Alazzar's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 21 Sep 2024 20:02:26 -0700 60 Alazzar's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Black Panther, Vol. 1: Who Is the Black Panther?]]> 627201 152 Reginald Hudlin 0785120483 Alazzar 1 3.79 2005 Black Panther, Vol. 1: Who Is the Black Panther?
author: Reginald Hudlin
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2005
rating: 1
read at: 2013/04/23
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions]]> 86428 257 Ben Mezrich 1417665637 Alazzar 3 3.76 2002 Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions
author: Ben Mezrich
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #1)]]> 50027 Discover the origin story of one of the greatest heroes of the Realms—Drizzt Do’Urden—in this thrilling first installment of the Dark Elf Trilogy

Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, first introduced in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, quickly became one of the fantasy genre’s standout characters. With Homeland, Salvatore pulls back the curtain to reveal the startling tale of how this hero came to be—how this one lone drow walked out of the shadowy depths of the Underdark; how he left behind an evil society and a family that wanted him dead.

As the third son of Mother Malice and weaponmaster Zaknafein, Drizzt Do’Urden is meant to be sacrificed to Lolth, the evil Spider Queen, per drow tradition. But with the unexpected death of his older brother, young Drizzt is spared—and, as a result, further ostracized by his family. As Drizzt grows older, developing his swordsmanship skills and studying at the Academy, he begins to realize that his idea of good and evil does not match up with those of his fellow drow. Can Drizzt stay true to himself in a such an unforgiving, unprincipled world?

Homeland is the first book in the Dark Elf Trilogy and the Legend of Drizzt series.]]> 343 R.A. Salvatore Alazzar 3 4.26 1990 Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, #1; Legend of Drizzt, #1)
author: R.A. Salvatore
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1990
rating: 3
read at: 2011/11/20
date added: 2023/07/30
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Paycheck and Other Classic Stories]]> 216369 Electronic mechanic Jennings wakes up with no memory of the past two years of his life -- except that he had agreed to work for Retherick Construction. Payment for his services, now completed, is a bag of seemingly worthless objects: a code key, a ticket stub, a receipt, a length of wire, half a poker chip, a piece of green cloth and a bus token. But when he is confronted by the Special Police, who seem to be investigating Retherick for their own reasons, Jennings finds himself running for his life, realizing that the "worthless" objects are the key to unlocking his recent past, and ensuring that he has a future. ("Paycheck")

Viewed by many as the greatest science fiction writer on any planet, Philip K. Dick has written some of the most intriguing, original and thought-provoking fiction of our time. He has been described by The Wall Street Journal as the man who, "More than anyone else� really puts you inside people's minds."

Volume 1/5. Includes stories from 1952-1955:
- Stability
- Roog
- The Little Movement
- Beyond Lies the Wub
- The Gun
- The Skull
- The Defenders
- Mr. Spaceship
- Piper in the Woods
- The Infinites
- The Preserving Machine
- Expendable
- The Variable Man
- The Indefatigable Frog
- The Crystal Crypt
- The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford
- The Builder
- Meddler
- Paycheck
- The Great C
- Out in the Garden
- The King of the Elves
- Colony
- Prize Ship
- Nanny

Other editions of this volume have the same list of stories, and were published under these titles:
- The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford,
- Beyond Lies the Wub,
- The King of the Elves (+1 extra story).

]]> 432 Philip K. Dick 0806526300 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.03 1987 Paycheck and Other Classic Stories
author: Philip K. Dick
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Classic Tales of Horror and the Supernatural]]> 2212425 --back cover

Hop frog / Edgar Allan Poe --
Rappaccini's daugher / Nathaniel Hawthorne --
Squire Toby's will / J. Sheridan Le Fanu --
The squaw / Bram Stoker --
The jolly corner / Henry James --
"Man overboard!" / Winston Churchill --
The hand / Theodore Dreiser --
The valley of the spiders / H.G. Wells --
The middle toe of the right foot / Ambrose Bierce --
Pickman's model / H.P. Lovecraft --
Yours truly, Jack the ripper / Robert Bloch --
The screaming laugh / Cornell Woolrich --
A rose for Emily / William Faulkner --
Bianca's hands / Theodore Sturgeon --
The girl with the hungry eyes / Fritz Leiber --
Shut a final door / Truman Capote --
Come and go mad / Fredric Brown --
The scarlet king / Evan Hunter --
Sticks / Karl Edward Wagner --
Sardonicus / Ray Russell --
A teacher's rewards / Robert Phillips --
The roaches / Thomas M. Disch --
The jam / Henry Slesar --
Black wind / Bill Pronzini --
The road to Mictlantecutli / Adobe James --
Passengers / Robert Silverberg --
The explosives expert / John Lutz --
Call first / Ramsey Campbell --
The fly / Arthur Porges --
Namesake / Elizabeth Morton --
Camps / Jack Dann --
You know Willie / Theodore R. Cogswell --
The mindworm / C.M. Kornbluth --
Warm / Robert Scheckley --
Transfer / Barry N. Malzberg --
The doll / Joyce Carol Oates --
If Damon comes / Charles L. Grant --
Mass without voices / Arthur L. Samuels --
The oblong room / Edward D. Hoch --
The party / William F. Nolan --
The crate / Stephen King.]]> 599 0688109632 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.79 1981 Classic Tales of Horror and the Supernatural
author: bill-pronzini-barry-n-malzberg-and-martin-h-greenberg-with-an-introduction-by-stephen-king
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Annotated American Gods 42079240
A perennial favorite of readers worldwide, American Gods tells the story of ex-con Shadow Moon, who emerges from prison and is recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday. So begins a dark and strange road trip full of fantastical adventures and a host of eccentric characters. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and Shadow is standing squarely in its path.

This annotated volume of the Author’s Preferred Text features analysis from Leslie S. Klinger. His trenchant commentary identifies gods and supernatural beings, elucidates key phrases, and shows how Gaiman built his award-winning novel, giving readers unparalleled insight into the story and into Gaiman’s creative process and authorial decisions. Carefully chosen illustrations complement and illuminate the narrative.]]> 656 Neil Gaiman 0062896261 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.31 2001 The Annotated American Gods
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Jaws 941281
When Peter Benchley wrote Jaws in the early 1970’s, he meticulously researched all the available data about sharks. Over the ensuing decades, Benchley was actively engaged with scientists and filmmakers on expeditions around the world as they expanded their knowledge of sharks. Also during this time, there was an unprecedented upswing in the number of sharks killed for their fins to make shark fin soup, and Benchley worked with governments and non-profits to sound the alarm for shark conservation. He encouraged each new generation of Jaws fans to enjoy his riveting tale and to channel their excitement into the support and protection of these magnificent, prehistoric apex predators.]]> 311 Peter Benchley 0385047711 Alazzar 4 Jaws that I don't even remember how it goes. There's something about a shark. And . . . water? Probably. Anyway, my memory was hazy at best going into this, which is perfect, because it makes everything in the book more of a surprise (though, for all I know, the book and the movie aren't very similar at all -- I'll find out when I watch the movie within the next few days).

Early on, the shark attacks (spoiler: there are shark attacks in this book) didn't feel all that intense to me, but that could very well just be a matter of personal preference. By the end, however, my opinion of things changed. Things got damn exciting later on, especially since I couldn't remember how the story ended in the film (though, once again, that may have nothing to do with how the book ends anyway).

As far as all the stuff in between goes, it was great. It was interesting to see that the book is just as much about the town's reaction to the shark as the shark itself. The great white brings with it more than just a few stolen lives--it threatens to destroy the very community with its presence alone.

I'll also note that this book must have been much more interesting than I even realized as I was reading it. I was flying through the pages, and was sort of surprised to realize just how quick of a read it was. Every time I looked at a page number, I thought, "Really? I've read that much?"

Of course, this could have to do with the fact that I fell and hit my head the other day. But you know what they say: brain trauma leads to greater literary appreciation. Or something to that effect.]]> 3.66 1974 Jaws
author: Peter Benchley
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/24
date added: 2019/04/05
shelves:
review:
It's been so long since I've seen the film Jaws that I don't even remember how it goes. There's something about a shark. And . . . water? Probably. Anyway, my memory was hazy at best going into this, which is perfect, because it makes everything in the book more of a surprise (though, for all I know, the book and the movie aren't very similar at all -- I'll find out when I watch the movie within the next few days).

Early on, the shark attacks (spoiler: there are shark attacks in this book) didn't feel all that intense to me, but that could very well just be a matter of personal preference. By the end, however, my opinion of things changed. Things got damn exciting later on, especially since I couldn't remember how the story ended in the film (though, once again, that may have nothing to do with how the book ends anyway).

As far as all the stuff in between goes, it was great. It was interesting to see that the book is just as much about the town's reaction to the shark as the shark itself. The great white brings with it more than just a few stolen lives--it threatens to destroy the very community with its presence alone.

I'll also note that this book must have been much more interesting than I even realized as I was reading it. I was flying through the pages, and was sort of surprised to realize just how quick of a read it was. Every time I looked at a page number, I thought, "Really? I've read that much?"

Of course, this could have to do with the fact that I fell and hit my head the other day. But you know what they say: brain trauma leads to greater literary appreciation. Or something to that effect.
]]> Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) #1 25794937 24 Stan Lee Alazzar 4 X-Men: Fatal Attractions and Phalanx Covenant storylines), but that's not the sort of thing that has an entry in Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ, so here we are.

These issues deal with a few interesting interesting ideas--the team trying to move on after their life-changing experiences in Fatal Attractions; a gradual introduction into the techno-organic race called the Phalanx; the beginning of Emma Frost's dramatic change in character--but the most enjoyable thing by far was issue #308.

I very vaguely remember reading #308 as a kid. A friend of mine really liked the issue, but I probably thought it was dumb because the X-men didn't even fight anyone! ("And really, how good can a comic book be if there's no fighting?" --11-year-olds everywhere.) But now that I'm older, I'm glad I could revisit this issue and appreciate how great it is.

The book consists of the team relaxing (or trying to, anyway) on Thanksgiving. There are leaves being jumped through. There's a game of "no-powers!" football being played. I loved everything about the laid-back atmosphere--particularly seeing the characters hanging out and being a family. I had a smile on my face through most of the issue, and it wasn't because I was thinking of how delicious donuts are.

(Although, I am now. Damn it.)

Oh, and issue #308 also had a change in Scott and Jean's relationship, which some people might consider kind of important. Just a little bit.

Overall, I'd say this stretch of issues wasn't anything ground-breaking enough to warrant a full 4 stars (maybe something more like 3.5), but #308 was so good that I find myself having to round up.

fin.

*(I also decided to read X-men #30 during this run, which makes sense if you know what happened in that issue. And if you don't, well, I'd hate to spoil it for you.)]]> 3.82 1963 Uncanny X-Men (1963-2011) #1
author: Stan Lee
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1963
rating: 4
read at: 2013/02/01
date added: 2019/02/19
shelves:
review:
This isn't a review for Uncanny X-men #1. What I actually read was Uncanny X-men #305-315* (all the stuff between the X-Men: Fatal Attractions and Phalanx Covenant storylines), but that's not the sort of thing that has an entry in Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ, so here we are.

These issues deal with a few interesting interesting ideas--the team trying to move on after their life-changing experiences in Fatal Attractions; a gradual introduction into the techno-organic race called the Phalanx; the beginning of Emma Frost's dramatic change in character--but the most enjoyable thing by far was issue #308.

I very vaguely remember reading #308 as a kid. A friend of mine really liked the issue, but I probably thought it was dumb because the X-men didn't even fight anyone! ("And really, how good can a comic book be if there's no fighting?" --11-year-olds everywhere.) But now that I'm older, I'm glad I could revisit this issue and appreciate how great it is.

The book consists of the team relaxing (or trying to, anyway) on Thanksgiving. There are leaves being jumped through. There's a game of "no-powers!" football being played. I loved everything about the laid-back atmosphere--particularly seeing the characters hanging out and being a family. I had a smile on my face through most of the issue, and it wasn't because I was thinking of how delicious donuts are.

(Although, I am now. Damn it.)

Oh, and issue #308 also had a change in Scott and Jean's relationship, which some people might consider kind of important. Just a little bit.

Overall, I'd say this stretch of issues wasn't anything ground-breaking enough to warrant a full 4 stars (maybe something more like 3.5), but #308 was so good that I find myself having to round up.

fin.

*(I also decided to read X-men #30 during this run, which makes sense if you know what happened in that issue. And if you don't, well, I'd hate to spoil it for you.)
]]> Through the Looking Glass 17198179 192 Lewis Carroll 144748536X Alazzar 3 Alice in Wonderland a few years ago, one of my primary sources of entertainment was trying to visualize things my own way--you know, ignoring the character designs and settings that had been established by Disney. (In version of Wonderland, the caterpillar is orange and black and fuzzy, and the Cheshire cat is a lioness.)

But being that I didn't have any sort of familiarity with the events of Through the Looking Glass upon diving into it, I wasn't offered that same exercise in creativity; i.e., instead of banishing a culturally established image from my mind in order to make a different one (like I did with Alice), in this book I just started with a blank slate. Which, somehow, was less fun.

That being said, I'm really not sure what to think of this story. There's no real established plot (other than, "I kind of want to go from point A for point B, for unspecified reasons") nor antagonists. Meaning there's not a lot of conflict. Really, the book is just an excuse to have conversations with a bunch of weirdos who take everything oddly literally.

For these reasons, it's more of a 2.5-star book. Maybe even a 2. But I give it a boost because A) it's short enough to have not taken much of my time, and B) it was nice to see where some of Roger Zelazny's Amber references came from.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go read "Epithalamium" .]]> 3.98 1871 Through the Looking Glass
author: Lewis Carroll
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1871
rating: 3
read at: 2013/06/30
date added: 2019/01/16
shelves:
review:
When I read Alice in Wonderland a few years ago, one of my primary sources of entertainment was trying to visualize things my own way--you know, ignoring the character designs and settings that had been established by Disney. (In version of Wonderland, the caterpillar is orange and black and fuzzy, and the Cheshire cat is a lioness.)

But being that I didn't have any sort of familiarity with the events of Through the Looking Glass upon diving into it, I wasn't offered that same exercise in creativity; i.e., instead of banishing a culturally established image from my mind in order to make a different one (like I did with Alice), in this book I just started with a blank slate. Which, somehow, was less fun.

That being said, I'm really not sure what to think of this story. There's no real established plot (other than, "I kind of want to go from point A for point B, for unspecified reasons") nor antagonists. Meaning there's not a lot of conflict. Really, the book is just an excuse to have conversations with a bunch of weirdos who take everything oddly literally.

For these reasons, it's more of a 2.5-star book. Maybe even a 2. But I give it a boost because A) it's short enough to have not taken much of my time, and B) it was nice to see where some of Roger Zelazny's Amber references came from.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go read "Epithalamium" .
]]> The Halloween Tree 761381
Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween.]]> 145 Ray Bradbury 0375803017 Alazzar 4
(Note: I'm putting an update to my opinions at the end of this review, after a 2012 re-read.)

This is more like 2.5 stars (heck, maybe even 2.3), but I'm feeling generous.

I want to like Ray Bradbury. I really do. But I feel like I'm more impressed by the things I've read about him than the things I've read by him. I hear about all these great stories he came up with before they became cliches, and I have to respect his creativity.

Then I read one of his stories.

Sometimes, Bradbury's prose does an incredible job of creating a visual in my mind. Other times, his sentences are so long and filled with unnecessary fluff that he loses my attention before we reach the ending punctuation mark.

And on top of all that, this book was written about kids, for kids. That's not exactly a ticket into my heart.

In The Halloween Tree, a group of kids go out on Halloween and then go on an adventure to find their missing friend. We know so little about this missing friend that we don't give a shit whether or not they succeed. (But, once again, it's a book for kids, and kids probably aren't concerned with character so much as the sense of adventure.) In fact, as these children travel through time and space, we often forget that they have a goal behind it all--hell, sometimes I think even they forget. It's almost like Bradbury wrote a story intending to tell the history of Halloween on a marvelous childhood adventure, then went back and realized he should probably add some catalyst for the plot: "Why are the children doing all of this? Hmm. Let's say they're searching for their lost friend. Bam. Done. Count it."

This book is only 145 (small) pages with large print and illustrations, and yet it took me 6 days to read. I just couldn't get through more than a few pages at a time without my mind wandering to something else. Except for my final reading session, that is. I went through the last 45 pages or so in one sitting. I don't know if it's because the book got better or if I was just determined to stay focused and finish it off. In any case, I feel like I enjoyed it more toward the end, which is the only reason the book is getting 3 stars instead of 2.

Maybe if I read it again I'd like it more. I have a feeling this might be one of those books I look back on and think about for a few weeks after reading it--one of the books I appreciate more after it's over and done with. (A similar thing happened with Something Wicked This Way Comes.) Part of me has to admit that maybe I was just distracted by other thoughts while I was trying to read The Halloween Tree this time around, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought.

The one thing I have to give props to is the actual Halloween tree itself. (The object, not the book.) It was a pretty cool thing to visualize.

[Re-read October 26-28, 2012]

Bradbury was an acquired taste for me. I always wanted to like his work, but never really did. I kept at it though (particularly after he passed away), and at some point, something suddenly clicked.

With that in mind, you can probably disregard everything I said when I reviewed the book the first time. I LOVED it this second time around. It's a boys' adventure, not to be taken seriously, and it makes me want to be a kid and trick-or-treat again.

But, alas, I am OLD.

Anyway, considering how short the book is, I can see it becoming a yearly tradition now. If nothing else, it's worth it just for the imagery of the Halloween Tree itself. (And, on that note, I just recently learned that Bradbury was a painter, in addition to being a writer--in fact, he actually painted the Halloween tree before he wrote the story. Check it out! )

I'm bumping my rating from 3 stars (or I guess 2.5, as I specified in my review) up to a well-deserved 4. Go Bradbury!]]> 3.81 1972 The Halloween Tree
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1972
rating: 4
read at: 2017/10/31
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:
[Originally read April 23-April 29, 2011.]

(Note: I'm putting an update to my opinions at the end of this review, after a 2012 re-read.)

This is more like 2.5 stars (heck, maybe even 2.3), but I'm feeling generous.

I want to like Ray Bradbury. I really do. But I feel like I'm more impressed by the things I've read about him than the things I've read by him. I hear about all these great stories he came up with before they became cliches, and I have to respect his creativity.

Then I read one of his stories.

Sometimes, Bradbury's prose does an incredible job of creating a visual in my mind. Other times, his sentences are so long and filled with unnecessary fluff that he loses my attention before we reach the ending punctuation mark.

And on top of all that, this book was written about kids, for kids. That's not exactly a ticket into my heart.

In The Halloween Tree, a group of kids go out on Halloween and then go on an adventure to find their missing friend. We know so little about this missing friend that we don't give a shit whether or not they succeed. (But, once again, it's a book for kids, and kids probably aren't concerned with character so much as the sense of adventure.) In fact, as these children travel through time and space, we often forget that they have a goal behind it all--hell, sometimes I think even they forget. It's almost like Bradbury wrote a story intending to tell the history of Halloween on a marvelous childhood adventure, then went back and realized he should probably add some catalyst for the plot: "Why are the children doing all of this? Hmm. Let's say they're searching for their lost friend. Bam. Done. Count it."

This book is only 145 (small) pages with large print and illustrations, and yet it took me 6 days to read. I just couldn't get through more than a few pages at a time without my mind wandering to something else. Except for my final reading session, that is. I went through the last 45 pages or so in one sitting. I don't know if it's because the book got better or if I was just determined to stay focused and finish it off. In any case, I feel like I enjoyed it more toward the end, which is the only reason the book is getting 3 stars instead of 2.

Maybe if I read it again I'd like it more. I have a feeling this might be one of those books I look back on and think about for a few weeks after reading it--one of the books I appreciate more after it's over and done with. (A similar thing happened with Something Wicked This Way Comes.) Part of me has to admit that maybe I was just distracted by other thoughts while I was trying to read The Halloween Tree this time around, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought.

The one thing I have to give props to is the actual Halloween tree itself. (The object, not the book.) It was a pretty cool thing to visualize.

[Re-read October 26-28, 2012]

Bradbury was an acquired taste for me. I always wanted to like his work, but never really did. I kept at it though (particularly after he passed away), and at some point, something suddenly clicked.

With that in mind, you can probably disregard everything I said when I reviewed the book the first time. I LOVED it this second time around. It's a boys' adventure, not to be taken seriously, and it makes me want to be a kid and trick-or-treat again.

But, alas, I am OLD.

Anyway, considering how short the book is, I can see it becoming a yearly tradition now. If nothing else, it's worth it just for the imagery of the Halloween Tree itself. (And, on that note, I just recently learned that Bradbury was a painter, in addition to being a writer--in fact, he actually painted the Halloween tree before he wrote the story. Check it out! )

I'm bumping my rating from 3 stars (or I guess 2.5, as I specified in my review) up to a well-deserved 4. Go Bradbury!
]]> <![CDATA[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2017 (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, #731)]]> 34963001 - C.C. Finlay - Editor
Volume 132, Numbers 5&6, Whole Number 731
Contents:
Brian Trent - A Thousand Deaths Through Flesh and Stone
Shannon Connor Winward - Witch's Hour
Mary Soon Lee - The Path to Peace
Richard Bowes - Dirty Old Town
Charles de Lint - Books to Look For
Elizabeth Hand - Books
Paul Di Filippo - Plumage From Pegasus: Happiness Is a Worn Gunn
Matthew Hughes - The Prognosticant
Kelly Jennings - The History of the Invasion Told in Five Dogs
Gregor Hartmann - What the Hands Know
Zach Shephard - The Woman With the Long Black Hair
R S. Benedict - My English Name
Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty - Science: Robots on the Road
David J. Skal - Television: Western Histories
John Schoffstall - The First Day of Someone Else's Life
Leah Cypess - Neko Brushes
Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Rings
Mark Esping - Curiosities
Cover by Maurizio Manzieri for "The Prognosticant"]]> 258 C.C. Finlay Alazzar 4 3.94 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2017 (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, #731)
author: C.C. Finlay
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/06/07
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> American Gods 4404 American Gods is Neil Gaiman's best and most ambitious novel yet, a scary, strange, and hallucinogenic road-trip story wrapped around a deep examination of the American spirit. Gaiman tackles everything from the onslaught of the information age to the meaning of death, but he doesn't sacrifice the razor-sharp plotting and narrative style he's been delivering since his Sandman days.

Shadow gets out of prison early when his wife is killed in a car crash. At a loss, he takes up with a mysterious character called Wednesday, who is much more than he appears. In fact, Wednesday is an old god, once known as Odin the All-father, who is roaming America rounding up his forgotten fellows in preparation for an epic battle against the upstart deities of the Internet, credit cards, television, and all that is wired. Shadow agrees to help Wednesday, and they whirl through a psycho-spiritual storm that becomes all too real in its manifestations. For instance, Shadow's dead wife Laura keeps showing up, and not just as a ghost--the difficulty of their continuing relationship is by turns grim and darkly funny, just like the rest of the book.

Armed only with some coin tricks and a sense of purpose, Shadow travels through, around, and underneath the visible surface of things, digging up all the powerful myths Americans brought with them in their journeys to this land as well as the ones that were already here. Shadow's road story is the heart of the novel, and it's here that Gaiman offers up the details that make this such a cinematic book--the distinctly American foods and diversions, the bizarre roadside attractions, the decrepit gods reduced to shell games and prostitution. "This is a bad land for Gods," says Shadow.

More than a tourist in America, but not a native, Neil Gaiman offers an outside-in and inside-out perspective on the soul and spirituality of the country--our obsessions with money and power, our jumbled religious heritage and its societal outcomes, and the millennial decisions we face about what's real and what's not. --Therese Littleton

]]> 635 Neil Gaiman 0060010606 Alazzar 5 make adjectives strong enough to describe the quality of American Gods. It's like you need the help of some divine power just to put your overwhelmed emotions into words while describing this book; thankfully, when it comes to American Gods, divine power isn't as far away as one might think.

American Gods has everything that a mythology-lover could ever ask for. And if you're not a mythology-lover, you will be after reading this book. Not only is the story top-notch, but the extensive cast of characters is positively remarkable. Rarely does a tale include such a huge number of truly unique characters that stick so readily in the reader's mind. Even the ones who only have such a small part -- the cameos, if you will -- are not easily forgotten. Neil Gaiman is just that good at making us care. He forces us to care. I'm pretty sure what he's doing might be illegal in some states, because it's on par with brainwashing and mind control. But in a good way.

My favorite fantasy tale of all time is Roger Zelazny's Amber series (which is 10 books strong), but after reading American Gods, I have to say that Mr. Gaiman's masterpiece may just be my favorite single novel of all time. It's simply that good.

Once again, words cannot express how remarkable this book is. At least, not any words that I know.

[Re-read February 17-25, 2013]

As expected, American Gods was still amazing on the second read-through. Things started out really strong (as they had the first time), though I have to admit that the whole Lakeside detour seemed to drag a bit this time around. I'm really not sure if I liked the book more on my first or second read, which is unlike another contender for my favorite book of all time, Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light : that one was unbelievably good on its first read, but I enjoyed even more on the second pass.]]> 4.06 2001 American Gods
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2017/04/11
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:
It's hard to write a review for a book when you know you couldn't possibly do it justice. They don't make adjectives strong enough to describe the quality of American Gods. It's like you need the help of some divine power just to put your overwhelmed emotions into words while describing this book; thankfully, when it comes to American Gods, divine power isn't as far away as one might think.

American Gods has everything that a mythology-lover could ever ask for. And if you're not a mythology-lover, you will be after reading this book. Not only is the story top-notch, but the extensive cast of characters is positively remarkable. Rarely does a tale include such a huge number of truly unique characters that stick so readily in the reader's mind. Even the ones who only have such a small part -- the cameos, if you will -- are not easily forgotten. Neil Gaiman is just that good at making us care. He forces us to care. I'm pretty sure what he's doing might be illegal in some states, because it's on par with brainwashing and mind control. But in a good way.

