It's A Gas!

While birthday shopping for my 5-year-old niece, I came across a book called Walter The Farting Dog on Amazon. It had several five star reviews and a one star review. The one star review is pretty funny, but I don't think the writer would get it.

Cinco De Mayo

io9 recently posted their "ultimate guide to September's science fiction awesomeness". It just so happens to feature my cousin's new book that came out today!

Here's the cover:


Here's the premise:

"On May 5, in a flash of pain, every man, woman and child on the planet receives a second set of memories. A new name, a new language, a whole new life slips into their minds, along side their own.

In Chicago, a transit worker knows enough about the Aryan Brotherhood to mark him for death.

In Abu Dhabi, a playboy experiences modern day slavery.
In New York an advertising executive shares the memories of a blind railroad worker in China.

In this transparent world of instant intimacy, no one is left untouched..."

And here's a link to it on Amazon!

I look forward to reading it.

Angels & Demons

I haven't seen The Da Vinci Code movie, though I did read the book. And while it's the kind of book that you absolutely can't put down until you finish it, Dan Brown is paradoxically a pretty bad writer. He's just happened to find a gimmick that makes his books addictive. So bully for him.

I haven't read Angels & Demons, but from what I understand it uses all of the same tricks he later used for Da Vinci. Ending every chapter with a cliffhanger, creating plot twists by deliberately lying to the reader (the Shyamalan method), and throwing in a dash of real history.

And while the major plot twist here isn't nearly as outrageously cheated as it was in The Da Vinci Code, we have the rest of the story to compensate. Almost everything that occurs in Angels & Demons is completely preposterous, especially the climax and conclusion. The helicopter scene completely nuked the fridge, and the bad guy's ultimate plan was so complicated and relied on so much chance that it was barely a plan at all. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the movie.

One of the nice things about it is that it clips along at a rapid pace, so that you often don't have time to stop and think about how dumb it is. The whole movie is essentially one long chase scene, interspersed with a touch of art history and puzzle solving, and the occasional gruesome murder. And I mean gruesome!

One of the major problems is that I didn't particularly care for any of the characters. I found every one of them at least a little bit annoying. Even Tom Hanks comes across as a kind of douchey know-it-all who never lets a moment pass to display his cleverness. It's no wonder the Vatican is so reluctant to work with him. And is it just me, or did you not know who the bad guy was after watching the first trailer?

I also have to take slight umbrage with the ultimate message about science and religion. Angels & Demons comes down on the side of "hey, they're both equally good! Can't have one without the other." Which seems to validate the current argument that schools should be teaching creation right alongside evolution.
I know this is a popcorn movie and Ron Howard is not trying to be controversial, but come on!

Regardless, I found myself enjoying the movie. If for nothing else than to get to see some wonderful parts of Rome, and amazing art. Particularly the work of Bernini whom I've absolutely loved since watching the incredible series, Power of Art (check it out, you'll be in love). Despite all of its glaring flaws I found myself enjoying the ride. Just like The Da Vinci Code.

ABC3D

Must. Own. Book.


Abc3D - video powered by Metacafe

This is beautiful design, and cheap!

[via Boing Boing]

House Of Pancakes

The latest xkcd comic is a parody of one of my favorite books, House of Leaves.

If you haven't read xkcd before, I recommend it. It's the nerdiest comic out there. And I highly recommend House of Leaves, because it's the scariest book I've read.

Please Refrain From Making Any "Wand" Jokes

So, J.K. Rowling has apparently outed Dumbledore, according to this Washington Post story.

I know some of you have read/are reading these books. Hope this news doesn't change the experience for you too greatly.

I'm not surprised by the news at all, since I've always believed all wizards to be gay. But that's just me.