LAZINESS

That's all it is. Well, it's procrastination, which is an insidious form of laziness that disguises itself as good intentions. "It's okay that I haven't done it YET, I'm GOING to do it. Someday." It's a seductive call and one I am pretty much unable to resist. It's something I should work on. Soon, I promise.

In the meantime, if you'd like something to read while you're waiting, perhaps I should continue the series I started what seems like such a long time ago (it probably seems that way because it IS that way).



HOW TO SIT DOWN WITH A GOOD BOOK, PART THREE

In my last post, I mentioned some of the books from my childhood that introduced me to the joys of fantasy. My reader (whose name is Jen) was kind enough to add a few more - specifically "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin and "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.

Both of these authors were prolific writers with many tales to their names - which brings me to my next list: Authors. And by "Authors" I mean people who wrote lots and lots of books, almost all of which are worth reading and many of which I did read and enjoy in the process of growing from boy to man. See, it's just easier to say "Authors."

Like the previous list this is: not meant to be comprehensive and should be recognized as incomplete (for instance MY list doesn't contain L'Engle, but she would appear for many other people, like Jen); dependent almost entirely on my own personal tastes as I grew up (see previous note); intended to cover a broad range of styles (if you don't like one author, try another on this list); and finally, as fun for adults as for children (moreso in some cases).

Anne McCaffrey
Piers Anthony
Terry Pratchett
Ursula K. Le Guinn

The first two are similar in many ways. Both write fantasy and science fiction, both even find ways to combine the two in some case. And I'm tired of both of them. That's not to say I didn't enjoy them immensely when I started, it's just that I've now read so many of each of their books that I have grown weary of them. These two were tremendously powerful forces on my early reading. I have to mention them, and I do have to recommend them -I just can't recommend that you read ALL of them, or if you do, spread it out a little. I recommend McCaffrey's Pern series and the first few books from Anthony's Xanth series. Pern is a medieval land of dragons but it dwells under a threat entirely unique to McCaffrey. Xanth is a land of puns and magic, an almost tongue-in-cheek exploration of some of the conventions of fantasy that also manages to BE fantasy. They're both fun places to explore.

I did not start reading Terry Pratchett until very recently, the past year or so, but I sometimes have to look in the Young Adult section at the library to find his books. He writes a very silly sort of fantasy, perhaps the sort of fairy tale world Douglas Adams might have created had he not focused on science fiction. Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is generally silly, occasionally poignant, and always a quality read. He applies an eye for the ridiculous and a healthy dose of cynicism to the trappings of fantasy. The result is hilarious but can also be, especially in his later books, thought provoking.

Ursula K. Le Guinn is a much more serious writer. Her writing style feels straightforward. Her books are packed with meaning, but never overburdened by it. They are solid, classic good reads. I have only read three of them, but based on those two I am quite confident recommending the rest.

If you are going to ignore lots of my advice and just pick out a few books here and there instead of reading everything I suggest (I mean, who has the time, right?), read Le Guinn's "A Wizard of Earthsea" and Pratchett's "Small Gods."

It should be noted here that in recommending "Small Gods" I am taking a major step away from one of my primary reading philosophies (namely: read the books in the order that the author wrote them). "Small Gods" is not Pratchett's first book, nor is it one of the first, it's number thirteen. However, the discworld books, while they go in order, are themselves distinct stories and do not need to be read in order to be appreciated. Reading them in order might help, but if you're only reading one, "Small Gods" is one of the best I have read so far and does so standing alone whether you have read the others or not.

Feel free to respond as you see fit to any of these recommendations - add your own authors to the mix. Just be aware that in future installments, I do plan to cover some more "adult" books and authors - but who knows when that will be...

HOW TO SIT DOWN WITH A GOOD BOOK, PART TWO

I’m back. Or, more specifically, my keyboard is back. Well, “a” keyboard is back and I’m not even sure “back” is the correct word either because it’s a new one. Right, forget all that – how about this: my ability to type spaces is back. It’s nice. I kind of missed them and I’m glad to be able to have them in my work once again. I feel they really add something to my writing, a certain comprehensibility that I find my readers appreciate.

