A big thank you to Jeremy Bates for hosting the Dog Days of Summer Blog Fest. Be sure to visit his blog and take a stroll through the work of the other participants. Enjoy the Dog Days!
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Dog Days of Summer, Part III: My Plans for the Rest of the Summer
A big thank you to Jeremy Bates for hosting the Dog Days of Summer Blog Fest. Be sure to visit his blog and take a stroll through the work of the other participants. Enjoy the Dog Days!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
On the Coffee Table: Second Foundation
Title: Second Foundation
Author: Isaac Asimov
Image via Solomon Says
The original Foundation series ended with this volume, originally published in novel form in 1953. It would be nearly thirty years before Asimov finally published a sequel. Here are my two previous posts on the series:
On the Coffee Table: Isaac Asimov
On the Coffee Table: Foundation and Empire
While the Foundation series has provided a blue print for other futuristic empires, it's very different from the standard science fiction/fantasy fare. It's not exactly an adventure tale. One story often takes place a generation or more after the one before it with an entirely new cast of characters. Highly consequential space battles are glossed over. Instead, the plot moves forward with what are essentially conversational chess matches. The fate of mankind is decided not so much by military exercise as through the intellectual sparring of academics and politicians.
The pervasive theme of the narrative is the centuries-old philosophical/religious debate over free will vs. predestination. The citizens of the Foundation are guided and, they believe, protected by the Seldon Plan put forth by their founder and patriarch as the Old Galactic Empire began to crumble. The two stories in Second Foundation, Part I: Search by the Mule and Part II: Search by the Foundation, address the meddling of first the enigmatic Mule (a sort of Alexander the Great/Napoleon mash up) and then the mysterious, secretive Second Foundation at the other end of the Galaxy.
The second story, in particular, gets highly technical in Asimov's invented science of psychohistory, the prediction of the future of galactic society through mathematical analysis. It is this idea, in particular, which made the Foundation story different. Though now, the concept that people's mass reactions are quantifiable and predictable hardly seems revolutionary at all. Billions are spent daily in both public and private enterprise under precisely that assumption, even if it can't be managed with quite the precision of Asimov's characters (let's hope).
Asimov's greatest gift as a writer was taking complicated ideas and making them accessible to the average reader. His highly prolific career went far beyond fiction. Most of his 500+ books were non-fiction, many of them in science but he was not shy about taking on other subjects like history, religion and Shakespeare. His fiction, even in its highly technical moments, manages to affect a conversational tone. As a result, he's able to keep stories moving at a respectable pace. Keep a dictionary handy, though.
Monday, April 23, 2012
On the Coffee Table: Foundation and Empire
Title: Foundation and Empire
Author: Isaac Asimov
Image via goodreads.com
Foundation and Empire was the second book of Asimov's original Foundation trilogy. The novel was published in 1952 but the two stories contained within - The General and The Mule - were originally published in 1945 in Astounding Magazine. Back in January, I reviewed the first book of the trilogy here.
As I wrote in that post, I first read the series in high school, 20+ years ago. While I enjoyed the books then, I must admit that I don't remember individual characters and plot details as well as I do for other stories I read in my youth, or even other Asimov stories, such as Caves of Steel, part of his Robots series. Part of that has to do with structure. Each story within the series takes place in its own era with few characters turning up in future installments. It's more the idea of the Foundation series that is memorable - the concept that the future is mathematically predictable and, as a result, inevitable no matter what the characters do. Or so they believe.
That said, I've always remembered The Mule as the gem of the whole series. Magnifico is the series's most unusual character and his story is masterfully told. There's a big plot twist at the end. I won't give it away except to say that Asimov very cleverly gives the reader many hints along the way while the characters in the story remain oblivious. Also, his descriptions of Magnifico's musical performances are exquisite.
Question: what is the statute of limitations on plot spoilers?
Bayta Darell is another interesting character in The Mule, essentially the story's female lead. There are very few female characters in the Foundation series and Bayta is notable for the fact that Asimov quite explicitly presents her as a woman undaunted in a male-dominated society. Asimov considered himself a feminist even before the Women's Lib movement and at least twice in the story, Bayta is described through the eyes of astonished chauvenistic observers.
Looking for A-Z? Scroll down two posts or try the link here.
Author: Isaac Asimov
Image via goodreads.com
Foundation and Empire was the second book of Asimov's original Foundation trilogy. The novel was published in 1952 but the two stories contained within - The General and The Mule - were originally published in 1945 in Astounding Magazine. Back in January, I reviewed the first book of the trilogy here.
