Category: Fiction Page 335 of 341

Dusted Off: A Belated Birthday Gift

On January 8, 2010

Dave Kellett, probably my favorite working cartoonist, had a birthday the other day and asked his readers to recommend his strip in honor of the day. I’ve done so in person, but I figured why should the precious few people I talk to in Real Life&#153 get all the good stuff?

Really, truly, if you like comics, if you feel yourself not laughing enough at the sorry state of “funny pages” in your local newspaper (assuming you’re one of the dying breed who still get one of those things), or if you like reading things that range between quite amusing to laugh out loud funny, you need to read Sheldon.

Kellett describes the comic thusly:

Sheldon is a sarcastic, nerdy family strip filled with pop-culture references and fun, random storylines. At its center is this weird, wonderful little family: a boy, his duck, and the grandfather that raises them both. It’s a strip of geeks, for geeks, drawn by a geek. You’ll dig it: trust us.

He forgot the lizard being raised by the duck–who talks, by the way. And even if you’re not that much of a geek, the frequent food/beverage (esp. coffee) strips will be enough to keep you coming back for more.

The four members of this household who read comics (Arnold’s not quite old enough, but he will) love this strip, we have the computer/phone wallpapers, Tshirts, books, and daily emails that demonstrate it. Better yet, we have the laughs. Heck, Frodo and Samwise are known to re-enact certain strips/storylines, like this one (click for enlargement)

Incidentally, I should add that I found Sheldon a few years ago when listening to the commentary tracks from season 1 of How I Met Your Mother–one of the many reasons to be obsessive about such tracks is that you get to find little gems like this.

Dusted Off: Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout

By HCNewton

On January 7, 2010

In Authors, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, Rex Stout

Rex Stout’s Fer-de-Lance is the first of 40+ books (novels or short story collections) featuring the exploits of private investigator Archie Goodwin (2 parts Huck Finn, 1 part Philip Marlowe) and his eccentric employer, Nero Wolfe (1 part Sherlock Holmes, 1 part Mycroft Holmes)–yes, I am one of those who think that Archie’s the main character in the mis-nomered Nero Wolfe Mysteries.

In reading about Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe (either by fans or professionals) there’s an oft-quoted line from Walter D. Edmonds that you simply cannot avoid seeing, “I shall never forget my excitement on reading Fer-de-Lance, sprung like Athena perfect form the Jovian brow, fresh and new and at the same time with enough plain familiar things in scene and setting to put any reader at his ease.” Aside from Oliver Wendell Holmes’ margin note (“This fellow is the best of them all.”), there’s nothing that sums up Fer-de-Lance better, sprung like Athena indeed.

It really doesn’t matter how many times you’ve read it, but upon re-reading (and probably even initial reading if this isn’t your first encounter with Wolfe and Archie–my initial read was more than 20 years ago, so I don’t remember) you can’t help be struck by how much Fer-de-Lance fits the model of a mature Wolfe novel–almost all the elements are there. These characters are introduced in practically their final format–a little tweak here and there over the course of the first few novels (off the top of my head I can’t say how many) will get them in their final form, plus the addition of a few other characters will be necessary, but the cast of characters is already over 90% complete. In the first chapter we already have Wolfe, Archie, Fritz, Theodore, Fred and Saul presented in a manner fully recognizable to the familiar reader. The story follows a fairly typical route (‘tho the identity of the murderer is revealed far earlier than is the norm), and the essential environmental elements are there–the beer, Wolfe’s eccentric schedule, the orchids, a relapse, the food, a cocky scheme to land a client, an outrageous stratagem for getting that last essential piece of evidence (not that Wolfe needs it to solve the crime, merely to prove he was correct)–the only thing missing is the gathering of the witnesses/suspects/clients for Wolfe to reveal everything in his characteristically dramatic fashion. One recurring thought I had while reading it this time was that this could just as easily have been the fifteenth installment in the series as the first.

As I don’t recall reading about Stout consulting notes–and he’s known not to rewrite any part of these stories–the fact that he can keep all the idiosyncrasies he establishes here well-intact over the next 40 years is a testimony to his mental prowess as much as anything else could be. (Contrast Stout to contemporary authors who find themselves re-writing their own protagonist’s biographies thanks to their refusal to check their facts/fix errors).

Enough of that–what about the book itself? Wolfe takes a small case as more of a favor/indulgence/get-him-off-my-back to one of his operatives and in doing so, stumbles upon a fact or two that leads him to conclude that a university president has been murdered in a preposterous manner. Seeing (and seizing) the opportunity to earn a large fee from this, Wolfe sends Archie to place a $10,000 bet with the District Attorney responsible for the area the president died in–wagering that an exhumation of the body will produce two particular evidences of homicide. No bet is made, but since it’s Nero Wolfe suggesting it, the body’s dug up, the evidence found and we’re off…

A fun read, a decent mystery (Stout will get better at this), great characters, and a good introduction to a wonderful world fit for revisiting over and over again.

