underground, joining groups with names like "Hell" and "the People's Will," bent on assassinating the czar and bringing on revolution. But the call to revolution also came from national groups within the Russian Empire that wished to be free of Moscow's rule. First among these were the Poles.

Conrad's attitude toward terrorism was deeply influenced by the fact that in 1861, when he was barely 5 years old, his father, Apollo

Korzeniowski, was arrested as a revolutionary. A poet and playwright, he had joined a group with ties to the anarchist Bakunin. Deported along with his parents to northern Russia, Conrad watched as his mother sickened with tuberculosis and died; his father died four years later.

By 1911, Conrad was living in London, a British subject, while the empire into which he'd been born was in upheaval. Thousands were being killed or wounded by terrorists every year; newspapers had introduced special sections devoted to printing daily lists of political assassinations and bombings. That year "Under Western Eyes" was published. Instead of presenting eccentric anarchists pursuing images of ruin and destruction, it explores why real young people throw away promising careers and family ties to become terrorists, and so feels especially resonant now. The terrorist threat of the day comes from "the East." Indeed, the Russian East was seen at the time much as the Islamic East is seen now: as vast and violent and unfathomable, the seat of despotism and religious fanaticism.

The novel keeps the reader at a certain remove by creating the character of the English-language teacher, the "Western Eyes" of the title, who befriends some Russian conspirators in Switzerland and narrates their sad story, while also playing an intermittent role in it. "To us Europeans of the West," this narrator says, "all ideas of political plots and conspiracies seem childish, crude inventions for the theater or a novel."

The event that sets the plot in motion is based on the day in 1881 when the People's Will assassinated Czar Alexander II, the "liberator czar" of Russia's serfs, only Conrad substitutes a more recent and less sympathetic victim, the ruthless interior minister de Plehve, who was blown up in his carriage in 1904. As the story opens, the hero, Razumov -- the name means "son of reason" -- a diligent, apolitical student, is visited at midnight by a classmate he barely knows named Haldin, who announces, "It was I who removed de P this morning." His bomb also killed a number of bystanders, "reckless -- like a butcher," admits Haldin. Razumov says little but thinks furiously while his idealistic classmate defends his act: "This is not murder -- it is war, war. . . . The modern civilization is false, but a new revelation shall come." Razumov decides that, rather than helping Haldin escape, he will betray him to the police.

The novel's second half takes place in Geneva, among an international tea-circle of ruthless terrorists biding their time in exile. Now it is Razumov's turn to drift in uninvited, and only we are the wiser that he has become a government spy.

"Under Western Eyes" is less tightly constructed than "The Secret Agent," but when it puts us into the psychic world of the terrorists, a place where violent action is the ultimate proof of sincerity, it is dazzling, unique. We see the cult of the suicide bomber in the mystic terrorists of 100 years ago: "The mere mention of his achievement plunges me into an envious ecstasy," swoons a terrorist salon hostess about Haldin. "Why should a man certain of immortality think of his life at all?" The act of entering into this world was apparently so disturbing to the son of Apollo Korzeniowski thathe suffered a kind of nervous breakdown while completing "Under Western Eyes" and, according to his wife, for months afterward he would speak to the characters of his story as if in a dream.

"The Secret Agent" remains the most brilliant novelistic study of terrorism as viewed from the blood-spattered outside. But "Under Western Eyes" dares to leap inside, not only into the terrorist mind, but also into the troubled zone that divides West from East, "the autocracy in mystic vestments." The novel shows us a world that is the direct ancestor of our own. Eastern despotism breeds Eastern terrorism, but democratic Northern European cities -- tolerant of refugees, even those plotting murder -- act, then as now, as laboratories for extremists to perfect their paranoias and their infernal "engines." The book allows us to see our terrorist problem through the mirror of a distinctively "multicultural" man, an author who felt the hypocrisy and injustice of "the West" even while he felt the burden of protecting it -- all the more passionately because he had chosen it. But as Miss Haldin tells the narrator, referring to her brother: "Don't expect to understand him quite. . . . He is not at all -- at all -- Western at bottom."