As I wrote in that post, I first read the series in high school, 20+ years ago. While I enjoyed the books then, I must admit that I don't remember individual characters and plot details as well as I do for other stories I read in my youth, or even other Asimov stories, such as Caves of Steel, part of his Robots series. Part of that has to do with structure. Each story within the series takes place in its own era with few characters turning up in future installments. It's more the idea of the Foundation series that is memorable - the concept that the future is mathematically predictable and, as a result, inevitable no matter what the characters do. Or so they believe.
That said, I've always remembered The Mule as the gem of the whole series. Magnifico is the series's most unusual character and his story is masterfully told. There's a big plot twist at the end. I won't give it away except to say that Asimov very cleverly gives the reader many hints along the way while the characters in the story remain oblivious. Also, his descriptions of Magnifico's musical performances are exquisite.
Question: what is the statute of limitations on plot spoilers?
Bayta Darell is another interesting character in The Mule, essentially the story's female lead. There are very few female characters in the Foundation series and Bayta is notable for the fact that Asimov quite explicitly presents her as a woman undaunted in a male-dominated society. Asimov considered himself a feminist even before the Women's Lib movement and at least twice in the story, Bayta is described through the eyes of astonished chauvenistic observers.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Why Star Wars Is Vitally Important
Image via movieposter.com
In 1977, 20th Century Fox released a film then known simply as Star Wars, a film made for a scant $11 million which would revolutionize the industry. In 1977, no one could possibly have predicted that George Lucas's little movie would become one of the most powerful forces in worldwide popular culture. No one could have foreseen the economic empire built upon a brand to rival Disney and the Beatles: sequels, prequels, books, video games, cartoons, toys - oh, so many toys! In 1977, I was four years old.
I didn't even know what I was getting into. Seeing the movie was my mother's idea. I had no clue as to the treats in store: lasers, droids, light sabers, Wookiees. Holy cow, Wookiees! How could I possibly have known of the central role this story would play in shaping the cultural vocabulary of my life?
At its heart, the original Star Wars is such a simple story: a hodgepodge band of adventurers pitted against seemingly irresistible evil. Indeed, elements of the tale predate written language. For all of the fireworks, I believe it is this very simplicity which is the secret of Star Wars's appeal. If no sequels or prequels were ever made, the magic of that first film would be no less for me.
Image via movieposter.com
But there were more. I remember the sheer delight of seeing the trailer for The Empire Strikes Back for the very first time. There was going to be more! The second one was even better. Only after years of watching other films would I appreciate the rarity of a sequel improving upon the original. Then, with a single line of dialogue, George Lucas shattered my notion of the static nature of a character's place on the moral spectrum:
"No. I am your father!"
Well, if I wasn't hooked on the story before that, I sure was after! The resolution in Return of the Jedi was icing on the cake. Three epic films in just seven years. Then, radio silence for the next 16.
Image via Crash! Site
In my life, I've found that I am a sucker for all invented worlds: Narnia, Pyrdain, Dungeons & Dragons, Middle Earth, Star Trek, Hogwarts, whatever. Once I get pulled into one, I want to feast upon all of its intricacies. My recent exploration of the comic book medium has reminded me once again that my curiosity about Lucas's galaxy far, far away has never been fully sated. Only now do I appreciate that this realm has been thoroughly explored in print since 1978. I think I may even have picked up one of the comic books back in the day and was disappointed that it wasn't exactly like the story I knew. More than once, I've tried to make it through the novelization of the original film, though not with much success. I think it's high time I renewed my efforts with both.
Talk about a cast of thousands, the Marvel Universe has nothing on the Star Wars comics. On my last trip to Earth Prime in Burlington, I picked up books from nine different Star Wars series. All told, the comic book stories span thousands of years of invented history. Evidently, George Lucas has always maintained some control over what is known as the "Expanded Universe" and has also on occasion drawn upon the stories and characters invented by others. Only two of the nine books inspired me to seek out further installments: Legacy #18 and Knights of the Old Republic #26. But just as with the Marvel characters, I was encouraged to go back to the beginning. And so, the omnibuses (omnibi?) are going on the old wish list. I am aware, going in, that the Expanded Universe may never measure up to the original trilogy for me. But I am hoping it will deepen my appreciation for the saga as a whole.
With comics, film and science fiction all taking on more prominent roles in The Armchair Squid over the past year, Star Wars is sure to be a unifying theme going forward. Sometimes I envy that four year old kid for all of the discoveries he had before him. Luckily, he left a few stories untouched for me to enjoy now.
