Got a few new reviews up:
Edward: Dancing on the Edge of Infinity, by Bruce Taylor - a very bizarre, yet readable novella which might be "scifi as self-help", or it might be a nicely written story about figuring out who you are, and what the hell you think you're supposed to be doing here.
City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff Vandermeer. God, i loved this book. Vandermeer totally rocks my world.
on deck:
The Elric Saga, part One by Michael Moorcock. Why didn't someone bash me over the head with Moorcock (go ahead and read that sentence outloud out of context!) years ago? this is fricken' awesome! I'm barely 100 pages in, and i can't put this book down. Ever seen Anthony Bourdain's show, where he says something along the lines of "a meal prepared simply, with local ingredients, is often the best"? this book is kinda like that. no overdone analogies, no run on sentences, made up words, or unpronounceable character names. not to say that this is simple, it surely isn't. but oh, is it clean and sharp. and i can't put it down, and i want someone to make a beautiful, flowing anime series out of this. I'd say "i want someone to make a movie out of this!", but you know they'd totally muck it up.
Showing posts with label Jeff Vandermeer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeff Vandermeer. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
downloaded your brain. . . now what?
I read Charlie Stross's Accelerando when it first came out, and it was love at first read. Just recently, I finally bought a trade paperback version. And the fear set it. That I wouldn't like it as much. That maybe it was crap, and I loved it at the time because I just really really wanted to like futuristic cyberpunk.
I'm maybe 150 pages in? Pamela has converted to Islam in an effort to get her daughter, Amber, back (you know, out of context that makes no sense whatsoever). And Manfred is trying to make the economy obsolete, and doing a damn good job of it. Manny rocks my world. Although Pamela scares me.
And I still love it. For completely different reasons. The first time through, I was so enthralled by my future-culture-shock that I missed nearly everything having to do with human rights. Ever read a news story about someone who had their head (or entire body) frozen at the time of death, to have their brain (or entire body) revived at some later date? What kind of rights to they have after they wake up? If their brain is put into someone else's body, does that body have all the rights of the original person? Now amp it up some. You upload your brain into a computer right before you die. Then your brain is downloaded into someone else's body. Are you now that person? What kind of rights do you/they/them/it have? Are human rights attached to a physical meatbody, or to the brain/soul/person who is in that body at that moment?
Here's the beautiful Stross kicker, i'm paraphrasing because the book is across the room and I don't feel like getting up. He quickly discusses a religious group that is arguing the following: if a Muslim downloads their brain into a computer and then dies, is the computer now Muslim? Why or why not? This could hold true for any religion. If you download your brain into a computer, and then you die, does your soul go to heaven? If your soul is hanging out in heaven, and your brain gets downloaded from that computer into someone else's body, what happens to your soul then? Does it get yanked out of heaven and back to earth, into a meatbody? Does that body now have your brain, but not your soul?
How can spirituality work when the mind, body, and possibly soul be three seperate, and seperable things?
And oh, by the way, Accerlerando really isn't about human rights. Well it is, but it's about everything else too. And I still love it.
Also, i'm lazy. I didn't finish decoding the end of Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen. It's due back at the library 2 two days, and I don't think I can finish decoding by then. I'm fighting with myself about just looking the answer up on the internet (damn you internet!!), or going to Kazoo Books and just purchasing the darn thing, so I can go through it and underline seeminly random words and phrases like “grey caps”, and “giant squid”.
Don't tell Mr. Stross, but if I had to choose one author's books to take to a desert island, I'd take Vandermeer's.
I'm even lazier in the kitchen. Had some beautiful green beans, and wanted to do something new with them. Tossed 'em in a skillet with some oil, minced garlic and ground ginger, and stir fried till done (bright green). They were healthy, surprinsingly non-oily, and really tasty.
I'm maybe 150 pages in? Pamela has converted to Islam in an effort to get her daughter, Amber, back (you know, out of context that makes no sense whatsoever). And Manfred is trying to make the economy obsolete, and doing a damn good job of it. Manny rocks my world. Although Pamela scares me.