Enough about that, prelude over. Now for the actual entry:

Over the next few entries, I plan to provide you with several different lists of recommended reading, each from a slightly different standpoint. Today, I bring you:

FANTASY: THE YOUNG READER LIST

(and by “young reader” I mean both those readers who are young in age and those readers who are young in fantasy experience).

This list is primarily children’s books, those books that were among the first I ever read. They are (as one would suspect) quick and easy reads (so it’s not too painful if you find that you really can’t stand fantasy after all). Do not, however, dismiss them as children’s books. They ARE children’s book but they’re deep enough to be enjoyed by adults as well.

First, I have to mention the Narnia books:

Author: C.S. Lewis

Series: 7 Books. Starts with: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. At leas that was the first one written – ignore the idiots who republished the series in “chronological order.” Read them as the author wrote them (rant for another day).

And right away I’m going to give the lie to one of my earlier statements. I’m not sure I can recommend these books to adults who are not reading them to children. They’re excellent books, but I tried to reread them recently and it wasn’t easy (well, to be more accurate it was TOO easy). However, they were a crucial introduction for me to the world of fantasy and to the world of reading in general. My dad read them to my brother and I when we were little. I strongly recommend every parent do the same. Reading them for yourselves after a certain point in your life might not be as enjoyable.

2. The Kingdom of Prydain Series

Author: Lloyd Alexander

Series: 5 Books. Starts with “The Book of Three”

I understand that recommending series is sort of cheating, because I promised quick and easy reads, but in this case (as with the Narnia books and the next series) the first book does not conclude with a cliffhanger so you can indeed read just one without feeling forced to read the next ones. You will feel compelled to read the next one, but not forced. The title from this series that you are most likely to recognize is “The Black Cauldron.” It’s the second book and, for those of you still confused as to why that title should be familiar, it eventually became a Disney movie. The main character of the series is Taran, an assistant pig-keeper for the enchanter Dallben, and he’s not very happy with his lot in life (although, in defense of the position the pig CAN tell the future). Besides the assistant pig-keeper, Prydain contains, as many fantasy worlds do: a princess, a mighty prince, a terrible dark lord, a wise enchanter, a wicked witch, and several fierce battles between men and things-that-are-not-men (although no dragons). To limit it to that description, however, is a terrible disservice, equivalent to describing your mother’s cookies as made of the same materials as the grocery store cookies. These books are crafted of much finer stuff than such a description implies (including a large chunk of Welsh mythology, among other influences – try to put THAT in a cookie, Kroger!). The characters are fascinating, the story is well conceived, and each book within the series is excellent (moist AND delicious). My favorite is number four: “Taran Wanderer” (and I’ll tell you why once you’ve read it). If you only read six fantasy books ever, these should be five of them.

3. The Dark is Rising Series

Author: Susan Cooper

Series – 5 books – First book can be either “Over Sea, Under Stone” or “The Dark is Rising.” (if you’re only going to read one, I recommend “The Dark is Rising”)

Some people would argue that this series should be that five instead of Prydain. I’m not one of them, but I would say if you’re going to read more than six fantasy books, it might be a good idea to add these to the list. This is another coming of age story although instead of the medieval kingdom of Prydain, it is set in the somewhat less medieval modern kingdom of Great Britain (most of the time). Like Alexander, Cooper draws from many different mythological sources, but first among those are the tales of King Arthur. Again, these books are well crafted, well written, well thought out, and very solid. Also a coming of age story (among other things), although Cooper’s characters go about it in a different fashion than Alexander’s.

4. (Not a series this time) The Princess and the Goblin

Author: George Macdonald

This is an old one, old enough to have had an influence on Tolkien and C. S. Lewis (and some even claim it did, it might even be true). It is one of my favorite stories of all time. This is the sixth book in my “if you only read six fantasy books” scenario. It would be the first book in my “if you only read one book” scenario. It’s another one that my father read aloud to me and one that I have read myself many times since. Foolishly, it is not one I actually own. I had forgotten about it until attempting to come up with this list and now I miss it (and, added bonus, I discovered while searching for the Amazon link that he wrote a whole mess of books I now need to go track down).

