Carl Alves's Blog, page 33
December 22, 2015
Maelstrom by Taylor Anderson
Maelstrom concludes a trilogy that ranks up as one of the best fantasy series I’ve ever read. Trapped in an alternate dimension, Captain Reddy is now the Supreme Commander of the allied forces made up of American Destroyer Men and various Lemurian nations against the reptilian Grik and the Japanese in their unholy alliance. Reddy and his team recruit more Lemurians to their alliance, and in the process come across human descendants of another ship that landed in this world a couple hundred years ago, along with Grik that aren’t as evil as their enemies. All of this leads up to an epic battle to settle the score as they have to deal with the overwhelming numbers among the Grik, who now have armed their ships with cannons, and the more modern and powerful Japanese battle ship.
I always hesitate when I read the final chapter of a series that I really enjoy. I’m always wary that it’s not going to live up to the legacy created by the previous books in the series. Maelstrom, although not quite as good as the first two novels, certainly finishes the trilogy strong. I liked the introduction of the human descendants of the ship that crashed into this world, even though they didn’t play much of a role in the conflict. I liked the buildup to the final battle, and the epic final battle itself, which was well-conceived and well-plotted. The book was a little overly long for my liking, and I thought that it was a little slow in spots, but otherwise I thought it was a fitting conclusion that readers of the series will enjoy.
I always hesitate when I read the final chapter of a series that I really enjoy. I’m always wary that it’s not going to live up to the legacy created by the previous books in the series. Maelstrom, although not quite as good as the first two novels, certainly finishes the trilogy strong. I liked the introduction of the human descendants of the ship that crashed into this world, even though they didn’t play much of a role in the conflict. I liked the buildup to the final battle, and the epic final battle itself, which was well-conceived and well-plotted. The book was a little overly long for my liking, and I thought that it was a little slow in spots, but otherwise I thought it was a fitting conclusion that readers of the series will enjoy.
December 20, 2015
The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
Every time I read a Dean Koontz novel I keep hoping that I am going to read one of his great novels that he is certainly capable of putting together. Invariably, I’m disappointed. There were so many flaws in The Good Guy that I’m not even sure where to start. First off, the premise may be interesting, but it’s not remotely plausible. If two men were making a deal to assassinate some women, they would have to know who each other is before commencing with the deal. The guy paying to assassinate the woman isn’t going to go up to a random guy in a bar and hand him ten thousand dollars without being one hundred percent sure he’s dealing with the hired assassin. Second, assassins are professional. They kill people to earn income. This assassin was solely in it for principal of having another person killed. Koontz is the worst writer I’ve ever read when it comes to antagonists. They have no resemblance to actual human beings, and this antagonist is no exception to that rule.
To make matters worse, Koontz employs the shadowy organization comprised of rich and powerful men who are virtually omnipotent and control things unbeknownst to the rest of society. This is probably the absolute most cliché thing in fictional novels and movies. It’s bad enough that Koontz has this horrible antagonist, but then he has to bring an even worse group of bad guys into the fray. The action is not remotely believable. The characters are thin and cliché. I can’t really say that there is a whole lot redeemable about this novel and I would advise readers to stay away from this one.
To make matters worse, Koontz employs the shadowy organization comprised of rich and powerful men who are virtually omnipotent and control things unbeknownst to the rest of society. This is probably the absolute most cliché thing in fictional novels and movies. It’s bad enough that Koontz has this horrible antagonist, but then he has to bring an even worse group of bad guys into the fray. The action is not remotely believable. The characters are thin and cliché. I can’t really say that there is a whole lot redeemable about this novel and I would advise readers to stay away from this one.
December 18, 2015
10 Questions with Seanan McGuire
1. What made you decide to write two different trilogies under the name Mira Grant?
This is a question that contains many, many assumptions, starting with “what makes you think Mira is only going to write two trilogies?” I am Mira Grant for a lot of reasons, and Mira is not stopping after two worlds.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
A tie. Selling my first book was very exciting. Winning the Campbell Award was also very exciting.
3. In Feed, why did you choose to create a story under a semi-apocalyptic zombie world instead of the full blown apocalypse favored in most fiction, television, and movies these days?
Because the apocalypse bores me. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
4. Who is your favorite writer?
Stephen King.
5. Do your skills as a composer and performer of music help you in writing your fiction?
No.
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
Quite a few. I’m always working on at least three books—one in revisions, one in process, and one in research. Ask me this next week and the three books in question will have changed.
7. What is your favorite genre to write?
Fanfic.
