between the rock and the cold, cold sea

The Kingdom.

Verdict: Excellent film. Juicy, does not resort to simple answers, and with plenty of things blowing up.

This is a pretty film. Great acting, great scenery, fairly juicy plot, flashy martial arts.

But the ending? I sat through the most pointless climactic battle in the universe for that?

I feel so cheated.

...You know, there's probably a PhD or three in analysing the way Chinese films follow different narrative conventions from American and/or British ones. Because I don't know if that ending purely sucked, or if Chinese directors have entirely different ideas of narrative catharsis than I do.

Also, great use of film in support of ideology. Challenging authority can only end in tragedy, yay!

Book 158, Nonfiction 8:

8. Paul Cartledge, The Spartans: An Epic History

Where are my footnotes, damnit? Endnotes referencing sources without further discussion just don't cut it.

Cartledge is a noted specialist on Sparta and the Spartans, and thus I must conclude that this book is designed for the general, as opposed to the scholarly, audience. While it gives a solid overview of Spartan history (and the Spartan mythos) from archaic on down to more modern times, it doesn't contain the kind of juicy academic discussion I was hoping for.

Cartledge presents a chronological progression of Spartan history, interspersed with spare 'biographies' of known and/or important figures therein. The ones of Demaratus and Gorgo are perhaps the most interesting of these. Also interesting is the Appendix, which discusses the ancient Greek approach to hunting in light of the apologetics for (now-outlawed) fox-hunting in the UK.

Epic, this book is not.

He's perhaps a little too in love with the Spartan mirage, and never presents a detailed critique of any single period in Lacedaimonian history. (A couple of times, it almost seems as though he's finally going to get his teeth in and shake, but no joy.)

That said, it's a decent introduction to Sparta and Sparta's peculiar place in Greek history and modern myth.

My next history-for-fun read is Sarah Pomeroy (and I'm growing a chaste academic crush on that professor and all her works), Spartan Women, so it should make an interesting comparison.

---

So, I'm probably going to WFC 2008. Am I better off flying Dublin-London-Calgary, or should I fly Dublin-Toronto and either connect, or entrain, to get to the right place at the right time?

(I figure on flying out of Dublin on a Wednesday evening, and returning overnight on the following Tuesday. But my experience with long-haul international travel with connecting flights is rather limited. Thus, the request for advice. :) )

Book 157, Fiction 149:

149. Glen Cook, Sweet Silver Blues: A Garrett, P.I., Novel.

Private investigator in a world that strikes me as remniscent of D&D - my uneducated opinion - is reluctantly convinced to track down the heir to a friend's probably-not-gained-entirely-honestly wealth.

What I liked? Garrett's voice, the interestingly quirked plot, the vampires, the hints of a larger world on the edges of the worldbuilding.

What I didn't like: Can we not has the cardboard wimmenz, pls? Do not want.

That pretty much spoiled the book for me. I might pick up another one, to see if there's any sort of change, but really, despite the good points, it pretty much left a sour taste in my mouth.

Book 156, Fiction 148

148. Ken MacLeod, The Execution Channel

This one's been sitting on my shelf for a while (though not nearly as long as Geoff Ryman's Air). At first glance, it's not science fiction: it's alternate history where the alternate history is now or some indeterminate point in the not-too-distant future, and it's a rather grim examination of the machinery, as well as the pomp, of the security state in a world that exists in a constant state of low-grade warfare and under the threat of the war to end all wars.

(Sound familiar? God, does it ever.)

MacLeod mixes it up with a unique approach to the spy thriller, tight pacing, and a tense denouément. The SF really only comes into play at the very close.

Is it good? Is it ever. This one's going on my list of grim-but-beautiful, right beside Stross's Glasshouse and Walton's Farthing.

Good book.

Book 150, Non-fiction 7

7. F.W. Walbank, The Hellenistic World (Fontana History of the Ancient World, 1992 edition)

This book does exactly what it says on the tin, as they say: it provides a detailed overview of the Greek (Hellenistic) world from the death of Alexander in 323 BCE on down to its final domination by Rome in 146 BCE with the sack of Corinth.

In the first half of the book Walbank outlines the sources for this period, and deals with the aftermath of the death of Alexander and with the Hellenistic kingdoms individually. The second half of the book is organised on a more thematic level, with chapters on such topics as social and economic trends, cultural developments, religious developments and the growing influence of Rome.

It's perhaps not an ideal book with which to introduce oneself to ancient Greek history - a more general introduction would probably be better for the first-time reader - but for a more detailed introduction to the specific period, it's excellent. Intensely readable, at times showing flashes of dry humour - never to be counted on among historians - and with very clear organising principles.

Also? His introduction on the sources is perhaps one of the best discussions of the advantages and disadvantages of using any given set of ancient sources that I've come across yet. If you're interesting in the period, or just in a layman's introduction to the sources, definitely worth a look.

---

And now, I'm going to watch Criminal Minds, write 600 words, and go to sleep.

Freshers' Week. Really busy. So many things to do, so little time.

Three days ago, I wouldn't have imagined I could be this busy before term even properly starts, but whoa, was I wrong.

Maybe by next week I'll have caught up on enough sleep to manage to start writing again.

Books 145-147, Fiction 138-141

138. Jennifer Roberson, Karavans.

Interesting, if somewhat lacking in direction. The land of Sancorra had been conquered by the Hecari. Refugees trying to leave have to pass by Alisanos, a sentient forest that moves without warning, swallowing people up and returning them changed, if at all. Roberson's characters are part of the last 'karavan' of the season, trying to get away. It's not so bad a read, but I didn't find it particularly engrossing, either.

139. Anne Bishop, Sebastien

This was a book that could have been more than merely diverting. Alas, the boring Big Bad Evil had nearly as much screentime as the interesting characters. Bishop's world-building is interesting and her characters compelling, and but for that one glaring flaw (Big Bad Inhuman Evil can be so damn boring) this would have been a good book.

140-141. Julie E. Czerneda, A Thousand Words For Stranger and Reap the Wild Wind.

Czerneda's first published novel and her latest, respectively. Stranger's a decent book with a good pace and compelling characters, good solid science fiction of the space opera kind. While it suffers from a few minor digressions, it's still more than good.

Reap the Wild Wind, in contrast to Stranger, starts off rather slowly, building up a picture of an entirely different world. (It takes place in the same continuum as Stranger, but earlier and in a different locale.) It's a much more measured book - an exploration, rather than a thriller. It follows Aryl Sarc of the Om'ray, the least power of three sentient species inhabiting the planet Cersi, as she begins to discover the world is not the same thing she thought it was. It's sort of a Bildungsroman, I think, and both it and Stranger are well worth the read.

---

Right now I'm reading F.W. Walbank's The Hellenistic World, and wonder of wonders, it's not only erudite and knowledgeable, but quite definitely readable as well. The introduction, explaining the sources, their pros, cons, and origins, is one of the clearest such explanations I've yet read. Lovely.

My book-buying and book-reading habits are way up.

Everything else is way down. You know, one day I may have to do some serious thinking about balance, among other things.

But not tonight.

Books 133-144, Fiction 126-137:

126. Territory, Emma Bull.

The world needs more magical Westerns. Particularly Westerns like this one, written with compassion and verve and an eye for detail. It's a quiet, almost low-key story, with well-drawn characters and a somewhat bittersweet arc, and I loved it. Lots.

127. Spellbinder: A Love Story with Magical Interruptions, Melanie Rawn.

This book is pretty much exactly what it says on the cover. It's an excellent romance, but I have an ambivalent relationship with that particular genre: romance is inherently predictable.

Fortunately, this is one of those books where that doesn't matter so much, because you're just enjoying the ride.

128. Off Armaggeddon Reef, David Weber.

Now I remember why I was putting off reading this. It's written in Weber's usual reasonably engaging style, but he's covered much the same ground with rather more energy in Heirs to the Empire. Ultimately, a disappointing read. Since I was hoping for something with a little more freshness about it.

129-131. Linnea Sinclair, Games of Command, Gabriel's Ghost, and An Accidental Goddess.

Fairly straightforward science fiction romance, whose debt to the likes of Star Wars is obvious at first glance. That doesn't make them any less enjoyable: in fact, their unapologetic space western tone makes them rather refreshing. Games of Command is probable closest in spirit to space opera, with Gabriel's Ghost falling in behind, and An Accidental Goddess is nearly all romance.