So, there you go – I have delivered the first booklist: three recommendations (covering eleven books) and one shout out (covering seven books). Next time I’ll discuss something a bit more adult oriented. If you have specific questions about these books (or others) let me know and I’ll see what I can do to clarify my recommendations without giving away any secrets.

WELL,DANGITALL

Itneverfails.I starta post(oneachofmysites)that'smultipart andsomethingonmy computerbreaks. Bynow youshouldhavefiguredoutwhatitis thatbroke.Itbrokea few days after myfirstpost (rightaboutthe timeIwasready todo mynextpost). Itriedfixingit,butthat didntwork(obviously)andamonaweirdenoughschedulenow that Ihavenot yet been able to get anewone.Ifiguredenoughtimehaspassed though thatyoudeserveanexplanationofwhy you'regoingto have to wait stilllonger.Sorry. In the meantime ifyou'rebored,check outmy latest addiction(which I blameon Meredith). It'scalled In Passing. ReadMeredith's review foran explanation so youdon'thavetosufferanymoreofthis

HOW TO SIT DOWN WITH A GOOD BOOK, PART ONE

One of the functions I serve among my friends is that of "book recommender." It's a position I'm honored to have, for many of my friends read enough that they can tell the difference between a good book and a bad one. The fact that they return to me after my first few recommendations and ask for more is gratifying. It's also not a very unique position- for pretty much the same reason - more of an exchange really than a position. I recommend something to you, you recommend something to me, we both come off better for it. I like this system, it seems to work. There are, however, a few holes.

The biggest hole is that we've all read different books. While reading different books is usually an ideal situation in such an exchange (that being the purpose, and all), it's not ideal when the "different books" in question are those that formed the very basis for our current reading tastes. Even then it's not so much a hole as an opportunity. So I am going to take this opportunity and run with it. It may take a few installments, but I'll see what I can do.

I like fantasy and I like science fiction. Many of the people who ask me for recommendations never really discovered either. They are, however, open to new experiences so I've been trying to introduce them to those aspects of each genre that I believe they will appreciate. It occurred to me recently, that there are actually two ways to enter into the respective worlds of fantasy and science fiction. One is the way I've been trying to bring my friends in - finding books on the edges and slowly drawing them in from the sides. The other way is the way I came at it - starting with "children's" books and graduating deeper and deeper. It's the difference between learning about a garden from pictures and plant cuttings and learning about it by walking into it.

Perhaps, then, I should be leading my friends into this garden along a path very similar to the one I took. Not tonight, tonight is just the warm up. In my next few entries I'll attempt to apply the benefit of hindsight to my early reading experiences. I'll cull what's worthwhile and relevant to adults and present it with whatever explanations, recommendations, and caveats I find necessary. Some of my favorite books as a child have lost something with time, sadly but the best ones are still good and getting better as I grow older. Those I will present to you so that you may each (as you see fit) discover what led me into this garden in the first place.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN

Who remembers "3-2-1 Contact"? I used to watch it when I came home from school (Forest Ave. Elementary to be specific) while waiting for Mom to cook dinner. If I remember correctly, it came on after "Reading Rainbow". It was part of my allotted hour of TV watching before the local PBS replaced it with "Square 1 TV," also an excellent show that amused and educated me for many episodes. Those shows are perhaps a good topic for later discussion, but today I'm just interested in a specific piece of a specific episode: when Paco went to Space Camp. I was fascinated and decided that someday I, too, would go to Space Camp.

And I did, Christmas break my sophomore year of high school I attended Space Academy Level II in Huntsville, Alabama (I was by then too old for the actual Space Camp but this was the same thing, albeit a little more thorough). My brother also went (Level I) and we both had a good time. It was, I think, the first time we had flown anywhere by ourselves. It was significant for other reasons, though - "Go to Space Camp" had been on my mental list of things-to-do-someday for a long time. It was, I think, one of the first concrete realizations I had that things could actually come OFF that list. It was a goal that had always (when I thought of it) felt whimsical and unreal. "Wouldn't it be nice if..." became "Look what I did..." and it was every bit as fun as I had hoped (it's been a long time since I've even tried to deny my geek nature).

