Happy Birthday: James Edwin Gunn (July 12, 1923 – December 23, 2020) was an American science fiction writer, editor, scholar, and anthologist. His work as an editor of anthologies includes the six-volume Road to Science Fiction series. He won the Hugo Award for "Best Related Work" in 1983 and he won or was nominated for several other awards for his non-fiction works in the field of science fiction studies. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America made him its 24th Grand Master in 2007, and he was inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2015. His novel The Immortals was adapted into a 1970–71 TV series starring Christopher George.

Gunn was a professor emeritus of English and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, both at the University of Kansas.

Gunn became a professional writer in 1947 when he wrote a play produced by the University of Kansas, Thy Kingdom Come, then wrote newspaper articles and radio scripts. Although he considered moving to New York to become a playwright, he began his career as a science fiction writer in 1949, making his first short story sale to Thrilling Wonder Stories. He has had nearly 100 stories published in magazines and anthologies and has written 28 books and edited 10. Many of his stories and books have been reprinted around the world.

In 1948, Gunn wrote his first science fiction, ten short stories, and published nine from 1949 to 1952 as "Edwin James", a pseudonym derived from his full name James Edwin Gunn. The first two in print, "Communications" and "Paradox" (the first sale), were published in September and October 1949 by editor Sam Merwin in Startling Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories respectively. Gunn's master's thesis, a critical analysis of the genre, was also published in a professional magazine. His novels were first published by Gnome Press in 1955, Star Bridge, written by Gunn and Jack Williamson, and This Fortress World.

Scribner's published Gunn's novel The Listeners in 1972 and it was runner-up for the first annual John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. Carl Sagan called it "one of the very best fictional portrayals of contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence ever written." According to the publisher of a 2004 edition, "this book predicted and inspired the creation of the Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence (SETI)—the organization dedicated to the search for extra-terrestrial life."

In 1996, Gunn wrote a Star Trek novel that was a novelization of "The Joy Machine", an unproduced episode of the first Star Trek series that was scripted by Theodore Sturgeon.

It seems that AI *is* getting smarter after all..... 

Just Finished Reading: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow (FP: 2003) [201pp] 

It was more than a dream, much more. It was something that was part of his very DNA, part of his core personality – Disney World. So, being part of the ad-hoc that had dedicated itself to running and, more importantly, preserving the rides for this and future generations wasn’t just a dream come true, it was where he belonged. Unfortunately, all is not well in the Magic Kingdom. Others, less in love with what is and what was, think that they can ‘improve’ things, give people a better ride, a better experience. They are forward looking not backward and if they get their way then everything will change. Jules has decided that they will not desecrate his memories, the site, the rides he grew up on. It’s going to be the fight of his life – no matter how many times they kill him. 

I’ve heard a great deal about this author so thought it was about time I tried him out. I have to say, I was NOT exactly impressed. The ‘story’ such as it was, came across like two sets of High School students fighting over the design for the end of year Prom. To say that I was disengaged almost from the start is no exaggeration. I had zero investment in the final outcome and each ‘twist’ and turn just left me cold and disinterested. Quite honestly, I did not care if either side triumphed or failed spectacularly. Likewise, I had no investment in the characters none of whom were particularly well drawn – I would’ve thought that 100+ year olds with life experience to match would behave somewhat less than spoilt teenagers to be honest – and none of them were particularly likable.  

The book did contain a few interesting ideas – the post-scarcity society (not explained) where everyone had the basics (just about) but could gain ‘wealth’ by essentially being ‘popular’ and gaining “Whuffie” (kind of ‘likes’ or ‘upvotes’ like in the episode of The Orville or Black Mirror). All sounds VERY teen... Then there were ‘influencers’ - which we are all unfortunately familiar with today. The fear of death had become a thing of the past as people had the ability to ‘back-up’ their lives (care of, I think, some sort of electronic device in their head) which could then be downloaded into a new cloned body on demand. Seemingly this wasn’t 100% fool-proof (presumably unless you’re RICH) and a few issues with the technology was used (badly I thought) as a plot device to add ‘tension’ – which it singularly failed to do.      

