Friday, August 31, 2007
30 Days of Night trailer
I will see this, and I will love it. Some time soon I'll pull the graphic novel off my shelf and finally give it a read, but regardless, vampires in the snow is simply irresistible.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Some shorts
I finished two short stories this week while also putting more words down on the novel (shh, which I'm not really talking about here). The shorts varied: the first is one I started about three months back, wrote all the way up to the final scene, and put away while I figured out what I wanted to happen in the end. That revelation came to me the other afternoon while getting my mail. Yeah, I can't explain. Anyways, that one is done at 3,500 words and waiting on First Reader comments. Hopefully it won't be teh suck.
The second one is just creepy fun at 1,200 words. Wrote it in two sittings. Creepy fun, you ask? Yes, it has old people sex in it. There, I said it! Hopefully it's more fun than creepy, but you never know with me...
I told myself I was going to just focus on the novel (shh!!!), but I can't seem to be away from short stories for too long without my brain wandering back to them. I'll probably start a third one this weekend, just cause I can.
Maybe I'm addicted?
The second one is just creepy fun at 1,200 words. Wrote it in two sittings. Creepy fun, you ask? Yes, it has old people sex in it. There, I said it! Hopefully it's more fun than creepy, but you never know with me...
I told myself I was going to just focus on the novel (shh!!!), but I can't seem to be away from short stories for too long without my brain wandering back to them. I'll probably start a third one this weekend, just cause I can.
Maybe I'm addicted?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Huh...
Are both Neil Gaiman and Robert J. Sawyer trying to pull a Philip K. Dick? See for yourselves.
I think this has potential to turn into one rather amusing meme: authors plus animals!
I think this has potential to turn into one rather amusing meme: authors plus animals!
Jack Kirby cover gallery
Yesterday was his birthday. He would've been 90 years old.
There's a kickass cover gallery of some of The King's work over at Marvel.com that is worth checking out. My personal favorites are his renditions of Thor and the early X-men. Kirby's style is both iconic and energetic, being an inspiration to all those that followed in his footsteps. Looking over all this, I'm reminded of a time when Photoshop didn't exist. When filters and glares were irrelevant. It was an era when pencil met paper, and a vision was created. The King did it so easily, so earnestly, and that's what is most admirable of his work.
There's a kickass cover gallery of some of The King's work over at Marvel.com that is worth checking out. My personal favorites are his renditions of Thor and the early X-men. Kirby's style is both iconic and energetic, being an inspiration to all those that followed in his footsteps. Looking over all this, I'm reminded of a time when Photoshop didn't exist. When filters and glares were irrelevant. It was an era when pencil met paper, and a vision was created. The King did it so easily, so earnestly, and that's what is most admirable of his work.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Watchmen - Review
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave GibbonsA quick summary stolen from back cover: This is the book that changed an industry and challenged a medium. If you've never read a graphic novel, start with Watchmen. And even if you have, it's time to read it again.
(Wow, they really go into detail there!)
How I'd sum it up to another reader: The setting is an alternative 1985 where the United States is on the edge of a brimming nuclear war between the Soviet Union. Costumed superheroes are a staple of society, and Watchmen dissects a group of heroes, churning their pasts dry and forcing them to make both moral and personal decisions. It's the story of identity and strength and of the mysterious murder of The Comedian, one of their own.
The cover sez and shows: An elongated black oval with a splotch of blood over top it. It's catchy in its simplicity, and as the story unfolds the image becomes clearer and more powerful. That yellow makes me think of ponchos though for some reason.
(Really, it does.)
Number of dragons, wizards, and reluctant farmer boys: None, but we have a bunch of superheroes and villains. That more than makes up for it.
Hardest name to pronounce in my head: Adrian Veidt, a.k.a. Ozymandias
Best part: The story of Rorschach. His is a rough one, buried beneath secrets and a horrible childhood. How he became to be Rorschach is fascinating, and as events unfold everything he says and does begins to make more and more sense. To call him a superhero would be easy; to call him a villain would be ever harder. He's just a man trying to figure shit out, running into problems and people that want to eagerly disagree with him. His ending is appropriate: a downer, shocking, and over in a flash.
Worst part: I really enjoyed everything about this graphic novel. The metafiction, the over-arching dialogue, the pace, the stylistic choices. Seriously. Every. Effing. Thing. No wonder this thing won the Hugo Award.
Random thoughts and theories: The human condition is strained to the point of breaking in Watchmen. Social issues abound, the costumed characters must deal with being themselves in an era where the notion of caped vigilantes is unwanted. It reminds me--not in tone, that is--of Pixar's The Incredibles. And then if any of this was real, how accepted would men and women running around in colored spandex beating up crooks be? Would they really be wanted? And if at first, but then later not, how could society expect them to go back to a quieter life?
