Jory
Always in the wrong place at the wrong time
Joined: Jun 03, 2011
Age: 29
Posts: 6301
Location: Tornado Alley
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 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Quatermass wrote: | | Dracula is pretty much evil incarnate in Anno Dracula. |
Glad to hear it. 
| Quatermass wrote: | | But while your argument is valid, I think you do some recent vampire fiction a disservice. Let the Right One In was, while extremely disturbing, an excellent book, and it makes no bones of the terrible things Eli does to stay alive. |
Don't worry, Let the Right One In hasn't gone unnoticed by me. That's why I was careful to qualify the statement with "pretty much." I'm aware that there is indeed some good vampire fiction out there these days which focuses on horror instead of sappy romance, but I don't think anyone would argue when I say that the latter is much more prevalent than the former. The most popular vampire fiction for the last few decades has been the Anne Rice variety, which has nothing in common whatsoever with the kind of vampires I like.
| Quatermass wrote: | | A Study in Emerald? I believe that it's available online. In fact, here it is available in PDF format from Neil Gaiman's own website: |
Yeah, that's it. I was a little disappointed to see that the book version doesn't replicate the PDF version's illustrations. |
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21099
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Jory wrote: | | Quatermass wrote: | | But while your argument is valid, I think you do some recent vampire fiction a disservice. Let the Right One In was, while extremely disturbing, an excellent book, and it makes no bones of the terrible things Eli does to stay alive. |
Don't worry, Let the Right One In hasn't gone unnoticed by me. That's why I was careful to qualify the statement with "pretty much." I'm aware that there is indeed some good vampire fiction out there these days which focuses on horror instead of sappy romance, but I don't think anyone would argue when I say that the latter is much more prevalent than the former. The most popular vampire fiction for the last few decades has been the Anne Rice variety, which has nothing in common whatsoever with the kind of vampires I like.
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The romance in Let the Right One In is rather sweet, if disturbing on so many levels. It'd be sappy (in a good way, mind) if it weren't for those disturbing aspects.
And keep in mind that Anno Dracula has Geneviève Dieudonné, a good vampire (or as good as a vampire could be in the work). She's aware that a vampire is a parasite upon humanity, and considers Dracula to be a delusional megalomaniac for thinking it's his right to dominate humanity. She also considers Dracula's bloodline to be corrupted, and those turned by him far more violent (she was turned about fifty years before Dracula by a much different vampire) than those of other bloodlines. That being said, there is at least one occasion where she very nearly loses herself to bloodlust. But she's the most human and humane of the vampires, despite her age (put it this way, she fought alongside Joan of Arc), or probably because of it.
There's also a Doctor Who novel, probably hard to get nowadays, which has vampires as villains. While they're still complex characters, they are also the villains, and while you can feel sympathy for some of them, they're still trying to cause havoc and destruction. It's called Goth Opera by Paul Cornell. I haven't read fully it's prequel, Blood Harvest by Terrance Dicks, but both can be read as standalone works. In fact, in Goth Opera, Nyssa is bitten by a vampire, and struggles to deal with a vampiric nature coming forth.
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Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Jory
Always in the wrong place at the wrong time
Joined: Jun 03, 2011
Age: 29
Posts: 6301
Location: Tornado Alley
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| There's one aspect of Stoker's book which seems to have been lost, even in fiction that portrays vampires as evil: the idea that once you die and rise as a vampire, you're no longer who you used to be. Your soul is gone and evil has pretty much taken over. It's not just a case of good people turning evil because they can't control their bloodlust. Stoker would never write a scene in which a vampire resists the urge the kill and feed because they find it morally repulsive. His vampires seem more like today's zombies, only they retain their intelligence and their bodies don't decay. I wish that modern vampire fiction would retain this, since it strengthens the idea of vampirism as something truly horrifying, but I'll take what I can get in the world of Anne Rice and Twilight. |
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| Jory wrote: | | There's one aspect of Stoker's book which seems to have been lost, even in fiction that portrays vampires as evil: the idea that once you die and rise as a vampire, you're no longer who you used to be. Your soul is gone and evil has pretty much taken over. It's not just a case of good people turning evil because they can't control their bloodlust. Stoker would never write a scene in which a vampire resists the urge the kill and feed because they find it morally repulsive. His vampires seem more like today's zombies, only they retain their intelligence and their bodies don't decay. I wish that modern vampire fiction would retain this, since it strengthens the idea of vampirism as something truly horrifying, but I'll take what I can get in the world of Anne Rice and Twilight. |
Speaking of Anne Rice, I'm going to be reading Interview with the Vampire soon. But I'm not going to be reading another Stephanie Meyer novel. Twilight wasn't abysmal, but it was pretty damn mediocre, and I'm not sure I want a purple prose overdose again  .