Overall, I was not exactly impressed with this one. I’m giving the author a slight pass because it's his first book (and its over 20 years old so SF has moved on quite a bit since then) but I’m hoping that he gained his reputation as an innovator from his much better later works. I'm not 100% sure that this is my worst read of the year (so far), but it's definitely in the running. Not recommended. 

...and back to Barbarism again......

Unfortunately, MOST games don't let you do that!

Just Finished Reading: A Thing of Beauty – Travels in Mythical and Modern Greece by Peter Fiennes (FP: 2021) [264pp] 

If there’s one thing my recent reviews have taught me, it’s that I REALLY need to pay much more attention to books before I purchase them. I had been looking for 'country history' books, especially outside the usual Anglo-American axis and preferably additional to the usual tomes of French history, so this seemed perfect. I’d already read a reasonable bit about Ancient Greece but my knowledge of anything approaching modern Greece was (and still is) almost non-existent. The sub-title in particular got my hopes up but hope, such as it was, stubbornly stayed in Pandora’s Jar. The only ‘modern’ aspect of this book was the fact that the author was driving around modern Greece and occasionally chatting to locals about Hope. Such conversations definitely seemed to be required as fires ravaged the countryside and the early effects of Covid where beginning to show their hand. 

This does not mean that I was disappointed with this volume – FAR from it. Once my all too typical misunderstanding had been accepted, I found this book, and the author, to be fascinating, informed and often funny. It all started, as you might well imagine, with Lord Byron who, after a dissolute youth, decided to aid Greece in her fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire. This journey, by one of the most famous Brits of the era, seemed like a good ‘peg’ to hang a travel book on – and it is. Somewhat strangely, except for some fascinating chunks of the Lord’s life early on, Byron himself features less and less as the book progresses. [Note to Self: Read a good book on Byron!] 

As alluded to earlier, the focus of the book was on Hope – the last thing to emerge from (or to remain in, depending on which version of the Myth you’re reading) Pandora’s jar – it was never a ‘box’, that was a mistranslation which took wings and became the ‘truth’. This naturally led to who Pandora was, why she had (or opened) the jar, who ‘created’ her, why and who for... and we’re off into the wild and complex world of the Greek mythic world. This is where, as also alluded to previously, we are introduced to modern Greece. The author drives around – sometimes with wife and son – to locations where the myths ‘happened’ where variations are teased out – and teased about – as well as museums, galleries, various ruins and more than a few quips in the direction of the British Museum and other European ‘collectors’ who in the 18th and 19th centuries “picked up a few things” on their journey around the country. 

After my initial (brief) disappointment that this wasn’t the book I was looking for, I found myself completely captivated and loving pretty much every minute of it. There are a few things that some readers might find annoying (personally I didn’t) when the author comments on excessive tourism, exploitation and the effects of Global Warming on Greece in particular but they are very minor diversions from the main thrust of the narrative. I’ve already added his book about walking around Britain – referencing various authors as he goes – to my Wish List. I’m really looking forward to that one! Definitely recommended for anyone interested in Myth, Greece and even Lord Byron. 

Reading Plans for 2025 and Beyond – Half Year Update 

My reading ‘Plans’ have not, I think, gone exactly well this year. I’m not 100% sure why that’s so – my ongoing slow reading pace has something to do with that, but that’s not the only reason. Maybe I’m moving into a new (temporary?) more Chaotic Phase....? Anyway, let’s see just how FAR from the ‘Plan’ I’ve deviated at the half-year point. Is there time to course-correct? Do I want to? Good question(s)... 

Following the Labels   

I have been dropping new titles into various label ‘buckets’, although nothing like systematically. So, there’s still quite a few unloved ones there. I’ll see what I can do for them in the next 6 months. The (very) keen eyed amongst you will, however, have noticed that I’ve been adding a few new labels into the mix. They are: 

100 Years (for anything related to the Hundred Years War) which is a slight hint as to what’s coming... 

Military (for all things military *fiction* related) 

Poetry (not likely to be heavily used, but still...) 