And I still love it. For completely different reasons. The first time through, I was so enthralled by my future-culture-shock that I missed nearly everything having to do with human rights. Ever read a news story about someone who had their head (or entire body) frozen at the time of death, to have their brain (or entire body) revived at some later date? What kind of rights to they have after they wake up? If their brain is put into someone else's body, does that body have all the rights of the original person? Now amp it up some. You upload your brain into a computer right before you die. Then your brain is downloaded into someone else's body. Are you now that person? What kind of rights do you/they/them/it have? Are human rights attached to a physical meatbody, or to the brain/soul/person who is in that body at that moment?
Here's the beautiful Stross kicker, i'm paraphrasing because the book is across the room and I don't feel like getting up. He quickly discusses a religious group that is arguing the following: if a Muslim downloads their brain into a computer and then dies, is the computer now Muslim? Why or why not? This could hold true for any religion. If you download your brain into a computer, and then you die, does your soul go to heaven? If your soul is hanging out in heaven, and your brain gets downloaded from that computer into someone else's body, what happens to your soul then? Does it get yanked out of heaven and back to earth, into a meatbody? Does that body now have your brain, but not your soul?
How can spirituality work when the mind, body, and possibly soul be three seperate, and seperable things?
And oh, by the way, Accerlerando really isn't about human rights. Well it is, but it's about everything else too. And I still love it.
Also, i'm lazy. I didn't finish decoding the end of Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen. It's due back at the library 2 two days, and I don't think I can finish decoding by then. I'm fighting with myself about just looking the answer up on the internet (damn you internet!!), or going to Kazoo Books and just purchasing the darn thing, so I can go through it and underline seeminly random words and phrases like “grey caps”, and “giant squid”.
Don't tell Mr. Stross, but if I had to choose one author's books to take to a desert island, I'd take Vandermeer's.
I'm even lazier in the kitchen. Had some beautiful green beans, and wanted to do something new with them. Tossed 'em in a skillet with some oil, minced garlic and ground ginger, and stir fried till done (bright green). They were healthy, surprinsingly non-oily, and really tasty.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
My problem with Jeff Vandermeer's City of Saints and Madmen.
I'd probably be OK with if I woke up in Ambergris (note to self: re-read The Strange Case of X until it really scares the crap out of you). Very cool town, has some interesting indigenous creatures, lots of cats, it's own culture, religion, history. . . beautiful city. I wonder if I could rent a condo there for a few weeks in the autumn?
I kept wondering why I was looking for reasons not to read City of Saints and Madmen. Was there something wrong with stories? No, they were incredible. Unlikeable characters? No, not that either (well, Janice can get a bit annoying, but that's just the way she is). Where the stories beautiful, scary, soul-wrenching, pity-inducing nail-biters? Why, yes, they were! So why was I looking for any excuse not to finish this book, instead of taking it with me everything, and being late to work because I was too busy reading it?
Reading City of Saints and Madmen is like being dumped in the Louvre and told you've got 6 hours to see everything. So hop to it! Wouldn't you just sit there, staring at wall, completely overwhelmed, with no idea where to start? Sure, you could just start somewhere, but it wouldn't matter, because you could either study one or two pieces of art with the attention they deserve, or rush through the museum, and not actually get to see the details of anything. That's what getting this book from the library is like. It's not due till next weekend, but I still feel like no matter how many hours I spend with it, I'll still be rushing though it.
Yup, time to just plunk down the cash for it. Damn you Jeff Vandermeer! Does your wife know you do this kind of thing to unsuspecting readers??
I kept wondering why I was looking for reasons not to read City of Saints and Madmen. Was there something wrong with stories? No, they were incredible. Unlikeable characters? No, not that either (well, Janice can get a bit annoying, but that's just the way she is). Where the stories beautiful, scary, soul-wrenching, pity-inducing nail-biters? Why, yes, they were! So why was I looking for any excuse not to finish this book, instead of taking it with me everything, and being late to work because I was too busy reading it?
