The Mind of Mr. X

2012 - The Plan

2011-12-12T04:20:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog I admitted that I had been away from reading fiction for about 4 years. Not coincidentally the amount of time it takes one to earn a, or in my case 2, bachelor's degrees. I did a lot of reading in 2010 and early 2011 catching up on all the things I felt like I had missed in the realm of fantasy fiction. Namely Brandon Sanderson (hehe) but a few more as well. I started to feel like I had made huge headway, and began to think I had caught up, but alas, such is not the case. So I have made a plan. A simple, elegant, awesome plan to catch up on even more of the good things I have missed.

There are books coming out in 2012, did you know that? Even some fantasy books. Therefore, I have decided that I will find the books coming in 2012 that I desperately need to read, and will read all that seems possible by those authors, if I haven't read them yet. there are a few writers on this list that any fantasy fan who has not been under a rock for a while will recognize immediately. Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Steven Erikson, Jim Butcher, and maybe a few new entrants into the realm of fantasy story telling.

So, the plan:

Scott Lynch - The Gentlemen Bastards Series

Republic of Thieves - March 2012

This is a series that seems to continue picking up steam, and everything I have heard about it has been positive. I am very interested in starting my journey into the world of thieves, liars and bastards.

Total Books - 3

Brandon Mull - Beyonders Series

Seeds of Rebellion

Having already read the first book in this series, and having a complex love hate relationship with it, I am ready to get my hands on the next part of the adventure. Hopefully I can get an early copy like I did the first book and read it over winter break (fingers crossed)

Total Books - 1

Jim Butcher - the Dresden Files

Cold Days - Spring/Summer

I have read 4 books in this series, and cold Days will be the 14th printed. While this may seem like a daunting time investment the Dresden books can be one sitting reads, they are light, fast and fun. At least the first four were. I am looking forward to most of my spring filled with tales of fairies, vampires, ghosts and anything else that Dresden happens to blunder into.

Total Books - 10

Steven Erikson - Malazan Book of the Fallen

Summer..... all Summer.

Ok I have been threatening to jump into this one for a long time. 10 dense, long books are not an easy commitment, but I figure if I am going to claim to be a fan of fantasy fiction I have to read this highly praised series. I hope to finish them by August when Erikson is releasing a prequel book, but by then will I be interested in reading it? time will tell.

Total Books - 11

Mark Lawrence -The Broken Empire

King of Thorns - Aug 2012

I know nothing about this series but the little description I have read on Amazon, but I must admit it sounds fantastic. I cant wait to jump into these at the end of the summer.

Total Books - 2

Joe Abercrombie - The First Law Trilogy and More

I will admit right now that I know nothing about this author but for the fact that all of the internets is raving about his work. He is praised for his dark and gritty fantasy story telling that is infused with humor. Sounds good to me. So I have vowed to catch up on his back catalog.

Total Books - 4 (ish)

So if my count is correct I have 31 books on my list for 2012, it is not a lot (My record being 62) But many of these books are in the thousand page range, so its like reading 90 YA books (I am looking at you PoseySessions) plus there are a few things I still would like to get in between now and 2012. The final Mistborn book, the Alloy of Law, The Desert Spear, some Brett Weeks as well. So join me, and cheer me on as I take on what seems like a hefty challenge, heck I might as well make this one of my New Year's Resolutions, right?

Back to Books or NaNoing Myself.

2011-11-06T03:39:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody,

has it not been a long, boring time whilst I was gone living life and neglecting my blog? No? Alas, either way I am happy to announce I am back and better than ever. I have read a LOT of books in the ast few months, I just have not felt like reviewing many (any) or whatever. but here I am and I have so much to stay that I am not sure where I should start. what have I read while we were gone?

hrmmmmmmmmm, List!

Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear - Pat Rothfuss

Warded Man and Desert Spear - Peter Brett

Monster Hunter Alpha - Larry Corriea

Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson

Even a Clive Cussler novel and a couple other random things. I dont think I will be reviewing any of those, except for possibly The Kingkiller Chronicles books. I am going to TRY and get my hands on some new and interesting fantasy to review, probably (hopefully) starting this week with The Alloy of Law, and maybe Brent Weeks' The Black Prism.

I am also participating in NaNo and have a neat little MG Urban Fantasy/Horror I am writing, it should be sweet!

Servant of a Dark God–John Brown

2011-03-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

I judge books by their cover all the time. As was the case at LTUE this year when I saw someone carrying a hardback copy of Servant of a Dark God. The cover just looked great, and well I happened to be sitting in a presentation by the author, of whom I had never heard. John Brown was funny, but he didn’t strike me as thoughtful as many of the authors who presented at LTUE. I did not expect his book to be as good as it was.

Brown crafts a solid political fantasy with a good antagonist triangle. There are good guys, bad guys, bad guys, good bad guys and bad good guys. The beast that is roaming the countryside is wonderfully conflicted, he is the servant of the dark god, but also a confluence of the souls of goodly folk. At times he rails against the evil that he serves and at others he follows it with doglike loyalty. The idea of the monster becoming in part the people which he destroys gives the story its uniqueness. Brown does political twists very well in the book. The idea that crystalizes about the Divines and that which they serve is stunning.

I enjoyed many of the characters. Talen is supposed to be the protagonist, but it was fairly clear to me that Argoth was driving the book from the beginning. Argoth is a character so well developed that I found myself waiting to read another of his point of views, Argoth’s scenes drive the action and further the plot and the hints of his true story are tantalizing. Hunger is a close second, the monster that is not even alive is the most dynamic character in the story as he shifts and changes with each new soul.

I really enjoyed the status of the world. An abandoned people in flux, clinging to the last hope for survival, cut off from those who are supposed to protect them. It is clear from early on that this is a land on a precipice. but no matter how much danger they face from the invading bone face hoards they cannot unite as a people, and instead their continues clan oppression, hatred and mistrust. This is the backdrop for Servant of a Dark God, and it works very well.

The first hundred pages of the book was a bit confusing. Brown’s world building in the early chapters of the book is solid, but it often feels as if he is starting in the middle. He writes about several features of the world without first providing proper context. While it comes out later in the book, it can leave the reader scratching his head early on in the book. I also had a few problems with the scale of the world. Sometimes places were described as closer or farther than they had been previously. The towns at times seemed hours apart, and later only a few minutes. This is exasperated by the modes of travel, someone walking can reach something as fast in the story as those riding. Originally the home of a friend is described as “across the creek” but later it takes a whole night and part of a day to reach, the travel includes crossing 2 creeks and a river.

There is so much room for this series to grow and evolve. I am eagerly awaiting the release of a second book, I cannot wait to see where Brown takes his tale. This is a book I highly recommend.

Things to Read–March Edition

2011-03-06T14:26:00.001-08:00

OK so last month I did a things to read list, and well I finished some of the things on it. Not true, I finished The Maze Runner, and read a bunch in Ghost Hunting, but never finished it. Then I went to LTUE and got sidetracked by some of the books there. After hitting up a couple different Barnes and Noble stores I now have a stack of books which I cannot wait to dive into.

Reading Now: Servant of a Dark God – John Brown.

I met John at LTUE and he was a great and funny guy. His panel about killers tory ideas was fantastic. He sold copies of his book directly after the panel and I had to rush in and snag one. It looks fantastic, and after about three chapters I am quite enjoying it.

Up Next: The Warded Man – Peter V. Brett

The Desert Spear was recommended to me a short time back and when I picked it up yesterday I saw it was a 2nd book in a series. So I had to visit another B&N location in order to find the first book, and here it is sitting in a stack of books waiting to be read.

Following Those: Gardens of the Moon – Steven Erikson

This first book in the Malazan series was on last months list and I totally intend on reading it this month.

The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss

Everyone in the world is going crazy for the second book in this series, so I figured I better get on the bandwagon before it is too late.

The Curse of Chalion – Lois McMaster Bujold

On twitter I mentioned that The Final Empire was the best fantasy book I had ever read, someone responded asking me if I had read this. No sir, no I have not, but I soon will.

Monster Hunter Vendetta – Larry Correia

After reading MHI I am jonesing to read the second book in the series. MHI was a damn fun read, and I was lucky enough to get my copy signed by Larry himself. The B&N where I bought my copy of Vendetta had signed copies! wooo, 2 for 2!

Life, the Universe & Everything or Dinner with Dashner.

2011-02-24T23:01:00.001-08:00

PoseySessions has been ranting and raving for an entire year about LTUE, and to be honest for most of that time I had no idea what she was talking about. Only as it grew closer did I bother to check out the website. From the get go it looked pretty good and I started to get excited about it. Tracy Hickman was going to be there and I figured the highlight of the experience would be meeting him and getting a few of my books signed. While that was definitely one of the cooler moments, LTUE just got better and better the longer it went on, and capped with one of the coolest experiences of my life. (skip to the bottom for that)

I attended several panels during LTUE, the first was Mormons and the Paranormal. This panel was interesting, but the panelists (Blake Casselman, Eric Swedin, Nathan Shumate, Scott Parkin) Spent way more time talking about Mormons and vampires and werewolves than anything I was interested in. I thought they would address something about spirituality and hauntings, nope, nothing at all so I left a little downtrodden.

The next panel was one of my favorites: Writing Action with Larry Correia. I had never heard of him until his name came up in the previous panel. then I saw him talk about writing action ( and have since read his book and realized he was perfect for that presentation) Larry put on a great presentation, a lot of what he had to say was pretty straightforward (as in “action would be awesome”) but there were a few gems.

The next panel, and the one from which I felt I took the most information was How to Scare People with Dan Wells. Wells laid out some basic techniques for writing horror and displayed them with clips from famous horror movies. Some of them had pretty dirty words and situations for BYU, I couldn’t believe it.

Friday morning was a presentation by Tracy Hickman a deconstruction of The Lord of the Rings as a way to display elements of a story and literary theory. It was excellent. Tracy laid out the Campbell Monomyth and the 8 character archetypes. I took so many notes in this presentation and I learned a lot about story and characters. I also loved this quote.

It is nothing to be published. It is everything to be read.

- Tracy Hickman

Then Saturday morning was Killer Breakfast, which was NOT breakfast. It was a session of Dungeons and Dragons run by the legend that is Tracy Hickman. This was a fantastic experience. Tracy was extremely charismatic as he went on a murderous rampage killing players left and right in his Dungeon Master bloodlust.

I also attended a tutorial on using photoshop to draw fantasy maps, a presentation by David Farland on self-editing, a panel on plot and foreshadowing, and a blast of a panel about story ideas with Correia and John Brown (whose debut novel Servant of a Dark God I am reading right now.)

Another great part of LTUE was the author signings. I got books signed by Farland, Correia, Hickman, John Brown and James Dashner. All of the authors were very friendly and seemed happy to be there. We had a chance to talk with James Dashner for a few minutes as he signed our books. He told Megan and I that we were a perfect couple, that made me happy, and it set the stage for what would happen alter that evening.

So, the cool experience?

LTUE concluded with a banquet which Megan and I attended. We entered the mostly empty ballroom which held about 20 round tables with seating for 6. We picked a table on the left side of the room and settled in watching as people filter in and choose their seats. James Dashner (the guest of honor) walked in with 4 women. I tracked him to see where he would sit. He hung his coat on the back of a chair then turned and looked at Megan and I.

“Lets sit with these guys it should be fun”

And he walked over and took a seat right next to me, for a moment I was twitterpated. I guess I should tell you about Dashner. he is the author of The Maze Runner, which will be a major motion picture directed by the woman who did the Twilight movies (hope it is better!) The sequel The Scorch Trials released last year, and the final book of the trilogy, The Death Cure is due out later this year. I read The Maze Runner and quite enjoyed it. I have also read the first book in his 13th Reality series, which I also thought was pretty good.

So there we were, Me, Megan and a New York Times best-selling author sitting at a banquet table in a room in the BYU conference center. I am usually pretty calm when meeting famous people. I think I did well, I tried to be respectful, we said hello and I thought we would probably spend the night listening to him talk to the 3 other people who entered the room with him. Not the case. He engaged us in conversation almost immediately and we spent almost 2 hours chatting about books and movies. At one point he asked me about my writing and I told him some of my story ideas. He responded sincerely saying some of them sounded very interesting. Then he told me something that I will not soon forget. “You have what it takes, you are a good storyteller.” Or something along those lines. I don’t think he knew how much that meant to me.

All in all it was a fantastic evening. Later he tweeted about it, and made Megan and I feel even more special.

Even though Brandon Sanderson was not there LTUE was an amazing experience and I cannot wait for next year!

** PoseySessions and I took a ton of pics but she has them all on her computer, so these google image pics will have to do**

MHI–Larry Correia

2011-02-24T09:52:00.001-08:00

I knew about 20 pages in that Monster Hunter International was going to keep me turning pages until I finished it. It is a 700 page book I started on a Sunday and finished on a Wednesday. Now that is not my personal best, but it comes quite close. This book is an addicting thrill ride from page 1 through 700. Corriea takes horror action to the next level and I appreciate how he broke tropes of the Urban Fantasy genre.

I am going to make a comparison between this novel and The Dresden Files, it is probably not a really good or fair comparison but it is going to happen anyway. from the get go some of this story reminded me of Butcher’s accounts of Harry Dresden. Our world, plagued by monsters, overbearing authority with lots of complex rules about what the protags can and cannot do when fighting them, etc. Where MHI diverges is in one small but extremely important area. Correia never cripples his characters. I appreciate the fact that the good guys are rough and they are tough and they are capable of fighting anything that comes their way. They don’t simper and complain, they don’t spend pages of the book whining. They kick in the door and kick monster butt. Too many authors today think the protag has to be vulnerable or weak to get people to identify with them. Not Owen Z Pitt, he is a straight BAMF from the first page to the last, and I loved it. Sure he gets beat up, sure he loses some fights, and sometimes monsters get the best of him. But I never felt that he was getting through every encounter based solely on his luck. Pitt made his own luck. As opposed to Dresden who spends the whole of each book barely escaping from events by happenstance, then complaining about it. I loved reading about the good guys fighting evil with nearly limitless resources. There was very little of the “omg yay we are getting saved by something out of nowhere that we never thought would happen” bullcrap and a whole lot of “empty your shotgun into its face then cut off its head” moments. I can never help but sigh when Dresden is captured by a couple of weak easily killable monsters, those monsters don’t have a chance against Pitt and MHI.

Corriea makes the danger come from the strength and power of the evil dudes. Rather than writing one semi tough vampire being fought by a few unprepared sheep not ready to face its strength, Correia gives us 7 amazingly powerful vamps facing off against the collective might of modern weaponry carried by the Army, the Feds and MHI. This feels so much more epic to me.

I did have a slight problem with a bit of the wacky magical stuff toward the ending, and the way Pitt ended the threat (not a spoiler there is already a second book out) I don’t like that “magic saves the day” stuff, but Pitt did all he could with his guns, knives and fists before he resorted to it, so I am not gonna complain much.

Monster Hunter International is rip roaring good read. it is so much fun that I could not put it down. I highly recommend it if you like horror or action.

Mistborn: The Final Empire–Brandon Sanderson

2011-02-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

I will say this right now, up front. The Final Empire is hands down the best fantasy novel I have ever read.

Ok so I have that out of the way, what more is their to say right? Well, I guess I should tell you why I loved it.

First off, amazing, fantastic, deep rich character development. Kelsier, Vin, Dockson and the rest of the gang stood out to me as individuals, I worried about each of them and pulled for them through the entire story. I could say more about it, but suffice it to say this was really well done, but not the best thing in The Final Empire, not by far.

Sanderson is a smart man. He is nearly fanatical with the care and level of detail he puts into the systems in his book. Not just that magical systems for which he is highly acclaimed but the political systems and the bureaucratic systems as well. At its heart Mistborn reads like a political novel. It repeatedly brought the tales of Charles Dickens to mind as Sanderson described the bleakness of the world, the harsh social realities of the ska and the drudgery of everyday life in the Final Empire. Smokey, grimy Luthadel often reads like the London of a Dickens novel. It is a familiarity that brings Luthadel to life in the mind of the reader. I admire the painstaking way in which Sanderson details such a hopeless society, there is no wiggle room left for the underclass, they are trapped and they know it.

The first time I met Brandon I asked him about The Final Empire, I wanted to know if he considered it a dystopia, and his reply was an emphatic yes. Fantasy readers have encountered many bleak, terrible places in their journey through various novels, but Sanderson is the first person that I have read who has really treated his work like a dystopia. The political elements are strong and well thought out. There are distinct class elements in The Final Empire and they intertwine so well with the fantasy story that is happening among them.

Along with politics, I was enthralled by the economic system in the novel and how it hinged on a single precious commodity that was basically the lynchpin of the entire system. I was fascinated with the idea of the way the Lord Ruler controlled the substance and the consequences for the nobility if that supply were lost. Sanderson does something that so few do: he gives us reasons. He tells us why everything matters, he makes everything important. Mistborn is the story of a seemingly impervious empire built on the backs of an oppressed underclass and funded by a single precious element.

It is all held together by the awesome power of the Lord Ruler. Never in my life have I read a more interesting, and downright scary bad guy. Another way in which Sanderson excels, the Lord Ruler is a mystery, a figment, a secret font of dark power, never flaunted, but always felt, like a beating heart at the core of the Empire, the only thing giving it life. He is the shark in Jaws, scarier because we never see him, and when we finally do it is concludes one of the strongest scenes of action I have ever read in any novel.

Sanderson is a master of nuance, The Final Empire reads like the masterwork of an author who has perfected his craft. Ok was this review glowing enough? Shall we wrap it all up by saying I loved this book? Ok? Good.

I cant stop reading this!

2011-02-21T17:59:00.001-08:00

I don’t care who you are, this book is friggin fantastic. Ok yeah, if you do not like the diea of big bad beasties getting blasted into little flying bits of goo and jelly, maybe it is not for you. But if you are looking for an ass kicking fun romp through a monster infested world, buy this, read this now. I have not in many long years been this caught up by a book. This is what reading is meant to be, FUN! Give me this book over any action flick ever made (just me not a big action movie guy) I find myself up at all hours of the night looking for one more page.