If said book were a ride at a Disney theme park: It'd probably be one of the action-packed ones in Universal Studios. It'd have a bunch of cool costumed folks leaping out at tram cars, fighting off bad guys on raised platforms, and taking a member of the audience on stage to be part of the show. There'd be smoke and strobe lights and a whole bag of awesome.
If in school its grade would be: A+
Come on, write us a haiku:
Tell me, scared city
of the Black Freighter and who
watches the Watchmen
Overall, y'all: Definitely one of the best books I've read in 2007. Modern literature coated with strong, captivating artwork that says more in a few panels than many other things ever could. The dialogue is well-done, the characters flawed and complex, and the intertwining storylines both haunting and wholly ambitious. I know, I'm gushing. But really--I absolutely loved Watchmen. I can only imagine what this would have done to me if I'd read it when I was younger.
Books I might or might not compare to: I got nothing. One of a kind. But I can see some similarities to the television show Heroes.
Some linkage: There'll be a movie coming out in 2008.
Quick pimpage!
Cheryl Morgan (of Emerald City fame), along with Kevin Standlee, have a new website devoted to science fiction awards. It's already up and running, and looks to be a good home for some solid genre discussions to take part. Go check it out!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Movie roundup
The Number 23. There exists two sorts of Jim Carrey fans: the kind that only like his early comedic work (i.e., Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Liar, Liar) and those that like his darker or different roles (i.e., The Truman Show and The Cable Guy). I'm one of the latter kind. I've always seen potential in him to play a really effed up character ever since he began installing cable as one seriously demented Chip. And here was his moment, in the arbitrarily slow The Number 23, for him to, er, shine.
But there was little here. The plot moves forward at a crawl, interspersed with some neat film noir-ish scenes involving a fictional P.I. in a dark city setting. Similarities between the book and the our main protagonist's life begin to blossom, and when push comes to shove, everyone in the family is willing to help out. Even if it means digging up a grave! Now that's some father-son bonding for the new age. The twist ending is dumb and makes you realize that you just sat through all the turmoil for nothing more than a boring case of self-inflicted amnesia. Fuck that. At least the movie didn't resort to cheap thrills. That alone makes it a step above a lot of other films, but there's no need to see this. Both the acting and plot make little sense, and I did not find myself seeing the number 23 everywhere afterwards. And that's what it should have done to me.
Little Miss Sunshine. Yeah, I know. I'm way behind on seeing this. First, let me just say that I love the soundtrack. A mix of my favorite indie bands can anything great. Not that this wasn't great. Well, it wasn't. But it was pretty good, and I actually found myself laughing out loud there at the end. And that's a rare thing for me. Still, there was a lot of wasted potential with some characters (namely Steve Carell's and the grandfather). But the movie's fun, even if a little out there.
The Bourne Ultimatum. Jason Bourne is the new James Bond. Well, at least to me. He doesn't rely on one-liners and fancy gizmos. He's been trained to be smart and alert, and he uses it to his full ability. Always one step above the competition. In the final movie of the Bourne trilogy, our hero is retracing his steps, hoping to remember everything that was ever done to him. He gets his answers, and they're nothing short of surprising. An intense movie from start to finish, with little room to allow for breathing. I'm always reminded of that quote from The 40-Year-Old Virgin referencing The Bourne Identity:
Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one!
And really, I have to agree.
But there was little here. The plot moves forward at a crawl, interspersed with some neat film noir-ish scenes involving a fictional P.I. in a dark city setting. Similarities between the book and the our main protagonist's life begin to blossom, and when push comes to shove, everyone in the family is willing to help out. Even if it means digging up a grave! Now that's some father-son bonding for the new age. The twist ending is dumb and makes you realize that you just sat through all the turmoil for nothing more than a boring case of self-inflicted amnesia. Fuck that. At least the movie didn't resort to cheap thrills. That alone makes it a step above a lot of other films, but there's no need to see this. Both the acting and plot make little sense, and I did not find myself seeing the number 23 everywhere afterwards. And that's what it should have done to me.
Little Miss Sunshine. Yeah, I know. I'm way behind on seeing this. First, let me just say that I love the soundtrack. A mix of my favorite indie bands can anything great. Not that this wasn't great. Well, it wasn't. But it was pretty good, and I actually found myself laughing out loud there at the end. And that's a rare thing for me. Still, there was a lot of wasted potential with some characters (namely Steve Carell's and the grandfather). But the movie's fun, even if a little out there.
The Bourne Ultimatum. Jason Bourne is the new James Bond. Well, at least to me. He doesn't rely on one-liners and fancy gizmos. He's been trained to be smart and alert, and he uses it to his full ability. Always one step above the competition. In the final movie of the Bourne trilogy, our hero is retracing his steps, hoping to remember everything that was ever done to him. He gets his answers, and they're nothing short of surprising. An intense movie from start to finish, with little room to allow for breathing. I'm always reminded of that quote from The 40-Year-Old Virgin referencing The Bourne Identity:
Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one!
