Jane Lindskold's Blog, page 25

Cabbages Not Kings

Two Great Tastes

This week has shaped up busier than I expected, even as I wrote about my busy start of the year last week.  The page proofs for A New Clan in mass market arrived roughly two months earlier than I expected them, and with a shorter deadline.  Deep sigh.

Last week, in my FF, I asked a question.  Several people indicated an interest in my thoughts, and so here they are.  Thus follows my wanderings on how two of Jackson’s more significant omissions to the Lord of the Rings saga in the movies change the emphasis of Tolkien’s original story.

Let me start by stressing that I really liked the movies.  Jim and I saw each one in the theater (and if you know us, you realize that’s a Big Thing).  We bought the expanded versions.  We have watched them several times.

However, we’ve also read the books, both before and—perhaps more significantly—after we’d seen the movies.  The most recent re-read of the novels was actually a re-listen, as audiobooks during several long road trips in 2022.

Background established, here goes.  This time in particular, I felt that two plotlines that Jackson omitted actually changed the story Tolkien was telling in a significant fashion.

The first is the omission of the entire section dealing with Tom Bombadil.  I know some people find Bombadil silly and all that…  Let’s just take that as read.  He plays a very significant role in the novel.  He is the only person to hold the One Ring, put it on, take it off, and it has no power over him at all.  This is not an oversight on Tolkien’s part.  At the counsel in Rivendell, it is suggested the One Ring be given to Bombadil to guard and protect.  This is rejected because he’d just mislay it or lose it.  Again…  It has no power over him.

Even Sam (who is the only other person to give up One Ring) struggles to do so.  Only the fact that he loves Frodo more than he loves the visions the Ring gives him.

Omit Tom Bombadil and the One Ring becomes omnipotent, which changes the entire story.

The second change that Jackson made in the movies that I felt changed Tolkien’s story in a significant fashion is the omission of the Scourging of the Shire and attendant events.  Without this section, where the hobbits take charge of the Shire and associated hobbit territory, including their accepting responsibility for creating the land of pastoral peace they desire, the entire emphasis of the narrative changes.

The “return of the king” changes from a tale of the passing of responsibility from the prior guardians to a new and varied group that includes even the hobbits, to one where the king becomes the new person to run for help to when the going gets rough.  I can’t help but feel that in this context, Frodo’s “it’s too much for me, I’m off to the West” also changes, because we don’t see him stepping in to promote a solution to the problems in the Shire that will include as little violence as possible.  Instead, he’s a beaten soldier with PTSD.

To me, these changes are a pity because there are now generations of viewers of the movie who do not—as Jim and I did, without even thinking about it—fill in the parts from the book that weren’t in the movie.  Tolkien’s tale of learning to take responsibility, even when the challenge seems to be insurmountable, becomes more one of finding a new “parent figure” who will be in charge.

On that note, I’m off to read proofs and do all the other things… 

FF: Into a Story

Dandy Dreams

The other day, someone posted the question “What makes you feel better when you are in a bad mood?”  My answer came easily and immediately: I dive into a story.  Not necessarily the one I’m writing (although sometime that), but definitely a story.  Often, it’s a re-read, but it also can be a new book by an author who I trust.  And “story” definitely extends to visual media as well.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

Aurora Borealis Bridge by Jane Lindskold.  Mass market paperback proofs.  I gave this some of my usual “fun reading” time for a variety of reasons, including, honestly, that I’m enjoying it.

DreamForge Anvil, issue ten.  Perfect for before bed, since the stories, while often complex, are strongly character driven.

In Progress:

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Audiobook.  Almost done.  Even better than I remembered it being.

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher.  It was there when I needed a re-read.

From Sawdust to Stardust: the Biography of DeForest Kelly, Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy by Terry Lee Rioux.  Recommended by a reader on Charles De Lint’s blog.

Also:

I finished Archeology!  Now the next issue will probably arrive.  Just finished Bioscape, the short magazine from our BioPark (zoo, botanical gardens, and aquarium), and am reading AAA trying to convince me that I want to go on a cruise.

Finally, the Shire has been scourged and Frodo has set sail, and Return of the King completed.  I have some fairly serious thoughts about how what Jackson chose to leave out of his movies (which I did enjoy) completely change Tolkien’s underlying tale.  I could share them in a WW if anyone so desires.

Resolution?

