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2012 Readings To Date - Update
May. 22nd, 2012 | 06:39 am
location: United States, ,
mood: 
cheerful
1. Flashback by Dan Simmons
2. Rage Against The Night
3. Locke & Key Vols 2 - 5
4. A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene
5. Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
6. The Horror Hall of Fame: The Stoker Winners
7. The Five by Robert McCammon
This is a fantastic book!
McCammon does not spell things out - how can one provide the answer to those questions we have been asking since man has first emerged after all? - nor, most importantly, does he try.
He leaves the texture of those moments open for the reader to interpret. The net result is that I found this story very moving in that same way a great story or song can inspire or energize.
Great Book!
2. Rage Against The Night
3. Locke & Key Vols 2 - 5
4. A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene
5. Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
6. The Horror Hall of Fame: The Stoker Winners
7. The Five by Robert McCammon
This is a fantastic book!
McCammon does not spell things out - how can one provide the answer to those questions we have been asking since man has first emerged after all? - nor, most importantly, does he try.
He leaves the texture of those moments open for the reader to interpret. The net result is that I found this story very moving in that same way a great story or song can inspire or energize.
Great Book!
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2012 Readings To Date
May. 12th, 2012 | 08:51 pm
location: Canada, Saint Albert
mood: cheerful
music: StormingTheCastlePodcast
1. Flashback by Dan Simmons:
A sobering look at the near future. Ostensibly a murder/mystery, Simmons uses it as a story engine to postulate a very frightening, potentially real future especially given the recent economic and political climates around the world.
2. Rage Against The Night: - horror anthology including a tale by Bev - View From The Top - a nifty Bradburyesque small town tale dealing with a Ferris Wheel. Really enjoyed it.
The standout story for me was Gary Braunbeck's - Afterward, There Will Be A Hallway - about the coming together of several characters to form a rather unique 'family.' Extremely touching.
3. Locke & Key Vols 2 - 5 - thanks to a 50% off sale managed to snag the entire series for digital digestion. Love comics on a tablet, especially with the guided view option which moves from panel to panel. Really like this as I often read panels in the wrong order because I have difficulty figuring the proper flow at times. Must be a sign of old age I guess.
At any rate, comics look fantastic on tablets and this series by Joe Hill is top notch stuff.
BTW, he is overdue for a book....which is due next year NOS 4A2
4. A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene - while the plot mechanics are very similar to a previous book of Brian's - Darkness At The Edge of Town - this one works much better for me because of the characters. Especially ex-Amish Levi Stoltzfus. Brian has hit paydirt with this character. Here's to many further adventures with him.
Definitely a great, quick read kind of book. Finished it in two nights.
5. Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
At just over 300 pages this felt more like a novella than a full blown novel given how long his last couple of books have been. And how this is a string of 3 stories within a much bigger story.
Like that favorite old sweater or pair of comfy lounging pants it was great to return the universe of The Dark Tower. Or like a family reunion. It was treat to visit with these characters again even if they are only a small part of this book.
The two other stories were both engrossing and fleshed out more of Roland's backstory and the series's mythos.
A pleasant time indeed.
6. The Horror Hall of Fame: The Stoker Winners
The surprising thing here for me was that every story was not a home run. A couple of clunkers in this collection of the Stoker Winners from 1987 to 1998 was not what I expected. Thankfully the stories in this collection that are good, are very good.
Special mention to George R.R. Martin, Robert Bloch and Joe Lansdale, also the editor of this collection, for their stories.
A sobering look at the near future. Ostensibly a murder/mystery, Simmons uses it as a story engine to postulate a very frightening, potentially real future especially given the recent economic and political climates around the world.
2. Rage Against The Night: - horror anthology including a tale by Bev - View From The Top - a nifty Bradburyesque small town tale dealing with a Ferris Wheel. Really enjoyed it.
The standout story for me was Gary Braunbeck's - Afterward, There Will Be A Hallway - about the coming together of several characters to form a rather unique 'family.' Extremely touching.
3. Locke & Key Vols 2 - 5 - thanks to a 50% off sale managed to snag the entire series for digital digestion. Love comics on a tablet, especially with the guided view option which moves from panel to panel. Really like this as I often read panels in the wrong order because I have difficulty figuring the proper flow at times. Must be a sign of old age I guess.
At any rate, comics look fantastic on tablets and this series by Joe Hill is top notch stuff.
BTW, he is overdue for a book....which is due next year NOS 4A2
4. A Gathering of Crows by Brian Keene - while the plot mechanics are very similar to a previous book of Brian's - Darkness At The Edge of Town - this one works much better for me because of the characters. Especially ex-Amish Levi Stoltzfus. Brian has hit paydirt with this character. Here's to many further adventures with him.