8. If we ever have an apocalypse, what do you think will be the cause?
People refusing to vaccinate against easily communicable diseases. That, or the insistence that peak oil is never going to happen. We’re building a house of cards, assuming that resources work like a resource-allocation game, and that’s not true.
9. What is your best quality as a writer?
Tenacity.
10. If Hollywood was making a film adaptation of Feed, and the director asked you to cast the roles of Georgia and Shaun Mason, who would you choose?
I would politely explain that I am not a casting direction, and that since I want the movie to succeed, I would be delighted by whomever they chose to cast.
This is a question that contains many, many assumptions, starting with “what makes you think Mira is only going to write two trilogies?” I am Mira Grant for a lot of reasons, and Mira is not stopping after two worlds.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
A tie. Selling my first book was very exciting. Winning the Campbell Award was also very exciting.
3. In Feed, why did you choose to create a story under a semi-apocalyptic zombie world instead of the full blown apocalypse favored in most fiction, television, and movies these days?
Because the apocalypse bores me. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
4. Who is your favorite writer?
Stephen King.
5. Do your skills as a composer and performer of music help you in writing your fiction?
No.
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
Quite a few. I’m always working on at least three books—one in revisions, one in process, and one in research. Ask me this next week and the three books in question will have changed.
7. What is your favorite genre to write?
Fanfic.
8. If we ever have an apocalypse, what do you think will be the cause?
People refusing to vaccinate against easily communicable diseases. That, or the insistence that peak oil is never going to happen. We’re building a house of cards, assuming that resources work like a resource-allocation game, and that’s not true.
9. What is your best quality as a writer?
Tenacity.
10. If Hollywood was making a film adaptation of Feed, and the director asked you to cast the roles of Georgia and Shaun Mason, who would you choose?
I would politely explain that I am not a casting direction, and that since I want the movie to succeed, I would be delighted by whomever they chose to cast.
December 16, 2015
Feed by Mira Grant
Feed takes place in the year 2039, 25 years after the zombie outbreak that occurred in 2014. In this novel, the characters are not facing a full on apocalypse. Despite the presence of zombies, much of society is intact. There are fully-operating restaurants, blogs, and even a presidential campaign. Georgia and Shaun Mason are a brother and sister duo who run a blog and have been chosen to cover the presidential campaign of Senator Ryman. Georgia is a straight news reporter while Shaun does crazy stunts to provoke the zombies. While on the campaign trail, someone is trying to make sure that they don’t make it out alive, starting by creating a zombie outbreak at a campaign stop in Oklahoma, and then later at the Senator’s ranch in Wisconsin. Meanwhile Georgia and Shaun are on the verge of uncovering a conspiracy, which makes them the target of these attacks.
Feed was a very enjoyable novel in many ways. With so many zombie novels and shows out there, this one stood above the pack. For one thing, the world created here isn’t fully apocalyptic, which is an interesting change of pace. I liked the level of detail put into how the Mason’s blog operates, along with many of the rules created. In general, the world building in this novel is thought provoking. The characters are multi-dimensional and interesting. The action has a slow build to it, heating up by the end of the novel. The one criticism that I have is that the big conspiracy suffers from believability issues and could be explained better. This is a cool novel; one you’ll want to check out.
Feed was a very enjoyable novel in many ways. With so many zombie novels and shows out there, this one stood above the pack. For one thing, the world created here isn’t fully apocalyptic, which is an interesting change of pace. I liked the level of detail put into how the Mason’s blog operates, along with many of the rules created. In general, the world building in this novel is thought provoking. The characters are multi-dimensional and interesting. The action has a slow build to it, heating up by the end of the novel. The one criticism that I have is that the big conspiracy suffers from believability issues and could be explained better. This is a cool novel; one you’ll want to check out.
December 12, 2015
The Home by Scott Nicholson
In The Home, Freeman Mills is a twelve-year-old rebellious type who has gone through various homes until he reaches Wendover, a home for troubled children. After having gone through traumatic experiences as a child, his plan is to lay low, a task that isn’t so easy for someone with the ability to read minds, and as he soon learns, to see ghosts. Wendover is really a front for bizarre experimentation being funded by some shadowy government agency, that never got explained very well in the novel and had a bit of a cliché feel to it. At Wendover, they bring the children to a state of death briefly before bringing them back. This experimentation unleashes many of the ghosts at the site that once used to be a mental institution.
The Home was an enjoyable novel. There was a great deal of suspense and intrigue as the devious nature of Wendover and the people who ran it were slowly unveiled. There was also the specter of what had happened to Freeman as a child, which ties into what was currently happening, that I also found intriguing. The setting of the story worked well to set up the mood and atmosphere. There were a few things that happened in the later part of the novel that I found a bit confusing and not well-explained, but the ending itself was satisfying. This was a good horror story that I would recommend.