Dusted Off: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

By HCNewton

On December 22, 2009

In Fantasy, Fiction

I’m going to try really hard not to over-hype this book, so I have to be brief here. Read this novel.

I haven’t blogged about books much lately for some reason–I have about a dozen drafts about various books started, tho. But I’m going to see this one through to the end (yet another reason to keep it short).

This is one of my Top 5 of the year. No question about it. A gripping mixture of “real world” and “fantasy”–without being an “urban fantasy.” This is Harry Potter + C. S. Lewis tossed in a blender operated by Michael Chabon or Jonathan Lethem. I think knowing too much about the plot beforehand would hurt the experience, so in brief, it’s about a high schooler named Quentin who’s accepted into a small private college version of Hogwarts in New York and then follows Quentin and his friends/classmates through school and into adulthood.

The world created here is fully formed, and fully capable of being the setting for a series of novels. The characters are well-drawn, brilliant and tragic–most of whom could carry a novel by themselves. In real life, I don’t think I’d want to call any of them friends, but am sure I’d love knowing them. The plot isn’t perfect, and there are many, many places in which I wished things had gone differently, but I can’t say that Grossman erred in going where he did with his creation (I just would have preferred it–I feel like Fred Savage’s character at the end of The Princess Bride complaining about the ending).

Dusted Off: Living with the Top of Our Son’s Head

By HCNewton

On July 28, 2009

In Authors, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, News/Misc.

This is pretty much all we’ve seen over the last week of Frodo. It’s mostly encouraging, but a little strange at the same time.

Frodo, like his siblings, reads more than your average kid–he really has no choice in this household, like I’ve intended it all along (TLomL has intended it, too…probably not as intensely as me).^* I should add that it’s not all by coercion, he actually enjoys reading. Granted, he’s not at the level I was at his age, but that’s probably a good thing. He might actually have a social life in a couple of years.

Things changed a week ago, though. After repeated suggestions from his parents over the last few months, he pulled down Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone from the shelf and dove in. I’m not going to be one of the roughly 97 bazillion people to use the line about Rowling casting a spell on him, but…she basically did that. He’s been plowing through them at a rate he’s never hit before–seven days after he started Sorcerer’s Stone, he started in on Half-Blood Prince. Samwise has been following his lead, but not at the same rate.

What’s more, he’s devoted hours to this project–he’s ignored opportunities to play outside, to play video games (not every opportunity, mind you), to do basically everything he normally does so that he can sit with a Potter novel open in front of him.

I do realize that parents all over the world have experience this phenomenon. It’s just great to see this in action. Never would’ve figured the top of his head would be such a great thing to look at (cowlick and all).

^* Can I legally call that a sentence? Someone grab a Defibrillator for my inner-editor…

Dusted Off: On Open Letter on the Occasion of Reading Invincible #63

By HCNewton

On July 6, 2009

In Comics, Fiction

What a gut-punch of an issue!

I have a few things to say about/to Robert Kirkman, but none of them are printable. Anyway, my Gram always told me to say nothing if I can’t say anything nice. So, in honor of Gram, here’s my open letter.

Dear Mr. Kirkman,

Sincerely,
H. C. Newton

Dusted Off: Hey, you sass that hoopy Douglas Adams? There’s a frood who really knows where his towel is.

By HCNewton

On May 25, 2009

In A-B, Authors, Calendar Items, Douglas Adams, Fiction, Science Fiction, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I may not have gone where I intended to go,
but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
– Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams
(1952 – 2001)

What’s Towel Day? Wired has a handy article.

(thanks to Travis Avery for the banner)

Dusted Off: The Ides of April

By HCNewton

On April 15, 2009

In Calendar Items, Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin, Quotations

which means it’s time for me to post this quote again.

A man condemning the income tax because of the annoyance it gives him or the expense it puts him to is merely a dog baring its teeth, and he forfeits the privileges of civilized discourse. But it is permissible to criticize it on other and impersonal grounds. A government, like an individual, spends money for any or all of three reasons: because it needs to, because it wants to, or simply because it has it to spend. The last is much the shabbiest. It is arguable, if not manifest, that a substantial proportion of this great spring flood of billions pouring into the Treasury will in effect get spent for that last shabby reason.

–Nero Wolfe

Dusted Off: In nomine pizza domine!