Not suprisingly, I enjoyed Games the most. But they're all decent reading for an evening on the train.

132-133. Laurell K. Hamilton, Danse Macabre and The Harlequin.

About what you'd expect. Harlequin shows signs of moving away from the all sex, all the time, Anita Blake that's been so irritating. I enjoy the tone and the emerging politics, but we're not seeing a return to the early days any time soon, I'd bet.

134. Seeker, Jack McDevitt.

McDevitt's Alex Benedict novels can be described in two short phrases: future history! and archaeology in space!

It's this latter, along with excellent characterisation and an attention to detail in laying clues and false trails that puts a murder mystery to shame, that makes my heart go pitter-pat. So to speak. Great stuff.

135. Inda, Sherwood Smith.

Fairly standard coming-of-age novel. It feels a little long-winded to me: I was running out of reasons to care by the time we hit the closing pages, though it wound up with a bang-up revelation that'll probably see me reading the second volume of the trilogy when it reaches paperback.

I'm ambivalent.

136-137. Rosemary Kirstein, The Lost Steersman and The Language of Power.

I hold Rosemary Kirstein in awe. The Steerswoman books can only be described as tours de force of language, and characterisation, and theme, and direction. They are wonderful, amazing, stunning, thought-provoking, stimulating, marvellous, with a fluidity of prose that is at once transparent and at times magnificently lyrical.

Um. I could go on, but I suspect that might prove embarrassing.

---

I've just counted the books on my TBR shelf. They number 28, not counting the 15-odd non-fiction awaiting my attention. Eep.

I should direct my attention to balance, lest some of them fall over.

Okay, seriously? How does anyone manage to work, commute, eat, sleep and still have some exercise, much less a life?

Much reading has been done, mostly on the train. Here's the 'in thirty words or less' summary version of most of them.

Books 119-131, Fiction 113-125

113-118. Jane Fletcher, The Traitor and the Chalice, The Empress and the Acolyte, Rangers at Roadsend, The Temple at Landfall and The Walls of Westernfort.

Good, solid fantasy adventures with romantic elements. They suffer from some some structural issues which I'm beginning to think may be intended as a feature rather than a bug, though it feels like a bug to me, but overall these books are enjoyable character-centred good, solid stories.

119. Nina Kiriki Hoffman, A Fistful of Sky.

An odd book, and one that feels unfinished to me. It seems to leave unexamined at least half the questions it raises for me. But measured, quiet, interesting - though much less forgiving, I think, than other Hoffman novels I've read. A good read.

120. Jane Lindskold, Wolf Hunting.

Another book in the Firekeeper series. Quite frankly, this one doesn't do anything new. The prose remains workmanlike, the characters don't undergo any major change or growth, and the story moves far too slowly for my liking. Don't get me wrong: this isn't a bad book. But it's not a particularly good one, either.

121. Victoria Thompson, Murder on Mulberry Bend.

It is a bad thing in a murder mystery when one knows who the culprint is before one is even a third of the way through. Thompson's investigators suffer from a terrible blindspot when it comes to the appallingly obvious, and have done in all of her novels so far. I'm not going to give them another chance to annoy me.

122. C.S. Harris, What Angels Fear.

In contrast to the Thompson book, this was a really interesting, fast-paced mystery set in 1811 London. Compelling characters, lovely politics (I like books with politics) and a believeably doomed romance. Doomed, I tell you.

Wonderful all round.

123. C.S. Harris, When Gods Die.

Not quite as excellent as Angels, but still a superior historical murder mystery.

124. Patricia Briggs, The Hob's Bargain.

Briggs can always be relied upon for solid characters and decent storytelling with a little bit of something extra that makes a book pleasantly satisfying instead of merely tolerably good. And this one, while somewhat - how do I describe it? quieter, maybe? - more local in scope than many of her other novels, is still the good stuff.

125. Rosemary Kirstein, The Steerswoman's Road.

This edition brings together Kirstein's The Steerswoman and The Outskirter's Secret. I can't remember where and when I first heard of Kirstein, but damn am I glad I gave in to curiosity and ordered this book. She is up there with the very best, in my opinion, standing right alongside P.C. Hodgell in the category of Little-Known-and-Undeservedly-Underrated. Great characters, superior storytelling, superior worldbuilding, entirely excellent.