AND, its SCARY!!!! There has been a couple scenes so far that have had me shaking, and when I got up to go to the bathroom last night I literally checked my ceilings for anything crawling after me. I cannot say enough, this is fantastic!

Just had to drop this quick blurb on ya, more info on LTUE and everything else coming soon.

Brandon Sanderson–A New Favorite.

2011-02-08T13:59:00.001-08:00

Brandon Sanderson has shot up quickly to the top of my list of favorite fantasy authors. At one point in my life I was reading 60+ fantasy novels a year. that point ended in 2006. Elantris, Brandon’s debut novel, was released in 2006. It is not by happenstance that I had never heard his name uttered (even as the man who would finish the WOT series, even as a local author, even as a professor at a school which several of my family members attend). I stopped reading fantasy around 2005/6 because I returned to school full time and it left me no spare moment to read anything other than textbooks, philosophy, memoirs, histories or political treatises. Not always was I reading them for school, but it had become something I did for fun and felt like if I was reading something it should somehow correlate with my education. Then I met PoseySessions, she reminded that reading was a way to explore our imaginations, she got me excited to once again crack open a fantasy novel. her passion is infectious, if any of you know here, even through the internet, you probably know what I am talking about.

Within a month of meeting her she began telling me about a story she was reading, Elantris. I was at the tail end of East of Eden (John Steinbeck) and was not sure about speculative fiction, something about years in university had soured my imagination for flights of fancy. So I listened patiently as she told me about this book that I thought I would never read. Then I did read it (review below) and it ignited a spark in me.

Sanderson is a masterful story teller, sure I found a few flaws with Elantris, maybe I was being hyper critical with my freshly scrubbed brain, but for the most part I stick by my review. I wanted to read more fantasy. I went searching and strange names were popping out at me like road signs in the dark flying past at a hundred miles an hour. Names I had not heard before. Bakker, Erikson, Butcher… and many more. I thought I was versed in the genre, but the years had left me behind. One name that kept popping up was Brandon Sanderson. I knew him from his debut work and decided if I was going to jump headlong back into fantasy he would be the place I started.

That was an excellent choice.

I cannot say too much about him as a writer without spoiling the way I feel about the other books I have read, which I will be reviewing this month. I know I am late to the party here, but Sanderson is probably in my top 3 favorite fantasy writers of all time. And I could not order the list if you asked.

After having met him I can say, without hesitation, the guy is legitimate. He speaks about the fantasy genre with passion. He understands what he is writing and the audience to which he writes. He grew up reading what we read and he is writing stories for those of us who can relate. He is also just a fantastic writer. He formulates stories that are spectacular. He interweaves his books with so much substance that they transcend a single genre.

Long after growing tired of Robert Jordan (He is a legend, may he rest in peace) and the Wheel of Time the injection of Sanderson into the series has brought me back around and I have just started my own reread, very excited to finish the series with him at the helm. So stick around for a couple more reviews of his works and a post concerning some things he said while speaking at Teen Book Fest.

Elantris - Brandon Sanderson (Repost)

2011-02-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

*** In honor of an upcoming slew of posts focusing on the writing of Brandon Sanderson I am reposting my review of Elantris for context and your reading pleasure.***

I love fantasy. I was about 8 years old when my dad read me The Hobbit, and around 12 when I finished my first read through The Lord of The Rings. Ever since I have sought out and enjoyed many fantasy series. In one year, I read 60 fantasy books, 40ish being my average. However, lately my fantasy reading has stalled, I have found very few new and worthwhile fantasy authors, and have read so much of the genres back catalogue over the past 15 years that I feel like I am caught up, waiting desperately for something new and exciting to come out. That feeling has dropped me out of the fantasy mainstream for the past couple of years, and I have instead been reading academic history and politics books in order to round out my education. It is rapidly approaching time for me to graduate college, and with a light semester upon us I have been searching high and low for new and interesting fantasy to read. Poseysessions introduced me to Brandon Sanderson and Elantris.

I will jump right in and say Ioved I Elantris, it was the best, and most original fantasy novel I have read since Michael Moorecock's tales of Elric of Melnibone. Sanderson writes with a dry narrative style that allows the stark reality of his world penetrate the reader imagination. Elantris is refreshingly free of flowery embellishment, or sappy emotional overtones. While the characters in the story suffer, it is a dignified, humble suffreing that shines through in Elantris. Along with a masterful use of the invisible style, Sanderson is a genius worldbuilder. Because Elantris is a standalone novel it made sense that Sanderson did not bog down the story with unneccesary details about the world. Arelon and Elantris are wonderfully portrayed, as theya re the focus of the story. The rest of Sanderson's world feels real and definite, each culture is explained well inasmuch as it affects the story at hand.

The Magic in the story is one of the biggest assets to the book. Sanderson created a magical system that is based in reason, yet remains mystical. The payoff regarding Elantrian magic is simple and that simplicity lends credit to Sanderson's imaginitive process. I thoroughly enjoyed Raoden's discovery , especially because Sanderson made the magic based in notions of science that allowed me to solve the problem regarding AonDor pages before the main character. This is consistent with Sanderson's view that magic in his books is always based in the natural laws of the worlds he creates. As a reader I appreciate the fact the there is no Deus Ex Machina in Elantris. It makes the reader (me) feel like Sanderson is an author who has faith in my ability to reason.

Elantris was not a book without its shortcomings. For a fantasy book I felt it suffered from a lack of action, especially a climbing story arc. The first 500 pages felt like a continuing arrangement of point counterpoint by the Sarene and Hrathen. The only point of view that seemed to have a rising storyling was Raoden's and even that was broken midway through the tale, only to be restored later on. The climax finally came in the last 10% of the book, yet it felt totally unconnected to the previous pages. Sanderson end-loaded the book, a huge chunk of the movement of the story happens after page 500. There are very few "carrots" for the reader in the first three quarters of the book, and without story movement, or action, the reader is left with (the very well written) political intrigue. Which was more than enough for this reader to fall in love with Elantris.

My final gripe with the book was the lack of character depth, while I did grow fond of Hrathen, Raoden, and Sarene, I felt the latter two lacked depth and cahracter development, there were both very one note. Hrathern, however, was extremely well written and developed, his inner struggle was a point on which the story hung for me, that along with the mystery beind him made constantly wonder how he would turn the tale.

Elantris was a good, bordering on great fantasy read, while I did have a few technical gripes with the story I felt myself slowing down my reading as I reached the end, soemthing that is common for me when nearing the end of a book I love. I just do not want it to be over. I wish Elantris was a series and not just a standalone novel. I am impressed that Sanderson fit so much lore and intrigue into a single volume, especially for a debut work. It speaks to Sanderson's place among the top tier talent of fantasy writers.

Reality is Broken–Jane McGonigal

2011-02-07T13:42:00.001-08:00

Poseysessions was kind enough to volunteer me for the Reality is Broken book tour. We both have a shared interest in gaming and before I even read the book she wanted to interview me about my experiences as a gamer. I would like to preface this interview and all my following statements by saying while I enjoy many computer and console games, I would not consider myself a hardcore gamer. For me it is more about the enjoyment than about the triumph.

Q: McGonigal starts her book by saying “Gamers have had enough of reality.” As a casual gamer would you find yourself agreeing with this statement?

A: Yes and no, gaming provides a temporary escape, but personally don’t feel like it is meant or able to supplant reality.

Q: What motivates you to play a game? What kind of games do you like?

A: Relaxation, challenge, and escapism are all motivating factors when I feel like gaming. I prefer RPGs and strategy games, and games with a high level of customization for the player.

Q: Have you ever thought that aspects of your life would be more enjoyable if they were more like a game you had played?

A: No not really, but I have thought that a game would be more fun if it was less like real life

Q: Do you feel socially connected through any of your gaming experiences?

A: Very little, with the exception of socially oriented games like MMORPGS, with any other game not at all.

Q: What would you change about your life to make more like a game you played?

A: I think games are enjoyable because they are separate from reality. A reality that was like a video game, or a video game that became reality would soon suffer from the same sense of banality that we prescribe to real life.

Reality Is Broken has a lot of things of interest within it’s pages. One thing I liked thinking about was the way that gaming connects with ideas of economy. I had never really given it much thought before but the things that draw us to gaming in a way become there own currency. So much so that in 2009 China was forced to regulate the use of virtual money for fear that it would begin to devalue yen. "The virtual currency, which is converted into real money at a certain exchange rate, will only be allowed to trade in virtual goods and services provided by its issuer, not real goods and services." The dynamic that has been created by gaming that makes it so that this type of regulation has to be is fascinating. People want virtual money more than they want physical items present in their life.

In the book McGonigal makes reference to economist Edward Castronova who sees a “mass exodus” of people out of their life and into gaming worlds. People are finding so much value in the virtual and digital world that the moments of reality of increasingly devalued. Reality Is Broken suggest that gaming provides and excitement that is lacking from real life, even within work and school settings productivity could be improved if there were a more game like atmosphere.

One of my favorite sections of the book was the chapter called “Leveling Up In Life.” In this chapter McGonigal presents different ways that we can take gaming concepts into the real world. One amazing idea came from Clay Johnson who created plusoneme.com after hearing McGonigal speak. The tagline of the site is “gold stars for grownups.” The concept of the site is to use a gaming term “plus one” and use it as a way to compliment friends, family, and coworkers in a fun and unusual way. And in a way this gaming concept again becomes like a currency to those that use it. The currency of gaming can be very validating and that is why we need more of it in our every day life.

In Reality Is Broken the author goes on to say, “Systems that help us level up in real life, by providing us with voluntary obstacles related to our real-world activity and by giving us better feedback really can help us make a better effort.” A lot of people feel undervalued and invisible in their working life and that is why they turn to gaming for escape. Throughout the book McGonigal suggests ways that we can use gaming concepts to fix real world problem. This chapter is the home for Fix #8: Meaningful rewards when we need them most. And too me it makes quite a bit of sense.

I have even set up a plusoneme.com account for PoseySessions and myself, so if you feel like giving us any gold stars just head on over there! (You may need our email addresses so just leave a comment if you want them.) Because after thinking about it I don’t think it would be so bad if there was a little more reward in every day life.

Oh, and one more thing. The Penguin Press has been generous enough to offer me one copy as a giveaway. Just leave a comment saying you would like to be entered. Contest closes 2/12/2011. Sorry US/Canada only. Please make sure you leave a way to contact you if you are the winner.

What to Read!

2011-02-01T13:56:00.001-08:00

I have so much more time to read now that I am basically between finishing my education and finding a job. I am in a strong fantasy mood and have decided to check out a slew of fantasy books that I have not yet read. I am really excited to dig into some of them. But, first things first:

LTUE is this month, and it will be my first time attending. James Dashner is set to be the guest of honor. I have read (and not yet reviewed) most of the first 13th Reality book, but did not entirely enjoy it, so I decided to give Dashner one more shot. Right now on the nook I am reading The Maze Runner. Tracy Hickman will also be at LTUE so I plan on reading the first book in his Dragonships of Vindras series before attending as well. I am very excited for the event and look forward to hearing what many great fantasy writers have to say about their craft. There will definitely be at least one post, maybe more, from BYU this month!

Next up for fantasy is going to be something from this list. Granted I have read a lot of the books here, but there are a few I have only heard of in passing and cannot wait to jump into. I think after LTUE I will start The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erickson, and after the first book in that series I am queuing up The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (a suggestion for the Book Safari by Shanyn) having failed to find this used I will probably see about getting an ebook version. That is as far as I can go ahead, because any one of the previous mentioned books has at least one sequel, if they are good enough I might be sucked in!

As far as other readings go I am finding myself caught up in a whirlwind of great reading regarding one of my other favorite topics; Science and the paranormal. PoseySessions found me an amazing book, Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death, it is currently sitting at her house with about 40 pages read, cant wait to finish this one, and another book that reads like a sequel, Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory. Both books are very similar and document closely related subjects happening 40 –80 years apart. Ghost Hunters chronicles Harvard psychology professor and pragmatic philosopher William James’ (whom I am enamored with) search for scientific proof or disproof of ghosts or spirits. Unbelievable is an account of Dr. J.B. Rhine’s search for ESP ( I found a first edition of Rhine’s New Frontiers of the Mind on the book safari, woot) I plan to finish these and maybe do a series of posts on them and my own philosophy on the topic.

Contest Winner!

2011-02-01T13:21:00.001-08:00

It has come time to announce our contest winner! And since I have all of twelve followers, one being myself (tee hee) and one being PoseySessions I will then choose one of the remaining ten (doing it as I type this) by rolling a ten sided dice and counting upward in chronological order, 1 being my first follower and 10 being my most recent.

Drumroll:

the result is follower Kade Hendricks. Congrats! and a huge thank you to everyone who follows and took part, even though things did not work out the way we wanted them too.

*will attempt to contact winner regarding prize, if not claimed a new winner will be awarded.

Slow January

2011-01-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

January has been pretty slow here on the blog. The Book Safari did not turn out like I had hoped, both in the book search and interest. Though I do very much appreciate those of you who participated. This led me to be a bit discouraged and kinda ignore the blog for a little while. Well, that was January, and this uhh….s till January. Anyway, I have read some great stuff lately and did manage to find a COUPLE decent books. Their will be more content soon. Thanks for sticking with me.

Oh and Feb 1st will be the announcement of the 30 dollar gift card winner, so stay tuned.

Elusive Quarry

2011-01-15T18:31:00.001-08:00

So the Book Safari went off without a hitch…. ok not true. There was one hitch, I did not find a single book from the target list, and it was not for lack of trying. PoseySessions and I hit 5 used book stores and 3 thrift shops in Las Vegas over a 2 day period, and while she came home with a truckload of finds, I carried my meager three books back to Utah a bit dejectedly.

Very sorry to those of you who contributed to the target list. But stay tuned, we will announce the winner of the $30 gift certificate to one of our lucky followers (PoseySessions not included) on or around Feb. 1st.

THE HUNT BEGINS!!!

2011-01-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

And here we are in Las Vegas sitting at a nice breakfast before we break out into the unknown wilderness that is the jungle of used book stores. I have been waiting for this trip for a long time and I am happy to be here with my best girl enjoying a little bit of time away.

Yesterday we hit a few thrift shops and found no list items, boooo hooo! But today should be more promising as we set out for about 7 used bookstores in the Las Vegas area.

Wish us luck! and good luck to all of you who have books in the list (which has a couple new additions)

1. The Man Eaters of Kumaon - Jim Corbett
2. The Glass Bees - Ernst Junger
3. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
4. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips (dreamsandspec)
5. Morality, Harm, and the Law ed. -Gerald Dworkin (dreamsandspec)
6. The Cross Time Engineer - Leo Frankowski (Carrie)
7.The name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss (Shanyn)
8.The desert Spear - Peter V Brett (Shanyn)

Only 8 books on the target list but we will do our best to find them, we will have an instant update if we track one down.

Book Safari Update!

2011-01-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

The Hunt begins Jan 10 and completes on the 12th. The updated list is below. There are some spots open, so toss your hat into the ring and lets see if we can find a few more gems!

List:

1. The Man Eaters of Kumaon - Jim Corbett
2. The Glass Bees - Ernst Junger
3. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
4. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon - Julie Phillips (dreamsandspec)
5. Morality, Harm, and the Law ed. -Gerald Dworkin (dreamsandspec)
6. The Cross Time Engineer - Leo Frankowski (Carrie)
7.
8.
9.
10.

That is how the list looks so far! If you submitted more books don't be discouraged, looks like there might be plenty of room left to fit them all in.

The Great Book Safari Contest!

2010-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

I figured it was about time for Mr. X to host a contest. I wanted to make it something fun and unique, something that tied into what I am doing right now. Then it dawned on me. @PoseySessions and I are taking a trip to Las Vegas on a great book safari. We plan to hit up as many of the local used book stores as we can in search of some great books. I had first thought about making it a little contest among ourselves, then as I thought more about it I wanted to extend that opportunity to the followers of this blog.

So what is the deal?

Easy! There is two ways to win. First just follow this blog, on February 1st a winner will be selected from all the followers and they will receive a $30 gift certificate to better World Books. Another, more fun, way to win will be to contribute to the hunt. Below I am going to post a short list of items that PoseySessions and I consider the feather in the cap of our upcoming hunt. You can contribute to this list in the comments of this post, if your contributions sparks interest and is sufficiently uncommon we will add it to the list and you have just been entered to win a $10 Better World Books gift certificate. Here comes the good part, if we find your book on our safari you win! You can have up to 3 books on the target list, meaning if we find all of them you will also win $30 towards you own virtual book safari.

A short explanation of what we are looking for on our list. One of my items is The Man Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett. My grandpa owns a first edition of this book and I have been searching used book stores across the country for it. I came close to a copy in Connecticut but it had disappeared from the shelf shortly before I arrived asking about it. I could easily order a copy online but part of the fun is the hunt. The genres we enjoy most are scifi, fantasy, nonfiction (historical, philosophy, political thought). So what are some gems you think should be on our list?

List:

1. The Man Eaters of Kumaon - Jim Corbett
2. The Glass Bees - Ernst Junger
3. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The rest of the list is waiting to be populated by you, so participate for a chance to win your own virtual book safari!

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes - Brandon Mull

2010-12-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

I have become a Brandon Mull fan with blazing speed, meeting him on October 31st, and finishing all of his books by Christmas. Mull is a great story teller, and without that I would have not rushed through everything he had to offer so quickly. One thing I am happy I got to read was the first book of his new series Beyonders. I was lucky enough to get it in ebook format from Simon and Schuster's Galley Grab of about a month back. A World Without Heroes officially releases march 15th of 2011, but I have chosen to wrap up Brandon Mull month with an early review of the book.

I have said it many times, but it bears repeating if you are going to dig into A World Without Heroes: Mull is a slow starter, plain and simple. I realized it while reading the Candy Shop War, and when I tuned into a local talk radio station last week I caught them right in the middle of discussing Fablehaven, before long the speaker stated "the first book starts out kinda slow" a sentiment I share. The good thing about Mull is once he gets over the initial drudgery of setting up his tale they usually take off on a rip roaring pace and finish strong.