May the Force be with you all!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
On the Coffee Table: Isaac Asimov
Title: Foundation
Author: Isaac Asimov
Image via Expanding Consciousness
I first read Foundation in my early teens, then made it through the next three books in the series. I've read an awful lot of other books since then. Most significantly, I've tackled Machiavelli. The Foundation series is really more political science fiction than anything else and I appreciate the story in a completely different light through a Machiavellian filter. Good books inspire one to read other books and I now feel I should reread The Prince, plus Discourses on Livy. However, Asimov's inspiration was Edward Gibbons's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. I'll add all of those to my to-read list, along with Dante's Inferno, which is frequently referenced in classic science fiction. If we learn anything from such works, it is that the basic nature of power never changes and, as a result, history is doomed to repeat itself. Foundation foretells the rise of theocracy and despotism not because Asimov was a prophet, but because it's all happened before.
Han Solo Photo via Paste Magazine
Nearly every science fiction writer who followed owes a debt to Mr. Asimov. George Lucas, in particular, surely used Asimov's road map in creating his own Galactic Empire. A strong central authority being challenged by restless elements on the fringes of the galaxy - sound familiar? The character of Han Solo (and, later, Firefly's Malcolm Reynolds) has roots in the merchant-adventurers of the Foundation series. The Star Wars prequel trilogy makes attempts at achieving the macro-cosmic political scope of Foundation but, at least in my opinion, far less effectively.
Mal Reynolds photo via Empire
One major difference in subsequent visions of interplanetary society is the existence of alien species. Everyone in the Foundation narrative is human, evidently descended from Earth in a long-forgotten past. Alas, Asimov had no Wookiees or Klingons.
The danger of futuristic narrative is that the technology envisioned can seem archaic after only a few decades in real time. For instance, nuclear energy, while certainly important to the world economy, has followed very different directions from what Asimov prophesied in the 1940s. Also, everyone in the book smokes like a chimney. While it's possible that tobacco may have a resurgence over the coming millenia, the habit is in welcome decline in the 21st century.
It is my plan to read and review the entire series - originally a trilogy but now containing seven books in all. The first four, as noted above, are re-reads but three will be completely new to me. I'm looking forward to them.
Author: Isaac Asimov
Image via Expanding Consciousness
I first read Foundation in my early teens, then made it through the next three books in the series. I've read an awful lot of other books since then. Most significantly, I've tackled Machiavelli. The Foundation series is really more political science fiction than anything else and I appreciate the story in a completely different light through a Machiavellian filter. Good books inspire one to read other books and I now feel I should reread The Prince, plus Discourses on Livy. However, Asimov's inspiration was Edward Gibbons's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. I'll add all of those to my to-read list, along with Dante's Inferno, which is frequently referenced in classic science fiction. If we learn anything from such works, it is that the basic nature of power never changes and, as a result, history is doomed to repeat itself. Foundation foretells the rise of theocracy and despotism not because Asimov was a prophet, but because it's all happened before.
Han Solo Photo via Paste Magazine
Nearly every science fiction writer who followed owes a debt to Mr. Asimov. George Lucas, in particular, surely used Asimov's road map in creating his own Galactic Empire. A strong central authority being challenged by restless elements on the fringes of the galaxy - sound familiar? The character of Han Solo (and, later, Firefly's Malcolm Reynolds) has roots in the merchant-adventurers of the Foundation series. The Star Wars prequel trilogy makes attempts at achieving the macro-cosmic political scope of Foundation but, at least in my opinion, far less effectively.
Mal Reynolds photo via Empire
One major difference in subsequent visions of interplanetary society is the existence of alien species. Everyone in the Foundation narrative is human, evidently descended from Earth in a long-forgotten past. Alas, Asimov had no Wookiees or Klingons.
The danger of futuristic narrative is that the technology envisioned can seem archaic after only a few decades in real time. For instance, nuclear energy, while certainly important to the world economy, has followed very different directions from what Asimov prophesied in the 1940s. Also, everyone in the book smokes like a chimney. While it's possible that tobacco may have a resurgence over the coming millenia, the habit is in welcome decline in the 21st century.
It is my plan to read and review the entire series - originally a trilogy but now containing seven books in all. The first four, as noted above, are re-reads but three will be completely new to me. I'm looking forward to them.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
On the Road: DC in December
On Friday night, we got back from a quick trip down to DC to visit my parents. As has been our custom of late, we took the train there and back. Some dining advice for anyone taking the Vermonter all the way through: it's best to hit the café car right after New York, where they restock. Most train fare is pretty awful but it helps to have choices. The teriyaki chicken bowl is my personal favorite.
Image via tr3s
One of many great things about grandparents is their willingness to babysit. My Wife and I took advantage of this on our second day to plan a late afternoon/early evening date. My Wife really wanted to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy while we were in town so we used that as the inspiration for a spy-themed extravaganza.