My favorite fantasy tale of all time is Roger Zelazny's Amber series (which is 10 books strong), but after reading American Gods, I have to say that Mr. Gaiman's masterpiece may just be my favorite single novel of all time. It's simply that good.

Once again, words cannot express how remarkable this book is. At least, not any words that I know.

[Re-read February 17-25, 2013]

As expected, American Gods was still amazing on the second read-through. Things started out really strong (as they had the first time), though I have to admit that the whole Lakeside detour seemed to drag a bit this time around. I'm really not sure if I liked the book more on my first or second read, which is unlike another contender for my favorite book of all time, Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light : that one was unbelievably good on its first read, but I enjoyed even more on the second pass.
]]> <![CDATA[Unidentified Funny Objects 5 (UFO #5)]]> 31299686
* Aztec Astronauts
* Punster Prophets
* Apocalyptic Apps
* Cantankerous Cryptids
* and the Duck Knight

Fifth annual volume of the Unidentified Funny Objects anthology series features eighteen lighthearted science fiction and fantasy tales from the masters of the genre.

Read about planetary adoptions, secret agent princesses, alien cooking reality shows, rigged elections, magical insurance agents, and much more.]]> 304 Alex Shvartsman 0988432897 Alazzar 0 4.10 2016 Unidentified Funny Objects 5 (UFO #5)
author: Alex Shvartsman
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2017/02/02
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3]]> 26030866 COLLECTING: BLACK PANTHER (1998) 36-49, 57-58; INCREDIBLE HULK (2000) 33; THOR (1966) 370; MATERIAL FROM MARVEL DOUBLE-SHOT 2]]> 456 Christopher J. Priest 0785195084 Alazzar 3 3.67 2003 Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 3
author: Christopher J. Priest
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at: 2017/08/13
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2]]> 25319023
COLLECTING: BLACK PANTHER (1998) 18-35, DEADPOOL (1997) 44]]> 448 Christopher J. Priest 0785198113 Alazzar 4 3.73 2001 Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2
author: Christopher J. Priest
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/29
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Night in the Lonesome October]]> 62005
In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff � gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut.

And now the dread night approaches � so let the Game begin.]]> 280 Roger Zelazny 0380771411 Alazzar 5
I'll start by saying that I came upon this book largely by accident, and it turned out to be one of the greatest accidents of my life -- WAY better than that time I soiled myself on stage during my first-grade performance of the Nativity story ("Three wise men?" More like "Two wise men and their dumpy friend with no control over his bladder").

Anyway, I'd gotten on ye olde Internet before heading to the library so I could figure out what they had checked in that I might want to pick up. I searched for Zelazny's name, though I'm not sure what I expected to find, as I'd searched it many times before and already knew the results: 7 titles at my local library, 5 of which were Amber books I already owned. The other two didn't particularly interest me.

So, being that I've been on a horror kick, I settled on Salem's Lot.

I went to the library, located the book with ease. Normally I'd be on my way, but I decided to browse a bit. In doing so, I found myself wandering towards a dark corner of the library, where the Zelazny books sat on a bottom shelf. I thought maybe I'd take a look at those 2 non-Amber books I hadn't read, and maybe they'd look good.

There weren't two non-Amber books.

There were three.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the cover art of A Night in the Lonesome October immediately drew my attention. Who were all of those characters? What were they up to? What was with the animals?

I had to know.

So I read a chapter. Seeing the humanized interaction between two dogs was enough to get me hooked right away. ("May I see your teeth?" "Yes. Here. May I see yours?" "Of course.") Explaining the standard behavior of dogs in a human, conversational way was just so interesting to me. And I knew that if it was Zelazny, it had to be good.

So, Salem's Lot made it back to the shelf. I wish it hadn't.

Why?

Because now, only one day later, I have to make a trip back to the library to get it. Because I finished this gem of Zelazny's in about a day. It was that good.

If you're a fan of the Amber series, you may want to check this out. It draws a lot of similarities, in that there are tentative alliances built around a mutual exchange of information, and you can never be sure whom to trust. The animal characters are all particularly interesting, because -- despite their human intelligence -- they still retain some of their bestial characteristics. For example, the rat is naturally distrusting of the cat and the owl, simply because of what they are. Yet he can still hold a civilized conversation with them.

Zelazny was a master of the intricate plot line, and this novel emphasizes that point. I'm amazed at how he's able to juggle all of the different characters and keep track of exactly who knows what. And, of course, no matter how familiar you think you are with Zelazny's style, he still manages to come up with twists that you never would have expected.

The only downside to this book is the art. I gather Gahan Wilson's art is supposed to be pretty famous from magazines and the like, but I admittedly can't see why. It added nothing to the book. If anything, it detracted from Zelazny's writing. Still, the book was so good that I'll give it 5 stars, simply because I think Zelazny shouldn't be punished for Wilson's terrible illustrations.

[Re-read October 5-9, 2011]

Just as good as the first time, if not better. I'm pretty sure this is a book I'm going to read every October for the rest of my life.

[Re-read October 1-31, 2012]

This year, I'm gonna try the time-tested tradition of reading a chapter of Lonesome October each day in October. Very excited to be revisiting this classic! UPDATE: As planned, I read a page every day. And as expected, the book was fantastic. Definitely reading this again next October.

[Re-read October 1-31, 2013]

[Re-reading October 1-X, 2014]]]> 4.16 1993 A Night in the Lonesome October
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2017/11/01
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:
[Originally read May 1-May 2, 2010]

I'll start by saying that I came upon this book largely by accident, and it turned out to be one of the greatest accidents of my life -- WAY better than that time I soiled myself on stage during my first-grade performance of the Nativity story ("Three wise men?" More like "Two wise men and their dumpy friend with no control over his bladder").

Anyway, I'd gotten on ye olde Internet before heading to the library so I could figure out what they had checked in that I might want to pick up. I searched for Zelazny's name, though I'm not sure what I expected to find, as I'd searched it many times before and already knew the results: 7 titles at my local library, 5 of which were Amber books I already owned. The other two didn't particularly interest me.

So, being that I've been on a horror kick, I settled on Salem's Lot.

I went to the library, located the book with ease. Normally I'd be on my way, but I decided to browse a bit. In doing so, I found myself wandering towards a dark corner of the library, where the Zelazny books sat on a bottom shelf. I thought maybe I'd take a look at those 2 non-Amber books I hadn't read, and maybe they'd look good.

There weren't two non-Amber books.

There were three.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the cover art of A Night in the Lonesome October immediately drew my attention. Who were all of those characters? What were they up to? What was with the animals?

I had to know.

So I read a chapter. Seeing the humanized interaction between two dogs was enough to get me hooked right away. ("May I see your teeth?" "Yes. Here. May I see yours?" "Of course.") Explaining the standard behavior of dogs in a human, conversational way was just so interesting to me. And I knew that if it was Zelazny, it had to be good.

So, Salem's Lot made it back to the shelf. I wish it hadn't.

Why?

Because now, only one day later, I have to make a trip back to the library to get it. Because I finished this gem of Zelazny's in about a day. It was that good.

If you're a fan of the Amber series, you may want to check this out. It draws a lot of similarities, in that there are tentative alliances built around a mutual exchange of information, and you can never be sure whom to trust. The animal characters are all particularly interesting, because -- despite their human intelligence -- they still retain some of their bestial characteristics. For example, the rat is naturally distrusting of the cat and the owl, simply because of what they are. Yet he can still hold a civilized conversation with them.

Zelazny was a master of the intricate plot line, and this novel emphasizes that point. I'm amazed at how he's able to juggle all of the different characters and keep track of exactly who knows what. And, of course, no matter how familiar you think you are with Zelazny's style, he still manages to come up with twists that you never would have expected.

The only downside to this book is the art. I gather Gahan Wilson's art is supposed to be pretty famous from magazines and the like, but I admittedly can't see why. It added nothing to the book. If anything, it detracted from Zelazny's writing. Still, the book was so good that I'll give it 5 stars, simply because I think Zelazny shouldn't be punished for Wilson's terrible illustrations.

[Re-read October 5-9, 2011]

Just as good as the first time, if not better. I'm pretty sure this is a book I'm going to read every October for the rest of my life.

[Re-read October 1-31, 2012]

This year, I'm gonna try the time-tested tradition of reading a chapter of Lonesome October each day in October. Very excited to be revisiting this classic! UPDATE: As planned, I read a page every day. And as expected, the book was fantastic. Definitely reading this again next October.

[Re-read October 1-31, 2013]

[Re-reading October 1-X, 2014]
]]> <![CDATA[Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1]]> 23546858 416 Christopher J. Priest 0785192670 Alazzar 4 3.70 2000 Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1
author: Christopher J. Priest
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2016/09/30
date added: 2018/01/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad, #1)]]> 44659 BOOK 1 OF THE BELGARIAD, the worldwide bestselling fantasy series by master storyteller David Eddings. Discover the epic story that inspired thousands - from Raymond Feist's The Riftwar Cycle series to George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.

A battle is coming...

...And in that battle shall be decided

the fate of the world

Myths tell of the ancient wars of Gods and men, and a powerful object - the Orb - that ended the bloodshed. As long as it was held by the line of Riva, it would assure the peace.

But a dark force has stolen the Orb, and the prophecies tell of war.

Young farm boy Garion knows nothing of myth or fate. But then the mysterious Old Storyteller visits his aunt, and they embark on a sudden journey. Pursued by evil forces, with only a small band of companions they can trust, Garion begins to doubt all he thought he knew...]]> 304 David Eddings 0345468643 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.17 1982 Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad, #1)
author: David Eddings
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1982
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/09/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw]]> 23862438 Collects THE AUTUMNLANDS: TOOTH & CLAW #1-6]]> 184 Kurt Busiek 1632152770 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.84 2015 The Autumnlands, Vol. 1: Tooth and Claw
author: Kurt Busiek
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves]]> 29101497
That’s a damn shame. Swearing is useful. It can be funny, cathartic, or emotionally arousing. As linguist and cognitive scientist Benjamin K. Bergen shows us, it also opens a new window onto how our brains process language and why languages vary around the world and over time.

In this groundbreaking yet ebullient romp through the linguistic muck, Bergen answers intriguing questions: How can patients left otherwise speechless after a stroke still shout Goddamn! when they get upset? When did a cock grow to be more than merely a rooster? Why is crap vulgar when poo is just childish? Do slurs make you treat people differently? Why is the first word that Samoan children say not mommy but eat shit? And why do we extend a middle finger to flip someone the bird?

Smart as hell and funny as fuck, What the F is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to know how and why we swear.
]]> 271 Benjamin K. Bergen 0465060919 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.73 2016 What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves
author: Benjamin K. Bergen
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2017/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War]]> 26530320 Grunt tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries—panic, exhaustion, heat, noise—and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them.

Mary Roach dodges hostile fire with the U.S. Marine Corps Paintball Team as part of a study on hearing loss and survivability in combat. She visits the fashion design studio of U.S. Army Natick Labs and learns why a zipper is a problem for a sniper. She visits a repurposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for the shock and gore of combat wounds.

At Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, in east Africa, we learn how diarrhea can be a threat to national security. Roach samples caffeinated meat, sniffs an archival sample of a World War II stink bomb, and stays up all night with the crew tending the missiles on the nuclear submarine USS Tennessee. She answers questions not found in any other book on the military: Why is DARPA interested in ducks? How is a wedding gown like a bomb suit? Why are shrimp more dangerous to sailors than sharks? Take a tour of duty with Roach, and you’ll never see our nation’s defenders in the same way again.]]> 285 Mary Roach 0393245446 Alazzar 4
Roach is one of those people who just seems effortlessly witty. Add to that the fact that the subject matter ("The curious science of humans at war," as noted in the book's subtitle) is naturally intriguing to begin with, and you've got a real winner.

It's a fast, easy read that's as informative as it is entertaining. If all of Mary Roach's other books are like this, then I'm in for a treat.]]> 3.90 2016 Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War
author: Mary Roach
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/08/20
date added: 2016/09/13
shelves:
review:
I'd never heard of Mary Roach before coming across this book as a recommendation in some science magazine. And now that I've read some of her work, I'm sure I'll be seeking out more.

Roach is one of those people who just seems effortlessly witty. Add to that the fact that the subject matter ("The curious science of humans at war," as noted in the book's subtitle) is naturally intriguing to begin with, and you've got a real winner.

It's a fast, easy read that's as informative as it is entertaining. If all of Mary Roach's other books are like this, then I'm in for a treat.
]]> X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 2 28016710 COLLECTING: UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) 241-243, EXCALIBUR (1988) 6-7, X-FACTOR (1986) 37-40, NEW MUTANTS (1983) 73, CLOAK & DAGGER (1988) 4, POWER PACK (1984) 44]]> 362 Chris Claremont 0785195440 Alazzar 3 Inferno, Vol. 2. I'd been disappointed with the amount of Sinister in Volume 1 , but figured things were sure to pick up here.

The good news? More Sinister here than in the previous volume.

The bad news? Still not much Sinister.

Although we definitely do get more out of Nathaniel Essex this time around, it still didn't seem like enough to me. I think the biggest problem I had was when he was telling Madelyne Pryor about his diabolical plot: he outlined all the things he did, but never actually explained why.

What do I mean by that? Well, let's look at a made-up example (you know, to avoid spoilers from the actual book). Say you've got a villain boasting about his intricate plan to steal the radioactive material from the government facility. The hero, then, asks what the material is for. To which the villain replies: "Listen, don't worry about it. The important part is all the time I spent plotting this out."

It's possible this would make more sense with prior knowledge of Sinister's perpetual goals as a villain, but from what I've gathered, Inferno was one of his first major storylines--maybe even the very first. I'm sure his motivation for tampering with Cyclops and Jean Grey is delved into more later, but that doesn't change the fact that, in this volume, he was essentially "Evil for the sake of evil."

My other big criticism about the book is that it ended on issues of Power Pack and Cloak & Dagger, in an effort to tidy up some loose ends from the Inferno storyline. This is problematic for two reasons: 1) Neither Cloak nor Dagger had so much as appeared in a single other issue of the collected Inferno stories (though maybe they're somewhere in that Inferno Crossovers book I've heard about), and 2) Power Pack is horrible.

I skimmed the Cloak and Dagger issue and skipped Power Pack entirely. No one wants to read about kids.

All told, I give this collection three stars, which is the same rating I gave the first volume. Unfortunately, having read the books four months apart, I can't really remember which I like better. Ah well--I suppose it's all one storyline anyway, so if you're going to read any of it, you should probably read the whole thing.]]> 3.82 2016 X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 2
author: Chris Claremont
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/08/20
date added: 2016/08/30
shelves:
review:
In my continued quest to learn more about Mr. Sinister (because, apparently, I'm still trying to justify my childhood decision to dress up as the big blue guy for Halloween), I picked up Inferno, Vol. 2. I'd been disappointed with the amount of Sinister in Volume 1 , but figured things were sure to pick up here.

The good news? More Sinister here than in the previous volume.

The bad news? Still not much Sinister.

Although we definitely do get more out of Nathaniel Essex this time around, it still didn't seem like enough to me. I think the biggest problem I had was when he was telling Madelyne Pryor about his diabolical plot: he outlined all the things he did, but never actually explained why.

What do I mean by that? Well, let's look at a made-up example (you know, to avoid spoilers from the actual book). Say you've got a villain boasting about his intricate plan to steal the radioactive material from the government facility. The hero, then, asks what the material is for. To which the villain replies: "Listen, don't worry about it. The important part is all the time I spent plotting this out."

It's possible this would make more sense with prior knowledge of Sinister's perpetual goals as a villain, but from what I've gathered, Inferno was one of his first major storylines--maybe even the very first. I'm sure his motivation for tampering with Cyclops and Jean Grey is delved into more later, but that doesn't change the fact that, in this volume, he was essentially "Evil for the sake of evil."

My other big criticism about the book is that it ended on issues of Power Pack and Cloak & Dagger, in an effort to tidy up some loose ends from the Inferno storyline. This is problematic for two reasons: 1) Neither Cloak nor Dagger had so much as appeared in a single other issue of the collected Inferno stories (though maybe they're somewhere in that Inferno Crossovers book I've heard about), and 2) Power Pack is horrible.

I skimmed the Cloak and Dagger issue and skipped Power Pack entirely. No one wants to read about kids.

All told, I give this collection three stars, which is the same rating I gave the first volume. Unfortunately, having read the books four months apart, I can't really remember which I like better. Ah well--I suppose it's all one storyline anyway, so if you're going to read any of it, you should probably read the whole thing.
]]> <![CDATA[Cheats and Deceits: How Animals and Plants Exploit and Mislead]]> 26721132 In Cheats and Deceits, Martin Stevens describes the remarkable range of such adaptations in nature, and considers how they have evolved and increasingly been perfected as part of an arms race between predator and prey or host and parasite. He explores both classic and recent research of naturalists and biologists, showing how scientists find ways of testing the impact of particular behaviours and colourings on the animals it is meant to fool. Drawing on a wide range of examples, Stevens considers what deception tells us about the process of evolution and adaptation.]]> 320 Martin Stevens 0198707894 Alazzar 3
There were two main things I liked about this book, the first of which was the various examples of deception--and the details involved in each case. Yeah, I already knew cuckoos laid their eggs in other birds' nests, but I never realized the extent to which they took advantage of their hosts. Did you know that when cuckoo chicks are born, they'll throw the host chicks/eggs out of the nest? Did you know that greater honeyguide chicks are equipped with a spike on their beaks so they can outright murder the resident chicks of the nest they've parisitized?

If you don't believe me on that last one, don't worry--there's a goddamned picture of it in the book.

So, yeah--one of the main lessons I learned from this book is that birds can be huge assholes. (Or cloacas, I suppose.)

The other big takeaway from Stevens's writing was an interesting look into the scientific process. It was cool to see just how much work goes into proving something that may seem obvious to our human perception.

Take the aforementioned eyespots on butterflies, for example. If we know that eyespots sometimes scare off predators, it might be easy to say, "Oh, that makes sense, because they look like eyes, and the predators might be scared of the eyes." But that's not good enough for science! Science wonders if the eyespots' effectiveness is due to their resemblance to actual eyes, or due to the striking contrast of colors--something called a "startle display," which can cause a predator to hesitate during an attack. Stevens spends a good amount of time discussing different experiments that have tried to prove each hypothesis, and it's fascinating to get an inside look at the world of science.

In fact, this aspect of the book actually gives me a greater respect for the general scope of science, in that I now realize the facts we take for granted had to go through some pretty rigorous testing before the scientific community was willing to give its seal of approval. And with so many different things in the world that need to be studied and understood, it's a miracle science has catalogued as much as it has.

As far as the book's downsides go, there were definitely some sections I was less interested in strictly because of the plant or animal subjects involved. Like, I just don't care that much about fungi. But changeling murder-birds whose first act upon hatching is to slaughter their nest-mates? Sign me up! It's like when I was a kid watching the Discovery channel: I was all about sharks and big cats, but had little interest in flamingos and dirt.

In the end, Cheats and Deceits was a pretty cool book. If nothing else, it's given me a few fun facts to share at parties, because who doesn't want to hear about brown-headed cowbirds and their mafia enforcement tactics?]]> 4.00 2016 Cheats and Deceits: How Animals and Plants Exploit and Mislead
author: Martin Stevens
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/08/14
date added: 2016/08/15
shelves:
review:
We've all heard about some basic forms of animal trickery, whether it's camouflaged prey or eyespots on butterfly wings. But there's a lot more deception than that to be had in nature, and Martin Stevens does a great job of sharing these strategies with the reader.

There were two main things I liked about this book, the first of which was the various examples of deception--and the details involved in each case. Yeah, I already knew cuckoos laid their eggs in other birds' nests, but I never realized the extent to which they took advantage of their hosts. Did you know that when cuckoo chicks are born, they'll throw the host chicks/eggs out of the nest? Did you know that greater honeyguide chicks are equipped with a spike on their beaks so they can outright murder the resident chicks of the nest they've parisitized?

If you don't believe me on that last one, don't worry--there's a goddamned picture of it in the book.

So, yeah--one of the main lessons I learned from this book is that birds can be huge assholes. (Or cloacas, I suppose.)

The other big takeaway from Stevens's writing was an interesting look into the scientific process. It was cool to see just how much work goes into proving something that may seem obvious to our human perception.

Take the aforementioned eyespots on butterflies, for example. If we know that eyespots sometimes scare off predators, it might be easy to say, "Oh, that makes sense, because they look like eyes, and the predators might be scared of the eyes." But that's not good enough for science! Science wonders if the eyespots' effectiveness is due to their resemblance to actual eyes, or due to the striking contrast of colors--something called a "startle display," which can cause a predator to hesitate during an attack. Stevens spends a good amount of time discussing different experiments that have tried to prove each hypothesis, and it's fascinating to get an inside look at the world of science.

In fact, this aspect of the book actually gives me a greater respect for the general scope of science, in that I now realize the facts we take for granted had to go through some pretty rigorous testing before the scientific community was willing to give its seal of approval. And with so many different things in the world that need to be studied and understood, it's a miracle science has catalogued as much as it has.

As far as the book's downsides go, there were definitely some sections I was less interested in strictly because of the plant or animal subjects involved. Like, I just don't care that much about fungi. But changeling murder-birds whose first act upon hatching is to slaughter their nest-mates? Sign me up! It's like when I was a kid watching the Discovery channel: I was all about sharks and big cats, but had little interest in flamingos and dirt.

In the end, Cheats and Deceits was a pretty cool book. If nothing else, it's given me a few fun facts to share at parties, because who doesn't want to hear about brown-headed cowbirds and their mafia enforcement tactics?
]]> X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 1 26030869 COLLECTING: POWER PACK (1984) 40, 42-43; X-FACTOR (1986) 33-36; X-TERMINATORS 1-4; UNCANNY X-MEN 239-240; NEW MUTANTS (1983) 71-72]]> 421 Louise Simonson 0785195114 Alazzar 3
Nowadays, things are different. In my old age I find myself more interested in character and story. As such, I've been looking for a good Mr. Sinister book. I'd thought I was going to get this with X-Men: Mutant Massacre , but the big blue baddie was scarce there. Inferno however, would surely be different! Mr. Sinister is right there on the cover, prominently featured among the villains!

. . . And that's the extent of his involvement for this book. Apparently Marvel couldn't hire him to be more than a cover model.

Okay, that's an exaggeration. He does appear briefly within the pages--just enough to leave me wanting more. I gather the rest of his arc (and Madelyn Pryor's, too) will show up in volume two of Inferno. So I've got that to look forward to.

But, childhood fanboy obsession aside, how was the rest of the book? Not bad. I dig demons, so it was fun to see them at work. N'Astirh, despite not being Mr. Sinister, was pretty cool.

My favorite part, however, was Illyana Rasputin, the Darkchilde. I've always been tangentially aware of Illyana (via comic-adjacent mediums, like trading cards or the 90s X-men cartoon), but I've never read any of her stories nor known much about her. As it turns out, when she enters combat mode she grows horns and a tail and oh my god she forged her sword from a dark piece of her own soul.

Remember how I said I dig demons? I suddenly find myself VERY interested in Illyana. Time to hit up the library for her origin story, methinks.

Still, the Inferno event itself was a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the characters I just didn't much care about--most notably Power Pack. Power Pack is a group of child siblings who keep their powers hidden from their parents, probably so they won't get grounded or upset the tooth fairy or something. But there's a problem:

*Kids are dumb.

No one wants to read about kids with super-powers. And yet, this book starts with two issues of Power Pack, then has the gall to END WITH TWO MORE. (Worse yet, these final two issues are only partially related to the main Inferno storyline--they're only there for people who are really interested in Power Pack, which is no one.)

Overall, I give it a three. Not enough Sinister/Pryor, too much Power Pack. Good amount of Illyana, though.]]> 3.67 2016 X-Men: Inferno, Vol. 1
author: Louise Simonson
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/04/28
date added: 2016/08/14
shelves:
review:
As a kid, I loved Mr. Sinister. Why? Because he looked cool, which was enough to impress me back then. (You could throw a red diamond and a shredded blue cape on a mound of wet fungus and I'd be asking my mom to buy me the matching action figure. What can I say? Kids are dumb.*)

Nowadays, things are different. In my old age I find myself more interested in character and story. As such, I've been looking for a good Mr. Sinister book. I'd thought I was going to get this with X-Men: Mutant Massacre , but the big blue baddie was scarce there. Inferno however, would surely be different! Mr. Sinister is right there on the cover, prominently featured among the villains!

. . . And that's the extent of his involvement for this book. Apparently Marvel couldn't hire him to be more than a cover model.

Okay, that's an exaggeration. He does appear briefly within the pages--just enough to leave me wanting more. I gather the rest of his arc (and Madelyn Pryor's, too) will show up in volume two of Inferno. So I've got that to look forward to.

But, childhood fanboy obsession aside, how was the rest of the book? Not bad. I dig demons, so it was fun to see them at work. N'Astirh, despite not being Mr. Sinister, was pretty cool.

My favorite part, however, was Illyana Rasputin, the Darkchilde. I've always been tangentially aware of Illyana (via comic-adjacent mediums, like trading cards or the 90s X-men cartoon), but I've never read any of her stories nor known much about her. As it turns out, when she enters combat mode she grows horns and a tail and oh my god she forged her sword from a dark piece of her own soul.

Remember how I said I dig demons? I suddenly find myself VERY interested in Illyana. Time to hit up the library for her origin story, methinks.

