Remember That Sci-Fi Reading Challenge?

I couldn't find my edition, so here's
my second-favorite cover.

You know, this one. Needless to say, I haven't been "on it"; however, I have been reading. I finished The Stars, Like Dust, a book in Asimov's Galactic series. I finished The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, a later novel by Heinlein that led nowhere really. Most recently, I finished The Einstein Intersection after putting it off for months (sorry, Natalie).

Samuel Delany, what the fuck?!?!!! I must say, being a fan of the sci-fi and fantasy genres, I'm pretty used to weirdness, but this shit took the cake, digested it, and shat it out again. Honestly, I don't even know what it meant. I get that there was a retelling of the Orpheus/Eurydice myth, some allusion, and a pretty straight forward epic hero's journey tale. That's it. I can't tell you the point or the lesson. I'm mad lost. More power to those who get Delany. I'm not one of them. (You know, maybe Delany isn't meant to be read this way. I'll consider that if I ever read him again.)

Next, I wanna introduce myself to more contemporary authors, Neal Stephenson and his latest Anathem to be exact, but that book is 960 pages!!! Dude, I haven't done a book that long since The Fountainhead. Not sure I can do it.

Anyway, if you read and are remotely interested in what I'm reading, catch me on goodreads.com.

WOOOOOooooOOOOO/Sci Fi Reading

Remember this post about my tour through sci fi classics? I haven't forgot. I'm just lazy. So far, I've waded through three and a half short stories, two of which I'd already read, and one-half a graphic novel.

"The Veldt" & "Zero Hour"/Ray Bradbury - I'd read both of these before, more than once as a matter of fact. Luckily, I'm on borderline Alzheimer's status, so I enjoyed them as if they were new. Also, I had luckily kept The Illustrated Man, the book in which they appeared, checked out on October 16, 1989 from The Ray School library. That's right, while you were playing and having fun, I was stealing books from school libraries. I'm BAD!






Both stories deal with the private worlds of children and their potential dangerousness when left unattended or ignored. Bradbury's writing has always struck me as very sensitive and lyrical. His description of scenery is so vibrant, characters so seemingly realsitic (even his Martians in The Martian Chronicles are "normal") that you often forget that you're reading fantastical tales. Both are recommended, fun tales that aren't mindblowing but are entertaining.

"Nightfall"/Isaac Asimov - I don't know how I've never read this one. Pure Asimov, an interesting concept brought to life through well-written dialogue and an incredible use of tension/suspense. No spoilers: The story centers on the concept of a planet bathed in sunlight as the result of having multiple suns, a once millennial eclipse, and the effects of darkness on a people who have never experienced it. Incredible story. Read it!

In the middle of Heinlein's "The Roads Must Roll."

Started The Watchmen last night in anticipation of Friday's movie debut. Got half way through. So far, it's busy but compelling, if only because I want to see how the characters' threads and the many asides come together.