And So Can You!
I finally managed to snag a copy of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) (from the author of I Am America (And So Can You!)) yesterday, after literally months of searching. I knew beforehand that I'd like it of course, as scientists have proven* it's impossible to dislike anything Stephen Colbert does.
While America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction** read more like an actual History/Political Science book filled with jokes that are funny because they are sadly true, I Am America reads more like a memoir of Colbert's character, Stephen Colbert. Which makes sense of course, given that each book is an extension of its respective show. My favorite bits so far are all the side notes and footnotes*** in almost every page, which help extend the jokes and remind me of my favorite TCR segment, The Word.
You can visit the official I Am America site here.
* Probably. I don't keep up with everything, you know.
** Best title ever, by the way.
*** Kind of like this one. Only actually funny.
TL;DR version:
As the book informs you, by buying it you become 25% American. Hell, I'm willing to bet that you've become more American just by reading this post.
Showing posts with label literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literature. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 17
Wednesday, July 16
[Fancy-word Wednesday] How to break it to your friends that their story sucks
It's probably has happened to everyone, more than once too, at that. Somebody close to you has written something, and it's not really that great. In fact, it's actually rather horrible. Not just from your subjective point of view, it's objectively a piece of excrement.
How do you break it to your friend? You have to be honest, because you should be honest to friends when it comes to things like this, and it's better if you break the news to them, rather than say a publisher who will laugh at their face. But at the same time, you have to be careful and not hurt their feelings because a) they're your friend, doofus, and b) it might dissuade them from writing any further, if even their friends hate their work.
Neil Gaiman recently answered such a question in his blog, and as with most things Gaiman does, I find myself agreeing completely. You can find his answer here (scroll down a bit), my favorite part would be the following:
"And if you do decide to tell them what's wrong with their book then you don't have to tell them everything that's wrong with it."
This is great, because while you are still telling the truth, naming every single thing you hated is probably not going to win you any more points with your friend. Not to mention you'll probably look like a douche.
TL;DR version:
I don't know about you, but instead of writing, I'm now going to see Dirk Nowitzki play basketball. And after that I'm also seeing the Greek national team. Le woot!
How do you break it to your friend? You have to be honest, because you should be honest to friends when it comes to things like this, and it's better if you break the news to them, rather than say a publisher who will laugh at their face. But at the same time, you have to be careful and not hurt their feelings because a) they're your friend, doofus, and b) it might dissuade them from writing any further, if even their friends hate their work.
Neil Gaiman recently answered such a question in his blog, and as with most things Gaiman does, I find myself agreeing completely. You can find his answer here (scroll down a bit), my favorite part would be the following:
"And if you do decide to tell them what's wrong with their book then you don't have to tell them everything that's wrong with it."
This is great, because while you are still telling the truth, naming every single thing you hated is probably not going to win you any more points with your friend. Not to mention you'll probably look like a douche.
TL;DR version:
I don't know about you, but instead of writing, I'm now going to see Dirk Nowitzki play basketball. And after that I'm also seeing the Greek national team. Le woot!
Wednesday, June 25
[Book Wednesday] A Preorder of Dragons
My puns keep getting worse. Way worse.
According to an article from Publisher's Weekly (via Tower of the Hand and Westeros.org), the upcoming new entry in George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire, entitled A Dance With Dragons, is planned to have an initial print of 350,000 copies. Not a small amount to be sure, and apparently an increase over the previous entry, A Feast for Crows.
This is very interesting, as it shows that people still have a great interest in ASOIAF despite the general concencous clearly naming AFFC as the weakest entry in the series so far, and the numberous delays for ADWD, which was originally planned to be released in 2006.
The lack of a definitive release date is a bit troubling, especially given that GRRM still hasn't finished the book, but hey, patience is a virtue of the few, as they say. Plus I can't hold a grudge against the guy for wanting to live a little. Nobody should work when they're practically on vacation.
Next Wednesday will probably be the day when I'll finally post that article on the new volume of Thor, hopefully I'll have finished my comics backlog by then.
TL;DR version:
There won't be any dragons dancing any time in the near future, but when they do, it's gonna be a fucking party. Also, never forget that good things come to those who wait. Now if only good things came to the people that avoid reading spoiler chapters, then I'd be all set.
According to an article from Publisher's Weekly (via Tower of the Hand and Westeros.org), the upcoming new entry in George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire, entitled A Dance With Dragons, is planned to have an initial print of 350,000 copies. Not a small amount to be sure, and apparently an increase over the previous entry, A Feast for Crows.
This is very interesting, as it shows that people still have a great interest in ASOIAF despite the general concencous clearly naming AFFC as the weakest entry in the series so far, and the numberous delays for ADWD, which was originally planned to be released in 2006.
The lack of a definitive release date is a bit troubling, especially given that GRRM still hasn't finished the book, but hey, patience is a virtue of the few, as they say. Plus I can't hold a grudge against the guy for wanting to live a little. Nobody should work when they're practically on vacation.
Next Wednesday will probably be the day when I'll finally post that article on the new volume of Thor, hopefully I'll have finished my comics backlog by then.
TL;DR version:
There won't be any dragons dancing any time in the near future, but when they do, it's gonna be a fucking party. Also, never forget that good things come to those who wait. Now if only good things came to the people that avoid reading spoiler chapters, then I'd be all set.
Wednesday, March 26
American Gods, for free!
I'm in a sort of rotten mood today, so you won't have to endure my usual rants this time, I'll get right to the point. Perhaps it's for the best.
Neil Gaiman's (author of Sandman, amongst other things, all-around god amongst men) best-selling book American Gods is now offered online for free. Arguably one of the best novels of the decade, and definitely one of my favorites of all time. It's a good book, from Gaiman, for free. What are you waiting for? Go nuts.
While on the subject of free stuff, there was an article on a Sunday paper about Greek girl musicians, this one called Olga Kouklaki stood out the most for me. She has also apparently left the country, so hopefully she won't get dragged down by the mediocrity that reigns here. Funny how MySpace is becoming an almost useful site these days though, now that the hype has died down.
Neil Gaiman's (author of Sandman, amongst other things, all-around god amongst men) best-selling book American Gods is now offered online for free. Arguably one of the best novels of the decade, and definitely one of my favorites of all time. It's a good book, from Gaiman, for free. What are you waiting for? Go nuts.
While on the subject of free stuff, there was an article on a Sunday paper about Greek girl musicians, this one called Olga Kouklaki stood out the most for me. She has also apparently left the country, so hopefully she won't get dragged down by the mediocrity that reigns here. Funny how MySpace is becoming an almost useful site these days though, now that the hype has died down.
Tuesday, March 18
Yes. OH YES
'Scuse the almost-orgasmic title of this post, but I just found about this:
I know, it's just the cover, and we still don't know when the actual book is going to be ready (fall? Please make it fall) but just looking at the cover makes me ecstatic. I finished A Feast for Crows while I was PC-less, and the wait for the new book is killing me.
I know, it's just the cover, and we still don't know when the actual book is going to be ready (fall? Please make it fall) but just looking at the cover makes me ecstatic. I finished A Feast for Crows while I was PC-less, and the wait for the new book is killing me.
Monday, December 24
The Page 69 Test
Things have kinda been messy for the past week. This meant that my mood was too horrible for me to do anything else than stay in front of my PC and listen to music/play WoW all day, but look on the bright side: My character has epixx purpleness now.
The situation I was in is sorta better now, though not yet solved. On the real bright side of things, it means I may have to finally leave Greece. Definitely no bad thing.
And since I'm whining, I'd like to say this: Reading through the post I made exactly one year, at this time there was Die Hard on TV. This year, there's a guy with a bad English accent butchering Sinatra songs. God hates us!
*ahem*
Anyway, I did pick up a few things worth noting these days, for example, ever heard of the Page 69 Test? It's an idea put forth by literary critic and media theorist Marshall McLuhan. The gist of it is, if you read through page 69 of a random book and you like it, you'll end up liking the book itself and we should buy it. I guess he chose 69 because it's such a catchy number, not to mention that the plot will have probably started rolling by then. There's also a blog dedicated to this theory.
I'm not too sure about this, as for example when it comes to the first part of the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones, 150 pages seem to be the magic number for most people. Usually no-one is impressed until that point, but when you reach page 150 it becomes too hard to put the book down. In my case, it took me like two months to read through the first 150 pages, and after that I read 150 more in one day. True story.
Still, it's an interesting theory, and worth looking into it. I'll do the test on American Gods and some other of my favorite books.
And speaking of the ASoIaF series, I came across a hilarious video combining both the series and the famous Leeroy Jenkins WoW fan-made character and video. In order to understand what's going on you have to be really familiar with both the ASoIaF series and the Leeroy video, and as such it has a limited target group, but I thought it was hilarious so that's all that matters. Here's the video itself:
The situation I was in is sorta better now, though not yet solved. On the real bright side of things, it means I may have to finally leave Greece. Definitely no bad thing.
And since I'm whining, I'd like to say this: Reading through the post I made exactly one year, at this time there was Die Hard on TV. This year, there's a guy with a bad English accent butchering Sinatra songs. God hates us!
*ahem*
Anyway, I did pick up a few things worth noting these days, for example, ever heard of the Page 69 Test? It's an idea put forth by literary critic and media theorist Marshall McLuhan. The gist of it is, if you read through page 69 of a random book and you like it, you'll end up liking the book itself and we should buy it. I guess he chose 69 because it's such a catchy number, not to mention that the plot will have probably started rolling by then. There's also a blog dedicated to this theory.
I'm not too sure about this, as for example when it comes to the first part of the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones, 150 pages seem to be the magic number for most people. Usually no-one is impressed until that point, but when you reach page 150 it becomes too hard to put the book down. In my case, it took me like two months to read through the first 150 pages, and after that I read 150 more in one day. True story.
Still, it's an interesting theory, and worth looking into it. I'll do the test on American Gods and some other of my favorite books.
