My Life Became the Start of a Sci-Fi Novel Yesterday...

When hubby-Eric and I moved out here almost a decade ago, I knew we were moving near the Hanford Nuclear site, but I never really thought about it much. The Hanford Reach is over a "mountain", well out of sight and mind. Neither of us traveled near it for any reason. Although some folks who live near us work on the cleanup, most people don't talk about it because - well, because it's Hanford. And even 70+ years later, it feels like a secret place.

The first inkling I had of the dangers was a long time ago, when I saw a listing for a house in this area that included a reinforced bunker/fallout shelter. I was amused. Although nuclear war was still a real threat when I was growing up, by the time I reached adulthood it seemed like a distant memory.

The next time I recall having the risks of Hanford brought home to me was when I sat in as a reporter on a meeting about a lot of different budget items, including Hanford cleanup. The article that I produced was about the budget stuff, but I'll never forget the information presented about the cleanup and how difficult it is. Still, it didn't seem like it would ever have any impact on me, so I filed it away and forgot.

Until yesterday.

Hanford is a mess. It produced plutonium for bombs during WWII and the Cold War - including the bombs that ended WWII in the Pacific. It didn't stop this work until 1987, which means there is more than 40 years of nuclear waste from bomb-making at the site. Since 1987, the government has been trying to clean it up - a job made incredibly difficult because there are 70-year-old tanks rotting away underground, and radioactive barrels with unknown materials in them stored in a mishmash of places, mostly underground.

At the site, as we learned yesterday, there are some tunnels that were made to store rail cars carrying contaminated equipment. From the site: "The tunnels were constructed of wood and concrete with a soil covering approximately 8 feet deep." They are near the center of the site, which is HUGE. Hanford is apparently about half the size of Rhode Island.

Yesterday morning, some folks doing their job noticed a subsidence over one of the tunnels. Part of the tunnel had collapsed. In fact, a fairly large section of the tunnel had collapsed. Which meant there was a possibility of the release of toxic or radioactive materials into the air.

Immediately, the entire site went into lock-down, with the 9,000 or so employees asked to shelter in place. My guess is that anyone else on the Reach (which is larger than the site itself) was also asked to leave immediately, just in case.

The road hubby-Eric takes to work goes right through the Reach - right past the main gates of Hanford.

I learned about the "incident" just before noon, and immediately started to worry about Eric and his trip home. Then I started to wonder about me and how safe we are here and pulled up a map. As the crow flies, I'm sitting about 30 miles from where the incident occurred. Less than 30 miles from the main gate.

As I was searching for more information about these tunnels and the potential danger to hubby and myself, the news broke that Nixo- er, Trump had fired the person investigating him. I kind of fell into a state of shock... I'm now living in the Twilight Zone. I'm in a nuclear danger area with an irresponsible government. I no longer feel safe at all.

I do wonder, though. Is this the start of some inspiring science fiction tale where a hero comes to save the day, or is it a horror tale where everything goes terribly wrong and we end up in a dystopia, eating each other to survive? Or perhaps it'll be a comedy, in which the clown president is tossed into jail by the Congressional Keystone Kops?

All I know is that I'd rather read this book than be in it.

A Hugo Review: Best Novelette - "The Art of Space Travel", by Nina Allan

"The Art of Space Travel", by Nina Allan is about a woman tangentially involved in big events. She's not the hero, she doesn't have powers or anything - she's just a woman with a sick mother and a giant mystery. The story keeps you guessing, although it isn't really hard to figure it out - as long as you can see past the fictions.

The good: Lovely prose, lovely build-up. There's a lot of "future history" dropped in the story that makes it into a nicely woven science fiction tale, and not just a tale of relationships. The focus stays on the relationships, though, which gives it a solid foundation on which to build everything else. I like the main character - a strong woman with responsibilities in a difficult job. I like her mother and what we learn about her throughout the story. I like how the demetia makes it hard to figure out what it true and what is fantasy.

The bad: The conclusion becomes clear a little too early in the story, although I tried to convince myself I got it wrong. The story itself has very little action, very little happening - although a ton happens in the background. I don't really know if that's a bad thing, but from one perspective it could be argued that it's a story about nothing. However, I'm grasping at straws to find a flaw - this really was a very good story.

Conclusion: I really enjoyed this. It's a good story that leaves plenty to the reader's imagination while supplying enough framework to build on. It is sweet and touching without being too much of either.

I've read one of the other finalists in this category, and at the moment, this is my top pick. That may change as I read and reread.

Best Novelette: I've read "The Art of Space Travel" and "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay". I need to read "The Jewel and Her Lapidary", "The Tomato Thief", and "Touring with the Alien". I do not plan on reading the sixth finalist.

Inkwell vs the evil va-coom

So after doing my usual weekly vacuuming downstairs, I remembered that the upstairs bedroom really needs a good vacuuming. Inkwell the cat had raced up the stairs the instant I got the vacuum out, so I was a little concerned he might be in the bedroom and get upset when I came in with it, but I figured he'd live.

He wasn't in the bedroom. As I carried the vacuum up the stairs, I saw Inkwell sitting on the top step, puffed out like he had a bad case of static, staring intently at the vacuum in my hand.

"Inky, get out of the way," I said, as I climbed the steps.

Inkwell didn't move.

"Inky, just move," I said as I got within three steps.

Inkwell crouched and hissed, standing his ground. I stopped.