The Home was an enjoyable novel. There was a great deal of suspense and intrigue as the devious nature of Wendover and the people who ran it were slowly unveiled. There was also the specter of what had happened to Freeman as a child, which ties into what was currently happening, that I also found intriguing. The setting of the story worked well to set up the mood and atmosphere. There were a few things that happened in the later part of the novel that I found a bit confusing and not well-explained, but the ending itself was satisfying. This was a good horror story that I would recommend.
December 5, 2015
10 Questions with Naima Haviland Part 2
1. In which genre would you include your work (e.g. sci-fi, horror or children's)?
I write in the dark fantasy and horror genres. My vampire novels, Bloodroom and The Bad Death have steamy, romantic subplots. My anthology, Night at the Demontorium, feature stories across the spectrum of horror, from supernatural to psychological.
2. What motivated your first book?
Most of my novel ideas come from dreams and nightmares. I wake up excited to turn my tossing and turning into a story.
3. Is the local area a part of the setting? If so, what landmarks are mentioned and in which book(s)?
Bloodroom sets an edgy vampire romance in modern Charleston, South Carolina. The Bad Death is an antebellum novel steeped in the dark legends of South Carolina folklore. I use the region’s landscape, waterways, and historic buildings as settings; and because vampires are immortal, I can put my characters in different centuries. In Bloodroom, Julian is the ruling vampire of modern day Charleston. In The Bad Death, Julian is human and doesn’t even believe in vampires – a blindspot my heroine, Anika, uses to her advantage. Julian’s magnificent home is based on historic Drayton Hall.
4. What has been the biggest challenge to writing?
Banishing outside distractions! I keep to a strict writing schedule and have trained folks not to contact me during that time unless they want to be killed (as a character in my next book).
5. What are the rewards?
The ultimate reward is a great review, not because I want to be told I rock, but because I want people to escape their everyday cares and lose themselves in a fantasy. I like learning that one of my stories has done that for someone.
6. Do you believe that your experience as a woman has shaped the way you approach developing characters and storylines?
It would be easy to say that being a woman makes me focus on character development and character relationships more, but that wouldn’t be fair because some of our greatest writers who did that well were, or are, men! Charles Dickens never wrote a small character. Stephen King’s characters resonate because they’re so authentic. But women are best at writing steamy romance. Could be that we write what we know (she says with a wink).
7. Piece of advice to other aspiring writers?
Give your story time to become what it’s supposed to be. Set a schedule, keep to it, and write it and write it and write it until you know it’s done. If you plan on self publishing, hire a professional editor who won’t pull any punches and take his or her advice. There are no bad writers, just inexperienced or arrogant writers. And no bad books, just books that were published too soon.
8. What should readers expect from your work?
A strong, resourceful heroine. An antihero who finds redemption. Romantic suspense. Real blood-and guts-horror. Erotic scenes – one reviewer said reading Bloodroom spiced up her marriage! I don’t write YA or fiction for the faint of heart.
9. Are men a good part of your fan-base?
Surprisingly, yes. They don’t exactly hate the sexy scenes. But they also like the rich detail of the settings.
10. Have you appreciated a double-standard in that male authors are widely read by both sexes but female authors are read mostly by women?
I have not noticed that double standard, possibly because women read as compulsively as chain smokers light up. The inequality I see is the preference for books by well known authors vs. giving a new writer a chance.
I write in the dark fantasy and horror genres. My vampire novels, Bloodroom and The Bad Death have steamy, romantic subplots. My anthology, Night at the Demontorium, feature stories across the spectrum of horror, from supernatural to psychological.
2. What motivated your first book?
Most of my novel ideas come from dreams and nightmares. I wake up excited to turn my tossing and turning into a story.
3. Is the local area a part of the setting? If so, what landmarks are mentioned and in which book(s)?
Bloodroom sets an edgy vampire romance in modern Charleston, South Carolina. The Bad Death is an antebellum novel steeped in the dark legends of South Carolina folklore. I use the region’s landscape, waterways, and historic buildings as settings; and because vampires are immortal, I can put my characters in different centuries. In Bloodroom, Julian is the ruling vampire of modern day Charleston. In The Bad Death, Julian is human and doesn’t even believe in vampires – a blindspot my heroine, Anika, uses to her advantage. Julian’s magnificent home is based on historic Drayton Hall.