It's an odd feeling, approaching the Reality version of something that's long been in Daydream status. It's fun but I tend to let things sit in Daydream status too long. I need periodic reminders to check my Someday List for those eureka moments of "Hey, I can actually accomplish this!"

Dave Hauver provided the most recent reminder. At the end of this month, he will be setting out on the Appalachian Trail with the intention of walking its entire length from Georgia to Mt. Katadin in Maine. It's something he's wanted to do for some time and now, he's actually doing it. Go Dave. It's quite a leap. He has also, while we're at it, had dreams of documentaries bouncing around in his head for some time. He's addressing that, too, by carrying a camera with him as he hikes. I'm sure we'll get some very interesting footage from Mr. Hauver. I look forward to it. For those of you who want to follow along in his adventure, he has a trail journal set up already. You can find it here (and I'll put a link in my sidebar). Check it out. And applaud Dave for taking this leap, for checking this item off his Someday list.

Now you'll have to excuse me, I have a novel to write.

THE PRODIGAL

Joy to all and happiness to the rest: the Internet and I have reconciled after our long (and admittedly painful) separation. It started with the move.

In February I was driven from my last home and the wonderful Internet connection I had found there. Boldly I set forth and my journeys carried me far and wide before finally I found haven in Arlington. There I began to rebuild that which had been torn down. I fear I focused on other priorities while the Internet languished.

I, fool that I was, left it alone for no small span of time. Oh sure, we found small joys in the occasional encounter, but it was not enough. I would sneak off to my brother's house and meet it there, or make excuses to travel to my girlfriend's dwelling where I would seek a brief moment of happiness with the Internet. Alas, those flashes of connection were all too rare and far too brief.

Tonight, for the first time in more than a month, I welcome the Internet into my home once more. It brings with it the email, blogs, and webcomics I have long missed. Soon, though I do not perhaps deserve the reward, there will even be a new bundle of electronic joy - Xbox Live.

What this means for you, dear readers, is that you get to resume your role as readers once more while I take upon me the mantle of blogger. I once more have access to the tools I need to serve you the best and wittiest commentary I have to offer, more or less. So be content knowing there is more to come (at least until I get the Xbox Live hooked up - after that all bets are off)

----

Comments I Know You Are Going to Make But Which I Intend to Preempt Here:
- You were gone?
- You do realize that this absence isn't significantly different (statistically speaking) from your previous absences when you DID have internet connection?
- Excuses, excuses
- While I appreciate the "best and wittiest commentary [you] have to offer" I was hoping for something a little higher quality - like, perhaps, monkeys with typewriters.
- I'll believe it when I see it.

And that's it for now - I'll let you come up with the rest.
(It's good to be back)

SPEAK UP

Alert Reader "S" recently posted this comment to my Odds and Ends entry:

Well said Rob and my sentiments exactly. There have been a few times that I have not understood the connection Jamie's comments make to your blog article (or for that matter understood his comment.) That being said, however, I applaud Jamie in providing to you comments. He is the only one I have seen make comments, for it's an indication that people are reading your blogs. Hopefully the number of people writing comments is not indicative of the number of people reading them. It's a shame more people aren't writing comments and showing you they are informed about your writing. I find your blogs amusing, informative and a great learning experience. Well, "great" may be a little too strong a word. But I do learn new words when I read the blogs. I never new there was such a word as glitterati so I went to Webster's on-line dictionary and lo and behold, there it was. However, when I went to the Questeria Online Library, I could not find the origins of the word. Can you help me out, do you know the origins of glitterati?

S

Well, S, if that is your real name, you bring up several excellent points (and no, excellent is not too strong a word). First, Jamie deserves to be mocked. He just does. Second, he also deserves praise. It sort of twists the mind a bit to owe both praise and mockery at once - although a good back-handed compliment might serve both ends: "Jamie is much cooler once you get to know him." I think I'll leave it at that for now.