Warfare (for all things military *history* related). This will focus on things like battles, weapons, tactics & strategy, commanders and such like 

The ‘Knowledge Streams’    

The 3 main ‘knowledge streams’ are chugging along quietly in the background. Sometimes TOO quietly but I will be focusing on one of them (USA:WTF inevitably) in a slightly different format going forward. 

Rolling the Dice  

I’m still adding a random element into my reading by rolling a pair of dice every time I finish a book. If I roll a double (odd for fiction, even for non-fiction) I add a random book to the read-next pile. As an additional random factor, I re-roll the dice to see how many extras I read. The vast majority of the time its just the one, but recently I rolled a double 4 (so non-fiction) THEN rolled a double SIX which meant SIX non-fiction.... That pile will be coming up shortly! 

Finishing/Progressing Series   

Zero progress here, I’m afraid. There are probably 5-6 series I’m partially the way through ATM. I will get to them... 

Classics and Re-Reads   

I wasn’t ‘planning’ on reading THAT many classics this year but then I bought TWO Penguin short classics boxsets... To be honest they’re a great way of expanding my reading range in a number of directions, so I’m more than happy with that. Plus, being short (under 60pp) they’re really starting to plump up my review pile. 

Deep Dives   

I haven’t done that many ‘deep dives’ lately (3 or more books on a narrow subject) but I have a few lined up that’ll be completed before the end of the year – with more to come after that. 

Ukraine – and More   

I keep meaning to read about the Ukraine war and the Middle East but have singularly failed to do so – and it's not because I haven’t the material to read. Of that I have plenty. It is coming, but not right away. The good news is that I’ve managed to squeeze in ONE book on Palestine in the unexpected 6 additional non-fiction care of the Book Gods. 

BIG Project   

My Big (or indeed Last) Project is being delayed until next year – pushed back by other projects (not quite as big maybe) that have managed to gain my attention. One of these, coming before the end of the year, is a look at the 20th Century from 1914-1983 with each book covering one of those momentous years. But the original BIG Project is coming, and I think it’ll be a LOT of fun. 

Coupling  

One of the (many and ever-changing) ways I decide what to read next is what I’ve labelled ‘coupling’ where I mash two books together that have some connection – be it the same subject from two different viewpoints or something as simple as having similar titles. I’ve already had a few of those this year and there are MANY more in the pipeline. 

BIG event   

Towards the end of the year this Blog will hit a significant milestone. As part of that I’ll be instituting ‘A Year of Reading Radically’ which, I hope, will push at my reading boundaries and give me moral assistance in extracting myself from my many reading comfort zones that I’m (generally) reluctant to leave. It’ll be an effort, but I’ll see what I can accomplish.  

The other avenue I’ll be exploring is a bit more personal. I started looking at my ancestry some time ago but haven’t been giving that subject the attention it deserves. So, from towards the end of the year I’ll be looking a little inward at my own personal history. This will mean reading more about 20th Century England (specifically, at first, post 1960) especially focused on Northern England and even more specifically on the city of Liverpool. Later on I’ll widen this ‘investigation’ to my parents' generation and look at the same geographical areas – extending to Ireland – from the 1920’s and 30’s onwards. That should be both interesting in itself and might (hopefully!) help me understand some of the data I’ve acquired about my ancestors...  

As usual I’ll be surprised if I get anywhere near 50% of this even started – but what’s a Heaven for, right?   

Happy Birthday: William Boyd Watterson II (born July 5, 1958) is an American cartoonist who authored the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. The strip was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. Watterson concluded Calvin and Hobbes with a short statement to newspaper readers that he felt he had achieved all he could in the medium. Watterson is known for his negative views on comic syndication and licensing, his efforts to expand and elevate the newspaper comic as an art form, and his move back into private life after Calvin and Hobbes ended. Watterson was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The suburban Midwestern United States setting of Ohio was part of the inspiration for the setting of Calvin and Hobbes. Watterson currently lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Watterson drew his first cartoon at age eight and spent much time in his childhood alone drawing and cartooning. This continued through his school years, during which time he discovered comic strips such as Walt Kelly's Pogo, George Herriman's Krazy Kat, and Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts which subsequently inspired and influenced his desire to become a professional cartoonist. On one occasion when he was in fourth grade, he wrote a letter to Schulz, who responded, much to Watterson's surprise. This made a big impression on him at the time. His parents encouraged him in his artistic pursuits. Later, they recalled him as a "conservative child" — imaginative, but "not in a fantasy way", and certainly nothing like the character of Calvin that he later created. Watterson found avenues for his cartooning talents throughout primary and secondary school, creating high school-themed super hero comics with his friends and contributing cartoons and art to the school newspaper and yearbook.

