Diary of a Network Geek

But, good spelling is a little trickier!
Well, I finished that intellectual challenge, Airtight Willie & Me this weekend. It was actually a fairly good book. Though, as I got further into it, I was a little surprised to see that it was actually a series of not really related stories. The book takes its title from the first story, which is about a scam artist getting out of jail and being scammed himself by his partner. The O. Henry-like irony is actually quite sophisticated. Well, considering the source. Seriously, it’s a little strange considering my normal reading, but that’s why I chose that book. It’s a look at life from a perspective that I will, hopefully, never see or truly understand. It’s different. It’s a change. And, obviously, based on the length of time it took me to read it, not a very long book, either.
Currently, I’m reading Plot for about the third or fourth time. I go back to this book, and others in this series, when I have trouble writing. So, I read it every few years when I try to start writing again after a long hiatus. That’s where I’m at right now, ergo, I’m re-reading selected writing books to try and get jump-started back into a writer’s mind. We’ll see how we do in the coming months.
After that, though, I’ll be reading Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. (Literary enough for you, Mark? 🙂 ) The description interests me because a fictional language is at the heart of the story and I’ve long had a fascination for invented languages. So, I’m looking forward to it.

Yes, I read books without pictures. Sometimes.
Frankly, I do prefer the books with pictures. Preferably big pictures in color that illustrate the more complicated points in the text. But, I digress… Recently, I finished reading Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings and you can read that review at The Fantasist’s Scroll. And, today at lunch I started reading Airtight Willie & Me, which is a little different. It’s what be called “ethnic fiction”, if you’re being polite, or “ghetto writing”, if you’re being accurate. I’ve read about the first 45 pages or so and it’s surprisingly good. Of course, it’s a little gritty and filled with slang and poor grammar, but it’s no worse than reading the web these days. Oh, and the author is from Chicago, so there’s a lot of “local interest” in it for me. Though, I have to admit, Iceberg Slim’s Chicago is a whole lot different than mine!
So, there’s an upside to all this time alone after all. I get a lot more reading done these days with a whole lot less hassle. And, no one gives me hell about what I’m reading!

Yikes! I almost missed it!
Well, actually, I will because I’m just too busy this weekend, but you, my faithful readers, will not have to miss Free Comic Book Day! So, quickly, before all the good ones are gone, find yourself a local comic shop and get your free comic! (Okay, check first to see if they’re participating, because not everyone is.)
C’mon, it’s a kind of literacy! It helps your spelling, I promise. Don’t use me as an example, I started reading Larry Niven in the Fifth Grade. If I’d started with comics, my spelling would have been better.
Honest. You can trust me. I would not lie about something as important as this.

Hey, I always like free!

I’ve had a PalmIIIc for years and years. Originally, I got it with the idea that I could use it to play games and read books, too. The problem was that there just weren’t a lot of books available in a Palm readable format. Problem solved: ManyBooks.net. Not only do they have literally thousands of books in multiple formats, including several for the Palm, but they’re all free!
Well, they do ask for donations, but it’s not absolutely required. I’ve just started to explore their titles, but they seem to have quite a few classics, so it’s worth checking out. Besides, it’s Friday, what else are you going to do?

Wheee!

Today is not only the birthday of the Science Fiction Channel, but also Space: Above and Beyond! The SciFi Channel launched today in 1992 and started a revolution in television.
But, just as important my favorite science-fiction show of ALL time launched today in 1995. There wasn’t anything quite like Space: Above and Beyond, and there hasn’t been anything like it since, either. Imagine all the best things about Star Trek combined with the grit from Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (the book, not the movie!) and you start to get an idea. It was military science-fiction at its finest! The story, in a nutshell, is that Earth colonies get attacked by an unknown alien invasion force and we’re suddenly off to war. The series focused on a group of Marine pilots who fly off to space, each for their own reasons, to fight the enemy. And then it started to get really interesting. In my opinion, there hasn’t been writing this good in either science-fiction or television in years. I was really sorry to see it go. Maybe I’ll get lucky and the SciFi Channel will bring it back again! Or, maybe you would like to see it on DVD? Well, so would all the fans, but it’s not out yet. If you’d like to see this show released on DVD, why not sign the Space: Above and Beyond DVD Petition?

(This also appeared on my other weblog, The Fantasist’s Scroll, today.)

I finished Iron Council by China Mi�ville last week.

It was good, but not quite as good as his last two.
This one dealt with an attempt to run a transcontinental railroad across Bas Lag, home of New Crobuzon. Something goes wrong and the people building the railroad rebel and become their own, moving, city. While the idea is interesting, and the descriptions of magic and struggle are compelling, the book focuses elsewhere. Specifically, it seems as if Mr. Mi�ville has a social message to impart to us. A rather anti-capitalist, socialist message.
While there’s nothing wrong with that, per se, it does take away from the story in this case. The book seems less about exploring the world of Bas Lag than either Perdido Street Station or The Scar . It is not, by any means, his best effort.
However, it was a good book. I certainly enjoyed the previous two more, but I was not sorry that I bought Iron Council and read it.

If you’re already a fan, Iron Council will be worth it. But, if you’re new to China Mi�ville, it would be better to start with either Perdido Street Station or The Scar .
(Oh, yes, this first appeared on my other blog.)

At least according to The Gematriculator .

The Gematriculator has rated my home page thusly:

It’s fun, easy and uses “the infallible methods of Gematria developed by Mr. Ivan Panin to determine how good or evil a web site or a text passage is. ” So, now, I’m 68% sure I’m going to heaven! Hooray!

Hey, it’s Friday, try it for yourself!

is back!

Well, at least the Warehouse 23 Basement is back. And, frankly, that’s all that matters. It’s loads of fun, especially if you’re a gamer. Or, and Indiana Jones fan, oddly enough. It’s acutally based on that huge warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who knows, you might even find the lost Ark of the Covenant!

Anyway, it’s Friday, so go have fun!

Yes, it really does exist!

And, some of it is pretty good. What, you don’t believe me? Well, there’s a website dedicated to that very subject, Adherents.com. They list pretty much all the big hitters, both in science-fiction and religion. You can search here based on author, religious affiliation, and title. It’s really fascinating to see what some of my favorite authors think about religion and how it fits into their work. Or, doesn’t, as the case may be.

I did find it interesting that two notables were apparently left out. First, there was Single Combat by Dean Ing, which has numerous references to the Mormons/Latter-Day Saints. Second, there was The Man of Gold, Flamesong, and the rest by M.A.R. Barker. These don’t reference any particular existing religion, but religion is a central theme in all his books and his created religions are influenced by the Mayan, Incan, and East Indian religions. In fact, Professor Barker has written at least one article about the role religion plays in fantastic fiction and role-playing games. Fascinating stuff!

In any case, it struck me as an interesting website. Well worth a look. (And, worth mentioning twice, because this also appeared on my other website, Fantasist.net!)

Or, Why We Fear Friday the Thirteenth!

I always thought it was because Judas was the Thirteenth Apostle or something like that. No, according to this article on GlobalPsychics.com, it has to do with the plot to suppress the Knights Templar. Hey, stop laughing! That’s what it says!! And, I quote:

The modern basis for the Friday the 13th superstition stems from Friday October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the church in Rome in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant against “the Knights Templar”. The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power that they had held for so long. There Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and before he was killed, was tortured and crucified. A Black Friday indeed!

So, there you have it, Friday the Thirteenth is a global conspiracy!
Enjoy it.