4. What has been the biggest challenge to writing?
Banishing outside distractions! I keep to a strict writing schedule and have trained folks not to contact me during that time unless they want to be killed (as a character in my next book).
5. What are the rewards?
The ultimate reward is a great review, not because I want to be told I rock, but because I want people to escape their everyday cares and lose themselves in a fantasy. I like learning that one of my stories has done that for someone.
6. Do you believe that your experience as a woman has shaped the way you approach developing characters and storylines?
It would be easy to say that being a woman makes me focus on character development and character relationships more, but that wouldn’t be fair because some of our greatest writers who did that well were, or are, men! Charles Dickens never wrote a small character. Stephen King’s characters resonate because they’re so authentic. But women are best at writing steamy romance. Could be that we write what we know (she says with a wink).
7. Piece of advice to other aspiring writers?
Give your story time to become what it’s supposed to be. Set a schedule, keep to it, and write it and write it and write it until you know it’s done. If you plan on self publishing, hire a professional editor who won’t pull any punches and take his or her advice. There are no bad writers, just inexperienced or arrogant writers. And no bad books, just books that were published too soon.
8. What should readers expect from your work?
A strong, resourceful heroine. An antihero who finds redemption. Romantic suspense. Real blood-and guts-horror. Erotic scenes – one reviewer said reading Bloodroom spiced up her marriage! I don’t write YA or fiction for the faint of heart.
9. Are men a good part of your fan-base?
Surprisingly, yes. They don’t exactly hate the sexy scenes. But they also like the rich detail of the settings.
10. Have you appreciated a double-standard in that male authors are widely read by both sexes but female authors are read mostly by women?
I have not noticed that double standard, possibly because women read as compulsively as chain smokers light up. The inequality I see is the preference for books by well known authors vs. giving a new writer a chance.
November 30, 2015
The Walking Dead: Start to Finish
The midseason finale of The Walking Dead was hardly what I expected. By this point, I have come to expect crazy bloodbaths with major casualties. The show has kind of painted itself into a corner by producing these battle-to-the-death finale. Start to Finish was entirely different the vast majority of the show dedicated to characters talking to each other with very little killing of zombies.
RIP Deanna
The only character of significance (and only non-zombie) to die in this episode was Deanna. I guess she’ll never get to see her Alexandria rebuilding plans come to fruition. The woman has had a rough go of it on the show, losing her husband and son. Her death was a bit anti-climactic. The only real hold your breath moment was when Rick thought she had already turned into a zombie when she was hovering over Judith’s crib and nearly killed her when he thought she was attacking his daughter.
Ron—That Little Bastard Part 2
Ron is a complete idiot, and as Carl so eloquently reminded him, his dead was an asshole. I can understand him wanting to get revenge on Carl and try to take him out, but to do it when he did was entirely inexplicable. So, I’m supposed to believe that he so loved his dad so much that he wants revenge for him—his dad being the aforementioned asshole—but he has so little regard for his mom and brother that he was willing to let all of the zombies in to potentially kill them in his attempt to gain vengeance upon Carl. Why Carl, anyway? The one he should be trying to take out is Rick. This whole scene was weak.
Morgan vs. Carol
I think Morgan has officially replaced Carl as my least favorite character on the show. His pacifism wouldn’t work in the real world and sure as hell doesn’t work in the zombie apocalypse. Morgan is a complete idiot. Carol was right in trying to kill the Wolf, who, by the way, announced his intentions to kill the citizens of Alexandria. Morgan is a danger to Alexandria and needs to be banished. Shockingly, as soon as the captive Wolf found an opening, he took out Morgan and kidnapped the wannabe doctor. Morgan, like the Wolf, is incapable of being rehabilitated. You’re dead to me, Morgan.
Zombie Guts Anyone?
The finale ends with the characters bathing themselves in zombie guts then walking amidst a sea of zombies. The tactic was sound and has been successfully done before. My major thought here is that if I was Rick, I wouldn’t want to get involved with Jessie. Her kids are just absolutely awful. Ron is a tool, and the younger one is soon to be zombie chow. Pretend that you’re brave. Yeah right.
How did I do with my Mid-Season Finale Predictions
With the tower falling, all hell’s going to break loose in the next episode, which is what usually happens in the finale episodes. There will be many people dying, and this will probably mean the end of Alexandria, but I’m pretty sure most of the folks dying will be the native Alexandrians—I’ll call this prediction mostly incorrect. There wasn’t a large bodycount, but none of Rick’s band died, so I wasn’t entirely wrong.
Ron is going to take the opportunity to try to kill Carl, but won’t succeed. This doesn’t even make sense since Enid at this point hasn’t even been in Alexandria lately. Not to mention, Rick would kill him for sure if he did that.—called this one. Two points for me.
Morgan’s going to snap out of it and kill him some zombies. At least he doesn’t have a problem with killing zombies.—wrong on this score. He was more concerned about saving his Wolf captive then killing zombies. Morgan just needs to go away.
Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham will make it back to save the day.—wrong on this one too. They will make their way back, but we’ll have to wait until the second half of the season for it.
Most likely this will scatter Rick’s group to various corners as they try to survive and they will be separated once again.—To be determined, although based on what I saw from the episode, I’m going to say that they will stay to ensure the survival of Alexandria.
RIP Deanna
The only character of significance (and only non-zombie) to die in this episode was Deanna. I guess she’ll never get to see her Alexandria rebuilding plans come to fruition. The woman has had a rough go of it on the show, losing her husband and son. Her death was a bit anti-climactic. The only real hold your breath moment was when Rick thought she had already turned into a zombie when she was hovering over Judith’s crib and nearly killed her when he thought she was attacking his daughter.
Ron—That Little Bastard Part 2
Ron is a complete idiot, and as Carl so eloquently reminded him, his dead was an asshole. I can understand him wanting to get revenge on Carl and try to take him out, but to do it when he did was entirely inexplicable. So, I’m supposed to believe that he so loved his dad so much that he wants revenge for him—his dad being the aforementioned asshole—but he has so little regard for his mom and brother that he was willing to let all of the zombies in to potentially kill them in his attempt to gain vengeance upon Carl. Why Carl, anyway? The one he should be trying to take out is Rick. This whole scene was weak.
Morgan vs. Carol
I think Morgan has officially replaced Carl as my least favorite character on the show. His pacifism wouldn’t work in the real world and sure as hell doesn’t work in the zombie apocalypse. Morgan is a complete idiot. Carol was right in trying to kill the Wolf, who, by the way, announced his intentions to kill the citizens of Alexandria. Morgan is a danger to Alexandria and needs to be banished. Shockingly, as soon as the captive Wolf found an opening, he took out Morgan and kidnapped the wannabe doctor. Morgan, like the Wolf, is incapable of being rehabilitated. You’re dead to me, Morgan.
Zombie Guts Anyone?
The finale ends with the characters bathing themselves in zombie guts then walking amidst a sea of zombies. The tactic was sound and has been successfully done before. My major thought here is that if I was Rick, I wouldn’t want to get involved with Jessie. Her kids are just absolutely awful. Ron is a tool, and the younger one is soon to be zombie chow. Pretend that you’re brave. Yeah right.
How did I do with my Mid-Season Finale Predictions
With the tower falling, all hell’s going to break loose in the next episode, which is what usually happens in the finale episodes. There will be many people dying, and this will probably mean the end of Alexandria, but I’m pretty sure most of the folks dying will be the native Alexandrians—I’ll call this prediction mostly incorrect. There wasn’t a large bodycount, but none of Rick’s band died, so I wasn’t entirely wrong.
Ron is going to take the opportunity to try to kill Carl, but won’t succeed. This doesn’t even make sense since Enid at this point hasn’t even been in Alexandria lately. Not to mention, Rick would kill him for sure if he did that.—called this one. Two points for me.
Morgan’s going to snap out of it and kill him some zombies. At least he doesn’t have a problem with killing zombies.—wrong on this score. He was more concerned about saving his Wolf captive then killing zombies. Morgan just needs to go away.
Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham will make it back to save the day.—wrong on this one too. They will make their way back, but we’ll have to wait until the second half of the season for it.
Most likely this will scatter Rick’s group to various corners as they try to survive and they will be separated once again.—To be determined, although based on what I saw from the episode, I’m going to say that they will stay to ensure the survival of Alexandria.
November 27, 2015
The Walking Dead: Heads Up
After a really strong start to the season, Heads Up, was another disappointment. Even though there was a lot going on in this episode, it’s really all about Glenn and his inexplicable survival.
Glenn Lives
This whole story line can be summed up in one word—LAME. You have got to be kidding me, The Walking Dead. I expect more out of you. The fact that Glenn managed to survive when he was stuck underneath somebody and there was a swarm of zombies ripping apart that dude on top of him and not touching him is not only unrealistic, but it’s impossible. I don’t buy it. I think it cheapens the show by faking a character death. What this does is the next time a major character gets killed, it will lessen the impact of that death. No matter what else happened in this episode, this ruined it for me.