And really, I have to agree.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Busy mailbox
Let's see, let's see. My mailbox has been pretty bloated lately, stuffing itself with a bunch of different meals. First, it's been snacking on four different rejections over the weekend (mmm, needs some salt!). These were mostly forms and have no effect on me whatsoever. The stories will be going back out some time this week.
Next up, a hearty meal consisting of a free copy of The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet and my contest prize, The Best American Comics: 2006. Yay, books!
And finally we come to dessert. My mailbox has no will power, and has decided upon an official certificate that marks me as a kickass member of the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society. Yummers!
And even with all that, I'm thinking I should be getting a few more things in the mail this week. Still anxiously awaiting my contrib. copies for Murky Depths...
Next up, a hearty meal consisting of a free copy of The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet and my contest prize, The Best American Comics: 2006. Yay, books!
And finally we come to dessert. My mailbox has no will power, and has decided upon an official certificate that marks me as a kickass member of the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society. Yummers!
And even with all that, I'm thinking I should be getting a few more things in the mail this week. Still anxiously awaiting my contrib. copies for Murky Depths...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Questions for book bloggers
Found these over at The Hidden Side of a Leaf:
What are you reading right now?
About a hundred pages in on Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. So far, I like it, and I know my sister absolutely hated however much she read of it. To each his own, I say. I like floating orbs that talk and a walled-in city of undead folk.
Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
Yup, I'm always ready with my to-be-read pile. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams will be following, and right behind that is Selling Out by Justina Robson.
What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
PSM Magazine and an old issue of Interzone.
What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Hmm. I really didn't enjoy The Scarlet Letter. I can't believe teachers force that upon students. Ugh, what a borefest.
What's the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. And this will be an even better recommendation now that Harry Potter is finished. It's a fun YA novel where characters are read into and out of books. Trouble arises, adventure looms, and a good time occurs. Check it out!
Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
Nope, only been there a few times and it was to check out the 50 cent rack.
Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
Well, I know many readers either love or hate Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. Me? I LOVE it. I can see how it might not sound interesting in description (an eccentric scientist works like a madman to discover how to restore a birdman's wings), but it's just so dark and layered with originality that I can't do anything but read open-mouthed in pure adoration.
Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or TV? While you listen to music? While you're on the computer? While you're driving?
I do read on my lunch break. I'm not built for bathtubs. No, I am usually watching a movie or TV while watching a movie or TV--not reading. I like to read in silence. Unfortunately, I read far too much on my computer. And lastly, I like to read road signs while driving. Duh!
When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
Probably. Hey, some still do nowadays!
What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
That'd be A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. I found myself unable to put the book down at night, always whispering "Just one more POV chapter, just one more..."
What are you reading right now?
About a hundred pages in on Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. So far, I like it, and I know my sister absolutely hated however much she read of it. To each his own, I say. I like floating orbs that talk and a walled-in city of undead folk.
Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
Yup, I'm always ready with my to-be-read pile. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams will be following, and right behind that is Selling Out by Justina Robson.
What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
PSM Magazine and an old issue of Interzone.
What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Hmm. I really didn't enjoy The Scarlet Letter. I can't believe teachers force that upon students. Ugh, what a borefest.
What's the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. And this will be an even better recommendation now that Harry Potter is finished. It's a fun YA novel where characters are read into and out of books. Trouble arises, adventure looms, and a good time occurs. Check it out!
Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
Nope, only been there a few times and it was to check out the 50 cent rack.
Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
Well, I know many readers either love or hate Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. Me? I LOVE it. I can see how it might not sound interesting in description (an eccentric scientist works like a madman to discover how to restore a birdman's wings), but it's just so dark and layered with originality that I can't do anything but read open-mouthed in pure adoration.
Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or TV? While you listen to music? While you're on the computer? While you're driving?
I do read on my lunch break. I'm not built for bathtubs. No, I am usually watching a movie or TV while watching a movie or TV--not reading. I like to read in silence. Unfortunately, I read far too much on my computer. And lastly, I like to read road signs while driving. Duh!
When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
Probably. Hey, some still do nowadays!
What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
That'd be A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. I found myself unable to put the book down at night, always whispering "Just one more POV chapter, just one more..."
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Noveling...
Been quiet about this fact, but I have been working on a novel lately instead of shorts. I don't plan to talk much about it, only because I find daily word counts and other things like it to be deterring. Still, it's going well. I don't write every day, but I do think about it every day. Lots of creepy stuff, too. More to my style; I can't believe the first novel I ever tried to write was epic fantasy. What was I thinking? Silly fanboy. Anyways, next update will be when I cross 30K or so. Until then, novel...