Image via Cul de Sac
Our first excursion of the day was to Big Planet Comics, not far from my parents' apartment. Big Planet just recently moved their DC store from Georgetown to U Street. I was rather hoping for a store comparable to That's Entertainment in Worcester but Big Planet has nowhere near as much space. All of their comics were new. I didn't see second-hand boxes anywhere. Nonetheless, variety was more than adequate for both of us to find decent treasures. We even grabbed some spy-themed titles in honor of the day. My thoughts on my finds are best handled in a separate post, I think.
Photo via Drink DC
On the way to the subway station, we stopped in at Kramerbooks, one of northwest DC's top-notch independent book stores. We didn't find any spy novels but there were some other good finds: a couple of Asimov books plus George Plimpton's Paper Lion. I've been wanting to read Plimpton for a while now but his sports books are hard to find these days. Paper Lion has been released as a 45th anniversary edition - what an odd number.
Next, on to the movie. The Landmark E Street Cinema is a relatively new theater, just opened in 2004. It's a nice one. I love the new trend of being able to purchase beer at a movie theater.
Photo via Little Worlds
The film was very good, the highlight of our spy-themed day. We first ventured into John Le Carré's world via the 1979 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy TV series on the BBC, starring Alec Guinness. My Wife has also since read the book and has been very eager to see the new film, especially since two of her favorite actors are in the cast: Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch. Gary Oldman stars as George Smiley, the Guinness role. I think he was a fine choice. In fact, I can hardly imagine a better choice.
I can understand why someone might not care for the film. The pace is very slow, the tone very quiet - both of which reflect the TV series perfectly. It did help me to already be familiar with the story. Since I knew whodunit, I could focus on other aspects. The look of the film was very satisfying: dark, murky, foggy. Attention to time period detail was thorough: the right cars, the right clothes, the right hairstyles, etc. Casting all around was outstanding.
Obviously, going from a book, to a seven-part TV series to a feature film required much condensing and there were plenty of differences in this latest interpretation. The confrontation between hero George and nemesis Karla was an interesting case. In the 1979 series, Guinness faces off against Patrick Stewart in the scene. In the new film, Oldman interrogates an empty chair - only an actor of his ilk could have pulled it off so effectively.
I was inspired to read the book myself and perhaps even give the TV series another look - overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
Image via Wikipedia
If the film was the highlight of our day, the disappointment was the International Spy Museum. That's not to say that it's not a high quality museum. It is. If you want to see loads of Q-esque spy gadgets from all over the world, they're all here - including a replica of James Bond's Aston Martin. The history of espionage is well-documented from antiquity to the present. Here's the problem: museum admission is $18 for adults. In a city where one has access to the world's largest museum complex free of charge, any institution charging even a modest admission had better have something pretty special on offer. The attempts to offer an interactive experience are admirable but not sufficiently accommodating for the large crowds passing through. In the end, I felt that I'd rather just read a good book on the subject.
Photo via The Art of Being Mom
Our espionage date culminated at Zola, the museum's fine dining establishment. Theme elements are light: images from classic spy films like The Third Man grace the walls. Beer and wine selections were pretty good and the food decent. The carnitas tacos were my favorite. Service was mediocre - polite but inefficient. No one ever brought us bread for the table, for instance.
Photo via National Museum of American History
The third day of our visit was busy as well. In the morning, we took Our Girl to the National Museum of American History. I have visited the museum many times in my life but it had been a while. The museum has seemingly been in various stages of renovation for decades. Long gone is the old-fashioned ice cream shop, once my favorite part of the entire Smithsonian. It's still a great museum, of course. I think the dollhouse display is impressive but Our Girl was underwhelmed - lack of Calico Critters, perhaps? Not surprisingly, the Jim Henson display is my personal favorite.
Photo via VisitingDC.com
In the late afternoon, my parents treated us to a performance of Knuffle Bunny at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center is an important place for our family. My father has sung with the Choral Arts Society of Washington for over 30 years and most of their concerts are at the Kennedy Center. Both my sister and I walked across the concert hall stage for our high school graduations. This was the first visit for both My Wife and Our Girl and we took some time to appreciate the Hall of Nations, the Hall of States, the view of the river and, of course, the gift shop. I would never turn up my nose at my parents' generosity but we all agreed that Knuffle Bunny was best suited for kids - not exactly adult-friendly. Our Girl enjoyed it, though. That's all that really mattered.