The Return of Enid
To compound my annoyance of Glenn’s survival, Enid is back. When Glenn was coaxing her to return to Alexandria, and she pulled a gun on him, that would have been the time when I raised my hands and said, “All right. You’re on your own.” This type of stupidity is what nearly got Glenn killed the first time around.
Spencer Dangles from a Wire
Why is every native Alexandrian brain-dead? His attempt to use a grappling hook and cross it over a horde of zombies was completely idiotic. When Rick asks, have you ever tried this before, his response was like “Uh, no. Didn’t quite think that through.” Even with Rick’s group, there’s no way this group would be able to survive. There simply too dumb.
Ron—That Little Bastard
Ron is bad news. I’m not sure why Rick can’t see through it. He and Carl teaching him how to use the gun is not a good idea. What do they think he’s going to use it for? Ron, just like his dad, needs to be put down.
Morgan, Morgan, Morgan
Oh Morgan, what are we going to do with you? The way he deals with the Wolves is like how certain ineffective leaders deal with terrorists. Let’s give them a hug, hold their hands, and sing songs with them. Maybe then they won’t want to kill us. If the tower hadn’t fallen when it did, I’m pretty sure Carol would have ended that and killed the captive Wolf.
Predictions for the Mid-Season Finale
• With the tower falling, all hell’s going to break loose in the next episode, which is what usually happens in the finale episodes. There will be many people dying, and this will probably mean the end of Alexandria, but I’m pretty sure most of the folks dying will be the native Alexandrians
• Ron is going to take the opportunity to try to kill Carl, but won’t succeed. This doesn’t even make sense since Enid at this point hasn’t even been in Alexandria lately. Not to mention, Rick would kill him for sure if he did that.
• Morgan’s going to snap out of it and kill him some zombies. At least he doesn’t have a problem with killing zombies.
• Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham will make it back to save the day.
• Most likely this will scatter Rick’s group to various corners as they try to survive and they will be separated once again.
Glenn Lives
This whole story line can be summed up in one word—LAME. You have got to be kidding me, The Walking Dead. I expect more out of you. The fact that Glenn managed to survive when he was stuck underneath somebody and there was a swarm of zombies ripping apart that dude on top of him and not touching him is not only unrealistic, but it’s impossible. I don’t buy it. I think it cheapens the show by faking a character death. What this does is the next time a major character gets killed, it will lessen the impact of that death. No matter what else happened in this episode, this ruined it for me.
The Return of Enid
To compound my annoyance of Glenn’s survival, Enid is back. When Glenn was coaxing her to return to Alexandria, and she pulled a gun on him, that would have been the time when I raised my hands and said, “All right. You’re on your own.” This type of stupidity is what nearly got Glenn killed the first time around.
Spencer Dangles from a Wire
Why is every native Alexandrian brain-dead? His attempt to use a grappling hook and cross it over a horde of zombies was completely idiotic. When Rick asks, have you ever tried this before, his response was like “Uh, no. Didn’t quite think that through.” Even with Rick’s group, there’s no way this group would be able to survive. There simply too dumb.
Ron—That Little Bastard
Ron is bad news. I’m not sure why Rick can’t see through it. He and Carl teaching him how to use the gun is not a good idea. What do they think he’s going to use it for? Ron, just like his dad, needs to be put down.
Morgan, Morgan, Morgan
Oh Morgan, what are we going to do with you? The way he deals with the Wolves is like how certain ineffective leaders deal with terrorists. Let’s give them a hug, hold their hands, and sing songs with them. Maybe then they won’t want to kill us. If the tower hadn’t fallen when it did, I’m pretty sure Carol would have ended that and killed the captive Wolf.
Predictions for the Mid-Season Finale
• With the tower falling, all hell’s going to break loose in the next episode, which is what usually happens in the finale episodes. There will be many people dying, and this will probably mean the end of Alexandria, but I’m pretty sure most of the folks dying will be the native Alexandrians
• Ron is going to take the opportunity to try to kill Carl, but won’t succeed. This doesn’t even make sense since Enid at this point hasn’t even been in Alexandria lately. Not to mention, Rick would kill him for sure if he did that.
• Morgan’s going to snap out of it and kill him some zombies. At least he doesn’t have a problem with killing zombies.
• Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham will make it back to save the day.
• Most likely this will scatter Rick’s group to various corners as they try to survive and they will be separated once again.
November 23, 2015
The Walking Dead: Always Accountable
When we last saw Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha, they were leading the zombie horde in a Pied Piper march away from Alexandria. We saw how that turned out—not so well for our band of heroes, but in the meantime this trio of characters have been ignored. In “Always Accountable” we got to see what happened to them and why they still hadn’t returned to Alexandria.