The Waterways Novel
P.S. In news that should come as no surprise to anyone, novels are tough critters.
The Waterways Novel
P.S. In news that should come as no surprise to anyone, novels are tough critters.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
ASIM: Best of SF review
Check out my review for Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine: Best of Science Fiction! Some good stories, and some not-that-great tales. I'm slowly getting turned off by silly stories, especially in science fiction. Fantasy I'm more prone to accepting (I blame it on all those years reading Piers Anthony and Terry Pratchett). But if the premise of an entire story set in outer space is for the protag to scrounge up a cup of coffee then that story annoys me. Give me plot! Give me conflict! Give me dilemma! In other news, there's this post from Nathan Ballingrud. In it he talks about writing less, and paying more attention to the words one is writing so that they are ten steps above just being pumped out. I'm a fairly fast writer and I seem to never run out of story starters. I save my slowness for re-writing and the proofreading stage, where, to me, it matters most. Writing fast doesn't necessarily equal a bunch of dribble. Writing fast helps me stay focused, helps me stay in the scenes with my characters, helps me get everything down all at once before I lose momentum. But everyone has their own process, and mine is just this. At the moment, it works for me. Maybe later on I'll stop producing so much and devote more time to perfecting what I'm currently working on.
Also, this:
The word amateur comes from the Latin amator, or lover; its root is amare: to love.
I agree with wholeheartedly. I'm an amateur, and that's how I've stuck with writing and how I'll continue to stick with it for as long as possible.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
I'm a winner
Haven't felt like posting much this week. Or maybe it's because I haven't had much to post about. One of those. I'll let you decide.
But I did win a contest. So, you know, that's a plus. :)
But I did win a contest. So, you know, that's a plus. :)
Monday, August 13, 2007
WFA Nominations
World Fantasy Awards Nominations, stolen from Locus Online:
NOVEL
Lisey's Story, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder & Stoughton)
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra; Small Beer Press)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (Gollancz; Bantam Spectra)
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra)
Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
NOVELLA
"Botch Town", Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream, Golden Gryphon)
"The Man Who Got Off the Ghost Train", Kim Newman (The Man from the Diogenes Club, MonkeyBrain)
Dark Harvest, Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)
"Map of Dreams", M. Rickert (Map of Dreams, Golden Gryphon)
"The Lineaments of Gratified Desire", Ysabeau S. Wilce (F&SF Jul 2006)
SHORT FICTION
"The Way He Does It", Jeffrey Ford (Electric Velocipede #10, Spr 2006)
"Journey Into the Kingdom", M. Rickert (F&SF May 2006)
"A Siege of Cranes", Benjamin Rosenbaum (Twenty Epics, All-Star Stories)
"Another Word for Map is Faith", Christopher Rowe (F&SF Aug 2006)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", Geoff Ryman (F&SF Oct/Nov 2006)
ANTHOLOGY
Cross Plains Universe: Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard, Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. Lansdale, eds. (MonkeyBrain and the Fandom Association of Central Texas)
Salon Fantastique, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, eds. (Thunder's Mouth)
Retro Pulp Tales, Joe R. Lansdale, ed. (Subterranean)
Twenty Epics, David Moles & Susan Marie Groppi, eds. (All-Star Stories)
Firebirds Rising, Sharyn November, ed. (Firebird)
COLLECTION
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon)
American Morons, Glen Hirshberg (Earthling)
Red Spikes, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin Australia; Knopf)
Map of Dreams, M. Rickert (Golden Gryphon)
ARTIST
Jon Foster
Edward Miller
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Jill Thompson
SPECIAL AWARD, PROFESSIONAL
Ellen Asher (For work at SFBC)
Mark Finn (for Blood & Thunder: The Life of Robert E. Howard, MonkeyBrain)
Deanna Hoak for copyediting
Greg Ketter for Dreamhaven
Leonard S. Marcus, ed. (for The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy, Candlewick)
SPECIAL AWARD, NON-PROFESSIONAL
Leslie Howle (for her work at Clarion West)
Leo Grin (for The Cimmerian)
Susan Marie Groppi (for Strange Horizons)
John Klima (for Electric Velocipede)
Gary K. Wolfe (for reviews and criticism in Locus and elsewhere)
Nothing too out of the ordinary here. Banking my money on newcomer Scott Lynch to walk away with one for his novel The Lies of Locke Lamora. Glad to see two offerings up there from M. Rickert. Also, Lou Anders and Pyr seem to have gotten shafted. A damn shame, really.