Books 132, Non-fiction 6:

6. Susan Pollock, Ancient Mesopotamia: The Eden That Never Was, from the 'Case Studies in Early Societies' series out of Cambridge University Press.

This book offers a comprehensive anthropological introduction to and overview of developments in Mesopotamia from about 5000 to 2100 BC. Very interesting reading: the anthropological approach is not one my previous reading dealt with in any detail.

It is readable - always an unexpected plus with any academic work - and doesn't assume any great familiarity with the region, research and period on the part of the reader. Good stuff, good stuff.

---

Good night and good luck.

I has a depression. It are boring. Do not want.

Can has motivashuns nao pls?

#

And with that out of the way...

Books 113-118, Fiction 107-112

107. Elizabeth Bear, Undertow.

Bear never fails to deliver. Undertow is excellent science fiction, with cool science that looks almost plausible, bang-up interesting characters (an assassin, an archinformist with a past, and a conjure-man) and really great - as usual - aliens (froggies!). Not to mention spinning the observer effect in really cool directions.

The prose is clear and lucid with some really sharp turns of phrase, and thriller plot rattles along at break-neck speed right up to the conclusion.

The finale and conclusion feels kind of rushed to me, and the quantum clone thing feels to me like a really belated reveal, but those are really minor flaws. Undertow is a great, immensely entertaining book.

108. Richard Morgan, Black Man.

Black Man is both like and unlike Morgan's previous offerings (Woken Furies, Market Forces etc). The main protag of Black Man, Carl Marsalis, a genetically engineered hyper-soldier, or 'varient thirteen' bears a recognisable similarity to Takeshi Kovacs of Altered Carbon et al, and the future Earth and locales of Black Man have something of the same dystopic tone as Market Forces, though less extremely dystopic.

Morgan excells at gritty future noir, and Black Man is that. With extra cool. But it's also complex commentary on social, political and biological relationships.

I have some issues with the terms Morgan - or his characters, at least - occasionally cast that socio-politico-biological interplay in. And I think that Morgan may have some fundamental misconceptions about the nature of the soldier - or if he doesn't, that the contrast between the loner-variant-thirteen and the intensely - and indeed deliberate and necessary - communal nature of teams and team-building in the military is not adequately outlined. But that should take nothing away from his achievement in Black Man. This is a novel that works on many levels.

And a smooth and excellent read.

109, 110. Scott Westerfeld, Parasite Positive and The Last Days.

Very different books set in the same continuum. Vampirism as caused by a parasite. Parasite Positive is wonderfully creepy, and The Last Days is about a rock band.

They're cool. And enjoyable smooth, YA reading.

111. Glenda Larke, Heart of the Mirage.

I picked this up in Forbidden Planet on a whim, and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected. Epic fantasy with intriguing Latin-esque and almost Aboriginal world-building, told from the point of view of Ligea Gayed, an agent of the Tyranian Empire sent to root out rebellion in the province of Kardiastan, but who finds her loyalties slowly changing.

Not incredibly ground-breaking, but the world-building is pleasantly original and the story-telling is a level or two beyond mere competence. An enjoyable read.

Though why Orbit had to release it in that annoying large mass market size, I don't know, but I wish they'd stop doing that. MMPBs should be small enough to fit into the pocket of my combats.

112. Patricia Bray, The First Betrayal.

Another book I enjoyed more than I expected, without ever being overwhelmed. Moderately whelmed, perhaps. Interesting story, competently told, with interesting characters, but feels curiously incomplete.

#

I am reminded again today of how fortunate I am to live where and when I do. Ireland, land of the Free Fees Iniative and the government support grant for college students. (And sexism and classism and racism and corrupt governance, but some days you count the chickens you have rather than the ones you wish for.)

If I lived anywhere else in the world, the odds are good I'd either be setting myself up for a lifetime of servicing the debt, or never attend third level education at all.

Some places, I'd be lucky to get any education. Some places, I'd be lucky to manage to survive.

So. Here's to good luck, better living, and a future worth surviving for.