"Inkwell McStinkyPants Gjovaag!" I said, "Move your fuzzy little butt!"

"HISSSSSSSSSS!!!!"

Standoff. I couldn't easily get around him and didn't want to frighten him too much, but I really needed to vacuum that floor. So I swung the vacuum slightly in his direction. Inkwell leaned back, still hissing. Ok... I held the vacuum in front of me and proceeded up the stairs. Inkwell retreated slowly, hissing loudly and staying in that feline crouch. I was afraid he'd go into the bedroom, but he backed off in another direction and I made it past him. He then stood at the doorway hissing while I plugged the vacuum in and started to clean.

When I finished, I turned around and Inky was gone. I had cleaned the whole floor and it took me several minutes, so I wasn't surprised he didn't stick around, but I half expected him to remain at the door and hissing.

I wrapped up the cord and carried the vacuum downstairs... where Inkwell was waiting. He stayed back, not blocking my way, but hissed as soon as the vacuum was within a few feet of him. I rolled my eyes and put it away in the closet while he hissed at it. Then he ran over to the door and meowed at the door, sounding exactly like someone telling off a person who had been rude. The meows went on for quite awhile, so I guess he had a lot to say. Finally he finished with a "Hmpf!" and stalked upstairs to see what kind of damage the evil machine had done.

I just stood there, trying really hard not to giggle.

After a couple of minutes he came back downstairs, walked up to me, meowed once very loudly, then jumped into a chair and started to groom himself. The battle was won, the victor needed to get clean.

A Hugo Review: Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - Deadpool

I've got plenty to read and watch, but hubby and I got Deadpool from the library first, so we watched that this weekend, and I've been thinking about it's likely position in my list. I'll address the elephant in the room first: yes, it was nominated by puppies, but because it was a popular film I'm going to not worry overmuch about that. It might have been nominated anyway, and could have even been a finalist without the puppies. So I'll try to judge it on its own merits.

Second, I had avoided learning anything about this movie well before the Hugo noms came out. I hadn't decided if I was going to ever see it - the Hugo finalists list made that decision for me. I don't know Deadpool well because I haven't read any of the comics featuring him. All I knew going in was that the movie was very raunchy and Deadpool is a smart aleck.

The good: it was remarkably funny, poignant at moments, had a surprisingly sweet message and broke the fourth wall in original ways. The actors were fantastic, from the gloomy teenager to the love interest to the blind woman to Mr. Pool himself. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, and the movie took itself seriously in the right moments and dropped out into insanity with perfect timing. The winks and nods to the audience (including making fun of the Green Lantern movie (which I liked)) were great to see. Stan Lee's cameo still cracks me up. The plot holds together well, and it has a satisfying conclusion. The characters have solid motives (for the most part) and Mr. Pool's cowardice is believable, even though everyone in the audience had to know how she would react once she understood. The use of music was truly inspired and added a lot to both the humor and the pathos.

The bad: Whew, this was violent. True, it's a lot of comic book violence, but it was way overboard in some places. The nudity and language didn't bother me much, but the violence was, at times, a bit too much. It never went so far to make me throw up (like a certain character does) but it was often enough to make me worry a little about having that imagery in my head. Also, the bad guys never get a lot of reason for being bad guys, beyond profit motives. I didn't expect a backstory, but I wish the movie had given just a tiny bit more sense of how they were using super-powered slaves - and the extent of their operations. We got hints, but I would have liked a scene or two more to fully establish them... but that's a minor nit.

Conclusion: I liked it. I didn't love it, but then I'm not a huge Marvel fangirl. It left my brain in an odd place, which happens with some movies. It's not really my cuppa, but it was funny and I can appreciate it for what it is.

I've already seen two of the other finalists in the Dramatic Long category, and at the moment Deadpool is either second or third of the three I've now seen. I'll be rewatching the two I've seen and watching the other three that made the list, and all post on those as I do.

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): I've seen Ghostbusters, Rogue One and Deadpool. I need to see Arrival, Hidden Figures and Stranger Things, Season One.

A Sunday Doctor Who Review

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT
I will be discussing my thoughts and feelings of the Doctor Who episode "Thin Ice" after the cut. I will not worry about spoiling the plot, so read at your own risk.

