[  Mood: Distorted ]
[  Currently: Eating Breakfast ]
Tanya Huff is a Canadian SF/Fantasy author who has produced some pretty good books. Her latest addition to her Confederation series, Heart of Valor adds to that list.

Heart of Valor tells the next installment in the story of Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr, a senior non-com in the confederation Marines. Kerr is typical of Huff’s heroines: smart, tough and not waiting for anyone to rescue her.

But don’t think this is an Piers Anthony "By-The-Numbers" kind of book. Kerr is a tough, believable professional soldier. She is a natural leader who has no desire to become an officer. Having known many non-coms, that is so true!

The action of this book revolves around Kerr having to babysit a major who has just emerged from the tank, after having regrown pretty much his entire body. They accompany a recruit division on their final maneuvers on a training planet to help him test out the new body.

On the training planet, there are robots and drones to shoot at you, to give you the feel of real battle. Their not supposed to shoot to kill. But then someone reprograms the drones and all hell breaks loose.

Kerr is left trying to keep everyone alive, especially after the Chief Recruit Instructor is suddenly acting looney.

Huff has a real ear for military dialogue. Trust me, I have lots of military friends. In addition, her experience in the military has helped with the believability of this novel.

If you like military SF, this is definitely a book for you.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Watching Old Episode of Canadian Idol ]
I admit it. I am a TV Junkie.

When the VCR came into my life, it was like manna from heaven. Then came the PVR (Canadian TiVo)and it was like I had arrived at the promised land and St. Peter handed me the remote control.

So when a new season comes, I have to plan my TV watching and taping like a general plans an invasion. Which shows will we watch? Which new shows do we give a chance? Which shows from last year do we dump? Will I tape the west coast feed? Will I tape it off the Canadian channel?

Remembering that we can only tape two things at once or tape one thing and watch a previously recorded show, I make up a spreadsheet with times and channels. I also have to remember that my husband and I don’t enjoy all the same shows. So if it’s Survivor or America’s Next Top Model, I tape it upstairs on the old VCR and then watch it later.

Then I have to schedule in our watching, cause otherwise the PVR gets full and then we get nothing.

So what I am going to be watching?

Race to Mars – Discovery – Sunday at 8:00 pm
Desperate Housewives – ABC – Sunday at 9:00 pm
Cold Case – CBS – Sunday at 9:00 pm
Chuck – NBC – Monday at 8:00 pm
Heroes – NBC – Monday at 9:00 pm
Journeyman – NBC – Monday at 10:00 pm
Project Runway:Canada – Slice – Monday at 10:00:00
Bones – Fox – Tuesday at 8:00 pm
House – Fox – Tuesday at 9:00 pm
Tudors – CBC – Tuesday 9:00 pm
Reaper – CW – Tuesday at 9:00 pm
Top Chef – Food – Tuesday at 9:00 pm
Kitchen Nightmares – Fox – Wednesday at 8:00 pm
Bionic Woman – NBC – Wednesday at 9:00 pm
CSI:NY – CBS – Wednesday at 10:00 pm
Survivor – CBS – Thursday at 8:00 pm
Ugly Betty – ABC – Thursday at 8:00 pm
CSI – CBS – Thursday 9:00 pm
Moonlight – CBS – Friday – 9:00 pm
Blood Ties – Space – Friday – 9:00 pm
Torchwood – CBC – Friday – 9:00 pm
Numb3rs – CBS – Friday – 10:00 pm

Plus Days of Our Lives and Coronation Street.

I am also thinking of picking up Scrubs.

So go ahead – tell me I’m an idiot or a genius.

[  Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
[  Currently: Listening to Guy Love from Scrubs ]
So I was doing some more research for the next installment of "What’s to Read After Harry?", and I was looking at other After Harry Booklists. Something I noticed was that two major booklists suggested Piers Anthony’s Xanth series. And I thought to myself, WTF?

First off, Xanth, while full of bad puns that appeal to the teenage geek, is also full of sexist representations of men and women. At times, it borders on misogynistic. It is just not appropriate fiction for kids, a significant portion of the Harry Potter audience.