Still, the Inferno event itself was a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the characters I just didn't much care about--most notably Power Pack. Power Pack is a group of child siblings who keep their powers hidden from their parents, probably so they won't get grounded or upset the tooth fairy or something. But there's a problem:

*Kids are dumb.

No one wants to read about kids with super-powers. And yet, this book starts with two issues of Power Pack, then has the gall to END WITH TWO MORE. (Worse yet, these final two issues are only partially related to the main Inferno storyline--they're only there for people who are really interested in Power Pack, which is no one.)

Overall, I give it a three. Not enough Sinister/Pryor, too much Power Pack. Good amount of Illyana, though.
]]> Jack of Shadows 61986 236 Roger Zelazny 0451159764 Alazzar 5
That might explain why I love Roger Zelazny so much.

When Zelazny’s characters are treated poorly, they will stop at nothing to see the offending party punished. And I don’t mean this in an “eye for an eye� sort of way. If you take a Zelazny character’s eye, you can plan on losing a whole lot more than that when he comes looking for you, because his plan for revenge will far exceed whatever the original offense was.

Jack of Shadows (the man, not the book) is no exception to this rule.

Revenge stories, for the most part, follow a formula: dude is treated like crap, dude gets angry, dude comes up with a plan to avenge himself, dude makes plan happen (or dies trying). Fin. So what makes Jack of Shadows (the book, not the man) unique? What makes it worthy of five stars?

I don’t know, it could be Zelazny’s voice, which always gets bonus points from me. But that alone is not enough for five stars—after all, I’ve given some of his works a lowly three. Maybe this book’s rating has more to do with its unique magic system (all darksider lords have power attached to a certain geographical location, save for Jack, who draws his power from shadows). Or maybe it’s the laws of the world Zelazny has created (the story takes place on a planet which never rotates, leaving one side forever in the sun’s light and the other shrouded in darkness). Or maybe it’s the fact that Zelazny once again mixed science with magic, creating a scenario where one half of the world follows the laws of science and the other serves magic.

It could also have something to do with the fact that Zelazny packs more imagination into 200 pages than most authors do in twice that much.

Or it could be something else entirely. Who knows?

In any case, I loved Jack of Shadows, even though I haven’t read the full novel. My library and local bookstore didn’t have a copy of the book, so I ended up reading the abridged version that was originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1971 (because I just so happen to own those issues, for some reason). I have no idea how much my version differs from the novel, but I’ll say this: my version smells awesome. It’s just very clearly old. Love it.

Anyway, this book was published during Zelazny’s prime, and it shows. If you’re looking for a good quick read (and don’t mind an anti-hero who can be downright despicable at times), give Jack of Shadows a shot. You won’t regret it! Or maybe you will. But that’s not my problem. So, whatever.
]]> 4.01 1972 Jack of Shadows
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at: 2012/02/29
date added: 2016/08/14
shelves:
review:
I love a good revenge story.

That might explain why I love Roger Zelazny so much.

When Zelazny’s characters are treated poorly, they will stop at nothing to see the offending party punished. And I don’t mean this in an “eye for an eye� sort of way. If you take a Zelazny character’s eye, you can plan on losing a whole lot more than that when he comes looking for you, because his plan for revenge will far exceed whatever the original offense was.

Jack of Shadows (the man, not the book) is no exception to this rule.

Revenge stories, for the most part, follow a formula: dude is treated like crap, dude gets angry, dude comes up with a plan to avenge himself, dude makes plan happen (or dies trying). Fin. So what makes Jack of Shadows (the book, not the man) unique? What makes it worthy of five stars?

I don’t know, it could be Zelazny’s voice, which always gets bonus points from me. But that alone is not enough for five stars—after all, I’ve given some of his works a lowly three. Maybe this book’s rating has more to do with its unique magic system (all darksider lords have power attached to a certain geographical location, save for Jack, who draws his power from shadows). Or maybe it’s the laws of the world Zelazny has created (the story takes place on a planet which never rotates, leaving one side forever in the sun’s light and the other shrouded in darkness). Or maybe it’s the fact that Zelazny once again mixed science with magic, creating a scenario where one half of the world follows the laws of science and the other serves magic.

It could also have something to do with the fact that Zelazny packs more imagination into 200 pages than most authors do in twice that much.

Or it could be something else entirely. Who knows?

In any case, I loved Jack of Shadows, even though I haven’t read the full novel. My library and local bookstore didn’t have a copy of the book, so I ended up reading the abridged version that was originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1971 (because I just so happen to own those issues, for some reason). I have no idea how much my version differs from the novel, but I’ll say this: my version smells awesome. It’s just very clearly old. Love it.

Anyway, this book was published during Zelazny’s prime, and it shows. If you’re looking for a good quick read (and don’t mind an anti-hero who can be downright despicable at times), give Jack of Shadows a shot. You won’t regret it! Or maybe you will. But that’s not my problem. So, whatever.

]]> Batman: The Killing Joke 96358
After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man.

But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman.]]> 50 Alan Moore 0930289455 Alazzar 3
I'll start by saying that this is pretty much the first Batman story I've read. (I did read the two Batman vs. Spawn crossovers as a kid, but the only thing I recall getting from them is a vague notion that capes and rooftop-jumping are cool.) I've never been a big DC guy, but I figured if I was going to give Batman a shot I couldn't go wrong with Alan Moore.

At first, I was pleased by how slim the volume was: if I'm going to try something new, I like to minimize the time investment involved. (You know, just in case I hate it.) But the unfortunate side-effect of this was that I felt like I didn't really get into Batman or the Joker here.

Don't get me wrong, I think The Killing Joke would make a fantastic episode for longtime Batman fans, but that wasn't me. So it felt a little sparse, which is a rare criticism coming from me, as I'm almost always in favor of making stories as short and tight as possible.

But like I said, this complaint is largely due to my personal circumstances. In the end, I can understand why The Killing Joke is considered a Batman classic. The Joker's origin flashbacks were pretty great, and I imagine if I'd had any sort of prior investment in Barbara Gordon I would have been more affected by her storyline.

All in all, not a bad book. I look forward to checking out the new animated film!]]> 4.37 1988 Batman: The Killing Joke
author: Alan Moore
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1988
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/06
date added: 2016/08/14
shelves:
review:
I'm writing this review over a month after finishing the book, so it's a little hard to remember exactly how I felt about it.

I'll start by saying that this is pretty much the first Batman story I've read. (I did read the two Batman vs. Spawn crossovers as a kid, but the only thing I recall getting from them is a vague notion that capes and rooftop-jumping are cool.) I've never been a big DC guy, but I figured if I was going to give Batman a shot I couldn't go wrong with Alan Moore.

At first, I was pleased by how slim the volume was: if I'm going to try something new, I like to minimize the time investment involved. (You know, just in case I hate it.) But the unfortunate side-effect of this was that I felt like I didn't really get into Batman or the Joker here.

Don't get me wrong, I think The Killing Joke would make a fantastic episode for longtime Batman fans, but that wasn't me. So it felt a little sparse, which is a rare criticism coming from me, as I'm almost always in favor of making stories as short and tight as possible.

But like I said, this complaint is largely due to my personal circumstances. In the end, I can understand why The Killing Joke is considered a Batman classic. The Joker's origin flashbacks were pretty great, and I imagine if I'd had any sort of prior investment in Barbara Gordon I would have been more affected by her storyline.

All in all, not a bad book. I look forward to checking out the new animated film!
]]> <![CDATA[Miracle and Other Christmas Stories]]> 24979
"Miracle," in which a young woman's carefully devised plans to find romance go awry when her guardian angel shows her the true meaning of love.

"In Coppelius's Toyshop," where a jaded narcissist finds himself trapped in a crowded toy store at Christmastime.

"Epiphany," in which three modern-day wisemen embark on a quest unlike any they've ever experienced.

"Inn," where a choir singer gives shelter to a homeless man and his pregnant wife � only to learn later that there's much more to the couple than meets the eye.

Also includes:

"The Pony"
"Adaptation"
"Cat's Paw"
"Newsletter"]]> 336 Connie Willis 0553580485 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.92 1999 Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
author: Connie Willis
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/07/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Galaxy's Edge Magazine Issue 20, May 2016: George R. R. Martin Special]]> 30053226
ISSUE 20: May 2016

Mike Resnick, Editor
Jean Rabe, Assistant Editor
Shahid Mahmud, Publisher

Stories by: Auston Habershaw, Kij Johnson, Shephard, Nick DiChario, George R. R. Martin, Stewart C Baker, Jeff Calhoun, Jack McDevitt, Tina Gower, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Paul Di Filippo, Sheila Finch

Serialization: The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett

Columns by: Barry Malzberg, Gregory Benford

Book Reviews: Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett

Interview: Joy Ward interviews George R. R. Martin

Galaxy’s Edge is a Hugo-nominated bi-monthly magazine published by Phoenix Pick, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Arc Manor, an award winning independent press based in Maryland. Each issue of the magazine has a mix of new and old stories, a serialization of a novel, columns by Barry Malzberg and Gregory Benford, book reviews by Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett and an interview conducted by Joy Ward.
]]> 172 Mike Resnick 161242306X Alazzar 0 3.80 2016 Galaxy's Edge Magazine Issue 20, May 2016: George R. R. Martin Special
author: Mike Resnick
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2016/07/05
date added: 2016/07/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rogue Retrieval (Gateways to Alissia, #1)]]> 28595063 In the tradition of Terry Brooks' Landover series, Piers Anthony Xanth books, and Terry Pratchett's Discword novels, scientist and blogger Dan Koboldt weaves wonder, humor, and heart into his debut novel, The Rogue Retrieval.

Sleight of hand…in another land

Stage magician Quinn Bradley has one dream: to headline his own show on the Vegas Strip. And with talent scouts in the audience wowed by his latest performance, he knows he’s about to make the big-time.

What he doesn’t expect is an offer to go on a quest to a place where magic is all too real.

That's how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, and that’s the least of his problems. Alissia has true magicians…and the penalty for impersonating one is death. In a world where even a twelve-year-old could beat Quinn in a swordfight, it's only a matter of time until the tricks up his sleeves run out.]]> 402 Dan Koboldt 006245191X Alazzar 0 to-read 3.89 2020 The Rogue Retrieval (Gateways to Alissia, #1)
author: Dan Koboldt
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/07/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Great Book of Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1-10)]]> 5367 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Roger Zelazny's chronicles of Amber have earned their place as all-time classics of imaginative literature. Now, here are all ten novels, together in one magnificent omnibus volume. Witness the titanic battle for supremacy waged on Earth, in the Courts of Chaos, and on a magical world of mystery, adventure and romance.
--back cover]]> 1258 Roger Zelazny 0380809060 Alazzar 5
It's still good.

Yes, the second set of 5 books (the Merlin series) isn't as good as the first. But for those who have never made it through Merlin's books, I urge you to just push through the first one: Trumps of Doom. That book is something of an anomaly, in that it feels like it was written by a Roger Zelazny who hadn't quite mastered the art of storytelling yet. (Which obviously isn't the case, because it came after the wonderful Corwin series. But it sure feels that way.)

And if you've never even given this series a shot before, well--what are you waiting for? Amber has got everything. And I mean that literally--all possibilities exist in this series, and some pretty wild places and things are encountered. I'm always impressed by Zelazny's imagination, and am particularly pleased by the way he expands on his Amber mythology as the series goes along--it seems like, just when the world is as full and developed as one could possibly be, you find something new around the corner. Delightful.]]> 4.31 1999 The Great Book of Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, #1-10)
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2013/08/31
date added: 2016/06/05
shelves:
review:
I've read the Amber series four times now, and in doing so, I've learned something:

It's still good.

Yes, the second set of 5 books (the Merlin series) isn't as good as the first. But for those who have never made it through Merlin's books, I urge you to just push through the first one: Trumps of Doom. That book is something of an anomaly, in that it feels like it was written by a Roger Zelazny who hadn't quite mastered the art of storytelling yet. (Which obviously isn't the case, because it came after the wonderful Corwin series. But it sure feels that way.)

And if you've never even given this series a shot before, well--what are you waiting for? Amber has got everything. And I mean that literally--all possibilities exist in this series, and some pretty wild places and things are encountered. I'm always impressed by Zelazny's imagination, and am particularly pleased by the way he expands on his Amber mythology as the series goes along--it seems like, just when the world is as full and developed as one could possibly be, you find something new around the corner. Delightful.
]]> The Light is the Darkness 14760623 216 Laird Barron 1935006142 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.00 2011 The Light is the Darkness
author: Laird Barron
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/05/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Herding Hemingway's Cats: Understanding how our genes work (Bloomsbury Sigma)]]> 25663760
We've all heard of genes, but how do they actually work ? There are six feet of DNA inside every one of your cells; this encodes 20,000 or so genes, tangled into a mass of molecular spaghetti. This is the text of the cookbook of life, and hidden within these strands are the instructions that tell cells when and where to turn genes on or off.

In 1935, Ernest Hemingway was supposedly given Snow White, a six-toed cat who went on to father a line of similar offspring that still roam the writer's Florida estate. Scientists now know that the fault driving this profusion of digits lies in a tiny genetic control switch, miles away (in molecular terms) from the gene that "makes" toes. Researchers are discovering more about the myriad molecular switches that make sure genes are turned on at the right time and in the right place, and what happens when they don't work properly. This is allowing a four-dimensional picture of DNA to be built--a dynamic biological library, rather than static strings of code. Geneticist Kat Arney explores the intricacies of how, out of this seeming genetic chaos, life is created.]]> 288 Kat Arney 1472910044 Alazzar 3
Unfortunately I'm dumb, and information tends to fall out of my brain at the same rate it's acquired.

Still, I did pick up a few interesting things along the way (which I'll surely forget by the time I'm done writing this review), and I imagine if I even just skimmed some of the chapters again I'd learn a lot more. It's a shame I don't really have the time for that, though, as my to-read list is piling up and the library keeps sending me things I've had on hold for a while. I just can't afford to review how genes work when X-Men: Inferno and the second half of The Great Book of Amber are waiting for me.

But to reiterate: if you want to learn about genes, this is the book for you. I really think it's good for a wide variety of people, be they novices to genetics or experts on the subject.]]> 3.91 2016 Herding Hemingway's Cats: Understanding how our genes work (Bloomsbury Sigma)
author: Kat Arney
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/04/16
date added: 2016/04/16
shelves:
review:
I probably didn't learn as much as I should have from this book, but that's not Kat Arney's fault: she did a great job of making the world of genetics accessible and interesting to everyday folk. She's funny and concise, which is really the best you can hope for from this sort of thing.

Unfortunately I'm dumb, and information tends to fall out of my brain at the same rate it's acquired.

Still, I did pick up a few interesting things along the way (which I'll surely forget by the time I'm done writing this review), and I imagine if I even just skimmed some of the chapters again I'd learn a lot more. It's a shame I don't really have the time for that, though, as my to-read list is piling up and the library keeps sending me things I've had on hold for a while. I just can't afford to review how genes work when X-Men: Inferno and the second half of The Great Book of Amber are waiting for me.

But to reiterate: if you want to learn about genes, this is the book for you. I really think it's good for a wide variety of people, be they novices to genetics or experts on the subject.
]]> Deadpool Classic, Vol. 4 8891937 Collecting: Deadpool (1997) #18-25 & #0, Deadpool & Death Annual 1998]]> 288 Joe Kelly 0785153020 Alazzar 0
There are definitely moments in this book where Deadpool shows signs of not being a total asshole, but they're sometimes hard to buy: after so many issues of him being a jerk, it just seems out of character for him to want to do the right thing.

However, in the final issues, I started to buy into his heroic turn. This was probably because either A) the sheer repetition of his insistence on being a hero made the idea start to stick, or B) we'd become so far removed from his most recent asshole antics that I was willing to accept maybe he could be a good guy.

The Deadpool in the last few issues is a character I could enjoy. The sexist dickfor is not. Here's hopin' the next volume continues Wade Wilson's evolution into a hero I can get behind!]]> 4.14 2011 Deadpool Classic, Vol. 4
author: Joe Kelly
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2016/04/02
date added: 2016/04/02
shelves:
review:
I'm still not a fan of how Deadpool treats women (or any of his "friends," regardless of their gender), but in this volume I was at least pleased by the story. I found myself genuinely curious about what was going on with the Mithras Directive, and continued to read despite my distaste for Deadpool as a character--so I guess that's a good thing.

There are definitely moments in this book where Deadpool shows signs of not being a total asshole, but they're sometimes hard to buy: after so many issues of him being a jerk, it just seems out of character for him to want to do the right thing.

However, in the final issues, I started to buy into his heroic turn. This was probably because either A) the sheer repetition of his insistence on being a hero made the idea start to stick, or B) we'd become so far removed from his most recent asshole antics that I was willing to accept maybe he could be a good guy.

The Deadpool in the last few issues is a character I could enjoy. The sexist dickfor is not. Here's hopin' the next volume continues Wade Wilson's evolution into a hero I can get behind!
]]> The African Queen 423125 257 C.S. Forester 0316289108 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.02 1935 The African Queen
author: C.S. Forester
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1935
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2016/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Empire Star 1150390 Empire Star is the story of Comet Jo's journey to deliver the message, as narrated by Jewel.]]> 132 Samuel R. Delany 0553234250 Alazzar 5
There are other authors I like more, sure. When I finish a Neil Gaiman book I sit back and wonder how someone could create something so interesting and beautiful. When I finish a Roger Zelazny story I marvel at the man's imagination and prose. But if Empire Star is any indication of how things generally go, when I finish a Samuel R. Delany book I feel like a previously dormant section of my brain has been awakened.

I seem to recall a similar thing happening with Babel-17 . The concepts were just so fascinating--and let's not forget Delany's vivid imagination, nor his clever descriptions. (He is, in a lot of ways, like Roger Zelazny--though Zelazny still gets the nod as my favorite all-time author.)

Empire Star was a quick read. It opened my mind to strange new things. And that ending--wow. Let's just say that I was damned tempted to start the story over from the beginning right away. (Unfortunately, I probably won't read the book again for years, and by that time I'll have forgotten how things ended. Sad that I may never truly appreciate the brilliance of this book!)

In summary, if you haven't read the novella-length Empire Star, you probably should. And if you have, then . . . well, you've probably already read it again.]]> 3.90 1966 Empire Star
author: Samuel R. Delany
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1966
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/06
date added: 2016/02/06
shelves:
review:
Considering how much I've enjoyed his books, I don't know why I don't read more Delany.

There are other authors I like more, sure. When I finish a Neil Gaiman book I sit back and wonder how someone could create something so interesting and beautiful. When I finish a Roger Zelazny story I marvel at the man's imagination and prose. But if Empire Star is any indication of how things generally go, when I finish a Samuel R. Delany book I feel like a previously dormant section of my brain has been awakened.

I seem to recall a similar thing happening with Babel-17 . The concepts were just so fascinating--and let's not forget Delany's vivid imagination, nor his clever descriptions. (He is, in a lot of ways, like Roger Zelazny--though Zelazny still gets the nod as my favorite all-time author.)

Empire Star was a quick read. It opened my mind to strange new things. And that ending--wow. Let's just say that I was damned tempted to start the story over from the beginning right away. (Unfortunately, I probably won't read the book again for years, and by that time I'll have forgotten how things ended. Sad that I may never truly appreciate the brilliance of this book!)

In summary, if you haven't read the novella-length Empire Star, you probably should. And if you have, then . . . well, you've probably already read it again.
]]> Deadpool Classic, Vol. 3 6673985 275 Joe Kelly 0785142444 Alazzar 3 very reluctant three stars.

Once again, Deadpool tries cramming so many jokes into his pages that they cease to be funny at all. And, once again, Deadpool treats his friends like such shit that I can't believe they tolerate him.

He's just such an unlikable character. The way I've always figured it, there are two types of anti-hero: the bad guy who eventually succumbs to his conscience and does the right thing at the end (think Riddick from Pitch Black), or the good guy who does heroic things all the time but has morally questionable methods (think Wolverine from the X-men). Deadpool is neither of these things. Deadpool makes people's lives miserable and takes great pleasure in it.

Then, in the extremely rare circumstances of him doing something heroic, it feels like such a conflict with his character that I don't actually buy it. It's as if the writers said, "Hey, you know that thing where the monster starts to feel bad about the pain he's caused, and decides to do what's right? Let's do that, I like that."

You can't just pick a cliche and expect us all to accept it. The actions need to make sense with the established character. And that's not the case here.

I got to the point where I was actually rooting for T-Ray to beat Deadpool. T-Ray. The big albino dope with a bandaid for a nose. I wanted him to win, just like I wanted Weasel and Blind Al to abandon Deadpool, no matter how mopey he might get.

So, why the three stars instead of two (or even one)? Well, in the last half or so of the collection, instead of having "The Stupid Weekly Adventures of This Total Asshole," we actually start to delve into a larger story arc that interested me. I found myself wanting to know more. And by the end (where the arc wasn't yet resolved, mind you--meaning I'm gonna have to read volume 4), Deadpool had spent several issues being mopey instead of aggressively unlikable. When he first started doing this, he had no sympathy from me, based on his previous actions. And he still doesn't get my sympathy at this point, but now that he's at least spent a few issues not being a huge dickfore, I haven't been actively hating him so much.

If this trend can continue, and if we can keep Deadpool from reverting to the jerk he's been since the beginning of this series, then I could see myself just forgetting about the earlier issues and eventually liking him. We'll see how things go.

In any case, I'm still excited for the upcoming film, because I can't imagine the filmmakers trying to bring this version of Deadpool to the screen--he needs to be likable, and I'm confident that will be the case.]]> 4.12 2009 Deadpool Classic, Vol. 3
author: Joe Kelly
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2016/02/02
date added: 2016/02/03
shelves:
review:
A very reluctant three stars.

Once again, Deadpool tries cramming so many jokes into his pages that they cease to be funny at all. And, once again, Deadpool treats his friends like such shit that I can't believe they tolerate him.

He's just such an unlikable character. The way I've always figured it, there are two types of anti-hero: the bad guy who eventually succumbs to his conscience and does the right thing at the end (think Riddick from Pitch Black), or the good guy who does heroic things all the time but has morally questionable methods (think Wolverine from the X-men). Deadpool is neither of these things. Deadpool makes people's lives miserable and takes great pleasure in it.

Then, in the extremely rare circumstances of him doing something heroic, it feels like such a conflict with his character that I don't actually buy it. It's as if the writers said, "Hey, you know that thing where the monster starts to feel bad about the pain he's caused, and decides to do what's right? Let's do that, I like that."

You can't just pick a cliche and expect us all to accept it. The actions need to make sense with the established character. And that's not the case here.

I got to the point where I was actually rooting for T-Ray to beat Deadpool. T-Ray. The big albino dope with a bandaid for a nose. I wanted him to win, just like I wanted Weasel and Blind Al to abandon Deadpool, no matter how mopey he might get.

So, why the three stars instead of two (or even one)? Well, in the last half or so of the collection, instead of having "The Stupid Weekly Adventures of This Total Asshole," we actually start to delve into a larger story arc that interested me. I found myself wanting to know more. And by the end (where the arc wasn't yet resolved, mind you--meaning I'm gonna have to read volume 4), Deadpool had spent several issues being mopey instead of aggressively unlikable. When he first started doing this, he had no sympathy from me, based on his previous actions. And he still doesn't get my sympathy at this point, but now that he's at least spent a few issues not being a huge dickfore, I haven't been actively hating him so much.

If this trend can continue, and if we can keep Deadpool from reverting to the jerk he's been since the beginning of this series, then I could see myself just forgetting about the earlier issues and eventually liking him. We'll see how things go.

In any case, I'm still excited for the upcoming film, because I can't imagine the filmmakers trying to bring this version of Deadpool to the screen--he needs to be likable, and I'm confident that will be the case.
]]> <![CDATA[The Addams Family: An Evilution]]> 7626588 224 Charles Addams 0764953885 Alazzar 4
I was already familiar with the family going into this book, from watching the show and movies as a kid, but I wouldn't say I was a "fan." However, after someone posted some of the original cartoons on Facebook, the TV show's theme song started running through my head and I was suddenly curious to see what its source material was like.

The great thing about this book is that it's not just a collection of cartoons: it's also a historical journey through the evolution (hence the title) of the Addams Family. Each section focuses on a single (or, occasionally, multiple) character(s), with a page or two of introduction discussing how they came to be. After reading the book, I feel like I was around to experience the family's decades-long journey when it was originally published.

As far as the cartoons themselves go, I've always liked things of a dark persuasion, so of course I was pleased. Granted, there are a few pieces that didn't seem particularly clever or noteworthy, but I'm willing to look past those. My bigger complaint would be that, sometimes, the cartoons feature some pretty questionable treatment of animals--which is sort of an odd stance for me to take, I realize, since I had no such problem with all the implied violence against humans.

In any case, whether you're a long-time fan or completely unfamiliar with the cartoons, this is probably the book you should check out--it's got stuff that both veterans and newcomers should appreciate.]]> 4.34 2010 The Addams Family: An Evilution
author: Charles Addams
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/24
date added: 2016/01/24
shelves:
review:
This is the first (and thus far only) collection of Addams Family cartoons I've read, and I can't imagine a better introduction to Charles Addams's work.

I was already familiar with the family going into this book, from watching the show and movies as a kid, but I wouldn't say I was a "fan." However, after someone posted some of the original cartoons on Facebook, the TV show's theme song started running through my head and I was suddenly curious to see what its source material was like.

The great thing about this book is that it's not just a collection of cartoons: it's also a historical journey through the evolution (hence the title) of the Addams Family. Each section focuses on a single (or, occasionally, multiple) character(s), with a page or two of introduction discussing how they came to be. After reading the book, I feel like I was around to experience the family's decades-long journey when it was originally published.

As far as the cartoons themselves go, I've always liked things of a dark persuasion, so of course I was pleased. Granted, there are a few pieces that didn't seem particularly clever or noteworthy, but I'm willing to look past those. My bigger complaint would be that, sometimes, the cartoons feature some pretty questionable treatment of animals--which is sort of an odd stance for me to take, I realize, since I had no such problem with all the implied violence against humans.

In any case, whether you're a long-time fan or completely unfamiliar with the cartoons, this is probably the book you should check out--it's got stuff that both veterans and newcomers should appreciate.
]]> <![CDATA[Christmas Stars: Fantastic Tales of Yuletide Wonder]]> 1802439
'Twas the night before tomorrow, and all through the galaxy, nothing burns as bright as... Christmas Stars.

Christmas is a time for miracles, scientific and otherwise, and for surprises that can only occur at this time of the year. But what marvels will the holidays bring to the far future--or to alien worlds light-years from the North Pole?

In this celebratory collection, many of today's finest writers of fantasy and science fiction unwrap startling visions of the future of Christmas. An unusual Christmas spirit brings confusion--and romance--to a modern young woman. A father's gift opens up the universe for all humanity. And a devout researcher uncovers the shattering secret of the original Star of Bethlehem. These and other stories shine like sparkling, unearthly ornaments on a fresh green tree of holiday traditions.]]> 320 David G. Hartwell 0765310953 Alazzar 3
Actually, wait--I do recall specifically grabbing this book from the library so I could read what may be Ray Bradbury's only Christmas story. I was actually pretty disappointed by it. (On the plus side, Bradbury is still great for getting my Halloween fix.)]]> 3.31 1992 Christmas Stars: Fantastic Tales of Yuletide Wonder
author: David G. Hartwell
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.31
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/23
date added: 2016/01/24
shelves:
review:
Only read a select few stories around the holiday season, and at this point I've waited so long to write the review that I can't recall a single one of them. To be fair, though, this probably has more to do with my lack of reading enthusiasm lately than the quality of the stories.

Actually, wait--I do recall specifically grabbing this book from the library so I could read what may be Ray Bradbury's only Christmas story. I was actually pretty disappointed by it. (On the plus side, Bradbury is still great for getting my Halloween fix.)
]]> <![CDATA[Unidentified Funny Objects 4 (UFO #4)]]> 27204652 312 Alex Shvartsman 0988432862 Alazzar 4 3.71 2015 Unidentified Funny Objects 4 (UFO #4)
author: Alex Shvartsman
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/24
date added: 2016/01/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Science Fiction Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy)]]> 26996985
New, contemporary and notable writers featured are: Adrian Ludens, Alexis A. Hunter, Beth Cato, Conor Powers-Smith, M. Darusha Wehm, David Tallerman, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, Kate O'Connor, Mike Morgan, Nemma Wollenfang, Rob Hartzell, Sarah Hans, Patrick Tumblety, Stewart C Baker, Brian Trent, Jacob M. Lambert, Rachael K. Jones, Zach Shephard, Keyan Bowes, and Edward Ahern.

An eclectic collection of SF adventure tales. Perfect as a gift, and for years of reading pleasure.]]> 480 Andy Sawyer 1783616504 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.68 2015 Science Fiction Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy)
author: Andy Sawyer
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/11/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> V for Vendetta 5805 "Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

A frightening and powerful tale of the loss of freedom and identity in a chillingly believable totalitarian world, V for Vendetta stands as one of the highest achievements of the comics medium and a defining work for creators Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

Set in an imagined future England that has given itself over to fascism, this groundbreaking story captures both the suffocating nature of life in an authoritarian police state and the redemptive power of the human spirit which rebels against it. Crafted with sterling clarity and intelligence, V for Vendetta brings an unequaled depth of characterization and verisimilitude to its unflinching account of oppression and resistance.]]> 296 Alan Moore 1401207928 Alazzar 2 V For Vendetta multiple times before ever reading the book, and I think that ruined the reading experience for me. It just felt like I wasn't experiencing anything new--with the exception of a few characters and scenes the film had omitted, of course.

For that reason, the story felt a little bland. Also, despite my familiarity with the film, the book felt a little tough to follow at times: there are quite a few characters here, and a lot of them aren't very visually distinctive from one another. Sometimes I'd see a person or read a name, and think, "Wait . . . who is that?" I can only imagine how much worse things would be if I hadn't seen the movie so many times.

I've loved the other Alan Moore stuff I've read, so it stands to reason I probably would have loved V For Vendetta as well, if not for my prior exposure to the story in another medium. Unfortunately, this is my reality. Ah well.]]> 4.26 1990 V for Vendetta
author: Alan Moore
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1990
rating: 2
read at: 2015/11/16
date added: 2015/11/17
shelves:
review:
I saw the film version of V For Vendetta multiple times before ever reading the book, and I think that ruined the reading experience for me. It just felt like I wasn't experiencing anything new--with the exception of a few characters and scenes the film had omitted, of course.

For that reason, the story felt a little bland. Also, despite my familiarity with the film, the book felt a little tough to follow at times: there are quite a few characters here, and a lot of them aren't very visually distinctive from one another. Sometimes I'd see a person or read a name, and think, "Wait . . . who is that?" I can only imagine how much worse things would be if I hadn't seen the movie so many times.

I've loved the other Alan Moore stuff I've read, so it stands to reason I probably would have loved V For Vendetta as well, if not for my prior exposure to the story in another medium. Unfortunately, this is my reality. Ah well.
]]> The City & the City 4703581
Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to the only metropolis on Earth as strange as his own. This is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a shift in perception, a seeing of the unseen. His destination is Beszel’s equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the rich and vibrant city of Ul Qoma. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, and struggling with his own transition, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of rabid nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them and those they care about more than their lives.

What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities.

Casting shades of Kafka and Philip K. Dick, Raymond Chandler and 1984, The City & the City is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights.]]> 312 China Miéville 0345497511 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.90 2009 The City & the City
author: China Miéville
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/11/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wolverine: Old Man Logan 6238080
Marvel’s Premier Collection gives iconic Marvel stories the treatment they deserve—newly designed cover upgrades, deluxe paper stock and exclusive bonus content such as sketches, concepts, and variant covers!

The perfect entry point into the Marvel Universe anytime, anywhere!

THE BEST THERE IS...

A future world savaged and sundered by super villains, the United States ain’t what it used to be. In California, now a wasteland controlled by the evil Hulk Gang, the former Wolverine seeks to live in peace. He’s retired, finally free from the violence of his former existence as an X-Man � and he wants to keep it that way. If only they’d let him.

Logan and an aged, blind Hawkeye are forced into a cross-country jaunt through villain-ruled lands, on a collision course with the worst of them all! Can Old Man Logan maintain his pacifist vow and make his last stand without doing what he does best? Mark Millar and Steve McNiven unite for a riotous romp through a future world of death, despair and dynamic action!

BONUS CONTENT
variant/unused covers, Old Man Logan concepts, preliminary/final pencils

COLLECTING: Wolverine (1988) 66-72, Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size (2009) 1]]> 208 Mark Millar 0785131590 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.30 2008 Wolverine: Old Man Logan
author: Mark Millar
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/10/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Amphigorey (Amphigorey, #1) 47559 amphigory, meaning a nonsense verse or composition. As always, Gorey's painstakingly cross-hatched pen and ink drawings are perfectly suited to his oddball verse and prose. The first book of 15, "The Unstrung Harp," describes the writing process of novelist Mr. Clavius Frederick Earbrass: "He must be mad to go on enduring the unexquisite agony of writing when it all turns out drivel." In "The Listing Attic," you'll find a set of quirky limericks such as "A certain young man, it was noted, / Went about in the heat thickly coated; / He said, 'You may scoff, / But I shan't take it off; / Underneath I am horribly bloated.' "

Many of Gorey's tales involve untimely deaths and dreadful mishaps, but much like tragic Irish ballads with their perky rhythms and melodies, they come off as strangely lighthearted. "The Gashlycrumb Tinies," for example, begins like this: "A is for AMY who fell down the stairs, B is for BASIL assaulted by bears," and so on. An eccentric, funny book for either the uninitiated or diehard Gorey fans.

Contains: The Unstrung Harp, The Listing Attic, The Doubtful Guest, The Object Lesson, The Bug Book, The Fatal Lozenge, The Hapless Child, The Curious Sofa, The Willowdale Handcar, The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God, The West Wing, The Wuggly Ump, The Sinking Spell, and The Remembered Visit.]]> 220 Edward Gorey 0399504338 Alazzar 4 This is what I was looking for in an Edward Gorey book. After being mildly disappointed by my first foray into Gorey ( A Halloween Treat ), Amphigorey came through in spectacular form.

The book is dark and silly, being full of things like children dying amidst clever rhymes. Included in the collection is The Gashlycrumb Tinies, which details the untimely demises of 26 kids, one for each letter in the alphabet. The Tinies are what introduced me to Gorey in the first place, and I have a suspicion they'll go down as my all-time favorite of his.

I also enjoyed The Hapless Child, The Insect God and . . . well, pretty much everything. (Granted, there were some that were less good than others, but that's hardly anything to complain about.)

There are a few things appealing about Edward Gorey's work, in addition to the dark tone I love. First of all, there's the art: so many tiny, tiny lines adding great texture to these Victorian-looking drawings. Then there's the silliness factor: I think that, in many cases, Gorey just starts with a line that has a nice rhythm to it, then follows it with something that rhymes appropriately. And that second line doesn't necessarily make any sense at all in regards to the first--yet he comes up with an illustration to fit the weird context he's created anyway. Basically, it often feels like the convenient rhyme dictates the direction of the story, rather than any careful plotting.

All in all, Amphigorey was great, and just what I needed to help get me excited for Halloween.]]> 4.05 1972 Amphigorey (Amphigorey, #1)
author: Edward Gorey
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1972
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/09
date added: 2015/10/15
shelves:
review:
This is what I was looking for in an Edward Gorey book. After being mildly disappointed by my first foray into Gorey ( A Halloween Treat ), Amphigorey came through in spectacular form.

The book is dark and silly, being full of things like children dying amidst clever rhymes. Included in the collection is The Gashlycrumb Tinies, which details the untimely demises of 26 kids, one for each letter in the alphabet. The Tinies are what introduced me to Gorey in the first place, and I have a suspicion they'll go down as my all-time favorite of his.

I also enjoyed The Hapless Child, The Insect God and . . . well, pretty much everything. (Granted, there were some that were less good than others, but that's hardly anything to complain about.)

There are a few things appealing about Edward Gorey's work, in addition to the dark tone I love. First of all, there's the art: so many tiny, tiny lines adding great texture to these Victorian-looking drawings. Then there's the silliness factor: I think that, in many cases, Gorey just starts with a line that has a nice rhythm to it, then follows it with something that rhymes appropriately. And that second line doesn't necessarily make any sense at all in regards to the first--yet he comes up with an illustration to fit the weird context he's created anyway. Basically, it often feels like the convenient rhyme dictates the direction of the story, rather than any careful plotting.

All in all, Amphigorey was great, and just what I needed to help get me excited for Halloween.
]]> <![CDATA[A Halloween Treat & Edward Gorey’s Ghosts]]> 12159895 A Halloween Treat, kids and cats go trick or treating, and gather loot that might be tricks—or perhaps the best treat imaginable: their very own monsters. A short vignette, published in book form for the very first time, it will be an undiscovered delight for Gorey fanatics. Turn the book over to its back cover to read from the other direction, and you’ll delve into a collection of Edward Gorey’s Ghosts, curated from his extensive oeuvre. Charmingly spooky, these ghastly phantasms come in all shapes and sizes—the perfect thing to curl up with on a chilling Halloween night.]]> 48 Edward Gorey 160819616X Alazzar 3 Weird Tales Magazine Facebook page. A little research told me that the delightful (and dark!) pictures I was cycling through were from a book called The Gashlycrumb Tinies .

It was pretty much the best thing I'd ever seen on Facebook--and that includes pictures of my gym acquaintance's cousin's dinner from that day asparagus was on sale.

Deciding already that I loved Mr. Gorey's work, I looked up more of his stuff. I found he had a book about Halloween, and knew that it had to be the next thing I'd read.

I ordered the book. It showed up in mid-September, and I forced myself to forget about it until at least October. Then, once pumpkin-month came around, I read it on the first day to have decent (or, as some might call it, "crappy") weather: fog and clouds, with no sun to be seen.

So how was it? In a word, underwhelming.

Where was the catchy rhyming scheme of The Gashlycrumb Tinies? Where was the dark humor? The Halloween half of the book just had some pictures of trick-or-treaters and costumed cats; was there even a plot? Were the pictures more than just faintly connected?

I flipped to the ghost side of the book, hoping for something better. And, yes--the illustrations there were, at least, a little closer to the dark side of things. So that's a bonus. But I thought Gorey may have been a bust for me, right up until I read some reviews and found that this book is apparently much more family-oriented than most of his work. With that in mind, I'm willing to give him another shot: I've put one of his other publications on hold at the library, and it should be here soon.

I still have faith in Edward Gorey. Heck, I even gave this book three stars because I've come to recognize it's not intended to be as dark as The Gashlycrumb Tinies. And I'm sure if I end up becoming a Gorey fan, I'll end up liking A Halloween Treat even more.

Who knows? Maybe it will even become a yearly tradition, alongside A Night in the Lonesome October and The Halloween Tree !]]> 3.89 2012 A Halloween Treat & Edward Gorey’s Ghosts
author: Edward Gorey
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2015/10/02
date added: 2015/10/04
shelves:
review:
I'd never heard of Edward Gorey before seeing a .gif of his art posted on the Weird Tales Magazine Facebook page. A little research told me that the delightful (and dark!) pictures I was cycling through were from a book called The Gashlycrumb Tinies .

It was pretty much the best thing I'd ever seen on Facebook--and that includes pictures of my gym acquaintance's cousin's dinner from that day asparagus was on sale.

Deciding already that I loved Mr. Gorey's work, I looked up more of his stuff. I found he had a book about Halloween, and knew that it had to be the next thing I'd read.

I ordered the book. It showed up in mid-September, and I forced myself to forget about it until at least October. Then, once pumpkin-month came around, I read it on the first day to have decent (or, as some might call it, "crappy") weather: fog and clouds, with no sun to be seen.

So how was it? In a word, underwhelming.

Where was the catchy rhyming scheme of The Gashlycrumb Tinies? Where was the dark humor? The Halloween half of the book just had some pictures of trick-or-treaters and costumed cats; was there even a plot? Were the pictures more than just faintly connected?

I flipped to the ghost side of the book, hoping for something better. And, yes--the illustrations there were, at least, a little closer to the dark side of things. So that's a bonus. But I thought Gorey may have been a bust for me, right up until I read some reviews and found that this book is apparently much more family-oriented than most of his work. With that in mind, I'm willing to give him another shot: I've put one of his other publications on hold at the library, and it should be here soon.

I still have faith in Edward Gorey. Heck, I even gave this book three stars because I've come to recognize it's not intended to be as dark as The Gashlycrumb Tinies. And I'm sure if I end up becoming a Gorey fan, I'll end up liking A Halloween Treat even more.

Who knows? Maybe it will even become a yearly tradition, alongside A Night in the Lonesome October and The Halloween Tree !
]]> Deadpool Classic, Vol. 2 6400992 256 Joe Kelly 0785137319 Alazzar 3
As it turns out, I should have taken the warning a little more seriously.

When I first started reading Deadpool (in the last volume) I laughed a few times. And I did it again with one of the first issues in this volume. But then it just got to the point where it felt like the author was trying too hard. It was like Joe Kelly HAD to cram something humorous into every panel. This had the effect of taking the sting out of some of the jokes.

I like Deadpool a lot more during his (very rare) moments of vulnerability. That counter-balance makes the humorous moments so much better! Unfortunately, for every one serious page there are 20 silly ones. Pretty sure I'd prefer it the other way around.

My other, bigger complaint about Deadpool is the way he treats women. Yeah, I know, he treats everyone like crap, so it shouldn't be that big a deal. But when he calls Siryn, the object of his affection, things like "toots" and "broad," it just makes me wonder why the hell she's hanging out with him in the first place.

In the end, I found myself tiring of Deadpool a little bit . . . right up until I reached the issues with Typhoid Mary and Daredevil. Note to all comic authors: if you want me to like your book, end it on a Daredevil cameo. Odds are you'll get a favorable review.

Overall, Deadpool's not bad, and I'll certainly read some more of his collections. If nothing else, it's nice to familiarize myself with the characters before the movie comes out.

]]> 4.10 2009 Deadpool Classic, Vol. 2
author: Joe Kelly
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2015/10/04
date added: 2015/10/04
shelves:
review:
Before I started reading Deadpool, a friend warned me that he didn't think the Merc with the Mouth was a great solo character. He said that Deadpool is better in small doses, like when he shows up as a cameo in someone else's issue or as part of a team. Naturally, I decided my friend was crazy, because .

As it turns out, I should have taken the warning a little more seriously.

When I first started reading Deadpool (in the last volume) I laughed a few times. And I did it again with one of the first issues in this volume. But then it just got to the point where it felt like the author was trying too hard. It was like Joe Kelly HAD to cram something humorous into every panel. This had the effect of taking the sting out of some of the jokes.

I like Deadpool a lot more during his (very rare) moments of vulnerability. That counter-balance makes the humorous moments so much better! Unfortunately, for every one serious page there are 20 silly ones. Pretty sure I'd prefer it the other way around.

My other, bigger complaint about Deadpool is the way he treats women. Yeah, I know, he treats everyone like crap, so it shouldn't be that big a deal. But when he calls Siryn, the object of his affection, things like "toots" and "broad," it just makes me wonder why the hell she's hanging out with him in the first place.

In the end, I found myself tiring of Deadpool a little bit . . . right up until I reached the issues with Typhoid Mary and Daredevil. Note to all comic authors: if you want me to like your book, end it on a Daredevil cameo. Odds are you'll get a favorable review.

Overall, Deadpool's not bad, and I'll certainly read some more of his collections. If nothing else, it's nice to familiarize myself with the characters before the movie comes out.


]]> The Woman in Black 37034
Alas, we cannot give you Austen, but Susan Hill's remarkable Woman In Black comes as close as our era can provide. Set on the obligatory English moor, on an isolated causeway, the story has as its hero Arthur Kipps, an up-and-coming young solicitor who has come north from London to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. The routine formalities he anticipates give way to a tumble of events and secrets more sinister and terrifying than any nightmare: the rocking chair in the deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child's scream in the fog, and most dreadfully--and for Kipps most tragically--The Woman In Black.

The Woman In Black is both a brilliant exercise in atmosphere and controlled horror and a delicious spine-tingler--proof positive that this neglected genre, the ghost story, isn't dead after all.]]> 138 Susan Hill 1567921892 Alazzar 2
Let me say that again: in a book that's only ~160 pages to begin with, I gave up with thirty pages left.

Why quit when I'm so close to the finish line? Because every page was torture. The pacing is slow. The sentences are long and filled with obnoxious comma splices. And nothing. Ever. HAPPENS.

This is the type of old-timey ghost story written in a similar fashion to The Turn of the Screw , which you'll note I also hated. Maybe I just don't like ghost stories? That can't be right. I'm pretty sure I've liked plenty of ghost stories. I just can't think of any right now because my brain is still recovering from the numbness inflicted on it by Susan Hill's story.

I should have known from the beginning this wasn't going to work out. For the first . . . I don't know, 50 pages? I was just begging for something to happen. And I mean something other than a guy talking about how he's a lawyer and he once went on a trip to a marsh and hey, look at this small town full of NO ONE CARES!

Thirty pages from the end. Thirty pages.

In closing, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. IT'S REALLY GREAT.]]> 3.76 1983 The Woman in Black
author: Susan Hill
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1983
rating: 2
read at: 2015/09/30
date added: 2015/09/30
shelves:
review:
I gave up with 30 pages left.

Let me say that again: in a book that's only ~160 pages to begin with, I gave up with thirty pages left.

Why quit when I'm so close to the finish line? Because every page was torture. The pacing is slow. The sentences are long and filled with obnoxious comma splices. And nothing. Ever. HAPPENS.

This is the type of old-timey ghost story written in a similar fashion to The Turn of the Screw , which you'll note I also hated. Maybe I just don't like ghost stories? That can't be right. I'm pretty sure I've liked plenty of ghost stories. I just can't think of any right now because my brain is still recovering from the numbness inflicted on it by Susan Hill's story.

I should have known from the beginning this wasn't going to work out. For the first . . . I don't know, 50 pages? I was just begging for something to happen. And I mean something other than a guy talking about how he's a lawyer and he once went on a trip to a marsh and hey, look at this small town full of NO ONE CARES!

Thirty pages from the end. Thirty pages.

In closing, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. IT'S REALLY GREAT.
]]> Psion (Cat, #1) 519828
When first published, readers young and old eagerly devoured the tale of a street-hardened survivor named Cat, a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath. Named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Cat's story has been continued by Hugo-award winning and international best-selling author Joan D. Vinge with the very popular Catspaw and Dreamfall . Now, 25 years later, this special anniversary edition of Psion contains a new introduction by the author and "Psiren," a story never before included in any trade edition of Psion .

This tough, gritty tale of an outsider whose only chance for redemption is as an undercover agent for an interstellar government that by turns punishes and helps him, is as fresh and powerful today as it was in 1982.]]> 364 Joan D. Vinge 076530340X Alazzar 0 to-read 3.97 1982 Psion (Cat, #1)
author: Joan D. Vinge
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1982
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Moon Knight, Volume 3: God & Country]]> 3175654 Entourage) takes over the reins, with co-plotter Charlie Huston Moon Knight is back in the game - leaving a trail of broken bodies in his wake - and everyone wants to know the same thing: Who the hell gave this psycho a Registration Card? But no one wants to know more than the architect of the Initiative, Tony Stark. As the body count grows, the pressure to bring in the poster child for super-powered irresponsibility might grow too much for Stark to ignore. And when that happens?

Collecting: Moon Knight 14-20]]> 144 Charlie Huston 0785128921 Alazzar 3 first volume of this Moon Knight run, I've become progressively less impressed with the character and the writing. So here we are at volume 3, with me wondering how much I actually like Moon Knight.

See, I wanted to like him because I love discovering an affection for dorky Marvel characters I'd previously never cared about. I mean, this is how I came across such greats as Daredevil and Black Panther! Adding Moon Knight to the mix just made things even better!

. . . Except, in God & Country, my thought from Midnight Sun was reinforced: Marc Spector is kind of an asshole.

I get that Spector is messed-up in the head, but it's just hard to get behind a character who's such an immature ass toward his friends.

Mind you, this wouldn't stop me from reading the fourth volume, especially since I read online that it includes a great encounter with Bullseye. (And I do like me some Bullseye.) Unfortunately, my library isn't carrying volume 4, and after seeing the decline in the quality of writing (not to mention the art), I just can't see myself throwing down ten bucks for a used copy of a book I'll probably only read once (and may not even like).

Boo-urns, Moon Knight. Boo-urns.]]> 3.38 2008 Moon Knight, Volume 3: God & Country
author: Charlie Huston
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2015/09/17
date added: 2015/09/22
shelves:
review:
After being blown away by the first volume of this Moon Knight run, I've become progressively less impressed with the character and the writing. So here we are at volume 3, with me wondering how much I actually like Moon Knight.

See, I wanted to like him because I love discovering an affection for dorky Marvel characters I'd previously never cared about. I mean, this is how I came across such greats as Daredevil and Black Panther! Adding Moon Knight to the mix just made things even better!

. . . Except, in God & Country, my thought from Midnight Sun was reinforced: Marc Spector is kind of an asshole.

I get that Spector is messed-up in the head, but it's just hard to get behind a character who's such an immature ass toward his friends.

Mind you, this wouldn't stop me from reading the fourth volume, especially since I read online that it includes a great encounter with Bullseye. (And I do like me some Bullseye.) Unfortunately, my library isn't carrying volume 4, and after seeing the decline in the quality of writing (not to mention the art), I just can't see myself throwing down ten bucks for a used copy of a book I'll probably only read once (and may not even like).

Boo-urns, Moon Knight. Boo-urns.
]]> The Martian 18007564
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error� are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills � and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit � he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

]]> 384 Andy Weir 0804139024 Alazzar 5
I knew I was going to like this book right away, because it opened with a bunch of my favorite things:

1. Guy doing math in his spare time.
2. No other humans on the entire planet.
3. Swearing! Sarcasm! Woo!

The story of stranded astronaut Mark Watney is a problem-solver's dream. Bad things happen (because Mars is Mars), Watney looks at the limited resources he has available, and a creative solution is put into motion. Even if you don't know how most of that NASA equipment works (and I certainly don't, because I'm pretty scientifically ignorant), you'll probably still get a kick out of Watney's crazy improvisational skills. Gilligan's Professor had nothin' on this guy.

Of course, in a book like this, we can't just have our protagonist solve some problems and then have everything be okay. Just when you think Watney's overcome every hurdle the red planet can throw at him, another disaster strikes and he has to find a new way to survive. For the most part, this is enjoyable, but I have to admit that at some point it became a little tiresome.

About 2/3 of the way through the book, the newest disaster made it feel like I could see the author's hand at work. When something totally unpredictable occurred, I thought, "Well, of course it did--Weir needed to fill more pages, so he threw another random problem at his protagonist." However, I'm aware that I might just be making this complaint for one of two reasons:

1) A case of the mid-book blues: you know, that point at which the characters are no longer new and exciting, but we also haven't yet reached conflict resolution, so we're just sort of meandering on. Really, the middle part of most books is usually the least entertaining, so that could have been the source of my problem here.

2) My own pressure to finish the book. The random disaster in question came at around the time a friend asked me to borrow the book by a certain day, which meant I needed to get the thing finished in short time. That made it feel like assigned reading--I got to the point where I was paying more attention to my page-number progress than to the story itself, which, naturally, made me annoyed when Watney ran into another random disaster. I just wanted to get on with things and finish, damn it!

