When I read a sequel to a really good book, and it’s good, but it’s not quite as good as the first one, I feel awkward about saying it. After all, how often is a sequel as good as the…
Whoever hath, or hath not, a blog, I just want to make it clear that nobody shall use Ye Lynes of Picke-Vppe on my Best Reader this weekend, even if she “lookst so mvch lyk an aungel that the friares…
I’ve been a big fan of Kazuo Ishiguro since reading Remains of the Day back in 1988 or so. I thought An Artist of the Floating World was fantastic, and I enjoyed A Pale View of Hills, although not so…
It’s always a bit odd reading a first-in-the-series when you’ve read the other books in the series, and it’s even odder re-reading it when you’ve re-read the other books more often. There are things that just don’t seem correct, sometimes…
A trifle over one year ago, I wrote about fascism in America and in general, working from the American Heritage definition: Fascism. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the…
Ridiculous meme, but it seems to be enjoyable, yoinked from The Burgess Shale: Whip out your music program, click the random button, and pick out 10 songs. Alter the name by turning it into a convoluted, wordy synonym. For example:…
We’re in the second weekend of the show, and the notices have come out. There may be more, but the first two reviews have been largely positive. Your Humble Blogger has been called “oily”, “evil”, “cobra-like”, “insincere”, and “sinuous”. Also…
It has been a few years since I read The Dain Curse. It’s my least favorite of the Dashiell Hammett novels/series featuring the Continental Op, which means I like it very much indeed. There are plot problems, yes, and its…
Now, Gentle Readers, you all know that I am not averse to profanity. Far from it. I have a tremendous respect for profanity, and for the poetics of profanity. I even, on occasion, use some myself. So I don’t think…
Your Humble Blogger finally got around to reading Darwin’s Radio. I enjoyed it quite a bit, actually, although after allowing a week or so to pass before blogging it, I know mostly remember my complaints. My main complaint was that…