Patrick Kanouse's Blog, page 43

The Shadow of the Torturer: A Review

Gene Wolfe and the New Sun series appears on a lot of must-read lists. so I got around to reading the first book. I did read this in conjunction with a Goodreads science-fiction and fantasy book club. The responses to The Shadow of the Torturer fell into two camps, broadly speaking.

I fell into the "enjoyed it camp." The book is not an easy read. Why? Wolfe writes in a postmodern vein, which is a way of saying that if you are seeking clarity in plot, characters, and motivations, you won't find it here. That is not saying Wolfe does not provide a plot and whatnot, but he constantly undermines all of it by wordplay, ambiguity, and confusion. Instead, you constantly question yourself, what you know because--at least for me--the essential question of postmodernism is can you anything truly. So the language subverts what we can know, and Wolfe uses a plethora of antique words: carnifex, amphitryon, gyoll, noyade, and on and on. If you don't like using a dictionary (and an excellent dictionary) this book may not be of interest to you. As a part of that, the appendix promotes a postmodern reading of this book. You begin the novel and, if you're like me, pulling out the dictionary to check meanings on many out-of-date terms. The story adds layers upon layers and never allows you to have a settled perception. Then comes the appendix, which throws another layer on it. The "translator" of Severian's tale found proximate words or, in the case of Latin terms, crafted something for unknown words. In other words, a lot of the words you've been hanging onto to allow for comprehension, Wolfe pretty much blows up. What you thought you knew may not be what you thought you knew. Though it could be still.

Sometimes even the characters seem confused by the terminology or events. All of this is subtly told. Plot: Severian, a journeyman in the guild of torturers, is exiled from the city Nessus for a crime against the guild. By the end of the novel, Severian has encountered a number of characters and some exploits, and arrives at a giant wall and gate without much in between--yet it's a hefty 600 some pages (ebook).

Wolfe is a masterful writer with a stunning grasp of English and the multiplicity of meanings (historical and popular) that words have, a way reminiscent of Vladimir Nabokov (a writer I greatly admire). This is a novel that will stand up to multiple readings because the smallest of details, the smallest of perceptions of not only the reader but the characters open up entirely new avenues of meaning. A highly recommended novel.

The Ties That Bind Gattaca and George Seferis

One of my personal criteria for thinking about books and movies and how successful they were is their "stickiness," by which I mean, how well I remember that book or movie or show, etc. I'm not thinking of remembering every detail, but recalling characters, scenes, emotions that I felt, etc.

George Seferis's poetry is an example in literature for me. I'm fond of Mediterranean landscapes, as those familiar with my poetry know. Seferis immediately conjures these for me, puts me into the landscape of the Greek isles immediately. In addition, Seferis brings in a wonderful historical sense to his poetry, as if his poems hinge on the ancient temples and partial columns scattered by Hellenistic culture. While C.P. Cavafy, another fantastic Greek poet, explores history as well, his approach is more upfront and takes on a narrator role. Seferis, instead, explores history by a glance or at an angle. His history is embedded in the modern, speaks through the images and words of his poetry. This line, "I woke with this marble head in my hands," stuck with me immediately (it's from his poem "Mythistorema") and has lived in my head ever since. This surrealistic image contains history from the start, history with a ghostlike, solid present.

Gattaca, a brilliant exploration of the ethics and morals of genetic selection encased in a murder mystery, is my example from film. I'm partial to its sensibilities anyways simply because it is science fiction, but Gattaca is more than a run-of-the-mill sci-fi flick. I remember very specific images from this movie: the DNA check, the swim into the ocean, the cars, scenes, motivations, and so on. The film encapsulates so very much in its reels: the power of dreams and resilience, sacrifice and loss, jealousy, and so much more. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) does not, in the end, succeed only by his own abilities. Instead, his abilities and hard work are allowed to bear fruit by the assistance of others. Jerome (Jude Law) sells his DNA--essentially--after an accident ruins his life. He bitterness is overcome and his sacrifice turns to a sad nobility. Dr. Lamar (Xandar Berkeley), I one of the best scenes in film, tells a story that reveals his own hopes. The scene itself is revelatory of an entire background to the movie: those that make possible our success are often unknown or do so in the background. Caesar (Ernest Borgnine) also assists day in and day out in the most basic and perhaps most important way. The whole movie is a masterpiece of tone and letting the story and characters carry the day. It treats its audience as intelligent, thinking beings, and succeeds gloriously.