NOVEL
Lisey's Story, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder & Stoughton)
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra; Small Beer Press)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (Gollancz; Bantam Spectra)
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra)
Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
NOVELLA
"Botch Town", Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream, Golden Gryphon)
"The Man Who Got Off the Ghost Train", Kim Newman (The Man from the Diogenes Club, MonkeyBrain)
Dark Harvest, Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)
"Map of Dreams", M. Rickert (Map of Dreams, Golden Gryphon)
"The Lineaments of Gratified Desire", Ysabeau S. Wilce (F&SF Jul 2006)
SHORT FICTION
"The Way He Does It", Jeffrey Ford (Electric Velocipede #10, Spr 2006)
"Journey Into the Kingdom", M. Rickert (F&SF May 2006)
"A Siege of Cranes", Benjamin Rosenbaum (Twenty Epics, All-Star Stories)
"Another Word for Map is Faith", Christopher Rowe (F&SF Aug 2006)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", Geoff Ryman (F&SF Oct/Nov 2006)
ANTHOLOGY
Cross Plains Universe: Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard, Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. Lansdale, eds. (MonkeyBrain and the Fandom Association of Central Texas)
Salon Fantastique, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, eds. (Thunder's Mouth)
Retro Pulp Tales, Joe R. Lansdale, ed. (Subterranean)
Twenty Epics, David Moles & Susan Marie Groppi, eds. (All-Star Stories)
Firebirds Rising, Sharyn November, ed. (Firebird)
COLLECTION
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon)
American Morons, Glen Hirshberg (Earthling)
Red Spikes, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin Australia; Knopf)
Map of Dreams, M. Rickert (Golden Gryphon)
ARTIST
Jon Foster
Edward Miller
John Picacio
Shaun Tan
Jill Thompson
SPECIAL AWARD, PROFESSIONAL
Ellen Asher (For work at SFBC)
Mark Finn (for Blood & Thunder: The Life of Robert E. Howard, MonkeyBrain)
Deanna Hoak for copyediting
Greg Ketter for Dreamhaven
Leonard S. Marcus, ed. (for The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy, Candlewick)
SPECIAL AWARD, NON-PROFESSIONAL
Leslie Howle (for her work at Clarion West)
Leo Grin (for The Cimmerian)
Susan Marie Groppi (for Strange Horizons)
John Klima (for Electric Velocipede)
Gary K. Wolfe (for reviews and criticism in Locus and elsewhere)
Nothing too out of the ordinary here. Banking my money on newcomer Scott Lynch to walk away with one for his novel The Lies of Locke Lamora. Glad to see two offerings up there from M. Rickert. Also, Lou Anders and Pyr seem to have gotten shafted. A damn shame, really.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
The House of the Scorpion - Review
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer.
Huh.
Well, that was interesting.
This YA science fiction novel, which won the Newbery Honor, among others, introduces the idea of cloning humans simply for the sake of organ harvesting. Normally, after being birthed by a cow, these clones are given a shot which destroys their mind and essentially turns them into zombie organ donors. But one clone isn't given the shot and he grows up to be Matteo "Matt" Alacran, the double of a powerful drug lord that controls the fictional land mass called Opium. Matt grows up hidden from the world; he lives with a cook named Celia, learning what he can of the outside from books and television, until a group of kids show up and, eager to meet people, he jumps through a glass window. At that moment, everything changes.
I found The House of the Scorpion to be far more creepy than I expected. Matt is viewed by many as nothing more than an animal, no better or worse than a dog, and he's treated cruelly for it. Forced to live alone in a dark cell for nearly six months, Matt learns how to go to the bathroom like a chicken might on a bed of straw. Finally, he's "rescued" by the other Matteo Alacran, a much much older man known by his servants as El Patrón. Matt's then given a real bedroom and a tutor of sorts: Tam Lin. This muscular man with a dark past teaches Matt about eejits, which are humans with a computer chip implanted into their brains to turn them into mindless slaves. El Patron employs many of these on the Farm, and without the commands of a non-eejit they'll just die from starvation or dehydration.
Eventually, Matt learns of the true reason he's being kept around. Not for his musical prowess or his innocent charm, but for his heart. And liver and kidneys and whatever else El Patrón might need in the future. With the help of some friends, he plans to escape.
I was quite worried for Matt for much of the book. He's a clueless protagonist, always seeming to find himself in trouble or before new enemies left and right. One minute you think he's safe, and the next he isn't. Still, he's very likable (much more than the real Matteo Alacran is, at least), and yet nothing works out all peachy-keen. Dark happenings and sinuous beings all around him, Matt stands up for those that he cares about even if they don't care back. He's a reluctantly admirable hero, one that many readers can relate to (especially if those readers are, themselves, clones).
A very powerful and suspenseful read that questions the ethical value of cloning, the importance of family and friendship, and the ultimate point of living. The House of the Scorpion is both gripping and well-written, and definitely a wise choice for those looking for something new and different to try after they've finished reading that horrible epilogue in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Highly recommended.
