Category: reading

A Return

So, I’ve been bad. I know the 3(?) of you who read this don’t really mind if I can’t update this thing daily, somehow you find a way to struggle on. Big things are coming though. I have a little report to do of my trip to Oregon (with pictures) which will include my experiences inside a great second hand book store in Eugene. I submitted my review of Mainspring to Steampunk Magazine but have not heard back from them… If I never do and it isn’t included in the third issue I’ll post it here. The short version is you can skip it, if you need details stay tuned. If you must have something to read pick up the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, its author won the Pulitzer for a good reason. Right now I’m in the middle of A.J. Jacobs’ Year of Living Biblically, which isn’t out yet and is somewhat humorous now. I’m hoping it picks up a little. Jacobs’ wrote The Know-It-All (I’m not linking that as I’m not reading it, you have all the information you need to find it yourself). I’ve also just begun Friar Diego de Landa’s Yucatan: Before and After the Conquest, one of the few contemporary resources we have on Mayan beliefs and practices before the Spanish tried to destroy their culture. I know that Proust and Pullman keep getting pushed down and I feel bad about it, but what can I do? I only have so much time with which to read and my varied interests keep me bouncing around.

One of the books I picked up from the used book store was a collection of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. These are the unedited, pre-disneyified ones. I am sure I can mine that for a few good postings. Other things going on, and I have to come up with some sort of novel idea as NaNoWriMo is coming up soon, too soon. This year I really want to give it a try and put some effort into it. I also have a great idea for ScriptFrenzy, but it appears I missed it this year, that is good. It’ll give my idea some time to simmer. I’ll share the promotional voice-over from the movie preview with you though; “In the future, war will be fought, in the past”! So good I know. I amaze even myself, sometimes. That is enough rambling, real content to follow soon (fingers crossed)

You’re my brown (blue) eyed girl

On Reading…

I finished Chabon’s book, the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, it won him the Pulitzer prize. I don’t deny that the writing is good, his prose kept me reading through the book, no matter how surreal it gets in parts. I don’t know what about his writing though makes it Pulitzer prize worthy, what is the mission of the committee that decides who wins and who loses? What must a piece of literature possess in order for it to be considered? What does it have that sets it above its contemporaries? I don’t know, though I suspect I have read better pieces of fiction by authors who have never won the prestigious award. This says one of two things, either the award is not all it is presented to be, or my opinion is not very educated. I’d like to think that it’s the former though I suspect my friends and family would look to the latter. I took the book off of the list to the right and added in a new one, which through the mysterious alchemy of my decision making process jumped ahead of every other book to end up in my lap right now. It’s a small one though so I expect to be reading the Sixth Extinction very soon.

I finished the review I have for Steampunk Magazine and submitted it. I’m hoping when I check my e-mail tomorrow there’ll be something in there from the editors… Something good. I’ve also signed up for my GREs I’ll be taking the test on September 25…

Well, I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray

Bullfinch’s Mythology

I’m pulling it out. Why? Because I need to brush up on my mythology and folklore. I’m liking these fairytale pieces I’m doing, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve read any folk tales and such so I need a refresher. I have a copy of Bullfinch’s and a big book of folkways too. I don’t have any collections of the Bros. Grimm work though or anything else. I might have 1001 Arabian nights, but maybe not. My guess is that it’s at home in southern California. Also I have access to a medieval bestiary which should provide endless inspiration for slightly off color posts.

Pokemon Pearl is a long game. I only play it at work and at this rate I’ll never beat it. Yes, I play pokemon! It’s a great game with solid mechanics, graphics, etc… I won’t say anything about how Nintendo has marketed the hell out of the thing, that’s their prerogative. So I’m going to start Dragon Quest Heroes and we’ll see how that goes. Not much to say so I’ll end it here.

That’s it for now

Eternal Memories

I finished reading Alan Weisman’s The World Without Us. It was a great read, one I’d recommend for everyone. Imagine what the world would look like tomorrow if we all disappeared today? What would last, and what would fade quickly away? Fascinating enough, most of the things we think of as permanent and lasting, will be gone. If all of us humans were gone after 1000 years all that would be left are the chemicals we have synthesized (plastics, DDT, etc), radiation (some of the isotopes we use in nuclear reactors have a half-life of over 4 billion years?!), and electric signals. While nothing of us would be left, save for the endless re-runs of I Love Lucy which are beaming out to all parts of the universe, it is nice to know that Nature in all her glory and variety will bounce back and with us no longer here wild-life will flourish…

Oh, and check out the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT). I’ll keep the link on the reading list up for a few days more before I take it down.

No we didn’t light it but we tried to fight it

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