"Seasons of Glass and Iron", by Amal El-Mohtar is about two women from folk tales meeting and figuring life out together.
The notion of characters from different fairy tales meeting has been done lots of time in various ways. I actually like this one a lot, because it involves a woman who is doomed to travel meeting a woman who is doomed to sit still. And that's it. There isn't another setting, they are still in their folk tales, they presumably still have their kingdoms/families out there... but they also have a chance to chat with one another. Just chat.
The good: Both Tabitha and Amira are neatly drawn through their thoughts and actions. They both have reasons for what they are doing, but it isn't until the are forced to see those reasons from someone else's point of view that they think to question them. I enjoyed the ending, particularly when Amira insists that Tabitha also give up her burden.
The bad: It's a very good story, but it feels oddly slight. That's probably down to the conceit of being based on two folk tales, which are often extremely slight.
Conclusion: It's good, but maybe not the best I've read in this category this year. It will probably be third or fourth on my final ballot.
So, for the record, my ballot will have either "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies" or "That Game We Played During the War" in first place, with the other in second. Third and fourth will be "Seasons of Glass and Iron" and "The City Born Great", but not necessarily in that order. In fifth place is "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers". After that I will put "No Award" and leave the final spot blank. I have not decided the exact order I'll be putting each finalist in, and I probably won't be sure until the final day of voting. I'll be happy if any of the five win, as all are deserving.
Best Short Story: I've read all the entries in this category I intend to read. Check them out in my Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists
Showing posts with label Short Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Story. Show all posts
Saturday, May 20, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Short Story - "Seasons of Glass and Iron", by Amal El-Mohtar
Friday, May 19, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Short Story - "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies", by Brooke Bolander
"Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies", by Brooke Bolander is about a killer who picks the wrong victim.
Oh lord. This story not only connected with me, it hit me like a fiery bolt of pure anger and scorched into my heart. Despite my prude alert coming on immediately, not even the worst expletive could make me not love this story. In fact, I'm really curious why the language didn't bother me at all when reading this story, while I go back and read "The City Born Great" and cringe. In both cases, the language seems justified in respect to the subject matter. It's not out of place in either story. In fact, the language is sillier here considering what sort of being is using it. I honestly cannot figure myself out some days.
The good: The second paragraph, in which the narrator laments that the killers get their story told while the victims are buried and forgotten really hit a nerve with me. I have long thought that society glorifies killers, while their victims are "convenient narrative rungs for villains to climb". Yes. This is Truth. And yet, within those two paragraphs we get all we need to know about the killer. The bulleted list of how the narrator responded was an interesting and stark way to get the story across that really resonated with me for some reason. The language in the last two points made my heart sing. This is, at it's heart, a story about revenge and the bad guy getting what he deserves. And sometimes we need that kind of story.
The bad: I really don't get the 1967 Mercury Cougar reference.
Conclusion: I was complaining that I couldn't connect with the Wong story, but this one I almost feel like I connected to a bit too much. I may have to take a step back from myself and think about it. However, at the moment this one is tied for first place on my ballot.
Best Short Story: I've read "That Game We Played During the War", "The City Born Great", "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", and "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies". I need to read "Seasons of Glass and Iron". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Short Story - "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", by Alyssa Wong
"A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", by Alyssa Wong is about a pair of sisters, a universe of possibilities, and how things end.
I guess this story makes it official. I just cannot connect with Alyssa Wong's writing. I can see the beauty in it, and I can understand it (I think), but it doesn't grab me. There's a passionate comment about this story on the Tor website, and I almost feel ashamed that the story didn't touch me like it did that person. Hey, I thought, I suffer from depression, too. Why am I not feeling the same things you do from this tale? I guess her language just doesn't move me the way it moves others. I've been told it's not shameful to bounce off particular works - heck, I bounced off Tolkien the first time I tried to read it and loved it the second time, years later. But it still feels like I'm missing something valuable by not having a visceral reaction to the story.
The good: From a strictly literary point of view, there's a nice use of repetition to build up the idea that Hannah is searching through the various probabilities to look for one in which everything ends up better. The hints dropped within the repetition that give the reader some idea of their powers and what's actually happening work nicely in the narrative.
The bad: The entire story feels like it's incomplete - like we've not been given quite enough to work it out. I feel like it's an item on a high shelf I cannot reach. I can see it. I suspect I know the weight in my hand if I could get it down. But I can't get to it to be sure. Some readers might find this a good thing. In this case, it detracts from the story for me.
Conclusion: Well, this is number three on my list now. Again, I'm afraid I just don't connect with this writer, based on my reaction to her other Hugo finalist in the Best Novelette category.
Best Short Story: I've read "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", "That Game We Played During the War" and "The City Born Great". I need to read "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies" and "Seasons of Glass and Iron". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Short Story - "The City Born Great", by N.K. Jemisin
"The City Born Great", by N.K. Jemisin is about how a city grows up and comes into its own.
I try not to be a prude, but language is important to me and a lot of use of the f-word can turn me off, even if it's proper in context and used realistically. In the case of this story, it's used to set up the situation and the personality of the characters, and it works... but I still find it irritating. Yeah, I know... prudish. I blame my upbringing.
The good: A confusing story that describes a confusing event. Births are messy and traumatic and sometimes don't go as planned, and the birth of a city wouldn't be an exception. The language really sets the scene and pushes the concept nicely for the reader, and the action, although limited, gives everything a sense of New York that's pretty much required for this to work at all. The concept itself is fairly awe-inspiring - cities are born and live and die, and some fail while other become shells of their former selves (The use of New Orleans as a city that failed makes for an interesting counterpoint and drives home the sense of urgency for the story). A person born in the city is the avatar and midwife, a person who will live or die if the city lives or dies. A person who lives the city and is the city in every sense.
The bad: And that's the bad, because it hurts that cops are the parasites. I understand the angle being taken, and I understand the why, but cops *should* be a part of the system and a help, not the form the enemy takes when trying to snuff out the new life. While it could be taken as a cop-hating story, I'm going more with the thought that, as the avatar becomes the city more and more, the cops notice him less and less because they are becoming part of him as well.
The other question I have is the nature of the enemy. Why does it want to snuff out this new form of life? What is it? And what the heck happened in New Orleans - was that a failed birth, and how did the avatar get caught? I almost want to read that tale.
Conclusion: A powerful little story with problematic bits that are mostly due to the nature of the real world, not the story itself. Currently in the second spot on my ballot.
Best Short Story: I've read "That Game We Played During the War" and "The City Born Great". I need to read "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies", and "Seasons of Glass and Iron". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.
Monday, May 15, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Short Story - "That Game We Played During the War", by Carrie Vaughn
"That Game We Played During the War", by Carrie Vaughn is about two people from very different societies who connect over chess.
A minor annoyance with Tor and the way they present their stories. There's always a summary of the story before the story starts, which I find annoying. I try not to read it, but I often accidentally have it half-read before I realize what I'm doing, and sometimes it spoils the story for me. Stop it, Tor!
The good: How do you play chess against someone who can read your mind? The answer is so obvious and yet so impressive. I love how one of the people who comes to watch the game seems to realize that the same sort of strategy was also used during the war - because how do you fight a war against people who can read every thought of every captured soldier? The backstory is filled in beautifully, each piece of the puzzle coming together to show the full picture of the war and what these two main characters did during it.
The bad: Was there any? This felt like a perfect package to me. Perhaps it could have used more on what it's like to live in a society where everyone knows what everyone else is thinking, but honestly, I think it did a fine job with that.
Conclusion: I really love this tale. It's simple and beautiful and raises a lot of questions that are worth pondering. At the moment it's at the top of my list, but that may change with reads and rereads, as always.
Best Short Story: I've read "That Game We Played During the War" and "The City Born Great". I need to read "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies", and "Seasons of Glass and Iron". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
A Sunday Review
TV this week:
- Gotham: "Unleashed" - The key moment in this one, the absolute best bit of television from this show in a long time, was the Penguin appearing at just the right moment with Butch to deal with a certain problem. I mean, there were some truly fantastic moments in this episode, from Bullock's queasiness at retrieving the sword to the most badass manservant ever in a fight for life, but that one moment took the prize. I also enjoyed the meetup of Catwoman and Nygma, as well as the glimpse of another future villain while Selina is on the prowl. This was a surprisingly good episode, with the right balance of humor to offset the usual grim tone of the show. I love Butch's comment about his security. Ha! Brutal, but good.
- The Flash: "The Runaway Dinosaur" - Ah, a trip into the speed force to explore what's holding Barry back. This is a trope of science fiction, where the aliens/power/whatever take familiar forms to talk to people. This time it was mostly well done. I enjoyed Cisco using his powers to find Barry, and how Barry eventually finished his journey. The scene that explains the title of the episode, with Barry quoting it, was touching. What I found even more funny, though, was that Joe suspects Wally of having gotten powers and how Joe tested his theory. Between Wally and Jesse, I'm dying to know if it happens. Throw in a zombie version of an old foe, and this was a solid episode. I didn't much like the cliffhanger or the preview of next week, but everything else was strong.
- Arrow: "Monument Point" - Ok, if I understood this episode correctly, a town with thousands of people was nuked by Russia. So... how exactly is there not some serious and scary retaliation happening very quickly? Not to mention fallout and other problems. There doesn't seem to be a superhero there soaking up the radiation, so this cannot be good for the environment. I get that they are trying to give Darhk some serious power with the deaths, and I get that they have to make the stakes really high. But this seems a bit much to swallow unless there is massive and major repercussions that we hear/see in both the Flash and Arrow in the future.
