Reading anything?

[InformationGeek]

Scalped: Indian Country by Jason Aaron

The story of Dashiell Bad Horse who returns his old home on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation or the "Rez" where corruption and violence runs rampage, especially under the crime boss, Lincoln Red Crow.  It's a very gritty and dark series, but a very well written and fasincating crime drama.  Of all the comics I read, I think this series would make a great TV series.  People, check this bad boy out!

[Psycho Circus]

[AndyC]

Got a couple of chapters into Knots and Crosses and felt like something else. Seems like a good book, just can't get going on it right now. Might also be because I was expecting something similar to Michael Slade, who dishes up the weird and disturbing and violent right away. Rankin is still in introductions at this point. Mind you, it is the first book of a series, and I believe it is only Rankin's second book overall, as well as his first crime thriller. I'm sure the series gets better as everything becomes familiar, and as it reflects Rankin's developing skill as a writer.

Have spent several days reading at least a dozen Kindle samples in search of something that will scratch my reading itch. Mostly non-fiction, because I appear to be in that kind of mood.

Topics have included:

- Adult ADHD
- Essays on the mythology of Doctor Who
- Model rocketry
- Sexual fetishes
- The history of space travel

And more. So far, I've found each book either isn't what I'm in the mood for, or it costs more than I want to pay.

[BTM]

I recently read Monster Hunter International and Monster Hunter Vendetta, and I think a lot of you guys would LOVE this series!

It's about a former pit fighter (long story) turned accountant who, after his boss turns into a werewolf and tries to kill him, discovers that monsters are REAL, and there's an organization out there who makes it there mission to fight them.  The guy takes a job with the group and finds himself embroiled in a fight involving vampires, elves, and a plot to end the world. 

It's a really fun series, combining a lot of humor with lots of b movie elements.  Among other things, the writer is obviously a huge gun nut (er, excuse me... enthusiast), most of the tech details in that department went over my head, but he's also big into b movies, and stuff getting blown up! 

So, yeah, check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-International-Larry-Correia/dp/1439132852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326229692&sr=1-1

[InformationGeek]

Controversial Cinema: The Films That Outraged America

A book that discusses films that, obviously, had tons of controversy surrounding them on the themes of sex, violence, race, and religion.  The book centers on four differrent films, one for each catergory: The Silence of the Lambs, Natural Born Killers, Do the Right Thing, and The Passion of the Christ.

[AndyC]

Finally found a book that's hooked me, and I'm already halfway through it. Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, by Andrew Smith. About ten years ago, Smith travelled around America, tracking down the nine surviving Apollo moonwalkers, to see what they were doing and how their experience might have changed them. He manages to interview most of them, as well as some command module pilots, and also adds in some stories about the missions from other sources, as well as some biographical information and historical context. It's a very well researched book.

It's very interesting so far. Smith's interview with Buzz Aldrin was very fortunately timed - the day after Buzz punched a hoax theorist. He caught up with d**k Gordon signing autographs at a Star Trek convention, and being virtually ignored in favour of make-believe space heroes. There was a funny and kind of sad account of Neil Armstrong dodging fans at a reunion in Reno, before beating a hasty retreat. And Smith describes the mildly unsettling feeling of meeting these guys and finding them familiar, but.... old.

What I like about this book so far is that Smith not only shows the differences and similarities in what the astronauts have done in the previous 30 years, he really captures them as human beings, looking at the emotional and psychological side, their relationships with each other, and little observations he makes while talking to them. And he goes beyond repeating the same stories that have been told many times already. There is a lot in this book I didn't know.

A very good book so far.

[alandhopewell]

[InformationGeek]

The Unwritten Vol. 5: Onto Genesis by Mike Carey

The Cabel takes the battle against Tommy Taylor up a notch and more of the past of Tommy's father is shown.  Sort of the slow period besides the first two issues in this volume, it's the build up into the big storm in War of the Words (currently happening at this moment, but no where near being collected into a volume now).  It's not as good as the past volume, but still an important and fasincating part.  I really like the flashback scenes and the use of a different artist for those points.