Still, this brief lull in entertainment value (which, as indicated in point #2 above, may have been strictly my own fault) is pretty easy to overlook when the rest of the book is so danged good. I mean, I still gave it 5 stars, didn't I?

In the end, I typically like my SF to have more of a fantasy feel to it (meaning I don't much care about taking a realistic look into the future), but this novel was a grand exception to the rule: it's grounded in a potential reality of the years to come, and yet, I freakin' loved it.]]> 4.41 2011 The Martian
author: Andy Weir
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2015/09/17
date added: 2015/09/22
shelves:
review:
Well, I can definitely see why Andy Weir's debut novel is so popular. It's got the technical aspects of a hard SF book, yet is told in such a casual, conversational voice that anyone can enjoy it, regardless of their scientific background.

I knew I was going to like this book right away, because it opened with a bunch of my favorite things:

1. Guy doing math in his spare time.
2. No other humans on the entire planet.
3. Swearing! Sarcasm! Woo!

The story of stranded astronaut Mark Watney is a problem-solver's dream. Bad things happen (because Mars is Mars), Watney looks at the limited resources he has available, and a creative solution is put into motion. Even if you don't know how most of that NASA equipment works (and I certainly don't, because I'm pretty scientifically ignorant), you'll probably still get a kick out of Watney's crazy improvisational skills. Gilligan's Professor had nothin' on this guy.

Of course, in a book like this, we can't just have our protagonist solve some problems and then have everything be okay. Just when you think Watney's overcome every hurdle the red planet can throw at him, another disaster strikes and he has to find a new way to survive. For the most part, this is enjoyable, but I have to admit that at some point it became a little tiresome.

About 2/3 of the way through the book, the newest disaster made it feel like I could see the author's hand at work. When something totally unpredictable occurred, I thought, "Well, of course it did--Weir needed to fill more pages, so he threw another random problem at his protagonist." However, I'm aware that I might just be making this complaint for one of two reasons:

1) A case of the mid-book blues: you know, that point at which the characters are no longer new and exciting, but we also haven't yet reached conflict resolution, so we're just sort of meandering on. Really, the middle part of most books is usually the least entertaining, so that could have been the source of my problem here.

2) My own pressure to finish the book. The random disaster in question came at around the time a friend asked me to borrow the book by a certain day, which meant I needed to get the thing finished in short time. That made it feel like assigned reading--I got to the point where I was paying more attention to my page-number progress than to the story itself, which, naturally, made me annoyed when Watney ran into another random disaster. I just wanted to get on with things and finish, damn it!

Still, this brief lull in entertainment value (which, as indicated in point #2 above, may have been strictly my own fault) is pretty easy to overlook when the rest of the book is so danged good. I mean, I still gave it 5 stars, didn't I?

In the end, I typically like my SF to have more of a fantasy feel to it (meaning I don't much care about taking a realistic look into the future), but this novel was a grand exception to the rule: it's grounded in a potential reality of the years to come, and yet, I freakin' loved it.
]]> <![CDATA[Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror]]> 446813 0 Douglas E. Winter 0451159098 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.99 1988 Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror
author: Douglas E. Winter
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Salt Fish Girl 531944
At turns whimsical and wry, "Salt Fish Girl" intertwines the story of Nu Wa, the shape-shifter, and that of Miranda, a troubled young girl living in the walled city of Serendipity circa 2044. Miranda is haunted by traces of her mother's glamourous cabaret career, the strange smell of durian fruit that lingers about her, and odd tokens reminiscient of Nu Wa. Could Miranda be infected by the Dreaming Disease that makes the past leak into the present?

Framed by a playful sense of magical realism, "Salt Fish Girl" reveals a futuristic Pacific Northwest where corporations govern cities, factory workers are cybernetically engineered, middle-class labour is a video game, and those who haven't sold out to commerce and other ills must fight the evil powers intent on controlling everything. Rich with ancient Chinese mythology and cultural lore, this remarkable novel is about gender, love, honour, intrigue, and fighting against oppression.]]> 269 Larissa Lai 0887621112 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.73 2002 Salt Fish Girl
author: Larissa Lai
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Long Tomorrow 91109
Rumors abound of a secret place known as "Bartorstown", where science is untrammelled by interference or hatred. A youth named Len Colter, developing an unhealthy thirst for knowledge exacerbated by the discovery of a forbidden radio, sets out on a long road. During this journey, he will change his mind many times before determining the correct direction for himself, and the benighted America in which he lives.]]> 223 Leigh Brackett 0441061354 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.66 1955 The Long Tomorrow
author: Leigh Brackett
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1955
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Doctor Strange: Strange Tales 11408657 240 Peter B. Gillis 078515549X Alazzar 0 to-read 3.82 1988 Doctor Strange: Strange Tales
author: Peter B. Gillis
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)]]> 52397
Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.

When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.]]> 345 Octavia E. Butler 0446675504 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.21 1993 Parable of the Sower (Earthseed, #1)
author: Octavia E. Butler
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/09/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Witches 6327 Note: This edition shares ISBN 0590032496 with another edition.

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.]]> 208 Roald Dahl 0590032496 Alazzar 3 Something Wicked This Way Comes , The October Country , and . . . actually, the rest of this list is mostly just Ray Bradbury stuff, because that man loved him some fall. (And who could blame him?)

It wasn't until I remembered to check Neil Gaiman's for that I came across Roald Dahl's The Witches. I'd never read a Dahl book (though I am familiar with his thoughts on Snozzberry flavors), so I figured I'd give it a whirl.

I wasn't much of a reader as a kid, so I don't have any sort of nostalgia factor regarding children's books. As such, The Witches seemed a little . . . well, childish. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing--the book knows what it's trying to be. But I've read other children's books ( The Graveyard Book , for example) that were just as wonderful as books aimed at adults. I didn't quite get that sensation from Dahl's work, but it was still enjoyable enough, so I shouldn't complain.

Do I have a sudden urge to seek out more Roald Dahl material? No. Did The Witches scratch my autumn itch? Eh . . . not really. The setting just wasn't there. But the book's a fast read and it's fun, so I don't regret the small amount of time I spent on it.

Now if only I could find some truly autumnal books, in the tradition of The Halloween Tree and--my all-time favorite-- A Night in the Lonesome October !
]]> 4.18 1981 The Witches
author: Roald Dahl
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at: 2015/09/08
date added: 2015/09/09
shelves:
review:
It's tough to find autumn-themed books that aren't just regular ol' horror novels. (A lot of people seem to think that "Halloween book" = "scary book." I'm not one of them.) I spent a lot of time looking at Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ lists of autumn books, but most of them I'd already read: Something Wicked This Way Comes , The October Country , and . . . actually, the rest of this list is mostly just Ray Bradbury stuff, because that man loved him some fall. (And who could blame him?)

It wasn't until I remembered to check Neil Gaiman's for that I came across Roald Dahl's The Witches. I'd never read a Dahl book (though I am familiar with his thoughts on Snozzberry flavors), so I figured I'd give it a whirl.

I wasn't much of a reader as a kid, so I don't have any sort of nostalgia factor regarding children's books. As such, The Witches seemed a little . . . well, childish. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing--the book knows what it's trying to be. But I've read other children's books ( The Graveyard Book , for example) that were just as wonderful as books aimed at adults. I didn't quite get that sensation from Dahl's work, but it was still enjoyable enough, so I shouldn't complain.

Do I have a sudden urge to seek out more Roald Dahl material? No. Did The Witches scratch my autumn itch? Eh . . . not really. The setting just wasn't there. But the book's a fast read and it's fun, so I don't regret the small amount of time I spent on it.

Now if only I could find some truly autumnal books, in the tradition of The Halloween Tree and--my all-time favorite-- A Night in the Lonesome October !

]]> <![CDATA[Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun]]> 2274096
Collecting: Moon Knight 7-13, Annual #1]]> 192 Charlie Huston 0785122907 Alazzar 3 Volume 1, but still enjoyable. This time around Moon Knight is swept up in the Civil War saga, which would probably be a lot more interesting if I'd ever actually read any Civil War books. (The, uh . . . North wins, right?)

While a few of the issues were a little slow (simply due to my lack of investment in the Civil War storyline), there were also a few that gave me some great insight into Moon Knight's character--particularly one that gave glimpses into each of his split personalities. It makes me want to get on Wikipedia to find out what those other versions of Moon Knight were all about--but at the same time, I'm kind of enjoying not knowing, and picking up little tidbits as I go along.

I did think Mark Spector was kind of a whiny asshole during parts of this book, but this complaint was overshadowed by some great writing: there's an issue or two in the book that utilizes an unconventional narrative format, which I dig.

The bottom line is that I'm still glad I gave Moon Knight a shot, and I plan on reading more of his stuff in the near future.

]]> 3.33 2007 Moon Knight, Volume 2: Midnight Sun
author: Charlie Huston
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2015/09/04
date added: 2015/09/06
shelves:
review:
Definitely not as good as Volume 1, but still enjoyable. This time around Moon Knight is swept up in the Civil War saga, which would probably be a lot more interesting if I'd ever actually read any Civil War books. (The, uh . . . North wins, right?)

While a few of the issues were a little slow (simply due to my lack of investment in the Civil War storyline), there were also a few that gave me some great insight into Moon Knight's character--particularly one that gave glimpses into each of his split personalities. It makes me want to get on Wikipedia to find out what those other versions of Moon Knight were all about--but at the same time, I'm kind of enjoying not knowing, and picking up little tidbits as I go along.

I did think Mark Spector was kind of a whiny asshole during parts of this book, but this complaint was overshadowed by some great writing: there's an issue or two in the book that utilizes an unconventional narrative format, which I dig.

The bottom line is that I'm still glad I gave Moon Knight a shot, and I plan on reading more of his stuff in the near future.


]]> Deadpool Classic, Vol. 1 2384829 256 Fabian Nicieza 0785131248 Alazzar 3
There are basically four sections to this book: the comic introducing Deadpool; a 4-issue Deadpool miniseries; another 4-issue miniseries; and the first issue of what would become a regular Deadpool series.

The first comic sucks. I guess it's just there so we get to see Deadpool's first appearance, but that doesn't help to diminish its sucktitude.

The first miniseries is pretty good. Second is better. And the final issue does indeed make me want to pick up the next volume of Deadpool Classic, which was probably the point.

In recent years I've been checking out a lot of superheroes I hadn't previously had any experience with, and they've all been home runs: Daredevil, Black Panther and Moon Knight have all met or exceeded my expectations. If you click those links, you'll find books that are great introductions to their title characters: each one full of fantastic, memorable stories.

Can the same be said for Deadpool?

Yes and no. If the aforementioned books are Oscar-nominated dramas, Deadpool is the summer action flick. The Merc with the Mouth is a lot of fun and doesn't take himself too seriously, but will his stories leave the same kind of impact on my memory that Daredevil's Born Again or Black Panther's The Client did? Probably not. In fact, I'm sure it won't be long before I can't recall a single scene from Deadpool's book.

I likely will, however, recall a general sense of being entertained--and really, when all's said and done, isn't that what we're looking for in our fiction?

Deadpool was good. Maybe not as funny as the hype had led me to believe, but definitely good enough to make me come back for more.]]> 3.91 2012 Deadpool Classic, Vol. 1
author: Fabian Nicieza
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2015/08/30
date added: 2015/08/31
shelves:
review:
I'd never read any Deadpool before, but after seeing the redband trailer for his upcoming film, decided it was time to dive in.

There are basically four sections to this book: the comic introducing Deadpool; a 4-issue Deadpool miniseries; another 4-issue miniseries; and the first issue of what would become a regular Deadpool series.

The first comic sucks. I guess it's just there so we get to see Deadpool's first appearance, but that doesn't help to diminish its sucktitude.

The first miniseries is pretty good. Second is better. And the final issue does indeed make me want to pick up the next volume of Deadpool Classic, which was probably the point.

In recent years I've been checking out a lot of superheroes I hadn't previously had any experience with, and they've all been home runs: Daredevil, Black Panther and Moon Knight have all met or exceeded my expectations. If you click those links, you'll find books that are great introductions to their title characters: each one full of fantastic, memorable stories.

Can the same be said for Deadpool?

Yes and no. If the aforementioned books are Oscar-nominated dramas, Deadpool is the summer action flick. The Merc with the Mouth is a lot of fun and doesn't take himself too seriously, but will his stories leave the same kind of impact on my memory that Daredevil's Born Again or Black Panther's The Client did? Probably not. In fact, I'm sure it won't be long before I can't recall a single scene from Deadpool's book.

I likely will, however, recall a general sense of being entertained--and really, when all's said and done, isn't that what we're looking for in our fiction?

Deadpool was good. Maybe not as funny as the hype had led me to believe, but definitely good enough to make me come back for more.
]]> <![CDATA[Moon Knight, Volume 1: The Bottom]]> 347937 Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things) and red-hot, fan-favorite artist David Finch (Avengers).

Khonshu -- God of the Moon, God of Vengeance -- saved Marc Spector's life, brought him to glory, and made him Moon Knight. But what Khonshu gives, he also takes away. Spector learned this the hard way, spiraling into madness, depression and worse. Now Specter wants back in the game. Will Khonshu hear his prayer?

Collecting: Moon Knight 1-6]]> 152 Charlie Huston 0785121862 Alazzar 4 Daredevil and Black Panther: I just picked a random, sort of dorky-seeming superhero I knew little about but thought looked cool. I then searched for what the Internet seems to believe is the character's best storyline, and dove in.

One thing I'm noticing about this process is that each new superhero I look into is more obscure than the previous. With Daredevil, I knew he was blind, had radar-senses, and was a lawyer by day. With Black Panther, I knew he was some sort of . . . cat . . . man? And then there's Moon Knight, whom I recognized only as a source of disappointment when opening packs of Marvel trading cards as a kid.

But being that I'd fallen in love with the other two characters, I figured I'd try for a third and give Moon Knight a shot. After all, maybe he'd be awesome! Was he some sort of medieval astronaut? Did he have sidekicks named Moon Rook and Moon Bishop? Was his nemesis Sun Bandit? I had to know.

I was immediately excited by the premise of The Bottom, because it sounded similar to the storyline that made me a forever-fan of Daredevil: Born Again . I'm a sucker for seeing superheroes (or anyone, really) at their lowest points, so I was naturally intrigued by a book that would introduce me to a character who's lost damn near everything and is ready to give up on life.

In case you hadn't guessed by the 4-star rating, Charlie Huston's book did not disappoint.

The Bottom is dark as hell. There are drugs, mental instability, and some ultra-violent art that's definitely not for the squeamish. But most importantly, the book somehow made me care about a character whom I'd previously known nothing about.

I was positively amazed by Huston's ability to squeeze in a huge amount of backstory on Moon Knight without making it feel like I was reading a Wikipedia article. Granted, I haven't read any other Moon Knight stories, but my totally unprofessional opinion is that The Bottom serves as a great starting point for anyone interested in checking out the guy dressed like a picture-negative of Batman.

If you like dark stories, obscure superheroes and a hint of mythology in your comic books, give The Bottom a try. You won't be disappointed! (Or if you are, too bad, because I'm not offering refunds here.)]]> 3.63 2007 Moon Knight, Volume 1: The Bottom
author: Charlie Huston
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/15
date added: 2015/08/28
shelves:
review:
I came across Moon Knight in the same way I came across Daredevil and Black Panther: I just picked a random, sort of dorky-seeming superhero I knew little about but thought looked cool. I then searched for what the Internet seems to believe is the character's best storyline, and dove in.

One thing I'm noticing about this process is that each new superhero I look into is more obscure than the previous. With Daredevil, I knew he was blind, had radar-senses, and was a lawyer by day. With Black Panther, I knew he was some sort of . . . cat . . . man? And then there's Moon Knight, whom I recognized only as a source of disappointment when opening packs of Marvel trading cards as a kid.

But being that I'd fallen in love with the other two characters, I figured I'd try for a third and give Moon Knight a shot. After all, maybe he'd be awesome! Was he some sort of medieval astronaut? Did he have sidekicks named Moon Rook and Moon Bishop? Was his nemesis Sun Bandit? I had to know.

I was immediately excited by the premise of The Bottom, because it sounded similar to the storyline that made me a forever-fan of Daredevil: Born Again . I'm a sucker for seeing superheroes (or anyone, really) at their lowest points, so I was naturally intrigued by a book that would introduce me to a character who's lost damn near everything and is ready to give up on life.

In case you hadn't guessed by the 4-star rating, Charlie Huston's book did not disappoint.

The Bottom is dark as hell. There are drugs, mental instability, and some ultra-violent art that's definitely not for the squeamish. But most importantly, the book somehow made me care about a character whom I'd previously known nothing about.

I was positively amazed by Huston's ability to squeeze in a huge amount of backstory on Moon Knight without making it feel like I was reading a Wikipedia article. Granted, I haven't read any other Moon Knight stories, but my totally unprofessional opinion is that The Bottom serves as a great starting point for anyone interested in checking out the guy dressed like a picture-negative of Batman.

If you like dark stories, obscure superheroes and a hint of mythology in your comic books, give The Bottom a try. You won't be disappointed! (Or if you are, too bad, because I'm not offering refunds here.)
]]> <![CDATA[Stalking The Unicorn (John Justin Mallory Mystery, #1)]]> 1416845 320 Mike Resnick 0812551141 Alazzar 4 Stalking the Unicorn is a detective story and, as such, contains a lot of what you'd expect from a detective novel: a smart-talking protagonist, a high dialogue-to-action ratio, and lots of shady characters.

Oh, and detecting. There's plenty of detecting.

What Resnick brings to the genre is the fantasy-setting of an alternate Manhattan inhabited by leprechauns, trolls and the like. Personally, I think adding this type of stuff to the noir world of a P.I. only makes things more interesting--after all, it adds more possibilities, and in a detective novel that just means more chances for clever mysteries. (Also, I can't imagine why you'd read a book about normal people when you could read one that has goblins and demons and crap. That's just common sense.)

The other thing that sets Stalking the Unicorn apart from others in the genre is the decidedly light-hearted tone of the book. Resnick injects a lot of humor into his story, even if there are times when I think he extends jokes beyond their necessary conclusion. (More than once I felt like we hit the punchline and should have continued with the story, but the author had other ideas: he'd let the protagonist fire out a few more unnecessary questions, just to set up more gags.)

At the end of the day, Stalking the Unicorn isn't my favorite fantasy-detective story of all time (that title probably goes to Roger Zelazny's Amber series, which I didn't even realize starts out as a detective story until someone brought that idea to my attention), but it was certainly good enough for me to willingly seek out more of Resnick's work in the future.

]]> 3.59 1987 Stalking The Unicorn (John Justin Mallory Mystery, #1)
author: Mike Resnick
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.59
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2015/08/11
date added: 2015/08/11
shelves:
review:
Stalking the Unicorn is a detective story and, as such, contains a lot of what you'd expect from a detective novel: a smart-talking protagonist, a high dialogue-to-action ratio, and lots of shady characters.

Oh, and detecting. There's plenty of detecting.

What Resnick brings to the genre is the fantasy-setting of an alternate Manhattan inhabited by leprechauns, trolls and the like. Personally, I think adding this type of stuff to the noir world of a P.I. only makes things more interesting--after all, it adds more possibilities, and in a detective novel that just means more chances for clever mysteries. (Also, I can't imagine why you'd read a book about normal people when you could read one that has goblins and demons and crap. That's just common sense.)

The other thing that sets Stalking the Unicorn apart from others in the genre is the decidedly light-hearted tone of the book. Resnick injects a lot of humor into his story, even if there are times when I think he extends jokes beyond their necessary conclusion. (More than once I felt like we hit the punchline and should have continued with the story, but the author had other ideas: he'd let the protagonist fire out a few more unnecessary questions, just to set up more gags.)

At the end of the day, Stalking the Unicorn isn't my favorite fantasy-detective story of all time (that title probably goes to Roger Zelazny's Amber series, which I didn't even realize starts out as a detective story until someone brought that idea to my attention), but it was certainly good enough for me to willingly seek out more of Resnick's work in the future.


]]> The Norse Myths 497366
“Kevin Crossley-Holland retells the Norse myths in clear, attractive prose . . . An excellent introduction, notes, and a glossary provide mythological and historical backgrounds and suggest parallels with myths in other parts of the world.�
–The Denver Post]]> 320 Kevin Crossley-Holland Alazzar 0 to-read 4.21 1980 The Norse Myths
author: Kevin Crossley-Holland
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology]]> 24658 'What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?'

The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides unparalleled insight into the gods' tragic realisation that the future holds one final cataclysmic battle, Ragnarok, when the world will be destroyed. These tales from the pagan era have proved to be among the most influential of all myths and legends, inspiring modern works as diverse as Wagner's Ring Cycle and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

This new translation by Jesse Byock captures the strength and subtlety of the original, while his introduction sets the tales fully in the context of Norse mythology. This edition also includes detailed notes and appendices.]]> 224 Snorri Sturluson 0140447555 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.17 1220 The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology
author: Snorri Sturluson
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1220
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Mythology 23522 The world-renowned classic that has enthralled and delighted millions of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes.

Edith Hamilton's Mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture--the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present. We meet the Greek gods on Olympus and Norse gods in Valhalla. We follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and mighty King Midas. We discover the origins of the names of the constellations. And we recognize reference points for countless works of art, literature, and cultural inquiry--from Freud's Oedipus complex to Wagner's Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra. Praised throughout the world for its authority and lucidity, Mythology is Edith Hamilton's masterpiece--the standard by which all other books on mythology are measured.

]]> 497 Edith Hamilton 0316341517 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.03 1942 Mythology
author: Edith Hamilton
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1942
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kirinyaga (A Fable of Utopia, #1)]]> 858859 Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia collects Mike Resnick's famous Kirinyaga stories and ties them together in a thematic arc that has novel-like continuity. The story focuses on Koriba, a mundumugu (sort of like a witch doctor and a wise man rolled into one) of the Kikuyu tribe. Koriba feels that his tribe has been corrupted by "European" technology, so he helps to establish a small, utopian planetoid named Kirinyaga where the Kikuyu can return to their roots, farming the land and worshipping the god Ngai without technological or cultural interference. As utopias go, Kirinyaga experiences its fair share of problems--both from within and without--each of which is detailed in the individual chapters and stories.

Contents:
One Perfect Morning, with Jackals (1991)
Kirinyaga (1988)
For I Have Touched the Sky (1989)
Bwana (1990)
The Manamouki (1990)
Song of a Dry River (1992)
The Lotus and the Spear (1992)
A Little Knowledge (1994)
When the Old Gods Die (1995)
The Land of Nod (1996)]]> 293 Mike Resnick 034541702X Alazzar 0 to-read 3.98 1988 Kirinyaga (A Fable of Utopia, #1)
author: Mike Resnick
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Dark Traveling (PARALLEL WORLDS)]]> 1393045 143 Roger Zelazny 0802766862 Alazzar 3 bad . . . it’s just not a masterpiece like Lord of Light or Doorways in the Sand or any number of others I could list.

A Dark Traveling was Zelazny’s attempt at a Young Adult novel. I don’t really read any YA, so I don’t know what the competition is like—maybe this book blows current YA out of the water, or maybe it just lags behind. In any case, some of the restrictions Zelazny put on himself (or perhaps were put on him by editors) kept the book from feeling like his other works. For starters, there weren’t any fight scenes. Now, that’s not to say a book needs fight scenes to be good, but there were definitely places where fights did happen, and they just occurred “off-screen.� Kinda took something away from the experience, I feel.

There’s not a whole lot to the novel, being less than 150 pages of large text and fat margins. (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the wordcount is less than 40k, which would technically make it a novella by most standards.) Still, that gives Zelazny enough time to work us into a reasonably intricate plot (which, by the way, is sort of spoiled on the copyright page—there’s a part in the copyright info that lists a short summary that you probably shouldn’t read before you read the book).

A Dark Traveling promises witches and werewolves and assassins, and although it does contain these things, they’re people first and witches/werewolves/assassins second. I feel like these classifications to the characters were pretty underused, unfortunately—if you’re looking for a werewolf book, for example, this isn’t the place to go. If you’re looking for a light, general sci-fi/fantasy adventure book, however, this may just hit the spot.

Overall, not a bad read considering the time investment involved—you could breeze through it in 2.5-3 hours if you read like me, or probably 1-2 hours if you read like a normal person.
]]> 3.25 1987 A Dark Traveling (PARALLEL WORLDS)
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.25
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2011/05/29
date added: 2015/07/22
shelves:
review:
It pains me to give a Zelazny book 3 stars, but this just isn’t up to par with his other novels. That’s not to say it’s bad . . . it’s just not a masterpiece like Lord of Light or Doorways in the Sand or any number of others I could list.

A Dark Traveling was Zelazny’s attempt at a Young Adult novel. I don’t really read any YA, so I don’t know what the competition is like—maybe this book blows current YA out of the water, or maybe it just lags behind. In any case, some of the restrictions Zelazny put on himself (or perhaps were put on him by editors) kept the book from feeling like his other works. For starters, there weren’t any fight scenes. Now, that’s not to say a book needs fight scenes to be good, but there were definitely places where fights did happen, and they just occurred “off-screen.� Kinda took something away from the experience, I feel.

There’s not a whole lot to the novel, being less than 150 pages of large text and fat margins. (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the wordcount is less than 40k, which would technically make it a novella by most standards.) Still, that gives Zelazny enough time to work us into a reasonably intricate plot (which, by the way, is sort of spoiled on the copyright page—there’s a part in the copyright info that lists a short summary that you probably shouldn’t read before you read the book).

A Dark Traveling promises witches and werewolves and assassins, and although it does contain these things, they’re people first and witches/werewolves/assassins second. I feel like these classifications to the characters were pretty underused, unfortunately—if you’re looking for a werewolf book, for example, this isn’t the place to go. If you’re looking for a light, general sci-fi/fantasy adventure book, however, this may just hit the spot.