A Rude Welcome
Why can’t people be civil in the zombie apocalypse? Can’t we all just get along? Apparently not. A group of people unceremoniously opened fire on the trio. Abraham and Sasha returned fire, blasting about a hundred holes into their pursuers. Meanwhile, Daryl gets chased into the woods by a van.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
While Daryl is hunting the people who went after them in the woods, he let his guard down when he sees two girls begging for leniency. The guy within the group knocks him out cold and ties him up. Daryl being Daryl manages to escape from these three and take their duffel bag, which has his crossbow. When he sees insulin in the bag, he goes back to his would-be-kidnappers to give them back their duffle and then helps them escape when the group they came from comes looking for them. My favorite part of the episode was when Daryl makes a noise that distracts one of their pursuers long enough for him to get bit in the arm by a zombie. This leads to a gruesome scene where Wayne, the leader of this group, chops off the man’s arm with no hesitation and tells him to walk it off. I like the assertiveness and complete lack of compassion from this guy. Definitely some Governor-esque tendencies to him.
The most ridiculous part of this episode is after saving this group, now a couple after the idiot girl who needed the insulin gets killed by the zombies of two kids she used to babysit. When are people going to learn that zombies are dangerous and it’s not a good idea to cozy up next to them unless you know for sure that they are dead? Anyway, Daryl tries to recruit them, only to get the tables turned when the guy holds him at gunpoint and steals his motorcycle and crossbow. Daryl without his crossbow? Say it ain’t so. That’s surely a sign of the apocalypse. Anyway, that they would not only turn down Daryl’s offer but double cross him after he saved their lives shows that they are a bunch of morons and don’t deserve to be recruited to Alexandria.
The Abraham and Sasha Soozefest
The entire part of the episode with Abraham and Sasha went absolutely nowhere and added nothing to the overall story. To sum things up, they hole up in a building while waiting for Daryl’s return. Abraham has this strange obsession with killing zombies that can’t harm them. In the process he encounters the zombie of a soldier who has a rocket launcher strapped to him. He gets into this bizarre shouting match with the zombie when he could have easily killed him and taken the weapons. He then later propositions Sasha, which is kind of ridiculous since she just lost her boyfriend last season. Give the lady some time to mourn and recover.
This episode, especially the Abraham-Sasha portion can be politely described as filler. Nothing of significance happened, but at least Daryl got some air time, which was strongly lacking this season.
A Rude Welcome
Why can’t people be civil in the zombie apocalypse? Can’t we all just get along? Apparently not. A group of people unceremoniously opened fire on the trio. Abraham and Sasha returned fire, blasting about a hundred holes into their pursuers. Meanwhile, Daryl gets chased into the woods by a van.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
While Daryl is hunting the people who went after them in the woods, he let his guard down when he sees two girls begging for leniency. The guy within the group knocks him out cold and ties him up. Daryl being Daryl manages to escape from these three and take their duffel bag, which has his crossbow. When he sees insulin in the bag, he goes back to his would-be-kidnappers to give them back their duffle and then helps them escape when the group they came from comes looking for them. My favorite part of the episode was when Daryl makes a noise that distracts one of their pursuers long enough for him to get bit in the arm by a zombie. This leads to a gruesome scene where Wayne, the leader of this group, chops off the man’s arm with no hesitation and tells him to walk it off. I like the assertiveness and complete lack of compassion from this guy. Definitely some Governor-esque tendencies to him.
The most ridiculous part of this episode is after saving this group, now a couple after the idiot girl who needed the insulin gets killed by the zombies of two kids she used to babysit. When are people going to learn that zombies are dangerous and it’s not a good idea to cozy up next to them unless you know for sure that they are dead? Anyway, Daryl tries to recruit them, only to get the tables turned when the guy holds him at gunpoint and steals his motorcycle and crossbow. Daryl without his crossbow? Say it ain’t so. That’s surely a sign of the apocalypse. Anyway, that they would not only turn down Daryl’s offer but double cross him after he saved their lives shows that they are a bunch of morons and don’t deserve to be recruited to Alexandria.
The Abraham and Sasha Soozefest
The entire part of the episode with Abraham and Sasha went absolutely nowhere and added nothing to the overall story. To sum things up, they hole up in a building while waiting for Daryl’s return. Abraham has this strange obsession with killing zombies that can’t harm them. In the process he encounters the zombie of a soldier who has a rocket launcher strapped to him. He gets into this bizarre shouting match with the zombie when he could have easily killed him and taken the weapons. He then later propositions Sasha, which is kind of ridiculous since she just lost her boyfriend last season. Give the lady some time to mourn and recover.