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Sep 7th
• Aquaman #6 - Molwark? I suddenly have an urge to put together a list of Atlantean words we've seen in the comic books. That's potentially a really good one to use on people to confuse them. Ahem. This issue was basically Aquaman and Superman battling while chatting about Aquaman's role in the DC Universe. Oh, there were a few pages of Manta being Manta, but otherwise it was mostly a big ol' fight scene. I love when Mera punches Superman and the idiot chief of staff is surprised. "Girl's got game!" Heh. I like this Major Shurman. First she questions the idiot in the last issue, now she approves of Mera's punch. Nice. I like that Aquaman ended the war that was about to start with just a few words, proving his power. What I don't like is Superman threatening him - that really just proves Aquaman's point. Arthur is NOT trusted by the Justice League. And that, frankly, sucks. This was a nice solid issue, despite being one big fight scene.
• Justice League #4 - It's kind of hard to figure out what is happening, but there appears to be more than one threat, and the league is taking care of one of them so another one can do its thing. Aquaman's connection to ancient Atlantean crystals seems to be a good thing, as is Superman's ability to figure out how to deal with threats without simply punching them. But I'm most confused by Cyborg's role in this, and what on earth - or rather off earth - happened to cause the cliffhanger.
• Batman Beyond #16 - A sort of sad finale to this era of Batman Beyond, started in an annoying crossover and finished with an almost paradox. I was just waiting for someone to beat the crap out of Spellbinder, who has been consistently irritating since the beginning of this storyline. Terry's slow realization was nice - as was Tim's utter acceptance of what had happened to him. Not at all a bad way to finish up this version of Batman... now on to the Rebirth.
• Doctor Strange #11 - So, magic is slowly coming back after being nearly completely wiped out, but even Strange is having difficulty with things he would have beaten with barely a thought before. And it all ends with an old friend showing up. What has he been up to, and was he affected by the attack on magic? Lots to explore in this book.
• Doctor Who 9th #5 - I find it absolutely hilarious that the Doctor is meeting Martha - only will not know it for a long time, if ever, thanks to the situation. The last two pages, especially the "sometime in the 1970s. Or maybe '80s." made me giggle happily. Lots of promise for the future there, in the past.
• Sep 14th
• Green Lanterns #6 - I like seeing Jessica fight through her anxiety. It gives me a little hope, somehow. That said, there wasn't a lot more in this issue for me. Oh, I thought it was funny that the cat succeeded where everyone else failed (whether they know it or not) and I liked seeing Jessica and Simon getting along for once. The teddy bear's story was fun, as well. And Bleez's story. And the new type of ring... and - you know what? This was a better issue than I first thought. Never mind my negativism. Let's just see where it goes from here, now.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #4 - So Guy got captured. That wasn't exactly clear in the last issue. Sinestro's reaction to naked Guy was pretty funny, I gotta admit. As for Hal - what the heck did Soranik do to him? Still confusing and annoying and not my favorite book by a long shot, but at least something happened in this issue.
• Earth 2 Society #16 - And, finally, the obvious solution is presented. I kind of figured that particular gun on the wall would be used by the end of the series - so here it is. I just wonder (no pun intended) what sort of world will emerge from the other side?
• DC Comics Bombshells #17 - Ok, there's a level of "eeeuww" in that masquerade I can't quite get over. At least Raven was able to overcome, with a little help. The whole thing was a tiny bit anti-climatic - but in a good way. Needed more Mera... obviously, since she wasn't in this one at all.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #3 - The Avengers in the Batcave, which is being attacked by a horde of Cybernauts! Plenty of plot movement in this one, and I love reading this and hearing the voices of the actors in my mind. I admit that Emma's solution to the African bee problem is a little... odd, but it was funny nonetheless. A delightful series.
• Astro City #38 - More of the history of early Astro City, with the appearance of Jazzbaby, who has a secret identity and more of a story we can follow. Her strength is music, and even a tiny bit of music in a horrible void was enough for her to break free from it, which is interesting. And she had Cakewalk's memories, which suggests some serious continuity throughout the years. This isn't a fantastic as the previous issue, but it's still pretty good. I'd like to see this aspect of the city explored again.
• Scooby Apocalypse #5 - Did we ever get the answer to what Velma pulled out of that dead body? This is an exciting bit of the story, as more monsters attack and the team figure out how to avoid getting crunched... on the fly. Daphne is getting irritating. Well, more irritating than usual. I still feel like I ought to hate this book while every issue makes me love it more. It's quite an incredible Elseworld version of Scooby-Doo.
• Spider-Man 2099 #15 - Wait, THAT'S the villain? What?!? Ok, backing up... Spidey is back in the future, but it's not really his future because he's made changes in the past that have altered it. He's chasing Captain America, who isn't the same as the one from our time, of course. She (Cap) is looking for her husband. All told, it's not really a complicated plot, but it definitely comes across as complicated as it moves along. And the final page... ug. Really?
• Doctor Who 3rd #1 - All the best bits of the Third Doctor's time - jam-packed into a single issue! But then, it is written by Paul Cornell, so how could it not be full of Doctor Who goodness? I can't really say too much about the plot - robots, crazy inventions to hold off said robots, Osgood (not that one) and a surprise visit at the end. All good stuff. I'm looking forward to the next issue.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.14 - Those things on ancient Gallifrey - weren't they in the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip? Or is my fragile memory failing me? Lots to think about in this issue, and more than a little to worry about. I wonder where this plotline will lead? In the meantime, the problems with Anubis seem to be getting a touch worse. Nice cliffhanger.
• Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #3 - This is so scattered and confusing I'm not sure where to start. Or end. I just wonder which plotline is going to be the most important in solving the crisis. And I guess I'm going to have to reread the whole story once it's all out, because otherwise it's going to be just too hard to follow.
• Spongebob Comics #60 - Yay, Mermaid Man sighting! Ok, one panel in the throwaway joke, but still, enough to make me happy. The Paul Bunyan parallels were amusing and wonderfully silly in one story. We finally get to see Sandy again, which was cool. Overall, a fun little issue.

Podcasts

While the podcast revolution took over the internet, I never really joined in for a few reasons. One is that I'm not a person who listens well, and generally I prefer reading to listening whenever possible. If I had the ability to read my television shows, I would probably do that - when I'm alone I often turn on the closed captioning.

Another was that I didn't have the time. I was blessed with an incredibly short commute while I working at the newspaper and spent a lot of evenings at meetings - where listening was my job. I learned to listen because I had to, and taking notes helped a lot with me gaining that skill.