Overall, not a bad read considering the time investment involved—you could breeze through it in 2.5-3 hours if you read like me, or probably 1-2 hours if you read like a normal person.

]]> <![CDATA[Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith]]> 418107 192 Kevin Smith 0785107371 Alazzar 3 Born Again storyline a few years ago, but I don't want to invest a huge amount of money in the project, so I'm mostly limited to trade paperbacks and whatever cheap issues I can pick up from mycomicshop.com.

I've read most (maybe all?) of Miller's stuff, a lot of Ann Nocenti's, and D.G. Chichester's "Fall of the Kingpin" arc. After that, I could have tracked down Fall from Grace , but my library doesn't have it and I wasn't about to spend money on something that garnered such universally bad reviews on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ.

I say this because it's important to note that there's a gap in my Daredevil reading between "Fall of the Kingpin" and Smith's Guardian Devil. It seems as though Daredevil changed a bit during that time, and I can't tell if it's because of things he actually encountered during Chichester's run or if Kevin Smith just writes the Man Without Fear differently than I'd like.

In any case, I was a little put off by how my beloved blind ninja-lawyer was portrayed in the beginning. Matt Murdock, who is normally interested in trying to help and rehabilitate criminals, seemed to take joy in beating up muggers--almost like it was a stress-reliever for him, rather than a noble duty. It felt a little like Daredevil was being a "badass" (think of people in the Wolverine/Batman vein), which is something I don't mind--and even enjoy--in certain characters. But it just wasn't Daredevil, you know?

However, as the book moves along, some of Matt's behavioral patterns are explained. This allowed me to set some of my objections aside and better appreciate the story Kevin Smith had assembled.

Now, I've seen it mentioned in another review that the villain's exposition was a little . . . expositiony. This is the type of thing that would bother me under normal circumstances, but in this case, it actually makes sense. I can't explain more without spoiling certain plot points, so you'll just have to trust me on this.

Overall, I felt this was a pretty solid Daredevil story. The character felt a little unfamiliar to me--whether due to legitimate changes I missed during my issue-gap, or because of Kevin Smith's interpretation of how Matt Murdock should be--but things were still enjoyable overall. I certainly prefer Frank Miller's Daredevil (and if you're looking for a book to start on because you loved the Netflix show, Born Again is my official recommendation), but if everyone wrote like Frank Miller we'd never have any variety. Sometimes it's good to see a superhero from another author's perspective, just to shake things up a bit.

Now to get my hands on Smith's next volume!]]> 3.96 1998 Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith
author: Kevin Smith
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/16
date added: 2015/07/22
shelves:
review:
I've been trying to read as much Daredevil as I can ever since I discovered Frank Miller's classic Born Again storyline a few years ago, but I don't want to invest a huge amount of money in the project, so I'm mostly limited to trade paperbacks and whatever cheap issues I can pick up from mycomicshop.com.

I've read most (maybe all?) of Miller's stuff, a lot of Ann Nocenti's, and D.G. Chichester's "Fall of the Kingpin" arc. After that, I could have tracked down Fall from Grace , but my library doesn't have it and I wasn't about to spend money on something that garnered such universally bad reviews on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ.

I say this because it's important to note that there's a gap in my Daredevil reading between "Fall of the Kingpin" and Smith's Guardian Devil. It seems as though Daredevil changed a bit during that time, and I can't tell if it's because of things he actually encountered during Chichester's run or if Kevin Smith just writes the Man Without Fear differently than I'd like.

In any case, I was a little put off by how my beloved blind ninja-lawyer was portrayed in the beginning. Matt Murdock, who is normally interested in trying to help and rehabilitate criminals, seemed to take joy in beating up muggers--almost like it was a stress-reliever for him, rather than a noble duty. It felt a little like Daredevil was being a "badass" (think of people in the Wolverine/Batman vein), which is something I don't mind--and even enjoy--in certain characters. But it just wasn't Daredevil, you know?

However, as the book moves along, some of Matt's behavioral patterns are explained. This allowed me to set some of my objections aside and better appreciate the story Kevin Smith had assembled.

Now, I've seen it mentioned in another review that the villain's exposition was a little . . . expositiony. This is the type of thing that would bother me under normal circumstances, but in this case, it actually makes sense. I can't explain more without spoiling certain plot points, so you'll just have to trust me on this.

Overall, I felt this was a pretty solid Daredevil story. The character felt a little unfamiliar to me--whether due to legitimate changes I missed during my issue-gap, or because of Kevin Smith's interpretation of how Matt Murdock should be--but things were still enjoyable overall. I certainly prefer Frank Miller's Daredevil (and if you're looking for a book to start on because you loved the Netflix show, Born Again is my official recommendation), but if everyone wrote like Frank Miller we'd never have any variety. Sometimes it's good to see a superhero from another author's perspective, just to shake things up a bit.

Now to get my hands on Smith's next volume!
]]> <![CDATA[Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1)]]> 18947303
Now Tristia is on the verge of collapse and the barbarians are sniffing at the borders. The Dukes bring chaos to the land, while the Greatcoats are scattered far and wide, reviled as traitors, their legendary coats in tatters.

All they have left are the promises they made to King Paelis, to carry out one final mission. But if they have any hope of fulfilling the King’s dream, the divided Greatcoats must reunite, or they will also have to stand aside as they watch their world burn…]]> 370 Sebastien de Castell 184866379X Alazzar 0 to-read 4.05 2014 Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1)
author: Sebastien de Castell
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> What Einstein Told His Cook 17290 What Einstein Told His Cook is like having a scientist at your side to answer your questions in plain, nontechnical terms. Chemistry professor and syndicated Washington Post food columnist Robert L. Wolke provides over 100 reliable and witty explanations, while debunking misconceptions and helping you to see through confusing advertising and labeling.]]> 320 Robert L. Wolke 0393011836 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.84 2002 What Einstein Told His Cook
author: Robert L. Wolke
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Night's Master 6902490 246 Tanith Lee 160762043X Alazzar 4
There were a number of things that made me select Night's Master as my first jump into Lee's writing: the book's World Fantasy Award nomination; the length (only about 250 pages? Sign me up!); and the Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ description indicating the book was written in the manner of the Arabian Nights stories.

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with the tales of the Arabian Nights. On the one hand, I like the setting and the mythology, probably because as a child I spent so much time watching Aladdin that I legally qualify as a genie. On the other hand, the moral of just about every Arabian Nights story is: "Your wife is sleeping with a black man; kill them both."

As if all the racism and misogyny wasn't bad enough, those stories are just so unnecessarily long. (Which, I guess, was sort of Scheherezade's point--but that doesn't make it okay.) I'm convinced you could cut 60-75% of the text from most Arabian Nights tales without losing anything important.

With that in mind, you'd think that comparing Tanith Lee's book to the Arabian Nights would be a bad thing--and that would be true, if she didn't manage to take everything that's great about those stories and cut out the garbage.

The thing that makes Night's Master like the Arabian Nights is the structure: you've got a bunch of short, fascinating stories that stand by themselves, but all take place within the same mythology. Lee takes things a step further, though, by having these stories connect in some way later on. So you might read three complete stories about seemingly unrelated characters, only to have their paths converge several chapters later. I probably would have been fine with the stories alone, but seeing them come together makes the whole book positively delightful.

Now, I have to confess that I was a little worried when I first started reading. Lee really walks the line between "gorgeous visuals" and "bad D&D novel." At first I thought this book was going to be a canvas splattered with the mismatched paints of a fantasy-nerd's overactive imagination. (And I say that as a fantasy-nerd with an overactive imagination, so don't think that I'm putting myself on a higher pedestal here.) But I quickly realized the difference between Lee's writing and some of the less-great fantasy stuff I've encountered in the past:

Hers is good.

If Night's Master is any indication, Tanith Lee had quite the imagination on her--and she knew just how to put those images on the page. I definitely look forward to reading more of her work.]]> 4.00 1978 Night's Master
author: Tanith Lee
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/02
date added: 2015/07/16
shelves:
review:
Prior to discovering this book I'd never read anything by Tanith Lee, though I'd heard her name a number of times. When I read about her recent passing on Facebook, I decided it was time to finally see what she was all about.

There were a number of things that made me select Night's Master as my first jump into Lee's writing: the book's World Fantasy Award nomination; the length (only about 250 pages? Sign me up!); and the Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ description indicating the book was written in the manner of the Arabian Nights stories.

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with the tales of the Arabian Nights. On the one hand, I like the setting and the mythology, probably because as a child I spent so much time watching Aladdin that I legally qualify as a genie. On the other hand, the moral of just about every Arabian Nights story is: "Your wife is sleeping with a black man; kill them both."

As if all the racism and misogyny wasn't bad enough, those stories are just so unnecessarily long. (Which, I guess, was sort of Scheherezade's point--but that doesn't make it okay.) I'm convinced you could cut 60-75% of the text from most Arabian Nights tales without losing anything important.

With that in mind, you'd think that comparing Tanith Lee's book to the Arabian Nights would be a bad thing--and that would be true, if she didn't manage to take everything that's great about those stories and cut out the garbage.

The thing that makes Night's Master like the Arabian Nights is the structure: you've got a bunch of short, fascinating stories that stand by themselves, but all take place within the same mythology. Lee takes things a step further, though, by having these stories connect in some way later on. So you might read three complete stories about seemingly unrelated characters, only to have their paths converge several chapters later. I probably would have been fine with the stories alone, but seeing them come together makes the whole book positively delightful.

Now, I have to confess that I was a little worried when I first started reading. Lee really walks the line between "gorgeous visuals" and "bad D&D novel." At first I thought this book was going to be a canvas splattered with the mismatched paints of a fantasy-nerd's overactive imagination. (And I say that as a fantasy-nerd with an overactive imagination, so don't think that I'm putting myself on a higher pedestal here.) But I quickly realized the difference between Lee's writing and some of the less-great fantasy stuff I've encountered in the past:

Hers is good.

If Night's Master is any indication, Tanith Lee had quite the imagination on her--and she knew just how to put those images on the page. I definitely look forward to reading more of her work.
]]> <![CDATA[Gladiator (PlanetMonk Pulps Book 15)]]> 23930751
"The lusty life of an uninhibited superman!"

A scientist invents a serum to improve humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper. He injects his pregnant wife with the serum, and his son Hugo Danner is born with superhuman strength, speed, and bulletproof skin.

The novel is widely accepted to have been an inspiration for Superman.]]> 192 Philip Wylie Alazzar 0 to-read 3.82 1930 Gladiator (PlanetMonk Pulps Book 15)
author: Philip Wylie
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1930
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/07/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Maxx, Vol. 5 287291 192 Sam Keith 1401206212 Alazzar 3 The Maxx: the sense of wonder and mystery.

To some extent, this was unavoidable. After all, you can't just leave questions unanswered indefinitely: eventually you have to start explaining things. And when Kieth did, back in volume three, it was wonderful. But now that we have some idea of what's going on--now that the wild, not-quite-sane world of The Maxx makes a little more sense--it's lost some of its kick.

This is similar to the problem that takes the sting out of a lot of horror stories. Malevolent, inscrutable entities are terrifying when you don't know who they are or what their agenda is, but eventually the author's going to have to do some explaining, and when that happens, all the strangeness that's occurred suddenly becomes much less scary. (Lovecraft was certainly right about fear of the unknown.)

But as I said, the explanations in The Maxx were inevitable, so I can't fault Kieth for that. And really, the book is still interesting--it just doesn't have me as hooked as it once did, because a lot of the mystery is gone.

The other thing I noticed in this volume is that there's a lot more "real-life" stuff going on: we get lots of stories about our characters' pasts, generally with no supernatural element involved. On the surface, these stories are good--great, in fact! But after I took a step back and thought about what was so appealing about the first few volumes of The Maxx, I remembered the fantastic element of it all: the guardian animal that is The Maxx, who may just be a street bum in a mask; the evil sorcerer/rapist Mr. Gone, who has a nasty habit of surviving multiple decapitations; and the Outback itself, a wild world existing in the mind of Julie Winters, somehow parallel to Earth as we know it.

In this volume a lot of the fantasy elements take a back seat to real-life stories about people growing up under lousy circumstances. And, while those stories offer some great insight into the characters' lives, they don't quite evoke the same sense of awe that the earlier Maxx tales gave me.

But hey, there's only one more volume left, and I'm certainly excited to see where it goes--because as of now, The Maxx is still one of the better comics I've ever read, if not just for its uniqueness.

UPDATE: Since writing this review I've come to realize that the sixth volume of The Maxx doesn't continue the previous storyline--it appears to be a collection of stories printed under the title Friends of Maxx.

This means, of course, that the main Maxx storyline ended with volume 5, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.]]> 4.30 2005 The Maxx, Vol. 5
author: Sam Keith
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2015/05/26
date added: 2015/06/11
shelves:
review:
At a certain point while reading this book I realized that Sam Kieth's story had really strayed from what had originally excited me about The Maxx: the sense of wonder and mystery.

To some extent, this was unavoidable. After all, you can't just leave questions unanswered indefinitely: eventually you have to start explaining things. And when Kieth did, back in volume three, it was wonderful. But now that we have some idea of what's going on--now that the wild, not-quite-sane world of The Maxx makes a little more sense--it's lost some of its kick.

This is similar to the problem that takes the sting out of a lot of horror stories. Malevolent, inscrutable entities are terrifying when you don't know who they are or what their agenda is, but eventually the author's going to have to do some explaining, and when that happens, all the strangeness that's occurred suddenly becomes much less scary. (Lovecraft was certainly right about fear of the unknown.)

But as I said, the explanations in The Maxx were inevitable, so I can't fault Kieth for that. And really, the book is still interesting--it just doesn't have me as hooked as it once did, because a lot of the mystery is gone.

The other thing I noticed in this volume is that there's a lot more "real-life" stuff going on: we get lots of stories about our characters' pasts, generally with no supernatural element involved. On the surface, these stories are good--great, in fact! But after I took a step back and thought about what was so appealing about the first few volumes of The Maxx, I remembered the fantastic element of it all: the guardian animal that is The Maxx, who may just be a street bum in a mask; the evil sorcerer/rapist Mr. Gone, who has a nasty habit of surviving multiple decapitations; and the Outback itself, a wild world existing in the mind of Julie Winters, somehow parallel to Earth as we know it.

In this volume a lot of the fantasy elements take a back seat to real-life stories about people growing up under lousy circumstances. And, while those stories offer some great insight into the characters' lives, they don't quite evoke the same sense of awe that the earlier Maxx tales gave me.

But hey, there's only one more volume left, and I'm certainly excited to see where it goes--because as of now, The Maxx is still one of the better comics I've ever read, if not just for its uniqueness.

UPDATE: Since writing this review I've come to realize that the sixth volume of The Maxx doesn't continue the previous storyline--it appears to be a collection of stories printed under the title Friends of Maxx.

This means, of course, that the main Maxx storyline ended with volume 5, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
]]> Bossypants 9476337
She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

(Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!)

]]> 277 Tina Fey 0316056863 Alazzar 4 Bossypants was a lot like stand-up comedy for me: no matter how hilarious I think it is initially, I'm going to lose interest before the end.

That's not to say that any part of this book was bad, or even slow. It's just that I went into it at top speed (the quotes on the back already had me crackin' up before I started), but after a few days of readin' hard I found myself not in any rush to come back. When I did come back, the book was fantastic, but I just didn't have a lot of incentive to get there, which is all that keeps this from being 5 stars.

Tina Fey talks a lot about girly stuff in the book (her first period, pregnancy, etc.), but she's so funny that you'll like it regardless of your gender. She essentially tells the story of where she came from and how she ended up becoming one of the greatest comedians of our time. It's a good read.

Unfortunately, I'm tired, and can't do the book justice with my lame review. But I wouldn't have been able to talk Bossypants up enough even if I were well rested, so . . . yeah. Just go read the book already, and let me go to bed.

Do it.]]> 3.90 2011 Bossypants
author: Tina Fey
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2011/08/22
date added: 2015/06/02
shelves:
review:
Bossypants was a lot like stand-up comedy for me: no matter how hilarious I think it is initially, I'm going to lose interest before the end.

That's not to say that any part of this book was bad, or even slow. It's just that I went into it at top speed (the quotes on the back already had me crackin' up before I started), but after a few days of readin' hard I found myself not in any rush to come back. When I did come back, the book was fantastic, but I just didn't have a lot of incentive to get there, which is all that keeps this from being 5 stars.

Tina Fey talks a lot about girly stuff in the book (her first period, pregnancy, etc.), but she's so funny that you'll like it regardless of your gender. She essentially tells the story of where she came from and how she ended up becoming one of the greatest comedians of our time. It's a good read.

Unfortunately, I'm tired, and can't do the book justice with my lame review. But I wouldn't have been able to talk Bossypants up enough even if I were well rested, so . . . yeah. Just go read the book already, and let me go to bed.

Do it.
]]> <![CDATA[Death's Master (Flat Earth, #2)]]> 669027 Death's Master, winner of the August Derleth Award for Fantasy, is the second book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of the One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.

Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle.

Uhlume, Lord of Death, second of the Lords of Darkness, King of Shadow and Pallor, makes an unusual bargain which sets in motion an intricate sequence of events that entangle men and gods, queens and kings, sorcerers and witches, and lowly wanderers. When the secret to immortality falls into human hands, dark magic and wickedness are unleashed, testing the bounds of mortal love and sanity, and questioning the nature and purpose of life itself.

Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love.

Rediscover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

]]> 348 Tanith Lee 0879974419 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.25 1979 Death's Master (Flat Earth, #2)
author: Tanith Lee
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1979
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Maxx, Vol. 4 1149850 144 Sam Kieth 1401206131 Alazzar 4 last volume of The Maxx 5 stars because it started answering a lot of questions I'd had from the beginning. For this volume, I'm dropping the rating back to 4.

Make no mistake: 4 stars is still a great rating. But this volume doesn't seem quite as strong as its predecessor, and it's all because of the dialogue.

In previous volumes, Sam Kieth had outlined the story, but he'd had someone else translate that outline into words. For whatever reason, he took over full writing duties here. Unfortunately, I feel the book suffers for it.

I only have one complaint about Kieth's writing, but it's a big one: the exposition. A lot of times Kieth has his characters say or think what they're doing, which is something I've always HATED about comic books.

Chris Claremont is a good example of a writer who falls into this trap. He's known for coming up with some of the most well-known X-men stories of all time ( The Dark Phoenix Saga , anyone?), which shows that he has some good ideas--but in most cases, his line-by-line writing is downright painful to read. (The big exception is X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills : my favorite X-story of all time.)

To get an idea of how serious I am here, I recently tried to re-read Claremont's X-Men: Days of Future Past after seeing the movie again, but had to give up because I couldn't manage to power through that painful dialogue--and we're talking about a story that's only two issues long.

So why am I spending so much time talking about Chris Claremont during a review of The Maxx? Well, I once read a comment (possibly here on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ, come to think of it) where a wise reader observed that Claremont just didn't trust his artists: he had his characters explain what they were doing because he wasn't confident the action would come through in the art. I always found that comment interesting, and while reading volume 4 of The Maxx, I couldn't help but think: does Sam Kieth not have faith in his artist? Does he not have faith in himself?

Maybe he's got some deep psychological trust issues with himself--an idea that sounds like something out of a Maxx storyline.

And speaking of Maxx storylines, despite the occasional moments of unnecessary exposition, this volume has some excellent content. Specifically, I loved the issue devoted to the origin of Mr. Gone; that alone is worth the price of admission.

Even though this may seem like a largely negative review, I'm still VERY impressed with this series. Sam Kieth takes his characters to some wonderful (not to mention dark) places and manages to write a story that breaks free of any molds comic books may have established over the years. His creativity runs wild with every page, always leaving me wondering what will happen next.

]]> 4.34 2005 The Maxx, Vol. 4
author: Sam Kieth
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2015/05/20
date added: 2015/05/21
shelves:
review:
I gave the last volume of The Maxx 5 stars because it started answering a lot of questions I'd had from the beginning. For this volume, I'm dropping the rating back to 4.

Make no mistake: 4 stars is still a great rating. But this volume doesn't seem quite as strong as its predecessor, and it's all because of the dialogue.

In previous volumes, Sam Kieth had outlined the story, but he'd had someone else translate that outline into words. For whatever reason, he took over full writing duties here. Unfortunately, I feel the book suffers for it.

I only have one complaint about Kieth's writing, but it's a big one: the exposition. A lot of times Kieth has his characters say or think what they're doing, which is something I've always HATED about comic books.

Chris Claremont is a good example of a writer who falls into this trap. He's known for coming up with some of the most well-known X-men stories of all time ( The Dark Phoenix Saga , anyone?), which shows that he has some good ideas--but in most cases, his line-by-line writing is downright painful to read. (The big exception is X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills : my favorite X-story of all time.)

To get an idea of how serious I am here, I recently tried to re-read Claremont's X-Men: Days of Future Past after seeing the movie again, but had to give up because I couldn't manage to power through that painful dialogue--and we're talking about a story that's only two issues long.

So why am I spending so much time talking about Chris Claremont during a review of The Maxx? Well, I once read a comment (possibly here on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ, come to think of it) where a wise reader observed that Claremont just didn't trust his artists: he had his characters explain what they were doing because he wasn't confident the action would come through in the art. I always found that comment interesting, and while reading volume 4 of The Maxx, I couldn't help but think: does Sam Kieth not have faith in his artist? Does he not have faith in himself?

Maybe he's got some deep psychological trust issues with himself--an idea that sounds like something out of a Maxx storyline.

And speaking of Maxx storylines, despite the occasional moments of unnecessary exposition, this volume has some excellent content. Specifically, I loved the issue devoted to the origin of Mr. Gone; that alone is worth the price of admission.

Even though this may seem like a largely negative review, I'm still VERY impressed with this series. Sam Kieth takes his characters to some wonderful (not to mention dark) places and manages to write a story that breaks free of any molds comic books may have established over the years. His creativity runs wild with every page, always leaving me wondering what will happen next.


]]> Warriors of Blood and Dream 239910 432 Roger Zelazny 0380774224 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.71 1995 Warriors of Blood and Dream
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/05/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wheel of Fortune 737457 There is a new «Amber» story, and an introduction, by Zelazny.

Contents
1 · Introduction · Roger Zelazny · in
5 · Atlantic City Blues · Joe Haldeman · pm
8 · Pipeline to Paradise · Nelson Bond · ss
27 · The Oddskeeper’s Daughter · William Browning Spencer · nv
49 · Kangaroo Straight · Jane M. Lindskold · ss
64 · Caution: Merge · Jeff Bredenberg · ss
81 · The Unbolted · Kathe Koja & Barry N. Malzberg · ss
98 · Crapshoot · Larry Segriff · ss
115 · Last Man Out · Dean Wesley Smith · ss
128 · Dice with the Universe · Paul Dellinger · ss
144 · A Bigger Game · Don Webb · ss
159 · The Vig · John DeChancie · ss
176 · The Bataan Gamble · Thomas M. K. Stratman · ss
191 · Tyger, Tyger Purring Loud · Gerald Hausman · ss
201 · A Round of Cards with the General · Karen Haber · nv
226 · Butterfly Wings · Nina Kiriki Hoffman · ss
240 · Blue Horse, Dancing Mountains · Roger Zelazny · ss
247 · Tip-Off · Michael A. Stackpole · nv
271 · The Casino Mirago · Gahan Wilson · ss
290 · Elvis Bearpaw’s Luck · William Sanders · nv
315 · The Tootsie Roll Factor · Richard A. Lupoff · nv
340 · lines composed on a noisy plane to Atlantic City · Joe Haldeman · pm]]> 342 Roger Zelazny 0380774232 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.65 1995 Wheel of Fortune
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/05/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Stardust 16793 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.]]> 248 Neil Gaiman 0061142026 Alazzar 5
Several years ago, it was easy: the only novel of Neil's I'd read was American Gods . It was my favorite by default. And, in fairness, it remained my favorite for a while.

But then I read The Graveyard Book . And the entire run of The Sandman . My list of favorite Gaiman works was becoming increasingly difficult to rank.

And now I have Stardust. Suddenly, the old list is completely irrelevant.

There's so much I like about this book. For starters, it's fairly short. I'm a guy who loves the tightly plotted SF novels of the 60s and 70s (the works of Roger Zelazny come to mind), and similarly, I tend to hate the sort of bloated books that are all the rage these days. (I'm sorry, but I just don't have the attention span for 800 pages' worth of meandering.)

In Stardust, Gaiman created a world so rich that he probably could have gone on for 800 pages, but (thankfully!) he showed some restraint, creating a delightful fairy tale that works wonderfully at its current length. We have just enough time devoted to one set of characters before we check in on the others--which would normally annoy me, since multiple-POV stories aren't always my favorite. But I was perfectly okay with the narrative format here, due in no small part to Neil's no-nonsense pacing.

I could also go on for days about the lovely details Gaiman includes to add a sense of magic to his world (not to mention a sense of great depth, like the hidden iceberg-sized masses under Roger Zelazny's stories that Neil discussed in This Mortal Mountain ), but the thing that most impressed me about Stardust was how everything comes together so effortlessly. Seemingly random, irrelevant events just have a habit of being unexpectedly connected in Neil's strange world, and yet, the reader is left with the feeling that it all makes sense.

At the end of the day, I'd love to pick a favorite Neil Gaiman book. I really would. But he's not making things easy.

And for that, I love him.]]> 4.11 1998 Stardust
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at: 2015/05/17
date added: 2015/05/19
shelves:
review:
It's becoming harder and harder to pick a favorite Neil Gaiman book.

Several years ago, it was easy: the only novel of Neil's I'd read was American Gods . It was my favorite by default. And, in fairness, it remained my favorite for a while.