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Jory
Always in the wrong place at the wrong time
Joined: Jun 03, 2011
Age: 29
Posts: 6301
Location: Tornado Alley
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quatermass wrote: | | Speaking of Anne Rice, I'm going to be reading Interview with the Vampire soon. But I'm not going to be reading another Stephanie Meyer novel. Twilight wasn't abysmal, but it was pretty damn mediocre, and I'm not sure I want a purple prose overdose again . |
If you're going to have a purple prose overdose, just read Lovecraft. His sluggish writing has a better payoff. |
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Jory wrote: | | Quatermass wrote: | | Speaking of Anne Rice, I'm going to be reading Interview with the Vampire soon. But I'm not going to be reading another Stephanie Meyer novel. Twilight wasn't abysmal, but it was pretty damn mediocre, and I'm not sure I want a purple prose overdose again . |
If you're going to have a purple prose overdose, just read Lovecraft. His sluggish writing has a better payoff. |
I wouldn't call his writing style purple prose. It's drier than the Sahara and is very old fashioned. But one cannot dispute his ability to create an atmosphere.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:17 am Post subject: |
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Book 49...
REVIEW: Ciaphas Cain: For the Emperor by Alex Stewart (as Sandy Mitchell)
Having started on the series with one of the latest books, The Emperor's Finest, I have, quite by accident, found the first of the Ciaphas Cain books (set in the grim and dark Warhammer 40,000 universe), and read it. I wanted to try and read whatever books in the series I could find, wondering whether the first one was typical of the series, or whether the prior books were better or worse. For the Emperor, the first in the series, but set after The Emperor's Finest chronologically, may hold the key to whether I continue to read this series...
Amberly Vail, Inquisitor and associate of famous Commisar Ciaphas Cain, has elected to begin editing his memoirs, memoirs that dispel, in Cain's mind at least, the popular image of him being the Hero of the Imperium of Man. Interspersed with Vail's own comments and extracts from other works, we see how Cain struggles to unite two disparate military companies the 301st and the 296th (now combined into the 597th), and manages to stop a mutiny without resorting to executions. But Cain is to be sent to the isolated world of Gravalax, along with the newly merged 597th company of Valhallan troopers, in order to investigate a possible incursion of Tau. The Tau are willing to negotiate with the Imperium, but somebody is intending to disrupt the process, and cause a destabilising conflict...
Like the previous one, this story is entertaining without being truly spectacular. There's some more interest in this, as Cain has to dance around the problems in the military companies as well as when he finds out about Amberley Vail, but the structure of the story is not unlike The Emperor's Finest. This is by no means a bad thing, and the story is entertaining enough on its own merits, but it is still rather singular, and those unfamiliar with the Warhammer 40,000 universe may be a little at sea.
The characters this time around are a little more interesting, with Amberley Vail taking a larger role, and being one of the few characters to see through Cain. Cain himself seems less cowardly (although certainly with a strong self-preservation instinct) and more pragmatic than Flashman or Blackadder, the characters he is supposedly based on, but there's no real change from the character as written in The Emperor's Finest. The Tau are interesting, but not really written about enough (though given the xenophobic viewpoint of the Imperium, that might be the reason), and the mutineers aren't given quite enough characterisation. However, Jurgen and the Valhallans are, if not spectacular, decently written.
All in all, For the Emperor was a decently entertaining story. Not an improvement over The Emperor's Finest, but hey, it's an entertaining enough story. And that's what counts.