Mei-Ling Resolves

Recently, I’ve been repeatedly asked what I’m working on, and if I have any resolutions for 2023…  Here’s something like an answer.

I’ve just finished reviewing the page proofs for the mass market paperback of Aurora Borealis Bridge, the sequel to Library of the Sapphire Wind.  Both will be out in this new format in the first half of 2023.  However, you don’t need to wait.  Copies of the original trade paperback are still available, as is the ebook.

With this job done, I’ll be returning to writing the yet-untitled (longtime readers of these Wanderings will recognize a trend) next book in the Star Kingdom series, SK5, which I’m writing with David Weber.  Our most recent release, A New Clan, came out in June of 2022.

If I have a New Year’s resolution (which I don’t), it’s to get SK5 rolling before the end of January.  That’s when my husband, Jim, is scheduled to have shoulder replacement surgery.  Based on our past experiences (he’s had both knees replaced; field archeology is not kind to the body), Jim will be an excellent patient, and will work hard on his PT, but while he’s doing that, a lot of the jobs he handles around here will fall to me.

I’ve learned that if I have a book up and moving, so that the characters are “talking” to me, I find it much easier to keep writing when there’s an interruption.  I’ve written a bit, but not enough to feel I have built up momentum to carry me though.

There will be other jobs clamoring for my attention, too.  There will be editor’s notes for House of Rough Diamonds, the sequel to Library of the Sapphire Wind and Aurora Borealis Bridge.   I’ll be talking more about this as we get closer to its October 2023 release.

Then there will be page proofs for when A New Clan goes into mass market.  (It is currently available as a hardcover, e-book, and audiobook.)

Y’know, the New Year is just a few days old, and I’m already behind! 

FF: Getting Back

Coco Is Shorter Than Even a Goblin

Jim and I went to Arizona for the Christmas weekend.  On the road, we listened to an audiobook of Return of the King, starting where we left off this summer, as the Riders were heading for Minas Tirith.  We’re nearly to the end, and the Shire is being scourged.   If we get a little more time on the road, we’ll finish it.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Over time, Ngaio Marsh gently expanded his protagonist’s beat from homicide to uncovering espionage (especially during stories set in WWII), and later to investigating the narcotic trade.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher.   I needed both to laugh and to be absorbed in the plot.  T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) is one of the rare writers who can do both for me.

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher.  Novella.  My only “complaint” about this is that it could have been longer. 

In Progress:

Aurora Borealis Bridge by Jane Lindskold.  Mass market paperback proofs.  I’m giving this some of my usual “fun reading” time for a variety of reasons, including, honestly, that I’m enjoying it.

DreamForge Anvil, issue ten.  Perfect for before bed, since the stories, while often complex, are strongly character driven.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Audiobook.  I read this one a long time ago, long enough that all I remember is enjoying.  Bujold is an excellent example of an SF writer who starts with an idea, and then examines the idea with an emphasis on its implications for three-dimensional characters.

Also:

The latest issue of Archeology, and assorted short articles.

Jingle All the Way

Jingles in the Holiday Forest

Wishing you and yours a very happy winter holiday, however you celebrate it, even if you don’t!

I’ll be back with more to say in the New Year.

FF: What I Hear…

Persephone Claims Sarkis

It’s rather odd when I think about it, but the lovely cookies featured in this week’s WW were baked to a background of classic mystery…

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Village mystery with an acknowledged nod to Agatha Christie.  Putting on a play as a fundraiser to buy a piano for a village community center becomes the setting for high drama and murder.

Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Cults, drugs, kidnappings…

Death on the Air and Other Stories by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Actually, a mixed fiction and non-fiction collection, which some excellent essays.

Surfeit of Lampreys and A Man Lay Dead.  Audiobook.  BBC dramatization.  I had very mixed feelings about the adaptation.

In Progress:

When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Over time, Ngaio Marsh gently expanded his protagonist’s beat from homicide to uncovering espionage (especially during stories set in WWII), and later to investigating the narcotic trade.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher.   I needed both to laugh and to be absorbed in the plot.  T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) is one of the rare writers who can do both for me.

Also:

The latest issue of Archeology.

Cookies!

Decorations by Jim

Every year, Jim and I bake a lot of cookies.  Some become gifts, some are served to guests.  Some get eaten just by us.  Yeah, it’s a lot of work, but we enjoy.