After high school, Watterson attended Kenyon College, where he majored in political science. He had already decided on a career in cartooning but he felt studying political science would help him move into editorial cartooning. He continued to develop his art skills and during his sophomore year he painted Michelangelo's Creation of Adam on the ceiling of his dormitory room. He also contributed cartoons to the college newspaper, some of which included the original "Spaceman Spiff" cartoons. Watterson graduated from Kenyon in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Later, when Watterson was creating names for the characters in his comic strip, he decided on Calvin (after the Protestant reformer John Calvin) and Hobbes (after the political philosopher Thomas Hobbes), allegedly as a "tip of the hat" to Kenyon's political science department. In The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, Watterson stated that Calvin was named for "a 16th-century theologian who believed in predestination" and Hobbes for "a 17th-century philosopher with a dim view of human nature".

Just Finished Reading: Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles (FP: 2003) [299pp] 

Missouri, November 1864. When the Union Militia arrested her father for aiding the Rebels his young daughter, Adair Colley had no option. She would travel with her younger sisters to the nearest Union Headquarters and ask for his release. She never thought that such an obvious plea for justice could lead her even further away from her family, her farm and everyone she loved. Accused of aiding Rebel forces with supplies and intelligence, Adair is sent to a woman’s prison in St Louis where she is interrogated by Major William Neumann who makes it clear that running a woman’s prison in the middle of a war is the very last thing he wants. Determined not to reveal what little information she possesses, Adair concocts a series of outrageous stories to play with and infuriate the Major. Surprisingly for both of them their game of cat and mouse leads to a growing romance. But falling in love across political lines is never going to be easy, especially when the Major finally achieves his long-standing aim and is assigned to a combat unit. Adair is left with only one option, to escape from prison, return home and seek out the Major once the fighting is over. 

I’m not exactly sure why – most probably from the cover to be honest – but I thought that the female protagonist was going to be a Native American woman. I guess I should have paid closer attention to the blurb on the back cover! But that was OK. Once I started reading, I was dropped into a well-drawn time and place and settled right in. The plot was a straight-forward one: girl finds boy, girl loses boy, girl hopes to get boy back after they both have adventures/side-quests. The two main characters are well drawn and believable and even the romance part – which I did find rather slow – was well handled. The character of Adair was feisty and smart so was fun to ‘watch’ as she argued with the often pleasantly bemused Major. The Major himself is also well drawn, and I rather liked him if somewhat less than Adair. They actually made a good couple and complimented each other well. There’s a brief action scene which I was impressed with, and I thought it was very well handled. But... despite ALL of that I thought this was a bit too slow for my liking. It was certainly well written; the plot was well constructed, and characterisation was more than adequate throughout but it never really ‘gelled’ with me. That might say more about me than the author or the book, but there we are.  

Despite my somewhat equivocal feelings towards it this is definitely an above average read and, no doubt, others will enjoy it much more than I did. I’ll give it a reasonable overall but still recommend it too – if it sounds like it's something that will appeal to you.   

Erm.... Hold on ONE second.....! That's the SAME kid..... [lol]

I've never understood the 'hyphen thing'.... AFAIK the US is the only place to do it. I'm aware that its a reference to ancestry but everyone else has ancestors too.... without the hyphen. I certainly don't call myself Irish-British... That just sounds weird. I was born in England, so I'm English... which makes me British.... If people are interested I can say that I'm of Irish descent with some Scots in there from GOD knows where.... But that doesn't stop me being a Brit.... 

