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What I'm Reading Now: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
I have enjoyed Octavia Butler's stories for many, many years. I was very disappointed to hear about her death almost exactly two years ago, knowing that there would be no more stories from this wonderful author. She has a writing voice unlike any other I can recall--simple, direct, and yet incredibly evocative.I have owned this book for a few years now, but had not placed it at the top of my "To Read" list until now. By happy coincidence, my son is reading it for school. Of course, I'm enjoying the pleasure of that far more than he is.What I'm Listening to Now: Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert
Yes, I'm listening my way through the entire original Dune series, much like when I read through them all with a co-worker five or six years ago. (Has it been that long?)When this first book was first released in print, one of my college apartment-mates and I rushed directly from our classes to the Crown Books just around the corner from the apartment we rented. I remember him being seriously annoyed because he was working in the Chemistry lab storeroom that night and I would get a headstart.
What I'm Listening to Now: Valentine Pontifex by Robert Silverberg
The third in the Majipoor series, this book covers the period about ten years after the events in Lord Valentine's Castle. The book is performed by several readers, which adds to its variety and effectiveness.HeroCon 2008
Yeah, I know this report is a little tardy, but still . . .
On October 18th, I spent some of the day at the inaugural HeroCon 2008, a fun-filled day of all things City of Heroes/City of Villains. I went to two panel sessions and one workshop:
- Walking the Cat-Walk: Fashion in City of Heroes
- Getting Your Foot in the Door: How to get a job in the industry
- Making Movies with City of Heroes
I only took 10 photos, none of which are all that spectacular. But I post them here anyway for your amusement and bemusement.
It was interesting to see the wide breadth of ages (and cities of origin) of people who came to HeroCon. I was by no means the oldest person there. That was reassuring. :) There were a lot of couples there, both of whom were involved in the game. (I wonder if there's ever been a study . . .)
NaNoWriMo 2008In five hours and thirty minutes Pacific Standard Time, NaNoWriMo 2008 officially begins. Expect only weekly updates here as time permits. As always, you can follow my progress here.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What I'm Listening to Now: The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein
This is actually one of my favorite later Heinlein books, mostly because of the self-conscious revelation of the multiverse, literary paradoxes, and the "world as myth". I can understand why some readers found the book a little too annoying, but I think it's good clean fun by one of the masters.The main advantage this production has over the previous one I had is that it is unabridged. I actually like Robert Vaughn's reading of it better in the abridged version. The reader of this production had an annoying cadence that took me a while to become accustomed to.
What I'm Reading Now: Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
The others books done by Herbert and Anderson in this series have ranged from irritating to quite good. (I found their conclusion of the original Dune series in Sandworms of Dune to be almost as satisfying a conclusion as the last Harry Potter book.) I'm anticipating that it will be at least a moderately diverting read and I look forward to seeing how the events between Dune and Dune Messiah are explained.
What I'm Listening to Now: Majipoor Chronicles by Robert Silverberg
A sequel of sorts to Lord Valentine's Castle. It's actually an small anthology of sorts of short stories covering places and people in the history of Majipoor. Unlike the audio version of Lord Valentine's Castle, this audiobook is performed by multiple readers.
What I'm Writing Now: Emerald Flight - "Pilot"
Yes, still. And I need to finish it before NaNoWriMo begins on November 1st. I'm currently working at page 216 of 259. There's a sizable scene coming out that I am likely to cut entirely. There are a lot fewer gaps to fill in now, so completing by the end of the month. How long will it be when this draft is done? Ummm . . . a lot longer than it should be?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
What I'm Reading Now: Halo: Contact Harvest by Joseph Staten
Yes, my little secret is out. In addition to more, shall we say, literate works, I also indulge in media tie-in books. I'm a sucker for wanting to sustain my visits to fictional locations that I find particularly appealing. For example, there was a time (many, many years ago) when I could keep out with all of the Star Trek novels being published. With the introduction of Next Generation and then Deep Space Nine, it became simply impossible if I ever wanted to read anything else. However, I still indulge in this vice from time to time.So far, I've found Contact Harvest slightly better than most of the other books based in the Halo universe. The best are, in my opinion, the two by Eric Nyland: The Fall of Reach and First Strike. I didn't have an overwhelming desire to learn about Sgt. Johnson's origins, but I was intrigued enough to find out what other insights into the Halo universe the book might offer.What I'm Listening to Now: Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
This was one of the first books I ever bought when I first became a member of the Science Fiction Book Club. I remember enjoying it thoroughly then and this time around, having been so long since I originally read it, it's almost like experiencing it anew again. It's a fantasy with science fiction elements, without feeling any real need to reconcile the two. This time around, I am finding some things that seem a little too obvious, but it's still very enjoyable and the reader is very good.What I'm Writing Now: Emerald Flight - "Pilot"
The 100-page script that was intended to be a two-hour pilot for a potential TV series is currently now a 248-page script (about four hours) with more to come. Well, Battlestar Galactica started out as a four-hour mini-series, so why not this? Alternately, I might have a full half-season worth of episodes ready when I get done.
I have several articles of clothing and other paraphernalia that read, "So Many Books, So Little Time." I actually like, for me, the dual nature of the message. Not only are there so many books to read, there are also so many to write.Many authors believe that their work is more effective when read aloud. Certainly most children's books are designed in exactly this fashion. When reading a story, our minds add our own dramatic pauses, place emphasis on specific words and phrases, and attempt to capture the accent and tone behind the dialog. What our minds do to the words might not at all resemble what the author intended, as the mind can be a slippery and stubborn thing, determined to have its own way. This is, in no way, necessarily the fault of the writer (although it can be).Like many denizens of Silicon Valley, CA, I have a fairly long, mind-numbing, knuckle-clenching commute. Most of the time is spent in so-called rush hour, doing the opposite of just that. Although music is always welcome, I've come to accept the vice of audiobooks—oral readings of books and stories. Some are dramatic, full-cast presentations of the work; most are not. Some of read by the author; most are not.It's always interesting and enlightening to hear a story read by it's author. The author, having originally written the words, knows exactly where he intended the reader to take note of a phrase, pause for breath, or take a moment for introspection. Nearly all of the authors I've heard perform their own work do it very, very well: Harlan Ellison, Peter S. Beagle, and Spider Robinson come immediately to mind. (The last was a complete surprise to me. I've never had the pleasure of seeing Spider in person, so was surprised to discover that he had read "Stardance" himself. I never would have imagined that he had that voice.) For some authors, the effect is much less effective. As much as I enjoyed reading Neuromancer (during a cross-country trip to Toronto), William Gibson's oral presentation of his own work is, to put it kindly, more than mildly distracting.Like many readers, there are probably as many books that I would like to return to as there are new ones that I would like to read. I've found that audiobooks during my commute is a very pleasant solution. Not only does it serve to pass the time and allow me to re-visit those books, but it also gives me the opportunity to hear someone else's interpretation of the words and characters. In a way, it also returns to the oral storytelling traditions of the past. There is something comforting and yet also evocative to have a work read aloud to you.I know of many authors who claim that one of the ways in which they "test" a work in progress is to read it aloud to understand how it "sounds". Reading it aloud provides a clear indication of the rhythm and flow of the words that cannot always be determined by reading it silently to oneself. (I often compose scenes during short walks by working it out aloud. It's a fun exercise and people look at you only slightly more askance than they do someone talking on a cell phone.)I sometimes wonder if the incidents of road rage might diminish if more people listened to literature (of any kind) in their vehicles rather than the inflammatory rhetoric of certain pundits and talk-shows hosts. Just an unspoken thought . . .
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