8.5/10
First words: Editorial Note:
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:37 am Post subject: |
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Book 50...
REVIEW: Transmetropolitan volume 9: The Cure by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson and Rodney Ramos
For this book reading blog, I have managed to read most of the Transmetropolitan series of graphic novels. Now, finally, I have the last two volumes, and I am ready to finish the story I started reading last year. But how well will the series stand up after the stellar eighth volume? Time to find out...
Spider Jerusalem is in a race against time. President Gary 'the Smiler' Callahan's attempts to kill him are bad enough, but now Spider has a degenerative illness that will, in all likelihood, render him mindless. But he is determined to bring down the Smiler, and with his assistants Channon and Yelena, along with rogue feedsite owner Lau Qi and Yelena's father Oscar Rossini, he begins his crusade. A violent interrogation of cult leader Fred Christ reveals the true extent of the Smiler's depravity, and what part Fred played in his rise to power. But while Spider is making headway in his own investigation, his former editor, Mitchell Royce, has managed to recover a copy of Spider's evidence against the Smiler. With evidence old and new, Spider and his assistants track down the last surviving Transient prostitute to have serviced the Smiler, Liesl Barclay, who has managed to revert to a human appearance by taking a cure. But while Spider manages to find her first, the Smiler's men aren't that far behind, and soon, the Smiler is about to change the game for the worse. Will the Smiler win? Or will Spider receive help from an unexpected quarter?
You get the sense by now that the conflict between Spider Jerusalem and the Smiler has entered the end game in this dark but intelligently written series. While not as game-changing as the previous volume, and not really as good, it is still better than the usual run of books, prose or graphic novel. So it still remains as entertaining and engrossing as it was before, although the political satire is a little less prominent in this story, and it's certainly less satisfying than the previous volume.
Spider becomes increasingly violent throughout this novel, interrogating (admittedly dickish, at best) cult leader Fred Christ with a chair leg ("Do not offend the Chair Leg of Truth. It is wise and terrible" is nonetheless one of many darkly funny lines in that sequence) and shooting an assassin with a real gun rather than with a bowel disruptor, and he is also starting to get even more erratic than he did while under the influence of drugs. Channon and Yelena are good, as usual, but we have some unexpected moments of defiance of the Smiler from both Mitchell Royce, Spider's former editor, and Robert McX, a prominent reporter seen throughout the series, and the question he gives the Smiler at the end makes the Smiler look truly appalled for the first real time, a sight to behold.
The ninth, and penultimate, volume of Transmetropolitan maintains the high standard I have come to expect from the series, and while a bit of a comedown from the previous volume, is nonetheless a good one. I can't wait to read the tenth, and final volume, and bring the story to a conclusion.
9/10
First words: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Book 51...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: Return of the Living Dad by Kate Orman
Nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to obtain the New Adventures and Missing Adventures spin off Doctor Who novels, and so I have to scour bookshops and the Lifeline Bookfest in order to have a good chance of getting any. The recent Bookfest has managed to get me a number of those books that I wanted, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the New Adventures story (written by fellow Aussie Kate Orman) Return of the Living Dad. So, how would I find this book?
During an archaeological dig with her husband Jason Kane, Bernice Summerfield is approached by a former colleague of her father's. Admiral Isaac Summerfield was a notorious coward who apparently deserted a space battle against the Daleks. Determined to find out the truth, Bernice tells the Doctor to take her back to that fateful battle. To her surprise, Isaac Summerfield was attempting a flanking move, but ended up drawn into a rift in time, ending up in England in the 20th century. The Doctor, Bernice, Jason, Rozlyn Forrester, and Chris Cwej follow, ending up twenty years after Isaac was stranded. It is 1983, in the sleepy village of Little Caldwell, where Isaac has been helping out aliens and time travellers who end up drawn to the rift in time. But many aliens in Isaac's group are suspicious of the Doctor, known for trailing death and destruction in his wake. And when an alien disappears, along with the TARDIS, tensions begin to mount. Between a rogue government agent and an alien military lunatic, the Doctor and Isaac Summerfield have their work cut out for them. But can Bernice trust her own father? Or is Isaac up to something?