ESSAY Tom Reiss is the author of "The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life."

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The Secret Terrorists Mass Market Paperback

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• Killing the Killers: The Secret War...

Killing the Killers: The Secret War Against Terrorists

• About the Book

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller, now in paperback! Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard reveal the startling, dramatic story of the global war against terrorists.

As the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, the Pentagon burned, and a small group of passengers fought desperately to stop a third plane from completing its deadly flight plan America went on war footing. KILLING THE KILLERS narrates America's intense global war against extremists who planned and executed not only the 9/11 attacks, but hundreds of others in America and around the world, and who eventually destroyed entire nations in their relentless quest for power.

KILLING THE KILLERS moves from Afghanistan to Iraq, Iran to Yemen, Syria, and Libya, and elsewhere, as the United States fought Al Qaeda, ISIS and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as well as individually targeting the most notorious leaders of these groups. With fresh detail and deeply-sourced information, O'Reilly and Dugard create an unstoppable account of the most important war of our era.

KILLING THE KILLERS is the most thrilling and suspenseful book in the #1 bestselling series of popular history books (over 18 million sold) in the world.

Killing the Killers: The Secret War Against Terrorists by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

• Publication Date: September 5, 2023
• Genres: History , Nonfiction
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• ISBN-10: 1250905990
• ISBN-13: 9781250905994

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ISBN13: 9781087931364

The Secret Terrorists: (the responsables of the Assassination of Lincoln, the Sinking of Titanic, the world trade center and more with good c [Large Print]

This book "The secret Terrorists" is a clear explication about a dangerous secret society call "the jesuits". Now in a new Big print (A4) and large letters (14pt.) you will enjoy this beautiful book. Perfect edition for those people who have problems with vision. Complete and unabridged edition.

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The vorfreude secret: 30 zero-effort ways to fill your life with joy

How can you change your life for the better today? Learn not just to appreciate happiness – but to anticipate it

• Sign up for Well Actually, a free weekly newsletter about health and wellness

B e honest: there are times when you have felt schadenfreude, or “delight in another’s misfortunes”. But what about v orfreude ? I recently came across this lovely word, which my German-speaking friend translated as “the anticipation of joy”. It struck me as such a hopeful concept – surely we could all do with less schadenfreude and more vorfreude . So what exactly is anticipatory joy, how do we cultivate it and will it make us happier?

“The idea is to find joy in the lead-up to an event,” says Dr Sophie Mort , a clinical psychologist and mental health expert at the meditation and mindfulness app Headspace . “For example, we often feel joy and excitement when planning a trip, thinking about going on a date or anticipating a special meal.” It’s easy to look forward to holidays and special occasions, but a joy-filled life is also about everyday occurrences. Rory Platt, a writer at the personal development company The School of Life , says: “The trick lies in filling our calendar with lots of little moments to look forward to – like tiny baubles that, when seen from a distance, combine to make a more glittering future.”

But vorfreude is not about wishing your life away and thinking you will be happy in an imagined future. “Looking forward to something can trigger joy in the present moment,” says Karen Neil, a health coach and the founder of Mindful Medicine . This can boost your mood, reduce your stress levels and help to avoid burnout. A  2017 study published in Frontiers of Psychology found that anticipating positive events activated the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex, which is associated with a higher level of wellbeing.

Doesn’t getting your hopes up risk disappointment? Perhaps it’s safer to keep expectations low. Emma Mills , a mindfulness expert and the author of Inhale Exhale Repeat, begs to differ. “There is a saying: ‘If you worry, you suffer twice.’ Anticipatory joy is the opposite of that.” Even if an anticipated event turns out to be a letdown, vorfreude helps people bounce back. “ Optimists have improved coping abilities when dealing with unplanned distress and they tend to recover far faster,” says Tania Taylor , a psychotherapist and vorfreude  advocate .

If you are going through a tough time and feel as though you have nothing to look forward to, don’t beat yourself up. “It’s important that positive psychology doesn’t get confused with toxic positivity,” says Taylor. “When I was going through cancer treatment, I spent most days binge‑watching television. It’s OK to sit tight when everything feels overwhelming without feeling guilt that you are not looking for joy.” If feelings of hopelessness persist, she stresses, it’s important to seek help from a GP, a therapist or charities such as  Samaritans or Shout .

If, however, you are ready for vorfreude , it shouldn’t feel like a chore. “Mostly, it will involve exploring what you already have in your life that you look forward to,” says Taylor. Willem Kuyken , a professor of mindfulness at the University of Oxford, has researched the benefits of cultivating joy. In his book Mindfulness for Life, he writes: “It takes only a small step out of habit and into awareness to enjoy the people we love around us, to savour food or to dance to music in our kitchen while cooking. These moments are available to us all the time.”

With that in mind, here are 30 simple ways to get more vorfreude in your life.

Start (really) small

If the concept of vorfreude is completely alien to you, take baby steps. “Try to notice one joyful thing each day,” says Neil. You could frame this as a photo challenge: spend a little time every day looking for one beautiful flower, interesting sight or cute dog to photograph.

Think positive

“Plan a morning affirmation or positive statement and look forward to starting your day with it in your mind,” says Taylor. “Some people create a screensaver with it on their phone so it’s the first thing they see.” An example she gives is: “Today I will look for good moments and remember them.” Mort suggests: “May I be open to joy and have many moments of joy ahead.”

Turn routine into ritual

“A very small thing that I get vorfreude from is anticipating my first coffee of the day,” says Mort. “When I wake up, it’s the first thing I think about: how it will smell, how it will taste and how I will feel while drinking it. It’s a ritual that I love and I really allow myself to focus on it.”

Find joy in the everyday

“At the end of my evening meditation classes, I suggest people consider three things they are looking forward to tomorrow,” says Mills. “It could be their morning walk in the park or listening to a podcast on their commute; maybe sitting down to enjoy their packed lunch at work or looking forward to having a bath at the end of the day.”

Come off autopilot

“Perhaps you have a hobby such as gardening, or a pet to spend time with,” says Karen Atkinson, the CEO of MindfulnessUK . “Coming out of autopilot and consciously looking forward to these moments is an achievable way for anyone to experience vorfreude .”

Avoid mind traps

“To change your mindset to become more joyful, you must first become familiar with your own negative thought patterns,” says Atkinson. These “mind traps” include catastrophising and discounting the positive. “For example, instead of thinking: ‘I’m only going away for one night – it’s hardly a holiday,’ say to yourself: ‘What a treat – a night away, going out to dinner and meeting friends. How lovely.’” The “shoulds” are another trap. “You may think: ‘I should have a more thriving social life, like everyone else.’ Instead, recognise that Fomo [fear of missing out] can add stress. Remember how fortunate you are to go out and have fun once in a while – really cherish the opportunity.”

Savour the moment

“There is a small moment just before you eat your pastry, or the movie begins, or as you get in your bubble bath,” says Mills. “In that moment, the pastry hasn’t been eaten yet – it’s a joy about to be enjoyed. Savour the moment and think how lucky you are.” She likes a Kurt Vonnegut quote: “And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point: ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’”

Treat yourself

“Schedule brief excursions and small indulgences,” says Platt. “Perhaps aim to finish work an hour early on Fridays to get dinner with a friend, visit an art gallery or take yourself on a solo cinema trip.” Don’t feel guilty about it. The team at The Mindfulness Project says: “Giving yourself permission to look forward to these pleasures can prepare you to enjoy them.”

Put plans in writing

One of the exercises in I Am Here Now , a book by The Mindfulness Project, is getting into the habit of writing down plans. The authors suggest rating your anticipation levels, but even the simple act of putting pen to paper can make plans feel more real and increase excitement.

Keep a joy journal

“Joy is individual,” says Neil. “There are common themes – we can all appreciate a happy child playing – but it’s about finding what brings you joy.” She advises people to keep a joy journal, noting down what has made you happy that day, week or month. That way, you can plan more of it in the future.