Huh.
Well, that was interesting.
This YA science fiction novel, which won the Newbery Honor, among others, introduces the idea of cloning humans simply for the sake of organ harvesting. Normally, after being birthed by a cow, these clones are given a shot which destroys their mind and essentially turns them into zombie organ donors. But one clone isn't given the shot and he grows up to be Matteo "Matt" Alacran, the double of a powerful drug lord that controls the fictional land mass called Opium. Matt grows up hidden from the world; he lives with a cook named Celia, learning what he can of the outside from books and television, until a group of kids show up and, eager to meet people, he jumps through a glass window. At that moment, everything changes.
I found The House of the Scorpion to be far more creepy than I expected. Matt is viewed by many as nothing more than an animal, no better or worse than a dog, and he's treated cruelly for it. Forced to live alone in a dark cell for nearly six months, Matt learns how to go to the bathroom like a chicken might on a bed of straw. Finally, he's "rescued" by the other Matteo Alacran, a much much older man known by his servants as El Patrón. Matt's then given a real bedroom and a tutor of sorts: Tam Lin. This muscular man with a dark past teaches Matt about eejits, which are humans with a computer chip implanted into their brains to turn them into mindless slaves. El Patron employs many of these on the Farm, and without the commands of a non-eejit they'll just die from starvation or dehydration.
Eventually, Matt learns of the true reason he's being kept around. Not for his musical prowess or his innocent charm, but for his heart. And liver and kidneys and whatever else El Patrón might need in the future. With the help of some friends, he plans to escape.
I was quite worried for Matt for much of the book. He's a clueless protagonist, always seeming to find himself in trouble or before new enemies left and right. One minute you think he's safe, and the next he isn't. Still, he's very likable (much more than the real Matteo Alacran is, at least), and yet nothing works out all peachy-keen. Dark happenings and sinuous beings all around him, Matt stands up for those that he cares about even if they don't care back. He's a reluctantly admirable hero, one that many readers can relate to (especially if those readers are, themselves, clones).
A very powerful and suspenseful read that questions the ethical value of cloning, the importance of family and friendship, and the ultimate point of living. The House of the Scorpion is both gripping and well-written, and definitely a wise choice for those looking for something new and different to try after they've finished reading that horrible epilogue in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Highly recommended.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Latest acquisitions
Let's see, let's see...
Got Justina Robson's Selling Out, book two of her Quantum Gravity series, in the mail this week. Looks to be a strong continuation from that of Keeping It Real. In this one, Agent Lila Black has a new mission: seek out the truth of how Zal, the elvin/demonic rockstar, became kin to a race noted for its genocidal tendencies toward elves. He on the other hand has a much simpler task, which is to make it to his band's next gig. So long as Robson keeps up the odd-yet-oddly-compelling aspects that make these books so much fun (stereotypical fantasy races, music, cybernetics, and ghosts) this ride looks to be even more enjoyable than the first one.
Found the Fantasy anthology edited by Sean Wallace and Paul Tremblay in my local B&N. Containing stories from Sarah Monette, Cat Rambo, E. Sedia, and Jeremy Tolbert, it looks to be a solid "appetizer" to what can be found in Fantasy magazine.
And to further cement the fact that I'm way behind in the times I picked up a copy of Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I only recently finished reading Jeff Smith's Bone (and that took me a year to get through), and now I've been wanting to discover more of the so-called classics. Plus, looks like a movie is in the works and I for one would love to be in the know when all that comes to. And it's about superheroes, right? Can't go wrong there, I say. Okay, feel free to throw rotten fruit any time you'd like...
Got Justina Robson's Selling Out, book two of her Quantum Gravity series, in the mail this week. Looks to be a strong continuation from that of Keeping It Real. In this one, Agent Lila Black has a new mission: seek out the truth of how Zal, the elvin/demonic rockstar, became kin to a race noted for its genocidal tendencies toward elves. He on the other hand has a much simpler task, which is to make it to his band's next gig. So long as Robson keeps up the odd-yet-oddly-compelling aspects that make these books so much fun (stereotypical fantasy races, music, cybernetics, and ghosts) this ride looks to be even more enjoyable than the first one.
Found the Fantasy anthology edited by Sean Wallace and Paul Tremblay in my local B&N. Containing stories from Sarah Monette, Cat Rambo, E. Sedia, and Jeremy Tolbert, it looks to be a solid "appetizer" to what can be found in Fantasy magazine.