The story in this book feels, rather like..., slapped together out of two separate storylines. The storyline about the rogue C19 agent feels like it was added from another work to beef up the wordcount. It's not like it doesn't fit, but it's slightly out of tune with the rest of the book, and it drags it down somewhat. And while this was written well before Torchwood, it is not dissimilar in terms of themes, though it might be closer to Sanctuary in another way.
But the core of the story is the characters. In particular, the relationship between Bernice and her father, which I expected to be stronger. But it's still satisfying, if not very much so. The Doctor is the same as he often is in the New Adventures, although it's interesting to see him getting successfully with the sensation of an excellent cup of tea. The other companions and characters are functional, and while the main villain is rather dangerous, he's also, in a way, rather pathetic.
All in all, Return of the Living Dad is a flawed but still good story in the New Adventures canon. Hard to get, but certainly worth the effort to try and get for any true Doctor Who fan.
8.5/10
First words: Once upon a time there was a hermit.
Last words: Their names fit really well together, don't you think?
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21099
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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Book 52...
REVIEW: Transmetropolitan volume 10: One More Time by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson and Rodney Ramos
At last. Since starting it last year, I have been working my way through the graphic novel series known as Transmetropolitan, one of the few series I can be bothered to actually buy and read. Having followed the misadventures of extremely unconventional journalist Spider Jerusalem since the very beginning, in order, I was eager to see its end. But would the denouement be a good one? Or would it disappoint me?
Gary 'the Smiler' Callahan, President of the United States in the far future, has declared martial law on the City in an attempt to get rid of Spider Jerusalem, rogue journalist and his nemesis. And finally, it seems that Spider's example is about to be followed by the journalists of the City, stifled for too long by the Smiler's policies. A massacre of protestors on a university campus in the City is broadcast, first by the Hole, the feedsite that Spider has associated with, and then by the media of the US. Spider's allies help him in any way that they can, and soon, Spider learns that even the City will finally rise up against the Smiler. But the Smiler, even as he loses his control over the country, is determined to kill Spider. And the stage is set for a confrontation, one that, even if Spider survives, thanks to the degenerative illness in his brain, he may not be able to enjoy his victory...
This graphic novel not only has the last six parts of Transmetropolitan, but also a collected series of prose works, purportedly extracts from Spider's column. The story, as I expected it to, comes to a satisfying conclusion, with an epic battle of wits between the Smiler and Spider that ends with Spider completely outwitting the Smiler. The concluding strip, set some time afterwards, is an excellent one, without giving too much away, although in retrospect, it does have uncomfortable connotations with the life of Spider's inspiration, Hunter S Thompson. The prose works, I Hate It Here and Filth of the City, add more to the background of Spider's psychology, and while most of it is stuff you can glean from his words in the comic, there are some surprising revelations, such as Spider revealing that, despite his outward attitude, he actually respected Yelena quite early on because she hated him and made no attempt to hide it. It's not quite at the level of Dirge, the eighth volume of the series, but the story is very good anyway. It just seems to be tied up just a little too quickly for my liking.
Spider, in this point in the series, is on the offensive, and despite the I-Pollen poisoning affecting his brain, he still manages to show that he has a plan to bring down the Smiler. The Smiler's true colours have been revealed long ago, but they are truly revealed when he echoes a phrase his predecessor used, though his predecessor added that he was joking: "When the President does it, it isn't a crime." Channon and Yelena all get time in the spotlight, but especial kudos should go to other characters. Oscar Rossini gets to give the people sent to arrest him an epic putdown, Mary the cryogenic journalist manages to really help Spider, the journalists of the City grow some balls to fight the Smiler, and even the Smiler's aide, after being put upon by her boss, has a neat revenge. And finally, we have Detective Newton in an epic takedown in the nick of time.
All in all, the tenth volume of Transmetropolitan is the epic, if somewhat fast, finale I was expecting, with some added bonuses. And so ends a chapter of my reading life...
