Oh man! We're good at this! Haha.
Okay so I'm about 10 pages from being done but I decided I'd post anyways. I've had a really hard time getting through the Warriors section so I think it'd actually be my least favorite section.
I really loved Fire From Heaven though. I like that cause and effect stuff. There were some moments in the other stories where I was like "ah..maybe I see what they're getting at..." but then it would give way to "what the?".
It was a great read though!
Can we read something by Sherman Alexie for the summer? Maybe the "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"...I know it's a younger genre of book but I think maybe it would be a really easy summer read with a lot of interesting ideas underneath. We could possibly even finish in a month! haha
Oh yea...Welcome back to the country Marc : )
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
I finished it last week. Warriors was pretty much my favorite section, but I probably read it in too much of a flurry of excitement and all the stories are a bit melded together. I do remember reading The Twilight of the Gods and thinking it was dumb. I loved the imagery in Fire From Heaven, but found the story somewhat lacking. I do love it when authors jump around in time though, so liked that aspect of it. I remember loving 1999...but at the moment can't entirely remember what happened...worst bookclub member ever, haha.
My favorite story not in Warriors was The Dreamlife of Toasters. It was poetic and lovely and made me want to look at the stars. When she threw the baby into the dump...oh man. My heart.
The book on the whole was so different from my usual fare, and was quite refreshing. It renewed my love of dystopian writing.
My favorite story not in Warriors was The Dreamlife of Toasters. It was poetic and lovely and made me want to look at the stars. When she threw the baby into the dump...oh man. My heart.
The book on the whole was so different from my usual fare, and was quite refreshing. It renewed my love of dystopian writing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
well WELL well well
it's been quite some time. this has been the slowest i've read a book in awhile, but it has been quite nice to take it piece by piece 45 minutes at lunch over the past few weeks. work? screw work! a female android named 4F6 stopped on her way home from the pharmaceutical factory and stood looking at the stars! this is the mode of reader i was in at almost every beginning of a story. i am totally overwhelmed at the creativity and (for the most part) originality put into the concepts of these stories. even if i didn't care for how the author wrote it, or if the ending sucked or made me wicked depressed, i was always fascinated at the world i was transported into, and enjoyed most every last minute of escapism it had to offer me. well done and good choice....
i'll analyze like a sheep.
survivors-> pretty much have extremely little to say bad about this section. the first story pretty much set the tone at an intensely curious level for me, as i am a super-fan of the future dystopia setting... the rest (minus the personasts (shakes slow boring unidentifiable fist)) swiftly followed with equally interesting outlooks on our evidently bleak future.. i'll list them in ranking of most liked to most disliked because i feel like typing a helluvalot.
1. we ate the children last. because whoa, if a story that is too short is, by comparison, like a song that is too short, but SO short that i have no choice but to listen to it again because it just wasn't enough, then this is what that was/IS. super cool.
2. this is not the end my friend. so... believable... in the horrific way. maybe i got too into it because i was road tripping and it was the first one i read, but it hit me in the face like a sock full of 'make sure to die before this happens'.
3. survivor. i love sweary british assholes. and having a brand new exciting outlook on the show.
4. sunshine city. heck YEAH 'murder' mystery! i kept expecting and end since it was a 'short' story but i was always super excited when i turned the page and saw that it kept going. i don't even care if it would have ended, hoss was interesting enough he could have traveled an endless floor of sand and i would have enjoyed it.
5. the aurochs. my distaste for collecting dictated my opinion of this one... AND that he just sold it all at the end my ... goodness what a wasted life he was after that. SUPER interesting future though.
6. the personasts: my journeys through underwhelming schitzo costume parties with no noise but my noise and the softer side of project mayhem. BOOM. renamed that noise.
lovers-> more like... creepers, pessimists and depressed romantics. i wondered the entire time when i would feel the love but it only struck once... it was a wonderful once but it wasn't enough to convince me i was reading all about the greatest thing in the world (in theory... sometimes practice... often desired...).
1. love in the pneumatic tube era. a d o r a b l e. so adorable i couldn't stand it. i smiled and got excited. man. screw life. love wins. (this was the once). ONCE ONCE ONCE
2. notes from the womb. i didn't know what to think of it, other than i enjoyed it in the way that i would enjoy breaking a limb... to get sympathy for my pain, but then the horror of not being able to do anything for a long time and the loneliness that comes with it would crush me. plus i took it as pure fantasy so i could continue thinking babies are more optimistic than that.
3. remote control. THAT'S NOT LOVE!! that's boredom and self gratification! but... aliens... you deserve this number 3 spot.
4. december astronauts. only because our boy was at least attempting to get something beautiful out of something mundane.