And speaking of the ASoIaF series, I came across a hilarious video combining both the series and the famous Leeroy Jenkins WoW fan-made character and video. In order to understand what's going on you have to be really familiar with both the ASoIaF series and the Leeroy video, and as such it has a limited target group, but I thought it was hilarious so that's all that matters. Here's the video itself:
Thursday, November 29
A Song of Ice and Fire
Haven't really been inspired when it came to writing these past few days, rather I've been enjoying my job-less life again. I've also almost reached my goal of 15 blog posts for this month, so no need to rush either.
However, it's kinda frustrating that I've never really posted about my favorite fantasy literature series yet, A Song of Ice and Fire. What's so great about this series? I usually like to say how brutally realistic it is, if not for the (limited) fantasy elements, it could have been considered historical literature instead. Its scope is also something awe-inspiring, and it features some of the best characters I've ever come across.
Yet, unsurprisingly, the author of the series George R. R. Martin sums it up much better than me:
It's so refreshing to read a story like this. How many times have you cringed when an important character survives an impossible situation just because he or she "has to"? No such thing in ASoIaF. It's what keeps you on your toes at all time while reading, it really is a scary thing. And most, if not all, characters are so wonderfully "gray", and the different perspectives you get on each one are really unique.
Speaking of perspectives, each chapter is narrated from one of the main characters, who gives a different view of things every time. A character that at first seemed a complete S.O.B. when seen through the eyes of one person may become a noble hero through the eyes of another. In other words, be prepared to be surprised by certain characters, and don't be too quick to judge them.
Entertainment Weekly recently had a Q&A session with George R. R. Martin, it's where that previous quote is from, and it's really interesting for fans of the series. No, there's no release date for the next chapter, A Dance with Dragons yet. Be patient.
A series of minatures based on characters from the series has also been released lately, if that's your thing. I really like the Jamie Lannister one, I think it captures the essence of his character nicely.
"How long have you known me?" - Still the best damn show on TV right now.
However, it's kinda frustrating that I've never really posted about my favorite fantasy literature series yet, A Song of Ice and Fire. What's so great about this series? I usually like to say how brutally realistic it is, if not for the (limited) fantasy elements, it could have been considered historical literature instead. Its scope is also something awe-inspiring, and it features some of the best characters I've ever come across.
Yet, unsurprisingly, the author of the series George R. R. Martin sums it up much better than me:
It's really irritating when you open a book, and 10 pages into it you know that the hero you met on page one or two is gonna come through unscathed, because he's the hero. This is completely unreal, and I don't like it. If I was a soldier going to war, I'd be pretty scared the night before a battle. It's a scary thing. And I want my readers to feel that fear as they turn the page. I want them to feel that no one is safe — that if my character is surrounded by three people with swords, he's in serious trouble, because he's only one guy against three.
It's so refreshing to read a story like this. How many times have you cringed when an important character survives an impossible situation just because he or she "has to"? No such thing in ASoIaF. It's what keeps you on your toes at all time while reading, it really is a scary thing. And most, if not all, characters are so wonderfully "gray", and the different perspectives you get on each one are really unique.
Speaking of perspectives, each chapter is narrated from one of the main characters, who gives a different view of things every time. A character that at first seemed a complete S.O.B. when seen through the eyes of one person may become a noble hero through the eyes of another. In other words, be prepared to be surprised by certain characters, and don't be too quick to judge them.
Entertainment Weekly recently had a Q&A session with George R. R. Martin, it's where that previous quote is from, and it's really interesting for fans of the series. No, there's no release date for the next chapter, A Dance with Dragons yet. Be patient.
A series of minatures based on characters from the series has also been released lately, if that's your thing. I really like the Jamie Lannister one, I think it captures the essence of his character nicely.
"How long have you known me?" - Still the best damn show on TV right now.
Sunday, October 28
Odd and the Frost Giants
The title refers to Neil Gaiman's latest story, which in his own words will be a "novelette". Anything that Mr. Gaiman writes is essential reading, and yes my opinion is completely unbiased. Seriously. If you haven't read his works yet, what are you waiting for? Start with American Gods and the Sandman comics, and go on from there.
You can read more about this new story, including the introduction to Chapter 3, in his blog. I personally cannot wait. Now if only I could find a copy of Fragile Things here (I don't want to order it from Amazon at the moment for a variety of reasons) everything would be great. Oh, well.
I've been trying to write a long post about the concept suggesting that MMORPG's are all about immersion and escapism, and how that is a lie, but so far I'm not happy with the result. Fingers crossed, it should be ready within the week.
Last thing for today, another of my favorite Daily Show segments of the year so far, Language Burier:
You can read more about this new story, including the introduction to Chapter 3, in his blog. I personally cannot wait. Now if only I could find a copy of Fragile Things here (I don't want to order it from Amazon at the moment for a variety of reasons) everything would be great. Oh, well.
I've been trying to write a long post about the concept suggesting that MMORPG's are all about immersion and escapism, and how that is a lie, but so far I'm not happy with the result. Fingers crossed, it should be ready within the week.
Last thing for today, another of my favorite Daily Show segments of the year so far, Language Burier:
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