9.5/10
First words: The White House press office is closed today, following both the President's dramatic decision to enforce martial law in the City--
Last words: The Word would like to dedicate FILTH OF THE CITY to them, with thanks and in the devout hope that it doesn't take too many years of intense therapy and surgical procedures for them to recover from the experience of working for Spider Jerusalem.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21099
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:48 am Post subject: |
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I may end up finishing this soon. I lack the motivation to read more books at the moment.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21099
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:38 am Post subject: |
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This thread is still alive. I'm currently reading a Doctor Who novel with a weird, B-Movie-esque name. It's called The Devil Goblins from Neptune. Yes. Really.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:54 am Post subject: |
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Book 53...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Devil Goblins from Neptune by Keith Topping and Martin Day
After Virgin Publishing's licence to publish original Doctor Who fiction expired, the BBC chose not to renew it, instead deciding to take over the publishing of the two series of novels themselves. The New Adventures became the Eighth Doctor Adventures (as well as Virgin publishing another set of New Adventures, featuring not the Doctor, but former companion Bernice Summerfield), while the Missing Adventures became the Past Doctor Adventures. The first of the Past Doctor Adventures was the rather bizarrely named The Devil Goblins from Neptune. Despite the very B-Movie-esque title, is it a good book?
A meteor shower witnessed by hippies. A strange mass breaking up in the Earth's atmosphere without causing harm. A series of deaths in the countryside. UNIT believes that there is a connection, but a group of Russian soldiers try to kidnap the Doctor as he begins investigating, the CIA have sent an agent to sabotage UNIT, and a British Rocket Group probe has been sent to Neptune. There's more than one conspiracy going on, but who is a friend, and who is a foe? What are the creatures known as the Waro? Can anyone be trusted, even in UNIT? With the devil goblins of Neptune preparing to wipe the planet out, the Doctor, Liz, and UNIT will be hard pressed to stop them...
Despite the dodgy name, the actual story, such as it is, is quite excellent. There is a labyrinthian set of circumstances, where friend and foe, initially, are blurred. We get the feeling that this is pretty much the real world, despite the alien invasion thing happening and a Neptune probe sent in 1970 or so. We learn about the fact that the exiled Doctor now attends a gentleman's club in London, that UNIT has branches everywhere, including the USSR (which is at the crux of part of the story), and the UNIT personnel are made to be human beings, and not just nameless soldiers and cannon fodder. There's even some nice nods to the Doctor's past and future in an early chapter, when he speaks to Trainor.
The characterisation is less impressive, but still decent. More is given on the pasts of Liz Shaw and the Brigadier, and both Mike Yates and Benton get good screentime (although both of them go through a lot). The Doctor is as he is on the TV, and while Jon Pertwee isn't one of my favourites, the authors capture his essence fairly well. Of the new characters, only Captain Valentine Shushkin, a female officer of the Soviet branch of UNIT, and Professor Trainor impress me at all. The CIA agent Thomas Bruce is just a one dimensional thuggish spy, and the main villain, Viscount Rose, doesn't even have his motive explained except somewhat half-heartedly by the Doctor, later. The Waro are functional as a deadly alien enemy, but have less depth than the Daleks. They achieve their purpose, which is to terrify and be a credible threat, but they aren't much more than a threat.
All in all, The Devil Goblins from Neptune is a good story, let down by some dodgy characterisation. It may be hard to get nowadays, but go ahead and try it. Don't let the title fool you.
9/10
First words: A steady drizzle fell from a gunmetal-grey sky against the pale buildings of Gorkiy.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:33 am Post subject: |
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Book 54...
REVIEW: The Joker by Daniel Wallace
I have to admit that I am not much of a mainstream comics fan. I do enjoy some manga, and some various odds and ends of more mature comics like Transmetropolitan, or Watchmen. But if I had to choose my single most favourite comic, from the mainstream, in the world, then I would probably choose Batman. Why? Well, the titular hero has no superpowers. He's just at the peak of physical and mental condition (and keeps trying to push himself beyond it), and there's a moral ambiguity to him when he is best written. And of course, one of my favourite villains is his arch-nemesis the Joker. After all, I reviewed both The Killing Joke, and Joker, two key graphic novels about the Joker, in previous book-reading blogs. So maybe it's time that I come to a book all about the infamous Clown Prince of Crime...