Dinner was a greater success: Mama Ayesha's, a DC institution since 1960 and long a favorite of our family's. Vermont is wonderful but among other things, it lacks a decent Middle Eastern restaurant. My Wife's Lebanese family heritage is very important to her, especially in terms of her culinary sensibilities so the opportunity to reconnect when we're in a big city is very exciting. I often feel that My Wife orders better than I do in restaurants but I did pretty well at Mama Ayesha's. The mushakal mashal (mixed grill) is outstanding. As one would hope for a Mediterranean restaurant, the wine list is very impressive.
Overall, it was a great trip. We're looking forward to our next visit.
Image via tr3s
One of many great things about grandparents is their willingness to babysit. My Wife and I took advantage of this on our second day to plan a late afternoon/early evening date. My Wife really wanted to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy while we were in town so we used that as the inspiration for a spy-themed extravaganza.
Our first excursion of the day was to Big Planet Comics, not far from my parents' apartment. Big Planet just recently moved their DC store from Georgetown to U Street. I was rather hoping for a store comparable to That's Entertainment in Worcester but Big Planet has nowhere near as much space. All of their comics were new. I didn't see second-hand boxes anywhere. Nonetheless, variety was more than adequate for both of us to find decent treasures. We even grabbed some spy-themed titles in honor of the day. My thoughts on my finds are best handled in a separate post, I think.
Photo via Drink DC
On the way to the subway station, we stopped in at Kramerbooks, one of northwest DC's top-notch independent book stores. We didn't find any spy novels but there were some other good finds: a couple of Asimov books plus George Plimpton's Paper Lion. I've been wanting to read Plimpton for a while now but his sports books are hard to find these days. Paper Lion has been released as a 45th anniversary edition - what an odd number.
Next, on to the movie. The Landmark E Street Cinema is a relatively new theater, just opened in 2004. It's a nice one. I love the new trend of being able to purchase beer at a movie theater.
Photo via Little Worlds
The film was very good, the highlight of our spy-themed day. We first ventured into John Le Carré's world via the 1979 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy TV series on the BBC, starring Alec Guinness. My Wife has also since read the book and has been very eager to see the new film, especially since two of her favorite actors are in the cast: Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch. Gary Oldman stars as George Smiley, the Guinness role. I think he was a fine choice. In fact, I can hardly imagine a better choice.
I can understand why someone might not care for the film. The pace is very slow, the tone very quiet - both of which reflect the TV series perfectly. It did help me to already be familiar with the story. Since I knew whodunit, I could focus on other aspects. The look of the film was very satisfying: dark, murky, foggy. Attention to time period detail was thorough: the right cars, the right clothes, the right hairstyles, etc. Casting all around was outstanding.
Obviously, going from a book, to a seven-part TV series to a feature film required much condensing and there were plenty of differences in this latest interpretation. The confrontation between hero George and nemesis Karla was an interesting case. In the 1979 series, Guinness faces off against Patrick Stewart in the scene. In the new film, Oldman interrogates an empty chair - only an actor of his ilk could have pulled it off so effectively.
I was inspired to read the book myself and perhaps even give the TV series another look - overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
Image via Wikipedia
If the film was the highlight of our day, the disappointment was the International Spy Museum. That's not to say that it's not a high quality museum. It is. If you want to see loads of Q-esque spy gadgets from all over the world, they're all here - including a replica of James Bond's Aston Martin. The history of espionage is well-documented from antiquity to the present. Here's the problem: museum admission is $18 for adults. In a city where one has access to the world's largest museum complex free of charge, any institution charging even a modest admission had better have something pretty special on offer. The attempts to offer an interactive experience are admirable but not sufficiently accommodating for the large crowds passing through. In the end, I felt that I'd rather just read a good book on the subject.
Photo via The Art of Being Mom
Our espionage date culminated at Zola, the museum's fine dining establishment. Theme elements are light: images from classic spy films like The Third Man grace the walls. Beer and wine selections were pretty good and the food decent. The carnitas tacos were my favorite. Service was mediocre - polite but inefficient. No one ever brought us bread for the table, for instance.
Photo via National Museum of American History
The third day of our visit was busy as well. In the morning, we took Our Girl to the National Museum of American History. I have visited the museum many times in my life but it had been a while. The museum has seemingly been in various stages of renovation for decades. Long gone is the old-fashioned ice cream shop, once my favorite part of the entire Smithsonian. It's still a great museum, of course. I think the dollhouse display is impressive but Our Girl was underwhelmed - lack of Calico Critters, perhaps? Not surprisingly, the Jim Henson display is my personal favorite.