- Legends of Tomorrow: "Destiny" - NOOOOO! He's my favorite character on the show!!! You can't kill him off! NO!!!! With everything horrible and falling apart, people imprisoned and Rip learning that he was manipulated all the way through his adventures, the team manages to pull together and succeed in a single goal. But the big one, Savage, still remains. And we have one more episode to go. And I can't imagine it without him. *sniff* No, no no no... my favorite character... no... no... why?
- Battlebots Preview: The Gears Awaken - A play-in episode featured four rumbles between three robots each to fill the final four spots on the tournament roster. In the episode, Son of Whyachi pounds out a win against Creepy Crawlies and Ultraviolent, throwing the crawlies around the battlebox and knocking violent out for the count. Blacksmith was an anvil against Basilisk and Gemini, with Basilisk and its flying companion getting knocked down, while Gemini's split bots were out of their weight class. Then Mohawk won a fight by luck because Lycan was far too aggressive and continued to attack Invader after it was immobilized... but still spinning. I think if Lycan had gone after Mohawk instead, it would have won the day. Then the astronaut-designed Black Ice surprised the crowd by jamming Skorpios into a hazard and knocking Bad Kitty off its feet. I really, really love this show. I feel uninhibited yelling and cheering for robots, and I am so thrilled by all the teams and the work they put into it that I can't help but be proud of all of them. Plus, lots of massive destruction, including sparks and flames and moments of sheer horror (no, the remote stopped working!). Add in the incredibly silly commentary and introductions, and it's just one of the best shows on television for me.
- Apr 13th
- Earth 2 Society #11 - Well, that went south fast. I was a little shocked by the Amazons and how they came to exist on this world, but it only makes sense for them. As for the rest... couldn't they have found a better earth? For that matter, can't GL wander off and find a better one now, or is he linked to this one?
- Green Lantern Corps: The Edge of Oblivion #4 - And the truth isn't what it appeared to be, of course. I'm still not that interested in the space lanterns, but at least there appears to be a nice plot twist and hope for a solution. With the
rebootrebirth coming soon, I figure we've got only a couple more issues of each of the DCU storylines to go before we're into something new entirely. - Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5 - The clock is ticking on the turtles, who have a limited time in the DCU before they mutate back into ordinary turtles. But Shredder has no intention of just sitting around waiting to be taken down. So Batman is up against the Foot clan and their newest allies... alone. Ha. I'll bet he's alone. I can't wait to see how this one gets resolved, as it sure looks like a no-win for Batman.
- Wonder Woman '77 Special #3 - Four short stories, a couple pretty good and others not quite as good. It was amusing seeing Clayface show up, and I'd like to see more about that clinic he visited. The anti-ivory story was predictable, but nicely drawn. If only the people who ought to read it would have a chance to read it. The Reverend Mike story was... um... well, I really don't have much to say about it. I'm not keen on aliens showing up, it just seems hokey, and the solution was a little too pat. As was the declaration of love. It was fairly bleah all around. The final story was ok, with a bit of amusing action combined with plot holes you could steer a ship through. Not a bad package, overall.
- DC Comics Bombshells #11 - Wait... Mera was Wonder Woman's first kiss? Wow, this messes with the DCU timeline in all sorts of ways. Ahem. Anyway, this was a mess of an issue, with all kinds of action leading up to the gathering of the entire Bombshells crew in London for one beautiful splash page. This, of course, will not happen again, I'm sure. But it was fun for a moment. Mera had a few good bits in this one, but with the King of Atlantis still on the rampage, I suspect the next issue is going to be her moment.
- Baker Street Peculiars #2 - Well now, if they'd followed directions and returned to report... maybe they wouldn't have been in trouble. Maybe they would. As for the rest... the concept is an old one that's nicely explained within the story, giving the origin of the bad guy along with all his methods. I find it hard to believe that more people wouldn't have spotted them in action and done *something*, but that's one of the amusements of a comic like this. All-in-all, fun stuff. Nice appearance by Miss Hudson as well.
- Doctor Who 9th #1 - At first I thought this was going to be an alternate universe tale, but it turned into something much more crazy funny very quickly. Getting further into the tale, it's definitely going to be a wild ride. I like seeing the Doctor with Rose and Captain Jack, and the hint about Jack's lost time was very intriguing. I'd love to have some of that mystery cleared up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen in the comics. Still, using it as a way to convince them to walk into what appears to be a trap? Lovely. I can hardly wait for the next issue.
- Spongebob Comics #55 - So in this issue we have a pastiche of Popeye the Sailor Man, along with Mermaid Man. It's all a bit confusingly awesome. As a child I was a huge fan of the Popeye cartoons, and could even distinguish between the "good" ones and the "ok" ones by the opening credits. It wasn't until I was an adult that I learned his real origins in the comics pages and found out more about him. Anyway, this means that this comic was a combination of SpongeBob's versions of a couple of entertainment properties I love, so in that sense, I enjoyed it. One aspect of SpongeBob I appreciate is that the creators do not slavishly imitate stuff they are riffing on, so Barnacle Bill is not Popeye, but has lots of familiar aspects. This sailor's gal is a mermaid, and his Bluto is named Gus and drives a speedboat. The Sea Hag is a witch and Sweetpea is... Barnacle Boy? Which leads into a case of mistake identity and utter insanity. The back-up strips are fun, with Patrick getting tattoos (drawing on himself) and Mermaid Man trying to wash his own underwear. I'm curious how this will pan out in the next issue.
- Xena Warrior Princess #1 - I really cannot figure out what's going on in this issue. Ok, well, this issue #1 has a "Previously" text, which says Xena and Gabrielle slept for 25 years, and now half the gods are dead. I think there's a whole lot of context missing because this is a volume 2, and I clearly didn't pick up the first volume. Anyway, the rapport between the pair is still there, if buried by the format. The kids they rescue are a nice way to introduce their abilities and attitudes. It's not a terrible start, but I need a bit more context to understand why things are happening.
Short story reviews:
- "We've Lied" by Bob McHugh. A very short, very simple story. The neat thing about it is the gut-punch ending lines. The idea that a normal life is more interesting is a fun one to explore, and this story allows folks to do that exploring on their own. And it makes me that much more paranoid.
- "The Blood That Pulses in the Veins of One" by JY Yang. This is a really creepy tale of aliens and ritual cannibalism that's more than ritual. Told from the point of view of one of the aliens, the story focuses on the pain of having been caught doing what came natural in a form that looks human. I wouldn't want to say more for fear of spoilers, so I'll leave it there. It's a haunting and disturbing story
Novelette review:
- "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay" by Alyssa Wong. I'm not really sure what to think of this story. It doles out the details slowly, drip by drip, until you get a rough idea of the situation. But it's never quite crystal clear. The main character, a second-person narrative, is named Ellis, and you are a bit wild. You live in a whorehouse in a mining town, doing odd jobs to get by. And it goes on like that. It almost works, but I felt like I needed just a little more certainty to really like the story. As it was, I suspect I understand what happened, but I'm not really sure I know. Decent... strange, but interesting.
Another feature article looks at the belief that a murder victim's eye would hold an image of the last thing the victim saw... presumably the murderer. It's a concept that worked much better in fiction than fact. Yet another feature article is about Chaneques, mischievious little people who cause problems for humans in Veracruz State, Mexico.
The Editorial page starts with the story of Sophie Lancaster, who was murdered by a gang of teens because she looked "different". A book called Dare to Shine will be published with proceeds going to a foundation set up in Sophie's honor to combat prejudice and intolerance. The editorial continues with a bit about a soccer player and his supposed curse, but that's all pretty silly.
Strange Days starts off with a penguin love story: I'm a sucker for that sort of goofiness. The Conspirasphere has an actual interesting tale... more because of the medical facts than the conspiracy itself, which is pretty thin. There's a piece on boring guys, something on alien sex, and some unexplicable footprints in the snow on the side of a mountain. There's a really terrifying piece on Thai dolls that are supposed to hold the souls of dead children. The terrifying bit comes in when the older origins of the tradition are explained... *shudder*. There's also a piece on pets that sniff out illnesses in their human companions.
Science has a 14th Century Computer, sort of. Archaeology tackles folklore origins and finds some stories are much older than thought. Classical Corner goes sailing with a bunch of boats that didn't quite manage to be boats. Ghostwatch covers a couple of topics, including deathbed visions and ghosts that have appeared thanks to the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Alien Zoo looks at a ghost octopus, black fox and black coyote. Mythconceptions demolishes the old canard about why there is no Nobel for mathematics.
Strange Statesmen goes back to American politics and finds a couple of really odd folks. I'm sure there's plenty more where those came from. Building a Fortean Library is... well... about forteana in classical times. With a rather odd image of a statue that kind of ties in with the evil eye story along with the fortean classic and isn't something I'd be showing to any child.
The forum revisits a strange sighting from 1967 in one article, then has an article I can only describe as really freaking odd in support of an upcoming book. I don't intend to get the book.
Speaking of books, the reviews are awsome as usual, starting with one about why people believe in conspiracy theories. The second review is about giants reported in America, and in an act of synchronicity I recently sent a "clipping" of one of the local newspaper's articles from 1906 about skeletons of giants being found in Maryland, originally from the Baltimore American.
It can be said I found the letters in this issue extremely entertaining, as this issue contains my second printed letter to the magazine. That letter is probably the worst of the lot, with many other great letters from FT readers, including a nicely informed reader who writes that there hasn't been a death attributed to a black widow spider since 1983... a fact that reassures me a bit, since I grew up in an area with no native poisonous spiders and have since moved to a place with plenty of the nasty little critters.
