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Currently Reading
[2007 09 16] Altered Carbon, Richard Morgan
[2007 09 01] Blood Meridian or the Evening Redness in the West, Cormac McCarthy
[2007 08 01] The Kingdom of God is Within You, Leo Tolstoy
[2007 07 01] Double Vision, Tricia Sullivan
[2007 04 01] The Hundred Year Lie
Books
[2007 09 16] The Hidden Family: Book Two of Merchant Princes,Charles Stross
[2007 05 00] The Faded Sun: Kesrith, C.J. Cherryh
[2007 03 00] Knight, Gene Wolfe
[2005 15 15] First Kyu, Dr. Sung-Hwa Hong
[2005 01 23] Factoring Humanity, Robert J. Sawyer
[2004 11 28] Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut -- as of this writing Antiwar.com puts the American death toll in Iraq at 1235. So it goes.
[2004 10 07] The Dragon Style (Learn to Play Go, Volume III), Jeong Soo-hyun, Janice Kim
[2004 09 15] The Way of the Moving Horse (Learn to Play Go, Volume II), Janice Kim, Jeong Soo-Hyun
[2004 08 19] Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game (Volume I), Janice Kim
[2004 07 15] Jennifer Government, Max Barry
[2004 07 10]Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud -- This book is amazing. Every panel of every page is jam-packed with information. I'd recomend this to anyone attempting to tell a story in any medium.
[2004 07 01]The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them, Amy Goodman
[2004 06 14]Solitaire, Kelley Eskridge -- If William Gibson attempted to combine Clockwork Orange with Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption, the result might be something like Solitaire. Eskridge takes social engineering to new levels by placing a 'project manager' into the glorified role where we expect to see a hacker or a cowboy or a fighter pilot. This is speculative fiction that business majors can appreciate, and it's an impressive first novel.
[2004 06 08]Weapons of Mass Deception The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq, Sheldon Rampton & John Stauber. -- The information in this book was probably not as eye opening to me as it'd be to 90% of the rest of America. I've been getting my news from sources like the Memory Hole and KPFK since the beginning of the war, and it's beyond disturbing to realize how misinformed the American public is.
[]There have been other books. I sorely need to update this page.
[]On a Pale Horse, Piers Anthony. -- I've read quite a few books by Piers Anthony over the years, but the Incarnations of Immortality series keeps getting recommended to me. I was quite impressed.
[2004 03 20] The Etched City, KJ Bishop. -- This proved that everyting that makes a story epic, personal, unique, and impossible to put down can be packed into 330 pages. I feel like I just finished reading a 2100 page trilogy. And this was her first novel. I eagerly await more from Bishop!
[2004 03 11] Royal Assassin, Robin Hobb -- I'm relearning the lesson that a great fantasy series can be quite adictive. I love the play between the Skill and the Wit and the intrigue of the royal family. Full of unforgettable characters, this series just keeps getting better. Now to find a copy of Assassin's Quest...
[2004 03 06] A Case of Conscience, James Blish (amazon)
[2004 03 05] Maul, Tricia Sullivan (amazon uk) -- One man holds the key to the survival of all men. Sullivan, with a dark wit, brings to life his final struggle with the intelligent viruses living within. Grab this as soon as it hits shelves in the states.
[2004 02 29] I am Legend, Richard Matheson (amazon)
[2004 02 28] Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb (amazon)
[2004 02 15] Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Cory Doctorow (my journal) (download) (amazon)
[2004 02 01] Hominids, Robert J. Sawyer (amazon)
Graphic Novels
[2004 09 30] Hikaru No Go, Vol. 1, Hotta, Yumi -- this is a delightful manga centered around the game go.
