Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup #31

Hello and welcome to a new issue of my weekly roundup. Next week I return to work which means less time for internet and reading. But I don't want to complain. I was able to read more books than I expected in the past couple weeks - enjoyed them all except for one - and wrote some reviews which, is astounding for me because I thought I couldn't do it properly. And now enjoy the Roundup.

Books

I know a lot of people are eagerly waiting for The Gathering Storm [US] [UK] by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Jason over at Dragonmount got the opportunity to read it. For details read his post, I read The Gathering Storm. I am not familiar with the series, and it is therefore a bit difficult for me to write a comment. Fortunately for you, there are bloggers who know the Wheel of Time and who posted their opinions about this early "review". So please read Aidan's post over at A Dribble Of Ink, Adam's post over at The Wertzone, Joe Sherry's post over at Adventures in Reading, James' post over at Speculative Horizons.

This is the third time that I am 'punishing' you with The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe (US) (UK). But I do it out of love, and because there is a good story behind it. Just read Bona Fide: Weekly Roundup from 25th of July and Review: The Sword-Edged Blonde. What about you? Does reading blogs have any influence on your reading choice? Do you trust reviews? Do you follow recommendations? I look forward to your comments. Oh, before I forget, Alex Bledsoe wrote a Eddie LaCrosse short story - Things That Flit - which you can read for free!

Do you read sci-fi, fantasy, horror, gothic, or steampunk classics? I mean authors like Jule Verne, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde?
Did you ever read The Picture of Dorian Gray (first published in 1890!) by Oscar Wilde [US] [UK] [free online]? This classic gothic horror story is about a young man who seems to be forever young and the secret of his painted portait is still worth reading. Especially nowadays where we are surrounded by people who are addicted to youth and beauty.

Movies

I didn't talk about The Picture of Dorian Gray for no reason. A new film adaption titled Dorian Gray will hit UK theaters in September 2009. So far I can't deliver release dates for US, Germany, and other countries. But I can entertain you with a trailer. Enjoy....


Every time I see the names of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, I know I can expect another gorgeous epic of cinematography. I know, I know, we have to wait until 5th of March 2010, but I couldn't wait to show you the trailer of Alice in Wonderland:



Blogosphere

I'm a bit late with the following message: Peter V. Brett signed a contract with a major Hollywood director for The Painted Man (aka The Warded Man). One reason for the delay is, due to prodigious amounts of reading this week, I'm behind my in google reader entries! Which, incidentally, leads me to another topic...

You know how every day you stumble across a new blog? Some of them are worth following, and others not. But the more blogs you follow, the more time you have to spend doing it. Have you ever stopped for a second to think about the people behind these blogs? Just posting posts and answering comments can be a huge time commitment. I contribute to this blog with a Weekly Roundup and with reviews from time to time. That means I know how much time I invest. But I can hardly imagine what it means to run a blog alone. What about you, dear reader? Do you have a secret, burning desire? No, get your mind out of the gutter... I am talking about the secret wish to write a post. You like sci-fi and fantasy and you think: "Hey, I can write posts like this one. Why the hell don't they ask me to contribute to this blog with my brilliant word play?" GOTCHA! Send an email with your name and your interests through the profile link in Only The Best SciFi/Fantasy.

Games

Do you like point-and-click graphic adventures? You never had the opportunity to visit Venice except in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade [US][UK]? What do you know about the grim reaper and necromancy? Peaked your interest? Then you should have a look at the upcoming - German - action/RPG: Venetica. What we expect: "In the upcoming Action RPG Venetica players take over the role of Scarlett, Grim Reaper’s daughter who is young and beautiful. Set in a fantastic Venice, it is her mission to fight pure evil. Venetica takes players to the here and now of its fantastic game world, making Scarlett explore Venice’s streets, canals, houses and even the roof tops. As the daughter of Death, she also has the ability to enter the Twilight World: the world of the dead." [source]. The developers described the game as a "cinematic RPG". Please watch the trailer for a first impression of the game:


Quotes

Foreign peoples, other countries, different cultures. You want it? No problem. You don't even need to leave your home. Just read a book and let your mind travel. These are my favorite quotes related to travel:

""Little by little, one travels far."
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

"Still round the corner there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate."

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

"A traveler must have the back of an ass to bear all,
a tongue like the tail of a dog to flatter all,
the mouth of a hog to eat what is set before him,
the ear of a merchant to hear all and say nothing."

Thomas Nashe (1567 -1601)