ashamel

I've read something like two novels this year. My heart just isn't in it. When it comes to the first chapters of Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Roman Dusk, my heart may have a point.

I did get through Nick Cave's The Death of Bunny Munro, though. I don't know -- lots of clever and painful stuff, but the ending lost it for me, a bit.

We just watched season 1 of The Wire, and as reported it is very good. Occasionally a tad contrived, but I only really say that because it struck me as not quite the 'Best TV show ever' (it is still early days).

True Blood is a bit more problematic. I guess my problem is everyone is sort of passive, and it can get a bit tedious, which is sad because they do a lot of really good things, specifically with the vampire stuff.

In contrast, the first episode of Being Human is a bit dodgy on vampire politics, but is otherwise great. Definitely seeing where that is going. This is the new one about the vampire, werewolf and ghost who move in together.

Also, the new World of Warcraft stuff looks very funky.

My review of Greg Egan's Incandescence is up at ASif.

I keep thinking I've done my last review for them -- it's not them, it's me -- but here we are again. I'd like it if the book was better, admittedly.

the person who designed this ad:

Amazon Books in Australia: Booktopia has a wide range of books about the Amazon...

I bet it does.

Meanwhile, I see Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is coming next year. After the entirely tedious second instalment, I can't say I'm all agog. With any luck it will actually be an adaptation of John Wyndham's Trouble with Lichen instead. Or at least star Kate Moss. (OK, I'm sure that has been said before, possibly by me, but you really should be more careful when naming your monsters.) I discovered this quote from the book:

This is not the age of reason, this is the age of flummery, and the day of the devious approach. Reason's gone into the backrooms where it works to devise means by which people can be induced to emote in the desired direction.

I'm stuck at home, flu-bound. Before I start exploring the recuperative powers of BioShock and Burnout Paradise, some quick reviews:

Blood Ties: Drawn and Quartered
Once again this show uses some standard genre tropes and makes a really lovely episode out of them. The characters, old and new, make it. This ep is about haunted artwork and obsession, and the fact that the art on display is actually pretty good helps too.

Doctor Who: Midnight
Yes, I have been snarky about Russell T Davies in the past, but not this time. Midnight is a story about ordinary people caught up in the sort of situation the Doctor sees all the time, and how they might react -- to him, let alone the monster. It's chilling, and also one of the rare single episode stories that feels just right for its running time.

Life on Mars 2.2
I'm sure I've been snarky about Chris Chibnall too, and though I don't often notice the writers on this sort of thing, I did see his name pop up. This time my impressions were confirmed, with some snappy dialogue and grand ideas, but overall rather confused. I see Chris also wrote a S1 ep (cleverly entitled 1.7), and I don't remember that being bad, so there you go.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
Here's a surprise addition to the list. This is a much loved novel but, well, I didn't think it was all that good. There is indeed some lovely writing and beautiful sentiment, but sadly undermined by a lot of details that didn't make sense. I never understood the logistics of the murder, character actions didn't always gel, and the ending is a bit of a cop-out. I just had a peek at the wiki page, and they mention a problem or two -- but subtle things that I hadn't picked up on, as opposed to the seemingly glaring things that I did.

Maybe I'm just confused, and should go lie down again.

Just read a cool pair of stories from artbroken, available in a little chapbook called Seven Down from Vignette Press. Not sure I could or should classify them, so you should just give them a go.

I read Shiny #1. This could probably be classed as unexpected, since I didn't even know beforehand it was all about death. I can attest to the fact it is difficult to travel in the back-seat of a car with a full-sized scythe.

I just read Jim Butcher's Fool Moon. Since I quickly recognised the episode of the Dresden Files which was based on this novel, I thought I knew what I was in for — but no. For a start, there was a lot more werewolves. As with the first Dresden novel, he conveys a large scale and pulls it off pretty well, not really explaining how all this weirdness is supposed to fit together, but keeping the magic grounded nicely. Good fun.

In the meantime, the first Bionic Woman episode was pretty rough and mostly through the motions, but has potential.

At least Section One is a lot better organised, as Kyla said. It was nice to see Miguel Ferrer again (putting me in mind of that other Nikita remake, just to complicate matters). And since we're being all referential, Jamie Sommers as a name seems rather close to another tv heroine, although that isn't exactly its fault.

Somewhat late to the party, I have just read Graham Joyce's Requiem, and excellent it is too. Reminds me somewhat of Song of Kali, but about Christianity.

(I got an email a little while ago, upbraiding me for recommending Song of Kali, despite its unfavourable depiction of the goddess.)

The AHWA has a chat with Ellen Datlow coming up.

Insanity: They're remaking Near Dark. What next... Strange Days? (those Y2K parties were wild).

The NY Times is abandoning its pay-for-content tonight. Back to reading the op-eds for me.

We've just seen Primer. Freaky, man.

But I'm suspicious. It is the tenth anniversary of google being registered (more or less). A couple of guys in a garage take over the world... Did they really use a search engine?

Also, I read the chapter on time travel in The Science of Stephen King today. Mere coincidence, of course. But in any sane world, would I have wandered into a video shop this week to see Steve's wacky time travel romp, The Langoliers, being played?

I think not.

If nothing else, somebody should go back in time and tell the editor to make it half the length, and perhaps make a decent movie. (The Langoliers. I don't think cutting Primer in half would help.)

The Science of Stephen King isn't much good, alas. It manages to improve after the first disastrous chapter (on ESP), but still doesn't provide a particular coherent look at either science or Steve's work. A shame because, now I think about it, there could be potential in such an odd idea.

It did manage to equate two branes colliding with a certain Buick, which was a good trick. Made me regret yet again I couldn't get any brane-eaters in All Tomorrow's Zombies.

Another review is up, this time Kyla doing Temeraire: Throne of Jade.

(I think I get a mention...)