Second, while Anthony may have produced some good fiction (First three books of the Apprentice Adept as well as the book On a Pale Horse.), he suffers from what happens to some authors. Publishers realize that his name sells, so anything they write will get sold. If not to their main publisher, to a smaller one who knows that the Anthony name is going to generate sales. So books that should not have made it out the door, including back catalog ones.

Third, Anthony has not learned when a story is over. He has taken a fan’s suggestion to lengthen at least one of his series, that was over. I would humbly submit Mr. Anthony, that while fans are lovely people who shell out a great deal of money for your work, they aren’t normally the best sources of ideas for further adventures of characters. Fanfiction.net is but one site on the Internet that proves my point. And given that I made the mistake of reading one of those series inspired by a fan . . .

A quick look around the boards here at Revolution SF reveals that there are many of us who share my views, so I ask, why is he still popular?

[  Mood: In Love ]
[  Currently: Eating Supper – A nice bowl of potato soup ]
So I was reading Star Trek: Remastered on the site, when I noticed the Star Trek 40th Anniversary: Treks of Choice link. So I followed along and noticed that my favourite episode was not there.

So which one do I like? You won’t believe it.

For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

Why? Because it is the only one in which McCoy gets the girl. All of my life, I have watched as every alien, ambassador and slave girl threw themselves at Kirk’s feet. And he preceded to walk all over them. When ever another character, like Spock, got a chick, I rejoiced, even if plant spores were involved.

Given that McCoy was my favourite character, his romance is what puts this over the top of all of them.

Just my opinion.

[  Mood: Amused ]
[ Currently: Waking Up From My Nap ]
So I went to the might Chapters to pick up some more biography books for a unit I am doing with my students when I spied

The Comic Book Guy’s Book of Pop Culture

It was a little on the pricey side, until I noticed the large 20% off sticker.

How could I say no?

So now I have read it and what can I say, but funny. The drawing of his apartment with the wookie skin rug, the vulcan death grip coat rack and the Bender Blender is worth the price alone.

Go get this – and get it now. It is a tribute to so many of us.

Next on my reading list? The book about Ralph Wiggum.

[  Mood: Shocked ]
[  Currently: Watching Old Doctor Who ]
Something has been troubling me for awhile and I think I need to get it out.

There is this tendency in genre fans to jump on any perceived error and shout “Gotcha!” It’s as if there is some unwritten geek code that gives bonus points for the first to point out the Emperor’s New Clothes aren’t really there. Extra points are awarded for puns, snarkiness and pwning.

The problem with this behaviour is two-fold. One, it puts off the normals and part-time fans. They are (quiet rightly) intimidated by the forcefulness in which the rebuke is delivered. And, to be honest, they are more than a little creeped out by the behaviour. We can come off as that guy in the suit at your front door on Saturday am wanting to talk to you about God. Two, it leads to flame wars as geek after geek tries to one up the other. People jump down each other’s throats. Feelings get hurt. And once happy groups get blown apart. (Apparently something like this happened to the PSEB.)

Where does this tendency come from?

I have done no scientific studies to determine the origin of the behaviour in geeks. But I have been around fandom for a while now, and I have made some casual observations. (Please note: No fans were harmed in during the course of this research.)

One thing I have noticed about genre fans is that we are a smarter than average bunch. Now, I am not just saying that because I am a geek. As a group we read, a lot, more than the average “community” and there have been many links between increased intelligence and reading.

We also tend to be critical consumers. Despite what people like Lucas and Berman would like, we don’t just blindly consume the genre culture. We look at it from different angles, reimage it and in some cases, as with fanfic, repackage it. Henry Jenkins and his book Textual Poachers does a good job looking into this.

Then we add the last factor. And this one is going to put the Klingon among the Tribbles. The lack of social graces factor. I have noticed in the fan community, a higher than average number of people who struggle with social relationships and graces. Where does this come from? It would be easy to crack a joke about too much time in parents’ basements, but that might lead to a flame war. Maybe it is because we spend too much time in our own heads as children. Maybe it was because our phone time was spent discussing who the “another” Yoda was talking about might be rather than why Billy and Suzy should not be dating. We missed out on the soccer games, cub meetings and other things that taught us about how to interact in appropriate social manners. That pointing out a mistake is best done privately and politely so as not to embarrass the other person.