The Joker is simply a pictorial work that details the history of the Joker, and how he stands in relation to Batman, the other villains of Gotham, and indeed the rest of the DC Universe. And not just in the comics medium, but also what he was like in the television series, the various animated series, and in film. The book is illustrated with artwork and panels from the comic strips, screenshots and photos from the relevant sources.
The actual content, while interesting, is rather on the sparse side for someone who wants a little meat on the bones. This drags the score down somewhat. Even so, it is informative, I am sure, to someone who is a fan of Batman and the Joker, though I am not sure whether that the info within isn't already known to said fans. However, they might appreciate some things, including a substantial introduction from Mark Hamill, the former Star Wars actor who also brought the Joker to life in the animated series.
This is very much a pictorial work, with images from many parts of the DC Universe, many of them interesting, and all of them relevant to the current topic of discussion. This glossy book is presented well, if nothing else. But we see parts of the Joker's first story, the various versions of his origin, his various incarnations in print, or on screens big and small.
Overall, this book is a grand, glossy work that is more style than substance. Even so, it is still a pretty damn good book on Batman's most infamous foe, the Joker.
8.5/10
First words: "Without Batman, crime has no punchline!"
Last words: As the Dark Knight's legend evolves throughout the twenty-first century, it seems that a bat will forever remain locked in combat with a clown.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Book 55...
REVIEW: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Vampires seem ubiquitous in fiction of late. Popularity seems to come and go in waves ever since Bram Stoker wrote the most famous work of vampire fiction, and one of the definitive Victorian horror novels, Dracula. But today's surge of vampire literature, marked by the Twilight books, the Darren Shan series, and Let the Right One In, is merely the most recent. Vampire fiction became notable with another author, Anne Rice, whose Vampire Chronicles define many of the works around today. I have decided to read the first, and perhaps most famous, of these, Interview with the Vampire...
In the modern day, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his story to a young reporter. He tells the tale of how he grew up in New Orleans, and how he became a vampire at the hands of Lestat. While Louis struggles with his vampiric nature, Lestat revels in it, and the two clash. Eventually, Lestat gives Louis a vampire daughter, Claudia, who, turned at five, can never grow up. From New Orleans to Eastern Europe, and then to Paris, Louis' journey is one filled with hope and despair, love and fear. But is his humanity his greatest weakness as a vampire, or his greatest strength, or both?
I have to confess, the way that the interview framing device was done brings the story down in tone, as I am unused to the peculiar formatting. And there is a certain tediousness in the tone of the writing too. Not to mention that one can see more of what would eventually be used in Twilight, a mixture of romance and angst that nonetheless is better done than in that work. And the narrative, singular though it is, is interesting enough to keep my interest, and they at least bother to explore the themes of what immortality is like for a vampire, and what existential problems go with it. It's just less entertaining than I would have liked.
Louis is a good character, but his actual voice, as noted above, is rather tedious to me. Lestat is a delight as a very Byronic anti-hero, if you can even call him an anti-hero in this book. But he is entertaining. Claudia is disturbing, and while her character is interesting enough, I much preferred Eli from Let the Right One In in terms of showing how a child vampire would deal with immortality. The other characters are mostly functional, but not really contributing much to the storyline, though the concept of a sort of Grand Guignol theatre featuring vampires is an interesting one.
All in all, Interview with the Vampire was decent enough, and it's streets ahead of Twilight, but it doesn't reach the heights of Anno Dracula, Let the Right One In, or the original Dracula. Vampire lovers will probably lap it up, but I had a feeling of dissatisfaction after reading it, a desire for something meatier...
8/10
First words: 'I see...' said the vampire throughtfully, and slowly he walked across the room towards the window.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
I'm currently reading a biography of Caligula, a Doctor Who novel called The Face of the Enemy, and the latest Song of Ice and Fire book, A Clash of Kings. I hope to make the latter my latest book read, as I am about a third of the way through.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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