Schedule movement

“I’ll plan 10 minutes of gentle stretching or book an activity session such as a yoga, pilates or a sound bath class ,” says Taylor. If that sounds more like punishment than pleasure, remember exercise is individual, too – so find something you enjoy.

Try meal planning

“Creating a meal plan for the week means you can look forward to what you are going to eat,” says Taylor. She suggests using a slow cooker if you are pushed for time: “This week, I’m looking forward to making rice pudding in mine.”

Make a date with a friend

Kareen Griffiths , a mindful change consultant, likes to plan a big night out. “I relish the moments in the buildup: putting on my outfit, the train journey, the feeling of excitement,” she says. Taylor gets just as much vorfreude out of arranging for a friend to come over to watch a film. The important thing is making time to meet up with someone you care about.

Plan a fantasy holiday …

“The other day, I saw a social media post about a cheap mini-break to Rome. It had me getting excited about a variety of really affordable getaways – even though my passport has expired,” says Taylor. “I must get around to renewing it, but it doesn’t stop me from getting enjoyment out of the anticipation of what might be.”

… and enjoy the buildup to a real one

“Some research shows that planning and anticipating a holiday can make you happier than the holiday itself,” says Mort. “This switched me from being a spontaneous ‘Oh, I’ll leave it till the last minute and book just before I go away’ person to being someone who takes time to mull over where I want to go, why I want to go there and how it might be when I get there.”

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Look for natural wonders

“I’m a huge advocate of finding joy in nature . The research tells us time and again how valuable it can be ,” says Taylor. That doesn’t have to mean going far from home. “The other day I popped out into my very wet garden and touched the daffodils. I noticed how wonderful it was that the daffodil stems were being held together by an old fallen leaf that they had managed to create a hole through.”

Go on a mindful walk

“When I’m out walking the dog, I try to be aware of what’s around me, whether that’s the blossom coming out on the trees or the stars at night,” says Neil. “Thoughts and worries may come: ‘Spring is early – it must be climate change.’ But I try to let go of all that on the walk.”

Hunt for treasure

Taylor loved geocaching with her children when they were younger. “It’s a free app that involves treasure-hunting wherever you are in the world. You find hidden tubs filled with toys to swap,” she says. “I do it without the kids, now that they’re older. I love leaving Christmas-cracker toys and knowing that it will put a smile on a child’s face in the future.”

Do something creative

“Research examining the impact of creativity on mental health is largely positive,” says Taylor. “Try planning some time to let your creative side flare.” You don’t have to be a natural artist. If you can’t paint or draw, her ideas include “cutting out pictures that are meaningful to you in magazines and creating a collage, writing your own poem or story or watching YouTube origami tutorials armed with a piece of plain paper”.

Neil plays the bass clarinet with the Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra , “so a lot of my joy comes through music”, she says. “At the first rehearsal after a concert, we get new music to learn for the next performance. I always feel anticipatory joy before new music night.” The less musically experienced could join a (non‑audition) community choir or start learning an instrument. Which leads us to …

Try something new

“Book a new dance class or craft workshop to try something different,” suggests Mort. “The suspense of learning something new can add a spark of excitement to the week.” It could even change your life. Griffiths learned to play decks two years ago, as a tribute to her late brother, and is now a mindful DJ. “It was never part of my plan,” she says. “My music connects me to the here and now, which is where joy can be found.”

Go to the library

“Making a regular trip to your local library is a great way to insert vorfreude into your life,” says Taylor. “Have you ever had that feeling when you are really enjoying the book you are reading, but you’re also excited to start the next one? That’s a perfect example.” Mort suggests setting a reading challenge – it could be reading all the books on the Booker longlist, finally getting round to reading Moby-Dick or rereading your favourite books.

Read a poem a day

“I recommend buying a poetry anthology – then you can look forward to reading the poem of the day over breakfast or lunch or at bedtime,” says Mills. She suggests A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year : “I look forward each evening to seeing which poem it is.”