But then I read The Graveyard Book . And the entire run of The Sandman . My list of favorite Gaiman works was becoming increasingly difficult to rank.

And now I have Stardust. Suddenly, the old list is completely irrelevant.

There's so much I like about this book. For starters, it's fairly short. I'm a guy who loves the tightly plotted SF novels of the 60s and 70s (the works of Roger Zelazny come to mind), and similarly, I tend to hate the sort of bloated books that are all the rage these days. (I'm sorry, but I just don't have the attention span for 800 pages' worth of meandering.)

In Stardust, Gaiman created a world so rich that he probably could have gone on for 800 pages, but (thankfully!) he showed some restraint, creating a delightful fairy tale that works wonderfully at its current length. We have just enough time devoted to one set of characters before we check in on the others--which would normally annoy me, since multiple-POV stories aren't always my favorite. But I was perfectly okay with the narrative format here, due in no small part to Neil's no-nonsense pacing.

I could also go on for days about the lovely details Gaiman includes to add a sense of magic to his world (not to mention a sense of great depth, like the hidden iceberg-sized masses under Roger Zelazny's stories that Neil discussed in This Mortal Mountain ), but the thing that most impressed me about Stardust was how everything comes together so effortlessly. Seemingly random, irrelevant events just have a habit of being unexpectedly connected in Neil's strange world, and yet, the reader is left with the feeling that it all makes sense.

At the end of the day, I'd love to pick a favorite Neil Gaiman book. I really would. But he's not making things easy.

And for that, I love him.
]]> The Maxx, Vol. 3 927474 160 Sam Kieth 1401202985 Alazzar 5
In a word, it's fascinating.

The Maxx probably isn't my favorite comic of all time (the nostalgia factor of the X-men is tough to beat, and I always love a good Daredevil story), but it might be the most captivating: I've never before encountered a comic that was such a page-turner. Maybe there are just fewer words per page here than in the average comic, or maybe Sam Kieth's story is just so strange and wonderful that I simply must know what's going to happen next; in any case, something about this series makes me fly through the books much faster than I'd expect to.

I've only got two volumes left, but this doesn't disappoint me: I'm not a fan of stories that overstay their welcome, and something tells me that the mysteries surrounding Maxx, Julia and Mr. Gone will be solved soon. When that happens, it'll be time for the book to fade gracefully into the sunset.

Can't wait to see how it all unfolds!]]> 4.41 2004 The Maxx, Vol. 3
author: Sam Kieth
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2015/05/07
date added: 2015/05/07
shelves:
review:
This one gets a bump up from my previous four-star ratings of the Maxx collections, if not just because a lot of the questions from the earlier issues are starting to get answered.

In a word, it's fascinating.

The Maxx probably isn't my favorite comic of all time (the nostalgia factor of the X-men is tough to beat, and I always love a good Daredevil story), but it might be the most captivating: I've never before encountered a comic that was such a page-turner. Maybe there are just fewer words per page here than in the average comic, or maybe Sam Kieth's story is just so strange and wonderful that I simply must know what's going to happen next; in any case, something about this series makes me fly through the books much faster than I'd expect to.

I've only got two volumes left, but this doesn't disappoint me: I'm not a fan of stories that overstay their welcome, and something tells me that the mysteries surrounding Maxx, Julia and Mr. Gone will be solved soon. When that happens, it'll be time for the book to fade gracefully into the sunset.

Can't wait to see how it all unfolds!
]]> Eye of Cat 1117637
One of Singer’s secrets, and his greatest guilt, is his suspicion that the creature is intelligent. He confronts him and offers his own life for Cat’s cooperation in saving the alien. Cat accepts, and later, their mission fulfilled, demands a refinement on the original bargain. Rather than a simple death he wants a return bout—a chase with Singer as the hunted rather than the hunter.

The gods, powers and monsters of Navajo legend provide the backdrop for the working out of Singer’s fate—for the chase is as much for his soul as for his body. As he uses matter transmitters to flit from Paris to London to the Middle East to the American Southwest, he must search back into his own early life as well as the root beliefs of his vanished people and come to terms with a world that has adopted him, made use of his skills, and left him feeling that he has no place to call his own.]]> 181 Roger Zelazny 0671255193 Alazzar 4
(That sounded a lot wittier before I typed it out. And even then, it was still pretty bad.)

Roger Zelazny is my favorite author, and I’m pretty sure he listed Eye of Cat as one of his five favorite books he wrote. Thus, you’d think I’d really like it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t share Roger’s enthusiasm on the subject.

The book was . . . okay. I had pretty high expectations going in, especially since it’d been over a month since I’d read anything by Zelazny (blasphemy!) and was really excited to return to the words of my hero.

The premise of the book is interesting enough, and is as awesomely unique as you’d expect from a Zelazny story: Billy Blackhorse Singer, the last Navajo left on Earth in the 22nd century, is an expert animal tracker who pretty much single-handedly populated Earth’s galactic zoo by chasing down strange creatures on alien worlds. He gets hired to help deal with a potentially disastrous interplanetary political problem that he’s uniquely suited to handle, and the next thing you know he’s running from a terrifying beast on some crazy spiritual journey.

Emphasis on “crazy.�

Eye of Cat is just weird, as far as form goes. Every now and then we get random poems, sentence fragments, and garbled paragraphs with no punctuation or capitalization that would make a modern-day word processor combust from spell-check overload. And yet, it sorta works. In a way, the unusual form makes it like Creatures of Light and Darkness; in fact, I seem to recall reading that Zelazny said he couldn’t have written Cat without having done Creatures first.

That being said, the book is a little slow to start and can kind of drag in parts, but overall, it was pretty good. I’d say 3.5 stars, and I’ll decide by the time I’m done writing this whether that means it should be rounded up or down (although I have a feeling that the Z-factor alone will bump it up to 4).

There’s a lot of good Navajo mythology and cultural stuff in here, which is pretty interesting if you’re into that sort of thing. Perhaps my favorite part of the book, however, was the visuals—I really felt like I could see the lightning split the sky, feel the snowflakes falling into the canyon. There were a few stretches where it felt like not a lot happened, but they were saved by great imagery that really dropped me into the middle of every scene.

Of course, part of this could be that the climate seemed generally stormy (be it rain, snow or lightning), and that’s pretty much my favorite type of weather. So I definitely felt like I was in a little piece of paradise made just for me, a lot of the time.

All in all, I think this is a book that will be even better the second time I read it (whenever that may be). The weird format will flow better now that I’ve been through the story once.

Not my favorite by Zelazny, but still great.]]> 3.66 1982 Eye of Cat
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2011/08/02
date added: 2015/05/07
shelves:
review:
“Eye� before “E,� except after “Cat.�

(That sounded a lot wittier before I typed it out. And even then, it was still pretty bad.)

Roger Zelazny is my favorite author, and I’m pretty sure he listed Eye of Cat as one of his five favorite books he wrote. Thus, you’d think I’d really like it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t share Roger’s enthusiasm on the subject.

The book was . . . okay. I had pretty high expectations going in, especially since it’d been over a month since I’d read anything by Zelazny (blasphemy!) and was really excited to return to the words of my hero.

The premise of the book is interesting enough, and is as awesomely unique as you’d expect from a Zelazny story: Billy Blackhorse Singer, the last Navajo left on Earth in the 22nd century, is an expert animal tracker who pretty much single-handedly populated Earth’s galactic zoo by chasing down strange creatures on alien worlds. He gets hired to help deal with a potentially disastrous interplanetary political problem that he’s uniquely suited to handle, and the next thing you know he’s running from a terrifying beast on some crazy spiritual journey.

Emphasis on “crazy.�

Eye of Cat is just weird, as far as form goes. Every now and then we get random poems, sentence fragments, and garbled paragraphs with no punctuation or capitalization that would make a modern-day word processor combust from spell-check overload. And yet, it sorta works. In a way, the unusual form makes it like Creatures of Light and Darkness; in fact, I seem to recall reading that Zelazny said he couldn’t have written Cat without having done Creatures first.

That being said, the book is a little slow to start and can kind of drag in parts, but overall, it was pretty good. I’d say 3.5 stars, and I’ll decide by the time I’m done writing this whether that means it should be rounded up or down (although I have a feeling that the Z-factor alone will bump it up to 4).

There’s a lot of good Navajo mythology and cultural stuff in here, which is pretty interesting if you’re into that sort of thing. Perhaps my favorite part of the book, however, was the visuals—I really felt like I could see the lightning split the sky, feel the snowflakes falling into the canyon. There were a few stretches where it felt like not a lot happened, but they were saved by great imagery that really dropped me into the middle of every scene.

Of course, part of this could be that the climate seemed generally stormy (be it rain, snow or lightning), and that’s pretty much my favorite type of weather. So I definitely felt like I was in a little piece of paradise made just for me, a lot of the time.

All in all, I think this is a book that will be even better the second time I read it (whenever that may be). The weird format will flow better now that I’ve been through the story once.

Not my favorite by Zelazny, but still great.
]]> The Maxx, Vol. 2 485681 160 Sam Kieth 1401202802 Alazzar 4 The Maxx is a book that's often strange and confusing, but never dull. Can't wait to see where it goes next!]]> 4.38 1997 The Maxx, Vol. 2
author: Sam Kieth
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2015/04/21
date added: 2015/04/22
shelves:
review:
Blew through this one in two short sittings. Like he did with the previous volume, Sam Kieth delights the reader with his weird (but awesome) art and awesome (but weird) stories. The Maxx is a book that's often strange and confusing, but never dull. Can't wait to see where it goes next!
]]> The Maxx, Vol. 1 485685 144 Sam Kieth 1401201245 Alazzar 4 The Maxx in my comic collection as a kid, though I don't remember anything about it aside from the cover art. (Back then, I was prone to buying #1 issues "just because.") But in my old age I've become more interested in the actual stories in comic books, so when I saw something online that mentioned The Maxx I decided I should check it out.

Based on the first six issues, I kind of love it.

The Maxx is a weird book. It's dark and it's different, and it doesn't dumb things down by explicitly stating what's going on. (When it comes to comics, a common gripe of mine is poorly handled exposition.) It's just much more bizarre and mature than most other titles in this medium.

And even though art is rarely a make-or-break factor for me when it comes to comics (if the story is decent, I typically don't much care what the pictures looks like), I feel the need to discuss it here--specifically, the page layouts. Sam Kieth's panels have such odd shapes to them that the art seems to be running wildly about the page, adding to the dreamlike quality of the book. I wasn't at all surprised to learn that Kieth had actually drawn some of the earliest issues of Neil Gaiman's Sandman .

If you like the dark, and the bizarre, and comics in general (or maybe even just two of the three), give The Maxx a shot. It's a little weird, but that's exactly how it should be.]]> 4.21 1995 The Maxx, Vol. 1
author: Sam Kieth
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2015/04/03
date added: 2015/04/03
shelves:
review:
I had the first issue of The Maxx in my comic collection as a kid, though I don't remember anything about it aside from the cover art. (Back then, I was prone to buying #1 issues "just because.") But in my old age I've become more interested in the actual stories in comic books, so when I saw something online that mentioned The Maxx I decided I should check it out.

Based on the first six issues, I kind of love it.

The Maxx is a weird book. It's dark and it's different, and it doesn't dumb things down by explicitly stating what's going on. (When it comes to comics, a common gripe of mine is poorly handled exposition.) It's just much more bizarre and mature than most other titles in this medium.

And even though art is rarely a make-or-break factor for me when it comes to comics (if the story is decent, I typically don't much care what the pictures looks like), I feel the need to discuss it here--specifically, the page layouts. Sam Kieth's panels have such odd shapes to them that the art seems to be running wildly about the page, adding to the dreamlike quality of the book. I wasn't at all surprised to learn that Kieth had actually drawn some of the earliest issues of Neil Gaiman's Sandman .

If you like the dark, and the bizarre, and comics in general (or maybe even just two of the three), give The Maxx a shot. It's a little weird, but that's exactly how it should be.
]]> <![CDATA[Night of the Witches: Folklore, Traditions & Recipes for Celebrating Walpurgis Night]]> 8796893
Readers will learn about the sacred rites of spring and the thirteen herbs that correspond with the Night of the Witches. They'll discover how this "lost" holiday has changed from a lusty fertility festival to a children's night of fun and treats, learn a bit about brooms and how to make one, and meet a collection of old-time Witches, from Ash Wives to Wolf Crones.]]> 264 Linda Raedisch 0738720585 Alazzar 3 Amber series. But then a friend and I were talking about it, wondering exactly what the holiday was, and decided we needed to learn more about the subject (especially since we liked the idea of essentially celebrating Halloween twice in one year).

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of great Walpurgisnacht info on the Internet. Fortunately, Linda Raedisch came to the rescue.

I feel like this book is essential for anyone who wants to celebrate this little-known (to Americans, anyway) holiday. It's got a lot of history about the event, along with some recipes and craft ideas.

But in the interests of full disclosure, I did find the book boring in a lot of parts. That's not the author's fault, though--it's just that I, personally, am not terribly interested in the origin stories of a dozen different herbs. But maybe that's your thing!

In any case, as far as I can tell this is the only book on the market that will teach a person how to celebrate Walpurgisnacht. So it's kind of important if that's what you're planning to do.]]> 3.80 2011 Night of the Witches: Folklore, Traditions & Recipes for Celebrating Walpurgis Night
author: Linda Raedisch
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/29
date added: 2015/04/01
shelves:
review:
A few months ago, my knowledge of Walpurgisnacht was limited to the fact that that's the day of the year Merle Corey would always have to deal with an assassin's attempt on his life in Roger Zelazny's Amber series. But then a friend and I were talking about it, wondering exactly what the holiday was, and decided we needed to learn more about the subject (especially since we liked the idea of essentially celebrating Halloween twice in one year).

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of great Walpurgisnacht info on the Internet. Fortunately, Linda Raedisch came to the rescue.

I feel like this book is essential for anyone who wants to celebrate this little-known (to Americans, anyway) holiday. It's got a lot of history about the event, along with some recipes and craft ideas.

But in the interests of full disclosure, I did find the book boring in a lot of parts. That's not the author's fault, though--it's just that I, personally, am not terribly interested in the origin stories of a dozen different herbs. But maybe that's your thing!

In any case, as far as I can tell this is the only book on the market that will teach a person how to celebrate Walpurgisnacht. So it's kind of important if that's what you're planning to do.
]]> Frankenstein 603259 Also see: Alternate Cover Editions for this ISBN [ACE]
ACE #1

"I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion." A summer evening's ghost stories, lonely insomnia in a moonlit Alpine room, and a runaway imagination - fired by philosophical discussion with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley about science, galvanism, and the origins of life - conspired to produce for Mary Shelley this haunting night specter. By morning it had become the germ of her Romantic masterpiece, Frankenstein.

Written in 1816, when she was only nineteen. Mary Shelley's novel of "The Modern Prometheus" chillingly dramatized the dangerous potential of life begotten upon a laboratory table. A frightening creation myth for our own time, Frankenstein remains one of the greatest horror stories ever written and is an undisputed classic of its kind.]]> 216 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 0553212478 Alazzar 1 poisoned. I'm hoping that my star will serve as an assassin and kill this book.

Don't get me wrong -- the general tale of Frankenstein and his monster hold a great place in our culture, and should always be there. But if you want to know about this story, read its Wikipedia article or something. Do not read the book. Do NOT read the book. The moment you crack it open, the pages will violently diarrhea all over your face.

That's right. I hate this book so much that I turned "diarrhea" into a verb. This wordplay of mine is admittedly idiotic, but it's still better than anything Mary Shelley came up with in this "classic." I'd say I abhor this book, but then I'd be talking like Shelley. (Do you know how many times "abhor" was written in the book? I'll give you a hint: take the number of total words in the book and divide by three. Then add about 50, and you're nearly halfway there.)

If you're looking for a new way to torture yourself (you know, because you got sick of setting your pubes on fire), definitely give this book a shot. Or, if you'd like to read it just to say that you have, that's fine too, even though it's not. In either case, here are the steps you can expect to follow on your journey through Mary Shelley's vomit (don't worry, there are no spoilers, because you can't really "spoil" something that's destined to be terrible anyway--it's already spoiled by nature):

1. Get the book, get all excited to dive into a classic.

2. Open the book.

3. Hate the next 5-15 hours of your life.

4. Skip to Chapter 11, because everything prior to Chapter 11 is garbage.

5. Start reading Chapter 11, where the monster starts to tell his story. Be interested for a few chapters, regain faith in the book.

6. Quickly lose faith in the book when the monster's story drags on way too long.

7. Learn the joys of skimming. I've never been much of a skimmer while reading -- I normally read every single word of every single sentence and make sure I take it all in. The only other book I've skimmed has been Mythago Wood, and if you've seen my review on that, you know about how much I enjoyed it. In Frankenstein, I better honed my skimming skills. I found myself flying through the pages, not missing a single vital detail of the story, mostly by virtue of the fact that there weren't any to miss.

8. Continue hating life, 'cause you realize you haven't finished the book yet.

9. Contemplate the merits of suicide. Try to think of your own death in comparison to continued exposure to Frankenstein. When you look at it that way, killing yourself doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

10. Assuming you weren't able to suppress your survival instincts in Step 9, skim your way to the last page.

11. Rejoice, even though you wasted several hours that could have been spent doing something more productive, like feeding your eyeballs to scorpions or wiping your butt with sandpaper.

This book is legendarily bad. 100 pages could have easily been edited out without losing much (if anything). Then again, without those 100 pages, we wouldn't get to repeatedly hear what a GIANT wuss Victor Frankenstein was. I found myself rooting for the monster, not because I sympathized with it, but because it was the character I least loathed. I basically wanted it to kill everyone and then commit seppuku by choking on its own face. Then there would be fireworks and an airshow, with jets piloted by ninjas.

Now that's an ending.

Ultimately, I suppose I still have to be thankful for this creation that has inspired so many stories and authors that followed it. Even Roger Zelazny made use of Mary Shelley's creation in A Night in the Lonesome October. (Now that's an awesome book. Go read that instead of this trash.)

I'm normally more "eloquent in my haterade" (as a friend of mine once said), but this book has left me so blinded by rage that I can't even form a BLARGH!

RAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!

]]> 3.78 1818 Frankenstein
author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1818
rating: 1
read at: 2010/08/30
date added: 2015/03/25
shelves:
review:
I'm giving this book one star. Not because I think the book actually deserves that star, but because the star is poisoned. I'm hoping that my star will serve as an assassin and kill this book.

Don't get me wrong -- the general tale of Frankenstein and his monster hold a great place in our culture, and should always be there. But if you want to know about this story, read its Wikipedia article or something. Do not read the book. Do NOT read the book. The moment you crack it open, the pages will violently diarrhea all over your face.

That's right. I hate this book so much that I turned "diarrhea" into a verb. This wordplay of mine is admittedly idiotic, but it's still better than anything Mary Shelley came up with in this "classic." I'd say I abhor this book, but then I'd be talking like Shelley. (Do you know how many times "abhor" was written in the book? I'll give you a hint: take the number of total words in the book and divide by three. Then add about 50, and you're nearly halfway there.)

If you're looking for a new way to torture yourself (you know, because you got sick of setting your pubes on fire), definitely give this book a shot. Or, if you'd like to read it just to say that you have, that's fine too, even though it's not. In either case, here are the steps you can expect to follow on your journey through Mary Shelley's vomit (don't worry, there are no spoilers, because you can't really "spoil" something that's destined to be terrible anyway--it's already spoiled by nature):

1. Get the book, get all excited to dive into a classic.

2. Open the book.

3. Hate the next 5-15 hours of your life.

4. Skip to Chapter 11, because everything prior to Chapter 11 is garbage.

5. Start reading Chapter 11, where the monster starts to tell his story. Be interested for a few chapters, regain faith in the book.

6. Quickly lose faith in the book when the monster's story drags on way too long.

7. Learn the joys of skimming. I've never been much of a skimmer while reading -- I normally read every single word of every single sentence and make sure I take it all in. The only other book I've skimmed has been Mythago Wood, and if you've seen my review on that, you know about how much I enjoyed it. In Frankenstein, I better honed my skimming skills. I found myself flying through the pages, not missing a single vital detail of the story, mostly by virtue of the fact that there weren't any to miss.

8. Continue hating life, 'cause you realize you haven't finished the book yet.

9. Contemplate the merits of suicide. Try to think of your own death in comparison to continued exposure to Frankenstein. When you look at it that way, killing yourself doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

10. Assuming you weren't able to suppress your survival instincts in Step 9, skim your way to the last page.

11. Rejoice, even though you wasted several hours that could have been spent doing something more productive, like feeding your eyeballs to scorpions or wiping your butt with sandpaper.

This book is legendarily bad. 100 pages could have easily been edited out without losing much (if anything). Then again, without those 100 pages, we wouldn't get to repeatedly hear what a GIANT wuss Victor Frankenstein was. I found myself rooting for the monster, not because I sympathized with it, but because it was the character I least loathed. I basically wanted it to kill everyone and then commit seppuku by choking on its own face. Then there would be fireworks and an airshow, with jets piloted by ninjas.

Now that's an ending.

Ultimately, I suppose I still have to be thankful for this creation that has inspired so many stories and authors that followed it. Even Roger Zelazny made use of Mary Shelley's creation in A Night in the Lonesome October. (Now that's an awesome book. Go read that instead of this trash.)

I'm normally more "eloquent in my haterade" (as a friend of mine once said), but this book has left me so blinded by rage that I can't even form a BLARGH!

RAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!


]]> A Stir of Echoes 33553 This eerie ghost story, from Richard Matheson, the award-winning author of Hell House and I Am Legend, inspired the acclaimed 1999 film starring Kevin Bacon.

Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now he's hearing the private thoughts of the people around him-and learning shocking secrets he never wanted to know. But as Tom's existence becomes a waking nightmare, even greater jolts are in store as he becomes the unwilling recipient of a compelling message from beyond the grave!]]> 224 Richard Matheson 0765308711 Alazzar 3 I Am Legend , Hell House and his short-story collections are better), though I can't quite put my finger on what separates it from his other works.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the problem comes from the more mundane setting of A Stir of Echoes. Yes, there's a telepathic protagonist and some ghost sightings, but for the most part, it's just about a married couple in their everyday neighborhood. There just wasn't a lot that was visually memorable.

The exceptions, of course, were when newly telepathic Tom would have the occasional prophetic dream or vision. In these instances we get to see one of Matheson's best strengths: creating dark, disturbing imagery that just sticks with you.

Still, I didn't get any sort of chills from this book. Which is odd, because normally ghost stories scare the crap out of me.

But at the end of the day, it's still Matheson: you're going to get clear, sharp prose that keeps you moving swiftly through the story. (Except for the middle, which seemed to slow down a bit; but that may have just been me.) Overall, the book is solid.
]]> 3.88 1958 A Stir of Echoes
author: Richard Matheson
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1958
rating: 3
read at: 2015/03/14
date added: 2015/03/14
shelves:
review:
I'm not sure what to think of this book. It's definitely not my favorite by Matheson ( I Am Legend , Hell House and his short-story collections are better), though I can't quite put my finger on what separates it from his other works.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the problem comes from the more mundane setting of A Stir of Echoes. Yes, there's a telepathic protagonist and some ghost sightings, but for the most part, it's just about a married couple in their everyday neighborhood. There just wasn't a lot that was visually memorable.

The exceptions, of course, were when newly telepathic Tom would have the occasional prophetic dream or vision. In these instances we get to see one of Matheson's best strengths: creating dark, disturbing imagery that just sticks with you.

Still, I didn't get any sort of chills from this book. Which is odd, because normally ghost stories scare the crap out of me.

But at the end of the day, it's still Matheson: you're going to get clear, sharp prose that keeps you moving swiftly through the story. (Except for the middle, which seemed to slow down a bit; but that may have just been me.) Overall, the book is solid.

]]> <![CDATA[Matter and Energy: Physics in Action (New Encyclopedia of Science)]]> 3488920 magnetism, or sound--can cause matter to move, heat up, expand, glow, and undergo many sorts of interactions. And we know that matter can take a nearly infinite variety of forms, from infinitesimal atomic particles to huge glowing sheets of plasma, light years across. But how do these processes
work? Why does matter take the many forms it does, and what determines its basic structure at the atomic level? This encyclopedia is designed to answer these questions and more. Richly illustrated and uniquely user-friendly, the encyclopedia features 48 essays, each devoted to basic knowledge
about a key subject. Taken together, the essays constitute an exceptional overview of modern physics, one that is accessible to students, browsers, and science enthusiasts alike. Topics as varied as material properties, force and energy, electromagnetism, sound waves, optics, and atomic structure
are all given lively, authoritative treatments. Along the way, theoretical developments from great physicists like Newton and Einstein are discussed side-by-side with some of the greatest technological achievements known to man, such as space travel and the harnessing of nuclear energy. The
encyclopedia is distinguished by its exceptionally well-planned organization. In addition to the main entries, the book contains a 32-page mini-encyclopedia explaining key terms and concepts, a "timechart" that traces the development of modern physics from its earliest days to the present, a
unique "knowledge map" that shows graphically how physics overlaps with other sciences such as chemistry and astronomy, and a special section that brings together a wealth of useful information in the form of easy-to-use and attractive tables and graphs. Never before has the study of matter and
energy been so comprehensively presented to such a wide variety of readers. With Matter and Physics in Action in hand, students and general readers alike will have an invaluable guide to the endlessly intriguing world of physics.]]> 160 J.O.E. Clark 0195210859 Alazzar 4 actual textbooks.

Matter and Energy, however, is perfect. It's right in my Goldilocks zone: not so advanced or dry that I get bored, but not so basic that I'm left with a million unanswered questions. The book is separated into chapters like "Electromagnetism" and "Sound," and each chapter contains a number of articles. The articles are all about two pages long, with a few paragraphs of information to go with the captioned images that help elaborate things. There's also a handy glossary at the beginning of the book, which I found myself referencing more than once.

