I can’t believe this slipped past me for two days. Robert Jordan, author of the voluminous Wheel of Time series, passed away on the September 16th due to a disease he was diagnosed with a year and a half ago.
Category: Books
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Robert Jordan is Dead
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The Children of Men
I finally slogged my way through The Children of Men by P.D. James. You may recall that there was a movie out last spring which was much hyped. It came to my attention through science fiction circles that this was based off of a science fiction book. I am opposed to seeing movies without first reading the book, so I picked it up.
Slow-forward about 5 months. I tried twice to read this thing. The third time I finally finished it. Summary: I did not like the book. Blah blah blah blah blah, and so forth for 250 pages. The ideas are interesting such as: the psychological impact of having the entire human race unable to conceive children; the necessary preparations for the last people on Earth; the eventual breakdown of law and order. However, there was an overriding Goddidit theme in this book that annoyed the hell out of me. Warning, spoilers follow (more…)
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The Call of Cthulhu
Finally! It’s only been about twenty years since I first ran across Cthulhu, in the form of the role playing game Call of Cthulhu, in which if your character is not dead or insane by game’s end, you haven’t been trying hard enough. Now I’ve finally read the original short story that this is all based upon, The Call of Cthulhu,
butby H.P. Lovecraft. It was definitely a picturesque scene of horror where Mr. Lovecraft lovingly described the Old One who would rise from the deeps to liberate and devour humanity.Now I can truly say I’m a geek.
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Reshelving Non-Scientific Books
gacked from Pharyngula
Biologist Helping Bookstores has a quest. He reshelves books without a science theme to parts of the book store he feels appropriate.
I’m of two minds about this. My first mind thinks that he’s right; Michael Behe does not belong in the science section any more than Harry Potter does. My other mind thinks that he’s making the bookstore employees’ life a lot more difficult. It’s not up to them (in the chain stores, mind) where the books are shelved. It all comes out of the computer. Thusly, A Brave New World is in Literature, while Laurel K. Hamilton’s books are in Fantasy (Science Fiction and Pornography are more appropriate, respectively).
This is discussed in detail in the comments on BhB’s site. Especially this posting about reshelving in Barnes and Noble.
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (No Spoilers)
Friday last, Jenn and I waited in line to purchase the last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The line and the party at our local Barnes & Noble were just as crazy as we expected. An arguably entertaining event were the two guys at the door who were supposedly herding all us cats who regularly contradicted each other’s instructions.
We had our books by 0035 and were heading to the car when I passed a kid wearing a hand-written t-shirt saying “****** kills ****** on page ******.” I have rarely been so angry. I did not, however, drive over him with the car. The spoiler (which was true) at least wasn’t anything horribly surprising.
We read for a few hours, then slept for a few, then were up and reading on the couch. I had the book finished by 1500 and Jenn was done by 1700. So, now it’s over, except for the movies, which don’t count.
How do I feel about it? Right now, a bit drained. It was a marathon reading session and there were aspects of the story that shocked me. But, overall, it was an excellent finish to the series.
For other posts about book 7 or general Potterness, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here
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Broke My Rule
I broke my rule of avoiding all Harry Potter related news. It seemed safe enough, and it turned out to be horribly amusing predictions from someone who doesn’t take the Harry Potter universe very seriously. Definitely worth the read.
The best quote from the whole article is this one, concerning killing off main characters at the end of a series:
Just imagine: At the end of Return of the Jedi, during the celebration on Endor, a young Ewok, drunk on victory and bourbon, carelessly throws a thermal detonator into a bonfire, wiping out the entire main cast. A grateful galaxy is thus spared the pleasures of eighteen-hundred “Expanded Universe” novels and countless slashfic stories where Luke shows a bound and gagged Han Solo what “The Force” is all about.
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Pesky Harry Potter Peeves
This article talks about Amazon.com preorders of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (11.5 Days!).
It pissed me off for two reasons.
One: At the top of the article is a picture of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. Now, I realize that he is HP of the movies, but he is most decidedly not Harry Potter of the books. The hair is wrong, the scar is wrong, and frankly, there’s a huge difference between the books and the movies. Let’s keep it that way.
Two: This quote. “…the concluding novel is generating much excitement because Rowling has indicated that one or more major characters will be killed off.” Really? That’s the only reason why there’s much excitement? That’s the best reason? Not the fact that this is the last book? Not the fact that all the mysteries of the last two books will be laid to rest? Come on, at least let someone write the copy who has read the books.
Crazy people…
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Harry Potter 7!
We are 26 days away from the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Have you reserved your copy yet? Have you figured out where the last horcruxes (horcrae? horcruxi?) are? Do you have a guess about R.A.B.? Do you think Snape is evil (I don’t)? Will Neville be slaughtered in massive magical mahem? Does Harry become Darth Harry?!
It’s all way too exciting for us Harry Potter fans. Jenn and I will have the book shortly after midnight of July 21 and I’m pretty sure we’ll be done by noon. Don’t call us that day, we’ll be reading or asleep.
By the way, be aware when reading the wikipedia article I’ve linked to that I think 1/4 of it is crap, with respect to the speculation.
It is now time to re-read the series so I’m wholly up to speed.
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Run Away!
SFSignal has an post concerning possible early release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows information. I don’t know what it’s about because I refuse to read it!
It’s become time where, at any mention of Harry Potter, I will hit the back button, or turn off the radio, or throw the TV out the window. I refuse to read/hear any story, just in case they accidentally let slip something that might spoil it for me.
The linked story for SFSignal seems to indicate that something to do with book 7 has been hacked, but I will not read it. I’m looking forward with delight to July 20, when I’ll be waiting in line for the midnight release.
Remember, do NOT click through unless you trust everyone else in the world to not give it away.
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Scalzi on Star Wars
I’ve had Star Wars on my mind because yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the debut of Epidode IV: A New Hope (a.k.a. STAR WARS).
John Scalzi, the author of Old Man’s War1, which you may have seen knocking around the bookshelves, has an opinion regarding the Star Wars movies and their value as entertainment. He feels that the Star Wars sexology were not designed by Lucas to be entertaining, more as a vehicle for his politics and mythology. Go read it for more detail, it’s long.
Toward the end of the post, he recommends a movie:
Look, here’s a test for you. I want you to go out and find this movie: Battle Beyond the Stars. It’s a piece of crap 1980 B-movie, produced by Roger Corman, that’s clearly cashing in on the Star Wars phenomenon. Hell, it’s even a pastiche of the same things Star Wars is a pastiche of (it even has a planet Akir, named for Akira Kurosawa), and it was made for $2 million, which is nothing money, even back in 1980. Thing is, its screenplay was written by John Sayles (later twice nominated for the Best Screenplay Academy Award), and it’s funny and smart, and the whole movie, rather incredibly, keeps pace. Watch it and then tell me, honestly, that it’s not more entertaining than Star Wars Episodes I, II, III and VI.
I haven’t seen this move, but I may have to add it to my list of SF Movies To Watch this summer.
1 Old Man’s War is a very good novel. If you liked Starship Troopers (the Book!, not the “movie” with the same title and a few of the same character names) you’ll like Old Man’s War.