In addition to the sugar cookies pictured above, we do pecan-maple slices, meringues, butter balls, sesame balls (almost a savory), press gun butter cookies, Linzer tarts (this year with homemade cactus pear jelly), gingerbread (very spicy), hermits, and a simple fudge. 

The sugar cookies are particular fun.  I like making cut-out cookies.  Jim likes decorating them.

We have a lot of cutters, so it never gets dull.  The photo offers a small selection of this year’s sugar cookies for your enjoyment.

Enjoy!

FF: Hands-Free Reading

Mei-Ling Listens

My hands are very busy right now, so most of my absorbing of stories has been via audio.  Oh, and that reminds me!  A New Clan, the fourth Star Kingdom novel, in the series I’ve been writing with David Weber, is now available as an audiobook from Audible.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

Into the Vortex by Charles E. Gannon.  ARC.  Sequel to This Broken World.  Not a standalone, although the opening does provide reminders for those who have read the first book.  This book has more of an SF feel than did the previous installment. 

Last Ditch by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Set late in the series, with most of the book focusing on Rick Alleyne, son of Troy and Roderick, a would-be young writer.

In Progress:

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Village mystery with an acknowledged nod to Agatha Christie.  Putting on a play as a fundraiser to buy a piano for a village community center becomes the setting for high drama and murder.

Also:

A variety of short fiction.

And the latest issue of Archeology.

Odd Decorations

Dandy and Coco with Holiday Pals

Every family that decorates for the holidays has it: the odd decoration that may raise the eyebrows of visitors, but is much beloved by the household.

Maybe it’s something made by a kid at school.  Maybe it’s a gift from a loved friend.  Maybe it’s a family heirloom.  Whatever it might be, it belongs.

For me and Jim, even in a household with more than its share of odd decorations, probably the oddest is the ensemble known as The Twelve Guinea Pigs of Christmas.

I don’t remember what year we got them, but it was one of those when Jim had a field project, so I was handling a lot of our holiday shopping.  One day, I came upon a display of little stuffy toys with Santa hats.  Among them were guinea pigs!  I bought a couple (because guinea pigs get lonely, so just one wouldn’t do), and surprised Jim with them when he got home that week.

For a fellow who, when we started dating, couldn’t understand why I had guinea pigs, Jim was pretty rapidly converted.  He started offering to give them their treats, then check their food and water, and even to clean them.  He has built them several hutches, including one on wheels.

But I didn’t think Jim was so thoroughly converted that he would decide we needed not the two or three little stuffy guinea pigs I’d gotten for us, but twelve.  He searched until he found enough, and now, every holiday season, The Twelve Guinea Pigs of Christmas take up their place atop one of the tall bookcases in our office, where I can see them from my desk and smile.

What is your odd holiday decoration?  If you don’t have one, well, I encourage you to indulge. Even if the budget is tight, you can upcycle something.  Just remember to smile.

The Twelve Guinea Pigs of Christmas

FF: Re-Reading into the Holidays

Roary Considers the Implications of Innocence

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Except for the ARC of a novel that I’ve been looking forward to, I mostly focused on re-reading this week, as a loved story is a good backdrop at a very busy time.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

The Complete Miss Marple.  Audiobook.  I have listened to some of these short stories, but it’s interesting to hear how the choices made by a different reader cause subtle changes in interpretation.  And, yes, I’ve read all the stories many times. 

In Progress:

Into the Vortex by Charles E. Gannon.  ARC.  Sequel to This Broken World.  Part epic fantasy, part mystery, with flourishes of horror and, as the title suggests, elements of isekai.  Secrets lead only, as is so often the chase, to greater mysteries. 

Last Ditch by Ngaio Marsh.  Audiobook.  Set late in the series, with most of the book focusing on Rick Alleyne, son of Troy and Roderick, a would-be young writer.

Also:

Jim and I had been rewatching the anime of Cardcaptor Sakura, by the Clamp consortium.  I had a vague memory that the manga ending had been different, and got sucked into re-reading the last story arc, which fills two thick volumes.  My memory was correct.  In case you wonder, I prefer the manga ending!  The second movie catches up with the manga, but took an angle I didn’t find as supported by the material.  Side note: Don’t be fooled by the incredibly cute art.  This is a story about collecting cards the way Moby Dick is a story about hunting whales.

Almost done with the latest issue of Smithsonian.