Vacation reading

Over vacation I read Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon, his most recent book. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in sampling his style who doesn't have the fortitude to wade through Gravity's Rainbow (I haven't tried that one yet; I hear it's a challenge). IV is accessible, fun, and hilarious in the way that only Pynchon can manage. Here's the trailer:



Upon reading more about it online, I discovered that a movie of the book is in the developmental stages. At first the news made me nervous. None of Pynchon's books have been portrayed on film before. Was this going to be a Michael Bay summer blockbuster attempt? But three pieces of news set me at ease:

1. The film's director is P.T. Anderson, one of my favorite directors (Magnolia is right at the top of my favorite films list);

2. Pynchon is working closely with Anderson on the script. Considering Pynchon's reluctance to put himself anywhere near a public spotlight, this is big news; and

3. Robert Downey Jr. will likely play the lead.

So now I'm psyched to see this film. I'll have to wait a while, though; Anderson won't start filming until the fall. I also wonder if the film will introduce more casual readers to Pynchon's books, which are generally aimed mostly at the literary fiction set.

Who knows, maybe it'll even inspire me to pick up Gravity's Rainbow.

Upcoming publications and new projects

I have two upcoming publications. My short story “Onyx Island” will appear in Bewildering Stories in a few months. Also, my essay “Revenge Cookies” won the Poor Mojo’s Almanac(k) Meritorious Boon contest, and will appear in that fine publication sometime this fall. For those of you curious, that is about an average turnaround time for magazines, be they print or electronic.

Also, I’ve started working on new projects while I work on getting “Slideways” published. One is a horror short I’m having some fun with. I’ve also started research for my second novel. The protagonist of this story is a paranormal researcher with a background in physics. So, guess who’s never taken a physics class? (Raises hand.) An undergrad major in Religious Studies and a Master’s in Library and Information Science require shockingly few classes in the science department.

To de-ignorance myself, I took a trip to Half-Price Books in search of “The Moron’s Guide to Physics” or its used equivalent. Instead, I found this informative volume. It’s a great read which I’m quite enjoying. On the less conventional side, I picked up this book as well. As soon as I saw it on the shelf, I thought, “This is exactly the sort of book my character would love.” I expect that reading it will give me some insight into the direction my book will take.

So how is everyone else’s writing week?

Frank Herbert's Dune

I finished Frank Herbert's Dune yesterday. Before I go on, I'll take a moment to let all you other sci-fi geeks air your concerns.

Yes, I know the book's been around longer than I've been alive, and it's a classic. No, I can't justify not having read it before now, being a spec fic writer and all. Somehow, it took me this long to get to it. But, better a late geek-gasm than none at all.

Paul/ Maud'Dib's transformation in the book is probably my favorite aspect. I love watching how we shift from the perspective of outsiders, dismissive of the desert-roaming Fremen, to living with the Fremen themselves. To an outsider, the giant sand worms are at least an inconvenience, and at most deadly predators. To the Fremen, they take on the role of sacred Makers, and a valued form of transportation. I have much to learn from Herbert's writing.

I do have issues with how women are portrayed in the book, but that's a matter for another post. Now, on with finishing my own novel.

By the way, I've decided on yet another title change (yes, I know this will probably get changed by an editor anyway). I'm changing it from Slideways to The Sundering Gate. What do you think?

Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl

If you know me, you may know that I'm a big fan of Mr. Daniel Pinkwater. If you are not familiar with this brilliant juvenile/YA author, you should immediately run out and purchase this collection of five novels and this collection of four novels. These collections contain some of my favorite D.P. novels, including Alan Mendelsohn, the boy from Mars, Borgel, and two Snarkout Boys books.

But that's not why I'm blogging today. Today I want to talk about Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, which Mr. Pinkwater will be publishing in June of next year. I'm excited about this book because I've already read the first two in this series, The Neddiad and the Yggyssey, and I can't wait for the third.

Luckily for me I don't have to. While you can pre-order it, you can also read it online, right now, for free!

What are you waiting for? Go read something awesome!