This episode, especially the Abraham-Sasha portion can be politely described as filler. Nothing of significance happened, but at least Daryl got some air time, which was strongly lacking this season.
November 13, 2015
10 Questions with Naima Haviland
1. In your novel Bloodroom, where did you come up with the concept of the blood room which vampires use to feed?
I was first inspired by the architecture of such a room. It began while leafing through coffee table books on gargoyles and gothic architecture.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
The works of Shirley Jackson, Sarah Waters, Daphne du Maurier, and Charles Dickens have rich environments, not only external to their characters, but internal to the characters’ natures so that no character is minor, no matter how fleeting his part in the plot. I read their books and think, I want to write like that!
3. How has living in the South influenced your writing?
Southerners have great affection for and acceptance of eccentricity. The South is a place where anything can happen, and probably happen for reasons only a Southerner would understand. Often when I write, I ask myself, “How crazy can this get?” Then I write to that extreme. The added challenge and source of satisfaction for me is to write such an immersive environment that the extreme almost seems inevitable.
4. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
That outline gets tossed! I don’t know why I bother! The plot works out as I’m lying on the couch, mowing the lawn, riding my bike …any time my mine can wander, that’s when the idea strikes.
5. Why do you have a fascination with writing about dead people?
Because they’re gone forever. With death, loss is permanent. So I write about it not being permanent, about them not being gone.
6. What made you start writing?
When I found myself re-writing the plots of books I read, I started writing my own books.
7. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
Animal Cruelty
8. What is your best quality as a writer?
Devotion. Outside my scheduled writing hours, everything I experience or observe contributes to writing. I can’t enjoy a movie, TV show, or book without examining why it was good and how I can practice that principle in my storytelling. I’m constantly tweaking obligations to gain more time to write. When I listen to music, I listen from my character’s perspective rather than my own. I’m a slow writer, but I am a writing organism.
9. If Hollywood was making a movie adaptation of Bloodroom, and the director asked you to cast the role of Julian, who would you choose?
I’d search among unknowns for a man with chiseled bone structure and cold eyes that flash with warmth at a moment’s notice.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
My grandfather, a brilliant man who died too soon. Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval abbess who saw visions. Jimmy Stewart, because I’ve always wanted to marry him. Fashion icon Diana Vreeland, who was a great storyteller. And Wolfgang Puck, because someone has to cook.
I was first inspired by the architecture of such a room. It began while leafing through coffee table books on gargoyles and gothic architecture.
2. Who has been your biggest influence as a writer?
The works of Shirley Jackson, Sarah Waters, Daphne du Maurier, and Charles Dickens have rich environments, not only external to their characters, but internal to the characters’ natures so that no character is minor, no matter how fleeting his part in the plot. I read their books and think, I want to write like that!
3. How has living in the South influenced your writing?
Southerners have great affection for and acceptance of eccentricity. The South is a place where anything can happen, and probably happen for reasons only a Southerner would understand. Often when I write, I ask myself, “How crazy can this get?” Then I write to that extreme. The added challenge and source of satisfaction for me is to write such an immersive environment that the extreme almost seems inevitable.
4. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
That outline gets tossed! I don’t know why I bother! The plot works out as I’m lying on the couch, mowing the lawn, riding my bike …any time my mine can wander, that’s when the idea strikes.
5. Why do you have a fascination with writing about dead people?
Because they’re gone forever. With death, loss is permanent. So I write about it not being permanent, about them not being gone.
6. What made you start writing?
When I found myself re-writing the plots of books I read, I started writing my own books.
7. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
Animal Cruelty
8. What is your best quality as a writer?
Devotion. Outside my scheduled writing hours, everything I experience or observe contributes to writing. I can’t enjoy a movie, TV show, or book without examining why it was good and how I can practice that principle in my storytelling. I’m constantly tweaking obligations to gain more time to write. When I listen to music, I listen from my character’s perspective rather than my own. I’m a slow writer, but I am a writing organism.
9. If Hollywood was making a movie adaptation of Bloodroom, and the director asked you to cast the role of Julian, who would you choose?
I’d search among unknowns for a man with chiseled bone structure and cold eyes that flash with warmth at a moment’s notice.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
My grandfather, a brilliant man who died too soon. Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval abbess who saw visions. Jimmy Stewart, because I’ve always wanted to marry him. Fashion icon Diana Vreeland, who was a great storyteller. And Wolfgang Puck, because someone has to cook.