Over the past year I've been unemployed and looking for work while fighting depression and anxiety, but as I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, I've found that I have a couple of hours each day that I wanted to fill with something. I was doing computer stuff, usually playing a video game, but I wasn't so engaged in the game that I felt... satisfied. I started by watching some shows on Amazon Prime, mostly documentaries, because I like history, but it's hard to play a game and watch a show at the same time.

So I came to podcasts. One day I just thought, Hey, why don't I listen to a podcast instead of trying to watch something? and pulled up the Podcast app on my old iPad Mini.

I did a lot of hunting through the "featured" tab, and listened to a handful of things that were, frankly, awful. I hunted down one I listened to for the Hugos, "Tea and Jeopardy", but there hadn't been any new shows for awhile. I subscribed anyway, since it was so good.

I've now got 17 podcasts on my list, with varying update times and lengths and such, and I'm beginning to figure out what I like and don't like in a podcast.

So I thought I'd share it with my readers, who likely have their own opinions.

1) I seem to be in the minority in this, but I prefer shorter podcasts. For me, 20-40 minutes is ideal. The two hour ones don't tempt me at all, and the ones that regularly top an hour make me cringe. Yes, I have some that run that long on my list, but I prefer shorter podcasts.

2) I don't like excessive sound effects. A little music to open, a little music to set off ads, a little music to close... there was one I tried where the guy seemed to think he was a foley artist - but he wasn't good at it. I'm listening for the story that a human voice is telling. It doesn't have to be fancy or overproduced for me to like it. One of my favorites is just one guy talking, telling stories from history for a half hour.

3) High quality microphones go a LONG way. If I can clearly hear the person talking, I'm happy. I tried a couple of podcasts that didn't have the basic equipment. Promising ideas, but if I can't even hear your voice? Sorry, no.

4) Subject matter is important. I like history, Doctor Who, Aquaman and Fortean topics. No surprise, the majority of my podcasts are on those topics. That said, there are tons of podcasts on every subject out there, so finding ones I like is a difficult task.

I have, in the past, considered trying to podcast. However, at the time I was considering it, I hadn't even really listened to any, so I wouldn't have known what to do. And, now that I've been on a podcast, and have listened to people who do it regularly, I'm not inclined to try to produce my own (I would, of course, be glad to go back on Fire & Water if Rob and Shag want me to).

I guess I probably have to list some of my podcasts for you... I listen to the BBC Global News Podcast and NPR's Up First for my world news. Of course I listen to Fire & Water now, although at the time I recorded my episode I hadn't listened to any (*guilt*). I've already mentioned Tea & Jeopardy, and I also really enjoy History Goes Bump and Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories. On the Fortean side I just discovered Forteana Podcast, and also enjoy Mysterious Universe. For Doctor Who, I listen to my hubby's favorite Verity! and have just started to listen to Reality Bomb (by my old friend Graeme Burk) and, of course, Radio Free Skaro.

Yeah, that's not 17. I'm not telling the rest. And yes, some of the above break my rules of what I like. I know. Believe me.

So, if you've read this far, what's your favorite podcast?

A Sunday Doctor Who Review

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT
I will be discussing my thoughts and feelings of the Doctor Who episode "Smile" after the cut. I will not worry about spoiling the plot, so read at your own risk.