Granted, the book is a bit out of date (they were talking about flat-screen and HD TVs as emerging technology), but it's still useful for a lot of the basics.

The thing that really has me excited about all this is that Matter and Energy was only the first volume of a full encyclopedia set at my library. I can't wait to go through the other books!]]> 3.67 1994 Matter and Energy: Physics in Action (New Encyclopedia of Science)
author: J.O.E. Clark
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2015/03/01
date added: 2015/03/06
shelves:
review:
In recent years I've been trying to bolster my scientific knowledge (or, more accurately, whittle away at my scientific ignorance), and it hasn't been easy. Some books I grab are too simplified and don't get into the meat of anything. Others read like textbooks because, well--they're actual textbooks.

Matter and Energy, however, is perfect. It's right in my Goldilocks zone: not so advanced or dry that I get bored, but not so basic that I'm left with a million unanswered questions. The book is separated into chapters like "Electromagnetism" and "Sound," and each chapter contains a number of articles. The articles are all about two pages long, with a few paragraphs of information to go with the captioned images that help elaborate things. There's also a handy glossary at the beginning of the book, which I found myself referencing more than once.

Granted, the book is a bit out of date (they were talking about flat-screen and HD TVs as emerging technology), but it's still useful for a lot of the basics.

The thing that really has me excited about all this is that Matter and Energy was only the first volume of a full encyclopedia set at my library. I can't wait to go through the other books!
]]> <![CDATA[Birthright: The Book of Man (Birthright, #2)]]> 237171 The Book of Man is Mike Resnick's masterful contribution to the science fiction genre's sweeping galactic legacy that began with Asimov's Foundation series.
Locus Poll Award Nominee]]> 287 Mike Resnick 1570900442 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.98 1982 Birthright: The Book of Man (Birthright, #2)
author: Mike Resnick
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1982
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/03/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Doorways in the Sand 1118507 189 Roger Zelazny 0380009498 Alazzar 5
No matter how many Zelazny stories I read, he still finds a way to surprise and amaze me. I simply cannot fathom how he keeps track of so many characters and creates plot twists that are entirely unpredictable yet still believable within the frame of the story. And then, just when you think you have everything figured out, more information is unveiled and your appreciation for the masterful storytelling increases a thousand fold.

I really don’t know what else to say about Doorways in the Sand, beyond these Zelazny generalizations. It’s a fast read with an interesting premise and an interesting protagonist (not to mention an interesting cast of supporting characters). And, as I said, the plot twists and revelations are all superbly done.

I’ll admit that the cover art of my edition (and the description on the back) made me think this would be more of a “galactic� sci-fi tale (for lack of a better term), but the vast majority of the book takes place on Earth in what could easily pass for modern-day society (there aren’t a bunch of flying cars zipping around, or robots tending bars, or laser-fights). And I sort of like that about the book. I don’t think you’d need to be a big sci-fi fan to like it. You could probably like it just fine if you enjoyed fantasy or even the standard thriller. (Okay, you can’t hate SF if you’re going to try this book, because there are still SF elements to it, but still . . .)

Highly recommended for any Zelazny fan.
]]> 3.94 1976 Doorways in the Sand
author: Roger Zelazny
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1976
rating: 5
read at: 2011/04/03
date added: 2015/02/14
shelves:
review:
I just don’t get how he does it.

No matter how many Zelazny stories I read, he still finds a way to surprise and amaze me. I simply cannot fathom how he keeps track of so many characters and creates plot twists that are entirely unpredictable yet still believable within the frame of the story. And then, just when you think you have everything figured out, more information is unveiled and your appreciation for the masterful storytelling increases a thousand fold.

I really don’t know what else to say about Doorways in the Sand, beyond these Zelazny generalizations. It’s a fast read with an interesting premise and an interesting protagonist (not to mention an interesting cast of supporting characters). And, as I said, the plot twists and revelations are all superbly done.

I’ll admit that the cover art of my edition (and the description on the back) made me think this would be more of a “galactic� sci-fi tale (for lack of a better term), but the vast majority of the book takes place on Earth in what could easily pass for modern-day society (there aren’t a bunch of flying cars zipping around, or robots tending bars, or laser-fights). And I sort of like that about the book. I don’t think you’d need to be a big sci-fi fan to like it. You could probably like it just fine if you enjoyed fantasy or even the standard thriller. (Okay, you can’t hate SF if you’re going to try this book, because there are still SF elements to it, but still . . .)

Highly recommended for any Zelazny fan.

]]> <![CDATA[The Infinity Crusade: Volume 2]]> 6285018 248 Jim Starlin 0785131280 Alazzar 3 deus ex machina feel to it. And yet, for whatever reason, it doesn't bother me much.

(Even though it absolutely should.)]]> 3.24 1993 The Infinity Crusade: Volume 2
author: Jim Starlin
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.24
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at: 2015/02/01
date added: 2015/02/02
shelves:
review:
As is to be expected of one of Marvel's cosmic, world-ending storylines, the plot is resolved by having our heroes exploit some property of The Ultimate Item (in this case, The Cosmic Egg) that the reader didn't know about until that very moment. So in that way, it has a bit of a deus ex machina feel to it. And yet, for whatever reason, it doesn't bother me much.

(Even though it absolutely should.)
]]> <![CDATA[The Infinity Crusade: Volume 1]]> 3551071 248 Jim Starlin 0785131272 Alazzar 3
The Goddess is an interesting villain, in that she's killing the universe with kindness. This isn't the first time I've seen a character like this, so the idea is not exactly new--however, it is a refreshing approach to Starlin's Infinity stories, as this time the villain's motivation can't be summed up as: "I want to destroy the universe JUST BECAUSE."

Lookin' forward to readin' the second volume. Go Warlock! (And Thanos, too!)]]> 3.24 1993 The Infinity Crusade: Volume 1
author: Jim Starlin
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.24
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at: 2015/01/29
date added: 2015/01/29
shelves:
review:
I'll probably like any Adam Warlock story I read, just 'cause I like Adam Warlock. That being said, I don't really have strong feelings either way about this book. It's not exceptional. It's not bad, either. But it doesn't create a complete "meh" feeling in me, so it's at least got a leg up on the third Hobbit movie.

The Goddess is an interesting villain, in that she's killing the universe with kindness. This isn't the first time I've seen a character like this, so the idea is not exactly new--however, it is a refreshing approach to Starlin's Infinity stories, as this time the villain's motivation can't be summed up as: "I want to destroy the universe JUST BECAUSE."

Lookin' forward to readin' the second volume. Go Warlock! (And Thanos, too!)
]]> Song of Kali 3979 311 Dan Simmons 0575076593 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.59 1985 Song of Kali
author: Dan Simmons
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.59
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Unidentified Funny Objects 3 (UFO #3)]]> 23253361 These are some of the unlikely folk you will encounter:
* Hobo Satan
* Vampire novelist
* Traveling robot salesman
* Brain-in-a-jar superhero
* Jinn trapped in a mattress

Foreword - Alex Shvartsman
1 On the Efficacy of Supervillain Battles in Eliciting Therapeutic Breakthroughs
- Jim C. Hines
2 The Right Answer - James A. Miller
3 The Gefilte Fish Girl - Mike Resnick
4 Master of Business Apocalypse - Jakob Drud
5 Carla at the Off-Planet Tax Return Helpline - Caroline M. Yoachim
6 Why I Bought Satan 2 Cokes on the Day I Graduated High School - Nathaniel Lee
7 Company Store - Robert Silverberg
8 The Door-to-Door Salesthing from Planet X - Josh Vogt
9 Picture Perfect - Matt Mikalatos
10 The Discounted Seniors - James Beamon
11 That Must Be Them Now - Karen Haber
12 Notes to My Past And/or Alternate Selves - Sarah Pinsker
13 The Real and the Really Real - Tim Pratt
14Into the Woods, with Zombunny - Camille Griep
15 Live at the Scene - Gini Koch
16 The Newsboy’s Last Stand - Krystal Claxton
17 The Full Lazenby - Jeremy Butler
18 Do Not Remove This Tag - Piers Anthony
19 Super-Baby-Moms Group Saves the Day! - Tina Connolly
20 The Choochoomorphosis - Oliver Buckram
21 The Fate Worse than Death - Kevin J. Anderson and Guy Anthony De Marco
22 Elections at Villa Encantada - Cat Rambo
23 Infinite Drive - Jody Lynn Nye]]> 302 Piers Anthony 0988432846 Alazzar 4 3.92 2014 Unidentified Funny Objects 3 (UFO #3)
author: Piers Anthony
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/01/17
date added: 2015/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension]]> 33426 359 Michio Kaku 0192861891 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.15 1994 Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension
author: Michio Kaku
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1994
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Physics of the Impossible 1168341
One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future.

From teleportation to telekinesis, Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals—and the limits—of the laws of physics as we know them today. He ranks the impossible technologies by categories—Class I, II, and III, depending on when they might be achieved, within the next century, millennia, or perhaps never. In a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, he explains:
· How the science of optics and electromagnetism may one day enable us to bend light around an object, like a stream flowing around a boulder, making the object invisible to observers “downstream�
· How ramjet rockets, laser sails, antimatter engines, and nanorockets may one day take us to the nearby stars
· How telepathy and psychokinesis, once considered pseudoscience, may one day be possible using advances in MRI, computers, superconductivity, and nanotechnology
· Why a time machine is apparently consistent with the known laws of quantum physics, although it would take an unbelievably advanced civilization to actually build one
Kaku uses his discussion of each technology as a jumping-off point to explain the science behind it. An extraordinary scientific adventure, Physics of the Impossible takes readers on an unforgettable, mesmerizing journey into the world of science that both enlightens and entertains.]]> 329 Michio Kaku 0385520697 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.09 2008 Physics of the Impossible
author: Michio Kaku
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/01/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Omnibus]]> 12614733 ]]> 1072 Mark Waid 0785159827 Alazzar 3
My biggest beef with Age of Apocalypse is what I call the "Game of Thrones" problem: we switch between characters so often that it's hard for me to keep going whenever I hit a break point. In A Game of Thrones, I was generally interested in each chapter, but by the time I reached the end of any character's section, I found myself wanting to read more about their plot line; instead, I had to swap perspectives, which brought all my momentum to a screeching halt.

And that's what happened here: after finishing an issue, I never really wanted to move on to the next, because I knew I was pretty much starting over. This became less of a problem as the story lines progressed and started mingling with one another, but for the first few issues of each book, my motivation to continue was minimal.

That being said, there were a lot of things I liked about AoA. For example, it was fun to see how all the characters were re-imagined (both in terms of their visual design and personalities) in a world where Professor Xavier died young and never formed the X-men. Some people, like Cyclops, looked awesome and were fun to follow; some, like Colossus, looked like big metal ninja turtles, and were dumb.

Although the whole event was a three-star affair that took me almost a month to read, I don't regret the time I spent on the project. Age of Apocalypse is an important story line in the history of the X-men, and if nothing else, I enjoyed seeing the results of what must have been a massive creative effort on the part of the writers and editors at Marvel.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that Fabien Nicieza, one of the writers for this event, was consistently painful to read. It seemed like he was the only writer in the bunch who insisted on including terrible, action-describing exposition in his stories. I just can't stand when characters say things like, "Remember, I have the mutant ability to [whatever], which is why I'm able to do this awesome trick right now!" Blech!]]> 4.14 1995 X-Men: Age of Apocalypse Omnibus
author: Mark Waid
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2014/12/02
date added: 2014/12/02
shelves:
review:
There were parts of this story line worthy of 4 stars--maybe even 5--but overall, I've got to call it a 3.

My biggest beef with Age of Apocalypse is what I call the "Game of Thrones" problem: we switch between characters so often that it's hard for me to keep going whenever I hit a break point. In A Game of Thrones, I was generally interested in each chapter, but by the time I reached the end of any character's section, I found myself wanting to read more about their plot line; instead, I had to swap perspectives, which brought all my momentum to a screeching halt.

And that's what happened here: after finishing an issue, I never really wanted to move on to the next, because I knew I was pretty much starting over. This became less of a problem as the story lines progressed and started mingling with one another, but for the first few issues of each book, my motivation to continue was minimal.

That being said, there were a lot of things I liked about AoA. For example, it was fun to see how all the characters were re-imagined (both in terms of their visual design and personalities) in a world where Professor Xavier died young and never formed the X-men. Some people, like Cyclops, looked awesome and were fun to follow; some, like Colossus, looked like big metal ninja turtles, and were dumb.

Although the whole event was a three-star affair that took me almost a month to read, I don't regret the time I spent on the project. Age of Apocalypse is an important story line in the history of the X-men, and if nothing else, I enjoyed seeing the results of what must have been a massive creative effort on the part of the writers and editors at Marvel.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that Fabien Nicieza, one of the writers for this event, was consistently painful to read. It seemed like he was the only writer in the bunch who insisted on including terrible, action-describing exposition in his stories. I just can't stand when characters say things like, "Remember, I have the mutant ability to [whatever], which is why I'm able to do this awesome trick right now!" Blech!
]]> X-Men: Legion Quest 283850 112 Scott Lobdell 0785101799 Alazzar 5 Legion Quest as much as I did. I mean, I'm aware enough of X-men history to know how it was going to end, and yet, that didn't bother me. Hell, if anything, it enhanced my experience. It was an inexorable journey into the Age of Apocalypse, and it was fantastic.

I'm sure I read this storyline (or parts of it, anyway) when I was a kid, but I didn't remember much about it. Now, though, it's left an impact on me--especially that issue of Cable, which exists somewhere between the realms of "beautiful" and "brutal."

Can't wait to move onto AoA!]]> 3.44 1996 X-Men: Legion Quest
author: Scott Lobdell
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.44
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at: 2014/11/04
date added: 2014/11/05
shelves:
review:
I'm not sure why I loved Legion Quest as much as I did. I mean, I'm aware enough of X-men history to know how it was going to end, and yet, that didn't bother me. Hell, if anything, it enhanced my experience. It was an inexorable journey into the Age of Apocalypse, and it was fantastic.

I'm sure I read this storyline (or parts of it, anyway) when I was a kid, but I didn't remember much about it. Now, though, it's left an impact on me--especially that issue of Cable, which exists somewhere between the realms of "beautiful" and "brutal."

Can't wait to move onto AoA!
]]> The Door Into Summer 348
They never imagine that the future time in which Dan, a modern-day and future-time, Rip Van Winkle, will awaken has mastered time travel, giving him a way to get back to them, and at them, and get his revenge!.]]> 304 Robert A. Heinlein 0345413997 Alazzar 0 to-read 4.01 1957 The Door Into Summer
author: Robert A. Heinlein
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1957
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/11/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Best of Gahan Wilson 598751 144 Gahan Wilson 1887424873 Alazzar 3
Still, it was fun to read some of the historical stuff about Gahan Wilson's career. Also, ending on an illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Conqueror Worm" was great. (Mostly just for the text, but whatever.)]]> 4.22 2004 The Best of Gahan Wilson
author: Gahan Wilson
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2014/11/03
date added: 2014/11/03
shelves:
review:
This book's got a few humorous and poignant cartoons. It's also got a lot of cartoons that are neither of those things, and some that seemed entirely pointless to me.

Still, it was fun to read some of the historical stuff about Gahan Wilson's career. Also, ending on an illustrated version of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Conqueror Worm" was great. (Mostly just for the text, but whatever.)
]]> The Physics of Superheroes 281016 What Superman's strength can tell us about the Newtonian physics of force, mass, and acceleration
How Iceman's and Storm's powers illustrate the principles of thermal dynamics
The physics behind the death of Spider-Man's girlfriend Gwen Stacy
Why physics professors gone bad are the most dangerous evil geniuses!]]> 365 James Kakalios 1592402429 Alazzar 0 to-read 3.93 2006 The Physics of Superheroes
author: James Kakalios
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2014/10/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween]]> 763498 648 Richard Chizmar 0451458958 Alazzar 2 hiatus
On the whole, the stories weren't all that great. I was looking for something that would make me get nostalgic about childhood Halloweens (in the tradition of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree ), but didn't find much that could fulfill that request--not even in the non-fiction "My Favorite Halloween Memory" pieces that are found throughout the collection. (And, on the Bradbury note, I should point out that I skipped ahead to read his "Heavy Set," which hit oddly close to home at this point in my life.)

Of the stories I read, my favorite was probably Gahan Wilson's "Yesterday's Witch." Nothing else left much of an impression.

]]> 4.01 2000 October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween
author: Richard Chizmar
name: Alazzar
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2000
rating: 2
read at: 2014/10/24
date added: 2014/10/24
shelves: hiatus
review:
Only managed to make it through 185 pages before the book was due back at the library, and being that Halloween will soon be here and gone, I decided it wasn't worth renewing. Next year I may pick up where I left off, though.

On the whole, the stories weren't all that great. I was looking for something that would make me get nostalgic about childhood Halloweens (in the tradition of Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree ), but didn't find much that could fulfill that request--not even in the non-fiction "My Favorite Halloween Memory" pieces that are found throughout the collection. (And, on the Bradbury note, I should point out that I skipped ahead to read his "Heavy Set," which hit oddly close to home at this point in my life.)

Of the stories I read, my favorite was probably Gahan Wilson's "Yesterday's Witch." Nothing else left much of an impression.


]]> <![CDATA[Something Wicked This Way Comes]]> 248596 Something Wicked This Way Comes, now featuring a new introduction and material about its longstanding influence on culture and genre.

For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.

Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.]]> 293 Ray Bradbury 0380729407 Alazzar 4
Wow. After reading this book for a second time, I find that my original review needs to be deleted entirely. I'll keep it around, however, just for my own historical purposes.

Bradbury's writing was an acquired taste for me, but now that I like it, I really like it. And, given how much I enjoy autumn and carnivals, it only makes sense that I would love Something Wicked This Way Comes.

From the very beginning, Bradbury's poetic descriptions put the reader in the mood for season. If I were to read this book in the middle of July, I could probably close my window-blinds and be convinced there were crisp orange leaves tumbling down the walk outside. Such is the power of Bradbury's prose.

But, language aside, I find myself also enjoying Bradbury for the nostalgia factor. You can tell Ray was just a guy who loved reminiscing about days gone by--it's evident in the story of Charles Halloway's struggle against senescence, a topic that's particularly relevant to me lately.

All that being said, this book is a five-star affair for the most part. Unfortunately, things slowed down a bit for me as we grew closer to the denouement, though I can't say exactly why. (It's possible that I was just more intrigued by the mystery of the carnival, which is something that's not as prevalent once the characters start figuring out what's going on.) Hence, 4 stars--which is still an upgrade from my previous 3.

In any case, if you're looking for a lovely October read (or just wanting to feel like a kid again), you can't go wrong with Something Wicked This Way Comes.

[Originally read March 25-April 1, 2010]

I'm finally getting around to writing a review for this book some 4 months after I finished reading it, and the downtime will surely have an impact on what I say.

I'll start by noting that I probably should read this book again some day, and when I do, I might bump it up from 3 stars to 4 (or who knows, maybe even 5). The problem is that I went into this book with the wrong expectations, and didn't realize it until well after the fact.

This was the first "horror" book I read, and an old InQuest magazine review had indicated that it contained imagery that would haunt me for the rest of my days. Having never read horror before, I expected to be scared out of my socks (I never read without socks, for fear of blisters).

I'll admit, there were a few chilling moments in the book. There's a part with the witch, that -- well, I don't want to spoil anything. But it's pretty creepy.

However, I was never really frightened. As such, I gave the book 3 stars.

Since then, I've read a fair amount of horror stories, and have come to realize that I just don't get scared easily by the written word. Most horror books will have one or two instances that give me minor chills, but nothing that really gets me looking over my shoulder or snapping the book shut in fear.

Had I known this about myself before reading Something Wicked This Way Comes, I may have been a little more lenient on the review.

All that being said, the ideas in the book are damn creative. However, I definitely walked away with some complaints:

1. The prose was a bit too poetic for my tastes. There were a few times where I re-read a line over and over again and still wasn't entirely sure what Bradbury was trying to say. Mind you, I knew the definition of every word in the sentence, and I reviewed it multiple times, but I still wasn't sure what was going on. This happened more than once and caused me to stumble a bit through the reading. Not enjoyable.

2. The protagonists were children. I just can't take kids seriously. I don't like children. (Get off my lawn!) It's really hard for me to get behind them when they're -- well, when they're acting like children.

3. Sort of a continuation of the above note, the punctuation was often annoying to me. Having done some work as an editor in the past, I died a little inside every time I read a sentence that ended with two exclamation points and a question mark ("!!?"). Blech. I get that Bradbury was trying to really create the voice of an excited, hyperactive young kid, but the reason you're not supposed to overuse exclamation points is because they start to lose their sting when you do. All of the double-exclamation points and interrobang-wannabes got old very quickly, and it just reminded me that kids can be obnoxious (as they were usually the culprits when such punctuation arose).

I definitely had some complaints with this book, and I definitely had expectations that were a little too high. Still, some of the imagery really is great, and the ideas are solid. And, knowing what I know now about the horror genre, I can say that this book does a fine job of being reasonably creepy. I look forward to reading it again some day through a fresh set of eyes.

[Re-read October 9-12, 2011]

I actually only got about 100 pages into my re-read before I had to give the book up. I don't know, I just wasn't feelin' it for some reason. It started out fine enough--I was lovin' the autumnal descriptions and the small-town, 1950s(?) setting--but after about 60 pages or so, I found myself just entirely uninterested in picking the book up to read more.]]> 3.92 1962 Something Wicked This Way Comes
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Alazzar
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1962
rating: 4
read at: 2010/04/01
date added: 2014/10/01
shelves:
review:
[Re-read September 23-October 1, 2014]

Wow. After reading this book for a second time, I find that my original review needs to be deleted entirely. I'll keep it around, however, just for my own historical purposes.

Bradbury's writing was an acquired taste for me, but now that I like it, I really like it. And, given how much I enjoy autumn and carnivals, it only makes sense that I would love Something Wicked This Way Comes.

From the very beginning, Bradbury's poetic descriptions put the reader in the mood for season. If I were to read this book in the middle of July, I could probably close my window-blinds and be convinced there were crisp orange leaves tumbling down the walk outside. Such is the power of Bradbury's prose.

But, language aside, I find myself also enjoying Bradbury for the nostalgia factor. You can tell Ray was just a guy who loved reminiscing about days gone by--it's evident in the story of Charles Halloway's struggle against senescence, a topic that's particularly relevant to me lately.

All that being said, this book is a five-star affair for the most part. Unfortunately, things slowed down a bit for me as we grew closer to the denouement, though I can't say exactly why. (It's possible that I was just more intrigued by the mystery of the carnival, which is something that's not as prevalent once the characters start figuring out what's going on.) Hence, 4 stars--which is still an upgrade from my previous 3.

In any case, if you're looking for a lovely October read (or just wanting to feel like a kid again), you can't go wrong with Something Wicked This Way Comes.

[Originally read March 25-April 1, 2010]

I'm finally getting around to writing a review for this book some 4 months after I finished reading it, and the downtime will surely have an impact on what I say.

I'll start by noting that I probably should read this book again some day, and when I do, I might bump it up from 3 stars to 4 (or who knows, maybe even 5). The problem is that I went into this book with the wrong expectations, and didn't realize it until well after the fact.

This was the first "horror" book I read, and an old InQuest magazine review had indicated that it contained imagery that would haunt me for the rest of my days. Having never read horror before, I expected to be scared out of my socks (I never read without socks, for fear of blisters).

I'll admit, there were a few chilling moments in the book. There's a part with the witch, that -- well, I don't want to spoil anything. But it's pretty creepy.

However, I was never really frightened. As such, I gave the book 3 stars.

Since then, I've read a fair amount of horror stories, and have come to realize that I just don't get scared easily by the written word. Most horror books will have one or two instances that give me minor chills, but nothing that really gets me looking over my shoulder or snapping the book shut in fear.

Had I known this about myself before reading Something Wicked This Way Comes, I may have been a little more lenient on the review.

All that being said, the ideas in the book are damn creative. However, I definitely walked away with some complaints:

1. The prose was a bit too poetic for my tastes. There were a few times where I re-read a line over and over again and still wasn't entirely sure what Bradbury was trying to say. Mind you, I knew the definition of every word in the sentence, and I reviewed it multiple times, but I still wasn't sure what was going on. This happened more than once and caused me to stumble a bit through the reading. Not enjoyable.

2. The protagonists were children. I just can't take kids seriously. I don't like children. (Get off my lawn!) It's really hard for me to get behind them when they're -- well, when they're acting like children.

3. Sort of a continuation of the above note, the punctuation was often annoying to me. Having done some work as an editor in the past, I died a little inside every time I read a sentence that ended with two exclamation points and a question mark ("!!?"). Blech. I get that Bradbury was trying to really create the voice of an excited, hyperactive young kid, but the reason you're not supposed to overuse exclamation points is because they start to lose their sting when you do. All of the double-exclamation points and interrobang-wannabes got old very quickly, and it just reminded me that kids can be obnoxious (as they were usually the culprits when such punctuation arose).

I definitely had some complaints with this book, and I definitely had expectations that were a little too high. Still, some of the imagery really is great, and the ideas are solid. And, knowing what I know now about the horror genre, I can say that this book does a fine job of being reasonably creepy. I look forward to reading it again some day through a fresh set of eyes.

[Re-read October 9-12, 2011]

I actually only got about 100 pages into my re-read before I had to give the book up. I don't know, I just wasn't feelin' it for some reason. It started out fine enough--I was lovin' the autumnal descriptions and the small-town, 1950s(?) setting--but after about 60 pages or so, I found myself just entirely uninterested in picking the book up to read more.
]]>