I do not like to follow the old "talk about all the bad stuff first then give a good review" line that I see so often (but yes I do it), however, I am definitely going to do that with this post. Why? because the book starts bad. There was a moment around a third of the way through that I almost decided to put it down and forget about it. The writing is solid as always with Mull but the narrative for the first 200 pages borders on boring. It takes him a long time to get to the meat of the story, and even then it takes more pages to get into something that feels like a fantasy adventure.

The first part of the book jumps from chapter to chapter each named after some inconsequential character that the protags meet on their quest. A lot of the early stage of the novel feels phoned in, or a mad libbed version of a fantasy book. They meet _________ on the road, he is a _______ and has the power to _________. Then that character fades away as they continue the journey down the road to meat another similar character. The early part of the story is extremely linear, I felt like I was reading a choose your own adventure that only had one choice. I got frustrated many times with the lack of any narrative twist or sense of real threat or danger. Mull employs a trope early in the book that drove me nuts for many pages. An all powerful antagonist who can crush the protags any time he chooses, but lets them continue their quest just for his own amusement, oh yeah and their quest is to destroy him. I groaned every time I heard another excuse why these little nobodies were not being ground to dust under the boot of the evil emperor. BUT, Mull proves his ability later in the book. He turns a groan inducing plot device into a really interesting and unique aspect to the book. It is the twist ending that Mull does so well, it was set up perfectly early on to give the reader a facepalm moment, but still reading through it initially was a bummer.

Almost directly in the middle of the book A World Without Heroes gets good, no great. It takes Mull's introduction of political intrigue and scheming, the imminent threat of death and a spectacular invitation to a wondrous place to make the story come to life. That along with the introduction of some truly awesome supporting characters and finally a sense that the protags have a mind of their own and we begin to see where this story will grow. There is more payoff later in the book as some of the toss away characters return in different capacities. Mull employs some great techniques to paint a dark world covered with a flimsy facade of whimsy. While the protags are on the move it seems like the world is of little consequence, lacking richness or depth, once they stop somewhere Mull takes the time to detail the setting of each of the episodes that take place within the book. It left me feeling like I was looking at a tiny world filled with blandness but peppered with a few points of great interest.

As the narrative picks up in the second half A World Without Heroes becomes a strong and enjoyable fantasy novel. Along with being a slow starter Mull has a thing for one dimensional main characters. In every one of his books I have found the supporting cast to be more interesting, more detailed and more fleshed out than his main characters. The same goes for this book The female protag, at times, seems like she merely represents an outlet for the male character to vent his frustrations. However, from the ending it seems like this may change in the second book. It should also be said this is definitely a story from a boys perspective, whereas I felt Fablehaven was more balanced, but leaning toward a girls point of view, A World Without Heroes is told more through the eyes of a male protag. While Fablehaven made a point to complete each book with its own conclusion, A World Without Heroes does not have a solid ending point, and the story is left unresolved to be picked up with the next book.

readers should rejoice, though you will have to slog through a couple hundred pages of mediocre narrative you will dive into the deep end of a fantastic fantasy adventure, and in the style of Mull's previous series, the action should not die down in the beginning of each subsequent book, it feels like he has shaken out the cobwebs, laid the cards on the table and with the first book in the Beyonders series has prepared the reader for two more books stacked with fast paced fantasy adventure. We can only hope!

Eastern State Penitentiary

2010-12-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

This summer I was lucky enough to have one the of best experiences of my life. I took a cross country road trip with PoseySessions. We drove from San Diego to Connecticut and visited NYC, Washington DC and a bunch of other awesome places. One of the best things about the trip was the fact that I could stop at several places along the way and visit friends and family who are spread out all across the country. One side trip took us to Philadelphia where we planned to stay a few days with my cousin Desi. Without anything really planned Desi decided to show us around her home city. We feasted at several great ethnic restaurants, saw the famous Rocky statue and played in a few fountains. Now if you know PoseySessions you know that she is sort of a bibliophile. Desi recommended a neat little used bookstore near a place she used to work. So we went, and found a great parking spot, which was surprising! But what was even more surprising is what was directly across the street from our destination. While I drove along the cramped streets of Philly I did not even notice the hulking stone mass (hey I am a small town boy, I had enough on my plate just understanding if I was going the right way down any of the one way streets). We stepped out of the car and then I saw it, well I saw a huge block wall stretching high into the air. It did not fit, here we were in the middle of a major metropolitan area and there was a castle across the street from a coffee shop, a Greek restaurant, and a used bookstore. I wondered out loud what that could be. It is Eastern State Penitentiary my cousin responded, and then my heart skipped a beat, I immediately thought of this.

Those (few) of you who follow the blog may have noticed that I am slightly interested in the paranormal. That being so I have been a fan of Syfy’s Ghost Hunters since its first episode. I don’t claim to believe everything that happens on the show, but I do get a fun little tingle by tagging along into creepy places in the middle of the night. F you have seen the show then you might know that Eastern State was one of the locations that TAPS investigated early in the series. They came out with some spooky (if controversial) evidence. Later in the series they returned for a live event. The TAPS crew announced Eastern State was officially haunted. So there I was, standing, staring (gawking) at this mass of stone and mortar. It cast a pall over the neighborhood, its mere presence making the cloudy day even gloomier. We have to go, I announced. And so we did.

Eastern State is a fantastic place. While the self guided tour seemed a bit lacking, the experience of being able to roam on your own through the dark crumbling halls was better than I could have ever imagined. The stories told by inmates and guards alike are enough to put even a person without knowledge of the supposed haunting on edge. It was the country's first penitentiary. Penitence being the root word. The prisoners were kept in silence, devoid of human contact. Guards wore special socks over their shoes as to make no noise when walking the halls to alert the inmates to the presence of another human being. A reverent pall settled on me as I entered into the first cell block, men actually lived years of their lives in this place, it was a sobering thought. The halls were crumbling and the rusted, warped doors led into dark voids filled with damp, cracked walls. As we walked through the oppressive atmosphere I could not help but feel a rush, this was a legitimately spooky place, this is how they are supposed to feel. if a ghost lives anywhere in the world, I bet there is one at Eastern State.

As we concluded our tour feeling suitably humbled and slightly creeped out we walked out into the courtyard and the threatening storm broke loose on us. Lightning flashed briefly brightening the day darkened by black clouds. Thundered boomed across the prison and rain spattered down. It was the perfect ending to the amazing experience.

Another interesting aspect to Eastern State were the numerous artistic installations. While I found some of them to be a bit out of palce for my taste (the ode to Abu Ghraib in particular) several of them only served to enhance the experience. One was a set of televisions located in different parts of the prison playing scenes from famous prison movies. In the bathroom was an endless loop of bathroom scenes, in the hallway were scenes that take place in prison halls, and so on for cells and other parts of the penitentiary. Another that served to capture a moment of Eastern State and freeze it in time was the addition of several white plaster cats placed among the crumbling ruins. They were crafted in homage to the pack of stray cats who made a home in the prison walls, and to the man who took care of them. The story of the cats was almost as sad as that of the penitentiary itself. Animal control spayed and neutered all the animals and the clan eventually faded away, like their statues which are crumbling and disappearing from the grounds of Eastern State.

In the end I cannot say if Eastern State is haunted, but I can say it is a wonderful place to visit. PoseySessions was the photographer for this excursion as she is for most of them.. She got some shots that captured the creepiness of the place.

This might not be a ghost in this picture, in fact I doubt it is, but I like to pretend we caught something paranormal during our time at Eastern State. Below: extremely creepy barber chair in one of the cells.

Fablehaven–Brandon Mull

2010-12-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

Prior to attending Teen Book Fest in Provo I had read eleven pages of Fablehaven, closed the book and mostly forgot about it. After meeting Brandon Mull I decided to give this one another go. What turned me off was the familiar opening and the realization that this was another urban fantasy. I picked the book up and began to read. It was several pages before my interest was piqued. It seems to me that Mull is a slow starter, which is not really a bad thing, but with so many books out there dying to be read I often give up a little too early. In the end I am very happy I picked this book back up.

It takes a while to get into the meat of the story, but when Mull begins to unravel mysteries and secrets the roller coaster ride never ends. There is so much packed into this book that it is hard to decide where to begin. The world of Fablehaven is our own world, usually this is not very interesting to me, however, Mull pulls it off like none other (ok, ok, maybe one other) I loved the idea of a world that used to be filled with magical creatures with human eyes slowly being closed to their existence over time. I loved the setting. Connecticut. Having just visited the state for the first time this summer I was entranced by the natural beauty. It was fresh in my mind and with Mull’s descriptions I was easily able to pictures the forests and streams of Fablehaven.

Mull intrigued me with the hints of sinister and evil creatures, his depictions of terrible monsters, and warnings to not peek out the windows on midsummer’s eve. At times the story can be dark, creepy, and bordering on scary. There were moments surrounding midsummer’s eve that I found my self tensely flipping pages to catch the next development. I was reading the book in a way a person watches a horror movie through the gaps in the fingers covering their eyes. Yes, it was that awesome.

Mull weaves in a cast of characters that are unique and interesting, if at times a bit flat or one dimensional.The main characters, the kids, were at once fun to read about, and a bit off putting. Seth can at times be very hard to like, and Kendra is a bit of a blank slate early in the series. These things do change in time, but they are very noticeable in the first book. I would have loved to know more about Grandpa Sorenson and Dale. But, the number of characters and their personalities definitely improves through the series. Especially with my favorite character, Hugo. Saying that might be a bit of a spoiler, but not much, you still have to figure it out. I especially liked Muriel and her jangling limberjack, it was an excellent way to tie the story together and bring it into the larger scope of the entire series.

The best part of this great story was definitely the ending. I have noticed that many fantasy stories aimed at young readers lack that epic feel. Even Harry Potter left something to be desired in the way of grandiose actions scenes that typify the genre. Fablehaven does not. The final battle, while small in scope, feels like a raging fight to save the world. I reveled in the good on evil action and the series of twists that made the story pay off.

Fablehaven is an amazing fantasy story, it has everything one could hope for in a roaring good tale. A little bit of horror, a lot of action, magic, demons and witches and a pressing sense of danger.

The Candy Shop War–Brandon Mull

2010-12-10T00:08:00.001-08:00

Prior to Provo City Library’s Teen Book Fest I only knew Brandon Mull as the author of the Fablehaven series. I was taken a bit off guard when I saw hordes of youngsters carrying a different book by him. Little arms absent of Fablehaven book instead clutched copies of The Candy Shop War. I noticed it, but thought very little of it, as to me it seemed this was a novel for much younger kids. then I read Fablehaven and was convinced of Mull’s status as a great storyteller. I had seen it on the shelf of a local bookstore one week, went back a few days alter and they were sold out. I went to another store and snagged their last remaining copy. I cracked open the book with very few expectations.

I was for the most part correct about the target audience of the book which seems in the 8-10 year old range. The story begins with a very familiar middle grade trope: new kid just moving into a new town. Scores of these books begin either in a car travelling to an unfamiliar new hometown, on the first day at a new school, or standing in a bedroom surrounded by boxes waiting to be unpacked. PoseySessions refutes this statement, but I stand firmly by my assessment. The new kid in town is the old fallback opening for many of these types of stories. Not saying that it does not work, but I had hoped for something more original from Mull. There was very little in the way of adapting to a new environment. The fact that the main character instantly made friends and assimilated into his new environment made the fact that he was a new kid in town almost pointless. He confronts the realities of the story as they begin, he did not move into a weird town and begin to discover its oddities, he moved in right as the strangeness begins. Nate could have been any kid who lived in Colson for years, that used and abused new kid in town formula served very little purpose and did nothing but set this novel from the beginning in the “standard middle grade fare” territory.

Standard fare is where the novel muddled for several chapters. The idea of magic candy and the way Mull sets it apart is very well conceptualized. I like the way he created his magical system, a world where magicians have to exploit children with candy in order to achieve their goals. There is something sinister about Mull’s magic from the beginning. It speaks back to the mantra hammered into the minds of every child: “don’t take candy from strangers". The sinister tone that underlies the book serves from the start to make narrative fairly predictable. There were no boundaries smashed in The Candy Shop War, at least in the middle chapters of the book. I did however enjoy the fact that Mull created a dangerous world, a world where you can be killed and nobody is really safe. The introduction of John Dart in the prologue makes it very clear that things are dangerous, and when he reemerges later in the story it is where the book picks up and starts to get better.

One thing that I really liked about The candy Shop war was the unfamiliar triumvirate of opposing forces. The bad guy, the not so bad guy who is still not too trustworthy, and the good guy who is still pretty dark. When John Dart enters the narrative the story changes from something standard to something much more interesting. I wont say if he is a good buy or bad guy (no spoilers) but he is a very neat character who pushes the story in a much better direction. by the end Mull has cultivated a sense of hopelessness and loss. And when the story comes to a climax the reader is turned upside down and inside out and left with their jaw dropped as they contemplate an “I see what you did there” moment.

While The Candy Shop War may be slow and predictable for the first three quarters of the book the final chapters make it more than worthwhile to push through them. in the end I went from disappointed with the book to having enjoyed it enough that I eagerly await the sequel. It is a good read with a solid message for readers of all ages.

Brandon Mull Month

2010-12-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

Brandon Mull is the author of middle grade fantasy series Fablehaven along with standalone novel The Candy Shop War and children’s picture book Pingo. I chose to dedicate a month on the blog to the works of Brandon because after meeting him at Provo City Library’s Teen Book Fest I was convinced that he was a genuinely nice guy. The next day I picked up a copy of Fablehaven and was convinced, shortly thereafter, that he is one heck of a writer. Despite signings by other very popular authors (Brandon Sanderson, Scott Westerfeld) Brandon’s line at Teen Book Fest was by far the longest, eclipsing Sanderson who was seated next to him by about double.

I was the last person in Brandon’s line, as I had yet to read any of his books. I was collecting signatures on the back of my nook and decided, seeing the line had almost petered out, to visit Brandon to add his sig to my collection. When I approached him he was at the tail end of a 3 hour signing session, he spent the first hour of the event in a panel on fantasy writing, and the next 3 in an uncomfortable seat facing down a line of admirers. Yet as I approached he seemed genuinely friendly and happy to talk to me. I asked him to sign my nook and he was happy to oblige, then he asked “So tell me about yourself, what is your situation” A moment of “omg” hit me, was this bestselling author really interested in what I had to say? He certainly made me feel like he did. We chatted about his books for a few moments, I even told him I had not read one yet. He assured me when I finished the first Fablehaven book, if I liked it I would be hooked.

With that promise in my back pocket I quickly obtained a copy for my nook and set about reading. I was pleasantly surprised. In less than 30 days I read the entire 5 book series and Pingo, I will finish The Candyshop War tonight. As we spoke Brandon mentioned his newest series, Beyonders, the first book which debuts in March. I was sold on the synopsis he gave me and was itching to read it. I was super excited to find out that it was part of Simon and Schuster’s recent galley grab. Luckily I got an advanced copy sitting on my nook and will be reading it very soon.

Brandon Mull Month will be a part of a longer series about Utah fantasy Authors. Specifically the three on the fantasy panel at Teen Book Fest: Mull, Sanderson and J. Scott Savage whose Far World series is currently sitting on my entertainment center waiting to be read. They had some great things to say about writing fantasy and I cannot wait to delve more into their ideas. Especially a follow up on my epic fantasy post of a month or so back, AND a review of the single best fantasy novel I have ever read.

So stay tuned for reviews of the Fablehaven Books, The Candyshop War, Pingo and finally a look forward to Beyonders.

What is a Good Book?

2010-11-29T22:31:00.001-08:00

As bloggers we spend a lot of time critiquing books. We make judgments. We declare good or bad. Often we have some pretty good reasons. But, what IS a good book? Each reader has their own answer to this question. What I find great someone else will not. Although I try to respect the opinions of others, I find myself getting aggravated with literary elitists and snobs who tend to pan anything and everything that has a hint of popular appeal. I think these types are so far out of the loop that they have no business being taken seriously.

A novel is in the end entertainment. We open a book hoping to fill a moment with action, adventure, romance and fantasy. Often we take something more away. Sometimes the story can touch us, can make us think, or change the way we think, it can enlighten us, tweak our worldview or even change our lives. But, to begin it all we opened the novel with the intention of being entertained. So if we finish a book with a contented sigh, reflect a moment on the joy we took out of it, the moments spent curled up entranced by the words and the story, then that book is a success.

For me a good book is almost assuredly any book I have read cover to cover. I do not finish bad books. If a book succeeded in holding my attention from start to finish then It has done its job and provided me with something worth occupying my time. When reviewing a book it is not impactful to say “I read it so it must have been good".” But often that is how I feel, even when I finish a book with a little ambivalence, I had at least found something to keep me involved.

Let us be honest a novel has many aspects: the story, the writing, the characters. Some writers are magnificent imaginers, they weave great tales. Some are masters of language and use literary flair as a tool to support their stories. Some have deep understanding of manipulating emotion and crafting characters with which we can connect. All of these are parts of a good novel, but not all are required to make a novel good.

Let us look at Twilight. Twilight and Stephanie Meyer are often the butt of many jokes. Many people stoop so low as to call Meyers names and claim she is a terrible writer. But, this can be proven wrong merely by the joy her books have brought to millions of readers. These books, whether you like them or not, are good. Because they have succeeded in entertaining so many people, because they have inflamed the imagination, because they have enticed many people to open, read and finish her works. This is the mark of a good book.

When I review a book here on this blog I cannot tell you if it was good or bad. I can tell you only if I liked it or not. It is my opinion that any book that someone out there can connect with, that brings moments of joy or escapism to any person who can sit with it from start to finish is a good book.

The only question is: Did I Like It?

The answer remains, if I read it, yes I liked it. Something in it was worth liking.