All-in-all, another excellent issue of my favorite magazine.
My book this week was Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News that Matters to Cats by Georgia Dunn. The instant I heard that there was going to be a collection of this online comic, I pre-ordered it.
The book concerns the activities of three cats who live in a house and report on their daily activities. They have microphones and a newsdesk. Puck is a black cat with only three legs. Elvis is a grumpy siamese. Lupin is white and more adventurous than the other two. In this book they experience their home, moving home, a guest and the woman growing bigger then bringing home a larval human.
The strip that got me addicted to the comic is on Page 27... you'll have to purchase the book to figure out which one that is. In the meantime, if you've never read this, you can read the current storyline at Breaking Cat News, or start from the top. The comic is also available at Go Comics, which is a bit behind the main site. This book collects all the strips from the beginning until The People Won't Let Us Up On The Counter. I wish it had gone one more, since The Man lost his tail is hysterical.
The book is great, and a great way to support an excellent comic. Incidentally, when the package arrived from Amazon, I set it down on a chair and when I came back, Inkwell was attempting to open it. I thought it was pretty cute. As usual, as soon as I tried to get a photo of him doing it, he reverted to cleaning himself.
Sunday, May 01, 2016
A Sunday Review
TV this week:
- The Flash: "Back to Normal" - Barry has to deal with what happened in the previous episode, while Harrison hunts for his daughter. This episode is about heroism and doing what is right, and it pulls together a lot of plot points to find the souls of a couple of our characters. Barry will always be a hero. Harrison will always try to trick and lie to get around problems. It's just how this world works. Add in the other side, with Zoom, and there's something even more interesting going on. Zoom has needs, and it's not clear how he's going to fill those needs. The freak-of-the-week was a sad little story, as well. Put together, it was a solid episode.
- Arrow: "Canary Cry" - Lots of flashbacks in this episode, but none to the island, thank goodness. With comics, death is really hard to take seriously, as we've already learned in this show. And nothing at all made that more clear than Lance's certainty that this death could be reversed. Also interesting was the mayor's attempt to get killed. What was she playing at? Clearly there's an endgame that Ollie can't see. The show has set up impossible odds to overcome, so it's going to be a strange ride to find out how this storyline plays out.
- Legends of Tomorrow: "Leviathan" - This had the feel of a final episode, not the fourth-to-last episode. The crew is running out of time thanks to their removal of themselves from the timestream, and so they go after Savage in the one place he's absolutely certain to be. And they fail. Well, that's yet to be completely determined, but yeah, they don't quite succeed, which is why there are three more episodes. Highlights of this one? The giant robot battle, which frankly was so silly it worked. Snart being all Snarty. Seriously, I think I'm falling in love with this version of Captain Cold. Rory's remarks. The way they weaponize the bracelet. What didn't work... why didn't the refugees simply flee the ship? Why didn't she tell Savage "they took the bracelet from me as soon as they captured me", which was the truth, instead of lying? And how, exactly, did Savage pull that mind-trick? It doesn't make sense to me. So, not bad, but not entirely satisfying, either.
- Mar 23rd
- Doctor Who 4th #1 - This issue immediately had the feel of a Sarah Jane Adventures to me... but with it's own twists, obviously. I love the Doctor's response to the professor's big revelation. I wonder if the professor will get a chance to really travel in time? There's not been enough story to really judge this yet, but so far it's promising.
- Doctor Who 10th #2.7 - Ah, a conclusion of sorts with a massive secret that is carried on to the next issue. Lovely. My biggest complaint with this issue, and the book in general recently, has been the expansion of the cast. I can't keep track of all the characters, which has been annoying. Even so, the book managed to hold together well and keep me going. I like the Doctor sneaking away with his companions at the end. Very like him. So, yeah, a good issue.
- Doctor Who 11th #2.7 - Breaking into jail, breaking out of jail... I really want to know what The Squire is now. She's not what she thinks she is, but she's totally awesome, so where did she come from and what is her future? Abslom is pretty funny in this one, but he's going to need to be let loose on the bad guys soon, or the Doctor is going to regret it.
- Mar 30th
- Aquaman #50 - This is a very different Garth than the hip kid who grew up with Robin in the Teen Titans and went to school in Scotland. I have some issues with him being that clueless, especially as Titans Hunt reveals he was a member of that group once... but then again, maybe the memory wipe took out everything he knew about the surface world. A bit odd, nonetheless. As for Mera, her comment about ridiculous garments made them a little easier to handle for me. Originally I was very upset that she was dressing up as Aquaman, but I guess if it's a media persona thing I might be able to endure it. The federal agents were a nice, funny touch to the story. The capture was... wow. A puddle. Very cool. And the press conference was fine, I guess. But how do you handle a man who will transform into a monster with a little water added? Instant Monster, just add water.
- Justice League of America #8 - On the one hand, yay Aquaman with his trident. On the other hand, boo for Rao for killing lots of innocents by using up their life forces. Wonder Woman's frustration at not being able to finish him was interesting too. I'll never be able to hear "Great Rao!" again without thinking about this storyline.
- Back to the Future #6 - First part of a multi-parter that takes place after all the movies. I'm not surprised Marty is a little bored after all his adventures, but I am a little surprised at the plot twist that wakes him up and gets him going. I think I've enjoyed the prequel stories more, but this isn't a bad little tale.
Short story reviews:
- "The Birth Will Take Place on a Mutually Acceptable Research Vessel" by Matthew Bailey (Lightspeed Magazine Apr. 2016). It takes a little while to figure out what, exactly, is happening. Not too long. Putting aside the obvious problems with a cross-species birth of any sort, this story gets down into the nitty-gritty of what it might be like to be the first in a dangerous new situation. It's a lovely little story, ultimately happy. Not a bad read at all.
- "Of Metal Men and Scarlet Thread and Dancing with the Sunrise" by Ken Scholes (Lightspeed Magazine Apr. 2016). My first thought after reading this was that I hoped he'd written more about this universe. Turns out, yup, this is his universe. I'm going to go seek out the novels now, since this is a great little introduction to this world. I'm curious to see what will happen to the characters and how the story evolves. However, this also works very well as a standalone story of a man making decisions to try to save as much as possible after a disaster. Definitely worth checking out.
- "Ye Highlands and Ye Lowlands" by Seanan McGuire (Uncanny Magazine Issue 10). Wow, this is a really depressing story. Even more depressing when you realize just how stupid the mistake was and how easily it could be fixed by someone just asking the right questions or clarifying. I disagree that this is about actions having consequences... it's more about making sure you understand before you take action. I'm afraid this one will probably give me nightmares. Yikes.
- "The Sound of Salt and Sea" by Kat Howard (Uncanny Magazine Issue 10) - That's one fantastic world there, where the dead come back to walk among the living and the living both endure and enjoy it. This story set up a nice conflict, with the funeral customs and the need for a person to make sure the dead go back where they belong. What I think I'm trying to say is the world-building is excellent. Beyond that, it's a solid story with a satisfying beginning and end, and I enjoyed it a lot. Recommended.
The second feature article of the magazine is about a series of strange UFO reports. The Magonia Exchange, a group on online researchers using archived newspapers to hunt for interesting stories, uncovered this case and use it in the article as a way of explaining how the work of hunting down the origins of these stories happens. I love the detective work that goes into it, and I admit I ache to join them. If only I were independently wealthy and could spend my days as I wished!
The third feature is about the X-Files, a show I never watched in its original run, although I'm open to binge-watching it if I ever do become independently wealthy. The final article is about a Chilean island upon which a group of witches took control during that uncomfortable gap between self-rule and colonial attention.
Strangedays starts out with tales of Japanese taxi drivers picking up disappearing fares in the tsunami-devastated areas. There's a great photo of an "ancient Greek laptop" in a sculpture. I'd like a view from the top... is there a keyboard? Maybe then I'd think there was something to it. There's a nice round-up of stupid criminals and a report of people who can talk via whistling to communicate over long distances.
A few neat photos of cats grace the pages of strangedays, but I sincerely doubt the cats with the split coloring on their faces are chimaeras... If they are, there are a lot of them out there. I met one just like those photos just the other day here in town. There's also a bit on flat-earthers, who exist around the globe. Ha. And there's a round up of reports of people injured by meteor fragments.
The Conspirasphere has a scientific attempt to show how many people can keep a secret for how long, to prove that many/most of the more lunatic conspiracies can't possibly be true. As Noel Rooney points out, it's not going to convince anyone who already believes the world is ruled by lizards. Alien Zoo has a report on where the Loch Ness Monster might hide when people are scanning the loch. Um... right. There's also some very large worms and a bleached giraffe.
Ghostwatch is basically a review that rips apart a recent TV drama about Harry Price, then explains what it got wrong and why it's so horrible to his memory and to the concept of ghost hunters in general. Mythconceptions takes on the concept of body language, and how to tell if people are lying by the way their eyes move. Fairies and Folklore is about Bogey Beasts. The UFO Files continues to look at Rendlesham Forest.
Strange Statesmen goes over the wall and into the realm of the utterly insane. I'm not really sure what to think of this one. The Illustrated Police News is about a man who fasted for a living. Yeah, that's right, he stopped eating while on display and drew crowds and made a bunch of money. Until it fell out of favor with the masses. Phenomenomix is about, surprise, David Bowie.