Photo via VisitingDC.com
In the late afternoon, my parents treated us to a performance of Knuffle Bunny at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center is an important place for our family. My father has sung with the Choral Arts Society of Washington for over 30 years and most of their concerts are at the Kennedy Center. Both my sister and I walked across the concert hall stage for our high school graduations. This was the first visit for both My Wife and Our Girl and we took some time to appreciate the Hall of Nations, the Hall of States, the view of the river and, of course, the gift shop. I would never turn up my nose at my parents' generosity but we all agreed that Knuffle Bunny was best suited for kids - not exactly adult-friendly. Our Girl enjoyed it, though. That's all that really mattered.
Dinner was a greater success: Mama Ayesha's, a DC institution since 1960 and long a favorite of our family's. Vermont is wonderful but among other things, it lacks a decent Middle Eastern restaurant. My Wife's Lebanese family heritage is very important to her, especially in terms of her culinary sensibilities so the opportunity to reconnect when we're in a big city is very exciting. I often feel that My Wife orders better than I do in restaurants but I did pretty well at Mama Ayesha's. The mushakal mashal (mixed grill) is outstanding. As one would hope for a Mediterranean restaurant, the wine list is very impressive.
Overall, it was a great trip. We're looking forward to our next visit.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
On the Coffee Table: Kurt Vonnegut
Title: Galápagos
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Image via Shifting Baselines
When I first started The Armchair Squid a couple years back as a sports blog, I'd pondered possibilities for new directions down the line. Science fiction seemed a strong candidate - another interest I pursued as a child despite the rest of my family's indifference. I expected, however, that film or television would be the likely blogging gateway to the sci-fi world. Instead, it was books.
In anticipation of this possible transition, I've tackled a few sci-fi classics over the past year - Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau, From the Earth to the Moon, I, Robot and The Martian Chronicles - but have not posted reviews. With the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge behind me, I felt the time had come for The Squid to branch out. I decided to begin with an old friend.
I first read Vonnegut in high school when Cat's Cradle was assigned to my 11th grade English class. To say I was impressed is putting it mildly. Apart from his great humor, Vonnegut's bold irreverence for the novel form was very refreshing to a 16-year-old kid who was just beginning to catch on that school could be fun and intellectual exploration gratifying. I later read other books on my own: Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions and Palm Sunday, a collection of essays. The latter contains many wonderful musings on the writing craft which I still bear in mind whenever I read fiction.
All of that said, Galápagos is a fun read but not Vonnegut's strongest effort. The basic story, a random assemblage escaping from the mainland to ultimately offer humanity a new beginning, would have been plenty interesting enough without Vonnegut's typical temporal wanderings. Maybe I'm too old to be impressed by all of that anymore. For me, a great read is when you forget you're reading a book at all and suddenly realize you've plowed through 100 pages in one sitting. Vonnegut seemingly never wants you to forget that you're reading. While marking those characters soon-to-die with asterisks provides modest levity to an otherwise dark tale, I found the practice jarring. My Wife hates Vonnegut, as she explains in her Slaughterhouse Five post. I now feel that I can understand why.
Of course, Vonnegut has very tough competition at our house right now: J.R.R. Tolkien. I recently finished reading The Hobbit to Our Girl and we're now several chapters into The Fellowship of the Ring. In film or print, all I really want is a good story told well and very few can match Tolkien on that measure. Not many can claim to have created such a rich and textured world as Middle Earth. If the literary profession were a boxing circuit, I doubt Vonnegut would even survive the first round against Tolkein. To his credit, though, Vonnegut would be the first to concede his opponent's superiority.
I anticipate many re-reads in my science fiction explorations: Douglas Adams, certainly, and probably full immersion in Asimov's oeuvre at some point. I think Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five are also both worth another look, if only to remind myself of why I loved Vonnegut in the first place. And yes, I still do, even though Galápagos didn't do it for me. I leave for now with the author's interview with Jon Stewart:
And here is his list:
LIBERAL CRAP I NEVER WANT TO HEAR AGAIN
Give us this day our daily bread. Oh sure.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Nobody better trespass against me. I'll tell you that.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are the merciful. You mean we can't use torture?
Blessed are the peacemakers. Jane Fonda?
Love your enemies - Arabs?
Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. The hell I can't! Look at the Reverend Pat Robertson. And he is as happy as a pig in s**t.
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Image via Shifting Baselines
When I first started The Armchair Squid a couple years back as a sports blog, I'd pondered possibilities for new directions down the line. Science fiction seemed a strong candidate - another interest I pursued as a child despite the rest of my family's indifference. I expected, however, that film or television would be the likely blogging gateway to the sci-fi world. Instead, it was books.