5. i found your VOX. i found you disturbing and lonely.
outliers-> oh hell yeah. this is where it started getting good after good after good after good. i'm always a fan of the rebel (scum!), the forgotten, the set apart.. and a whole section dedicated to this specific realm of personality/group/attitude? i'll partake.
1. this morning all night. soooooooooo beautiful and curious and melodic (in my head), and i'm super-keen on families... this one just really struck me with a good sense of heartbreak.. loved it.
2. large garbage. a most justified future... <3 overeducated hippies and whatnot. 'sharing' seems like a swell way to live.
3. dougal discarnate. dude i'd be so friggen depressed if this happened to me. cripes. i'd end up doing tv as well probably. limitations are no fun for anyone... but it was a super cool story and made me want to move to BC for unexplained mental reasons. fun thoughts followed me around after this'n.
4. the dreamlife of toasters. i didn't really care for the ending, but i really liked the entire other part. like the beginning and middle. but not the end... it was ok. i just really enjoy future scenarios and endearing robots. and spontaneously reproducing robots.
5. there is no time in waterloo. this is the exact reason why i don't like the sciences. but i like observing it from a perspective poised above printed paper.
6. crush. this was like the time i wrote something long and abandoned the ending on purpose to make it shit. pretending this one was doing the same thing i felt like i could relate, except not with that much build up to nothing or irrelevance. i don't like crack. i don't like seasickness or fish sticks. what i like less than all these was this story.
warriors-> pump it UP william wallace! this one's for you. constant mental applause and a desire to leave work to keep reading. a definite appropriate end selection of stories to a wondrously fun book at-this-point-thus-far.
1. 1999. oh... my... goodness... mad props for someone writing out of sheer curiosity. concept? screw concept. this was a question with characters. if i could read whilst raising my rock goblet of awesomeness without losing focus i probably would've the entire time.
2. the divinity gene. 1. amazing. probably my favorite part of the entire book. 2. i strongly dislike jerkoffs, so being inside of one's head was a necessary burden. 3. pretty much the exact opposite of 2, making it, combined with 1 and 2, the slickest little piece of literature i've taken into my brain in quite awhile. well done and roses.
3. twilight of the gods. all i could think of was avatar for some reason. but for distinctive reasons, i just really liked a departure from overly realistic futures and into the more fantasy realm of story telling. i'll give it a pat on the head and call it cute.
4. gladiator. tehe. he said naked breast. just JOKES! very interesting, like-able protagonists and situations. can't say much beyond that i guess...
5. athiests were almost right about everyting. but can you die again in heaven? cuz... that seems like it'd be great...
6. fire from heaven: a dystopian suite. i would like to draw this or see this constantly. definitely didn't NOT like this story, and i loved the images it put into my head, it just fell a twingebit short of feeling complete and utterly awesome. plus for some reason being in the past frustrates me.
(throws hands in the air) DONE.
yeah it took almost two months but it was worth it.
i'll analyze like a sheep.
survivors-> pretty much have extremely little to say bad about this section. the first story pretty much set the tone at an intensely curious level for me, as i am a super-fan of the future dystopia setting... the rest (minus the personasts (shakes slow boring unidentifiable fist)) swiftly followed with equally interesting outlooks on our evidently bleak future.. i'll list them in ranking of most liked to most disliked because i feel like typing a helluvalot.
1. we ate the children last. because whoa, if a story that is too short is, by comparison, like a song that is too short, but SO short that i have no choice but to listen to it again because it just wasn't enough, then this is what that was/IS. super cool.
2. this is not the end my friend. so... believable... in the horrific way. maybe i got too into it because i was road tripping and it was the first one i read, but it hit me in the face like a sock full of 'make sure to die before this happens'.
3. survivor. i love sweary british assholes. and having a brand new exciting outlook on the show.
4. sunshine city. heck YEAH 'murder' mystery! i kept expecting and end since it was a 'short' story but i was always super excited when i turned the page and saw that it kept going. i don't even care if it would have ended, hoss was interesting enough he could have traveled an endless floor of sand and i would have enjoyed it.
5. the aurochs. my distaste for collecting dictated my opinion of this one... AND that he just sold it all at the end my ... goodness what a wasted life he was after that. SUPER interesting future though.
6. the personasts: my journeys through underwhelming schitzo costume parties with no noise but my noise and the softer side of project mayhem. BOOM. renamed that noise.
lovers-> more like... creepers, pessimists and depressed romantics. i wondered the entire time when i would feel the love but it only struck once... it was a wonderful once but it wasn't enough to convince me i was reading all about the greatest thing in the world (in theory... sometimes practice... often desired...).
1. love in the pneumatic tube era. a d o r a b l e. so adorable i couldn't stand it. i smiled and got excited. man. screw life. love wins. (this was the once). ONCE ONCE ONCE
2. notes from the womb. i didn't know what to think of it, other than i enjoyed it in the way that i would enjoy breaking a limb... to get sympathy for my pain, but then the horror of not being able to do anything for a long time and the loneliness that comes with it would crush me. plus i took it as pure fantasy so i could continue thinking babies are more optimistic than that.