And to further cement the fact that I'm way behind in the times I picked up a copy of Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I only recently finished reading Jeff Smith's Bone (and that took me a year to get through), and now I've been wanting to discover more of the so-called classics. Plus, looks like a movie is in the works and I for one would love to be in the know when all that comes to. And it's about superheroes, right? Can't go wrong there, I say. Okay, feel free to throw rotten fruit any time you'd like...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
A crappy review
Well, Rolling Stone just went to the bathroom on Colbie Caillat's debut album, Coco.Yes, her music is sunny and safe, but at least it's her music. Not some manufactured sludge that's been pampered and prodded into the most radio-friendly, three and a half minutes of snappy pop-slop that everyone and their mother seems to be jiving to nowadays. She's honestly talented and doing her own thing, and for that (for that!) she is slammed. I guess to really be respected and/or make it you need to be able to get in and out of rehab on a weekly basis, be cruder than crude, and not sing well or sing at all.
Gah. Now I'm annoyed.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Remembering Elliot Smith
Elliot Smith would've been 38 today. I'm still not really over his death (which still hasn't really been confirmed as either a suicide or a homicide). In his honor, a free download of "Angel in the Snow," the first track from this year's release New Moon, is available.
And the lyrics from a favorite tune of his, "Miss Misery":
I know you'd rather see me gone
than to see me the way that I am
but I am in the life anyway
next door the TV's flashing
blue frames on the wall
it's a comedy of errors, you see
it's about taking a fall
to vanish into oblivion
is easy to do
and i try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
do you miss me miss misery
like you say you do?
And the lyrics from a favorite tune of his, "Miss Misery":
I know you'd rather see me gone
than to see me the way that I am
but I am in the life anyway
next door the TV's flashing
blue frames on the wall
it's a comedy of errors, you see
it's about taking a fall
to vanish into oblivion
is easy to do
and i try to be but you know me
I come back when you want me to
do you miss me miss misery
like you say you do?
50 best movie robots?
From Times Online, the 50 best movie robots.
There's some good ones on the list though I wish HAL9000 was numero uno as I never really cared about the Terminator movies. Also, Metropolis, stunning, marvelously done Metropolis, is too far down on the list. And no Iron Giant? Boo. Anyways, check out the list and hope that your favorite robot is on it.
There's some good ones on the list though I wish HAL9000 was numero uno as I never really cared about the Terminator movies. Also, Metropolis, stunning, marvelously done Metropolis, is too far down on the list. And no Iron Giant? Boo. Anyways, check out the list and hope that your favorite robot is on it.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Sporty Spec TOC
The Table of Contents for Sporty Spec: Games of the Fantastic has just been posted. I'd originally joked with its editor, Karen A. Romanko, that it was nice being first when she'd originally listed authors in alphabetical order. Well, after all has been said and done, "The Sport of Kings" is still first to go. Woo!
One day I'll talk about how much it sucks to be first in everything, alphabetically that is. You know, first to walk to graduate, first called on to do pull-ups in front of an entire gym class, first to give an oral presentation in French. Those sorts of things. Of course, if I'm ever to be on a bookshelf I'll be up nice and high, eye-level and ready to be grabbed. And ahead of Piers Anthony, too!
One day I'll talk about how much it sucks to be first in everything, alphabetically that is. You know, first to walk to graduate, first called on to do pull-ups in front of an entire gym class, first to give an oral presentation in French. Those sorts of things. Of course, if I'm ever to be on a bookshelf I'll be up nice and high, eye-level and ready to be grabbed. And ahead of Piers Anthony, too!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Oi, Robot
So, I, Robot was on earlier today and I was half-watching it while taking care of my laundry. I'd already seen the film back in the theater when it was released in 2004. I believe I was a lot more forgiving back then about it then I am now. Maybe because now I've read more of Asimov's work or maybe because I don't like watching st00pid movies anymore. I give to you the Top 5 Reasons Why I, Robot is a Big Letdown:
5. It gives Isaac Asimov the finger. The film, suggested by an Asimov book, gives him credit only by using his Three Laws of Robotics, which are: Rule One) A robot can never harm a human. Rule Two) A robot must obey all human orders unless it conflicts with the first law. Rule Three) A robot must protect itself unless it conflicts with the first two laws. After that's quickly sped through at the beginning of the novel, the movie and Asimov split, rather harshly, with one hand on the wheel and the other out the window with a finger flexed.
4. A swift kick of violence. As is to be expected with Hollywood, if the original material source doesn't have a love story or an explosion in it then they'll stuff one into the script no matter what. Here though it comes across as forced. The evil robots (noticeable by their evil, glowing red lights) don't just restrain citizens. They knock them down, attack with kicks and shoves, pinning arms behind backs and knocking weapons out of hands without a care as to whether or not the wrist breaks. In Asimov's work, it is rare if a robot ever broke one of the Three Rules, and even if it had it never led to a mob mentality among other robots.