In anticipation of this possible transition, I've tackled a few sci-fi classics over the past year - Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau, From the Earth to the Moon, I, Robot and The Martian Chronicles - but have not posted reviews. With the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge behind me, I felt the time had come for The Squid to branch out. I decided to begin with an old friend.
I first read Vonnegut in high school when Cat's Cradle was assigned to my 11th grade English class. To say I was impressed is putting it mildly. Apart from his great humor, Vonnegut's bold irreverence for the novel form was very refreshing to a 16-year-old kid who was just beginning to catch on that school could be fun and intellectual exploration gratifying. I later read other books on my own: Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions and Palm Sunday, a collection of essays. The latter contains many wonderful musings on the writing craft which I still bear in mind whenever I read fiction.
All of that said, Galápagos is a fun read but not Vonnegut's strongest effort. The basic story, a random assemblage escaping from the mainland to ultimately offer humanity a new beginning, would have been plenty interesting enough without Vonnegut's typical temporal wanderings. Maybe I'm too old to be impressed by all of that anymore. For me, a great read is when you forget you're reading a book at all and suddenly realize you've plowed through 100 pages in one sitting. Vonnegut seemingly never wants you to forget that you're reading. While marking those characters soon-to-die with asterisks provides modest levity to an otherwise dark tale, I found the practice jarring. My Wife hates Vonnegut, as she explains in her Slaughterhouse Five post. I now feel that I can understand why.
Of course, Vonnegut has very tough competition at our house right now: J.R.R. Tolkien. I recently finished reading The Hobbit to Our Girl and we're now several chapters into The Fellowship of the Ring. In film or print, all I really want is a good story told well and very few can match Tolkien on that measure. Not many can claim to have created such a rich and textured world as Middle Earth. If the literary profession were a boxing circuit, I doubt Vonnegut would even survive the first round against Tolkein. To his credit, though, Vonnegut would be the first to concede his opponent's superiority.
I anticipate many re-reads in my science fiction explorations: Douglas Adams, certainly, and probably full immersion in Asimov's oeuvre at some point. I think Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five are also both worth another look, if only to remind myself of why I loved Vonnegut in the first place. And yes, I still do, even though Galápagos didn't do it for me. I leave for now with the author's interview with Jon Stewart:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Kurt Vonnegut | ||||
| ||||
And here is his list:
LIBERAL CRAP I NEVER WANT TO HEAR AGAIN
Give us this day our daily bread. Oh sure.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Nobody better trespass against me. I'll tell you that.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are the merciful. You mean we can't use torture?
Blessed are the peacemakers. Jane Fonda?
Love your enemies - Arabs?
Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. The hell I can't! Look at the Reverend Pat Robertson. And he is as happy as a pig in s**t.
Friday, August 19, 2011
12 Books in 12 Months: A Book for Which You Have Not Already Seen the Movie
Title: A Clockwork Orange
Author: Anthony Burgess
Image via The Book Mark
I've seen other Kubrick films - Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut - but have managed to avoid A Clockwork Orange. I've always assumed that I wouldn't have the stomach for the violence and the book did little to ease my misgivings. I've long had a plan to read Brave New World, A Clockwork Orange and 1984 together but now that I'm two thirds of the way through the dystopian trilogy, I don't think I'm up for a re-read of the Orwell novel. While I wrote in my review of the Huxley work that Brave New World is not as dark as 1984, A Clockwork Orange is thoroughly grotesque.
A Clockwork Orange reminds me of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting in many ways: a frequently violent book about disenfranchised youth written in vernacular. Of course, in Burgess's case, it's an invented vernacular but the reader's task of figuring out what half the words mean is comparable. Burgess very helpfully supplied a glossary for his book. I think Welsh's approach was more clever - using the same word in context several times in proximity so the non-Scot can derive its meaning. There are other important differences, of course. Welsh's heroin-addicted protagonist, Mark Renton, is surprisingly likable while Burgess's Alex is a thoroughly psychopathic monster.
A Clockwork Orange is certainly well-written and pulls no punches in making its sociopolitical points. I'm glad to have read it for my own cultural enrichment but it would be a stretch to say I enjoyed reading it. For me, it was the reading equivalent of rubber-necking on the highway. The story is heinous but I just...can't...look...away...
*******************************
I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here. My own list and books read by others shall be maintained on the pages list on my sidebar. Other blogs currently participating:
My Wife - Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail
Mrs. Mock - Exclamation Point (!)
If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.