Throw a party

Taylor loves planning birthday parties. “My daughter has a big birthday coming up this year and I’m so excited about my plans,” she says. But you don’t need a birthday to have a party. “Organise a get-together with friends, whether it’s a games day in the park or a themed party,” says Mort. “Don’t wait for a reason to celebrate – create one.”

Celebrate the seasons

“I look forward to seasonal changes and put them in my diary as ‘occasions’: spring equinox, midsummer, midwinter, full moon, apple season,” says Mills. “If you identify these small joys and appreciate them as they happen, you have many special occasions.”

Do something for others

“‘Sympathetic joy’ is experiencing the joy of others,” says Neil. It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture – planning a little treat for someone else can spark vorfreude . “I got my hands on some small Easter egg packs this year,” says Taylor. “I couldn’t wait to hide the eggs around the house and garden for my adult children to find, and to watch them laugh at the ridiculous things their parents have them doing.”

Find a talisman

Neil enjoys watching her daughter and her friends play the video game  Animal Crossing . “There’s a turtle character who sings a little song. It sounds silly, but watching them ride in the turtle’s boat brings me joy,” she says. “My daughter bought me a little turtle figure and now I look at it if I’m having a hard day.” She suggests displaying your own talisman – a photograph, a holiday trinket, a nature find – to spark happiness.

Create a homecoming ritual

“Anticipate the joy of reuniting with loved ones by creating a special greeting ritual when you come home from work,” says Mort. “It could be a hug, a quick card game or simply taking a moment to connect and unwind together.” What if you live alone? “Try asking yourself: ‘What is one small thing that I would like to do?’” Then do it!

Make time for silence

Vorfreude isn’t just about parties, holidays and hobbies. “Just a few minutes of meditation a day can not only change our perspective, but also physically alter our brains , rewiring them towards more positive thoughts and emotions,” says Mort. “Close the door, light a candle and embrace moments of stillness. Look forward to the peace that comes with each session.” Platt stresses the importance of having a break from the grim news cycle. “We owe it to ourselves to switch off from time to time in order to focus on all that remains good and hopeful in the here and now.”

Get ready for bed

“I must be getting old, because I really look forward to my bed and a good night’s sleep,” says Taylor. “Every night, I look forward to going to sleep listening to hypnotherapy .” Mills, too, gets joy from having a bath, putting on pyjamas and climbing into fresh sheets. Double the pleasure by squeezing in an afternoon nap – vorfreude doesn’t get much easier than that.

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The Familiar drags readers into a world of servitude, magic, power struggles, and intrigue. There isn't a single character in this story that doesn't have a secret agenda or something to win—or lose!—that's directly tied to Luzia. The desires of some clash with those of others, and those battles slowly make the narrative more complex while simultaneously increasing the tension and the sense of doom. Despite the many elements at play and the bafflingly large cast of characters she juggles here, Bardugo delivers every twist and turn with clarity, plenty of humor, and charming wittiness, the latter of which fills the novel with superb, snappy dialogue that shows Luzia lacks everything except a quick intelligence and a sharp tongue. Also, while many of the plot elements here like the magic battle, someone being trapped by a curse, and an impossible love are far from new, Bardugo mixes them well together and manages to make them feel fresh.

Known mostly for her Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and the King of Scars duology—all of which are part of her Grishaverse universe—Bardugo delivers an entertaining standalone here with a strong female protagonist that's very easy to root for. Through Luzia, we get a critique of religion, a look into the lives of those who have no option but to serve to survive, and a romance that's as full of passion and sensuality as well as lies and treachery. Lastly, the magic system Bardugo created, which is Jewish magic based on phrases sung or spoken in mixed languages, is interesting and allows the author to talk about otherness without straying from the core of her narrative.

While Bardugo accomplishes a lot in this novel, the crowning jewel of The Familiar is Luzia, a memorable character whose most personal aspirations possess an outstanding universality. We watch her suffer, emerge from her cocoon, fall in love, and then receive her ultimatum: "Your life, your aunt's life, your lover's future all hang in the balance. So do your best or I will be forced to do my worst." Through every single one of those steps, we want her to triumph and to learn to hone her powers, and that connection keeps the pages turning.