Music Through Generations

2010-11-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

As I stood flipping through my Dad’s CD case today I could not help but notice how much his musical tastes influenced my own. I then began contemplating my Grandfather’s musical tastes and saw a direct influence from him to my dad to me. Now don’t get me wrong, I can listen to just about anything from either of their collections and be pretty happy, but there has been an evolution in my musical tastes that includes everything that came before me and contemporary music. This doe not swing both ways. While I enjoy Hank Williams from my Gramps’ collection and Lynyrd Skynyrd from my Dad’s they do not like anything from my generation, and my Grandfather would not listen to the Outlaws or ZZ Top. Just like the previous generation of musical artist influences the next, so does the previous generation of music listener effect those that come later. I wanted to devote this post to trace the lineage of my musical tastes.

I am really interested in new style alternative country music that has its roots in the classic country of my Grandfather’s era. A great example of this evolution:

My Grandpa: Hank Williams

My Dad: Willie Nelson

Me: Scott H. Biram

Each of these artists were influenced by the ones who came before. I remember listening to Willie Nelson with my dad as a youngster, and I can picture my dad hearing Hank Williams on the old stereo in Grandpa’s den through the 60s. So when I grew up and found Scott Biram instantly I fell in love with his style and updated lyrics and slight edginess.

Grandpa: Jimmy C. Newman

Dad: Lynyrd Skynyrd

Me: North Mississippi All-stars

The connection between these bands is undeniable. I love that gritty down south sound. I remember long road trips with Gramps and Jimmy Newman’s Alligator Man blasting in his truck, or cruising canal banks fishing with my pop and listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. Realizing I have another connection to my Dad and Grandpa through music is very meaningful to me.

Does anyone else have similar stories?

The Bush Tragedy–Jacob Weisberg

2010-11-21T23:26:00.001-08:00

The history of American politics is riddled with presidents who, in their time, were reviled and later vindicated as the pendulum of history swung. George W. Bush hopes to join the ranks of this group which includes men like Harry Truman and Abraham Lincoln. In The Bush Tragedy Jacob Weisberg looks into the relationships surrounding the divisive 43^rd President of the United States. He contends that these relationships were the foundation of Bush’s policy making and in the end led him down a dangerous path that divided the nation and embroiled it in war and failure. The tone of the book is strongly psychoanalytical; Weisberg continually hammers home psychological themes in order for the reader to understand George W. Bush. However, some of the finest analysis in The Bush Tragedy lies in the chapters dealing more with politics and less with psychology, the chapters containing W.’s relationships with Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. The Bush Tragedy is an interesting book, it succeeds as a powerful look into the relationships George W. had with the people around him, but it poorly supports its main thesis, which is the supposed competition between father and son.

It is important to note the Jacob Weisberg does not hold a degree in psychology. He is first and foremost a journalist who contributes to periodicals such as Newsweek, the New Republic and The Washington Post. It is important for the reader to know Weisberg’s background and education because complicated psychological themes are invoked many times in the book. When Weisberg speaks of an Oedipus complex the reader should understand that this is the amateur psychoanalysis of a political observer and not the conclusion of a licensed mental health professional. In the introduction to the book he claims no special feeling toward Bush, but it is clear from his affiliations, notably his work for the New Republic, a magazine that caters specifically to causes on the left on the political spectrum, that he has a well-defined sense of his political position. One would surmise that would include a certain antipathy toward a president who so betrayed the democrats and drove a wedge in American politics.

Published in 2008, a year before Bush left office, The Bush Tragedy came at a time that most Americans were looking forward to a future without George W. Bush. The economy was beginning to tank, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had pushed America to the brink, and any promise of peace and prosperity had long since faded. Americans were just getting a glimpse at who might be their future president as the primary campaigns were swinging into full gear. The Bush Tragedy served as a powerful forewarning, in order to avoid another mistake by the American electorate it was important for people to understand why Bush had failed. In the book Weisberg makes a compelling argument, laying out all the information and drawing, for the most part, lucent conclusions.

Weisberg does something refreshing with The Bush Tragedy. He tries very hard to take Bush seriously. He does not paint him as a political caricature, a cowboy, or a clown. Instead he looks seriously at the life of a troubled man. The psychoanalysis in the book often feels like a stretch. Weisberg does not fully flesh out or support his conclusions. He tosses out terms like oedipal complex without fleshing them out or fully investigating them. The reader is left to assume that because Weisberg has described a desire to emerge from his father’s shadow that Bush also held some unnatural desire for his mother; which is the true meaning of an oedipal complex. Weisberg however never makes the latter assertion. Much of the psychoanalysis in the book seems insubstantial, or only partially adequate.

Weisberg’s political analysis is strong and detailed. The chapters which deal with the Bush relationship with Karl Rove and Dick Cheney are superbly researched and well argued. These chapters contain the most insightful look into the Bush White House and his decision making process, or lack thereof. Weisberg portrays Rove as a worshipful political lackey willing to take abuse from Bush in order to leech benefits from the charismatic younger Bush’s spotlight. Weisberg goes in depth explaining their symbiotic relationship. Even likening Bush to the shark and Rove to the remora. In his discussion of the ways Rove led Bush astray during his presidency Weisberg does what he failed to do in earlier chapters, flesh out and support a strong argument. The Rove chapter is thoroughly researched and factually represented. It represents a fine piece of political and historical writing. The Dick Cheney chapter is also very well done. Weisberg penetrates the mind of Cheney, exposing the calculations that eventually secured him a spot as Vice President. He describes Cheney as a secretive mastermind, a description that rings true. His descriptions of the way Cheney successfully used Bush’s own psyche against him are some of the most powerful sections of the book. Weisberg, in these two chapters, paints a picture of a President under the influence of powerful men whispering in his ear, men that would lead the country into tragedy and the presidency into chaos.

A less captivating part of the book was Weisberg’s continual return to Shakespeare and the plays Henry IV and Henry V. Often these comparisons felt forced, and always unnecessary. The use of Shakespeare led to long introductions to chapters that broke up the flow of the book and took the reader totally out of the narrative that was unfolding. This was particularly a shame because otherwise the work was a masterful piece of non-fiction prose. Along with the extraneous use of Shakespeare Weisberg also adds other tangential information. Going so far as to conclude the final chapter of the book by holding forth for pages on Winston Churchill and barely mentioning Bush a single time on the final page.

The Bush Tragedy is an excellent piece of political history. The book contains chapters filled with powerful, fact based, political analysis, and chapters that focus on less substantial psychological assertions. It lost a bit of its power by being published before the end of the Bush’s final term because it was not able to examine his presidency as a whole. It missed some developments for the worse, and some not quite near as tragic as first supposed. As a whole Weisberg succeeded with his analysis and did give the reader a powerful glimpse into the mind of an embattled American President.

What is this blog?

2010-11-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

I know I have seriously neglected this bog for little while now and it is definitely bothering me. I have a ton of excuses, I could tell you that this is my final semester for my B.A. and I am working hard, or I could say being engaged to PoseySessions is a full time job. But I wont. I am definitely going to be spending more time working and adding content to this blog very soon. I will be a college graduate in about 3 weeks. Which should in turn give me more free time to do what I love: read and write. But I am running into a fundamental question...

What s this blog?

I was lucky enough to get a few ARCs from Harper Collins, and definitely intend to read and review them. problem is they are all historical non-fiction. I love history, I am a history major (along with political science) This blog was designed more to review fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal and genre YA and MG stuff. fun, light reading, along with tv movies etc etc etc. Well I still want to review that stuff but trying to mingle serious analytical reviewing of historical non-fiction with reviews of fantasy and young adult boos didnt sound good to me. I considered starting another blog for the historical stuff but was dissuaded by PoseySessions. In the end I am gonna take her advice and let my blog reflect exactly what I am, a nerdy fantasy loving history buff who watches too much tv and movies. Maybe in the end everyone will find something they enjoy reading about here on the blog. And i can build up a collection of serious reviews so I will not be turned down for a galley again!

All in all, if you still read, thank you. There will be tons more content soon.

The Most Haunted House In England–Count Harry Price

2010-10-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

It has been my experience that finding a book written on a paranormal topic by someone with a scientifically skeptical mind is a very hard thing to do. I feel like it is just as shortsighted to dismiss the idea of paranormal activity outright as it is to believe it wholesale. While I am definitely interested in things described as supernatural I am not interested in reading accounts by people who approach the subject willing to accept every single bump in the night as proof of ghosts and ghouls. But, the vast majority of books I have encountered on the subject are written by those types of people. It bothers me that paranormal investigation has to (almost always) be undertaken with an idea of all or nothing. Some people believe all, and in doing so damaging their credibility and the study they are trying to prove, and some believe nothing, not bothering to try at all to understand anything described as paranormal. That leaves the market for nonfiction paranormal books flooded by phony baloney conmen seeking to sell something of which they are not really trying to understand.

Enter Harry Price and the story of Borley Rectory. Price is exactly the kind of person I want to see investigating paranormal phenomena, a skeptic who is willing to admit that strange things happen. A scientist in the truest sense of the word he tried to know the unknown, he did not disregard it (as most scientists are wont to do) as mere foolishness or figments of men’s imaginations. Even if the things people see and experience are part of intricate hallucinations, wouldn’t science benefit by understanding why the human mind is playing such “tricks”? Instead of following this course, science is all to ready to ignore the entire area of study. It is a shame.

Borley Rectory is a fantastic case of paranormal activity. Locals reported strange phenomena in the vicinity of the building as early as 1863. Sightings included those of a wandering nun (supposedly bricked up in a wall for her sins) and a ghost carriage driven by a headless man. In the book Price debunks the story of the nun, yet continues to record sightings, witnessed by himself and others. During the years of his investigation of the Rectory Price notes the sinister change in the activity from mere sightings of repetitious apparitions to full fledged poltergeist activity. Ringing bells, flying objects, names and messages scrawled on walls by unseen hands. Price not only recounts phenomena witnessed by himself but he also lays out a case for the scientific study of the supernatural. He details an entire process of bringing new and skeptically minded observers into the house in order to garner untainted information from many different witnesses. His description of the set up borders on ingenious.

Borley Rectory soon became known as a cursed place, abandoned by even the church that owned it. In the effort of his study Price actually rented the building for a year to continue his work. All of which is laid out with great detail in The Most Haunted House in England. Price has a refined writing style that bespeaks a gentile nobility and a fine, educated mind. This book was a pleasure to read. If only there were more books of this ilk on the topic, perhaps we would know so much more about the paranormal than we do today.

Gold After Gray–Part 3

2010-10-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

I knew he was following me, and I knew that he was good. I am not an easy person to find. But why? The question did not bother me much, never kept me up at night; only once in a while did I stop to ponder why that handsome stranger was forever on my tail. At first I thought it coincidence, if we were going the same direction, on the same freeway, we might cross paths at more than one motel. After a while I knew he was after me. Too bad for him, I hold all the cards. A man like that is not easy to forget, he is handsome, his voice rich and smooth, his smile so oddly intriguing, his eyes so bright they almost glow. So I remembered him, noticed him several times in the past two years, where a lesser man might have been invisible. I have done many things in my life that would put the law on my tail, maybe even the FBI, CIA, or some other government agency. I have survived in ways that others would shun, but never have I crossed my moral code. The man at the gas station, the woman beating coward, he was not the first, most likely not the last. Some people deserve what they get, and if I am around they get what they deserve… perhaps that last statement drips with a little too much machismo, an arrogance that I can afford. Nobody has yet to take me down a peg, but, I am not god; I am not the angel of death… I realize now that I could fill thousands of these pages telling you what I am not, but less than one telling you what I am.

So he follows me, this mystery Adonis, to what end matters little. He represents a cage, or shackles, or some other unpleasantness. Although I cannot say that I am happy, I can think of no other way of life that would suit me better than this. As an oddity on display, or a prisoner in a cell, or a test subject on a cold steel table I would be far less happy than I am now; so I keep to the road, Mr. Handsome at my back and any chance of disappointment with failed friendships far away.

Tonight I write this from a campsite inside the Utah border, my small tent is pitched against a light spattering of rain, and the burning steno provides enough light to illuminate the pages of this worn journal. What I hope to gain from laying down this story even I cannot say. Perhaps someone will know me by my words on this page better than anyone has known me by my face or voice. Maybe somewhere here will be the key to unraveling the truth. But for the moment it helps me fill the lonely minutes between turning off some stretch of highway and falling asleep to face the twisting and turning of my dreams.

****************************************************************

“I dunno why I done it Sh’rif!” The Walrus slash trucker blubbered into his beard as he stared at the Sheriff’s stoic face. “I done told ya, He was yelling at Betty there in the Café and he called her a Bitch, so something just said to me ‘ya oughta whoop his ass for that’ and so I just jumped him, he was being mighty rude.” The Sheriff just stared at the big man for a moment.

“Lou Ross” The Sheriff started calmly, and then paused.

“Yessir?”

“Aint you done called Betty a bitch once or twice?”

“Well that’s different; she’s my sister in law.”

“And so you always stickin’ up for her when someone starts to hasslin’ her?”

“Well no… but this time it just rubbed me the wrong way, and then that stranger started tellin’ me that I was big enough to whoop up on the fella and I just decided he had it coming.”

“Which stranger?” the Sheriff asked, his interest piqued.

“The handomse looking one” Lou Ross smiled a bit at the fading memory of the stranger “with the fancy car.” The Sheriff remembered the man. He wrote something down on the yellow pad placed before him.

“So the stranger talked you into it, kinda pumped up your courage?”

“Well, I didn’t even care really, ya know Betty Sh’rif, she is a bitch and all. But the stranger told me that fella was being rude, and I could whoop him, and I just decided I did wanna whoop him, because well I can call her that, she is my sister in law after all and he was just some cross country driver off the freeway coming into town and calling my sister in law a bitch, so well the stranger he had a good point.”

“You know Betty was mighty flattered ya done that for her, said she was gonna put up your bail.”

“Awww damn.” Lou Ross grunted and looked put out.

“Whats wrong?” The Sheriff asked, genuinely concerned “We are gonna have you out of here tonight, that other fella aint even hurt and he won’t be pressing charges because he cant be bothered to come back through for court, but I promised him I would hold ya on disturbing the peace.”

“Its just…” The big man paused then huffed out the last words “Well, I don’t wanna owe that bitch no money! She’s gonna be holding it over my head for the rest of my life, and tomorrow she will have forgotten the beating I gave out for her.” The Sheriff wanted to chuckle, but something about this incident disturbed him. That stranger seemed mighty out of place, everything about him was wrong. Sheriff Graves didn’t believe in coincidence, last night a murder, first in a decade, and today this.

“Let him go, he aint gonna hurt nobody else.” The Sheriff motioned toward Lou Ross as he stood up snatched the hat from the desk, slammed it on his head and walked out. As The behemoth trucker waddled out the front door of the small adobe jail he caught a brief glimpse of the Sheriff’s Buick as it turned onto the highway and sped in the direction of the Gas n’ Go.

*****************************************

The stranger stormed out of the ancient gas station, the pimpled teenager behind the counter had told him nothing, and he would have, even now the youngster was staring out the window at him with a fond, loving, smile painted on his face. There was just nothing to tell. And there was no surveillance tape. That had been turned over to the Sheriff, of course. The tape was out of his reach, he would not confront that old lump of a law man again, not unless he was prepared to gun him down and rid the planet of one who could resist his trick. He had searched the area and found the motorcycle tracks in the dirt behind the building, same as he had been seeing for a while. Maybe Gray was getting sloppy, the stranger didn’t dare to hope that he was following Gray unknown, he had been given the slip too many times for even someone, even as unusual as his pray was , to do it by accident. He saw a few blood droplets, probably the victims, Gray would never leave behind his own DNA, that would be very bad for him. But the stranger scraped it up anyone and bagged it to send back to the men at the top, they would figure it all out. Nothing here helped him much; his mind kept going back to that surveillance tape.

He was following a shadow, Enigma Man, was the name he had been given back when the stranger was assigned this case. It had been a long time ago, he had been after the shadow for a long time, too long for some of the men at the top, things were coming to a head and the stranger intended to come out on top, like always. He needed that video tape, he was a smart man, along with being handsome, and charming, and soulless. He wanted all the imagery of Gray that he could find, and maybe then he could piece together something that would shine some light on the shadow.

He went back to the truck stop and rented a dirty little room in a one level motel whose rooms stood in a single straight row with fading orange doors. When he entered the room he smelled dust and cigarette smoke, he saw nothing, it was dark, the blackout curtains worked in the room, if nothing else did. Without disrobing he lay down comfortably, sensuously, on the bed, his nobility noticeably out of place on the drab and tattered quilt below him. He slept, the deep and calm sleep of the truly confident man, he knew he would awaken, and when he did he would get what he wanted. Only a few hours had past when he awoke, eyelids peeling back from sapphire blue eyes, he was out of the room quickly. Car keys slid from his pocket as he walked, he was in the black machine and out of the motel parking lot in only a few seconds up the highway toward the little desert town. It didn’t take him long to find the Sheriff’s office. It was low and flat building, built of adobe and tiled with red clay, one side was home to the jail and the other to the municipal library. The building sat surrounded by a park, filled with rusting swings, jungle gyms and slides disintegrating from neglect. He parked his fancy car a few blocks away, out of site of the jail and walked casually down gutterless streets, without sidewalks where lawns met road, and he could not quite tell where one stopped and the other started, the macadam giving away to dirt, the dirt sometimes contained clumps of brown grass, usually not.

He crossed the highway that led south to the Gas N Go and North to the truck stop and walked into the park. He noticed as he strolled that the Buick the Sheriff had driven was parked in front of the jail and a shiver that began in his solarplexes wracked him. He was overcome with a wave of fear, anger, and disgust, mostly with himself. He tread on dead grass and passed dying implements that once evoked tinkles of childrens laughter, a sound only mocked now by the rusty screeching of chain blown back and forth in the breeze. He settled in under a gnarled tree of some desert variety with which he was not familiar. He worried for his fine suit so he dared not sit. Instead he stood perfectly still, hands in pockets, golden hair flicked occasionally by a hot draft of desert air. And the sun set behind him, it framed him, a statue in roman style, poised, ever vigilant.

Slightly before the sun dipped below the purple mountains on the edge of the world he stiffened, the sheriff walked out of the building and the enormous trucker who had done his bidding followed shortly behind. The trucker settled in on a bench out front of the library, apparently waiting for a ride home. The stranger grinned and thought of some old idiom. And then he was walking, if anyone was watching him they would have never been able to say he had started walking, he was just moving, moving toward his rotund acquaintance of earlier this morning.