Author: Anthony Burgess
Image via The Book Mark
I've seen other Kubrick films - Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut - but have managed to avoid A Clockwork Orange. I've always assumed that I wouldn't have the stomach for the violence and the book did little to ease my misgivings. I've long had a plan to read Brave New World, A Clockwork Orange and 1984 together but now that I'm two thirds of the way through the dystopian trilogy, I don't think I'm up for a re-read of the Orwell novel. While I wrote in my review of the Huxley work that Brave New World is not as dark as 1984, A Clockwork Orange is thoroughly grotesque.
A Clockwork Orange reminds me of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting in many ways: a frequently violent book about disenfranchised youth written in vernacular. Of course, in Burgess's case, it's an invented vernacular but the reader's task of figuring out what half the words mean is comparable. Burgess very helpfully supplied a glossary for his book. I think Welsh's approach was more clever - using the same word in context several times in proximity so the non-Scot can derive its meaning. There are other important differences, of course. Welsh's heroin-addicted protagonist, Mark Renton, is surprisingly likable while Burgess's Alex is a thoroughly psychopathic monster.
A Clockwork Orange is certainly well-written and pulls no punches in making its sociopolitical points. I'm glad to have read it for my own cultural enrichment but it would be a stretch to say I enjoyed reading it. For me, it was the reading equivalent of rubber-necking on the highway. The story is heinous but I just...can't...look...away...
*******************************
I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here. My own list and books read by others shall be maintained on the pages list on my sidebar. Other blogs currently participating:
My Wife - Wikes! Hikes on the Long Trail
Mrs. Mock - Exclamation Point (!)
If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.
Friday, August 12, 2011
12 Books in 12 Months: A Book That Has Been Banned
Book: Brave New World
Author: Aldous Huxley
Image via Huxley.net
Is it not the saddest of jokes when a book about the suppression of independent thought is itself suppressed? Not that it's particularly surprising with this book. There's plenty there to make the timid blush: drugs, sex, violence, atheism, the works. Ultimately, though, the narrative is a defense of the democratic, free market establishment as communism and fascism were breathing down western European necks in 1932 - not exactly subversive.
Somehow, I got through nearly two decades of formal education without ever being assigned to read this book. I've been meaning to read it for years and even started a few times but couldn't get into it. Once I got going, though, it was a surprisingly quick read.
Brave New World is an amazing book, prophesying the sociopolitical conflicts which have plagued the world ever since. Shakespeare figures prominently in the narrative, an interesting motif for my list thus far. I'd say it's not as dark as 1984, partly because the more recent explorations in genetic engineering make the book's basic premise less shocking. The social engineering portrayed in the book is also pretty tame compared with the all-too-real nightmares that were just about to unfold.
A quick note about the calendar used in the book. 2011 AD would be the same as 103 A.F. (After Ford) in the book. 1908 was the year Henry Ford introduced the Model-T, thus qualifying as year zero in Brave New World. 1908 is significant to me personally for a couple of other reasons. Most importantly, it was the year my maternal grandmother was born. It was also the last year the Cubs won the World Series.
****************
I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here.
If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.
Author: Aldous Huxley
Image via Huxley.net
Is it not the saddest of jokes when a book about the suppression of independent thought is itself suppressed? Not that it's particularly surprising with this book. There's plenty there to make the timid blush: drugs, sex, violence, atheism, the works. Ultimately, though, the narrative is a defense of the democratic, free market establishment as communism and fascism were breathing down western European necks in 1932 - not exactly subversive.
Somehow, I got through nearly two decades of formal education without ever being assigned to read this book. I've been meaning to read it for years and even started a few times but couldn't get into it. Once I got going, though, it was a surprisingly quick read.
Brave New World is an amazing book, prophesying the sociopolitical conflicts which have plagued the world ever since. Shakespeare figures prominently in the narrative, an interesting motif for my list thus far. I'd say it's not as dark as 1984, partly because the more recent explorations in genetic engineering make the book's basic premise less shocking. The social engineering portrayed in the book is also pretty tame compared with the all-too-real nightmares that were just about to unfold.
A quick note about the calendar used in the book. 2011 AD would be the same as 103 A.F. (After Ford) in the book. 1908 was the year Henry Ford introduced the Model-T, thus qualifying as year zero in Brave New World. 1908 is significant to me personally for a couple of other reasons. Most importantly, it was the year my maternal grandmother was born. It was also the last year the Cubs won the World Series.
****************
I hope that you, too, will join the 12 Books in 12 Months challenge. Details are here.
If you'd care to join the challenge, please let me know by commenting below or e-mailing me at armchairsquid@gmail.com. Also, please tell me how and where I can follow your posts. Don't be shy about suggesting other categories, either. It is my intention to compile a new list of 12 once this one is completed. My only parameter is that no one should have to buy anything in order to complete the challenge - nothing beyond a library card required.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)