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 24th
• Titans #2 - Oh, that final splash page! Kadabra was never really all that threatening in the past - were any Titans' villains? - but he's got some good moments in this one. I love that Garth figured out where the strings were being pulled from. I thought Nightwing's nervousness throughout was a little strange, as though he were stepping back into a role he'd forgotten how to play. Which actually makes sense in the context of this book. I'm curious to see where this book goes next with this concept. And I really want to know the resolution of that cliffhanger!
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3 - Ok. So. Sinestro is doing something bad, Hal gets beaten up, and Guy is... left hanging? Plot movement is glacial. Some books manage to be interesting despite not much happening - this one isn't.
• Harley's Little Black Book #4 - The sheer wackiness of all the Harley books puts me off a little. She's random and violent, and while I can handle random... the violence often turns me off. That said, I couldn't resist a trip into the Bombshells Universe and this was a mostly fun romp - although violent... at least it was violent towards a group that deserves it. The ending was fairly confusing, as Harley attempts to relate her experiences to people (?) that she knows, which I don't know since I don't follow the regular Harley book. Not the greatest I've ever read, but it was funny in parts and I think the Bombshells came off well in comparison.
• Back To The Future: Citizen Brown #4 - Lots of twists and turns in this story that I'm not expecting. I begin to understand why they wanted to turn it into a comic book. I wonder if the original video game version would hold up by today's standards (not graphics, just storytelling and gameplay)? I'm very curious to see what happens with Doc's efforts to help the woman who should not be his wife.
• Usagi Yojimbo #157 - Wow. Intense ending to an intense story. I want to reread the whole thing again, but I think all the clues were there except the actual backstory, which would have given too much away. As it was, the discovery of the true nature of the screen was a lovely, tragic moment. Another great story from the one always consistently good comic book out there. Seriously, if you want to read a good comic, even the worst issue of this title is better than 99% of all other comic book titles published.
• Aug 31st
• Justice League of America #9 - This series continues the tale of Rao, using time travel to come toward a climax, but not quite reach it. I admit, the final cliffhanger with an army of ancient Kryptonians newly empowered by a yellow sun was impressive. The thing that bothers me about this book is that I don't remember another issue coming out. I could be wrong, I HOPE I'm wrong, but does this story have an ending?
• Earth 2 Society Annual #1 - We take a quick aside from the ongoing plot to rehash the origins of the Earth 2 Batman with his newly rediscovered son. There's also a flashback fight scene. It's not bad, it just isn't particularly substantial. Not a lot happens, although a lot of ground is covered. It's actually well done, but after finishing it I just felt a little let down, like there ought to have been a bit more there.
• DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1 - I kept wondering what was happening, but that final splash made the entire comic worth it. I'm not sure I really buy the vampire thing, but whatever. I guess she's a vampire batgirl? Killer Croc was splendid in this, as was his banter with Francine (a character I am completely unfamiliar with). I really enjoyed this one, although music - folk songs - just aren't the same in comic book form.
• Future Quest #4 - So much is happening... I can just barely keep up with the plot. If I were more familiar with the characters, I might have an easier time of it. Parker is introducing characters slowly enough to help the reader assimilate, but it's still a very large cast he's assembling. I'm really curious to see where this book goes.
• Spider-Man 2099 #14 - I guess Power Pack is some sort of superhero group that I'm only vaguely familiar with that maybe should have had a bigger impact on me than it did? Up until the final reveal the book was scooting along nicely, but the ending just had me puzzled. Maybe the next issue will be better.
• Doctor Who 11th #2.12 - I'm trying to figure out what's happening in this issue, but it's kind of twisting my brain. I'm just not sure what the Doctor or Alice are actually trying to do, except that it's not good. Nor have I quite figured out the Master and Squire's roles in this. It's just very odd.
• Rough Riders #5 - Aliens! Only, it's not really aliens, is it? Or rather, they aren't the bad guys, per se? Hard to tell. I am really enjoying the characterizations of these historical figures in relation to each other in this book, and the plot itself is okay - not showing any particular signs of greatness yet, but certainly as good as most comics. The cliffhanger is suitably squicky. It's going to be interesting to see how this plot ends.

Oh, Hugo...

I got my email that voting for the Hugo Awards is now open. There has been at least one change to the ballot since I first posted it, but anyone who actually wants to keep up with the Hugos should already be following File 770 and therefore should already know about the change.

I have until July 15th to make my decisions. Whew.

And, no, I haven't gotten the packet yet. I hope to get that soon enough to really dig in, but in the meantime I'm working off this list. I hope I get into a serious "reading mood" soon so I can get through my piles of comic books AND all the Hugo reading.

Where I stand right now:

• Novels - none read.
• Novellas - one read.
• Novelette - two read.
• Short Story - two read.
• Related Work - none read.
• Graphic Story - none read. (no, I haven't read any of the finalists. Shush. I'm more a DC girl than Marvel and Image.)
• Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) - two seen.
• Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) - one seen.

The remaining categories aren't for individual works, but I have some idea of how I'm going to vote in a couple of those categories - with the possibility of my mind changing when I get the packet and check everything out, of course.

There aren't as many puppy poops to worry about this time, if I do reviews I'll note any that I'm ignoring on the strength of them being previously puppy-associated or being clear puppy manure.

And, yes, I have my Worldcon supporting membership for both next year and 2019 now. I'm going to continue to vote and nominate as long as I'm able.

A Sunday Doctor Who Review

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT
I will be discussing my thoughts and feelings of the Doctor Who episode "The Pilot" after the cut. I will not worry about spoiling the plot, so read at your own risk.

SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT --- SPOILER ALERT

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 17th
• Aquaman #5 - Ah, the big blue boy scout. I wondered when he would make an appearance. This issue is mostly just showing the escalation by the United States of the problem, with side bits to show how Manta and Tula are doing. But it still manages to be pretty cool all around. I like the bickering between Mera and Arthur - and dislike it as well. Stressful in tone, and worried, but still loving in many ways. Overll, decent issue.
• Green Lanterns #5 - Not a whole lot of progress in this issue. In fact, I'm not really sure the story has progressed at all. The pacing is definitely way too slow. Information that could be conveyed in a few panels takes an entire book to tell. I'm just bored, now.
• Justice League #3 - Aquaman seems to have some sort of solution in his grasp, but hasn't made the connection. As for Superman, I laughed aloud when he noted that using his heat vision wasn't going to work. Ha. Not too bad.
• Scooby Apocalypse #44 - I'm really liking this book, and especially the relationships growing between the characters. Scooby is awesome, but I could do without the other dogs showing up in that scene. I wonder what Velma found, which makes that a nicely effective cliff-hanger. While this certainly isn't the Scooby-Doo I grew up with, I am enjoying this version, enough to recommend it to open-minded fans.
• Teen Titans Go #17 - Two silly stories, as usual. I wasn't overly impressed with them, but then, I'm not the target audience. I do enjoy the Mad Mod, and his story was ok. The first one was almost incomprehensible. Good art, some funny jokes... I don't particularly recommend it, though.
• Back To The Future #11 - Seems like a happy ending, but is it really? Marty admits to himself that he's just craving adventure, having missed the "fun" of his experiences with Doc Brown in the past. I like that Jennifer gets involved.
• Doctor Who Supremacy of the Cybermen #2 - Lots of Doctors and companions and a confusing storyline from which I gleaned that this is a nasty full-scale invasion throughout time and space - and includes the Time Lords getting involved. I hope this pulls together as we go along. Some of the artwork is a bit off, in my opinion, but overall it's just ok.
• Xena Warrior Princess #5 - So Octavius wants a PR person? And Xena is giving him the handle over Gabrielle he needs. And... where did Ares go? Art is still very sketchy and the story is only slightly understandable.