Just Finished Reading: Forensics – The Anatomy of Crime by Val McDermid (FP: 2014) [295pp] 

There’re two main reasons I enjoy reading Crime novels – trying to figure out ‘Who Dunnit’ (hopefully before all in revealed) and the enjoyment of the process of finding out the ‘How Dunnit’ and maybe even the ‘Why Dunnit’ using the science of forensics. I always enjoy the detective or police officer piecing together clues from blood, hair and other items left at the scene – as Morse often said in the TV series (at least I *think* he said it) the murderer always takes something with him and always leaves something behind. More pithily “every contact leaves a trace”. 

As with all science based/related books this has slightly aged since its publication around 10 years ago. However, this is only really noticeable in the chapters on DNA evidence and the still interesting, if notably aged, section on digital forensics. Despite this inevitable result of waiting 10 years to finally read this (typical of me I’m afraid!) I still managed to learn (or re-learn) a great deal – over and above what I’d already managed to glean from movies and TV shows, which to be honest are known more for their exaggerated capabilities than their grasp of forensic reality (much to the annoyance of REAL cops). 

The flow of the book is from crime scene to courtroom starting with the basics and working through the various elements in the forensic toolkit. There is a scattering of US and other countries crimes used to illustrate various points and breakthroughs in forensic science, but this book largely focuses on crimes, techniques and legal angles particular to the UK (with Scottish law being notably different from English law at times).  

The first dive into the science looks at investigations of fire – either just straight arson or fire used in an attempt to cover up other crimes – LOTS of interesting stuff there. I did find it somewhat surprising at the kind of things survive a fire (including human remains) as well as the random nature of fire itself (it doesn’t always go where the criminal wants it to go). There’s an interesting section on bugs and how they help to determine time of death (NEVER as clear cut as TV shows would have you believe!) but I was largely aware of that from other reading. Likewise, the history of fingerprinting (it's amazing what can produce prints these days!) was a nice refresher but didn’t push my knowledge too much further. The section on Toxicology was fascinating especially how the scientists slowly developed tests for various toxic substances – sadly involving the deaths of LOTS of animals. I was particularly interested in the cosmetic use of radium in face powder and lipstick! Radium was considered a boon to health and was actually sold as a DRINK. I can’t help but wonder how many of its users rather oddly developed various forms of cancer...! 

Written by a best-selling crime novelist this was a quality look behind the scenes of her books. I particularly liked the scattering of interviews with the real-life forensic scientists who discussed their work including breakthroughs and the stress of cross-examination in court. Being the subject it is, there’s a fair amount of yuck factor throughout although no doubt much toned down from the harsh reality of death and destruction – so be BEWARE. But if you have a reasonably robust stomach and have an interest in the darker side of humanity, I think you’ll find this as interesting and informative as I did. Recommended.  

"Books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are; nay, they do preserve as in a vial the purest efficacy and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. I know they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon's teeth; and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men."

John Milton, Areopagitica.

Interesting............!!

Happy Birthday: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher (philosophe), writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic, and educational thought.

His Discourse on Inequality, which argues that private property is the source of inequality, and The Social Contract, which outlines the basis for a legitimate political order, are cornerstones in modern political and social thought. Rousseau's sentimental novel Julie, or the New Heloise (1761) was important to the development of pre-romanticism and romanticism in fiction. His Emile, or On Education (1762) is an educational treatise on the place of the individual in society. Rousseau's autobiographical writings—the posthumously published Confessions (completed in 1770), which initiated the modern autobiography, and the unfinished Reveries of the Solitary Walker (composed 1776–1778)—exemplified the late 18th-century "Age of Sensibility", and featured an increased focus on subjectivity and introspection that later characterized modern writing.