A special report focuses on John Dee's library, an exhibit at the Royal College of Physicians in London. I'd love to go check it out, but I think that's a bit beyond my means. The Forum starts with a tale of what might possibly be considered mass hysteria by a bunch of boys at a church camp. The much more interesting piece, however, is the story of trying to figure out how big a cat was in some video... the results surprised the researchers, who definitely learned a lesson about judging size from what you see without much context on a video screen.
Reviews has more than one book I want to read, starting with a book about redheads and moving on to a book on Tesla. I'm also kind of interested in the Hitchcock interview documentary. The letters are lovely, and there's a full page of trees that looks like faces. I'm also happy with It Happened to Me, which has a piece that reminds me of the phantom footsteps I heard on a sleepover with my best friend as a child. Not much to say about that experience, except we thought it was her brother sneaking up on us, but when we turned on the lights, no one was there.
This was a pretty good issue of my favorite magazine. If you have an open mind and a very odd sense of humor, this is definitely the magazine for you.
Leaving off whether or not I agree with Ehrman's conclusions, the explanations are top-notch. This is how a writer needs to explain a complicated problem to a normal person. Ehrman excels at grabbing a specific example and using it to carefully peel away the layers of mistakes or misquotes to find what might have been the original text. He explains the different types of mistakes that scribes make, and notes that the vast majority of changes were unintentional - misspellings and the like. But they are changes nonetheless, and for a guy who came up through the born-again-every-word-in-the-Bible-is-divinely-inspired world, Ehrman says finding even typos in the Bible was an eye opening experience for him. As I come from a tradition that says the Bible has been altered significantly over the centuries, the notion had far less of an impact on me. I expect to see differences and changes, so much of Ehrman's book cemented my own understanding of the New Testament.
I was a little taken aback by some of the ideas, particularly about how to determine if a source is closer to the original. A lot of those bits were things I hadn't really thought about, so some of it was strange to me. Then there's the idea of hunting down original manuscripts. It actually puts the Dead Sea Scrolls into a much clearer context for me. Any earlier source of documents of the New Testament is a good thing, as it brings us closer to the originals.
There's also a good section on the different forces within early Christianity that made scribes remove or add bits to support their own theories and beliefs. From heretic groups within the religion to people who hated Christianity from without, the writings themselves sometimes reflected the problems of the times through the alterations. Ehrman makes some interesting cases for things that are and aren't original to the texts of various scriptures. He also makes a good case that the first four books are presenting entirely different stories of Jesus, based on their author's own beliefs and intents, and that reading all four testaments as if they agree with one another is a false reading. I definitely see where he's coming from on that notion.
Ehrman also has a theory about reading, which is the finale of his book. His notion is that every reader brings themself into any work. Every existing work is interpreted differently by different people simply due to our own experiences. Thus, no single reading is correct and no single reading is wrong. It reminds me of Bujold's essay on loving early Star Trek, and how the viewers of the original show worked to bring their own interpretation to it. People watching plays fill in the bits that can't be seen on stage. People reading a text fill in gaps and descriptions from what they already know and have experienced. It's how we enjoy works. And because of that, people read the same thing and get different meanings from it. The result in the time of the early scribes is that sometimes the scribe wrote what they thought the text meant instead of copying it exactly. Which should have been a no-no, but it wasn't always intentional change. It still resulted in something different being passed down than the original author meant.
If you are a person who believes the Bible is the un-alterable Word of God, then you are probably going to be either offended or depressed by this book. Considering the impact of the Bible on the Western World, anyone else should find it a very interesting look at how the New Testament came to be. I recommend it.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
A Sunday Review
The File 770 folks have been talking about this book non-stop for months, so I decided to take a break from Hugo reading to read it. That may have been a mistake, as I now want to read the other books in the series. But I think I'll allow myself a rest and go back to potential 2016 Hugo works first.
The story concerns a woman/girl who ends up in a very strange town with holes in her memory and some very strange talents. The result is a hodgepodge of story that slowly clicks into place as the book rushes to a painful but powerful conclusion. I was gobsmacked by the whole thing, honestly. It was overwhelming on multiple levels to the point where I'm going to have to reread.
Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Wnzr vf na vagevthvat punenpgre, qvssvphyg gb haqrefgnaq ng gvzrf. Fur'f chfuvat sbejneq jvgu rirelguvat fur'f tbg orpnhfr fur unf fbzr frpergf gung fur pna'g erzrzore. Gung naq gur pynjf. Ohg fur'f pyrneyl pbzcnffvbangr naq pnerf nobhg ure ubabe naq ubarfgl, juvpu znxrf fbzr bs ure pubvprf n yvggyr bqq. Fgvyy, V rawblrq ure dhrfgvat nebhaq, yvxr n Q&Q cynlre rkcybevat gur pvgl.
Gur angher bs qvivavgl frrzf gb or n znva gurzr va gur pbagrkg bs gur fgbel. Fur'f zbabgurvfgvp, juvpu vf nccneragyl ener, ohg fur'f va n pvgl svyyrq jvgu tbqf gung unir npghny rssrpg ba gur jbexvatf nebhaq ure. Vg'f irel vagrerfgvat gb abgr ubj Wnzr naq gur cevrfg jbex bhg jung'f unccravat va qvssrerag jnlf. Gur npghny nafjre vf arire dhvgr frggyrq va gur raq. Gurer'f n zhygvirefr, naq fbzr xvaq bs rirag fcnaavat znal havirefrf, ohg jung ure tbq npghnyyl vf arire trgf rkcynvarq va guvf obbx.
Juvyr cneg bs zr yvxrf gur jnl gur fgbel yrnxf bhg va ohefgf naq fgernzf, urer naq gurer, jvgu gur ernqre xabjvat irel yvggyr zber guna Wnzr ng nal cbvag - cneg bs zr jnf qvfngvfsvrq ng gur wbygvat fprar punatrf naq gur jnl gvzr sybjrq va svgf naq fgnegf. Gur obbx jnf obgu snfpvangvat naq ernyyl veevgngvat. Jura V ernq gung vg jnf gur nhgube'f svefg rssbeg, vg znqr zber frafr, ohg V jvfu vg unq tbar guebhtu n pbhcyr zber rqvgf orsber choyvpngvba. Vg pbhyq unir orra n ybg fzbbgure n ernq jvgubhg ybfvat vgf vzcnpg. V jbaqre ubj zhpu gur nhgube vzcebirf bire gur arkg srj obbxf?
Gur fhccbegvat punenpgref jrer sha. Gur jvqbj va gur xvgpura, gur ovmneer vaaxrrcre, gur eviny npebff gur fgerrg... ybgf bs arng crbcyr gb zrrg va guvf bar. Cneg bs gur wbl bs guvf obbx jnf gheavat nebhaq naq svaqvat n arj punenpgre shyyl syrfurq naq ernql gb tb ba gur arkg cntr. V xvaq bs ubcr gb trg onpx gb gur pvgl riraghnyyl naq purpx va ba rirelobql.
In conclusion, a strange and interesting book. I can't recommend it without reservation, but it has rewards for the careful reader.
Short story reviews:
- "Going Endo" by Rich Larson is about a tech who kind of falls for a bio weapon in the strangest way. I'm still not sure what to think of this one, except that it's all about sex and yet it's all about other things as well. But mostly sex. Interesting story with a good voice for the main character, but not for the overly chaste, I think.
- "The Ninth Seduction" by Sean McMullen is about goblins and elves and beauty and the loss of beauty. This was actually a really intense read once I figured out what was happening, which was fairly clear when the ship didn't leave. In the end, it seems like the main characters all got what they wanted, which is even stranger. It's a chilling little story, in that way.
- "Time Bomb Time" by C.C. Finlay is a story that (spoilers) ernqf gur fnzr onpxjneqf naq sbejneqf. Gur snpg gung vg'f zbfgyl n tvzzvpx fgbel jbexf ntnvafg gur bqqf bs zr abzvangvat vg sbe nalguvat, ohg ba gur bgure unaq, vg'f n qrprag yvggyr fgbel. V'z abg rira tbvat gb nggrzcg gb jevgr n erivrj va gur fnzr fglyr, nygubhtu gur gubhtug pebffrq zl zvaq.
Movie review:
- The Martian - I'm sure most of my readers have already seen it, but I'll still rot13 just for the handful who haven't. Nf jvgu nal nqncgngvba bs n abiry gb svyz, gurer jrer fnpevsvprf. Va gur obbx, Znex vf jevgvat uvf ybt ragevrf. Va gur zbivr, gurl ner ivqrb ragevrf. Gurer ner n pbhcyr bs znwbe punatrf va gur zbivr sebz gur obbx, vapyhqvat gur erzbiny bs na ragver frdhrapr bs riragf qhevat Znex'f ybat bireynaq gevc ng gur raq. Rirelguvat ng gur raq bs gur zbivr - nyy gur arng hcqngrf ba rirelbar - nyfb jrer abg va gur obbx. V ybirq gur obbx naq V ybir gur zbivr, ohg gurl ner qvssrerag navznyf. Gung fnvq, V nqberq gur zbivr sbe znxvat areql frrz njrfbzr naq znxvat n gevc gb Znef frrz cbffvoyr. Ng gur zbzrag, jr qba'g unir gur grpu gung jbhyq or erdhverq sbe Znex gb fheivir. Nyzbfg nyy bs vg rkvfgf, ohg gurer ner fbzr pehpvny zvffvat cvrprf naq gur zbivr znqr vg jbex ol whfg abg zragvbavat gur ceboyrz. V'z fnq gur Ndhnzna ersrerapr qvqa'g znxr vg vagb gur svyz, ohg vg jnf va n cebzb, juvpu jnf pbby. V nyfb sryg gur punenpgref bhgfvqr bs Jngarl jrer orggre ernyvmrq va gur zbivr guna va gur obbx, fvzcyl orpnhfr jr frr zber bs gurz qverpgyl. Hfhnyyl vg'f gur bgure jnl nebhaq, ohg vg'f na hahfhny glcr bs obbx. V nyzbfg jvfu guvf unq orra bar bs gubfr pnfrf jurer V fnj gur zbivr svefg, orpnhfr V pna'g uryc ohg pbzcner gur gjb va rirel jnl naq V'z univat n uneq gvzr whfg gnxvat gur zbivr ba vgf bja. V guvax gur zbivr jnf irel jryy qbar naq sha, ohg V'z abg fher vg unf n ybg bs erjngpu inyhr. It'll be on my Hugo nomination form for sure.
