K.A. Ashcomb's Blog, page 65

Book Review: Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! by Kurt Vonnegut

Slapstick, or Lonesome No More! was a weird melancholic book. The satire was sadder and deeper than Kurt Vonnegut’s usual, “Hi ho.” To be honest, I’m not sure where I stand with this book. I haven’t yet recovered by the feeling of loneliness and monstrosity of the abnormal or from “Hi ho.” Somehow I have to make peace with the only sentence I can use to sum up the book: Life is absurd, and we make it worse.

Kurt Vonnegut makes us sympathize with a “monster” and see the loneliness of humanity...

Writing/Rant: Magical Solitude

Hi everyone! I could go to lengths to write about how solitude and isolation is a curse. That how it sometimes crushes me especially now as the sunlight has increased and I have this yearning for human contact both as a writer and human being. Yet, there is something beautiful and magical about solitude. As I lie under my table and watch the dried pedal of jade plant, I can see how this still, silent moment can be both inspirational and a push to compose my feelings and thoughts as words and...

Book Review: The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

I moved to read this book after reading A Time Odyssey trilogy. It surprised me how much influence this book has had on the trilogy’s scientific concepts. If I’m honest, I felt a mixture of disappointment and excitement (very confusing; I know) as the trilogy and The Fountains of Paradise worlds weren’t connected. But that is beside the point as scientific concepts aren’t bound to one book. The Fountains of Paradise is a weird story. It combines cultural history, new tech, religion, and burea...

Book Review: Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Oh, this book had such a good premise, and I was excited to see Palahniuk’s take on the subject as you can’t really expect normal from him. But I ended up being disappointed. Every night before going to sleep I had to force myself to read this book. That grew my distaste and is one reason to advocate quitting on a book as reading should be an enjoyable experience (to some extent.)

The opening was too chaotic. I tried to find something to latch on and when I found none; I got frustrated. Only...

Rant: Writing and Uncertain Future

Hello everyone! Before I get to the rant part, I have to apologize for not posting on my usual time. Sorry about that. I was too tired after spending two days sitting in a seminar. I may have mentioned that I supervise a therapeutic discussion group for the senior citizens and this seminar was part of that. Training and whatnot. Anyway, the point was it left me drained (sitting indoors six hours straight, both of the days.) Okay, but now to the rant part.

Past days I have been wondering about...

Book Review: God and the State by Mikhail Bakunin

I struggled to read this book. Not because of its content, but because of the tone of the text. Bakunin’s anger and hatred seeped through his words. Anger and hatred do feed the existing contempt, but seldom alter anyone’s opinion. I’m not saying this because I disagree with some of his convictions about the importance of science, separation of state and church, and about how reason is one of the best tools there is. But understanding is a better way to communicate than hate. However, this bo...

Book Review: Firstborn by Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Baxter

If you have been reading my previous book reviews, you know I have been gulping down A Time Odyssey series. I don’t know why but this trilogy spoke to me. Maybe it is the what-if writing I respond to or to the concept that the entire world will end, but whatever is the reason I loved the series. It inspired me. The third book, Firstborn, added on to the problems which started in the first book. It tied the story together. When I read the second book, I had an inkling about how this series wou...

Book Review: Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain by Kathleen Taylor

I took my time with this book because I wanted to read and remember every point. Also, because I stopped reading the book multiple times to discuss the issue stated with my husband. (Poor man. He has grown used that I pester him with the books I read.) This book made me think. It gave me a comprehensive picture of cruelty, starting from notions of evil from a cultural and a religious perspective going through brain structure and chemistry to evolutionary psychology. The only downside the book...

Writing: Receiving Feedback

Part of writing is taking criticism from fellow writers, readers, beta readers, critics, and friends and family. And while it is painful and sometimes uncalled for and wrong, it can be helpful. Even more so if you want to publish (self or through the traditional route). Without criticism, you can’t grow as a writer. It would be nice to be perfect from the get-go, but every one of us has to learn, and even the masters of the trade keep learning and finding new tricks to use every day.

I used t...

Book Review: Sunstorm by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter

I jumped straight into this book after finishing Time’s Eye, the first book in A Time Odyssey series. Sunstorm picks up straight where it left. Sometimes series lose their momentum or the story falls apart, but this isn’t the case here. The story holds and evolves.

Sunstorm continues pondering what lengths humanity is willing to go to survive and protect its species, but even during a major catastrophe people are people. They have self-serving motives because of politics, respect, love, fear,...