Definitely a great, quick read kind of book. Finished it in two nights.
5. Wind Through The Keyhole by Stephen King
At just over 300 pages this felt more like a novella than a full blown novel given how long his last couple of books have been. And how this is a string of 3 stories within a much bigger story.
Like that favorite old sweater or pair of comfy lounging pants it was great to return the universe of The Dark Tower. Or like a family reunion. It was treat to visit with these characters again even if they are only a small part of this book.
The two other stories were both engrossing and fleshed out more of Roland's backstory and the series's mythos.
A pleasant time indeed.
6. The Horror Hall of Fame: The Stoker Winners
The surprising thing here for me was that every story was not a home run. A couple of clunkers in this collection of the Stoker Winners from 1987 to 1998 was not what I expected. Thankfully the stories in this collection that are good, are very good.
Special mention to George R.R. Martin, Robert Bloch and Joe Lansdale, also the editor of this collection, for their stories.
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Whedon Makes Me Wonder
May. 6th, 2012 | 06:48 am
location: Canada, Saint Albert
mood: chipper
music: Journey Soundtrack by Austin Wintery
You can read my full review of The Avengers movie here. I loved it because Whedon used all his previous experiences with multi-character casts and applied them full on in The Avengers. And not just for the superheros but for the regular folk too such as Agent Coulson.
Whedon is getting raves for his work and rightfully so. But his work here led me to wonder - is this not what should be a given in any story in any medium? The creation of believable, relateable characters. Should this not be the norm? The bare minimum standard?
Whedon is getting raves for his work and rightfully so. But his work here led me to wonder - is this not what should be a given in any story in any medium? The creation of believable, relateable characters. Should this not be the norm? The bare minimum standard?
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Great Week! AKA Free At Last, Free At Last, Mortgage Free At Last!
Apr. 28th, 2012 | 10:06 am
location: Canada, Saint Albert
mood: ecstatic
music: Journey Soundtrack by Austin Wintery
(With apologies to Martin Luther King for the title appropriation.)
Let's count off everything that happened this week that was awesome:
1) We closed a deal on a new place to live and, with a life style choice to downsize, we are Mortgage Free baby!
2) My favorite current TV show, Fringe is renewed for a 5th season counter to all business logic. Or as much as there is the wacky world of broadcast television.
3) A new Stephen King book, a Dark Tower book to boot, is released and sitting beside me ready to be read - The Wind Through The Keyhole.
4) All this and today is my birthday - my 54th. Oh, btw point item #1 happened one full year earlier than our goal! Freedom 55 if you will. Admittedly our new dwelling place is not a fully detached house but it is the next best thing - a fully detached condominium. Which by any other standard would be considered a small house.
The complex reminds me of the Shire with everyone having their own little hobbit house. And the cool thing is, beyond being fully detached units, we are giving up very little in terms of square footage from our old place back east.
Yeah, I've had some great moments or times in my life. This week is pretty close to the top.
Now it's time for some of the traveling and toys we denied ourselves in previous years!
Let's count off everything that happened this week that was awesome:
1) We closed a deal on a new place to live and, with a life style choice to downsize, we are Mortgage Free baby!
2) My favorite current TV show, Fringe is renewed for a 5th season counter to all business logic. Or as much as there is the wacky world of broadcast television.
3) A new Stephen King book, a Dark Tower book to boot, is released and sitting beside me ready to be read - The Wind Through The Keyhole.
4) All this and today is my birthday - my 54th. Oh, btw point item #1 happened one full year earlier than our goal! Freedom 55 if you will. Admittedly our new dwelling place is not a fully detached house but it is the next best thing - a fully detached condominium. Which by any other standard would be considered a small house.
The complex reminds me of the Shire with everyone having their own little hobbit house. And the cool thing is, beyond being fully detached units, we are giving up very little in terms of square footage from our old place back east.
Yeah, I've had some great moments or times in my life. This week is pretty close to the top.
Now it's time for some of the traveling and toys we denied ourselves in previous years!
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A New Life Chapter
Apr. 8th, 2012 | 10:16 am
location: Canada, Saint Albert
mood: 
contemplative
So it's been awhile! A couple of years based on my last journal entry.
How you'll been doing?
Big changes for the family and I. After spending more than half a century in Ontario, work necessitated a relocation. Pretty near a cross country location. So now we are Albertans living in a small town nestled just north of Edmonton; St. Albert.
Our biggest concern relocating here was for our 12 year old son. Moving is tough enough for adults but for kids it can be traumatic. And starting in a new school 2/3s through a school year is tough too. Fortunately Tim loves the new school. It is a junior high with only grades 7 - 9 whereas his previous school went from kindergarten to Grade 8. Here the focus on just 3 grades allows the resources and curriculum to be much more sharply focused. That and the fact that the school is much more technology friendly has impressed us as parents and engaged Tim in school in a way that we have not seen till now.
Still waiting for the snow to melt away here. Quite a change from our home back in Ontario where White Christmases have not been seen for 4 or 5 years and the snow was guaranteed to be gone by the end of March. So final feelings will not solidify until we get to see the town in its summer glory.
The people are friendlier. And the pace is slower. Gas is cheaper here. And traffic is so much easier to navigate here. We are renting for the moment and are looking for a more permanent location.
One thing that has made the transition easier for all of us is the internet. Tim keeps in touch with his friends via his XBox. We can still access all the same sites and information etc that we could back home.
So in some ways, it is like we never moved.
Interesting phenomenon.
How you'll been doing?
Big changes for the family and I. After spending more than half a century in Ontario, work necessitated a relocation. Pretty near a cross country location. So now we are Albertans living in a small town nestled just north of Edmonton; St. Albert.
Our biggest concern relocating here was for our 12 year old son. Moving is tough enough for adults but for kids it can be traumatic. And starting in a new school 2/3s through a school year is tough too. Fortunately Tim loves the new school. It is a junior high with only grades 7 - 9 whereas his previous school went from kindergarten to Grade 8. Here the focus on just 3 grades allows the resources and curriculum to be much more sharply focused. That and the fact that the school is much more technology friendly has impressed us as parents and engaged Tim in school in a way that we have not seen till now.
Still waiting for the snow to melt away here. Quite a change from our home back in Ontario where White Christmases have not been seen for 4 or 5 years and the snow was guaranteed to be gone by the end of March. So final feelings will not solidify until we get to see the town in its summer glory.
The people are friendlier. And the pace is slower. Gas is cheaper here. And traffic is so much easier to navigate here. We are renting for the moment and are looking for a more permanent location.
One thing that has made the transition easier for all of us is the internet. Tim keeps in touch with his friends via his XBox. We can still access all the same sites and information etc that we could back home.
So in some ways, it is like we never moved.
Interesting phenomenon.
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Toronto SF Expo - This Weekend
Aug. 28th, 2009 | 06:57 am
location: home
mood: excited
music: CFTR680 allnews radio
Off to the Toronto SF Expo for the next 3 days.
The Expo features guests from the worlds of SF, Horror, Comics, and Anime. Some headliners include Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Campbell, Mary McDonnell, and Linda Hamilton.
Going in with a press pass so hope to get close to Leonard Nimoy - a lifelong hero of mine. One interview that has been arranged for sure is with Robert Duncan McNeill aka Tom Paris of Star Trek:Voyager. Recently McNeill has moved from acting to directing and is one of the core Chuck directors.
Hope to get some detailed answers from him on directing duties as well as his reactions to the recent announcement of Brendan Routh aka SuperMan being cast for a multi-episode appearance in Season 3. Very appropriate that Chuck, now with SuperPowers is to be mentored by the ManOfSteel himself.
Not being an interviewer by trade I am somewhat nervous. I have prepared an interview outline and hope to be able ask all my questions but must be prepared to modify it on the fly depending on time restrictions.
The Expo features guests from the worlds of SF, Horror, Comics, and Anime. Some headliners include Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Campbell, Mary McDonnell, and Linda Hamilton.
Going in with a press pass so hope to get close to Leonard Nimoy - a lifelong hero of mine. One interview that has been arranged for sure is with Robert Duncan McNeill aka Tom Paris of Star Trek:Voyager. Recently McNeill has moved from acting to directing and is one of the core Chuck directors.
Hope to get some detailed answers from him on directing duties as well as his reactions to the recent announcement of Brendan Routh aka SuperMan being cast for a multi-episode appearance in Season 3. Very appropriate that Chuck, now with SuperPowers is to be mentored by the ManOfSteel himself.
Not being an interviewer by trade I am somewhat nervous. I have prepared an interview outline and hope to be able ask all my questions but must be prepared to modify it on the fly depending on time restrictions.
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The Rise of Robots Continues
Aug. 24th, 2009 | 07:50 am
location: home
mood: cheerful
music: cftr 680am all news radio
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Summer Is Finally Here!
Aug. 20th, 2009 | 07:46 am
location: home
mood: chipper
music: cftr - all news radio
2 months late summer has finally arrived. Finally temps in the 80s and a dialling back of the continual daily rain.