TV this week:
- Doctor Who: "Before the Flood" - I admit I'm annoyed that it appears this season of Doctor Who is going to be all two-parters. I shouldn't be: I generally like well-done cliffhangers. But for some reason, this has annoyed me. I also like well-done stand-alone episodes, and from what I'm hearing, we aren't going to get those this year. Ok, back to the actual story... There were plot holes. Several of them. The biggest and most annoying is gur zrgubq ol juvpu gur Qbpgbe orpnzr n tubfg. Ur fnvq vg jnf n ubybtenz. Avsgl. Ohg, nf n ubybtenz, ubj qvq vg ghea bss gur Snenqnl pntr? Naq B'Qbaaryy'f qrngu jnf jebat jebat jebat! V ubcrq gung gur Qbpgbe jbhyq svther bhg ubj gb erirefr gur "qrnguf" ng gung cbvag... boivbhfyl nf n qrnq zna jnyxvat ur jbhyq unir gb, evtug? Ohg ur qvqa'g, naq gung veevgngrq zr n ybg. Va snpg, gur obbgfgenc cnenqbk pbzovarq jvgu gur zntvpny ubybtenz cerggl zhpu qrfgeblrq gur rcvfbqr sbe zr. Vg jnf jryy-npgrq naq zbfgyl jryy-jevggra, ohg gurer jrer ovgf gung jrer whfg fb jebat gung V'z tbvat gb unir gb whfg fvtu naq fnl, "gvzrl-jvzrl penc ntnva". Bar ynfg gubhtug, gur fprar bs Pnff orvat punfrq naq svthevat bhg gur qnatre ol gbhpuvat gur sybbe jnf irel avpryl qbar. Pnff jnf gur orfg cneg bs jung fubhyq/pbhyq unir orra n irel tbbq fgbel. So, in summary, I'm feeling a bit let down by this one.
- Gotham: "The Last Laugh" - So, they pulled off the big misdirection. Vg jnf nffhzrq gung Wrebzr jbhyq tebj hc gb or gur Wbxre - vafgrnq, vg ybbxf yvxr ur'f tbvat gb or gur vafcvengvba sbe gur Wbxre be Wbxref (yvxr va Ongzna Orlbaq, znlor?). V ernyyl qvqa'g rkcrpg uvf qrngu, ohg url, guvf fubj yvxrf gb mnt jura rirelbar vf rkcrpgvat n mvt. Zl snibevgr cneg ol sne jnf Nyserq'f nggrzcg gb cvpx hc Yrr naq uvf qvfthfg jura ur frrf Yrr naq Wvz xvffvat. Urnq bire urryf, gung jnf Nyserq. Naq fvapr V xabj gung va ng yrnfg bar irefvba bs gur zhygvirefr Nyserq naq Yrfyvr unq fbzr fbeg bs uvfgbel, V jnf gvpxyrq ol rirel fprar jvgu gur gjb. Gur fprarf bs Wrebzr jvgu uvf sngure jrer nyfb jryy-qbar va n ubeevoyr fbeg bs jnl. A decent little episode.
- The Flash: "The Man Who Saved Central City" - This didn't pick up from the cliffhanger at the end of the first season... no, instead we got a "six months later" scenario va juvpu Ebaavr unq fnpevsvprq uvzfrys, Pnvgyva jnf fgnlvat njnl sebz FGNE ynof, Pvfpb vf jbexvat jvgu gur cbyvpr naq Oneel vf n pbzcyrgr ybare. Jr riraghnyyl yrnea jung unccrarq va gur pyvssunatre, naq jub gur gvgyr ernyyl ersref gb... naq ubj Oneel oryvrirf vg vfa'g uvz, vg'f Ebaavr. V yvxrq ubj Oneel jnf ercnvevat nyy gur ybpny ohfvarffrf ng avtug, ohg V jbhyq guvax ur'q or pybfre gb orvat qbar nsgre fvk zbaguf. V nyfb yvxrq ubj gur grnz chyyrq vgfrys gbtrgure qrfcvgr Oneel'f qrfver gb or nybar naq urycrq uvz... ntnva, qrfcvgr uvf qrfverf. Gur snagnfl nqiragher ng gur ortvaavat, jvgu Oneel fheebhaqrq ol sevraqf naq urycrq bhg ol Sverfgbez, jnf nyfb arng. V bayl unq gjb ceboyrzf jvgu guvf rcvfbqr. Gur svefg vf n fgehpgheny ceboyrz qhr gb gur gvzr gjvfg gung unccrarq va ynfg frnfba'f svanyr: vs gur Erirefr Synfu irefvba bs Jryyf arire rkvfgrq, ubj pbhyq ur yrnir FGNE ynof gb Oneel? Va snpg, ubj pbhyq Oneel rkvfg? Gur ragver gvzryvar bs Gur Synfu vf fperjrq hc. Ohg gung svany fprar znl unir gur nafjre gb gung ceboyrz. Gur bgure ceboyrz jnf Oneel'f qnq'f pubvpr gb yrnir. Qhqr, lbhe xvq jbexrq cerggl zhpu uvf ragver nqhyg yvsr gb trg lbh serr, unat nebhaq n ovg naq OR jvgu uvz. Overall? I enjoyed it a lot. There's a lot of possible future stories to explore and things I need to see happen, but it was a good first episode.
- Arrow: "Green Arrow" - So Ollie is a good cook? After the end of last season I wasn't at all sure how this show could continue. But then, this show is consistently twisty. Guvf rcvfbqr erfrg gur fgnghf dhb, naq qvq n tbbq wbo ng vg, V guvax. V yvxr gung Sryvpvgl xrcg ure unaq va, rira gubhtu fur jnf npgvat yvxr n unccl ubhfrjvsr. V'z fnq gung Byyvr'f fbhssyr jnf vagreehcgrq, ohg abg fhecevfrq. V jnf fubpxrq ol gur eriryngvba nobhg Pncgnva Ynapr. Ubjrire, V'z nyernql oberq ol Qnzvra Qneux naq ubcr ur tbrf njnl fbba. Gur svany fprar jnf zrnag gb znxr hf guvax Sryvpvgl qvrf, ohg qhr gb gur angher bs guvf fubj, V unir ab vqrn jub vf ernyyl va gur tenir. Nyy V xabj sbe fher vf gung guvf jnf n fnynq bs na rcvfbqr jvgu n ybg bs bqq zbzragf. I liked it, but it wasn't the best episode.
- Aug 26th
- Justice League of America #3 - I find the complete lack of Aquaman disturbing. I also like how the priest explains there are more problems that need to be solved than just feeding people. I can't help but think in a super-hero universe, those problems would be worse in many places... and I don't see Rao as likely to solve them in a single day.
- Aquaman #43 - And we finally get the real reason Mera turned on Aquaman. Frankly, that makes a lot more sense than anything I'd come up with. While I'm not happy to see this turn of events, it is a bit of a relief.
- Sinestro #14 - I was not expecting Nax to have such a ... useful ability. Not one that complements Soranik as deeply as that did. Surprisingly, I like Nax. So, there's two characters in this book I can stand.
- Batman '66 #26 - Poison Ivy in all her flora. Nice origin for the character here, and funny how Batman and Robin figure out where she is (an all-night custard stand? Really?). Very fun issue.
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #3 - It still doesn't make any sense, but it's making less nonsense in this issue than the past two, if that makes sense. Which it doesn't. I just don't think this way.
- Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #4 - Yeah, the book has been hinting at Dorothy's change since the beginning. It's about time something along those lines happened.
- Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #3 - Continuity bomb, huh? Well, that's it for continuity if Marinus is involved. Let's see what happens next.
Sunday, October 04, 2015
A Sunday Review
First up: the completely *non-spoiler review. Starting almost 20 years after na vasnzbhf qrongr raqrq gur rkcrevzragny Whfg Pvgl (na nggrzcg gb perngr Cyngb'f Erchoyvp va gur qvfgnag cnfg), guvf obbx fubjf ubj gur senpgherq cbchynpr trgf ba jvgubhg uryc sebz Nguran naq gur ebobg jbexref fur cebivqrq. This book is not nearly as unsettling as the first in some ways, but in other ways... whew. It's a wild ride. *It's been pointed out that my non-spoilers were not non-spoiler enough. My mistake, and a big one. I apologize to anyone who was spoiled.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Vg'f 20 lrnef ba naq gur obbx cerggl zhpu fgnegf jvgu gur qrngu bs Fvzzrn, gur Znel Fhr bs gur svefg abiry. Fur'f orpbzr terng juvyr chefhvat rkpryyrapr naq yvivat va gur Erzanag bs gur Whfg Pvgl. Fur'f nyfb unq n qnhtugre, Nergr, jub orpbzrf gur guveq ibvpr jr ernq va guvf abiry. Yvxr gur svefg, gur puncgref fjvgpu orgjrra cbvag-bs-ivrj bs guerr punenpgref, gjb bs gurz gur fnzr sebz Gur Whfg Pvgl.
