narfnitsirk

Before I fell hopelessly in love with Stephen King, there was Dean Koontz.  I devoured his books like candy back in the middle school days, one after another after another…until I had the epiphany that I’d read this before.  It’s always the same hero and heroine, so pristine and good it leaves a film on your teeth like candy, fighting an adversary who is evil and scary (though often a little bit to be empathized with).  These good guys always win.  

Winter Moon came across my reading list ‘cause it’s a horror novel with an alien in it.  As one who is writing a horror novel with an alien (or even plural aliens!) it in, I approached it looking at the alien, and the interactions with the aliens and the humans.  But first, I am going to complain for a bit. 

Dean, clean up your goddamn writing!  So many passive verbs, some pages had better than ten occurrences of the word “had.”  As I read I switched his wimpy verbs in my head for meatier ones, and came up with a much better book.  I also cut 90% of his adverbs, which were liberally sprinkled throughout the piece (yeah, I used an adverb there to be funny.)  I also could have gone with speedier pacing.  I didn’t care about the family struggling through the aftermath of a shooting in LA, I cared about the parts of the book set in Montana with the terrifying alien.  I felt the insertion of the lovable golden retriever character bordered on gratuitous.   

That said, the terrifying alien was a force to be reckoned with.  The way Koontz builds suspense with some of the forest scenes was brilliant, and I studied the way he crafted them.  (I thought he could have done without some million word long run on sentences.  But when I used my imagination and broke up the sentences, it was all cool.)  The alien was clever and innovative, it dovetailed with some of the ideas I’d had for my own alien.  We learned about their existence along with the unfortunately named Eduardo, and this is what I want my book to be like.  I don’t want to give away what’s going on too soon.  In my book, though, the aliens are characters, in Koontz’s the alien is simply a big bad.  It’s super cool when it’s taking over small fuzzy forest creatures.  I think part of the reason this book scared me a little bit was my fear of the woods.  All those shadows and places to hide—I love the woods and nature, but there are a million places for *something* to lurk.  The plucky little boy and the alien shared a unique mind link (whoops! Spoilers!) and that seemed like a clever way to best it.  The ending, of bringing in police and govt. worked well for the book.  In mine, the aliens are entrenched in our govt, much like in the X-files. 

It got me to do a great deal of thinking, both in the aliens and horror sense, and also structure and word choice.  For the record, Watchers by Dean Koontz in on my favorite books of all time list, and holds a special place in my heart. 

Also on my personal reading list for the semester:

Aliens and Alien Societies by Stanley Schmidt and Ben Bova—I keep plugging away at this, it’s taking me forever ‘cause I keep reading storybooks between chapters.

Nightflyers by George R.R. Martin—I’ve never read him and I sure am excited to.  This is out of print, though not that pricey.

Stinger by Robert McCammon—I don’t like him as a rule, and this book seems to be out of print and rather expensive.  But I keep trying, I want to like him when I don’t feel like he’s trying to be Stephen King Jr

Majestic by Whitley Strieber—Maybe he does fiction better than he does poignant true stories.  This is also out of print and rather expensive.  Humph.

Dreamcatcher and Tommyknockers by Mr. King

If anyone else can think of alien horror, let me know!

Now I am off to read Jailbait Zombie by Mario Acevedo.  The first book wasn’t the best, but I sure am into the character now!

surrealestate

• 1 bunch chard
• 1 bunch carrots
• 1/2 bunch red russian kale
• 1 head red lettuce
• 1/2 lb green beans
• 1 lb fava beans
• 1/2 bunch baby fennel
• 1/2 bunch purple kohlrabi with greens
  --
• 12 oz cucumbers
• 12 oz summer squash
• 1 lb baby potatoes
• 1/2 bunch dill
• 1/2 bunch carrots
• 1/2 head red lettuce
• 1/2 bunch kale
• 1 head new garlic (with stalk)
• small amount (~2 oz) basil
  --
• 1/2 pint blueberries

exoterica

ObamaGhanaSL, originally uploaded by .inKenzo. evonne@amoration.

From yesterday's #obamaghana events where President Barack Obama spoke in Accra, Ghana....and in Second Life and Metaplace thanks to our awesome Public Diplomacy team.