[2004 08 31] @Large, Vol. 1, Ahmed Hoke -- found this by way of WWDN
[2004 08 01] A Contract with God : And Other Tenement Stories, Will Eisner
[2004 03 02] Tales of the Slayers, Joss Whedon and others (amazon)
[2004 02 17] Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction, Mike Mignola (amazon)
[2004 02 06] Promethea (Book 1), Alan Moore (amazon)
[2004 02 06] Fray, Joss Whedon (amazon)
Websites
Radar Online
[2007 09 17] SCROOGLED, Cory Doctorow
[2004 02 29] "Gunning for the Buddha," Michael Jasper (ebook)
[2004 02 02] "Coal Ash and Sparrows," Michael Jasper (ebook)
[2004 02 29] "Genderbending at the Madhattered," Kameron Hurley
[2004 02 23] "Famishing," by Heather Shaw
Heather Shaw brought both an exotic land and a deeply personal struggle to life. A very engaging story.
[2004 02 16] "In the Late December," Greg van Eekhout
[2004 02 16] "Sleeping with Bears," Theodora Goss
[2003] "The Dream Factory," Jenn Reese
[2003] "Winged," Jenn Reese
[2004 02 21] "Liberation Spectrum," Cory Doctorow (read online)
This one didn't initially suck me in like "0wnz0red" or Down and Out, but I stuck with it. It turned out to be another great, timely yarn. I'd read a little about smart radio in a Wired article. Taken as a whole I really liked the startup as revolution enabler motif, but it took me a little while to sort it all out. That might just be reading a story before I'm totally awake. Another great story from Doctorow.
[2004 02 20] "0wnz0red," Cory Doctorow (read online)
This piece was spooky timely when it was published (honorable computing). It's still timely. I absolutely love how Doctorow deals with technology issues by applying them to humanity. It's good science fiction, and he does it well.
[2004 02 20] "Remainders," Michael J. Jasper (read online)
I knew I was in for a treat in the first sentence. A great name for the main character. A great name for the ship. From there it just got better. For a moment I thought I was going to be reading Starship Troopers, and then all the aliens and the mind control and , of couse, the remainders were deftly woven by a top notch storyteller into an intricate, personal story. Very, very fun to read.
[2004 02 19] "Articles of a Personal Nature," Deborah Coates
I really like the structure of "Articles." The twist brilliantly reveals mistaken assumtions of the narrator. Tracking works great as symbolism for relationships.
[2004 02 17] "Inappropriate Behavior," Pat Murphy (my journal)
[2004 02 15] "Castaway," Gene Wolfe
[2003]"The Empire of Ice Cream," Jeffrey Ford
I really liked this story when I first read it. I think I may have even made a journal entry about it. I was pleased that it was noticed by numerous Locus reviewers.
Magazines
Issue 5/January 2003
[2004 02 23] "Cold Cash," Tim Curran -- Grave robbing gangsters.
number 1/November 2003
[2004 02 22] "Never, Incorporated," Michael J. Jasper
[2004 02 22] "Like Cherries in the Dark," Jay Lake
[2004 02 22] "Spidergirl," Jenn Reese
It actually took me two readings to really wrap my mind around this one, but now I love it. Written with a playful tone that brings to life the joys of being different. Disabilities to not have to be debilitating.
March 2004
(controversy)
[2004 02 21] "Tammy Pendant," Chris Beckett.
This story had a lot of elements that might have been interesting, but overall nothing happened. Maybe that was the point, the futility of the main character's life paralleling the futility of her therapy. Didn't do anything for me. It did however fuel the controversy. This story has the little girls quote.
[2004 02 21] "Jagganath," Richard Flood.
Great core science fiction. I guess this story also fueled the controversy with it's mention of drugs, even if in this instance information is the drug...
[2004 02 21] "What She Left Behind," Sarah A. Hoyt
The story begins with a scene of incest, which deftly established the alienation the main character has with his "father's world" and the abandonment he feels toward his mother. This story deals with the "morning after" the fairy tale ends. The happily ever after still manages to sneak into the story even after the magic is gone. Quite a neat message.
[2004 02 14] "Pulp Cover," Gene Wolfe
A rather unremarkable story, but told well, and nostalgic.
July 1997
[2004 02 18] "Universal Emulator," Tom Cool -- Wheels within wheels. Delightful Core Science Fiction.
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