While at Gleebooks, ordering The Three Incestuous Sisters, I found and bought a couple of other [tag]graphic novels[/tag]. The one mentioned in the title captivated me straight away, with the whimsical style and the utter dependence on the pictures to get the message across. The other one is The Fate of The Artist, by [tag]Eddie Campbell[/tag] (subtitled “His Domestic Apocalyse”)…. Read more →
I started reading Audrey Niffenegger[‘s novel this morning. It entranced me by the end of the prologue and I was frustrated to put it down when I had to go to work, half a chapter in. I was almost of a mind to take the day off just to continue. As it is, I’ll have to put it down for… Read more →
Neil Gaiman reports that Alan Moore was interviewed on the BBC recently, on the topic of his latest work – Lost Girls. In precis, it’s a fictional work based upon the idea that Alice (from Alice in Wonderland), Wendy (from Peter Pan) and Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz) have all grown up, and meet in a beautiful art-nouveau hotel in… Read more →
I’m currently reading Blue Girl by Charles de Lint. In it there’s a nice paragraph spoken by a character to her favourite author, echoing – I guess – Charles’ feelings about the connection between author and reader. I don’t really believe in fairies and stuff, but when I read your books I do, but in a funny way. It’s like,… Read more →
Oh, the humanity. Neil Gaiman posts a reader’s problem. Apparently the girlfriend, a devout christian, caught the reader with Good Omens, and has left him. The question is how to get her back, and not give up reading Neil’s works. As Neil says, this sort of problem boggles the mind. I find it hard to see how a relationship could… Read more →
The latest copy of The New Internationalist is all about Venezuela and Hugo Chavez, which is interesting reading. It got me wondering where my book about Simon Bolivar is, so I went through the shelves. Some are deep enough to have a hidden row of books and I found one such. Remember how I was looking for John Wyndham novels?… Read more →
This afternoon I went to a panel with the above title, comprised of Martin Krygier, Peter Singer and Naomi Wolf. They all spoke loosely around the topic, with Martin staying closest to the subject. He spoke about the meaning of a civil society, and the conflict with the state, as exmplified by Poland – an obviously favourite topic. Solidarity is… Read more →
I just came back, a while ago, from seeing Neil Gaiman in Conversation – as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. As part of the proceedings, he read a little piece, called Orange, commisioned for a sci-fi anthology. It’s a very cute story which should work better, as he intimated, on the page but still is quite fun when spoken…. Read more →
This looks interesting, but not very comfortable. Still, it’s a cool concept for those who can’t afford a room lined with bookshelves.
I’m reading Faux Pas, in which each entry has an indication of how pretentious the use of the word would be. All so far have simply discussed the word, but ashram has an entry which states: Pretentiousness index: Nil, as far as the word and the place itself are concerned, but the people who visit an ashram may be a… Read more →
I went to buy Bobbie a book today, for her birthday, and ended up spending $200 in one store and $90 in another and $30 in another. First, in Kings comics I picked up a copy of The Sandman Papers – a collection of essays on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series of graphic novels. Then, in Galaxy, I bought The Alchemy… Read more →
Having seen in the SMH article that Neil Gaiman is appearing at the Festival, I thought I’d have a look at the program. Having done so, I’ve booked tickets for the following: Neil Gaiman in Conversation Graphic Novels with Neil Gamain and Audrey Niffenegger What makes a civil society? with a panel including Peter Singer and Naomi Wolf I also… Read more →
Neil’s article from the Guardian (made as part of the Mirrormask publicity campaign) makes it to the local papers. It’a a nice read on the increasing legitmacy of the graphic novel and comics as an art form, and they way that they are reaching a wider audience through film versions. In support of Neil’s view, I have to add that… Read more →
Oh no! I missed The International Edible Books Festival.
is that when you try and find copies of books you recall with fondness from your childhood, they’re usually unavailable. Not all, luckily. I just got back from town where I managed to find some of John Wyndham’s novellas: Chocky The Chrysalids The Kraken Wakes The Midwich Cukoos Unfortunately, it looks like “The Trouble with Lichen” and “Web” are not… Read more →
Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing reports on a tradmark filing on the word “super-hero” by Marvel and DC comics. Apparently they want to shut out independent comics from using the term. WTF??? He ends with a cute plea – call the marvel characters “underwear perverts” as Warren Ellis suggests. Link
I just finished reading How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered The World, and am quote impressed. Francis Ween takes pot shots at al lot of targets that require taking down a peg or two: economic rationalism, UFOlogy, Post Modernism. He has a keen eye for the absurdities of what we believe ot want to believe to be the truth. I do feel,… Read more →
This website lists “Essentialist Explanations” – ie. Language Foo is Language Bar under condition Duh. Some examples: English is essentially Norse as spoken by a gang of French thugs. –Benct Philip Jonsson English is essentially any other language spoken with a very hot potato in one’s mouth. –Ivan Derzhanski (based on Alain LaBonté on Swiss French) Inglish iz issenshali a… Read more →
I just got back from Neil Gaiman’s book-reading and signing a little while ago. The extract he read from Anansi Boys was fun and the book will be great if that’s anything to go by. Neil said that, whereas American Gods was serious and lumpy, Anansi will be more frivolous and “chocolately”. It appeared that Neil was a bit disappointed… Read more →
A grocery store in B.C was handed a box of the latest Harry Potter novel which was missing a “don’t distribute before Saturday” notice. As a result they sold 14 copies. Now the distributor has gone to a Canadian court and convinced the judge to order that the 14 customers return a legally purchased book to the distributor and –… Read more →
