I spend my nights in fear, I don't dare close my eyes. I looked in the Yellow pages for a wizard, but could not find Harry Dresden. And so I come to you, my reader, for help. I believe that Christine, my girlfriend, is a demon if not the head honcho of hell, the devil. I have tried every trick I know to prove her demonic lineage, and have come out empty handed every time. From holy water in her tea to iron jewelry she just smiles and kisses me, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes! Just when I thought things could not get worse, I discovered that hot oil exposes her true nature! Look, what an errant drop of oil did, it revealed her master's mark.
I set out to research the number six, thinking that she was a lesser demon that could yet be turned to the ways of good. Alas, I fear that my hope was in vain. According to The Lesser Key of Solomon, my girlfriend is the sixth most powerful demon in existence, commanding ten legions of the damned. I name her now for what she is, truly, Duchess of Hell, Valefar. I now understand her game, time being her eternal ally, she seeks to tempt me to her cause, enticing me to join her forsaken legions. Ahh readers, is there no hope for my redemption and for hers? Perhaps, in your treasure trove of dark lore you hold the gem of knowledge which will save me from eternal damnation. For surely I am not strong enough to resist her power; already I feel myself slipping into her dark embrace.
Now, with confirmation of her true nature, I am at a loss for what to do. Save me oh reader, for I fear for my very soul! Day by day, my courage slips. Lend me your knowledge so that I may free myself and deliver my soul from the clutches of darkness. Hear me now and lend aid for the darkness beckons and time is short.
I have been following the hype surrounding District 9 for quite a while now. From the release of the new District 9 poster to the exemplary viral marketing campaign, I was a fan before there was even a decent trailer out there. Generally, this leads to high expectations and a poor movie going experience. It may be hard to believe, but Mr. Blomkamp managed to pleasantly surprise me, giving to movie watchers everywhere a revealing look at human nature, and managing to throw some pretty wicked looking aliens into the mix.
Those of you familiar with the history of South Africa will instantly want to view the movie through the optic of apartheid. The jovial atmosphere and light tone of the first ten minutes of the movie underscore a brutal reality of oppression and racism. Well, I guess that in this case it would be xenophobia. The friendly and slightly silly mannerisms of the protagonist lull the audience into accepting the terrible treatment of the aliens as somehow OK. While the first ten minutes of the movie serve to dehumanize the aliens, the rest of the movie slowly reverses the process, bringing with it a certain cathartic release. To say that Mr. Blomkamp was able to make me feel ashamed of being human might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.
To be sure, the science fiction fan in you will appreciate all the geeky wonderfulness of District 9. From the aliens to the pulse blasters and the awesome mechanized battle-suit, you will not be disappointed. The gritty realism of the movie serves as a perfect backdrop for both social commentary and futuristic gismos. What the movie lacks in big budget pyrotechnics and gratuitous violence it easily makes up for by being, well, awesome. The subtle blend of documentary style footage and traditional blockbuster shots gives the whole experience an undeniable realism that leaves one with a lasting and meaningful impression.
I loved District 9 and wasn't bored for a minute, but I am still having some difficulty shaking that guilty feeling... I think it might come from the fact the the aliens are referred to as "prawns", a derogatory racial slur, but we are never given another name to call them by.
Hello and welcome to the second Roundup in August. To my surprise I didn't find a movie trailer worth posting, so I hope you "survive" without a trailer. After reading several reviews -- most of them negative -- about G I Joe I decided to save my money for an other movie. And now enjoy reading...
Books
In the last couple of weeks I have posted a lot concerning books that I bought and ordered. This week, I had to cancel my pre-order of the German edition of Best Served Cold (2009) [US][UK] by Joe Abercrombie because the publishing date has been postponed. I still wanted the book though, so I ordered the hardcover at Book Depository UK. You won't believe me but, I also found time for reading. I finished Bloodheir (2008) [US][UK] by Brian Ruckley. This middle book in The Godless World trilogy is strong, dark, vivid, harsh, and powerful. Next up on the reading list, The Angels's Game (2009) [US][UK] by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. US-Cover followed by UK-Cover
Have you ever read a book by Karen Miller? I must admit that I own all the books in the Godspeaker trilogy - unread. It seems there is a some hype surrounding her new book The Prodigal Mage (2009) [US][UK]. I have read several reviews by Mad Hatter, Kimberly Swan, John, a preview by Robots and Vamps and an intermediate reading impression by Jeff C which all praise the book, without exception. A little icing on the cake, I give you a link to a Karen Miller interview and the opportunity to read an exclusive excerpt. In case you have read it please let me know your impression. I'm also interested in your opinion on her other books.
Last week, I talked about how elements that we find in fantasy novels derive their origin from reality. This is not unusual. But when we can see, smell, and touch things in reality it helps our imagination along. In a lot of fantasy novels you find cities, towns, and hamlets. Maybe some of you read Nights of Villjamur (2009) by Mark Charan Newton [US] [UK]. For me the town Villjamur is the secret star of the book. Mark Charan Newtons depiction of Villjamur is one of the best I have read in the past years. That leads me to walled cities. There are a lot of old walled towns around the world. You know some of them? I highly recommend a look at The Walled cities post over at Dark Roasted Blend which I recommended some time ago. There are 890 properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List. And the list contains walled cities. The World Heritage Site posted a list of walled cities including vistor impressions. I couldn't resist showing you a video about the famous German town, Rothenburg ob der Tauber:
Quotes
This week I offer you quotes related to war. I have been inspired by the walled cities.
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Albert Einstein (1879 -1955)
"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it." George Orwell (1903 -1950)
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?" Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
I am bored with all the snark aimed at the publishing industry/authors for wanting to make a buck. Undoubtedly, many of you have been following the recent criticism leveled against the Dune and Wheel of Time franchises, and if you haven't you should be. Adam rightfully tore the continuation of the Dune series a new one, as the saying goes, and he did a marvelous job of it. His arguments were well research and succinct and you can't help but agree with him by the end of his post. I don't even think the authors could formulate a reasonable counterargument if they wanted to, nor should they. I would like to add my two cents to the fray on a more... philosophical level, and if I miss the mark it isn't for want of trying.
Publishing is about money, punto final; try as we might to ignore the fundamental calculus of the industry, it is impossible to deny the fact that the bottom line is king. Obviously, words such as integrity and leadership spring to mind, but they are just subsets of a greater numeric rationale--when an imprint is perceived as having integrity and being a trail blazer, guess what, it sells more books. The best publishing houses strike a profit maximizing equilibrium between pandering and professionalism, quality and sales. This is not a criticism, it is a compliment. If tarnishing the legacy of one great author allows you to print new and remarkable talent, then by all means do so.
I am a realist. I realize that in today's market ideals will only get you so far. Ranting about how one series or another is motivated purely by it's profit margins, while true, will only hurt the publisher's bottom line, and on the flip side give you one less marvelous debut this publishing cycle. Sure you are angry, and so am I, but that is the world we live in. Or at least, that is the world as I see it. There has been much blame tossed into the void that is the mighty Internet recently, and a significant portion of it fails to contribute to the debate, opining instead for the witty condescension and venomous repartee which are all too often the hallmark of snark. In the context of this debate, I find it humorously ironic that 'snarky' posts get more readers.
Regardless, the bittersweet truth is that the snark must continue. Just as publishers strike a balance in their offerings, so to is up to the reader to redress blatant profiteering. My sincere hope is that criticism and debate can be held in a context that admits to and gives weight to the complexities governing publishers' rationales. While economic considerations are undoubtedly preponderant, the reader must realize that the power is in her hands, quite literally.
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