I can't believe how far behind in my comic books I am, but that's what depression will do to a person. I'm going to make efforts to catch up, but I don't know if they will work, all things considered. I'm still trying to pull myself together, and my private writing is improving almost to the point I'm willing to share it... I did share a goofy short story/thought experiment a week or so ago, so I know I'm beginning to feel a little confidence again.

I also hope to start looking at the Hugo Finalists soon, since I do plan on voting. When I can, I'll try to post thoughts on them here.

In any case, back to my piles of comics. I need to get through them if only to keep Inkwell from knocking them to the floor.

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 10th
• Earth 2 Society #15 - What's with the artwork in the first few pages? It looks like it was done in 20 minutes on a faulty wacom tablet. Beyond that, though, not a horrible issue. Not great, either. I can't imagine this particularly universe lasting much longer.
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #2 - So the Green Lanterns are decimated, but back in their own universe and, presumably, time. Meanwhile, Hal is making friends? This all felt very typical of the current DC Green Lantern books. Just an incremental step toward something else, without much actual action.
• Spider-Man 2099 #13 - I'm really confused about exactly where we are in this story - but there are lots of helpful hints and a huge summary to remind me. Even with that, the whole thing seems a bit complex. At least we have some action: Captain America of the future headed out to find her family, a dire warning, and then a rash response. I think I need to read Peter David's stuff all in one sitting, but overall this works ok.
• Doctor Who 9th #4 - Ah, messing with the future. I think the Doctor made a serious mistake answering that call. And poor Mickey. I liked the double-cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
• Doctor Who 10th #2.13 - Another nice cliffhanger in this one. I do like that the Doctor Who comics have a summary at the beginning to help people catch up on the action, although Dorothy Bell would be hard to summarize in any case. A fun issue with lots of tie-in to previous issues.
• Doctor Who 12th #2.8 - The Twelfth Doctor getting a punk rocker from an almost lost colony to join him on his travels? Who would've thought it. I did enjoy his little side comments, and the Foxkin are a nice addition to the DW Universe. It's mostly a satisfactory ending, although I would have liked to see what the other Foxkin thought of coming out of the shadows. I can't imagine it was a popular decision all around.
• Spongebob Comics #59 - No Mermaid Man, but a couple of mild funny stories. I enjoyed the seahorse one with Sandy. Overall, about average. If you like Spongebob, you will like this, but if not don't bother.

Thought Crime

Here's a story I wrote - rough draft.

Thoughts

My mind is all over the place today, so I'm not sure what to write.

News I'm Following Today

I'm not much of a newshound at the moment, mostly due to being severely depressed about the state of the world, but here are some things going on that won't leave my mind, so I thought I'd blog about them.

1) Russia. Yeah, I still think Trump and Putin are in bed, and I firmly believe all the bluster about Syria - including the utterly ineffectual bombing - is cover for them making sweetheart deals with each other. Your mileage may vary.

2) North Korea. Trump is provoking them, and I don't know what will happen. All I know is that it isn't good.

3) United Airlines is evil. That's my opinion, of course, but I have no reason to doubt it. I've heard horror story after horror story, and experienced my own horrible trip on one of their planes. It's hard to not see the video of a man being dragged off a United flight - after he'd been seated and even though he had a valid ticket. I'm not a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel, but he gets it right (YouTube link).

3a) The people bringing up the victim's past and making a big deal out of it are scum.

3b) Two industries I know of use "overbooking" as an excuse - the hotel industry and the airline industry. I don't think either industry does enough to compensate customers who are victims of this practice. While I wouldn't go so far as to ban it outright, I think it should really hurt them if they overbook and as a result are unable to deliver what they've sold. And I mean really hurt by 5 to 10 times as much as the cost of the ticket/hotel room, in cash, not some worthless vouchers.

4) Sean Spicer is... really really bad at his job. And that's literally the nicest thing I can say about him. I don't want to say he's a Holocaust denying alt-right moron, because I'm not really sure he is. But anyone who makes this sort of gaffe should NOT be the White House press secretary. Heck, he should probably look for a job that isn't in communications.

5) San Bernardino. I don't have much to say on this one, but it's in my heart and I'm crying inside for the victims and their families.

6) Ardian Syaf, an artist for Marvel Comics, hid hateful anti-Jew and anti-Christian messages in his artwork. He's been fired. It's upsetting that someone would use X-Men, a comic about acceptance and the struggle over hatred, to promote such hatred. But I think Syaf himself, based on comments he's made, does not understand why people would find his messages hateful. Gail Simone graciously laid out her own experiences working with him. I'm sorry for everyone involved - though Syaf really did bring it upon himself.