By HCNewton

On April 13, 2009

In Authors, Books, Fiction, Harry Dresden, Jim Butcher, Urban Fantasy

a quick peak into my geekery:

Thanks to the virtual signing hosted by Dog Eared Books last week, I received my signed copy of the new Dresden Files novel, Turn Coat this weekend. This being the, I think, 6th signed book in my meager library,^** this one is obviously being added to my “do not loan” list–honestly, not sure I’m going to let myself read it.

——

^*The inscription, “In nomine pizza domine!” is the battle cry of Toot-Toot and his dewdrop faerie friends, as they attack the Summer Court in Summer Knight.

^**I fully expect certain readers, like TLomL, will dispute the use of the word “meager.” On this, however, she is uncharacteristically wrong.

Dusted Off: Batman: Cacophony

By HCNewton

On March 24, 2009

In Comics, Fiction

Kevin Smith returned to comics with a 3-part Batman mini, which, believe it or not, actually came out within 3 months of the first issue going on sale (am betting DC didn’t announce the project ’til they had 3 scripts out of the criminally tardy writer).

Onomatopoeia, created by Smith in his heralded Green Arrow story, comes to Gotham and frees the Joker from Arkham Asylum (creating a little havoc along the way). Naturally, Batman leads the search for the Joker, who’s essentially being used by his liberator as bait. Along the way, we get some interesting b-stories (one involving a designer drug made with the Joker’s poison), and some great dialogue (Alfred, in particular, was pitch-perfect).

The final confrontation between the Batman and Joker here is one of the better I’ve read–far better than the conversation in The Killing Joke.

All in all, a good story. Nothing fantastic, but a good solid story. Emblematic of what comics should be–and all too often aren’t. Smith didn’t stretch a 3-issue tale over 6 issues to make a better trade paperback, he didn’t “permanently” alter a character or anything. Character, plot, resolution–thanks for coming, have a nice day.

Smith delivered a story, not an event. Now, unlike Joe Quesada, I’m not against character growth, character development and change–but I am weary of the world-changing, character dying (temporarily), “we’re gonna change the face of [insert comic company name here] forever” events. DC currently has 2 such events going on that are naturally opposed to each other–one is posited on the idea that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are so integral to the make-up of reality that without them the nature of the world is permanently altered. The other has Batman dead and a battle to replace him as Gotham’s protector waging. Which is it boys? Pick one!

Just tell good stories, and when you decide to have something epoch-changing happen–let it happen and move on, telling stories that come from that. Leave Barry Allen dead, leave Jason Todd dead (why, why, DC, ruin 2 of the best moments of the 80’s?), leave Peter Parker married (and outed, since you made that stupid move), leave Steve Rogers in the ground. I swear, if Sue Dibney lives again I will blow something up (and I really liked Sue).

Ooops, seem to have gotten off on a rant there, time to bring it home…Cacophony‘s a great example of what comics should be. I just hope someone out there in a corporate office remembers that one day.

Dusted Off: The Little Sleep

By HCNewton

On March 17, 2009

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Paul Tremblay‘s debut novel, The Little Sleep, not only sports a eye-catching title, but a premise that’s just as intriguing.

Obviously, the title’s supposed to get the reader thinking of noir classic, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler–so one expects the lone-wolf, tougher than nails, sardonically witty gumshoe typified by Philip Marlowe. But Tremblay’s protagonist, Mark Genevich, has one challenge his predecessors in the genre doesn’t have…he’s a narcoleptic. So he’s falling asleep, hallucinating and losing control of his body and the most inconvenient times (for Genevich, anyway…the occasionally seem a convenient deus ex machina to get Tremblay out of a scene).

Initially, the book didn’t do much for me–had a hard time caring for Genevich or his problem, his client, and the early chapters seemed a little too erratic. But I hung in there, and eventually, Genevich explains his disorder enough that you can accept the bouncing-around nature of the first chapters. I’m still not sure how sympathetic Tremblay ever makes him, but you do at least start to want him to figure out what’s going on–which is close enough.

I remember when I started working the graveyard shift (I guess 3^rd shift is the term we’re supposed to use now), I had a lot of days where I couldn’t be sure that I wouldn’t fall asleep w/o warning–in a theater, during a slow after-dinner conversation, on the road(!)–and I recognized the embarrassment, anger and confusion Genevich displayed. No matter what precautions he took, the very real danger of waking in a different place or his body not acting like he intended always loomed large. I’m assuming Tremblay has no first-hand knowledge of the disorder, but he sure acts like he does.

Genevich’s path to solving this particular case follows many of the typical hardboiled paths, but he cannot travel those paths like his forefathers because of his disorder. Unlike with Monk, Genvich’s problem is never fodder for humor–unlike Monk’s OCD, which would’ve been very easy, and probably very entertaining. Tremblay sticks to the high road, however, resulting in a deeper, probably more satisfyingk, read.