Finished Robert J. Sawyer's latest book - Wake. It is the first in a planned trilogy about the internet gaining sentience. It is done in Helen Keller meets Neuromancer style. The protoganist is a plucky 15 year old who is blind. Through an implant in her eye, Caitlin is able to see. Not only normal vision but that of cyberspace too. RJS continues to seamlessly weave the awe inspiring with the everyday in an entertaining and joyful mix. There are scenes of real emotion too. The remaining books are titled Watch and Wonder hence the WWW trilogy.
Not usually a fan of home grown ie Canadian scripted TV but have come across a pleasant surprise called Being Erica. It is about a disenchanted 32 year old woman who could be labelled the biggest disappointment of her high school class. Erica is filled with regrets due to a string of life decisions where she feels she made the wrong choice. A 'counsellor' shows up and through a murky device allows Erica to travel back to those moments and have a second chance to correct them. The show is deftly written and quite mature in its subject matter at times. The 13 episode first season will be out on DVD soon and is well worth a visit.
Here is a clip with the theme song:
Here is a preview clip:
Finished Robert J. Sawyer's latest book - Wake. It is the first in a planned trilogy about the internet gaining sentience. It is done in Helen Keller meets Neuromancer style. The protoganist is a plucky 15 year old who is blind. Through an implant in her eye, Caitlin is able to see. Not only normal vision but that of cyberspace too. RJS continues to seamlessly weave the awe inspiring with the everyday in an entertaining and joyful mix. There are scenes of real emotion too. The remaining books are titled Watch and Wonder hence the WWW trilogy.
Not usually a fan of home grown ie Canadian scripted TV but have come across a pleasant surprise called Being Erica. It is about a disenchanted 32 year old woman who could be labelled the biggest disappointment of her high school class. Erica is filled with regrets due to a string of life decisions where she feels she made the wrong choice. A 'counsellor' shows up and through a murky device allows Erica to travel back to those moments and have a second chance to correct them. The show is deftly written and quite mature in its subject matter at times. The 13 episode first season will be out on DVD soon and is well worth a visit.
Here is a clip with the theme song:
Here is a preview clip:
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Don't Mess With Charles Nelson Reilly
Aug. 7th, 2009 | 03:02 pm
location: home
mood: cheerful
music: CNR video
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Luficer Rising - SuperNatural Season 4
Aug. 2nd, 2009 | 09:48 am
location: home
mood: cheerful
music: Serenity - Closing Theme
Luficer Rising - and is coming to the next season of SuperNatural.
SuperNatural Season 4 rocked all the way to the season finale and the stage is now set for the Apocalypse in Season 5. Can't wait to see how it plays out. The series has followed a true story progression for the last two seasons. Sam and Dean have grown and changed permanently. A welcome relief for a TV series in a medium where resets and pullbacks are the norm.
One episode of special delight was the one entitled - The Monster At The End of this Book in which the brothers find a series of books which is an exact recounting of their adventures. Turns out the writer, Chuck, is a prophet chosen to chronicle the Winchester brother's lifes. The episode is a real hoot as it riffs on fans, forums, and fanfic. Including a reference to slash fiction much to Dean's disgust.'Dude, they do know we are brothers, right?' Hilarious.
There is a talk of a Season 6 even though the series was originally envisioned as a 5 year arc. Cannot say I am thrilled with that news as the brothers are heading down paths that leave no room for future engagements in my mind. The writers of this show have shown themselves to be very clever so an open mind will be kept until they get to that point. For now, Season 5 is going to be killer.
SuperNatural Season 4 rocked all the way to the season finale and the stage is now set for the Apocalypse in Season 5. Can't wait to see how it plays out. The series has followed a true story progression for the last two seasons. Sam and Dean have grown and changed permanently. A welcome relief for a TV series in a medium where resets and pullbacks are the norm.
One episode of special delight was the one entitled - The Monster At The End of this Book in which the brothers find a series of books which is an exact recounting of their adventures. Turns out the writer, Chuck, is a prophet chosen to chronicle the Winchester brother's lifes. The episode is a real hoot as it riffs on fans, forums, and fanfic. Including a reference to slash fiction much to Dean's disgust.'Dude, they do know we are brothers, right?' Hilarious.
There is a talk of a Season 6 even though the series was originally envisioned as a 5 year arc. Cannot say I am thrilled with that news as the brothers are heading down paths that leave no room for future engagements in my mind. The writers of this show have shown themselves to be very clever so an open mind will be kept until they get to that point. For now, Season 5 is going to be killer.