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 3rd
• Aquaman #4 - I love how Aquaman points out that he can escape at any time. I also love Tula calming Mera down - although *that* didn't last long. Tula's role, in general, is refreshing to see. Having her become a real character in her own right instead of just that girl Aqualad likes is nice. I also liked the relationship between Black Jack and Black Manta in this issue. It was a very short interaction, but it illustrated intelligence along with respect. I found myself both horrified and giggling at Mera when she finally has enough and decides to go "rescue" Aquaman. And the final splash was a nice little cliffhanger. Overall, an excellent issue.
• Justice League #2 - Another day, another invasion of some sort. I liked the Atlantis bits of this one, particularly the Zodiac Crystals, which I swear I've seen in an Aquaman comic before. Maybe the blue suit mini? In any case, lots of action, lots to think about. This is what a Justice League book ought to be like.
• Green Lanterns #4 - Well, overall a fairly cheesy issue. I liked the bits with Simon's relatives, but Simon and Jessica aren't particularly compelling to me. And while there were some nicely funny moments throughout, this just isn't my favorite book. It's ok, but I could take it or leave it.
• Batman Beyond #15 - Finally, the reveal! Took long enough for Batman and Matt to figure out who Rewire was. The pace of modern comic books is often way too slow, and this one has a glacial pace when read monthly.
• DC Comics Bombshells #16 - Wow. The second half of this issue made me squee repeatedly, and I'm probably going to keep squeeing and rereading it. Arthur's true heritage revealed, Mera's true destiny pushed on her... I'm gonna have to go reread this one. Did I mention the art is fantastic? A nice touch is taking the name of Mera's sister from the Silver Age books (Hila) and explaining how she became Siren. Very nice.
• Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs Peel #2 - For a "villain" that only showed up on a couple of episodes of The Avengers, the Cybernauts have had staying power unlike just about anything else. And here they are again, with Catwoman! I have to admit, this is a pretty fun book for any fan of both shows. And the cliffhanger is pretty darn good, as well.
• Doctor Strange #10 - If that's a victory, then I don't really want to know what failure would have looked like. Not a happy comic at all. The art makes the action a bit hard to follow, which is my biggest complaint, but otherwise it's a solid little book.
• Torchwood #1 - I'll admit to quite a bit of confusion on the new characters, but there's enough of the old to follow the story so I'll roll with it and complain more in the future if they aren't introduced well enough as we go. Overall, not a bad start. Decent art, not my favorite style, but decent. Plenty of story threads dropped in. And a couple of favorite characters. So, worth checking out for Torchwood fans.

Hugo Finalists...

File 770 has posted an extremely useful list of where to find the Hugo Finalists online, if they are available for free. For those that aren't, there are links to trailers or excerpts or the actual work on Amazon.com.

I've read a handful of the nominees, watched two of the movies and the Doctor Who episode, and read one of the series up for "Best Series".

Reading the Newbery Winners: The Dark Frigate

I'm still not quite sure what to make of the third Newbery Medal winner, The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes. It's not written quite like a modern day children's book, so it was a little harder for me to get into it at first. But the story of Philip Marsham and his struggles to find a place in the world of seventeenth century England will look pretty familiar to many readers. The early chapters reminded me of something Charles Dickens might write, with his becoming orphaned and cast from situation to situation before finally landing a place on a ship, the Rose of Devon. Then things turn into something more like Robert Louis Stevenson, as the ship is taken by pirates, and Phil must hold on to his values and ideals in a situation that makes that extremely difficult. He comes out all right in the end, of course, but he has many adventures before it's all over. There are many hints of even more adventures, but sadly Hawes died shortly before the novel was published, so he never got the chance to see his prize, nor write more about Marsham.

Hugo Nominations...

The finalists for the Hugo awards have been announced, and here's the announcement:

And the list, with works that were on the Puppy slate listed in italics (note the low impact this year, thank goodness):

Best Novel

• All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Books / Titan Books)
• A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers (Hodder & Stoughton / Harper Voyager US)
• Death's End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu (Tor Books / Head of Zeus)
• Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris Books)
• The Obelisk Gate, by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)
• Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer (Tor Books)

Best Novella

• The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle (Tor.com publishing)
• The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, by Kij Johnson (Tor.com publishing)
• Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com publishing)
• Penric and the Shaman, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Spectrum Literary Agency)
• A Taste of Honey, by Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor.com publishing)
• This Census-Taker, by China Miéville (Del Rey / Picador)

Best Novelette

• Alien Stripper Boned From Behind By The T-Rex, by Stix Hiscock (self-published)
• "The Art of Space Travel", by Nina Allan (Tor.com , July 2016)
• "The Jewel and Her Lapidary", by Fran Wilde (Tor.com, May 2016)
• "The Tomato Thief", by Ursula Vernon (Apex Magazine, January 2016)
• "Touring with the Alien", by Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld Magazine, April 2016)
• "You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay", by Alyssa Wong (Uncanny Magazine, May 2016)

Best Short Story

• "The City Born Great", by N. K. Jemisin (Tor.com, September 2016)
• "A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers", by Alyssa Wong (Tor.com, March 2016)
• "Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies", by Brooke Bolander (Uncanny Magazine, November 2016)
• "Seasons of Glass and Iron", by Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, Saga Press)
• "That Game We Played During the War", by Carrie Vaughn (Tor.com, March 2016)
• "An Unimaginable Light", by John C. Wright (God, Robot, Castalia House)

Best Related Work

• The Geek Feminist Revolution, by Kameron Hurley (Tor Books)
• The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (Blue Rider Press)
• Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg, by Robert Silverberg and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro (Fairwood)
• The View From the Cheap Seats, by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow / Harper Collins)
• The Women of Harry Potter posts, by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com)
• Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Small Beer)