3. remote control. THAT'S NOT LOVE!! that's boredom and self gratification! but... aliens... you deserve this number 3 spot.
4. december astronauts. only because our boy was at least attempting to get something beautiful out of something mundane.
5. i found your VOX. i found you disturbing and lonely.
outliers-> oh hell yeah. this is where it started getting good after good after good after good. i'm always a fan of the rebel (scum!), the forgotten, the set apart.. and a whole section dedicated to this specific realm of personality/group/attitude? i'll partake.
1. this morning all night. soooooooooo beautiful and curious and melodic (in my head), and i'm super-keen on families... this one just really struck me with a good sense of heartbreak.. loved it.
2. large garbage. a most justified future... <3 overeducated hippies and whatnot. 'sharing' seems like a swell way to live.
3. dougal discarnate. dude i'd be so friggen depressed if this happened to me. cripes. i'd end up doing tv as well probably. limitations are no fun for anyone... but it was a super cool story and made me want to move to BC for unexplained mental reasons. fun thoughts followed me around after this'n.
4. the dreamlife of toasters. i didn't really care for the ending, but i really liked the entire other part. like the beginning and middle. but not the end... it was ok. i just really enjoy future scenarios and endearing robots. and spontaneously reproducing robots.
5. there is no time in waterloo. this is the exact reason why i don't like the sciences. but i like observing it from a perspective poised above printed paper.
6. crush. this was like the time i wrote something long and abandoned the ending on purpose to make it shit. pretending this one was doing the same thing i felt like i could relate, except not with that much build up to nothing or irrelevance. i don't like crack. i don't like seasickness or fish sticks. what i like less than all these was this story.
warriors-> pump it UP william wallace! this one's for you. constant mental applause and a desire to leave work to keep reading. a definite appropriate end selection of stories to a wondrously fun book at-this-point-thus-far.
1. 1999. oh... my... goodness... mad props for someone writing out of sheer curiosity. concept? screw concept. this was a question with characters. if i could read whilst raising my rock goblet of awesomeness without losing focus i probably would've the entire time.
2. the divinity gene. 1. amazing. probably my favorite part of the entire book. 2. i strongly dislike jerkoffs, so being inside of one's head was a necessary burden. 3. pretty much the exact opposite of 2, making it, combined with 1 and 2, the slickest little piece of literature i've taken into my brain in quite awhile. well done and roses.
3. twilight of the gods. all i could think of was avatar for some reason. but for distinctive reasons, i just really liked a departure from overly realistic futures and into the more fantasy realm of story telling. i'll give it a pat on the head and call it cute.
4. gladiator. tehe. he said naked breast. just JOKES! very interesting, like-able protagonists and situations. can't say much beyond that i guess...
5. athiests were almost right about everyting. but can you die again in heaven? cuz... that seems like it'd be great...
6. fire from heaven: a dystopian suite. i would like to draw this or see this constantly. definitely didn't NOT like this story, and i loved the images it put into my head, it just fell a twingebit short of feeling complete and utterly awesome. plus for some reason being in the past frustrates me.
(throws hands in the air) DONE.
yeah it took almost two months but it was worth it.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
"Frick coming to his point."
I'm about halfway through the book, and am really enjoying it. My absolute favorite story so far has been "Sunshine City" by Timothy Taylor. The idea that actions and motivations could be reduced to mathematical equations is phenomenally interesting, and besides, I have always loved a good murder mystery. I don't even like math, at all, and still I was all "Yes! Probability equations for the win!". SaBe's situation was so melancholy and lonely, I really couldn't help feeling sorry for her even though it was her own fear keeping her captive.
Some of the stories have been quite chilling, such as "Notes From the Womb" and "We Ate the Children Last", (Yann Martel! What a genius!) but still enjoyable or at least engrossing. In the case of "Notes From the Womb", I am not able to grasp some of the concepts/points, I think. I found "Personasts" to be vague and didn't really get it either. I found "Dougal Discarnate" to be clever. I loved the style and flow of "Survivor" and "This Is Not The End My Friend". I did not like "December Astronauts", not really sure why.
Basically, I just love short stories.
Some of the stories have been quite chilling, such as "Notes From the Womb" and "We Ate the Children Last", (Yann Martel! What a genius!) but still enjoyable or at least engrossing. In the case of "Notes From the Womb", I am not able to grasp some of the concepts/points, I think. I found "Personasts" to be vague and didn't really get it either. I found "Dougal Discarnate" to be clever. I loved the style and flow of "Survivor" and "This Is Not The End My Friend". I did not like "December Astronauts", not really sure why.
Basically, I just love short stories.
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