Reading City of Saints and Madmen is like being dumped in the Louvre and told you've got 6 hours to see everything. So hop to it! Wouldn't you just sit there, staring at wall, completely overwhelmed, with no idea where to start? Sure, you could just start somewhere, but it wouldn't matter, because you could either study one or two pieces of art with the attention they deserve, or rush through the museum, and not actually get to see the details of anything. That's what getting this book from the library is like. It's not due till next weekend, but I still feel like no matter how many hours I spend with it, I'll still be rushing though it.
Yup, time to just plunk down the cash for it. Damn you Jeff Vandermeer! Does your wife know you do this kind of thing to unsuspecting readers??
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Jeff Vandermeer is weird. Barley isn't weird.
Potatoes are so yesterday, barley is my new comfort food! Barley, all nutty and puffy, fills you up and keeps you warm. Like oatmeal, only way better. This recipe, from Serious Eats, for Barley Chorizo Skillet Pie is a keeper. (Vegetarian? Swap the chorizo for some Morning Star or Boca imitation ground meat, but add some salt and hot pepper flakes or diced hot pepper to add some of that chorizo kick. Kosher? Swap the chorizo for some spicy turkey sausage) This was my first experience with chorizo, a fresh (uncooked) sausage that has been spiced with dried smoke red peppers. It was hotter, and greasier than I expected, but gave this dish depth, and provided some much needed grease in the pan (and I didn't have chapped lips all night! Awesome!).
The night before, or earlier in the day, cook the barley. 1 cup barley to 2.5 cups water in a sauce pan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes. When cool, refridgerate until needed.
Barley Chorizo Pie (adapted from Serious Eats)
8 large eggs
¼ cup chopped cilantro
olive oil (if needed)
salt (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pkg chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked pearl barley
½ cup grated cheese (any kind you want)
Chorizo is quite greasy, so if you're using a substitute, expect to add a little more oil.
In a large, heavy, oven proof skillet cook chorizo, onion and green pepper over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Then mix in the barley and garlic, adding a bit more olive oil, if needed.
In a seperate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and cilantro. Lower the stove heat to medium low. Pour the egg mixture over the mixture in the skillet, and as it cooks, gently pull it away from the sides, so uncooked eggs can fall to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pie has firmed up, and most of the eggs have cooked.
Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle cheese over the pie, and broil for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted and begun to brown on top. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Hot, delicious, (somewhat) healthy, and a great winter comfort food!
And, like I always say, nothing goes better with food than books!
I've renewed my obsession with Jeff Vandermeer thanks to City of Saints and Madmen, half of which is comprised of short stories of the rise and fall of Ambergris (go ahead, look that word up in the dictionary! I dare you!) and it's inhabitants, and the 2nd half is all appendices, which really are short stories unto themselves. Not only does Vandermeer write beautifully surreal fantastical . . . genre-bending fiction, he also relishes in literary puns. It's genius. If you are comfortable or curious about the fantasy subgenre dubbed “new weird”, get yourself some Vandermeer. City of Saints and Madmen is an excellent place to start, as would be Shreik: an Afterword, which takes place in the same city, with many of the same characters.
Thanks toWhitney Matheson, of Pop Candy, I've been introduced to Strangers in Paradise, the graphic novel series by Terry Moore. Two volumes in, and I'm hooked. This is a girly, romantic graphic novel, so if you're looking for superheroes or car chases, you might want to try X-Men, or G.T.O. or something. Katchoo is in love with, and lives with her best friend Francine. They are just two pretty normal 20-somethings, except Katchoo has a dark past involving prostitution and the mafia, and Francine eternally needs to lose a few pounds and gain some self confidence. Boyfriends come and go, but best friends are forever. Sounds cheesy, but this isn't “coming of age”, or “inspirational” or anything like that. It's just two best friends trying to make it in the world. And it's drawn just beautifully.
