Firefly

I knew I had to see Firefly when I saw it mentioned everywhere. And I saw photos of people I respect wearing the "Joss Whedon Is My Master Now" t-shirt. Haha. I'm glad to say that the series did not disappoint, and I really enjoyed it.

Firefly is a Space Western. The concept is a spaceship called Serenity of the Firefly class, which is owned by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, that flies around with its crew taking on missions of questionable repute. They are criminals technically, but they are mostly relatively moralistic nonetheless.

The crew includes pilot Wash, his wife and second-in command, Zoe, Jayne the fighter, and Kaylee the mechanic. There are a bunch of other characters on board as well: Inara the Companion, or courtesan, who rents one of the ship's shuttles. Then there's the priest, Shepherd Book, who travels with them. And finally the doctor Simon and his sister River, who are fugitives.

The diverse crew and the world allow for many interesting missions.

Here's what I really liked about it:

• The setting and genre: Space Western is an interesting combination. It's just so imaginative.
• The characters. A lot of story is focused on character development, so it is very good that the characters are vivid and dynamic.
• The spaceship itself: Firefly is simply a really cool spaceship design. 
• The writing: The episodes are each written by a different person. On the one hand, this means the voices aren't 100% consistent, but it does mean that there are a lot of different ideas floating around about story and character.
• Humor. It was funny sometimes, and it was just serious enough to take seriously.

Firefly is excellent, and I would definitely watch it again. I also want to find out what happens in Serenity, the movie that was released after the show was cancelled. Since it's short, it made it easy to watch 14 episodes without having to commit to a long series, but it really could have gone on for another few seasons. 

The Contract With God Trilogy

The Contract With God Trilogy by Will Eisner is considered  to be the first graphic novel. It's actually three parts as the name implies: A Contract With God, A Life Force, and Dropsie Avenue. It takes place in New York during the 1930s.

I've spent a fair amount time in New York City because my family is from there and my grandpa grew up during the Great Depression probably in a similar setting. There's also a lot of Yiddish colloquialisms that I'd never picked up before. Since I come from a Jewish family, I'm assuming some expressions have just fallen into disuse. It's amazing that even 80 years ago, the city was so developed; at least, coming from someone who lives in suburbia, it shows that even almost a century doesn't make a difference, it's still nothing like living in the city.

I enjoyed reading it to an extent, but it wasn't my favorite. I found some of it humorous, and the art interesting, and the writing consistent. Dropsie Avenue was kind of drawn out and has no chapters to separate it. The avenue is really the main character, as opposed to people, but that also made it interesting too. The other two stories are interesting as well, although memorable mainly for their art and the struggles the characters endure. For the first graphic novel it is still entirely readable.

Camelot on Starz

The new tv series based on Arthurian legends, Camelot, is awesome so far. The first episode was very good. So much happened in it, it was almost more like a movie than the first episode. There are enough conclusions that it would stand alone, even if there weren't more episodes to come in the series. However, it does leave open ends for the plot to continue. It was amazing. I hope the rest of the series is as good.

The plot is based around the death of King Uther. After he dies, the wizard Merlin goes to find Arthur, the King's son, who was sent to live with foster parents when he was born. Merlin asks him to take his father's place as king, and thus the story begins. However, his half-sister Morgan is determined to rule the kingdom herself.

It's rare that I see a fantasy tv series as good as this. They are relatively sparse as it is; at least, this kind of high fantasy seems to be. I hope that Game of Thrones is as good as Camelot. 

"The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman

"The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman is a short story from The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, V.5.

It's been a while since I've read any Neil Gaiman. I really like his writing style, it's very readable, and that's something I will continuously mention that I value.

In this story, a dwarf goes on a journey to a cave where you can find gold. It is very mysterious and hidden, so he has to get a guide to take him there. However, the gold you find in the cave is said to take something away from whoever takes it.

Here is a quote that I found particularly philosophical:

"I am old now, or at least, I am no longer young, and everything I see reminds me of something else I've seen, such that I see nothing for the first time...It is the curse of age, that all things are reflections of other things."

I can relate to this sentiment. Some time ago, I started to feel this way, too. It's like deja vu, but on a deeper, fundamental level. If our minds didn't have the faculty of association, though, I wonder if it would change the shape of consciousness.

It is a thought-provoking, interesting, and clever short story.

Best SFF Novels of the Decade Readers Poll

Earlier this year, Tor.com hosted a poll for the best novels of the decade. These are the results:

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi - 295 votes

American Gods by Neil Gaiman - 270 votes

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - 231 votes

Blindsight by Peter Watts - 221 votes

Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey - 194 votes

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin - 179 votes

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - 167 votes

Anathem by Neal Stephenson - 141 votes

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - 125 votes

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - 124 votes

Yet besides feeling proud of some of my favorites (especially The Name of the Wind), and nodding to myself about authors I was familiar with, I didn't take this poll very seriously. I should have had the mindset, “These are some books that I absolutely must read.”

