In which I got some sweet books from a used book sale and started reading Sanderson's 'The Way of Kings' despite initial misgivings. Brief updates too on my essay and fiction writing.
Category: Books
Book Review: ‘Doomsday Book’ by Connie Willis
Connie Willis' award-winning sci-fi novel 'Doomsday Book' is one of the few time travel stories where a female perspective forms the core of the drama. Is it worth the read?
Make the Most Beautiful Thing You Can: Update March 25, 2019
"None of us know what will happen. Don't spend time worrying about it. Make the most beautiful thing you can. Try to do that every day. That's it." ~Laurie Anderson
Questioning the Grocery Store Poets: A Review of ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’
I review Michael Pollan's popular book on food production and going local, and reflect on the merits of his proposal.
(Not Quite) Getting Over Cyber Punk
In a Slate op-ed published earlier this week, author Lee Konstantinou argues that "something is broken in our science fiction" and that we need to move beyond the cyber punk aesthetic. Perhaps, but there's one particular insight of cyber punk we should never abandon, which is that technology doesn't just serve us, it changes us---and not always for the better.
Book Review: If You Like Magic and Jane Austen, You Need to Read ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell’
Susanna Clarke's 'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell' is no mere fantasy mixed with historical realism. Each page seeps with clever wit, raising poignant questions about our modern relationship with the Otherworldly.
A Modest Proposal: Let J.K. Rowling Write Whatever She Wants
Some critics have called for JK Rowling to stop writing Harry Potter stories. What the what? Why can't she do whatever the heck she wants?
Evil Has Every Advantage But One
A famous poet and an English critic read 'The Lord of the Rings' and had surprisingly similar things to say about the function of imagination.
From ‘Cryptonomicon’: The Importance of Time-Tested Moral Frameworks
Historian Yuval Noah Harari does not believe religion has anything relevant to say about the technological challenges of the future. His argument reminds me of a passage from an award-winning novel that suggests otherwise.
Diana Gabaldon on Writing, Parenting, and Time
As an aspiring author and dad whose scarcest resource is time, I was motivated by a recent interview with Diana Gabaldon, author of the 'Outlander' series. She speaks candidly about outlining, parenting, and writing at midnight.
Richard Rabil, Jr. 