Boivbhfyl, gur ovttrfg greebe bs guvf obbx vf jung Ncbyyb qbrf gb Xrorf/Zngguvnf. Vg vf, sbeghangryl, abg eraqrerq gbb qvfgvapgyl va jevgvat. Ohg vg vf qrfpevorq rabhtu gb znxr zr srry zber guna n yvggyr fvpx. Gur npgvba vf gur erfhyg bs Ncbyyb ernqvat Fvzzrn'f qvnel: jung jnf 1/3 bs gur cerivbhf obbx. Nyy bs gung jnf oehgny, naq nyy bs gung jnf arprffnel gb rkcynva gur npgvbaf bs gur punenpgref vaibyirq, V guvax.
V nyfb rawblrq gur wbl bs Ncbyyb'f puvyqera nf gurl ernyvmrq gurl unir cbjref naq pna orpbzr qrzv-tbqf. Orggre lrg, gurl ner yvxryl gb orpbzr na npghny cnagurba ng gur raq bs gur fgbel, nsgre Mrhf chgf gurz va gurve arj ubzr. V jnf nyfb cyrnfrq gb frr gung gurl unq n pubvpr. Zhpu vf znqr bs ubj vzcbegnag vg vf sbe crbcyr gb unir n pubvpr. Gur ragver frevrf eribyirf nebhaq gung vqrn gb fbzr rkgrag.
V sryg guvf obbx uryq gbtrgure fyvtugyl orggre guna gur svefg obbx, ohg gbtrgure gurl znxr n sbezvqnoyr grnz. Qrsvavgryl fbzrguvat V'z tynq gung V ernq. Guvf Uhtb guvat unf fbzrguvat tbvat sbe vg, boivbhfyl!
In conclusion, I believe nominating The Just City/The Philosopher Kings as a single work may be appropriate and may be something I will do. I'll have to think about it a little more, but I think they work best together.
Short story reviews:
- "Miriam and I, After the End" by I. Verse is a short tale of what happens to a robot caretaker after the end of the world. I quite like the "voice" of the robot, telling us how it got into the situation its in, and I can't help but feel for Miriam, who isn't feeling anything but is still cared for. A strange little story.
- "The Cubicle Witch" by James Luther Reinebold is a quick but jolting fantasy of the modern office building. Having seen more than a few offices in my life, I'm just glad I never got to the point where a 13th floor accountant-turned-witch would be something I'd feel like turning to for help. But then, I've always been the type to leave a situation like that first.
- "The Pixie Game" by Anna Zumbro is set in a fairly normal universe, except for the well-known existence of pixies. Gage takes a dare and regrets it. Cute little story, but there's not a lot of *ahem* bones to it.
- "Pot" by Chuck Rothman is a very silly story about a leprechaun and his gold. It's a bit of a stinker, but somewhat funny.
- "Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Apocalypse" by Claire Spaulding is a spare tale about love at the end of the world. Like most of the stories I'm finding on Daily Science Fiction, there's just something missing. It's not a bad story, but it needs more to be a great story.
TV this week:
- Doctor Who: "Under the Lake" - I didn't know this was a two-parter. I was engrossed enough that I didn't figure it out right away. Which is both good and bad. Good, because it means I really enjoyed the story. Bad, because at the cliff-hanger I just yelled "ARGH!" Ok... let's see. Good things: it's nice to see Clara and the Doctor just out having adventure, and some of the patter between the two (mostly on Clara's part) was fun. The crew of the station was great, with a simply awesome second-in-command. V jvfu jr'q unq zber gvzr jvgu gur pbzznaqre uvzfrys. Gur genafyngbe vf n xrl punenpgre - V'z fher rirelbar svtherq bhg jul ur jnfa'g xvyyrq, evtug? Ur arire ybbxrq ng gur jbeqf, fb ur pbhyqa'g orpbzr n genafzvggre, fb uvf qrngu jnf cbvagyrff. V jnfa'g fher nobhg gur raq, rfcrpvnyyl ubj gur gvzrl-jvzrl ovgf jbex. Next Saturday cannot come fast enough.
- Gotham: "Knock, Knock" - Whew. I really was not expecting that one. I mean... obviously a pile of lunatics running loose is going to cause problems, but I really didn't expect those particular actions. In fact, those were about as far from what I was expecting at this point in the season as it's possible to get. So, svefg gurer ner zheqref ng gur arjfcncre'f bssvpr, gura n fpubby ohf shyy bs purreyrnqref arneyl trgf sevrq. Gubfr ner onq rabhtu, ohg gura nqq va gur cbyvpr znffnper (uneq gb gryy ubj znal bssvpref qvrq irefhf ubj znal whfg ynl fgvyy hagvy gur qnatre jnf tbar) naq vg'f haoryvrinoyr. Naq gur pbzzvffvbare! Qnat, Revp cerqvpgrq fur jbhyqa'g ynfg gur frnfba, ohg fur qvqa'g znxr vg guebhtu gur rcvfbqr. Gur bgure cybgf jrer terng... Nyserq unq fbzr ybiryl zbzragf va guvf rcvfbqr, vapyhqvat uvf senax gnyx jvgu Yhpvhf Sbk. Altzn'f fhocybg, fubeg nf vg jnf, bs fnivat Xevfgra jnf bar bs gubfr gjvfgf gung'f obhaq gb unir artngvir pbafrdhraprf va gur shgher. I really doubt this series can keep up this level of action. I'm kind of expecting to be let down like I was with last season. But so far so good.
- Aug 19th
- Justice League #43 - Luthor isn't usually this stupid, is he? I'm still annoyed at the lack of Aquaman in this storyline, but not very annoyed, because it's a crappy storyline, so it's best Aquaman's not involved in it.
- Harley Quinn & Power Girl #3 - *speechless* *shaking head* *stunned open-mouthed staring* *wrinkled eyebrow and mild frown* *speechless* *disturbed laughter* *befuddlement*
- Green Lantern: The Lost Army #3 - This entire situation is nasty, but I'm actually vaguely interested in how this is going to play out. I actually sympathize with Guy for once. Very odd.
- Teen Titans Go #11 - Cyborg's facial hair and Raven's family. Well, they can't all be winners. But I am amused by the cover, at least.
- Astro City #26 - So, the overall arc is getting a bit stickier. The heroes are thinking about the next generation and worrying about getting older. Interesting. And this is a nice tribute to the first issue.
- Oddly Normal #9 - Ok, this is fun on several levels. Lots of potential for new stories set up, and a new character introduced, along with a resolution to a past one. Nice.
- Fiction #3 - Ah, I'm seeing links to Doctor Who in this one. There's a very old DW story that uses the exact method seen here to get out of trouble. Hrm.
- Doctor Who 2015: Four Doctors #2 - Trying to avoid something always seems to make it happen, yes? The Keys of Marinus is one of my favorite serials of the original series, so I'm eagerly awaiting what happens next.
- Rivers of London #2 - Still not making a whole lot of sense to me, but I'm following the gist of it, I think. Fun stuff.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
A Sunday Review
This is yet another book I jumped into without reading anything more than "it's good!" from a bunch of people. Seriously, this is very unlike me, and I have expected to be disappointed, but mostly I've been extremely impressed by the quality of the works.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. The story is set in a small valley threatened by an evil Wood, and it starts out with the most perfect opening:
Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.If that doesn't draw you in, nothing will. The plot from there seems a bit obvious, until it isn't any more. The main character's name is Agnieszka, pronounced ag-NYESH-kah, as pointed out in the acknowledgments in the back of the book. I would have liked to have read that bit at the beginning... but that may be the biggest flaw I found in the whole thing.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Gur angher bs gur Jbbq vf gbyq ragveryl, ohg va gubfr synfuonpxf-bs-Gehgu gung V jbhyq svaq vaperqvoyl qvfgheovat gb qrny jvgu, crefbanyyl. V jbaqrerq rneyl ba jul gur Qentba qvqa'g vafvfg ba qbvat gur Fhzzbavat ba gur dhrra, rkprcg sbe gur snpg gung ur jnf gbgnyyl rkunhfgrq naq arneyl qrnq. Lrnu, vg jnfa'g rknpgyl n zlfgrel ubj gung fgrc va gur chetvat tbg zvffrq, ohg vg jnf fbzrguvat gung jbhyq unir ceriragrq nyy gur erfg... juvpu vf, bs pbhefr, jul vg qvqa'g unccra.
V unir unq n erpheevat qernz va juvpu n zntvpvna gnxrf n jbzna/tvey (nyjnlf cynlrq ol zr va gur qernz, ohg arire npghnyyl zr) naq gryrcbegf ure gb n pnfgyr jvgu n zneoyr sybbe, yrnivat ure va gur unyy ba ure unaqf naq xarrf fvpx sebz gur cnffntr. V jnf fghaarq gb ernq cerggl zhpu gung rknpg fprar va gur bcravat cnentencu. V nqzvg gung znqr zr rira zber phevbhf guna V zvtug unir nyernql orra nobhg gur obbx, naq cerggl zhpu przragrq vg nf "zvar" va zl zvaq.
