Monte Cook's Blog, page 150
September 10, 2009
Book Review: The Man Who Turned Into Himself
Book Review: The Man Who Turned Into Himself
In contrast to the last review I wrote, David Ambrose's The Man Who Turned Into Himself: A Novel is virtually the opposite of a pulp. And yet it's still a quick, easily digested, entertaining read. The difference being, perhaps, that this one will make you think a while after you put it down.
Some books can be described as always "being in the character's head," describing a work with a lot of introspection, internal monologues, and examination of ch...
In contrast to the last review I wrote, David Ambrose's The Man Who Turned Into Himself: A Novel is virtually the opposite of a pulp. And yet it's still a quick, easily digested, entertaining read. The difference being, perhaps, that this one will make you think a while after you put it down.
Some books can be described as always "being in the character's head," describing a work with a lot of introspection, internal monologues, and examination of ch...
September 9, 2009
Escapist Article
Escapist Article
I wrote an article for the Escapist on being a player in the very, very early days of roleplaying. I hope to continue delving into this topic with future articles.
I wrote an article for the Escapist on being a player in the very, very early days of roleplaying. I hope to continue delving into this topic with future articles.
September 8, 2009
Book Review: Ginger Star
Book Review: Ginger Star
I'm leery when it comes to the "pulps." I've read a lot of the (sub)genre--although nowhere near what some people have read--and would say that it has a higher occurrence of, well, crap, than others. But I trust Erik Mona of Paizo Publishing, and so when he says Leigh Brackett is good, I take that seriously. Plus, I liked The Empire Strikes Back, right? So I decided to give her work a chance. And I'm glad I did.
Brackett's The Ginger Star is a planetary fantasy, which ...
I'm leery when it comes to the "pulps." I've read a lot of the (sub)genre--although nowhere near what some people have read--and would say that it has a higher occurrence of, well, crap, than others. But I trust Erik Mona of Paizo Publishing, and so when he says Leigh Brackett is good, I take that seriously. Plus, I liked The Empire Strikes Back, right? So I decided to give her work a chance. And I'm glad I did.
Brackett's The Ginger Star is a planetary fantasy, which ...
September 1, 2009
Book Review: Making the List
Book Review: Making the List
Upon hearing about it, Michael Korda's Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999 seemed like one of those books that I could only imagine a writer wanting to read. Having read it, however, I'm not so sure. Anyone that's been paying attention to bookstore shelves, particularly over the last couple decades or so might find it very interesting. And writers? Writers and those who would like to be writers should almost certainly check this b
Upon hearing about it, Michael Korda's Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999 seemed like one of those books that I could only imagine a writer wanting to read. Having read it, however, I'm not so sure. Anyone that's been paying attention to bookstore shelves, particularly over the last couple decades or so might find it very interesting. And writers? Writers and those who would like to be writers should almost certainly check this b
August 27, 2009
Book Review: Alchemy of Stone
Book Review: Alchemy of Stone
I don't feel like I'm going too far out on a literary limb to say that Ekaterina Sedia's novel, The Alchemy Of Stone, falls into the only-partially defined category "The New Weird" along with books by luminaries such as China Mieville and Jeff VanderMeer. The novel tells the story of a clockwork woman who works as an alchemist in a city divided between the art of alchemy and the science of technology.
The setting for Alchemy of Stone is my favorite kind. It's by no me
I don't feel like I'm going too far out on a literary limb to say that Ekaterina Sedia's novel, The Alchemy Of Stone, falls into the only-partially defined category "The New Weird" along with books by luminaries such as China Mieville and Jeff VanderMeer. The novel tells the story of a clockwork woman who works as an alchemist in a city divided between the art of alchemy and the science of technology.
The setting for Alchemy of Stone is my favorite kind. It's by no me
August 26, 2009
August 25, 2009
Book Review: Earth Abides
Book Review: Earth Abides
Sometimes it's fun to see what the future was like in the past. Case in point, George Stewart's 1949 post-apocalyptic novel, Earth Abides
. The great thing about this book is that Stewart sets it in his present, not in some distant future. So this book is not what it would be like if the world ended, it's what it would be like if the world ended 50 years ago. Stewart's end of almost everything scenario is one that still seems frighteningly plausible today: a global pandem
Sometimes it's fun to see what the future was like in the past. Case in point, George Stewart's 1949 post-apocalyptic novel, Earth Abides
. The great thing about this book is that Stewart sets it in his present, not in some distant future. So this book is not what it would be like if the world ended, it's what it would be like if the world ended 50 years ago. Stewart's end of almost everything scenario is one that still seems frighteningly plausible today: a global pandem
August 24, 2009
Book Review: Was Superman a Spy?
Book Review: Was Superman a Spy?
If you're a comic book fan, reading Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed
by Brian Cronin will be a familiar experience. It's like any conversation you've had in the back of a comic book store with a few other fans talking about various strange "urban legend" style stories that relate to comic books. Did Stan Lee really introduce a gay character into a war comic back in the 60s? Was DC's first black superhero changed at the last moment to be w
If you're a comic book fan, reading Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed
by Brian Cronin will be a familiar experience. It's like any conversation you've had in the back of a comic book store with a few other fans talking about various strange "urban legend" style stories that relate to comic books. Did Stan Lee really introduce a gay character into a war comic back in the 60s? Was DC's first black superhero changed at the last moment to be w
August 22, 2009
Last Post
Last Post
I didn't mean to imply that I was unhappy about the whole shirt process. It was just more work than I thought it would be to package them up, and I ran into some hassles with the post office. I really appreciate the support of all who ordered shirts.
I didn't mean to imply that I was unhappy about the whole shirt process. It was just more work than I thought it would be to package them up, and I ran into some hassles with the post office. I really appreciate the support of all who ordered shirts.
August 21, 2009
Whew!
Whew!
You know how sometimes someone will describe someone as "book smart," but without a lot of common sense? Yeah, that's me sometimes.
I thought it would be fun to get some extras of my silly GenCon shirts printed up to sell myself to people who couldn' t make it to the convention. It would be an easy way to make a few extra bucks. Fun? No. Easy? No. Money-maker? No. Packing up all the shirts, processing the orders, printing mailing labels, filling out customs forms... blech. Neither fun nor ea
You know how sometimes someone will describe someone as "book smart," but without a lot of common sense? Yeah, that's me sometimes.
I thought it would be fun to get some extras of my silly GenCon shirts printed up to sell myself to people who couldn' t make it to the convention. It would be an easy way to make a few extra bucks. Fun? No. Easy? No. Money-maker? No. Packing up all the shirts, processing the orders, printing mailing labels, filling out customs forms... blech. Neither fun nor ea
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