At times the endless descriptions of clothing and the increasing number of characters and subplots—some with a satisfying arc and some that just fizzle out—seem a bit excessive and threaten the pacing of the story. But Bardugo is always in control and her masterful use of tension — and that, along with her talent for great dialogue, more than overpower the novel's small shortcomings.

The Familiar is full of "milagritos" and pain, of betrayal and resentment, of fear and desire. However, the novel's most powerful element is hope; Luzia is all about it, and her feelings are so powerful they're contagious. That connections makes this a book that's hard to put down.

Gabino Iglesias is an author, book reviewer and professor living in Austin, Texas. Find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @Gabino_Iglesias .

Ask the Builder: Secret hiding places aplenty in your home

I’m in the final stages of writing a book that contains hundreds of hacks that you might want to incorporate into your home. I got lots of help from many of my newsletter subscribers, who shared some of their best ideas. It’s been a fun project.

The two categories that received the most response were electrical and secret storage. Thousands of homeowners need help with electrical outlets and switches they feel are in the wrong place. The original electrician didn’t consider the best locations for outlets and switches. You, or a more clever electrician, can rectify some mistakes.

You may be a homeowner who desires to hide small and large things in your home. You may even take it to another level altogether and be like me. I dream of having at least one secret staircase and any number of hidden passages in the next home I build. Think of the game Clue. If you’re in the kitchen, you can magically be across the board in the study. Yes, it’s possible to incorporate secret passages in houses, but that’s a column for another day.

I’ll share with you a few of the ideas that my subscribers sent to me. The best ideas, of course, will be in the pages of my book. I think you’ll enjoy what I’m about to reveal. It’s important to note that you need to get in the mindset of a magician to conjure up the most creative secret places.

One of the easiest ways to create a small hidden space is to create a void between two walls. This needs to be done so that when you’re in each room, you think the wall you’re looking at is a common wall with the room next door. I have this situation in my own home now, where two large metal chimneys pass through the second floor up to the roof.

One of the walls is the back wall of the second-floor bathroom. The other wall is inside a closet in the bedroom next to the bathroom. You automatically think the two rooms share a wall. But there’s actually a space about 24 inches wide between the two walls! The builder could have created a cutout in the hallway to this space. You could cover this opening with a large wall hanging or picture. A French cleat is best for holding the artwork against the wall.

Window seats are an ingenious way to conceal long items that might only be 3 inches tall lying on their side. You can create a false bottom in the seat. Imagine flipping up the hinged window seat and seeing the bottom. Who’s to say there’s not another six or eight inches of space under this bottom? There are many ways to hinge the false bottom so it flips up when you need access.

Do you need to hide some cash, jewelry or other bibelots that have sentimental value? You can store them in your refrigerator. Did you know you can get a small can of latex paint the same color as mayonnaise? Carefully clean an empty jar. Be sure you don’t ruin the label. Let it dry, and then pour some paint into the jar. Roll it around to coat the inside. Let it dry well, and alakazam, you can store valuables in the last place someone might look.

Do you have a workbench in your garage or basement? Is the top supported by a ring of 2-by-6s? If so, transform the front or side piece of lumber into a drawer front. Think of how the drawers work in the metal tool cabinets mechanics use. That same heavy-duty hardware can support the weight of a vast amount of thin, heavy items.

Here’s one of my favorite ways to hide small items of value in plain sight. Purchase a cheap paint roller with a 3/8-inch nap. Get a crappy roller frame and paint pan while you’re at it. Pour some paint into the pan and roll it around as if you had painted a room. Get paint on the roller frame handle. Create the illusion that you used the tools.

Brush out any paint from the pan as you would if you were going to clean it. Remove the roller cover from the frame. Stand it up on end and allow everything to dry for days or a week or two. Start to slide the roller cover back on the frame and look at how you have a tube to hide rings, small jewelry, cash, etc. Just be sure no one throws away the roller and cover that you now place on a shelf and throw other stuff on it to hide it.