[lester1/2jr]

 

[Mofo Rising]

The Unwritten Vol. 5: Onto Genesis by Mike Carey

The Cabel takes the battle against Tommy Taylor up a notch and more of the past of Tommy's father is shown.  Sort of the slow period besides the first two issues in this volume, it's the build up into the big storm in War of the Words (currently happening at this moment, but no where near being collected into a volume now).  It's not as good as the past volume, but still an important and fasincating part.  I really like the flashback scenes and the use of a different artist for those points.

The Unwritten is great. Certainly one of the most ambitious titles currently being released.

I'm a sucker for these "story as super-reality" tales, and I think it's one area where comics have really shined. They seem to do it better than anybody else. You can see the same thread in the works of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and probably most notably Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

The Unwritten has got my brother wound up something fierce. Fantastic series.

[Psycho Circus]

Cost me £23!!

[ChaosTheory]

It's been on my shelf for a while, am just now starting it.  Set up as a translation of Lovecraft's "forbidden text", has a lot of details about the Sumerian gods and it's a lot of fun so far.

[InformationGeek]

The Unwritten is great. Certainly one of the most ambitious titles currently being released.

I'm a sucker for these "story as super-reality" tales, and I think it's one area where comics have really shined. They seem to do it better than anybody else. You can see the same thread in the works of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and probably most notably Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

The Unwritten has got my brother wound up something fierce. Fantastic series.

Interestingly enough, the writer of The Unwritten, Mike Carey, has been involved with Neil Gaiman's work in the past.  He did the comic adaption of Neverwhere and wrote the entire Lucifer series, neither of which I actually like.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

Nine graphic stories of Boba Fett as the hero gathered into one volume.

We have talked about George Lucas' skill as a writer, or the lack thereof, but what about the other writers in the world of Star Wars? Or, has ever so little produced so much of so little, or not so much. These being an example of what is wrong in the writings of Star Wars.

(1st) A good writer can turn the villain into anything, but (IMHO) not the hero, as the differences between the hero and the villain are too great to overcome.

(2nd) None of the stories have any suspense to them. The ending is foreseen in everyone.

(3rd) I know that Boba Fett has his adherents, but for me, he is one of the most uninteresting characters in fiction. And none of these stories makes him interesting.

(4th) Poor storytelling.

(5th) Confusing illustrations.

(6th) Humor that does not work.

But, sometimes in the world of Star Wars, you get a writer who can really write such as Henry Gilroy's "Star Wars: the Clone Wars: Slaves of the Republic."

And what is right with this one.

(1st) The author realizes that not everyone can be saved, so people die.

(2nd) Heroes are not immortal. So they die.

(3rd) He writes the villains as being smart and not stupid.

(4th) He writes the heroes as not always being right, which they admit.

(5th) He has the hero have a romantic affair with the villainess, which adds a touch of complexity to both characters.

(6th) He writes humor that works.

(7th) The villain never becomes the hero.

(8th) He writes one of the ultimate moments in literature. The moment when a character realizes that they are dieing, and that up to this moment their whole life has been a lie, but a that same moment they finally realize what is the truth, and the turth shall make them free, so they can die free and at last happy.

(9th) There are more than two sides to the story, which adds complexity to the story.

(10th) Even when a character seemingly does something uncharacteristic, it is presented in a believeable way.

It is too bad that more of the writers in the world of Star Wars do not write as well as Gilroy.

Next time: Something different.

[InformationGeek]

Picked up my latest comics...

Aquaman #5: In a strange turn of events, Aquaman is found lost and wandering the desert.  Why?  Oh you have to read to find out.

Animal Man #6: After the gigantic and epic ending to the first story, writer Jeff Lemire takes a breather for an issue.  In this one, we get to see the mysterious indepent film Animal Man acted in it.

Swamp Thing #6: HOLY S**T!  Really!  Things have gotten very serious and in a very horrific way.  Hope you aren't queasy, but this series just got very nasty.  I feel we finally gotten to the root of horror in this series as the Rot begins its utter destruction of the Green and its take over of Abbey.

Remember that scene from Troll 2 where that girl turns into plant food for the trolls?  Well, this comic has sort of a similiar scene, but less hammy and actually done right!  My god, I'm going to have nightmares after see this.  Are you fan of Swamp Thing?  If you are and you are not reading this, get your butt in gear and starting this thing!  You got to see one of the best horror comics on the markets in years!