The points I would like to address are the comments and "glitterati." I'll start with comments. Thanks for noticing and posting (that goes for Jamie, too). I do read them and I do appreciate them. Same goes for the comments on Leaves. I don't necessarily think everyone else should be ashamed of not commenting, though, maybe just a little chagrined. If you see something worth remarking upon, do so, if not eh, I'll keep talking to a silent audience just as much as to a responsive one. I like praise (thank you for that, S), I appreciate criticism (really), but I'm also fond of the sound of my own voice and don't need much more than that to keep me going (your call as to whether that's a strength or a fault).

And now, "Glitterati"
Unfortunately S, I do not know the history of the word. I know what it means and how to use it, but I don't know who coined it or when. The gist, for those of you who did not look it up, is that it's a combination of Glitter and Literati. "Literati" is a term used to apply to the intellectual elite. Glitterati refers to the glittering elite. Not the well read so much as the well seen. Also referred to as the jet-set crowd. The earliest uses seem to have occurred in the 1950's (The Online Etymology Dictionary claims 1956, but does not provide any further information) and for some reason several entries quoted the following line: “private parties on Park Avenue and Central Park West, where the literati mingled with glitterati” (Skylines). I don't know where or when that came from (or even what Skylines is). So I'm really not all that helpful.

I'm adding your references to my bookmarks. At the moment, when I do my research, I tend to start with the Wikipedia. It's an encyclopedia based on the idea that anyone can edit a page, and anyone can undo another person's edits. Well, that's the extremely simplified version anyway. Sounds ripe for chaos and trouble, but the collaboration proves more effective and is hijacked less often than one would initially expect. It's a fascinating idea and maybe I'll write about it on its own someday. For now, the important thing (relatively speaking) is that the wikipedia, like many web sources, can be suspect at times, but is usually an excellent informal source of information. Except in this case, where it really wasn't all that useful. Although I did learn that "glitterati" is a portmanteau and that a "portmanteau" is a word made from combining two or more words. So there's that at least...

I apologize for not being able to fully answer your question, but I'll keep my eyes open. Maybe next time I'm bored I'll spend some serious time tracking this down and will write my own entry for the wikipedia (posted here first, of course). In the meantime if anyone else knows where the word Glitterati originated, or a good reference site that does, let the rest of us know. . . put it in a comment.

ODDS AND ENDS

Here are a few observations I've been meaning to make but which are not really worthy of their own individual entry. So I'm grouping them together, even though they really don't have much to do with each other

UNDERCOATING AND VALET PROTECTION
My car, a Honda Civic, is equipped with a few features specifically designed to foil valets attempting to get into my trunk without my permission. I received, with my regular key, a valet key that will not work to open my trunk. I appreciate the concerns of the designers, those valets can be a crafty and nefarious bunch. I would like to point out, however, something they may have missed, namely that it's a Honda Civic. I have nothing against the car itself, I am actually quite fond of it and intend (and can reasonably expect) to drive it for a long long time. But it's not exactly the car of the glitterati. The people who prefer valets to do their parking for them do not drive anything so sensible as a Civic. The people frugal enough to buy a Civic in the first place are not likely to spend the money they save in mileage on valets. So, as a Civic owner, I'm not really afraid of valets and do not believe the security measures (and the few frustrations they cause) are necessary. Unless you're talking about the roving bands of valets who sometimes stalk the streets at night. Those valets I am afraid of.

MACHINIMA
This is an interesting concept and one that proves a lot of people really have more time than they know what to do with. Basically, it is a form of animation using game engines. Manipulate the characters on screen, record the result, cut and edit, throw in the sounds you want, and you've got your own puppet show made with digital puppets. The best known example of this (at least in my world) is Red vs. Blue which uses the game Halo (and more recently Halo 2) to perform skits. It's absolutely hilarious. Jamie (the fellow who posts comments long enough to make you wonder whether he thinks this is his own blog site) introduced me to the first season and I couldn't stop laughing. But beyond the hilarity, its form is fascinating to me (a recent reintroduction to RvB is what brought this topic to my mind). There are people who have used various games like Balder's Gate to recreate movies and plays or to make up their own stories. Greg Kostikyan talked about it in his blog some time ago. It's an example of the many ways we find to entertain ourselves with tools and games well beyond their original intended use (think kids and cardboard boxes).

THAT'S IT
No really, I have nothing else to say today.