Znerx vf obgu cngurgvp naq njrfbzr, ohg zbfgyl cngurgvp. V ybir gur fprar jurer Ntavrfmxn orngf uvz hc. Dhvgr fngvfslvat. V nyfb rawblrq gur snpg gung fur svanyyl ernyvmrf jung fur vf qhevat gung fprar.
Gur bcravat puncgre nyfb gryyf lbh n ybg gung vf yngre hapbirerq... yvxr jul gur tveyf yrnir gur inyyrl. Va fubeg, gurl ybfr gurve qrrc pbaarpgvba gb gur cynpr naq ernyvmr whfg ubj greevslvat naq qnatrebhf vg vf gb yvir gurer. Nal abezny crbcyr jbhyq or vapyvarq gb yrnir gur inyyrl jura zbafgref uhag gurz, cbyyra snyyf ba gurve svryqf naq cbvfbaf gurz naq na ragver ivyyntr vf fjnyybjrq hc va yvivat zrzbel ol gur rivy bs gur Jbbq. Lrnu, abezny crbcyr... ohg cneg bs orvat hcebbgrq ol gur Qentba vagb uvf pnfgyr vf n fybj ybff bs pbaarpgvba gb gur ynaq. V sbhaq vg obgu gentvp naq jbaqreshy jura V svanyyl haqrefgbbq.
Gur jbeyqohvyqvat vf vagrerfgvat. Gur jvgpurf naq jvmneqf nccneragyl unir irel ybat yvirf anghenyyl, nf gur bar punenpgre jnf qvfpbirerq orpnhfr ur'q fcrag 40 lrnef vyyhzvangvat znahfpevcgf naq unqa'g ntrq. Gurer ner nyfb aba-uhzna enprf ba gur jbeyq, nf jr riraghnyyl frr gunaxf gb gur gevcf vagb gur jbbqf. Abg whfg zbafgref, ohg bgure glcrf bs perngherf. Gur guvat gung vagrerfgf zr zbfg, naq znxrf gur raqvat fngvfslvat qrfcvgr n lrneavat gb yrnea zber, vf ubj Ntavrfmxn jvyy yvxryl fhpprrq va ure svany dhrfg orpnhfr bs ure ybat yvsr. Senaxyl, sebz fgneg gb svavfu V ernyyl rawblrq guvf obbx.
In conclusion, if you enjoy fantasy at all, this is a great book to check out. It drew me in quite unexpectedly and held my interest as well as any book I've read in the past year. I loved the main character and found the plot to have just enough small twists to keep me turning pages. I very much enjoyed it.
Short story reviews:
- "Blue Ribbon" by Marissa Lingen is about 4-H in space. I don't know how much more I can say without giving far too much away, but this is really a great little story about children dealing with extreme adversity that is definitely worth a read if you can get a copy.
- "Madeleine" by Amal El-Mohtar is about a woman who accepts an experimental drug to help her handle severe grief. It starts out seeming normal enough, but veers off into the strange and different... and then into the hopeful. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not sure how long it will stay with me, but it's a good tale.
- "The Extraordinary Extraterrestrial Togo Mouse from Ghana" by Ryan W. Norris is a very silly story about an "alien" creature discovered living deep in Ghana. The first part of the story is basically a conversation between a reporter and a biologist about the possible origins of the creature. It gets silly when the tale goes into a flashback that describes just how the aliens arrived in Ghana and why they are running loose there. Not something I would consider particularly Hugo-Worthy, but a fun story nonetheless.
- "Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys: The Elephant's Tale" by Damien Angelica Walters is not a science fiction or fantasy tale, to the best of my reading ability. It's an extended metaphor with some aspect of fantasy, but I wouldn't call it flat-out fantasy. It won't be on my list.
- "God Mode" by Daniel H. Wilson is about the memories of a man meeting his lover, while the stars are disappearing in the sky. It's a touching and bittersweet story, but I'm not knocked out by it.
Novelette reviews:
- "Karma Among the Cloud Kings" by Brian Trent is about what happens when different human cultures and beliefs end up having differing goals and priorities. In this particular case, I can't see a good result happening for the humans, because they rely on what's outside to survive. I sympathize with them, of course, but at the end I'm worried for them. As for storytelling, this was nicely done, including a clever flashback method. Fascinating story that sticks with me.
- "Entanglements" by David Gerrold is about alternate universes, although it takes its dear sweet time getting to the point. Still, I suppose the set up is important to the notion of looking at the works of alternate "you" in a cell-phone-like device. I think the trick with this one is the final paragraph that at first doesn't seem to be part of the story itself. Ha. I get it. There's a lot going on here, but your mileage will vary. I liked it, but I'm not really sure if it'll stick with me.
New television review:
- Doctor Who: "The Magician's Apprentice" - Well. Wow. Ok, this one requires spoilers all the way through (use rot13 to read). Vg'f byq ubzr jrrx ng Qbpgbe Jub, jvgu HAVG, Zvffl, gur Fvfgreubbq bs Xnea, naq Qnyrxf. Naq na harkcrpgrq nccrnenapr ol n irel lbhat Qniebf. Ubyl synzvat pbjf. Gur unaqf jrer rkgerzryl perrcl, rfcrpvnyyl ubj dhvpxyl gurl znqr gur thl inavfu. Jul qvq Pynen srry vg arprffnel gb qenj n pvepyr ba ure jvaqbj? Gung jnf... bqq. Univat n fvfgre bs Xnea gnyx nobhg Qniebf orvat byq vf n ovg ulcbpevgvpny, vfa'g vg? V jnf nyzbfg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gung Zvffl qvrq, ohg V jnfa'g jvyyvat gb oryvrir Pynen qvrq, abg rira jvgu gur fcbvyref bhg gung fur'f yrnivat gur frevrf. Naq V'z pregnvayl abg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gur GNEQVF jnf qrfgeblrq, fb gung raqvat ybfg n ybg bs vgf vzcnpg sbe zr. V thrff V'z n plavpny byq sna. Birenyy, V gubhtug vg jnf n qrprag rcvfbqr, ohg vg ernyyl sryg yvxr vg jnf ernpuvat gb chyy bhg nyy gur fgbcf - naq V'z abg fher jul. Episode 1 of the ninth series, originally aired Sep 19, 2015.
Older television reviews (these are only the ones that I thought might be good enough to give an award to):
- Gotham: "Red Hood": A pivotal episode in some ways, this one had two points to it that lifted it above the average episode of Gotham, a show that's been very uneven. The first is Fish Mooney removing her own eye to prevent it being used as a spare part for somebody else. It's gross and powerful, but develops the character more than just about any other point in the show. The second point is Alfred's past coming back to haunt him. The bits of his old war buddy talking about the old days was good stuff. The inclusion of the red hood in a storyline is cute, but not necessarily compelling to anyone who doesn't know Batman history, so I don't have much to say about it. Episode 17 of the first season, originally aired Feb 23, 2015.
- Gotham: "Everyone Has A Cobblepot": This one is only good due to the level of corruption it reveals in the Gotham police. The underlying theme of the show is that every single police officer is corrupt, which is a neat trick, really. So this episode shows how that's accomplished, while giving Gordon a chance to use the corruption in the system to his advantage. Is it enough to nominate it for a Hugo? Probably not, but it is an interesting episode with a strange stand-alone concept. Episode 18 of the first season, originally aired March 1, 2015.
- The Flash: "Out of Time": Probably the best episode so far in 2015 of a fantastic series, this one has Barry travel in time... but not until a whole bunch of dramatic and terrible things happen first. The shocker in this episode is the death of Cisco, which had fans screaming and clutching their heads. The next episode looks at the consequences of the time travel, but in this episode the writers cut loose, which made it an incredible piece of television. Episode 15 of the first season, originally aired March 17, 2015.
- The Flash: "Fast Enough": The season finale of The Flash did not disappoint, but I'd be afraid to nominate it because it might not make sense to a new viewer. There is more of that pesky time travel, and some incredible hints of the future to come. The cliffhanger is truly magnificent: a black hole developing that will destroy the earth? Very superheroey. Episode 23 of the first season, originally aired May 19, 2015.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
The next story is about Linda S. Godfrey, who kind of stumbled into the role of chronicling werewolf sightings while working at a small newspaper. After writing about the fact that the county animal control officer actually had a file folder marked "werewolf" to put frequent sightings of such animals in, she started to get tips on other sightings and started a bit of a fever for werewolves in the town. It turned in to a career of sorts for Godfrey, who wrote books about the phenomenom.
The last main article is about Etienne Bottineau, who claimed he could tell if ships were coming from hundreds of miles away in 1782. He called the science nauscopie, and said it was the result of years of study and trial and error. The article dissects what we know of the man and his science.
Strangedays starts out with mysterious noises heard by many people, mal de debarquement syndrom (a neurological disorder triggered by travel), genetically stinky people, a sleeping sickness in Kazakhstan, another visit to Loch Ness, crows in Seattle who bring gifts to humans and snakes... it just had to have an article on snakes. The Conspirasphere talks about monological theories: in which everything fits into a single far-reaching conspiracy. Archaeology looks at evidence for more types of early humans, ancient runes, and children noticing things in plain sight that other people have missed.
Classical Corner covers the dangers of being a baby, particularly a royal baby, in the ancient world. Ghostwatch looks at a theory that some types of mold within old houses might cause people to see ghosts. Alien Zoo looks at an awesomely colored crayfish and tackles an internet "hoax" - a video posted in May that shows how simple it is to make a believable UFO video using CGI.