3. The robots of the future look boring. Plus, they're all thin. If you want robots that emote, make them overweight with bad knees. Make them really hairy and disfigured. Make them look unique. Here we are presented with hordes of gray-framed skeletons with perfect oval heads and beady eyes. No special skins, no different color schemes. Just a bunch of gray iPods that, for some reason, are really tall. How about we make them smaller in the future? You know, that way in case they rebel we can just kick them away?
2. V.I.K.I. is dafter than a doorbell. There's a scene towards the middle-end of the movie where Susan Calvin (blandly played by Bridget Moynahan) sneakily kills a fake robot when she's supposed to be terminating Sonny. Now, we're told that V.I.K.I. (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) is the top notch of top-notch technology. Looks like a little hand magic is all that was needed to fool the program. How does that make sense? It doesn't. It's one of those nasty beasts that ruin films. Plot hole. A big, stinky plot hole that could hold a bajillion V.I.K.I.s.
1. Will Smith ain't prejudice. Cast in the lead role of Spooner, Smith has the task of hating robots. Fine, doesn't seem so hard. I mean he's been mean to aliens and Carlton a thousand times before. A few automatons should be no problem whatsoever. Except there's no mean slurs against robots. Calling them can openers and toasters really isn't that insulting. And Smith just doesn't give it his all. Pursed lips and emo-laden expressions are not enough to get me to understand that you hates the robots that ruined your life. I want language, I want fire burning behind eyes, I want prejudice like it exists today. Deep-seated and relentless. That's what could have saved this film, make it more than just a popcorn flick with action scenes, corny jokes, and painful bouts of exposition. Curse you, Will Smith, you toaster-hater!
5. It gives Isaac Asimov the finger. The film, suggested by an Asimov book, gives him credit only by using his Three Laws of Robotics, which are: Rule One) A robot can never harm a human. Rule Two) A robot must obey all human orders unless it conflicts with the first law. Rule Three) A robot must protect itself unless it conflicts with the first two laws. After that's quickly sped through at the beginning of the novel, the movie and Asimov split, rather harshly, with one hand on the wheel and the other out the window with a finger flexed.
4. A swift kick of violence. As is to be expected with Hollywood, if the original material source doesn't have a love story or an explosion in it then they'll stuff one into the script no matter what. Here though it comes across as forced. The evil robots (noticeable by their evil, glowing red lights) don't just restrain citizens. They knock them down, attack with kicks and shoves, pinning arms behind backs and knocking weapons out of hands without a care as to whether or not the wrist breaks. In Asimov's work, it is rare if a robot ever broke one of the Three Rules, and even if it had it never led to a mob mentality among other robots.
3. The robots of the future look boring. Plus, they're all thin. If you want robots that emote, make them overweight with bad knees. Make them really hairy and disfigured. Make them look unique. Here we are presented with hordes of gray-framed skeletons with perfect oval heads and beady eyes. No special skins, no different color schemes. Just a bunch of gray iPods that, for some reason, are really tall. How about we make them smaller in the future? You know, that way in case they rebel we can just kick them away?
2. V.I.K.I. is dafter than a doorbell. There's a scene towards the middle-end of the movie where Susan Calvin (blandly played by Bridget Moynahan) sneakily kills a fake robot when she's supposed to be terminating Sonny. Now, we're told that V.I.K.I. (Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) is the top notch of top-notch technology. Looks like a little hand magic is all that was needed to fool the program. How does that make sense? It doesn't. It's one of those nasty beasts that ruin films. Plot hole. A big, stinky plot hole that could hold a bajillion V.I.K.I.s.
1. Will Smith ain't prejudice. Cast in the lead role of Spooner, Smith has the task of hating robots. Fine, doesn't seem so hard. I mean he's been mean to aliens and Carlton a thousand times before. A few automatons should be no problem whatsoever. Except there's no mean slurs against robots. Calling them can openers and toasters really isn't that insulting. And Smith just doesn't give it his all. Pursed lips and emo-laden expressions are not enough to get me to understand that you hates the robots that ruined your life. I want language, I want fire burning behind eyes, I want prejudice like it exists today. Deep-seated and relentless. That's what could have saved this film, make it more than just a popcorn flick with action scenes, corny jokes, and painful bouts of exposition. Curse you, Will Smith, you toaster-hater!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Things to do...
...eventually.
- Finish reviewing ASIM: Best of SF for Tangent Online
- Review Scar Night by Alan Campbell
- Write the last agonizingly stressful scene of "After Effects" and give it a much better title
- Re-write "Pigment" with a slant toward cults
- Re-write "Nineteen and a Half Cats" whenever it gets back to me
- Send out stories that have been sitting around since Monday; gather dust, they will not
- Post about the thing that I'm not ready to talk about yet
Do my laundry- Take my car in for an oil change and renew my insurance policy
- Buy Flight: Volume 4
- Clean my apartment, hah?
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