Maybe it’s just that we are a passionate people and that passion translates into everything we do.

What I do know, is that when I see it sets my teeth on edge, and I feel my inner flamer rising. We can be the most loving and supportive group on the planet. But then every so often we feel the need to eat our young, and that is when we are at our ugliest.

I guess this is not just an observation, but a plea for sanity. There is no need to pants some one when you find a mistake. Take them aside, call them, send them an email. Grant them the courtesy you would hope they would grant you. Follow the Golden Rule. I would suspect that since it appears in every major Earth Religion, it can also be found in the Book of G’Quan and the Paq’batlh.

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
[ Currently: Cause my free time comes quickly to an end. ]

This is the third installment of Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic book. As with the firs three, she has focused on one major character for development and backstory, although the others get good character development adn story time.

This time we look at Daja, the young Trader who was the sole survivor of a ship wreck. This makes her an exile as she has bad luck. Her magic deals with metal, as she can manipulate it using magic.

The backdrop of the story is the four apprentices and their teachers heading off to deal with a drought and forest fire. Daja comes in contact wit more Traders, who shun her as she has bad luck.

Good story, with most stuff being resolved by the end. It is American Children’s fiction.

[  Mood: Shocked ]
So, just wanted to post my thoughts about the Rikti invasion that City of Heroes (CoH) has unveiled in the last month.

CoH uses free game upgrades, what they call issues, to keep the content fresh. Previous issues have included an invention system that allows you to create enhancements, temporary powers and costume additions. This time around, the developers have brought back an alien foe from CoH lore, the Rikti.

The Rikti are aliens (actually its more complicated than that – but I have to go to work soon). They invaded a while ago, but were pushed back by the efforts of the heroes of Earth. Somehow they have found a way back, and are attacking.

Now to celebrate the release, CoH unleashed invasions of Paragon City. All across the various city zones, the Rikti attacked. Dropships dropped bombs, and soldiers showed up in the main squares of zones. The same thing was happening in CoH’s sister game, City of Villains.

This actually lead to some hilarity as the "superhero trainers" just stood there and watched as a battle raged around them. "Hey Miss Liberty, how about some help here?!?"

I actually had the privilege of being their for the first invasion. So was everyone else. My impression of the invasion is cool, until you get 50 or so players showing up , and then the lag hits. Then it’s like walking through molasses. The designers have done somethings to rectify this, but they also expect your drivers to be upto date. The nerve.

Still, this has been hugely popular with the players, so much so that even though the original invasion was only due to last a few weeks, CoH has brought it back for limited one day engagements, with the last day being September 22.

There will also be an invasion generated when a team completes the Rikti Co-op task force.

You can get yourself a 14 day free trial if you want. Please note that this is a subscription based service.

Tell em Studded Canary sent you. No, really, cause then I get your referral credit. Me, ulterior motive. Never!

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio One ]
So I have just finished the second book of the Dresden Files and what can I say but yum.

This book allows Harry to come into contact with werewolves, but unlike other werewolf tales, author Jim Butcher gives us every kind of werewolf imaginable. Those that use a magical object, those that use their own magic, those that are cursed, heck even a wolf that becomes a human.

Like the previous Dresden book, there is a murder, Dresden is called into consult and then becomes a suspect. He clashes with Murphy. He rubs toes with Susan. Bob gets sarcastic with him.

Overall a very satisfying entry into the series.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
So I stayed up way too late last night reading and finished Lady night by Tamora Pierce.

This is the last book of her Protector of the Small Series. This one follows Kel in her first command after becoming a knight. The Kingdom of Tortall is at war with its northern neighbour, Scanran. Kel is anticipating getting to fight bad guys, but is instead put in charge of a refugee camp.

This is a very well written and gripping book. Pierce does not shy away from the brutality of war, although it is not a graphic Doom-fest. Characters die, are raped and treat each other like crap.

I strongly recommend this book.