The Dead Boys – Royce Buckingham

2010-10-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

The Dead Boys was the first review book I have ever received since starting this blog, and I found it oddly fitting. I carried it along with me as PoseySessions forced me to drive her 3 hours away to attend a book club with a local author. I sat in the sun baked parking lot with the book on the passenger seat, contemplating what to do, I was in a big city and had a few hours to spare. The magnificently creepy cover of The Dead Boys kept calling me, and I gave in. Rather than exploring or finding something else to fill my time I cracked open this gem of a book. The fact that 2 hours later, in that same hot parking lot, with windows down on the car, I closed the back cover over the book and let out a contented sigh just goes to show how gripping and exciting this book is.

The Dead Boys is a Middle Grade novel, probably as can be judged from the title, geared for young boys. Buckingham is a fantastic kids author. He really brought to life the sleepy and dreary little desert town. He made me sympathize with Teddy moving to a new city, and later on he scared the pants off me as some of the visuals he described leaped off the page at me. The book is excellent. The narrative is straightforward and easy to follow, it jumps around a little bit but not enough to really lose the reader. As you close the book you realize it made sense all along, and all the little slips in the story were part of the intrigue.

The book was SCARY, yes, scary enough to make me, a grown man, in a brightly lit school parking lot, in the middle of the day, jump a little bit at a couple of really awesome parts. Buckingham has a well developed style that works extremely well in a spooky novel. I felt like I was watching events unfold, that I could SEE them happening on the page, not just reading a page of black and white text. The idea of the book is original and really fun. Buckingham trims the fat from the story, leaving out a lot of the little extra stuff that does not need to be in these kind of novels. It makes the book streamlined and focused, which is great, because this is a scary story, nothing more. It is a great scary story.

I really love these fun little stories, it transported me back to my childhood and late night reads of anything with Goosebumps written on the cover. The story is along those lines, but Buckingham’s story is more refined, more well thought out, and downright creepier.

I highly recommend The Dead Boys as a spooky Halloween read for anyone looking to be a little creeped out.

Gold After Gray – Part 2

2010-09-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

He smiled a grin that was a little too straight, a little too white and a little too fake. His hair was platinum and gold swept straight back. The eyes were as blue as the Mediterranean. His nose was Roman, crooked enough to be strikingly handsome. His cheekbones, elegant chin and jaw line hinted at some noble breeding. The dark suit he wore clung to him cut in a style reminiscent of European aristocracy. It traced the length of his tall, lithe body and made anyone who looked upon him aware of tense muscles filled with a power that could be unleashed any minute. He was out of place here in this dingy diner surrounded by obese truck drivers and used up women. None of them would look at him twice, as if they dare not see a picture of pure human beauty and know that they would never see it again. These types of people would not trust a man like him. Like a woman who hates another woman who is more beautiful, or a man who covets the wealth and perfection of another, he was a nemesis. But he couldn’t blame them; if he ever let anyone really know him they wouldn’t trust him either. They didn’t have to look at him though, they all felt like they had seen him, met him, before. When he looked at someone, when he addressed them it was as if he were speaking to an old friend, and that is how they responded. All these people would love him, if he wanted them to. He would not have to ask, they would ask him if they could. If he spoke a kind word to them they would feel blessed, and everything they thought upon first seeing him would be vapor in the breeze. He could make these men kill each other and burn this diner to the ground if he just called them “pal.” He smiled a moment at the thought then turned his mind back to business. He had no time for games. He was working.

The waitress watched the smile vanish from his face and she felt as if someone had turned out the lights. She stood, slouching, tapping her pen on a green pad, waiting for him to give her his order, which she hadn’t asked to take.

“Black coffee please, dear.” He spoke slowly, deliberately the feint accent of the moneyed south escaping his lips as they parted to flash that brilliant, odd smile. The waitress, well past her prime, blushed and felt something akin to chemistry crackle between them.

“You got it hon’” She answered a little breathlessly. She hadn’t been in the mood to call a customer “hon’” in years. Decades of serving the slobs who passed through this greasy spoon had worn away her desire to please and left a dry splintered courtesy that consisted of saying little and hearing less. Today, right now, she felt like she was eighteen again and this handsome stranger offered a world of endless possibilities; she only wanted to serve him perfectly. She served him from the fresh pot that was in reserve, waiting for the pot of stale brew to be wasted on the other customers. He accepted the cup graciously; looking into her eyes he thanked her. The waitress felt like she might be melting.

“Hey!” One of the perspiring truckers was yelling. “Hey you!” She was standing still waiting for the stranger to acknowledge her again. “Hey bitch! Damn you I need a refill.” The waitress turned her head violently, dull red hair flashing and spinning. The look of wonder had faded from her face, she felt forty two again and her moment’s entrancement had faded. She trudged down to the end of the counter and filled the loud mouth’s coffee cup from the fresh pot she was still holding. Annoyed by the brash loudness, the handsome stranger turned his head, painted the smile on his face and nudged the extremely large, bearded man on the stool next to him. The gigantic trucker turned his head lazily and frowned at the stranger. His grunt of acknowledgment sounded like it was ripped from a snoring grizzly bear.

“Hey, buddy.” Said the stranger, still smiling. The trucker’s demeanor changed in an instant. His frown vanished and the grin that split the salt and pepper of his beard was massive, yellow and crooked. “Fine morning ain’t it” said the stranger speaking in colloquialisms to more easily relate to the man.

“Best I have ever seen.” Said the huge trucker, ready, willing, and able to please.

“That bastard down at the end, the one with the loudmouth, he sure is mighty rude ain’t he?” The trucker turned his head to stare; when he looked back his face was ruddy with anger.

“Yeah, mighty rude… the bastard.” He agreed.

“I say somebody ought to whoop his ass, don’t ya think?”

“Yes!” The trucker nodded emphatically.

“You are a mighty big fella, I bet you could give him a good ass whoopin’ huh? The rude bastard.”

“I’ll kill that rude bastard!” the trucker blurted out and lifted his four hundred pound frame from the bar stool with a slow intensity. He faltered, turned to look back at his new friend and when he saw the strangers glittering smile he charged down to the end of the diner. “I’ll kill you, you rude bastard! You deserve an ass whoopin!” He screamed and with a dive as graceful as a jumping whale he buried his smaller, but still quite large, opponent.

“Don’t kill him pal!” The stranger shouted to his monstrous champion, and then he sat silently sipping his coffee. It tasted terrible to him and a thin layer of grease floated on top splattered into the air by the unwashed grill. At the end of the diner the big man was winning easily, punishing the loudmouth for his rudeness. Every once in a while the behemoth was heard to say “Rude bastard!” Soon he grew too tired to keep hitting the man and instead just laid on him recovering his wind, taking five, before he could hoist himself up and stumble back to his bar stool. The patrons had gathered around the moaning victim, he was beat up but not too bad. The fat man’s soggy fists were heavy but soft. “Nice work, chief” commented the stranger. The fat trucker beamed, he would feel no happier if he had just hit the New Mexico megabucks.

He turned back to the waitress who was grinning stupidly.

“Anything odd happen in these parts in the past few days, hun?” He asked

“Hell yeah!” she answered, happy to have some information to offer the handsome stranger. “Just last night some poor guy got his head beat in with a tire iron down at the Gas n’ Go.” Having what he came for he tossed a few dollars onto the counter and walked out.

As the finger print smeared diner door closed behind him a white sedan with the insignia of the county Sheriff turned off the two lane highway and rumbled lazily into the sun-baked parking lot. No lights flashing, no sign that the disruption inside was any type of emergency. The stranger stopped and leaned against the hood of his black BMW, his elegant form blending in with the sleek lines of the expensive automobile. From his coat pocket he mechanically produced a pair of dark sunglasses and nonchalantly unfolded and placed them on his face. This he did while watching the Sheriff park and step out of the dusty Buick. He was unimpressed, this was another good ol’ boy bumpkin lawman; over fifty, slightly paunchy, with just a hint of a former bullish physique, a mane of graying hair and sagging jowls. The Sheriff reached into the car grabbed his stiff brown hat and virtually slammed it down onto his head. As he approached the stranger could not catch his eyes, the morning sun was bright and the lawman still wore his dark glasses. He had hoped to charm some information from the Sheriff, anything he knew about the incident at the Gas n’ Go, but as the aging lawman approached, a small pin prick of fear ignited in the stranger’s belly. As the Sheriff moved closer it bloomed into a nervous anxiety. Composing himself the stranger laughed away this strange feeling.

“Howdy, boss.” He began “Mighty big tussle in there, I thought that big bastard was gonna kill that poor fella.” The Approaching Sheriff turned his head to look at the Stranger, but kept walking toward the diner door. “I saw it all, chief, I sure wouldn’t mind making a statement.” The Sheriff turned his eyes back to the diner, he never stopped walking. The subdued feeling exploded again in the stranger’s belly. How weak and vulnerable he felt at that moment, his trick had failed, like it never had before. Often young children were immune, but never a full grown man, a man who should be full of doubt searching for anything to fill a gaping hole in his psyche, a man, like all men, searching for approval. He wanted nothing more than to leave this damned county in this god forsaken state, to be far away from this man who had the power to take apart everything that he was, the man whose eyes had looked at him, into him, and found him lacking. The stranger hated that feeling more than anything.

A short lived moment of insanity grasped him he wanted to take the revolver from under the seat of his car and rush into the diner, to kill that old bastard who would not succumb to him, to eradicate any danger he might pose and then use his trick to make every person in the diner claim they had done it themselves. But the men at the top would not like that at all, they would want to know why he had done it, and if they ever found out his trick had failed, even one time, their need of him might rapidly disappear. He was a valuable tool, more valuable than most, only a few were better than he. Yet his stock would crumble if there were more men like this small time Sheriff in the world, luckily in 30 years he had never met another. Trembling slightly he composed himself, nervously smoothed the front of his jacket, straightened his collar and slid gracefully into the seat of his car. The engine roared to life and he carefully maneuvered out of the parking lot turning into the barren New Mexico desert in search of Nobody.

I have an Ereader, Yes I do.

2010-09-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

One bright day in Sunny San Diego PoseySessions and I walked into a Barnes & Noble and we walked out with a Nook. It was an amazing gift from the greatest gal ever. So I have an ereader (more like we have one, I think she uses it as much as me) so what, right? No! I have found this device to be a blessing, and sometimes a curse. One amazing thing about owning an ereader is the freedom it offers. I can get any book anytime I want and I can take it and a thousand others anywhere I go. It is also ergonomic. While opening a book and holding it in your hands is not the most physically demanding of activities, it can sometimes be annoying, especially with big bulky hardcovers, that refuse to lay flat or cooperate with our one handed attempts at holding them while multitasking. My nook lays flat anywhere, that is actually the first thing I realized I loved about it. I could set it on my lap and hold my bag of chi…err carrot sticks in one hand and double half calf soy milk mocha frap in the other, and never once have to contend with the pages slowly creeping shut on me. So I guess I fell in love with the lazy factor.

The amount of books I have on my nook is ridiculous, honestly I dont think I will ever read them all, even though I would love to do it someday. Along with books my nook is also home to a number of academic articles that, because the Nook reads .pdf, are easily accessible for studying on the go. Thanks to sites like Project Gutenberg I feel like I am never far away from thousands of (free) and enlightening books. After entertaining lectures, or reading the bibliography of a particularly good book I find myself browsing the Gutenberg library of public domain books in search of more and more information on whatever topic has caught my eye. Another amazing site is NetGalley where book reviewers big and small (me) have access to hundreds of ebook ARCs made available for review purposes. Between these two sites I will never run out of stuff to read.

However neat it may be, gathering thousands of books is not really a good thing. I have no sense of urgency or expenditure, and I am often lacking motivation to read or finish the books I have amassed. When I think of reading something on my Nook I often end up saying “I can read that anytime".” Whereas, having checked it out from a library, or more pressingly, spent money on it I am much more likely to read something. Every ebook I have paid for has been read to completion on the device. But the other few hundred remain unopened, so far.

I feel a little silly complaining about having too many books. So I will stop now. And instead focus on why I think the device, and to a lesser extent the Kindle (I have only spent a few minutes using one) are still lacking necessary features, or maybe feature. I first envisioned the Nook as a great way to further and assist my studies. I have spent many hours with my faced buried in articles from academic journals, sometimes printing over 100 pages of them in one sitting. I dreamt of easily highlighting and annotating my articles and then during discussions easily searching my notes for points. It did not happen this way. Highlighting and annotating on a Nook is an excruciating process that takes the reader out of the article and into a maze of menus and buttons. So much so that I refuse to do it. I manually (with a pen and paper!!!) write notes and page numbers to avoid having to manipulate the device. In next gen readers I would love to see easy touch screen highlighting that automatically popped up a little touch keypad where notes could be entered, and then a notes file generated where then entire ebook could be uploaded to a pc in highlighted and annotated form with a glossary of notes. Cross your fingers.

In the end I think ereaders are a wave of the future, not THE wave of the future. I do not see them easily replacing paper books. Their is a romanticism surrounding the bound book and I doubt it disappears rapidly. Only when every other aspect of society is paperless do I think we will see real physical books go the way of the buffalo. An ebook reader is a great investment just in terms convenience. When you consider the low prices of some of the great readers on the market they even make sense financially. Some of the best stories ever written, some of the most interesting philosophy, and some of mankind’s greatest observations are freely available in public domain. For the price of ten or twelve of those books in paper copies you could own your own ereader packed with hundreds of them for free. I know a lot of people are resistant to making the switch. But I don't think of it as an all or nothing change. My Nook has its place, as do the hundreds of physical books I have lining my bookshelves. The Nook merely compliments my reading and makes getting a book on demand so much easier. I downloaded a book while standing in the middle of times square, because I just couldn't wait! and for me, that's freedom.

Gold After Gray - Short Story – Part 1

2010-09-28T19:02:00.001-07:00

The spot on my shirt is blood; it once belonged to a man in a suit. The blood, that is, not the shirt. I beat him to death with a tire iron in the parking lot of a gas station in New Mexico. I watched as he pushed around the woman who was with him, I was going to walk away, until he hit her. That dark spot on my sleeve will probably be the first thing you notice about me, and the only thing. Most of my life no one I have met twice could remember my face, or put a name to it. It’s not quite like being invisible, but it is close. It never occurred to me until I was twenty two years old that I was a ghost, or a shadow, or whatever it is you want to call me. As a child things were not this way. I was not a remarkable child, never stood out at much of anything, but most faces looking back at me carried a spark of recognition. Parents, teachers, friends, and classmates all knew my name. It wasn’t until puberty that my identity just started sliding away, it was there but it couldn’t be grasped, like oil on water.

Soon I was the kid in the back of the class; I had to repeat my name every time the teacher had a whim to call on me for an answer. When my name was read for roll call it was like it was the first time, I was always the new kid. It started slow; most people still caught hold of me, all but the least astute. Gradually it became worse, by the time I graduated high school only the most observant, the sharpest, with the most organized minds could recognize my face. I attempted to go to college, but I began to resent being asked every day if I belonged in each class. Before long I felt like I didn’t. It became impossible to hold a job. I spent many long hours wondering what was going wrong with the world. Then I wondered what was wrong with me, what was my flaw, why did nobody care to know me, to be close to me, to learn my name. For a long time I struggled and when I found no answers I went home.

My mother slammed the door in my face.

The police officers who arrived after I refused to leave the doorstep escorted me off the property and asked me not to return. But I did. The next day I went back, my mother smiled when she opened the door and asked pleasantly, “can I help you?” No. The truth about what I was began to needle itself into my brain. At first I refused to listen to it, I laughed at myself. After returning every day for three weeks I could no longer hold back the tide of reality. I was nobody. There has never been a name for what I have become. Not a doppelganger, I can’t change my appearance. I don’t look like someone new every day. I look like myself, when I see my reflection in the mirror it is always the same. There is no fancy descriptor for my face, my hair or my skin. “Not quite” would be the preferred verbiage were someone to attempt to detail me to a sketch artist. “Not quite tall, or short” “Not quite blonde or brown” “Not quite heavy or thin” with gray eyes. The mean cloak of mediocrity has taken away everything that I am… or could have been.

So I began to wander and test the limits of my strangeness, for that is all I can call it. For a while I thought I might be a super hero blessed with a mighty power to use to fight crime and help those besieged by the criminal element. But I never have had much of an imagination, and the luster soon wore off that idea. What would the damsel in distress cry moments before she is ravaged by thugs, “Help me…uh, what’s his name again?” A proper super hero gets the credit; he is valiantly humble of course and hides behind his mask. But the world knows Batman saved the day. It does not work like that when you are your own alter ego.

So here I am, in a gas station in New Mexico buying a pack of cigarettes. The clerk asks me if I saw what happened to that guy outside. She did. She explains it to me, apparently some maniac bashed his head in with a tire iron. She left out the part where that maniac walked behind the station, washed his hands in the restroom, put his jacket on to cover the blood stain on his sleeve and is now handing over three one dollar bills.

My name is Elias Gray.

I am 38 years old.

Something Wicked This Way Comes.

2010-09-25T22:12:00.001-07:00

October is approaching with sureness and slowness, it shambles with a malevolent gait. It creeps ever closer and with it it brings frosty mornings, falling leaves and waves of ghosts and ghoulies. October is one of my favorite, and most hated months at the same time. I have a serious dislike of fall, I do not find the dying leaves pretty, for me they are merely a hideous reminder (along with the dropping mercury in my thermometer) that in the immortal words of the long dead Ned Stark, “Winter is Coming.” But, a small ray of sunshine penetrates the gray fall days. Halloween! Okay, let me be more clear. I am not a huge fan of the holiday itself, but I LOVE the aura that surrounds it. The creepy feelings and the television flooded with reruns of my favorite paranormal themed programming. So I tolerate October, and then vent my wrath on November when it comes around. November is gonna get it this year, I had a really great Summer and I'm extra resentful that it is fading away.

