So, I took the summer off. You know, in case you didn't notice.
But, things are back in order, school has started, and I think I'll get back to doing this on an erratic, semi-occasional basis when something interesting occurs to me. So, rather than having a structured, flowing, thick paragraph kind of thing for my first post since The Break, I'll just list some things to catch everyone up:
-I started my own damn book club with myself. Ostensibly, it was to read as many of the books cited by Lost writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse as influences on both their writing and themes of the show. It started off better than I could have ever hoped. Watership Down became one of the greatest books that I have ever read. Words of praise from little 'ol me wouldn't do it justice, so I'll leave it be. If you haven't read it, you should.
-Then came Slaughterhouse-Five. Eh. Occasionally, it's tough for me to impacted by a story shaped entirely around some massive culture war that occurred way-back-when. Such was the case with Slaughterhouse-Five. Also, I wasn't to keen on Vonnegut's voice in this one, and ultimately, I didn't care about Billy Pilgrim.
-So, I moved on to Stranger in a Strange Land. Same thing. I really didn't care. This one, even more culturally confined than Slaughterhouse, was very interesting in the beginning, and then tailed off for me. It certainly wasn't the technique, for Heinlein puts things together very skillfully, but rather the story.
-So, now I'm not sure which way to go. I was considering The Stand, but I saw the made-for-television miniseries when I was young and I still recall the ending, which I'm told is one thing the movie shares with the book. Would knowing how it all wraps up, and the more basic elements of the plot and action hinder my enjoyment of it? Methinks so. I'll keep you posted on the next one.
-As many critics have noted, this summer was god awful at the theaters. Thankfully, though, I saw Inception. Incredible. And, I agree with the optimists view of the ending.
-One short story has been sent to several potential publishers, and possibly many more before I can announce it will appear somewhere cool. A new story is coming along nicely, and should be finished within a month or two.
-The Rockies finished the first half of the season with a club record in wins, two games back in the division...and then it fell apart. Massive issues at first base, Hawpe on waivers, Barmes possibly on his way out, troublesome pitching, and a voodoo hex on the offense during any road trip were some of the common topics in the sports sections here. And, the NFL preseason is well underway...but who gives a crap. It's preseason and therefore a total waste of time. And the Nuggets are in free fall mode: The two top executives were canned, Melo wants out, J.R. may be traded, Andersen and Martin will miss time due to surgery, Karl is confused, and they have a new (sort of) owner. Fun times.
-More to come. Sometime.