Best Graphic Story

• Black Panther, Volume 1: A Nation Under Our Feet, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, illustrated by Brian Stelfreeze (Marvel)
• Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening, written by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image)
• Ms. Marvel, Volume 5: Super Famous, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa (Marvel)
• Paper Girls, Volume 1, written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by Jared Fletcher (Image)
• Saga, Volume 6, illustrated by Fiona Staples, written by Brian K. Vaughan, lettered by Fonografiks (Image)
• The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man, written by Tom King, illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez Walta (Marvel)

Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form)

• Arrival, screenplay by Eric Heisserer based on a short story by Ted Chiang, directed by Denis Villeneuve (21 Laps Entertainment/FilmNation Entertainment/Lava Bear Films)
• Deadpool, screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, directed by Tim Miller (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/Marvel Entertainment/Kinberg Genre/The Donners' Company/TSG Entertainment)
• Ghostbusters, screenplay by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, directed by Paul Feig (Columbia Pictures/LStar Capital/Village Roadshow Pictures/Pascal Pictures/Feigco Entertainment/Ghostcorps/The Montecito Picture Company)
• Hidden Figures, screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, directed by Theodore Melfi (Fox 2000 Pictures/Chernin Entertainment/Levantine Films/TSG Entertainment)
• Rogue One, screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, directed by Gareth Edwards (Lucasfilm/Allison Shearmur Productions/Black Hangar Studios/Stereo D/Walt Disney Pictures)
• Stranger Things, Season One, created by the Duffer Brothers (21 Laps Entertainment/Monkey Massacre)

Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form)

• Black Mirror: "San Junipero", written by Charlie Brooker, directed by Owen Harris (House of Tomorrow)
• Doctor Who: "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", written by Steven Moffat, directed by Ed Bazalgette (BBC Cymru Wales)
• The Expanse: "Leviathan Wakes", written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, directed by Terry McDonough (SyFy)
• Game of Thrones: "Battle of the Bastards", written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, directed by Miguel Sapochnik (HBO)
• Game of Thrones: "The Door", written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, directed by Jack Bender (HBO)
• Splendor & Misery [album], by Clipping (Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes)

Best Editor – Short Form

• John Joseph Adams
• Neil Clarke
• Ellen Datlow
• Jonathan Strahan
• Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor – Long Form

• Vox Day
• Sheila E. Gilbert
• Liz Gorinsky
• Devi Pillai
• Miriam Weinberg
• Navah Wolfe

Best Professional Artist

• Galen Dara
• Julie Dillon
• Chris McGrath
• Victo Ngai
• John Picacio
• Sana Takeda

Best Semiprozine

• Beneath Ceaseless Skies, editor-in-chief and publisher Scott H. Andrews
• Cirsova Heroic Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, edited by P. Alexander
• GigaNotoSaurus, edited by Rashida J. Smith
• Strange Horizons, edited by Niall Harrison, Catherine Krahe, Vajra Chandrasekera, Vanessa Rose Phin, Li Chua, Aishwarya Subramanian, Tim Moore, Anaea Lay, and the Strange Horizons staff
• Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, Julia Rios, and podcast produced by Erika Ensign & Steven Schapansky
• The Book Smugglers, edited by Ana Grilo and Thea James

Best Fanzine

• Castalia House Blog, edited by Jeffro Johnson
• Journey Planet, edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Helena Nash, Errick Nunnally, Pádraig Ó Méalóid, Chuck Serface, and Erin Underwood
• Lady Business, edited by Clare, Ira, Jodie, KJ, Renay, and Susan
• nerds of a feather, flock together, edited by The G, Vance Kotrla, and Joe Sherry
• Rocket Stack Rank, edited by Greg Hullender and Eric Wong
• SF Bluestocking, edited by Bridget McKinney

Best Fancast

• The Coode Street Podcast, presented by Gary K. Wolfe and Jonathan Strahan
• Ditch Diggers, presented by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace
• Fangirl Happy Hour, presented by Ana Grilo and Renay Williams
• Galactic Suburbia, presented by Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce and Tansy Rayner Roberts, produced by Andrew Finch
• The Rageaholic, presented by RazörFist
• Tea and Jeopardy, presented by Emma Newman with Peter Newman

Best Fan Writer

• Mike Glyer
• Jeffro Johnson
• Natalie Luhrs
• Foz Meadows
• Abigail Nussbaum
• Chuck Tingle

Best Fan Artist

• Ninni Aalto
• * Alex Garner Steve Stiles
• Vesa Lehtimäki
• Likhain (M. Sereno)
• Spring Schoenhuth
• * Mansik Yang Elizabeth Leggett

* Did not have any qualifying works in 2016 for the category, replaced by next artist on nomination form.

Best Series

• The Craft Sequence, by Max Gladstone (Tor Books)
• The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
• The October Daye Books, by Seanan McGuire (DAW / Corsair)
• The Peter Grant / Rivers of London series, by Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz / Del Rey / DAW / Subterranean)
• The Temeraire series, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey / Harper Voyager UK)
• The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

• Sarah Gailey (1st year of eligibility)
• J. Mulrooney (1st year of eligibility)
• Malka Older (2nd year of eligibility)
• Ada Palmer (1st year of eligibility)
• Laurie Penny (2nd year of eligibility)
• Kelly Robson (2nd year of eligibility)