And to the matter at hand. Spookfest 2010. To celebrate October this year Mr.X is going to take you all on a roller coaster ride adventure through some of my favorite paranormal stuff, and I will be reading and reviewing a few new things! (new to me anyway) Starting with The Dead Boys, the review of which will kick off the event on October 1st. So stick around I am going to cover several books, some TV shows and at least one documentary.

Lone Eagle – Walter L Hixson

2010-09-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

What follows is a rough draft of a critical analysis for my history readings seminar.

Charles Lindbergh will forever be remembered as the hero of one of America’s greatest victories, and the victim of one of its most noteworthy crimes. The life of Lindbergh was characterized by passion and zeal, and interrupted by crushing tragedy. In his biography of the great aviator Walter L. Hixson sets out to chronicles both the high and low points of the life of Charles Lindbergh. In a mere 160 pages Hixson lays out a story that stretches from a farm in Minnesota to the palaces of Europe; from St. Louis and the birth of a legend, to a whitewashed home in Southern New Jersey and a national catastrophe. Lindbergh captured the American imagination, not only with flight, but heroism itself. In this work Hixson attempts to reignite the larger than life legend that was Charles Lindbergh, to explain the way he gripped the hearts and minds of every American, and how he fell from grace.

Currently a professor in the history department at the University of Akron, Walter L Hixson is the author of several books including a biography of George F. Kennan and politically focused history works such as: Parting the Curtain; Propaganda, Culture, and the Cold War and Witness to Disintegration:

Provincial Life in the Last Year of the USSR. It comes then as no surprise the level of detail used by Hixson when delving into the political intrigue of Lindbergh’s life. Of much interest is Hixson’s recently published work The Myth of American Diplomacy, themes of which can be seen scattered throughout Lone Eagle. It is readily apparent that Hixson sympathized with Lindbergh, and from a quick glance at his other works it becomes apparent the two shared similar political ideals.

On a technical level Lone Eagle sometimes suffers from confusing word choice, poor syntax and sloppy editing. A glaring example of which can be seen in chapter five when in blatant redundancy Hixson writes “Instead of flying West, the Lindberghs would go north by the Great Circle Route. Instead of flying West, they would Fly North.”[1] On other occasions Hixson confuses groups or entities and speaks of them as if they were individuals leading the reader on a confusing backtracking expedition to sort out his train of thought.[2] Hixson is not a master of prose, but he makes up for a lack of technical writing skill with a strong grasp of ideas and their importance in the life of both Lindbergh and ordinary Americans.

Hixson does well at relating the different eras through which Lindbergh lived. He captures the spirit of the 1920s and the need for a great American hero, as well as the tense political years between the outbreak of WWII in Europe and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Hixson masterfully explains the American fascination with Lindbergh, how the aviator was vaulted into legend status, he encapsulates the collective consciousness of the United States and connects it the explosions of hero worship that surrounded Lindbergh after his New York to Paris flight. Hixson also succeeds in explaining the mind of Lindbergh as he is faced with challenge upon challenge stemming from his universal adulation and the death of his first child. Lone Eagle succeeds in conveying the importance of ideas in the life of Lindbergh; how those ideas drove him from the farm in Minnesota to Paris, Mexico City, the microphone at an anti-war rally and into the cockpit of a fighter plane flying over the Pacific theater.

It is readily apparent that Hixson identifies with his subject, and perhaps the author is infected with a bit of the hero worship which he so deftly explains to the reader. He writes of Lindbergh’s disillusionment with American society. He begs for the reader to understand, not condemn, Lindbergh’s decision to flee the United States. Considering the vein of Hixson’s previous work, it is clear that he sympathized to a large extent with Lindbergh’s feelings. Both apparently share a certain cynicism regarding American culture and exceptionalism. Hixson goes so far as to contend that the American identity prescribed to by most Americans is nothing short of Mythical. With such a jaded view of American society it calls into question Hixson’s description of Lindbergh’s life and thought process. The reader cannot be sure what part of his rendition is accurate and what part is a projection of his personal bias onto the life of an American hero.

Lindbergh largely gets a pass from Mr. Hixson for a number of controversial statements and ideas. The author often seeks to explain away many of Lindbergh’s less than politically correct personal traits. A statement about building “White ramparts” against the intrusion of the “pressing sea of the Yellow, Black, and Brown” is explained away by the author as a reaction to a minor incident in China years before. Hixson repeatedly attempts to sanitize Lindbergh’s ties to the Nazi party, dismissing or explaining away every argument presented against him. Hixson admits Lindbergh believed that democracy would fall, and even though he preferred fascism to take its place, referred to Hitler as a “great man” and found a “sense of decency” in the Third Reich, Hixson, time and again, claims that Lindbergh was not a fascist. It was merely the way the “compulsive energy of the Nazi regime mirrored Lindbergh’s own personality.” Hixson calls Lindbergh’s refusal to condemn Nazi atrocities “plain speaking.” He refuses to connect Lindbergh’s hatred of communism to anything other than a fierce patriotic sentiment, leaving out his admiration for fascism, the antithesis of communism.

While Lone Eagle does laudable job at relaying the factual details of the life of an American hero, the bias shown by its author bleeds across its pages and serves to discredit any objective statement it hopes to make about the mind of Charles Lindbergh. Hixson seeks to project a certain style of thinking onto Lindbergh, a series of opinions that strikingly resemble those of Hixson as published in his later works. A questionable bias coupled with subpar narrative skill make Lone Eagle a mediocre book, at best, for the investigation of the life of Lindbergh. The most relevant part of the book for any objective study into the subject of Charles Lindbergh is found in the sources, and the notes on those sources found in the back of the book. A reader would be better served by turning to these sources for their information, free of added bias. Hixson’s Lone Eagle was a poor entry into the category of Charles Lindbergh biographies.

Witch & Wizard – James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

2010-09-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

I think it is safe to say James Patterson’s Witch & Wizard has an awesome cover. It was the cover that initially attracted me to the book. Upon mentioning it to PoseySessions she told me it was a YA dystopian novel, at which point I became even more interested. I looked around locally for a copy and didn't find one and had partially forgotten about it when one day last week my awesome lady handed me a copy out of the blue. I cracked it open immediately and almost let out a verbal wah wah waaaaaah of disappointment. The first few pages were bad, they read like a cheesy children’s story full of unimaginative clichés and lame parodies. (Freida Halo? Lay-Z? Really?) But what did I expect from a writer who publishes a book on a nearly monthly basis, a writer who depends on writers like Charbonnet to write his first drafts for him, a writer who has admitted he is not a master of prose? I guess I expected more than the watered down and uninspired shell of a story that is the first few chapters.

With & Wizard improves dramatically as the book progresses, the final 2/3rds of the book encompasses a pretty good story. It is a solid page turner, but it is by no means a “good” book. The characters in the novel are horrendous, poorly imagined, poorly written and just all around unbelievable and impossible to identify with. I would never expect such levity from two kids about to be executed. The last I knew being ripped from one’s parents in the dead of night and told you were going to be killed was not an opportunity for sardonic humor. Yes it is a kids book, but even that does not excuse the atrocious and shallow style in which the book is written. It really feels like the cliff notes version of a pretty good book. The story is there, but the writing leaves too much to be desired.

Witch & Wizard was not a YA book, it landed solidly in Middle Grade territory, written for readers maybe 12 years old. Patterson is hammering a very young audience with complex political messages that are boiled down and presented in an uncomplicated way. Dystopia by its nature is political. Witch & Wizard deals with political messages that the target audience cannot understand. This book presents a young reader with a deep distrust of authority, community, adults and a burgeoning misanthropic sentiment. Sure its a neat fairy tale message, the likes of Peter Pan, to tell kids they can rule the world. Patterson, in this novel walks a fine line between enriching our children with a sense of individuality and empowerment, and propagandizing them.

In summation, Witch & Wizard is a decent page turner, a good story poorly told. But in the end it seems like the shell of a book that could have been great if filled with more substance. Patterson is not a good writer, and only a fair storyteller. The best reason for a child to read this book is for the motivational factor. A 12 year old aspiring writer can look at this and say to himself “if this guy can get rich writing like this, there is no reason I can’t as well.”

Emotionally Invested

2010-09-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a series grips me so deeply that I lose a part of myself to it. Almost like a relationship I feel a strong emotional connection to the characters, the story, and even the author. And because I feel so strongly it happens that sometimes an author does something that disappoints, or even hurts my feelings a little bit. Such has been the case with two modern fantasy series. A Song of Ice and Fire and The Wheel of Time. Both are sweeping fantasy epics, both are insanely popular, and both are unfinished.

I came to the Wheel of Time when book 8 was just about to be published. I devoured them all quickly and was left waiting for more, then waiting, and waiting, and waiting. The remaining books dribbled out sometimes with years between them. Soon I became frustrated with Jordan, I questioned his choices, then I got angry, I condemned him, the pacing of the tale, the seemingly endless number unnecessary characters, the superfluous POVs all combined to turn me off the series that I loved. The straw that broke the camel’s back, he published a PREQUEL. I could not understand it, but I read it, and I loved it, one of my favorite books in the series. But it still annoyed me enough that I decided I was done with the series. Why, in the middle of this long drawn out affair, did he feel like the flow needed to be interrupted with a prequel? It was too much for me, I have not picked up a Wheel of Time book since.

When Robert Jordan got sick I made up with him, I visited his blog often to see how he was doing. I was really pulling for him, and still had decided I was not going to finish reading the series, but a big part of me wanted to know it was finished. Like a long departed girlfriend, I cared about the series once, and I wanted the best for it. But things did not work out the way I had hoped and Mr. Jordan passed away, I felt silly about the things I had said in frustration. I celebrated his accomplishments, and I hoped the series would be picked up and finished to his original notes. But I still had not planned on reading it, even less so now that I would never know if it was Jordan’s vision on the page or someone else’.

I have still been feeling some resentment towards Mr. George R.R. Martin and his Song of Ice and Fire series. In my opinion this is the best epic fantasy series I have ever read, and the fact that I am still waiting for another book is really hurting my feelings. Doesn't Mr. Martin understand how much I have invested into his characters!? What bothers me most about the way Martin is handling the series is the cavalier attitude he has towards his fans. He has not updated on the progress of a Dance With Dragons on his official update page since Jan. 1, 2008, and the last book was published in 2005. In his blog Martin once stated he does not understand his reader’s frustration, that statement made me feel like he was not connected to his fan base. In the meantime he has completed a handful of other projects, with no update on the progress of his half-decade awaited novel. In the end it is Martin’s prerogative to work on what he pleases, he could scrap the whole series now and would not have to justify it to me or anyone else. Yet there is a sense of anxiety when something you love is in the hands of someone else, and I keep finding myself taking out my frustration, as unjustified as it is, on the authors who created and love these stories as much as I do.

Enter Brandon Sanderson and The Stormlight Archive Series. I am sitting here with The Way of Kings on my Nook, chewing my fingernails in despair. Sanderson has stated this will be a 10 book affair published on a 2 books per 3 year schedule. That means by picking up this novel I am risking the same sort of attachment and a 15 year commitment. Am I the type of reader who can handle it? I would like to think I am, but I just do not know. One thing is certain, however, Sanderson is a fantastic fantasy writer. He has single handedly reignited my interest in the Wheel of Time, and in an ode to Mr. Jordan I will one day finish the series. It makes me happy to write that, like I have found closure.

I think I have erred in approaching these types of series. Instead of a whirlwind love affair, an involvement with epic fantasy is a lifetime commitment one that requires patience and understanding. It is important that a reader leave his sense of entitlement at the door in favor of respect, the author wants the best for his books as well. And a show of support will probably go a long way in making sure the stories you want to read are released in a timely manner. The best part of these series is not in the initial read through but the anticipation of the next plot twist, the entertaining discourse with fellow fans, and the lasting mark they make on the reader. A great thing about epic fantasy series, is one thing I have often condemned, they don’t end quickly, I am not left feeling a little sad that I have read all there is to read about my favorite characters. I feel like the frustration is a sign of how much I love a story, if I did not love it I would not care.

So Mr. Jordan, Mr. Martin, accept my apologies, please, and know I am a loyal fan. Mr. Sanderson, I am about to let you hook me.

Easy A, Easily A+

2010-09-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

There is a small part of me that groans when I see a preview for an action film, or a comedy and its followed by a PG-13 rating. It is not necessary for a film to be dirty to be funny, but something about going into an R rated film lets you know that anything can happen. In a PG-13 flick it is assumed from the get go that it just wont be as funny, because you know right off the bat that the sky isn't the limit. I had that, and a few other feelings about Easy A. It is a high school sex comedy, usually good for a few laughs, it is driven by a female lead, *groan* chick flick!? And it is rated PG-13, to me all those do not add up to a memorable, roll on the floor, side splitting comedy film. (Do not get me wrong, I enjoy films with female leads, its just an angsty high school sex romp seems to be a genre that is much more male driven.)

Readers, I was wrong. Easy A was one of the funniest films I have seen in probably 5 years. From start to finish I was caught in a belly laugh hurricane and could not escape. There is something special about this film, like a perfect comedic storm. Emma Stone is unflappable, she lets her acting chops shine in this role. She took the part seriously and it shows. Easy A is a lot like the film in which she first gained notoriety, Superbad, but funnier. While the film is anchored by Stone, the teenage cast surrounding her is nothing short of mediocre. The film really knocks it out of the park with the adults, Thomas Haden Church, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are all wonderful. The adults are underutilized in a smart way. They break from what could have ended up an after school special type,up-its-own-butt comedy, filled with pretentious teenagers equating their problems to the severity of the Cold War, and without the flashes of Tucci and Clarkson at home, and Church at school Easy A would have been nowhere near as good as it was. But, the point is, they WERE there, and they all three are hilarious. I am praying for a Tucci – Church buddy comedy soon.

The themes in Easy A are pure high school. Reputation, gossip, promiscuity, all handled in a very thoughtful way. It shows us an empowered high school girl who has stepped out of the role of victim and has taken control of her own reputation. The film made a great statement about getting what we want, and how sometimes it is not what we think it will be. I was into this film from start to finish, despite the flashbacks to other movies, and the predictable ending. This is one to see, parents take your teen out and then talk to them about the movie. This is a great way to get a message across.

And on another note, now I try not to be too mean on this blog, but I just have to know: WHAT HAPPENED TO AMANDA BYNES!? I mean she is not fat, but her face looks like she is getting Botox everywhere, not just in the right places.This was seriously distracting for me, everytime she was on the screen I turned to PoseySessions and asked “what happened to her face!?”

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

2010-09-16T13:14:00.001-07:00

I love fantasy. I was about 8 years old when my dad read me The Hobbit, and around 12 when I finished my first read through The Lord of The Rings. Ever since I have sought out and enjoyed many fantasy series. In one year, I read 60 fantasy books, 40ish being my average. However, lately my fantasy reading has stalled, I have found very few new and worthwhile fantasy authors, and have read so much of the genres back catalogue over the past 15 years that I feel like I am caught up, waiting desperately for something new and exciting to come out. That feeling has dropped me out of the fantasy mainstream for the past couple of years, and I have instead been reading academic history and politics books in order to round out my education. It is rapidly approaching time for me to graduate college, and with a light semester upon us I have been searching high and low for new and interesting fantasy to read. Poseysessions introduced me to Brandon Sanderson and Elantris.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Part 2.

2010-09-13T20:21:00.001-07:00

While in part 1 of our fall television expose I focused on television comedy, the culmination will instead shine the spotlight on TV drama. A genre of television which I find very hit or miss. There are two types of TV Drama, the serialized and the single contained episode. Forgive me if I am not nailing the insider jargon. I have a huge problem watching serialized drama, and this is a personal thing, but I cannot watch, no matter how good it is, a single story broken up into one hour segments. In the past I have gotten around this problem by using my DVR and waiting for an entire season to end before watching. I have sat through full day marathons of both Heroes and Dexter. Shows like Law and Order that tell a story to completion in a single episode are even less appealing to me, I feel there is an inherent weakness in crafting a story arc that is over in 42 minutes. These shows try to remedy this by inserting storylines that span an entire season, but for the most part they are not really necessary to improve the drama, or keeping the viewers attention, and in the end just feel tacked on.

There are a ton of cheap TV dramas out there, a ton I just do not like. If I may offend a few more people, True Blood, Weeds, Californication, these are examples of cheap soap operas elevated to smut status by the privilege of airing on premium channels. Especially in True Blood, the acting is terrible and the stories are mainly a vehicle for the delivery of soft core vampire porn.

I have also come to the conclusion that any television drama that focuses on a police station, a court room, or a hospital is not much more than a rerun with new faces. Actually, there is one exception.

So which TV dramas don't suck?

House – Fox Mondays

The one exception to the Police Station, Court Room, Hospital rule. House is the best television drama to take place in a hospital since, ummmm, MASH? Not because it is entirely original, no it is still a hospital, there are still a bunch of good looking doctors, and a fair amount of sexual tension, but House is jam packed with interesting characters, and INTERESTING medical story lines. To be honest, the title character is why we love this show. Hugh Laurie has knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of the cynical drug addled Greg House. As scene stealing as Laurie’s performances are he is surrounded by an amazing cast of actors. Season 7, which is rumored to be the final season, holds much in store for Greg House.

Dexter – Showtime Sundays

Dexter, for me, has been the most consistently interesting drama on television. I picked up a copy of season 1 on DVD and was pleasantly surprised. Based on the books series by Jeff Lindsay, it follows the story of one Dexter Morgan, sociopath, serial killer, and forensic blood expert working for the Miami Police Department. Ok, SOME of the show takes place in a police department, but that is not the focus, so back off! Dexter is a great character, he is well thought out, and brought to the small screen with finesse by Michael C. Hall. The writing on the show is great. The viewer gets to the roots of this dark antihero, and learns to love this cold blooded killer. The twist is, although Dexter is a murderer, he only kills other bad guys. His access to police information, and years of training have turned him into an efficient killing machine. The show juxtaposes Dexter’s planning and stalking of his next victim with the police work focused on solving another murder, sometimes one Dexter himself is responsible for. The show is fresh, it strays away from many of the tropes of the mainstream crime drama. The gray area in Dexter’s world is wide and deep, with even the stolid good guys often wandering in and out of it.