Rousseau based his political philosophy on contract theory and his reading of Thomas Hobbes. Reacting to the ideas of Samuel von Pufendorf and John Locke was also driving his thought. All three thinkers had believed that humans living without central authority were facing uncertain conditions in a state of mutual competition. In contrast, Rousseau believed that there was no explanation for why this would be the case, as there would have been no conflict or property. Rousseau especially criticized Hobbes for asserting that since man in the "state of nature... has no idea of goodness he must be naturally wicked; that he is vicious because he does not know virtue". On the contrary, Rousseau holds that "uncorrupted morals" prevail in the "state of nature".

IMPRESSIVE...... IF it's real!

A game I said I'd never get, then finally did.... and LOVED it....

Just Finished Reading: First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami (FP: 2020) [245pp] 

I have been hearing good things, indeed great things, about Murakami for some years now so picking up a collection of his short stories seemed to me a no-brainer. Although I’m still musing about how I feel about him/his writing I’m certainly not sorry that I (finally) took the plunge. 

This collection contained 8 short stories all of which are based in Japan. What I’m struggling with is exactly how to classify them. They’re... odd. Not exactly Fantasy or even the much-used phrase ‘Magical Realism’, but strange, almost dreamlike at times. Although all of the stories are essentially based in reality, they have a quality about them that's hard to pin down – as you can no doubt tell from me struggling with definitions and my thoughts on the topic even after two weeks thinking about it. I think that at the heart of his stories – at least in these examples – are encounters with the surreal, even with the supernatural (but in a deeper, more philosophical, sense than mere ghosts). 

There’s Cream, where a vacillating student is invited to a music recital at a locked and obviously abandoned building where he meets an old man who tells him how to reset his life. The funny Charlie Parker Plays Bossa Nova where a strange record store selling impossible records is discovered and lost in the space of a few hours, and the even stranger tale Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey, where a talking monkey relates his life story to a hostel’s single guest (but who would believe him, right?) only to have it kind of confirmed some years later in a random encounter. 

I think that the only word that describes the feeling I had when I turned the last page was haunting. It was almost as if the reader is given a glimpse, a short insight, a peek behind the curtain of reality to see, if only for a few brief seconds what is really going on. Sort of less ‘magical realism’, more real reality. It was weird, strange, bizarre and very well written. I can certainly see why the author is so well regarded. Needless to say, I shall be reading more of his work. I think I want my reality stretched again in such intriguing ways. Definitely recommended if you don’t mind your sense of reality being bent a little bit.          

Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel 

Just Finished Reading: The Sage of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anon [52pp] 

Dreams cannot easily (or safely) be ignored. So, when Thorstein Egilsson dreamt of two great eagles fighting to the death on top of his house, he sought advice from the local wiseman. The inference was clear. Thorstein’s wife was about to give birth, and she would produce a daughter of surpassing beauty who men would fight and die over. To avoid such a fate Thorstein instructed his wife to leave a daughter exposed to the elements and the wolves but to keep a son. This she promised to do... but fate is a trickster and a mother's love is not to be trifled with.....  

I’ve come across the Nordic saga’s many times over the years but have never actually read any of them – even extracts such as this. That might change after enjoying this slim booklet. I think the first thing that struck me was how similar to Greek myths they are (and not wholly based on the fact that I’m presently reading a book steeped in Greek mythology. The idea of Fate and the fact that it cannot be avoided – except is VERY exceptional circumstances – is central to both ‘belief systems’. Even the Gods themselves must bend before the Fates, so mere mortals have little chance as this tale shows. As usual the very fact of trying to avoid a fated outcome brings it about. “Fate, it seems, it not without a sense of irony”.  

The other thing I noticed/liked was the scattering of insights into the Nordic/Anglo-Saxon civilisations of the time as various characters (most especially the eponymous Gunnlaug) travelled around the North Sea with visits to Norway and England as well as travels within Iceland where the sage is based. Although the tale itself was only written down around 1270-1300 the action takes place around 990-1010 which I’m moderately familiar with reading around the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Invasion. My background reading made the customs and some of the main characters – Kings mostly – readily understandable. If you’re interested in the period and ever wondered about the Saga’s - and even wondered if you might want to read a complete one – this is definitely an entry port for you. Recommended.  

Translated from the Icelandic/Old Norse by Katrina C Attwood

Erm.... You can't park there, mate!