I also got a Thai cookbook from the library, can't wait to try some of these recipes!
The night before, or earlier in the day, cook the barley. 1 cup barley to 2.5 cups water in a sauce pan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes. When cool, refridgerate until needed.
Barley Chorizo Pie (adapted from Serious Eats)
8 large eggs
¼ cup chopped cilantro
olive oil (if needed)
salt (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pkg chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked pearl barley
½ cup grated cheese (any kind you want)
Chorizo is quite greasy, so if you're using a substitute, expect to add a little more oil.
In a large, heavy, oven proof skillet cook chorizo, onion and green pepper over medium heat. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Then mix in the barley and garlic, adding a bit more olive oil, if needed.
In a seperate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and cilantro. Lower the stove heat to medium low. Pour the egg mixture over the mixture in the skillet, and as it cooks, gently pull it away from the sides, so uncooked eggs can fall to the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the pie has firmed up, and most of the eggs have cooked.
Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle cheese over the pie, and broil for a few minutes, until the cheese has melted and begun to brown on top. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Hot, delicious, (somewhat) healthy, and a great winter comfort food!
And, like I always say, nothing goes better with food than books!
I've renewed my obsession with Jeff Vandermeer thanks to City of Saints and Madmen, half of which is comprised of short stories of the rise and fall of Ambergris (go ahead, look that word up in the dictionary! I dare you!) and it's inhabitants, and the 2nd half is all appendices, which really are short stories unto themselves. Not only does Vandermeer write beautifully surreal fantastical . . . genre-bending fiction, he also relishes in literary puns. It's genius. If you are comfortable or curious about the fantasy subgenre dubbed “new weird”, get yourself some Vandermeer. City of Saints and Madmen is an excellent place to start, as would be Shreik: an Afterword, which takes place in the same city, with many of the same characters.
Thanks toWhitney Matheson, of Pop Candy, I've been introduced to Strangers in Paradise, the graphic novel series by Terry Moore. Two volumes in, and I'm hooked. This is a girly, romantic graphic novel, so if you're looking for superheroes or car chases, you might want to try X-Men, or G.T.O. or something. Katchoo is in love with, and lives with her best friend Francine. They are just two pretty normal 20-somethings, except Katchoo has a dark past involving prostitution and the mafia, and Francine eternally needs to lose a few pounds and gain some self confidence. Boyfriends come and go, but best friends are forever. Sounds cheesy, but this isn't “coming of age”, or “inspirational” or anything like that. It's just two best friends trying to make it in the world. And it's drawn just beautifully.
I also got a Thai cookbook from the library, can't wait to try some of these recipes!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
holy crap, is winter over yet? i'm getting really sick of this grey, crappy, icy, wet weather. i'm ready for sunshine. i'm sure we'll have a few more weeks of this crap, which means i should make a batch of corn chowder some time. Ok, this isn't really a "chowder", as it's not thick, but it is a cream based corn soup, and one of my favorite comfort foods. and it's really easy to make!
you'll need:
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp butter
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (2 cans)
3 cups milk
1 can of cream style corn
2 cans sweet corn
salt and pepper
in a large thick bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven, saute the celery 3 minutes. add the green onions and saute another minute. stir in the flour, and stir constantly for 1 minute. add the chicken broth, and continue cooking until mixture boils for one minute. it should noticable thicken. Stir in milk and corn. add salt and pepper to taste, and heat slowly till hot.
this is one of my favorite foods from childhood. it's nothing fancy, but it's the best comfort food in the world to me.
mmmm... now that i'm all happy thinking about soup, i can give you the book news of the week:
Book reviews are up for Albert Dalia's Dream of the Dragon Pool and Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek: An Afterword. If you're going to read only one book this year, make it Vandermeer's. this man is beautifully strange. i wonder if i would like him if i met him? he's somewhere at the intersection of "New Weird", dark fantasy, and steampunk. all of those things at the same time, but also, not them. perhaps i'll start haunting Vandermeer's blog.
other books on the horizon include my newly aquired copy of The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison, along with previously mentioned delishious books from the library. The "ARC's expected list" includes Scales, a scifi thriller by Tony Williams, a british military historian of international fame. I hope his fiction is as good as his books on weapons, which i think my husband may own a few. . (the books, not the weapons), and something called Perverted Realities by Jennifer Caress. Perverted? ummm.... ok. . . .
so many books, so little time. so much good food. . . . .
you'll need:
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
4 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp butter
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (2 cans)
3 cups milk
1 can of cream style corn
2 cans sweet corn
salt and pepper
in a large thick bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven, saute the celery 3 minutes. add the green onions and saute another minute. stir in the flour, and stir constantly for 1 minute. add the chicken broth, and continue cooking until mixture boils for one minute. it should noticable thicken. Stir in milk and corn. add salt and pepper to taste, and heat slowly till hot.
this is one of my favorite foods from childhood. it's nothing fancy, but it's the best comfort food in the world to me.
mmmm... now that i'm all happy thinking about soup, i can give you the book news of the week:
Book reviews are up for Albert Dalia's Dream of the Dragon Pool and Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek: An Afterword. If you're going to read only one book this year, make it Vandermeer's. this man is beautifully strange. i wonder if i would like him if i met him? he's somewhere at the intersection of "New Weird", dark fantasy, and steampunk. all of those things at the same time, but also, not them. perhaps i'll start haunting Vandermeer's blog.
other books on the horizon include my newly aquired copy of The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison, along with previously mentioned delishious books from the library. The "ARC's expected list" includes Scales, a scifi thriller by Tony Williams, a british military historian of international fame. I hope his fiction is as good as his books on weapons, which i think my husband may own a few. . (the books, not the weapons), and something called Perverted Realities by Jennifer Caress. Perverted? ummm.... ok. . . .
so many books, so little time. so much good food. . . . .
Saturday, February 17, 2007
big news in the read.eat.rinse.repeat household! we have graduated from clunker station wagon to drumrollplease chrysler sedan! it's new and shiny, and everything works! woohoo!
this was the first weekend after we got the car, and where did i go with it? 2 libraries, and then 2 bookstores. i'm such a book-nerd.
i'd gotten Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek: An Afterword out of the library around Christmas time, and instead of realizing it was a "2 week only" checkout because it was new, i started reading it a few days before it was due, and only got 50 pages in. so now i've got it again. only 30 pages in, and i was already overcome with sensory overload: smell, touch, taste, all of it. usually authors go mainly for the visual. Vandermeer writes like someone with bad eyesight.
i can probably blame Stephen Lawhead for me not getting to Shreik on time, Paradise War was so awesome, that now i've got the 2nd book in the Song of Albion trilogy, The Silver Hand. and while i was at the library, i couldn't resist Meiville's first novel, King Rat. I can't wait to get my hands on his newest, Un Lun Dun.
i can't possibly be helpful to my favorite authors if i insist on getting their books out of the library instead of buying them, so i did actually *gasp* spend money on books today. first up, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, for our reading group at Worm's Sci Fi Haven, and i couldn't resist buying the next Fullmetal Alchemist volume. I'm finding if i don't buy them when i see them, i can never find them again. now i'm up to 5!!
ok, on to food!! and holy crap, i made home made pasta last weekend! and turned it into ravioli!
first things first, pasta is way easier than it looks. it just takes a lot of patience.
for every pound of pasta you want to make (i made one pound), you'll need 2 cups of flour, 3 eggs and a pinch of salt. if you're going to make ravioli (i did), you'll want stronger pasta, so use 2 2/3 cups flour and 4 eggs, and another egg for later.