Go to library book sales. You can often get thick hardback books for a dollar or less. Do what you’ve seen in the movies. Glue the pages together and cut out the book’s center to create a void space. Complete the illusion by stacking this book with 30 or 40 others you purchased at the sale. I have a stack like this out in my garage on a shelf.

I challenge you to come up with some creative ideas. If you want to share them to help others, I can include your idea in my book and give you credit. Just share it via the Ask Tim page at AsktheBuilder.com website. Happy hiding to you!

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Knight Terrors Review

This is Knight Terrors. It is Written by Joshua Williamson. The Prime Illustrators are Howard Porter, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard. The Other Illustrators are Chris Bachalo, Jaime Mendoza, Danny Miki, and Trevor Hairsine. The Prime Colorists are Brad Anderson, Frank Martin, and Caspar Wijngaard. The Other Colorist is Rain Beredo. It is Lettered by Troy Peteri. The cover used above is Illustrated by Howard Porter and Colored by Hi-Fi. Trigger Warning: This book contains elements that one may find disturbing such as body horror, moments of intense violence, beheadings, and demonic possession. Reader’s discretion is advised. The DC Universe is in peril once again. A new villain, named Insomnia, has put the entire world into a deep nightmare slumber, including superheroes. Insomnia is seeking a mythic artifact, named The Nightmare Stone, to destroy the concept of superheroes for all time. But there are a few remaining superheroes left to stop them, including Deadman, Red Tornado, and an undead Sandman. Will they succeed in their rebellion, or will the entire world be consumed by nightmares?  

Spoiler Alert: One of the more interesting aspects of this book would be the antagonist, Insomnia. He is a good antagonist, but not for the reason you might think. He pushes the horror elements to their absolute limits. He can morph his body to any form of horrifying terror that is possible. He also has a killer design, along with his Sleepless Knights. But what makes him interesting is his origin. It starts off a little cliched. During one of the Justice League’s heroic pursuits, Insomnia’s family were killed in the crossfire. Insomnia blames the Justice League and vows to destroy their credibility. He goes insane, cuts off his eyelids so he can’t sleep, and is put into Arkham Asylum. A little cliche, but it gets better. Insomnia gets his powers through the Lazarus Rain from last event, Lazarus Planet (2023). A bit of that rain got into his cell and went into a permanent coma. His powers allowed him to spy on people’s minds, to learn their fears. And he uses that to create horrible monsters, based on the Justice League, to attack people in their dreams. And, after that, he puts his entire plan into motion. I really like this character because he shows a smooth transition from one event to the next. Honestly, I haven’t really seen an event create the antagonist of another. I think it is pretty cool.   

This book’s art is amazing. I commend all the artists involved for having such different styles but still keeping the horror tone perfectly. It’s kind of funny, I originally didn’t know who to pick for the prime illustrator. Because Howard Porter is the main name on the cover, but Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard illustrate more issues than him. So, I just decided to put them all in the prime illustrator spot. Howard Porter is a brilliant artist when it comes to having an edge. He has a grit to his art which works so well with horror. And he has the best body horror sequences within this book. Giuseppe Camuncoli has a lot more of a straighter style, but it still looks phenomenal with a darker aesthetic. I do think Camuncoli’s art is really enhanced by the coloring by Frank Martin, giving it that deeper aesthetic required for greatness. Then there is Caspar Wijngaard, who is a master. His art style is lighter and has a bit more whimsy, but it still works perfectly for the Deadman sequences. All of these artists, and the others not mentioned, have such unique and exemplary styles. But it somehow works perfectly together to create the ultimate superhero horror experience.   

Overall, this book is a horror phenomenon. I love it when superheroes and the horror genre mix because it fills both niches that I absolutely love. This story also spotlights characters who usually don’t get that, which I immensely respect. The horror elements are here in full force, and I love it. The creatures are all so cool-looking and is the icing on top. The art for this book is diverse but so inspired. So, overall, this is a damn good horror story.  

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