BLOT: (04 Nov 2010 - 01:10:14 AM)
Weekly Readings: November 3rd, 2010
I have decided to introduce a new feature, that might or might not stick, in which I discuss my various readings from the past week (roughly Wednesday to Wednesday, though some Thursday love may slip into it). The primary function of this act is to encourage me to keep up my reading regimen, by keeping it in short quanta as opposed to "how many books have I read this year?". And, well, by adding in a slight embarrassment factor, i.e. "Sorry guys, still reading Dick and Jane Buy a Pencil, maybe I'll be done next week." The secondary advantage is that it gives me an informal way to review books in short form.
This week's readings:
Robert Smartwood (editor)'s Hint Fiction: Already reviewed by me, this is a short collection of very short psuedo-narratives (they "hint", hence the name, at longer pieces). A terribly fast read, the book borders somewhere between brilliant and a gimmick (see also, for instance, The Zombie Survival Guide). It's too light a tome to recommend outright for purchase, but such short short stories as "Looking for the body, we found hundreds of burned-out lightbulbs in a clearing. Found four bodies, but not the body we were looking for." will act like koans to inspire some deep and great thoughts.
Ramsey Campbell's Secret Story: There is definitely a review coming for this. Imagine you're a serial killer, kind of a pathetic person, but with extreme delusions of grandeur. You write stories about your victims, and what they did to deserve it (mostly not realizing how AWESOME you are). Then, one day, your mom sends one of your stories in to a magazine contest, and you win. Initial fright turns into a burning desire to finally be recognized as genius, though most people simply don't care. Campbell writes the story in a slow, plodding voice (as his normal for him) that can frustrate—and the overall flavor of the novel can leave you wanting a shower—but he taps so well into the horrific edge of the lost psyche that is hard not to recommend this book to those who can make it through it.
Kenneth Hite's Tour de Lovecraft: The Tales: A fan-centered counter-voice to some of the stuffier critique about Lovecraft. A fun quick read that touches, generally briefly, on the key tales of Lovecraft's writings. Hite, for the most part, does not break any large or particularly new ground, but he does have some interesting things to say and makes plenty of references to other critiques and studies. It is like a gateway drug to the wider world of Lovecraftian dialogue.
Ok, and for the books I'm currently working on, we have P.G. Wodehouse's Code of the Woosters, Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash, and Arthur Machen's The Three Impostors (the S.T. Joshi edited edition from Chaosium).
LABEL(s): Readings
BY WEEK: 2010, Week 44
BY MONTH: November 2010