blend the 3 ingredients together until you get a dough. knead for 10-15 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. if too dry, add a few drops water, if too sticky add some more flour. wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes at room temperature. divide dough into 3 or 4 peices for easier handling. stretch it with your hands, then roll out with a rolling pin until it's so thin you can see your hand through it. if you are not making ravioli, cut thinly, and let dry for one hour before cooking.
i used mashed potatoes flavored with garlic, parsley and rosemary for the insides of my raviolis (so i guess they were closer to perogies?). whatever you put into your raviolis, make sure it is spiced well (the pasta is bland) and has a very smooth pureed texture.
when you have your dough thin enough, cut the edges with a knife or pizza cutter so you have a long rectangle. put a teaspoon of filling down on side of the rectangle, each teaspoon about 1 1/2 inches apart from the next. you don't want your raviolis too big, because they will expand while cooking. brush egg around the filling. this is the glue that holds the sides of the ravioli together. fold the other side of rectangle over, and press down very hard around the filling. you don't want any air bubbles and you want all the seams closed. use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the raviolis apart. cook in boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until done.
the main ingredient is patience. the next main ingredient is time.
this was the first weekend after we got the car, and where did i go with it? 2 libraries, and then 2 bookstores. i'm such a book-nerd.
i'd gotten Jeff Vandermeer's Shriek: An Afterword out of the library around Christmas time, and instead of realizing it was a "2 week only" checkout because it was new, i started reading it a few days before it was due, and only got 50 pages in. so now i've got it again. only 30 pages in, and i was already overcome with sensory overload: smell, touch, taste, all of it. usually authors go mainly for the visual. Vandermeer writes like someone with bad eyesight.
i can probably blame Stephen Lawhead for me not getting to Shreik on time, Paradise War was so awesome, that now i've got the 2nd book in the Song of Albion trilogy, The Silver Hand. and while i was at the library, i couldn't resist Meiville's first novel, King Rat. I can't wait to get my hands on his newest, Un Lun Dun.
i can't possibly be helpful to my favorite authors if i insist on getting their books out of the library instead of buying them, so i did actually *gasp* spend money on books today. first up, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, for our reading group at Worm's Sci Fi Haven, and i couldn't resist buying the next Fullmetal Alchemist volume. I'm finding if i don't buy them when i see them, i can never find them again. now i'm up to 5!!
ok, on to food!! and holy crap, i made home made pasta last weekend! and turned it into ravioli!
first things first, pasta is way easier than it looks. it just takes a lot of patience.
for every pound of pasta you want to make (i made one pound), you'll need 2 cups of flour, 3 eggs and a pinch of salt. if you're going to make ravioli (i did), you'll want stronger pasta, so use 2 2/3 cups flour and 4 eggs, and another egg for later.
blend the 3 ingredients together until you get a dough. knead for 10-15 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. if too dry, add a few drops water, if too sticky add some more flour. wrap tightly in plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes at room temperature. divide dough into 3 or 4 peices for easier handling. stretch it with your hands, then roll out with a rolling pin until it's so thin you can see your hand through it. if you are not making ravioli, cut thinly, and let dry for one hour before cooking.
i used mashed potatoes flavored with garlic, parsley and rosemary for the insides of my raviolis (so i guess they were closer to perogies?). whatever you put into your raviolis, make sure it is spiced well (the pasta is bland) and has a very smooth pureed texture.
when you have your dough thin enough, cut the edges with a knife or pizza cutter so you have a long rectangle. put a teaspoon of filling down on side of the rectangle, each teaspoon about 1 1/2 inches apart from the next. you don't want your raviolis too big, because they will expand while cooking. brush egg around the filling. this is the glue that holds the sides of the ravioli together. fold the other side of rectangle over, and press down very hard around the filling. you don't want any air bubbles and you want all the seams closed. use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the raviolis apart. cook in boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until done.
the main ingredient is patience. the next main ingredient is time.
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