One complaint I have with the show is the fact that besides Dexter (SPOILERISH) none of the cast seem to have a much of chance at survival. A couple of my favorites have been killed off, and his loudmouth sister is still around, that is definitely a downside. Despite that fact Dexter is still one of the most innovative dramas on TV right now. I highly recommend you tune in.

New Stuff

Boardwalk Empire – HBO

IT’S STEVE BUSCEMI!

No really it is, if you do not think this looks friggin’ fantastic then check your pulse! The cast alone is a home run, there are a lot of people in that trailer that you have seen before, whose names you might not recognize, but they are almost ALL great character actors. And Buscemi, it is about friggin’ time, this man can carry this series, heck he could carry anything, he is beyond talented, and oh so under appreciated. I am also uber excited to see Stephen Graham (Tommy from Snatch) as Al Capone, Michael Pitt (The Village) and Kelly Macdonald (Choke, No Country For Old Men). These and more great actors are cast in this period drama. From the trailer everything looks authentic and fantastic. I am on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

The Event – NBC

Let it be known JJ Abrams has never impressed me. I have seen maybe 2 episodes of lost, and Cloverfield, while not bad was only an “OK” in my book. The Event, however, is striking a chord with me. It hits on a lot of my interests, politics, spy drama, and mysterious happenings. The trailer is not getting me too excited, but the idea behind the series, coupled with Abrams reputations for doing good things (lots of people loved Lost, even though it was not my thing) have got me waiting patiently for this one.

Honorable Mentions

There are a handful of other shows of which I didn't write in this post, that I (will) try to watch.

Modern Family – a funny, slightly quirky sitcom airing on ABC. Entering its second season, the show is definitely worth catching up on if only to see Ed O’Neill back in a role as the patriarch of a slightly dysfunctional family.

Raising Hope and Running Wilde – Both new entries to the FOX lineup are worth trying out when they premiere after Glee on Tuesdays this Fall. Running Wilde stars Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame, and Raising Hope seems to be a comedy in the vein of My Name Is Earl.

Shit My Dad Says – Airing Thursday nights on CBS this has potential to be one of the funniest sitcoms ever, all be it a slim one. If you have read the Shit My Dad says tweets then you know this is not prime time network material. If CBS captures the spirit of the Shit His Dad Says this will be great, but it could also easily be another cookie cutter sitcom about an irascible father and a long suffering family. I will be tuning in to find out.

Friday Flashback - The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams

2010-09-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Friday Flashbacks are short reviews of books I have read previously to starting the Mind of Mr.X, they are dug out of memory and based on the lasting impression each book has made on me.

The Dragonbone Chair is the first book in the epic fantasy series Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. It follows the story of the young orphan Simon who struggles through his unfortunate life as an apprentice in the Castle Hayholt in the troubled land of Osten Ard. From it’s outset The Dragonbone Chair seems very similar to other stories in the genre, but as Simon leaves Castle Hayholt and journeys into the fantastic world created by Williams the reader soon realizes that he is immersed in a unique fantasy experience.

Tad Williams does epic fantasy well. Osten Ard is a land of racial tensions, political scheming, corruption, and religious persecution. What sets this story apart is not the narrative but the world through which Simon travels. The characters are well written and come to life on the page. While the book stumbles on many familiar fantasy tropes, there is plenty of uniqueness to keep the reader fixated on the story. The story weaves together multiple narrative threads throughout the book. Simon often seems bland and uninspired but the supporting characters carry him along extremely well. He is the vehicle through which this story is told. Williams has also created one of the finest fantasy villains of all time in the evil priest Pyrates; he is enigmatically wicked and aloof. It is William’s ability to present known characters to the fantasy reader in a new way that brings so much life to his storytelling.

While The Dragonbone Chair relies on many of the fantasy archetypes, Williams has successfully created a diverse and interesting world populated with characters the read will both love and hate. The fresh ideas brought by Williams to the series are more than enough to entice the reader to follow Simon on his journey to save Osten Ard from the perils of the Storm King.

Thomas Jefferson – R.B. Bernstein

2010-09-08T10:06:00.001-07:00

What follows is a rough draft of a critical review written for my history seminar.

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Thomas Jefferson has been, and remains to this day, one of the most enigmatic figures in American history. A slew of biographers have tackled the tale of his life, attempting to tell the story of the man whose vision, perhaps more than anyone else, served to shape the United States of America. In his work, aptly titled Thomas Jefferson, R.B. Bernstein takes up the title of Jefferson biographer and attempts to do just that. His efforts have produced a short, concise, work encompassing much of the important moments of Jefferson’s political career.

Bernstein was a practicing attorney who turned historian in 1983, his focus is constitutional and law history. Bernstein is a prolific author, and along with this book has written several others on the founding of the United States and the drafting of the Constitution, including: Amending America, Are We to Be a Nation, and The Founding Fathers Reconsidered. Published in 2003 the timing and the tone of Thomas Jefferson fit well into post-9/11 America. In the prologue Bernstein relates the era of the American Revolution to that of America after September 11^th. At first the comparison is off-putting, and reads like another cheap invocation of the tragedy. However, as the reader continues deeper into the book he realizes the connection Bernstein was trying to make and why it works.

Thomas Jefferson is a short book. In a field of study that has been typified by massive multivolume biographies it is a breath of fresh air to see a concise biography of one of America’s most enigmatic public servants. To achieve brevity Bernstein took a different tack with his book. It reads less like a biography and more like a primer in early American politics from the point of view of Jefferson. Chapter two specifically lacks much detail on the happenings of Jefferson’s life and instead focuses on pre-revolutionary war politics. Jefferson is invoked on occasion, but no more than he would be in the course of a normal investigation on the subject. The brief nature of Thomas Jefferson belies what the book has to say. Bernstein conveys a powerful message using sparse details of Jefferson’s life. The reader walks away from the book feeling fulfilled, and if nothing else understands how much the American scholarly society does not understand the man who was Thomas Jefferson.

While it is apparent that Bernstein was attempting to write a non-biased biography of Thomas Jefferson, a few key themes became clear in the book. Bernstein may have been leery of using the term hypocrite, but that is how Jefferson is portrayed in the work. Bernstein spends a lot of time bemoaning Jefferson’s seemingly split personality, his tendency to say multiple things on the same topic, to express a love for liberty, yet own slaves, or to preach the narrowness off the Constitution while grasping powers not granted in it. The picture painted of Jefferson in the book is not a flattering one. Bernstein speaks of him as a man of high minded ideals, yet in action he is a typical politician. Bernstein is not an apologist, he never seeks to explain Jefferson’s motives for his actions, only to relay and attempt to understand them. In the prologue Bernstein mentions the enigma that modern scholarship has made out of Thomas Jefferson. He attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the man by confronting Jefferson’s duality head on and laying it bare for the reader to understand. In this Bernstein succeeds in portraying Jefferson not as a mystery man, but a man consumed by opposing ideas. If, as according to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”[1] Thomas Jefferson, according to Bernstein’s portrayal, would own the finest intellect in American history.

Thomas Jefferson was a timely work. As in the American Revolution, post-9/11 America was briefly united against a common enemy, but as the dust cleared the great dichotomy of thought reappeared and the gap separating left from right spread even wider and deeper. Bernstein’s biography served to remind the reader that American politics has always been highly polarized, and ideas, whichever side they may be on are not the end all and be all of governance. Bernstein held up Thomas Jefferson as an ideal American, one of the greatest of our founding fathers, who also suffered many personal demons; like the country he helped to birth. Jefferson was a single man consumed by conflicting ideas, as the USA is a single country so divided. Bernstein’s portrait of the duality of Thomas Jefferson serves as a wakeup call to the reader. Arguably the greatest single supporter of American liberty and government himself struggled to reconcile the same ideas Americans squabble over today, and if the Union preserved then, so it shall preserve in the face of our current obstacles.

Thomas Jefferson was a well written, timely, and concise book. It managed to relate a large volume of information to the reader in an easily readable way. The narrative never bogged down in technical details, and rarely dragged or relayed information that the reader feels is not necessary. Due to its brevity the book leaves out many details of Jefferson’s life that may have been interesting to include, especially that of his childhood and his role as a father and husband. It is however understandable that the main focus of the book is on American politics as seen through the eyes of the third President of the United States, and in this Thomas Jefferson succeeds very well as a primer and a starting point for the study of both American History and the life of Thomas Jefferson.

[1] Esquire Magazine (March 1936)

The Mormon and the Mythical.

2010-09-06T22:21:00.001-07:00

It has recently come to my attention, that a number of writers who share a faith with myself ( I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or a Mormon, for short) are emerging as very popular, very successful writers of fantasy fiction. This has led to much discussion and debate between PoseySessions and myself as to what it is about the faith that may lend to the emergence of a “Mormon Fantasy” trend. It must first be noted that upon reading a non-religious fantasy story by any of these authors it will not be apparent that they A.) are Mormon or B.) Share a common faith. I read the first 2 books of the Runelords series by David Farland years ago, and was just recently informed that he was a member of the Church. There are no common themes, no singular way of dealing with religion, and no obvious influences of the faith upon the fantasy works of its member authors.

With all that being said, a growing number of LDS writers are gaining widespread followings in arena of “speculative fiction” (a term I do not really like applying to the Fantasy genre) Although authors like Orson Scott Card, Tracy Hickman and David Farland have been on the scene for a while, more recent writers to gain popularity include the likes of Stephanie Meyer, James Dashner, Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson.

I have read numerous speculations about Mormon fantasy writing recently, specifically some statements that LDS writers, especially female authors, write weak women characters. It seemed like an arbitrary statement to apply, so I began considering Fantasy by Mormon authors, I have turned contemplative in search of a single unifying theme among their works. The biggest thing that stood out to me was the fact that there was nothing that stood out. I have read hundreds of fantasy novels by dozens of authors, some much better than others, and the only thing that seems to group together LDS writers is the fact that of those that I have read, they are usually very good at what they do.

I have some personal feelings regarding the prevalence of Mormon fantasy writers, which I will gladly share, but I must first preface these statements by saying I mean no offense, and all of these statements are meant to be taken in the most benign way. It is important to remember that I am a member of the church, I identify with and trust its teachings, its leaders, and its doctrine.

1. The Scriptures - Along with the King James version of the Bible, the LDS Scriptures include The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. I feel the scriptures play a large role in fostering a love of speculative fiction in the LDS community. The Book of Mormon tells another story, the story of Christ ministering to the peoples on the American continents. From the beginning of our religious education we are taught to accept what others believe, but also understand that there exists a story that goes beyond it. What is generally accepted in houses of worship around us is not the entire story. I feel this fosters in church members an ability to accept that just because something is prevalent that it should be considered the end all and be all of what can be said on a subject. This pushes Mormons to think outside the box. Also, The Book of Mormon is an action packed affair. The stories are often so intriguing that they themselves could be the inspiration for a multitude of Fantasy stories. The Army of Helaman always comes to mind.

2. Teachings - I also feel that Mormons have a deeper understanding of their own cosmology; an intricate education in the order of their universe and the way in which they fit into it. The Mormon universe is highly regimented and detailed. No detail is spared when teaching young church members in primary, Sunday school and seminary. This education gets Mormons thinking at a young age of other worlds, other planes of existence, and the spiritual hierarchy. Nothing seems far fetched to an LDS child who has just been told of the multitude of other worlds, and the beings that exist before, after and around them.

3. Education – Education is a central focus in the Church. Young men and women are encouraged to take charge of their studies and find their own answers. Doctrine and Covenants states: “And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come" (D&C 130:18-19). In general the LDS population prides itself on education. It seems readily apparent that a focus on education would increase the number authors and readers in a population.

4. Support System – This is one that was brought to my attention by a good friend of mine, and was something I had not considered. It is like education, a general descriptor for success, not an explanation of why LDS writers often choose to write Fantasy. The Mormon family is more often than not a strong unit. In the LDS family there tends to be a “can do” attitude, this is an attitude that extends to the community itself. Writing is a non-traditional occupation, it is definitely a job which many parents my tell their children to give up, to focus on something more practical. It is more likely in the LDS community that a few more young writers may be supported in their decisions to pursue writing, hence leading to a larger number of writers in the population. (I think back to my cousin who is pursuing a graduate degree in music who plans to earn money by “composing really far out experimental music.” His parents did not agree with his career path, but they are supporting him 100% nonetheless.) Also, I am NOT saying this does not happen outside the LDS culture, I am merely contending it is slightly more prominent.

5. Depression – I will not attempt to dissect this, however, in recent studies the state of Utah has led the country in rates of depression among its citizens. I have no guess as to why it might be, and how, if at all it is related to the Church (but I am personally skeptical). But, as a person who went through a period of depression that lasted about 2 years I can say one thing for certain; I read more fantasy books in those 2 years than during any other period of my life. Fantasy is almost synonymous with escapism. The genre serves as a distraction from our problems, a way to escape to a mystical world where anything can happen, a freedom from earthly shackles. Fantasy novels were the unguent that allowed me to face the day. It only makes sense in an area with higher depression rates that fantasy fiction would be more prominent.

These are by no means hard and fast facts. These 5 factors merely make up my observations as a member of the Church, and a little bit of deliberation with a few other people who have insight; some of whom have studied under some of the listed writers at Brigham Young University. Take this for what it is, not a deep statement about Mormon superiority, but a musing of a barely active Mormon, and fairly active fantasy reader.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Part 1 of 2.

2010-08-31T00:00:00.001-07:00

No the McRib is not back at McDonald’s…… is it?

It is nearly new TV time!

Fall is almost here and that means a whole new batch of television programming. I have yet to write about the small screen in this blog and I will now rectify that. After a long, cool, relationship with television programming, one that lasted nearly a decade, I have only in the past couple of years really gotten excited about the boob tube again. There are a whole slew of shows that I love to watch. This post will point out the obvious, cheer on the under dogs, and examine the newcomers for this year’s fall line up.

First let it be said I am much more a sitcom guy, and not a normal run of the mill sitcom guy. I think so much of what is on TV today is rehashed jokes that are canned and reused ad nauseam. Therefore there will be no Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, or other such standard and forgettable sitcom fare in this post. If you love those shows more power to you, I find them all cut from the predictable sitcom cloth, and would prefer to watch something I have never seen before.

For this 1st volume of my 2 part examination we will look at the offerings from the channels which are home to my 2 current favorite TV comedies. FX with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and NBC with Community.

NBC Thursday

Thursday night is a bright shining ray of amazing television in the schedule of an otherwise decrepit TV dinosaur. I hold no love for NBC after a series of increasingly poor choices made it clear that the network would prefer to cater to a decidedly aging (and fading) demographic. The network is trying to redeem itself with a single night of great programming, made even better by the absence of Parks and Rec.

Community

By far the best new show of last year, Community does what others have tried before. It reaches into the gutter of pop culture and brings forth shining gems of comedic gold. The show is smart and witty, it gets what is funny about our modern culture and it throws it back in the viewers faces. I have heard a lot of people say they do not find Community funny, it is usually the same people who take the latest trend way too seriously. The show is great if you are willing (or capable) of laughing at the things that are stupid, even as wrapped up as you may be in them now, or at one time. The cast is fantastic and everyone can find someone approachable in the loveable group of Community College misfits. Community is relatable, but over the top, it helps us to remember to laugh at ourselves, not in an elitist way, but a nostalgic one.

The first season of Community proved what a sitcom is capable of, characters that are real(ish) and fun, they are not one note rip offs of characters we have seen before. The casting is fantastic and Chevy Chase has burst back into the spotlight, and onto the radar of an entire generation that was until recently unaware of the glories of the pratfall, or that Saturday Night Live goes back to before Will Ferrell.

Season One ended leaving me wanting more. I recommend, if you are interested in some fresh prime time comedy, tune in to the season premier on Sept 23, 8pm on NBC.

The Office

Once the behemoth of television Comedy, The Office is showing its age, and with a series of increasingly poor decisions has set up the ramp, and is revving up the engine in preparation for the jumping of the proverbial shark. With the wedding of Jim and Pam the show has (for all intents and purposes) ended. The viewer is left with a handful of slapdash, and in most cases uninteresting, story lines through which they must slog for tiny bits of the humor which originally made them fall in love with the show. To replace any semblance of a cohesive storyline from week to week the writers have instead chosen to pursue ever more outrageous plots. The sad thing about The Office is it is a GOLD MINE of comedic talent. The actors are fantastic, the characters are well developed, and the setting appropriate. It could be so much better. It was driven to its heights for 3 seasons on the back of a story involving the shows least funny, and least talented members. The Jim and Pam scenario was sustained by good writing and a spattering of sexual tensions and frustration. I refuse to believe that because that part of the show has run its course the writers cannot find a suitable scenario to drive it forward. With talent the likes of Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, Rainn Wilson and Michael Scott himself Steve Carell, the show still cannot produce consistently funny episodes. This is a sign of a sitcom that has run its course, I will not be sad to see it go after this season, unless it breaks out of its box with something new and refreshing. I doubt it. But we can hope.

The Sixth and Final Season premiers Sept 23, 9pm NBC.

30 Rock

30 Rock, last season, was the most hit and miss of the NBC Thursday night lineup. Where Community shined all season, and The Office faded, 30 Rock wandered a middle ground that saw the series hit its highs and lows. I will say, 2 years ago this section of this blog would have sounded a lot like what I have written about Community. I loved 30 Rock, still do. The cast is fantastic (Tracy Morgan is the best thing on TV) and the writing as sharp as anything ever produced. Last season saw mixed reviews.I will hold off on giving up on the show until we see what this season has in store, something tells me it will be great. The shows balance of over the top comedy (Morgan) and almost real life situations keep the viewer teetering. Its a goof of a show that has kept me coming back for more.

This is one I recommend catching up on if you have not seen it before.

The Fourth Season premiers in a new timeslot Sept 23, 8:30pm NBC.

Outsourced

The newcomer in the NBC Thursday night line up, Outsourced is an as of yet unknown quantity in NBC’s primetime schedule. Knowing the network’s track record I will not hold my breath, but I am hoping this new show is worthy of being a part of this mostly abover average block of television. You be the judge, here is an extended trailer for the show.

Culturally insensitive? Yeah, probably.

Hilarious? In parts.

I will definitely be giving this one a shot.

Series premiers Sept 23, 9:30pm NBC

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

In my opinion this is, and has been for the past 5 seasons, the funniest show on television. It is not standard sitcom fare, and for some may be too brash and or crude. Sunny is the jewel of television comedy and has done so by following a successful formula in a new, and hilarious way. The late night time slot, and more avant-garde network, willing to cater to the younger demographic have given the writing team of the show the freedom necessary to create memorable television. Sunny explores many non-pc themes, including racism, abortion, and mental retardation. The main characters are all unabashed alcoholics, narcissists, and all around bad people. Yet somehow, the viewer finds himself rooting for this group of lovable social outcasts, no matter how terrible their latest scheme may be. This show is is a symbol of what is right with America, a group of people can make it in this country by bashing everything we hold sacred, and make us laugh doing it. If you are overly sensitive one way or another (Political Correctness? Not here. Ultra-Conservative? Nope not for you either) Sunny lambasts everybody and they do it with style.

As the show progresses the stories probe farther and deeper into the sickness of the human psyche. Frank (Danny DeVito) is on the verge of a mental collapse as he copes (not really) with alcoholism and drug addiction. last season also saw the gang rendered homeless and then saved by government bailouts, poisoning their rivals and describing a reprehensible system to exploit women. And all of it is hilarious.

Danny DeVito was made for this role. Frank Reynolds may be the most demented character in television history. If nothing else, the show is worth watching just to see this titan of comedy do what he was made for, inducing side splitting laughs. The rest of the cast holds their own and each brings something fantastic to the table, some of the most well crafted, and finely interpreted cahracters in contemporary television comedy.

Tune into Sunny Thursdays starting Sept 16th, if you think you can handle it.

Terriers

Terriers is a new show I am willing to give a shot this season due in part to the track record FX has with comedy. Testees and Sunny are two of my all time favorite sitcoms, whereas The League has been a sore disappointment. Despite the hit and miss nature of FX comedies I am eager for Terriers thanks to the comedic chops of Donal Logue, an actor who I feel is vastly underrated.

FX describes Terriers as a “Comedic Drama” But from the following clip it looks a lot more Drama than comedy. I will definitely tune in to find out which way the chips fall. Premiers Sept 10 10pm FX.

Inception? More Like Insipid.

2010-08-26T19:47:00.001-07:00

This image stolen from Kotaku’s “Bored to Death” Photoshop Contest will sum up this review rather neatly.

If it is not readily apparent from the poignant photo to the left, then allow me to spell it out in text. Inception was bad, not good, boring, and unoriginal. I do not have a lot to say about the film other than it seemed an uninspired, thinly veiled rip off of The Matrix. (apparently I am not the first to make the Matrix comparison, that to me proves the validity of the statement)

Conceptually it was interesting, NOT original. Stylistically it was decent, but with this premise so much more could have been done. I am a person that feels like if a movie sucks in every other way, it can still be amazing if it is visually stunning, *cough* Avatar *cough*. While Inception had the opportunity to blow the viewers mind, it did not push any limits with it cinematography, it felt bland and rehashed. Again, I feel the same way with the plotting of the story. So much more could have been done. Maybe the massive marketing budget (which is what makes most people think this film was amazing) could have been slashed to fund another couple rewrites and actually make the film amazing. The story was slow, and it did not take advantage of the neat “dream within a dream” concept to create suspense. I was never once confused as to whether a character was in a dream or not *SPOILER* until the predictable ending snuck up on me like a bull with bells on.

Inception was an M. Night Shyamalan style film. Something that sounds really cool in concept, and in the end is more hype then execution. I could say so much more, but I do not want to spend a lot of time being a hater on this blog.

So conceptually cool, but unoriginal.

Stylistically pretty good, somewhat lacking.

Poorly written and directed.

The cast, however, did a very good job. While no one person knocked my socks off they all turned in strong performances, especially DiCaprio and JGL.

There and Back Again.

2010-08-16T23:55:00.001-07:00

Hello faithful friends, Mr. X has returned, just in time, for I felt many of you were getting antsy, yes?

It has been an amazing summer. Some of which you may get to read about, much of which you wont, but fret not, those parts are less than interesting. I will return shortly to blogging about things that matter. Coming up we will have some patented Mr. X takes on books movies and more. I believe next will be a review of Inception.

Until we meet again,

Mr. X

Blurbs – May 2010 – Gathering Blue, Off The Road, Clockwork.

2010-05-16T21:48:00.001-07:00

Blurbs is a short column on all the new little things I have read, watched or thought about that I feel do not warrant an entire standalone post. Today we have three books.

Gathering Blue – Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue is a companion novel to The Giver (required reading as far as I am concerned). It tells a different story in a different place. The world of Gathering Blue is dissimilar to that of The Giver. It is a crude dystopia, whereas The Giver is an advanced one.

Posey Sessions has recently ribbed me about not reading stories with female protagonists. As I thought about it, I was not able to refute her. . . much. So I picked up Gathering Blue with an “I’ll show her” mindset. I was determined to slog through this femme fest of a book and hold it up in triumph, trumpeting “I told you so.” What happened next surprised me, and I think her as well.

I LOVED Gathering Blue. The story hooked me from the opening page and never let up. The setting was spectacular, I hated the grimy little village, it was disturbing and scary. Lowry writes of a tensioned filled backwoods nook, where archaic rules are used like weapons in a dog eat dog struggle for survival. Kira, a flawed girl who should have been killed, is left to carve out a life after the death of her mother. I was turned off initially when the story becomes too good to be true. But things in Kira’s life are not what they seem. Lowry masterfully unfolds the truth behind the village and its guardians, until in the final moment the readers uneasy feeling explodes into terror; and all the hope held for Kira and her place in this world turns into revulsion.

I also loved the character of Matt. For him this damned world is a playground that he exploits. Matt is the dystopian Tom Sawyer. I am excited to begin Messenger, in which Matty is the main character.

Off The Road – Nina Bawden

Off the Road was my first audio book in about 2 years, I decided to take audio books on my Ipod to be entertained while camping. Off the Road turned into my workout “music.” While walking each day I turned on to the story of little Tom as he follows Gandhi, his grandfather ,off the road into an entirely different society.

First off I enjoyed Off the Road. It was a fun read with some flaws. The characters are well written and interesting. I found myself wrapped up in their lives and their world. Gandhi was the perfect vehicle to drive the story. His appeal, and Tom’s love and concern for him are universal. I often thought of the affection I have for my own Grandfather, and how in Tom’s shoes I would have made the same choices, and felt the same emotions.

The flaws lie in the world Bawden has created. I do not like an author to hold the readers hand and point out everything to them along the way, so much of reading is imagination. But, there is a point where a book can be too ambiguous or nuanced. Off the Road was that for me. There was a lot of depth in the story, and at times it was very poignant, the problem was in the thread, so much was left to the reader to formulate on their own. A task that I feel may be difficult for a young reader. Also, the story does not move very much. There are moments of enlightenment for young Tom, and some of them are powerful. But the narrative is lacking, and when the conflict arises it feels almost too little too late, or like it is lifted from another story altogether.

Another major disappointment in the story, for me, was the lack of danger. The three main “bad guys” in the story are like toothless lions. The dropouts are mostly comic relief, they steal a little food and not much else, and even when they get scary for a moment, Bawden actually introduces us to them, and they are more mischievous than scary. The Rangers are soft hearted protectors of a peaceful society, who never really threaten Tom. And the Inside is the least of worries. It felt to me like the inside was a comfortable world that one got to experience for a while, and the outside was a sort of retirement village. The threat vanished in the end for good.

I enjoyed following the enlightenment of a selfish little boy, but I felt like the ties between his experiences on the outside and his eventual epiphanies were too nuanced to be very effective. For all of its weak points Off the Road was a nostalgic look at the love of a boy for his grandfather. That was the story within the story that I very much enjoyed.

Clockwork – Philip Pullman

Clockwork was a dark and dreary children's tale. It surprised me, having never been exposed to Pullman before (yeah I am the last person in the world who has not read His Dark Materials) how dismal and bleak the story really was. Reading it as an adult I was a bit shocked that this passed for children’s fare. The two stories in the book wove together in a seamless fashion. And The tale of the little Prince was magnificently creepy. Clockwork was an intricate story with the feel of a campfire tale.

It was a quick, light read, that felt like something a lot more substantial. But, I could not help feeling that it was something I had read before; a variation on a familiar theme. Pullman did it better, and perhaps he did it for the sake of a young audience, but it felt like it tread familiar “scary story” territory.

I picked up the book again and read it to my six year old niece. She sat attentive to the tale, but often stopped me to ask “when will it get scary?” Perhaps this speaks to the desensitizing of our children, or perhaps six years old is too young to grasp the full darkness and evil of moving corpses, murderous statues, and human experimentation.

Taking it for what it was Clockwork was infinitely readable, and a great way to pass a spare hour. My only complaints were the rehashed feeling of the tale (“Im a real boy!”) and a weak connection between previous statements and the final payoff.

Riding the Wave

2010-05-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

Let it be known that I have the most amazing girl in the world. A girl who has taken the time to get to know me and what I like, so when she gives me a book to read, I rarely think twice. As I sauntered off for a month in California to unwind from stressful semester at school, I was carrying a backpack filled with books from her private collection. The first I decided to read was The Wave a novel by Todd Strasser, it is a novelization of a short film, which in turn is based on a real life classroom experiment.

The concept of The Wave piqued my interest because I am a university student completing a double major in both History and Political Science. The topic of my recently completed thesis for my history degree focused on the political climate in Germany that led to the rise of the Nazi Party and the establishment of the Third Reich. I will not say The Wave offers an entirely comprehensive look at the phenomenon of group identity, or that it even comes close to explaining what would make a person support, actively or passively, the atrocities of the Nazi Party. What it does do, however, is help its target audience of young readers to understand the allure of group identity, the inescapable power of the collective, and the dangers associated with groupthink.

The Wave was effective in the novel for many similar reasons that the Nazis were effective in Germany in the late 1920s and early 30s. High school is made up of vulnerable, impressionable children, fragmented into many cliques, constantly searching for a place to belong and an identity. Weimar Germany was also hopelessly fragmented, political divisions took the place of cliques, the Jocks, the Nazis, the Nerds, The Communists, The rich kids, the bourgeoisie, the poor kids, the proletariat. These comparisons are not really accurate, but instead are made to illustrate a point. Each group has its own goals, and was willing to sacrifice much to attain them. Even those with the power to stop the Wave, or the Nazis, namely Mr. Ross the Teacher, or President Hindenburg of Germany turned a blind eye in order to create order and unity, something both desired in their own territory.

As a student who focused on European history and international politics, primarily the period from the outbreak of WWI through the establishment of the UN after WWII, the social, economic and political factors are studied in depth. The human factor is usually noticeably absent. A history course on the development of the Nazi party even glossed over the thought process of the people who brought the Nazis to power, as did The Wave. For a novel that attempts to explain the reasoning at the heart of Nazi power, it fails in the same way most academic courses do. Ambiguity is paramount in The Wave, often students say they feel “good” or feel “something” or some kind of “power” in the Wave, but no real explanations are made for the draw of the collective, nor for the rejection of it by the individual, some feel right in it, some feel wrong. Maybe the novel and history classes fall short for the same reason: There is no answer. Only theories exist, but no single theory can encompass the actions of a hundred, let alone a million individuals. It can only be said that each person finds their own reason to be part of the wave, or to fight against it.

The Wave succeeds in showing the reader that, despite popular thinking, what happened in Germany from 1933 to 1945 could definitely happen again. It also shows some signposts that we must watch for on the road to a tyranny of the masses. But, it cannot give any insight into the thought process of every person who chooses to subjugate their will to that of the group, because each person follows their own reason, each is willing to abandon something different in hopes of gaining something better. The Wave was an excellent read as a way to fill out a part of my education that may have been lacking, but it offers no real answers, only warnings.

Dr. Parnassus, or What Could Have Been.

2010-05-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

This will be a short rant to vent my frustration with what could have been a great film, and was instead mediocre and disappointing. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus had everything going for it. A unique and twisted story, an AMAZING cast, beautiful visuals, a director who always makes me smile, oh and an AMAZING cast. How then did the film fall so flat?

The major problem I had with the film was pacing. The first part of the film takes a long time in setting up, the viewer is kept guessing at why we really should care about the characters, and if it even matters what they are doing. The story picks up once we are introduced to Heath Ledger’s character, but shortly after its slows down again leading into a long drawn out middle section, followed by an abrupt ending that feels disconnected from the rest of the film. To say any more would almost guarantee spoilers. The story meanders, doling out information sporadically, but never in a timely manner, back story is revealed too soon before, or too far after it is relevant, and sometimes its not revealed at all.

The film, however, was not all bad. Some of it was actually quite enjoyable. Let me first address the elephant in the room, Heath Ledger. Ledger died while making this film, and it was originally thought the project might be scrapped altogether. Instead director John Cleese found an inventive way to continue the story without him. While I believe we all would have loved more Heath Ledger, the addition of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in his place was acceptable, if a bit forced. Each actor spends time playing Ledger’s character when he enters the imaginarium, a change that was foreshadowed once, confusingly, very early in the film. I would have preferred a single actor to take on the role of Tony as he traipsed through the imaginarium. Changing faces each time ruined some of the continuity of the story, and having Tony be surprised by the change every time was a bit corny. That being said, Heath Ledger was a powerhouse in his last performance, he shows us again in the Imaginarium why he will definitely be missed.

I must also take a moment to thank John Cleese, to get down on my knees in praise of a casting choice made in this film. To make burnt offerings in response to my absolute joy at seeing one of my favorite celebrities of all time on the screen, playing a role that is tailor made for him; Tom Waits as the Devil. If you do not know who Tom Waits is, or you do not know why he is so perfect for this film, you must begin your research. This film, stylistically, screamed Tom Waits, it oozed his persona all over the screen. A dark carnival ride at 3am in a bad part of town, not so much fun as slightly terrifying, yet impossible to forget. That is Mr. Waits. His portrayal of scheming old Nick was spot on, a thing of beauty, intense in its seeming ambivalence. This was a Devil you could grow to love, after all he was not such a bad guy. Waits knocked it out of the park, he brought the quirk to the film, in a way that the crazy sets and surreal visuals only hinted at.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was a visual treat, if you want to settle in for a flight of fancy, this is the movie for you. If you want a final goodbye to Mr. Ledger, or you worship at the altar of Tom Waits (like I do) this is a movie for you. If you like the over the top antics of the Monty Python crew, John Cleese brings a bit of that into the film, and this might be the film for you. If you are looking for a well constructed coherent story, you might want to skip this one.

Offendor, or Who REALLY Kicks-Ass?

2010-05-04T17:23:00.001-07:00

Kick-Ass was by far my biggest disappointment at the theater so far in 2010. So when I saw a commercial for a straight to DVD release of what seemed to be a Kick-Ass clone I was a little cynical. It seemed Defendor hoped to capitalize on the hype. The drawing power of Woody Harrelson did little to change my mind, even coming off his intense performance in The Messenger, and a laugh riot role in Zombieland. I was ambivalent at best. until I took a trip to the local video store. Avatar was out, the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was out, and I had seen everything else. So I strolled past Defendor, spared a passing glance and moved on, I was only at the Ds, surely something better lay ahead. Turns out, I was wrong, so I walked out of the video place, this gem in my hand, but still slightly disappointed. But not for too long.

First off, I will just say Defendor was not an amazing, blow your mind kind of film. It was just something better than its competitor. I will not spend much time lambasting Kick-Ass, instead I will let Poseysessions do that, she is more than capable.

Instead let us talk about Woody Harrelson, the man can carry a movie. At one point I had considered Woody somewhere along the lines of a Kevin Costner or a Nick Cage, makes plenty of fun movies, but nothing to write home about. Generic looks, generic acting, minimal talent, and pretty much the same guy in everything he was in. Not so anymore for the Woodmeister. He has found a niche into which he fits well, and he is executing. Zombieland was hilarious, and Harrelson’s comedic timing spot on. Defendor is a film in that vein. But chock full of emotion.

Defendor is not a comedy, I repeat, it just isn't a comedy.

To be fair, neither is Kick-Ass.

It is a shame that Kick-Ass was packaged as such, otherwise, going into the theater with different expectations I may have came out with a different point of view. My only expectation with Defendor was an “everything comes in pairs” scenario. Deep Impact and Armageddon etc and so on. Average guy becomes a super hero, action and (hopefully) comedy ensues.

Kick-Ass suffered from another identity crisis, who was it about? The movie attempted to split its time between two different story lines, which never came together in any acceptable way. Kick-Ass, you know the kid on the posters, was not the main character, his was not the story I cared about, he was more like a vehicle to introduce us to the story of Hit Girl and Big Daddy. The meat of the movie was with these 2 characters, a (wanna be) touching father-daughter story played out on a gritty cop gets revenge backdrop. The supposed main character is nowhere in this better side of the movie.

Defendor on the other hand is driven by the main characters, Harrelson’s portrayal of the quirky, mentally deficient Arthur Poppington as he seeks to escape from his bleak real life by becoming a super hero is the center of the film. Poppington is a likeable loser, Kick-Ass is a pretentious teen. Poppington has real problems, Kick-Ass wants to get laid. The love stories in both films highlight where one film went wrong and one right. Kick-Ass’ superficial “love” drama is a lust based snorefest, it comes and goes as easily as real high school romance, and is just as interesting. Defendor’s love story is a tale of two broken people in a harsh world, the affection develops as the Prostitute and the Nutcase come to understand and appreciate each other through their shared tribulations.

In summation, Defendor is a better movie if you are interested in Drama that has a story filled with real emotion. Defendor is a better Comedy if you like to laugh. Kick-Ass on the other hand is a better Action movie all around, a merit on which it could have succeeded, if it had painted itself as such.

The Mind of Mr. X

2010-05-02T18:45:00.001-07:00

Welcome and enjoy reading a little bit of anything and everything. Anything thing I think of everything may one day grace these pages.

You have stepped into the Mind of Mr. X.