My dedicated shelf for the Best SFF Novels of the Decade

Anyways, I entered a giveaway to win a set of the books, and oddly enough, I actually won! Fancy that a blogger should win. Now I have the chance to read all these books, thanks to Tor.com Fantasy.

I've read The Name of the Wind, A Storm of Swords, and American Gods.

Which are your favorites?

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

The Silent Land won The Wertzone Award for Best Novel in 2010, so when I saw the book on the shelves at the library, I knew I had to pick it up right away.

A couple goes on a skiing vacation, but it is not quite the trip they had planned....

It struck me while I was reading that it was a good book, a piece of literature.

Indeed, I've seen The Silent Land classified as literary fiction -- yet also genre fiction and speculative fiction, so it might appeal to a wide variety of readers. If I were to classify it as a fantasy, I would say it is closest to contemporary fantasy.

I would also say the writing style is impressionistic. The story is told through the characters and what they experience, rather than the interpretation of the experience afterwards. There is a sense of immediacy and minimalism there. I really like these qualities in a novel.

Here's what Adam Whitehead wrote about this gem:

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce
This is a short, quiet novel that focuses on two characters who find themselves alone in a strange environment. Haunting and unsettling, those with a passing familiarity with genre fiction should work out what's going on pretty quickly, but watching the characters do the same is fascinating, culminating in an emotionally powerful conclusion.

In conclusion, The Silent Land is a modern classic.

Storm Front, Vol. 1 and 2

Jim Butcher's Storm Front as adapted to graphic novel. The book is broken up into two volumes, "The Gathering Storm" and "Maelstrom."

Harry Dresden is a compelling wizard who works privately in Chicago. He is faced with the task of trying to solve the murder of people whose chests were blasted out by magic from far away. There's also a missing person case. There's a ton of magic, and Harry has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

It's a cool urban fantasy. I definitely recommend this if you like graphic novels. The art and storytelling are top notch and exciting.

This was my introduction to the Dresden Files. It lived up to the hype, and to be able to do so even as a graphic novel adaptation says something. What a great story! I am now interested in reading the original novel by Jim Butcher.

Rose City Steampunk Film Festival

My first steampunk festival was very entertaining. It was a spectacular way to spend a Sunday. There were a lot of interesting goings-on:

• A ton of short films
• Two feature films
• A Q&A with film people
• A panel of steampunk authors

I loved it. The first Rose City Steampunk Film Festival was great. What a success.

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I noticed people were in costumes and both Q&A sessions talked about the steampunk aesthetic.

I've never personally done steampunk fashion or Neo-Victorian, as you might call it.

The "steampunk" aesthetic is one I feel a bit ambivalent about. On the one hand, it looks suave and elegant. On the other hand, when you see it all the time, it becomes a cliché.

In my opinion, the steampunk look is best when it appears uncontrived, functional, and reserved. The goggles are a bit much. Although I suppose part of its appeal is its extravagance.

Ultimately, the concept of Neo-Victorianism is very interesting. Furthermore, steampunk style is an ultra-retro, hip way to dress.

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Despite not dressing up in the steampunk style,

And hence feeling like I didn't go the whole mile.

Still I enjoyed for quite a while,

A lot of works of film in Neo-Victorian style.

Including McDonough by a man named Kyle.

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Due to some technical difficulties (burning to DVD), some short films were not shown.

At least two of the ones not shown, however, are available to watch online (The Forgotten Invention of Love is great).

Luckily there will be another screening for the ones that weren't shown on the day of the festival.

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Now, here's what I saw and my reactions. They are all recommended.

Child Invisible

One of the best of show. In fact it swept the award ceremony, including best of show. It was emotionally impacting and very well done.

The Danger Element: Episode 1

This is action packed dieselpunk. Cassie Meder, who is in this series, was at the fest for Q&A. She wasn't in the first episode, but she still contributed a lot to the discussion! And about this series, when I say "action packed," I'm serious.

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne

I thought some of the cinematics were interesting, but I got bored during this one. Old black & white movies are always paced kind of lackadaisically. Perhaps an acquired taste; if you have a taste for it, you might enjoy this classic film showcasing steampunk before it was steampunk.

The Forgotten Invention of Love

It's unfortunate this wasn't able to be shown at the festival. You can see it on the filmmaker's website. It is very, very good. This was probably my favorite so it was a bummer they couldn't show it at the festival. However, now I recommend you go watch this! It's art.

The Halsteadarian

This was a trip. I enjoyed it and thought it was one of the most creative of the bunch. Abstract and varied in its narrative medium.

“Heart of Stone” music video by The Raveonettes

It was quick but pleasant and steampunk enough for me. Not very memorable.

The League of S.T.E.A.M. omnibus of shorts by

This was fun core genre steampunk at its best. It shows off the aesthetic and it's well produced. We were left with a cliff-hanger. It's an ongoing web series like The Danger Element.

McDonough

Two minutes of musical and visual steampunk enjoyment. This is well done. Hearing the artist talk during the Q&A, I was amazed to learn how much work went into it.

Nickel Children

A steampunk story about kids who are kept caged to fight each other. One kid gets saved. There was a warning to the audience about its explicit material. It was kind of horrifying. It says it might become a web series, and it looks to have won a few awards.

Succumb

The volume level of the dialogue was a bit low, so that made it a bit hard to hear. I'm a sub-titles guy too so...yeah. Still, this one was fun. Light saber fight for the win!

The Tesla Experiment

About 6 minute long animated short. This is very entertaining, historical, and fantastically steampunky in the way that I like. Time-traveling Victorian shenanigans featuring Thomas Edison as an unlikely villain with a mech.

Vidocq

The finale of the night absolutely blew me away. It wasn't written in on the schedule, it was supposed to be a surprise. And it was indeed a surprise! Such a stunning, magnificent film. Glad I saw it.

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The author discussion was really very interesting.  Steampunk authors talking about steampunk. As you might expect.

Featuring

Meljean Brook

M. K. Hobson 

Jay Lake 

Andrew Mayer 

Devon Monk

They all seem like excellent, intriguing authors.

The authors appear to like the steampunk genre for plenty of different reasons. Nostalgia. The aesthetic. An interesting time in history. However, their works also have elements of historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. They don't want to see steampunk "sell out", but they acknowledge that it's a cool aesthetic.

I kind of wanted to buy some books (or ask for review copies) after the Q&A, but the festival moved quickly onto the next block of short films. And after that, it was dinner time. Afterwards, the authors were off in a puff of steam. A puff of steam.

Seriously though, it was fun to see the faces of some authors I had heard of, and some I hadn't, and generated a lot of interest in reading their books to me.

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Overall, the festival was simply stupendous. I had a great time. Unfortunately it's kind of one of those "you had to be there" things. Notwithstanding, I recommend you look for some of these films (McDonough, Danger Element, and Forgotten Invention of Love are all available to watch online) or check out the authors if you are interested. Lots of great work.

Dungeon: Parade

Dungeon Parade 1: A Dungeon Too Many is a comic fantasy graphic novel. Written by Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim originally in French, this volume actually takes place in between the main storyline of the Dungeon series.  But even as a side story, it's fine as a standalone.

It's a fun story of a Dungeon run for adventurers by anthropomorphic characters. The main characters are a Duck and a Dragon for example. The Dungeon Keeper is a Chicken.

A Dragon arrives at the Dungeon looking to the work in management there. The Dungeon Keeper misunderstands and asks for a massage, but after an awkward moment he dispenses some advice. That's the kind of humor you can expect.

Ultimately unsuccessful at getting a job in the Dungeon, the Dragon starts his own dungeon nearby, but it's more of a carnival. Which is why I think it's called Parade. From there, the plot goes haywire.

Dungeon: Parade was enjoyable. There are some funny moments and the art is really good. It's got a lot of personality and I want to read more of the series.

Zenith

In the year 2044, people are genetically engineered to be happy all the time. However, this only brings them paradoxical numbness.

The main character Jack deals pain pills to give people feelings of pain. He uncovers his father's video tapes about the Zenith conspiracy. He has a fling with a whorish yet sympathetic woman. He explores the film's theme as narrator.

This indie film was really weird. Zenith says it's Anonymous but it's apparently by Vladan Nikolic.

I read the plot wiki beforehand and actually watching Zenith was still a bit of a puzzle. It might be one of those movies you'd have to see more than once to fully get it.

There is an interesting premise to the plot where language is being forgotten, and it's rare to know certain words.

Zenith is interesting for its "transmedia" experimentalism. It has a weird promotional website, Stop Zenith. The main character has a fictional blog.

The official website is at ZENITH.

Zenith was billed as: "A retro-futuristic steam-punk thriller." It's ironic because steampunk is becoming such a stamp on anything science fiction these days. But this might be more like dystopian biopunk.

Zenith is a weird film, but it is suspenseful because of the thriller tone. It creates a mystery. It only falls short on fulfilling my hopes that it would come together sensibly in the end. In conclusion, the film's abstraction overshadows its plot, and the extra media is exceedingly bizarre.