Speaking of UFOs, the UFO Files looks at yet more failures to prove the existence of alien bodies from a media event that turned out to be based on slides of a mummy from a museum. Blast from the Past looks at the history of chloroform in crime and stories about crime. Strange Statesmen has become a regular feature, this time looking at fairies, folklore and fascism in 20th century Irish politicians.
Fortean Traveller goes to Portland, Maine, and visits the International Cryptozoology Museum. Illustrated Police News recounts the tale of the Countess of Derwentwater, and the fact that no one knows who she really was... or even if she was who she claimed she was. Phenomenomix has part three of the biography of Dion Fortune.
The Forum has a review of a recent dramatization of the Enfield Poltergeist story from one of the people involved in the original event, who also talks about his character in the tv show. Another forum article is about the Queensland tiger what what it might actually be.
The Reviews start with a book about how Victorians tried to teach science with fairy tales, which sounds utterly zany but was one way people tried to deal with the changing times. Most of the books reviewed didn't catch my interest, but there's a couple that might make my list if I keep rereading the reviews. The movie reviews were fun, as usual. The letters page has a response to the article about radio interference in FT327, talking about modern radio interference caused by cheap power supplies. There's also a page of simulacra: trees that look like faces. It happened to me has a letter from a person who suffered from amnesia and forgot who his was, in answer to a mythconception that claimed amnesiacs never forget who they are.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
A Sunday Review
Another recommended book I jumped into reading without checking too much about it first. I was able to figure out that this was the first of a series before I started, so I wasn't going to end up shocked by the end. Well, at least not shocked because it's the first of a series...
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. Take a group of philosophers from all throughout time who have read Plato's Republic and want to make it a reality. How are they going to do it? How closely must they stick to Plato's original concept? And how can that concept survive the harsh realities of life that Plato didn't have a clue about? To say the ideas in this book are amazing is to praise it too faintly. The execution of those ideas? Well, I found the descriptions of sex to be unsettling, although understandable in the context of the story. Beyond that, almost everything odd in the tale is attributable to the situation.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Nal fgbel gung pyvznkrf jvgu n qrongr orgjrra Nguran naq Fbpengrf unf gb unir fbzrguvat tbvat sbe vg, evtug? Bx, V ernyyl jnfa'g rkcrpgvat gur qrongr gb raq gung jnl, ohg V fhccbfr V sbetbg fbzr bs zl qrgnvyf nobhg ubj Nguran naq gur Terrx tbqf graqrq gb npg jura gurl ner hcfrg.
Univat abg ernq Cyngb erpragyl, V jnf hapregnva ubj pybfr gur znfgref jrer fgvpxvat gb gur grkg rkprcg jura gur obbx vgfrys zragvbaf vg. V pbafgnagyl sryg yvxr V fubhyq or erernqvat zl napvrag grkgf gb xrrc hc jvgu gur fgbel, ohg gurer jrer rabhtu pyhrf vg jnfa'g erdhverq... vg whfg frrzrq yvxr vg zvtug unir znqr zber frafr vs V qvq.
Fvzzrn vf n vqrny yvggyr punenpgre, nyzbfg n Znel Fhr va znal jnlf. Fur unf ure unat-hcf, ohg V fhfcrpg gung zbfg bs gur tveyf jbhyq gnxr gb gur pvgl orggre guna gur oblf, naljnl. Sebz gur svefg cntrf Fvzzrn znxrf vg pyrne gung vg'f gur npgvbaf bs gur znfgref bs gur pvgl gung pnhfrq ure snzvyl gb or xvyyrq naq ure gb orpbzr n fynir, juvpu vf bar bs gur ovttrfg synjf bs gur pvgl vgfrys. Gur znfgref qvqa'g ernyvmr gung gurl'q frg gurzfryirf hc sbe snvyher jvgu gurve pubvpr gb erghea rnpu lrne sbe zber fynirf, frggvat hc n qrznaq. Ohg va Fvzzrn'f pnfr, fur sbetvirf gurz sbe vg, juvpu znxrf ure n yvggyr vqrnyvfgvp. Jura nyy vf fnvq naq qbar, fur qbrf frrz gbb tbbq gb or gehr.
V jvyy abgr gung Fvzzrn'f qrfpevcgvba bs ure cbfgcneghz qrcerffvba fgehpx ubzr sbe zr. Ab, V'ir arire unq n onol, ohg V xabj qrcerffvba, naq V erpbtavmr gung srryvat bs abguvat orvat erny. Juvyr V jnf qryvtugrq gung fur jnf pherq, V fbeg bs jvfurq rirelbar jub fhssref sebz qrcerffvba pbhyq or fb rnfvyl pherq.
Ncbyyb'f cynpr va gur fgbel vf zhpu orggre ernyvmrq. Uvf jvyyvatarff gb orpbzr uhzna naq rkcrevrapr rirelguvat sbe uvzfrys vf terng. Nf gur fgbel cebterffrf, ur tebjf nf jryy, va jnlf gung ner ernyvfgvp rabhtu gb znxr uvf cneg bs gur gnyr haqrefgnaqnoyr naq pbzcryyvat.
Birenyy, V jnf zvyqyl qvfnccbvagrq va fbzr nfcrpgf bs gur fgbel ohg zbfgyl vagevthrq ol gur vqrnf, juvpu vf jung gur fgbel vf nyy nobhg naljnl: vqrnf naq ubj gurl genafyngr vagb ernyvgl. Vg'f nyy nobhg gur vqrnf. Guvf vf abg gur orfg obbx V'ir ernq guvf lrne, ohg vg'f sne sebz gur jbefg.
In conclusion, this is on my maybe list. I might read the sequel, already out, "The Philosopher Kings" to find out what happens next. If it's better than this one, I might nominate it instead.
Hugo 2016 short story reviews:
- "Sea Change" by Kimberly Unger is about adaptation in the face of drastic change. In this case, it's a bit of technology meant for a particular purpose that has to decide what sort of adaptations it is allowed. I found the setting mildly confusing at first, then the clues filtered in and I began to understand the world and its people. A very nice little story, worth checking out. Note: the direct link may be active for a limited time.
- "Robot Boss" by Erick Melton is about the limitations and screw-ups of modern technology. It's a fun little story about a guy troubleshooting through a nasty little problem to get both a decent answer and more. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm afraid I wouldn't put it on the top of my list of short stories of the year.
- "Mightier Than The Sword" by Arlene F. Marks is a powerful little superhero tale, told quickly and completely in the form of an interview with a hero called Ultraman. The story is about how all superpowers aren't obvious, and how that could be very dangerous if a child seems normal among other children who have outward signs of power. An interesting tale, but there's a plot hole or two, and a tiny bit of cliche as well. This one is good, but not likely to be on my ballot.
- "Endgame" by Barry Charman is about artificial intelligence, and how it might be measured. Or not. It's a little sneaky, this story. There's an undertow in it ready to pull you along if you think about it. Quite enjoyable for an extremely short story.
Hugo 2016 novelette reviews:
- "Brigas Nunca Mais" by Martin L. Shoemaker is about duty and its conflict with young romance. The story is set at a wedding, with the happy groom telling a tale about his superior officer to his bride. The ending was almost predictable, but the final words were the bit that break the heart and make you want to cry a little. A powerful little tale. Definitely worth reading.
- "Sacred Cows: Death and Squalor on the Rio Grande" by A.S. Diev. I really feel for Maria, and part of me wished she'd walked away a bit faster. As for the rest... whew. Yeah, a horrible future, showing what genetic manipulation in the hands of people who have too much money and too little concern for human life can lead to. Overall, a nicely plotted story, if depressing in its implications and slightly stereotyped. I can't even say the ending is sad... tragic, of course, but I'm not sure about sad.
Hugo 2016 novella review:
- Entrepreneurs by Robert Grossbach. Is the story of a man whose had a few failures in life and a few problems, but accidentally runs across an opportunity of a lifetime. Which, of course, doesn't work out exactly as planned. It works out, eventually, and that's the fun of the story. It's not a story about failure, but there's a lot in there about how much it takes to succeed. Plus, aliens. Awesome little aliens. And even a sort of homage to Douglas Adams. Overall, a very fun little tale.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
- Aug 5th
- Green Lantern #43 - Wow, Hal is really annoying. As is his ship and his guests.
- Batman Beyond #3 - So Batman gets out of a jam, only to land himself in a bigger jam? That sounds like the BB I know. Too bad it's not actually Terry.
- Flash: Season Zero #11 - Basically a history of Captain Cold and Heatwave, not a lot to recommend it, really. Not heavy on story, not heavy on plot. It's kind of meh, all in all.
- Big Game Hunters #2 - I wish the art was a little less... um... decorative. It is too busy for me. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the story. I just feel like there are too many bits where the art detracts instead of sustains it.
- Big Game Hunters #3 - And in the same week, the final issue also arrives. Again, the art is a problem. It just needs some minor tweaking here and there to make things more clear, and it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, this isn't a great series, but I enjoyed the characters.
- Mage Inc. #2 - Good artwork mixed with an amusing if slightly incomprehensible story, told from the point of view of a character who is nearly as clueless as the reader, and it comes out to be a pretty good book overall! I'm definitely enjoying this one.
- UFOlogy #4 - And we're getting close to finding out just what's going on here. The whole situation is difficult, but the kids are handling it very nicely compared to the adults. This is one I'm going to have to reread once it's done to figure it out, but I'm actually looking forward to that.
- This Damned Band #1 - So, a 1970's band that has the evil persona of having sold their souls to the devil... doesn't realize they've actually sold their souls. The idea is sound enough, but I'm curious to see how far this goes. Not my favorite book of the year, and definitely not for children.
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