Happy Birthday to Awesome

For months now, Gina has said some comment about how she is so not looking forward to her 40th birthday. I usually keep my quiet, knowing this is a sensitive issue, but...

I'm excited for her 40th! So why? Because that means I've had another year to live in the presence of this spectacular woman who has brightened my life since we started dating oh-so-many years ago. For me, her getting older means I'm getting older with her. And I'm pretty cool with that.

Happy birthday Awesome!

Yeah, I'm Enjoying This

 Earlier this week, we ventured down to Clearwater Beach, Florida. While these pictures are from our last trip there, I have been sitting on a beach this week, enjoying views like this.

Tampa Bay Rays Game

This is from last year, but tonight I'll be watching the Rays take on the Red Sox from a similar location. Go Rays!

Iron Man 3: A Review--SPOILERS

SPOILERS contained herein.

First, let me say that I'm a lifelong Iron Man fan (I was reading the comics in the 80s and 90s), so I'm pretty much going to like a movie that puts Tony Stark in a suit of armor and has him kicking bad guy ass.

In this latest installment, a long-ago encounter returns to haunt Tony Stark, and one of his wisecracks unleashes the forces who hope to profit from fear mongering and weapons sales.

So what does Iron Man 3 get right? As always, Robert Downy Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark is spot on. Wise cracks, petulance, and an obsessive "tinkering" building and improving on the Iron Man technology. In this movie, he's also haunted by what occurred in 2012's Avengers. Also, this franchise has been spectacular at capturing the "operation" of the Iron Man suits: From their sometimes bugginess, to JARVIS's hugely important role, to their power that often surprises Tony himself.

The movie captures the Extremis (for those who are unaware, think super soldier via a virus) and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) quite well. Aldrich is still hurting from the long-ago snub and is out to make a fortune, and his transformation from a sad, pathetic man to a powerful villain is well done. The filmmakers held off on Aldrich showing his Extremis powers until later in the movie.

Then there's Mandarin. And here is my quibble with the film. Within the context of the film--i.e., if all you know of Iron Man is the three movies--then what was done with Mandarin makes sense. Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, is a fictional terrorist created by Aldrich to, essentially, cover up Extremis experiments gone bad that he can manipulate to his purposes. Ben Kingsley's Mandarin turns out to be a drunken British actor named Trevor Slattery. Kingsley performs admirably in both personas. After Slattery is revealed, the movie takes a less serious tone (up to then it was about the terrorist bombings, the frightening hijacking of the airwaves by the Mandarin, etc.).

So what's my quibble? That for me is not Mandarin. In fact, before Slattery is revealed, the Mandarin as portrayed in Iron Man 3 was, I thought, fantastic, and the let down to know that the Mandarin is just a fake was disappointing. I thought they blew the opportunity for a fantastic villain. Again, within the context of the films, it is OK, and many won't be bothered. But I can't help asking, "What if?"

Still, see the movie. Iron Man does kick some ass along with War Machine/Rhodey (Don Cheadle) rebranded as the Iron Patriot.

"Safarka's Butterflies": A Free Short Story

When a stranger pawns a mysterious object, Ton Nax encounters a world of dreams that are not his. Could they be a portal to someone else's experience? As Ton uncovers the truth, the reality is even more terrifying than he thought.

A short story set in the Inspector Pierce universe.

Get this short story for free by paying with a Tweet or Facebook Like. Just click here to "pay" or here to "pay."

This ebook is only available from May 7th to June 7th.

Also, if you sign up for my newsletter, I'll send you the free download link as well.

My Near-Term SF Reading List

So my short-term (that is read probably by August) science fiction reading list is (but not necessarily in this order):

Ex-KOP by Warren Hammond
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
The Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
re-read Ringworld by Larry Niven
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Wool by Hugh Howey
Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey

Thanks to a query at Google+, I've received a list of some

Orphan Black: A Review

I'm not very good about keeping up on the new shows that are coming out (my wife often asks, "Are you going to watch yadda yadda yadda?" And my reply is often, "I've never heard of it.") But Orphan Black is one I managed to hear about, albeit close to when it premiered on BBC America. I'm glad I heard of it and had the DVR record it.

Sarah Manning (played by Tatiana Maslany) arrives in New

The Reading List (as of April 21st)

I've mentioned the reading list a few times, so I figured I'd better include it finally. We focused mostly on mysteries and thrillers because our interests overlap there. Some of these we have already read, but many are still in the to-be-read column):

The Alienist by Caleb Carr
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John LeCarre
Moonlight Mile by Dennis LeHane
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco