For the last couple of months I've been doing most of my reading using the one of the best tech combos of 2010: Instapaper and the iPad. Instapaper is a Web service that allows you to save Web pages (stripped of all the crappy advertising and "design") to read later. Instapaper also has an iOS app that lets you save Instapaper articles off line and read them. The iPad's screen and the apps simple layout make reading a breeze.
What this combo does for me is make it possible for me to read longer articles than I normally would. You know how it goes, during the day you scroll through your Twitter and RSS feeds and see some interesting articles that you want to read, but you've only got ten or fifteen minutes between meetings or a half hour for lunch. So you bookmark the page and hope to get back to it later-on your work computer.
Now I send the page to Instapaper and can read it a my leisure on the iPad. It means that I actually read most of those articles.
It has helped me rediscover they joy of reading well crafted pieces of journalism. The best manage to inform and entertain. The tell a story while educating you or presenting a compelling argument.
I read an article about a serial killer in Moscow who managed to hunt for years because his victims were poor. I read a sad story about a high school athlete who died due to multiple head injuries. I read a great article about the effects of solitary confinement.
Even of you don't use Instapaper, I recommend reading more long form journalism. Read stuff you normally wouldn't. Read things that seem interesting or odd. The nice thing is that even long articles are only a few pages long. They only take 30 minutes, maybe an hour, to read. It is well worth it.
Dec 31, 2010
Oct 24, 2010
The Joy of Instapaper
Instapaper is a "read it later" web service. The idea is that in our daily Web surfing, RSS skimming, and Twiter trolling we come across interesting articles that are too long to read in the 5 minute window we have allotted for our hourly Web break from work. Using Instapaper you can save the article to read when you have the time and focus to read the article.
What separates Instapaper from a bookmarking service is that it is built around the idea that you will return to read interesting articles on a mobile device and not a full blown computer.
The saved articles are run through a robust "mobilizer" filter that strips out most of the adverts and other clutter that festoons typical Web sites. This makes it easier to read on a mobile device and makes it easier to focus on reading the actual content of the article.
Instapaper has mobile applications for iOS that allows you to sync your saved articles for reading offline. The applications run on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. They have a number of helpful features including the ability to switch to a white on black theme for bed time reading and syncing your place in an article across your devices.
Instapaper also works with e-readers. You can download articles in e-pub format to sync with many e-readers. Kindle users can get their saved articles sent to their Kindles.
Getting articles into Instapaper is easy and getting easier. On a desktop Web browser you can install a bookmarklet that saves a Wen page to Instapaper. A number of mobile apps and desktop applications use the Instapaper API to build Instapaper directly into their interfaces. For example the iOS Twitter app has a menu item to save articles to Instapaper.
One of the features a really like is the "Editors Pick" section. The editor's picks run the gamut. They are long form articles from all corners of the Web. Not all of them interest me, but having access to them helps expand my reading circle.
Instapaper is a mostly free service. You can get an account for free and use all of the features on the Web site. For free you also get a very functional iOS application. For a few dollars, you can get the Pro version of the Instapaper app that adds folder control, better control of syncing, and a few other features. The developer is also thinking about adding a subscription to the mix, but that idea has not been terribly fleshed out. He has, however, promised that most of the features will always be free.
For me paying the five bucks for the Pro app was a no brainer. I use the service all the time and could spare a latte to keep the developer in business. Try the service for free, and you will quickly agree.
What separates Instapaper from a bookmarking service is that it is built around the idea that you will return to read interesting articles on a mobile device and not a full blown computer.
The saved articles are run through a robust "mobilizer" filter that strips out most of the adverts and other clutter that festoons typical Web sites. This makes it easier to read on a mobile device and makes it easier to focus on reading the actual content of the article.
Instapaper has mobile applications for iOS that allows you to sync your saved articles for reading offline. The applications run on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. They have a number of helpful features including the ability to switch to a white on black theme for bed time reading and syncing your place in an article across your devices.
Instapaper also works with e-readers. You can download articles in e-pub format to sync with many e-readers. Kindle users can get their saved articles sent to their Kindles.
Getting articles into Instapaper is easy and getting easier. On a desktop Web browser you can install a bookmarklet that saves a Wen page to Instapaper. A number of mobile apps and desktop applications use the Instapaper API to build Instapaper directly into their interfaces. For example the iOS Twitter app has a menu item to save articles to Instapaper.
One of the features a really like is the "Editors Pick" section. The editor's picks run the gamut. They are long form articles from all corners of the Web. Not all of them interest me, but having access to them helps expand my reading circle.
Instapaper is a mostly free service. You can get an account for free and use all of the features on the Web site. For free you also get a very functional iOS application. For a few dollars, you can get the Pro version of the Instapaper app that adds folder control, better control of syncing, and a few other features. The developer is also thinking about adding a subscription to the mix, but that idea has not been terribly fleshed out. He has, however, promised that most of the features will always be free.
For me paying the five bucks for the Pro app was a no brainer. I use the service all the time and could spare a latte to keep the developer in business. Try the service for free, and you will quickly agree.
Oct 15, 2010
The Fall
The Fall is the second book in the Strain trilogy. The plot follows directly on the heels of the first book. As with the first book, the writing is superb. The plot is tight and the characters are well drawn. I do have a few minor quips: there is too many instances of "something seemed off, but there was no time to process it." the grand arc of the narrative hews too closely to well worn archetypes. the authors occasionally resort to lazy plot devices.
Mostly, these quips result from my having high expectations of e authors. Del Toro is a master storyteller. For the most part, the story lives up to my high expectations. I'd be more happy if the story took some liberties with the narrative. The new take on vampire mythology is inventive and modern, and I was hoping for the same in the story arc.
I'm still eagerly awaiting the final installment of the trilogy. These books are excellent and I love a good vampire tale.
Mostly, these quips result from my having high expectations of e authors. Del Toro is a master storyteller. For the most part, the story lives up to my high expectations. I'd be more happy if the story took some liberties with the narrative. The new take on vampire mythology is inventive and modern, and I was hoping for the same in the story arc.
I'm still eagerly awaiting the final installment of the trilogy. These books are excellent and I love a good vampire tale.
Oct 5, 2010
The Count of Monte Christo
Reading the Count of Monte Christo was an epic undertaking. My recollection of reading it in high school was that it was a pretty quick read. Either we read an abridged version, or I took way more drugs than I thought in high school. It is a long book, but it is mostly worth it.
I won't lie and say that it is gripping throughout or that Dumas' editor shouldn't have made him cut the length in half. It drags in places and the length allows the plot to get overly convoluted. For instance, the section of the book that takes place in Rome could have been cut by a third at least. The whole subplot about Villefort's wife could also have been cut as well as Calderous.
Of course, these are critiques based on modern sensibilities. When Dumas was writing, his book was in line with what the audience wanted. It was a soap opera for the time. The lush descriptions, the excess of characters, the purple prose were not meant for us over hurried, TVfied, post Hemingway readers.
Fortunately, the book is loaded with archetypes. There is the greedy banker, the ambitious public servant, the noble warrior who must be tested, the noble vengeance, the rebirth, and the hero journey. It moves from happiness to darkness and back to happiness just like a good movie.
Along the way the audience learns a lesson about the follies of greed, ambition, and revenge. Of course, revenge, when justified, is justice and the agent is an instrument of good.
Did I find the book good? Yes. Is it a masterpiece? No. It was entertainment for the masses of its day, and is still a serviceable distraction for today's masses.
I won't lie and say that it is gripping throughout or that Dumas' editor shouldn't have made him cut the length in half. It drags in places and the length allows the plot to get overly convoluted. For instance, the section of the book that takes place in Rome could have been cut by a third at least. The whole subplot about Villefort's wife could also have been cut as well as Calderous.
Of course, these are critiques based on modern sensibilities. When Dumas was writing, his book was in line with what the audience wanted. It was a soap opera for the time. The lush descriptions, the excess of characters, the purple prose were not meant for us over hurried, TVfied, post Hemingway readers.
Fortunately, the book is loaded with archetypes. There is the greedy banker, the ambitious public servant, the noble warrior who must be tested, the noble vengeance, the rebirth, and the hero journey. It moves from happiness to darkness and back to happiness just like a good movie.
Along the way the audience learns a lesson about the follies of greed, ambition, and revenge. Of course, revenge, when justified, is justice and the agent is an instrument of good.
Did I find the book good? Yes. Is it a masterpiece? No. It was entertainment for the masses of its day, and is still a serviceable distraction for today's masses.
Aug 30, 2010
Asimov's Youth
"Youth" is an early, and short, work. It tells the tale of two explorers who crash on a mission of commerce and are discovered by two children. The children cage the explorers and want to sell them to the circus.
It is an interesting piece because it hints at themes Asimov expands on in his later works. The children see the visitors as animals because they look different and they don't have a means of communication. The visitors know the children mean no harm because they are telepathic.
The children's parents represent two ends of the human spectrum: scientist and industrialist. The scientist is expecting the visitors and is eager to learn from them. The industrialist awaits the visitors with a mixture of trepidation and opportunism.
The world of the story has suffered from a cataclysmic man-made disaster. The people could not control the technology or their base instincts. The result was near annihilation. The scientist thinks that the visitors and their technology can jump start a new technological era for the world and that the visitors offer hope that a race can master technology without destroying itself. The industrialist is not so sure. He fears their technology and it's effects on his people, while desiring to see if their technology can make him profit.
In the end, the visitors win over the industrialist. They demonstrate restraint in the use of their deadly weapons. The industrialist sees that the visitors are not too much different than he is. They have basic human kindness and want to explore and make profit.
The end of the story is an O'Henry twist. It makes the point of the story more poignant.
It is an interesting piece because it hints at themes Asimov expands on in his later works. The children see the visitors as animals because they look different and they don't have a means of communication. The visitors know the children mean no harm because they are telepathic.
The children's parents represent two ends of the human spectrum: scientist and industrialist. The scientist is expecting the visitors and is eager to learn from them. The industrialist awaits the visitors with a mixture of trepidation and opportunism.
The world of the story has suffered from a cataclysmic man-made disaster. The people could not control the technology or their base instincts. The result was near annihilation. The scientist thinks that the visitors and their technology can jump start a new technological era for the world and that the visitors offer hope that a race can master technology without destroying itself. The industrialist is not so sure. He fears their technology and it's effects on his people, while desiring to see if their technology can make him profit.
In the end, the visitors win over the industrialist. They demonstrate restraint in the use of their deadly weapons. The industrialist sees that the visitors are not too much different than he is. They have basic human kindness and want to explore and make profit.
The end of the story is an O'Henry twist. It makes the point of the story more poignant.
His Robot Girlfriend
As the title implies this book is about a man who buys a robot girlfriend. I downloaded it for free hoping that it would be a meditation on consciousness, humanity, and intelligence. At the very least, I was hoping for some commentary about how attached to our digital crutches. Sadly, it just a book about a lonely guy who buys a robot girlfriend and ends up marrying her.
The robot is smoking hot and exists solely to make the protagonist happy. There are a few glimmers of her having a personality when they visit a Star Trek exhibit the has "anti robot" sentiments. Sadly, it bothers her only because she fears it will make him uncomfortable.
While, the protagonist's life steadily improves over the course of the book, it made me sad. His life gets better partially because the robot girlfriend feeds him the right foods and forces him to exercise. Most of his improvement must be attributed to his escape from loneliness. His robot girlfriend provides him with companionship and sex and a reason to get up in the morning - things that he couldn't find another human being to provide for him.
Color me old fashioned, but I cannot fathom how a mash-up between an iPhone and a blow-up doll can replace human companionship. Relationships between humans can be messy and hard, but that is part of what makes them special. At the end of the day, I don't want my partner to have no desires or interests beyond making me happy. I'd shoot myself.
On a positive note, the book is short, free, and easy to read.
The robot is smoking hot and exists solely to make the protagonist happy. There are a few glimmers of her having a personality when they visit a Star Trek exhibit the has "anti robot" sentiments. Sadly, it bothers her only because she fears it will make him uncomfortable.
While, the protagonist's life steadily improves over the course of the book, it made me sad. His life gets better partially because the robot girlfriend feeds him the right foods and forces him to exercise. Most of his improvement must be attributed to his escape from loneliness. His robot girlfriend provides him with companionship and sex and a reason to get up in the morning - things that he couldn't find another human being to provide for him.
Color me old fashioned, but I cannot fathom how a mash-up between an iPhone and a blow-up doll can replace human companionship. Relationships between humans can be messy and hard, but that is part of what makes them special. At the end of the day, I don't want my partner to have no desires or interests beyond making me happy. I'd shoot myself.
On a positive note, the book is short, free, and easy to read.
Aug 15, 2010
Feed
Feed is a first person political thriller written in a time when zombies are a serious threat. Thirty years before the novel takes place two viruses-one that cured cancer and one that cured the common cold-combined into a highly contagious disease that turns its victims into mindless flesh chomping disease vectors.
The other bit of background required to drive the plot is that blogging has gone mainstream. When bioterrorists released the cure for the common cold and triggered the epidemic of walking dead, the mainstream media dropped the ball and bloggers picked it up.
The story is a first person narrative that follows a group of bloggers on the campaign trail as they report on a hot Presidential campaign. Things heat up when it is discovered that someone is intentionally infecting people with the zombie plague to effect the outcome of the campaign.
The main characters are well drawn and the plot moves along at a good pace. I had a hard time putting the book down. The author occasionally repeats information or spends too much time laying out background information, but that does not detract from the overall pace of the novel. Towards the middle of the novel a number of supporting characters are introduced that are never fleshed out enough. Since this is the first of a planned trilogy, I assume that they are important in the following books. (I have a general problem with a potboiler that is a planned trilogy. I think a good murder/conspiracy story should be able to fit into 500 pages. More than that allows for story destroying flab.)
For non-zombie fans the author does a good job of keeping the zombies in the background. They are just a part of the world in which the novel takes place. Their effect permeates the story as it permeates the lives of the characters. The gore is also kept to a minimum.
Aside from being a good read, Feed considers a lot of interesting questions. What unintended consequences will our quest for better health bring about? Is genetic engineering safe? What is happening to our news agencies? How would society change when being social can get you killed? Is righteousness bordering zealotry capable of good?
Overall, I recommend Feed as a good read.
The other bit of background required to drive the plot is that blogging has gone mainstream. When bioterrorists released the cure for the common cold and triggered the epidemic of walking dead, the mainstream media dropped the ball and bloggers picked it up.
The story is a first person narrative that follows a group of bloggers on the campaign trail as they report on a hot Presidential campaign. Things heat up when it is discovered that someone is intentionally infecting people with the zombie plague to effect the outcome of the campaign.
The main characters are well drawn and the plot moves along at a good pace. I had a hard time putting the book down. The author occasionally repeats information or spends too much time laying out background information, but that does not detract from the overall pace of the novel. Towards the middle of the novel a number of supporting characters are introduced that are never fleshed out enough. Since this is the first of a planned trilogy, I assume that they are important in the following books. (I have a general problem with a potboiler that is a planned trilogy. I think a good murder/conspiracy story should be able to fit into 500 pages. More than that allows for story destroying flab.)
For non-zombie fans the author does a good job of keeping the zombies in the background. They are just a part of the world in which the novel takes place. Their effect permeates the story as it permeates the lives of the characters. The gore is also kept to a minimum.
Aside from being a good read, Feed considers a lot of interesting questions. What unintended consequences will our quest for better health bring about? Is genetic engineering safe? What is happening to our news agencies? How would society change when being social can get you killed? Is righteousness bordering zealotry capable of good?
Overall, I recommend Feed as a good read.
Jun 23, 2010
Alice in Wonderland
This is another of those books that I would have sworn I read years ago. As it turns out, I had never read the actual book. The characters and title are so widely used throughout our culture, it is hard to know what is the real deal and what is just borrowed.
A lot of what I thought I knew about Alice and Wonderland is made up. The actual Alice in Wonderland is both more and less than the added mythology. The plot is less than the myth, but the characters are deeper. Alice is much more like a real little girl. She is precocious and rude and impatient, but tries very hard to be nice. Her struggles to make sense of the craziness reminded me of how hard it can be to figure out real life.
The rest of Wonderland is just as well drawn as Alice. It is a masterful piece of literature and a masterful children's story.
A lot of what I thought I knew about Alice and Wonderland is made up. The actual Alice in Wonderland is both more and less than the added mythology. The plot is less than the myth, but the characters are deeper. Alice is much more like a real little girl. She is precocious and rude and impatient, but tries very hard to be nice. Her struggles to make sense of the craziness reminded me of how hard it can be to figure out real life.
The rest of Wonderland is just as well drawn as Alice. It is a masterful piece of literature and a masterful children's story.
Jun 6, 2010
iBooks
I've now read a book using iBooks on my iPad.
Overall, it was a positive experience. The text is crisp and I didn't find the backlit screen fatiguing. I liked that I could dim the backlighting when I was reading in bed or adjust the text size. The animations are fun. The landscape mode that splits into to pages is also neat.
I've read a number of reviews that find the lengths iBooks take to look a book distracting at best. I disagree. The two page look of the landscape view is not perfect, but I find it more natural than the wide page display of other e-readers. The neat page flip animation is slick and sort of refreshing. The biggest complaint I've read is that the number of pages in the margin does not change as you get further into the book. While I think that would be a neat trick, I don't find it bothersome. In fact, I like having that margin there. It makes it harder to accidentally change the page.
The controls for reading are also well done. It is easy to move through a book by swiping or touching the margins. The pop-over for the dictionary is excellent. I also like the fact that the controls are on the top of the page. It seems more natural than having them on the bottom of the page.
iBooks is not perfect by a long stretch. I'd like a way to annotate books. I'd like to be able to use library books. I'd like a white text on balk background theme.
Perhaps the most annoying thing I found was that the brightness setting isn't sticky. When you switch out of iBooks, or the iPad goes to sleep, the interface automatically switches back to full brightness. When reading in bed, this can be particularly bad. At full brightness, the screen is blinding.
Now that Stanza is available on the iPad, I have to see how iBooks stands up to my favorite e-reader on the iPhone. I don't think Stanza will do well. iBooks doesn't offer more in terms of functionality, but it does look more polished. I'll report back after a more extensive test drive.
Overall, it was a positive experience. The text is crisp and I didn't find the backlit screen fatiguing. I liked that I could dim the backlighting when I was reading in bed or adjust the text size. The animations are fun. The landscape mode that splits into to pages is also neat.
I've read a number of reviews that find the lengths iBooks take to look a book distracting at best. I disagree. The two page look of the landscape view is not perfect, but I find it more natural than the wide page display of other e-readers. The neat page flip animation is slick and sort of refreshing. The biggest complaint I've read is that the number of pages in the margin does not change as you get further into the book. While I think that would be a neat trick, I don't find it bothersome. In fact, I like having that margin there. It makes it harder to accidentally change the page.
The controls for reading are also well done. It is easy to move through a book by swiping or touching the margins. The pop-over for the dictionary is excellent. I also like the fact that the controls are on the top of the page. It seems more natural than having them on the bottom of the page.
iBooks is not perfect by a long stretch. I'd like a way to annotate books. I'd like to be able to use library books. I'd like a white text on balk background theme.
Perhaps the most annoying thing I found was that the brightness setting isn't sticky. When you switch out of iBooks, or the iPad goes to sleep, the interface automatically switches back to full brightness. When reading in bed, this can be particularly bad. At full brightness, the screen is blinding.
Now that Stanza is available on the iPad, I have to see how iBooks stands up to my favorite e-reader on the iPhone. I don't think Stanza will do well. iBooks doesn't offer more in terms of functionality, but it does look more polished. I'll report back after a more extensive test drive.
The Portrait of Dorian Gray
"The Portrait of Dorian Gray" is one of those books I would have sworn that I'd read in high school. I knew the outlines of the story so well that it was unthinkable that I hadn't read it. So when I wanted a book to test out iBooks, I decided to read it. It was free and I figured I could concentrate on the experience of reading on the iPad and not the book.
It turns out that I had never actually read the book. I had the outlines of the story down, but the specifics were strange to me. On the surface it is a pretty lame story. Not much actually happens. It is easy to see why movie makers often attempt to make it more fantastic and adventurous.
It is easy to see why they often fail to make it into a good movie. As with many books, the real value is in the text not the plot. I found the discussions of art, philosophy, and morals to be the meat of the book.
Dorian is not simply vain. He is a hedonist. He falls prey to Sir Henry's treatise that art and life is all about experience. Reflection and morality are for philistines. One shouldn't dwell on the outcomes.
The portrait, which was created out of a deep emotional connection between artist and subject, allows Dorian to lead a perfectly hedonistic life. He does not suffer the ill effects of experiencing life to it's fullest. He does not need to care about the effects he has on others. It just rolls off of him like a water off of a duck. The portrait absorbs the cost.
The author's position on hedonism is clearly negative. Dorian, while making the most of his fortune, is clearly disturbed by what he has become. He is both enthralled and repelled by hedonism. Sadly, he is trapped by it.
There is some truth to the philosophy that one should not dwell to much on what has passed and on what my be. One should focus on the present and he experience of the now. The Buddha is regarded as one of the wisest men. The difference is that hedonism also disavows being concerned with the plight of others. Dorian destroys people without regard as he lives his life in the present. The Buddha was careful to consider the suffering of others and worked to relieve it.
The path of living in the present must be tempered with concern for your effects on the world around you. Experience life without desire or regret, but also don't increase the suffering of others. Karma is a bitch.
It turns out that I had never actually read the book. I had the outlines of the story down, but the specifics were strange to me. On the surface it is a pretty lame story. Not much actually happens. It is easy to see why movie makers often attempt to make it more fantastic and adventurous.
It is easy to see why they often fail to make it into a good movie. As with many books, the real value is in the text not the plot. I found the discussions of art, philosophy, and morals to be the meat of the book.
Dorian is not simply vain. He is a hedonist. He falls prey to Sir Henry's treatise that art and life is all about experience. Reflection and morality are for philistines. One shouldn't dwell on the outcomes.
The portrait, which was created out of a deep emotional connection between artist and subject, allows Dorian to lead a perfectly hedonistic life. He does not suffer the ill effects of experiencing life to it's fullest. He does not need to care about the effects he has on others. It just rolls off of him like a water off of a duck. The portrait absorbs the cost.
The author's position on hedonism is clearly negative. Dorian, while making the most of his fortune, is clearly disturbed by what he has become. He is both enthralled and repelled by hedonism. Sadly, he is trapped by it.
There is some truth to the philosophy that one should not dwell to much on what has passed and on what my be. One should focus on the present and he experience of the now. The Buddha is regarded as one of the wisest men. The difference is that hedonism also disavows being concerned with the plight of others. Dorian destroys people without regard as he lives his life in the present. The Buddha was careful to consider the suffering of others and worked to relieve it.
The path of living in the present must be tempered with concern for your effects on the world around you. Experience life without desire or regret, but also don't increase the suffering of others. Karma is a bitch.
May 10, 2010
eReader vs. iPad
I've had the opportunity to do some reading on the iPad. It is a nice experience. The text is clear and the images are vivid. It is more visually appealing than the eReader. eInk cannot hold a candle to an LED. I don't find the brighter display tiring to read over long periods of time.
The iPad does not beat the eReader on all counts. The eReader is lighter to hold. The eReader's battery life crushes the iPad's.
The biggest disparity between the iPad and the eReader is in file compatibility. The iPad cannot use books checked out of the library because they use an incompatible DRM scheme. Since I'm cheap and like getting books for free, library compatibility is a must have feature.
Until the iPad can use library books, the eReader will remain my go to reading device.
The iPad does not beat the eReader on all counts. The eReader is lighter to hold. The eReader's battery life crushes the iPad's.
The biggest disparity between the iPad and the eReader is in file compatibility. The iPad cannot use books checked out of the library because they use an incompatible DRM scheme. Since I'm cheap and like getting books for free, library compatibility is a must have feature.
Until the iPad can use library books, the eReader will remain my go to reading device.
Is the iPad all that?
The short answer is yes. It is the next generation of mobile computing.
Even before I got the iPad, my iPhone started eclipsing my MacBook Pro as the goto computer e-mail, Facebook, Web surfing, checking news, etc. H and I frequently joked that my MacBook Pro was an obscenely large phone charger.
The iPad has accelerated that process. Its larger screen makes Web surfing and e-mailing much better. Web pages are readable and typing e-mails a breeze. Facebook is even better since it is possible to use the Web interface. (The iPhone app makes Facebook usable on the small screen, but it cannot match the full Web interface.)
I have used my iPhone for blogging, but it was not something I'd choose to do. On the iPad blogging is a joy. The bigger keyboard makes typing easy. I also like the spell checking. The iPad not only points out spelling mistakes, it offers suggestions to correct the mistake. I use BlogPress which is a universal app.
Along the same lines, I've also used pages to write fairly lengthy documents. Again, I found the key board easy to use. It is best using in it landscape mode is much better than portrait, but that is a problem for Pages. In landscape mode all of Pages controls are hidden. This means that you have to flip back and forth to do any formatted text. Pages also falls down when it comes to transferring documents between the iPad and a computer. The process is convoluted and lossy.
For pure fun, the iPad rocks. The ABC app is magical. The shows are clear, smooth, and portable. There are commercials, but they are not as egregious as watching on cable. The games I've played are also kicking. My two favorites are Harbor Master HD and Parcel Panic. The graphics are amazing and the speedy processor handles the action without a hitch.
Running iPhone games on the iPad is a mixed bag. They looked lost on the screen when played at regular size. When played at 2x they are pixelated. For some games, the pixelation is not too big a deal. For others, it is a deal breaker. One advantage is that all the games play much smoother than they do on my vintage iPhone.
The iPad also shines as an e-book reader. iBooks does a decent job displaying crisp text. It also does an excellent job displaying images. The built-in dictionary is a nice touch, as is the ability to look up words in Wikipedia. The bookstore software makes getting books easy. The UI eye candy is a nice touch even if it is useless.
Is the iPad perfect? Can it replace my laptop? No. It cannot do any photo editing. I haven't found a decent money management app. The storage capacity is tiny. There is no way to print from it. I cannot find replacements for some of the applications I use for work that will run on it. (Although there are a number of apps that will allow me to connect to my work computer to use them.)
Of course most of the problems can be solved by software. Eventually a developer will create apps that fill in the gaps.
When that happens, my MacBook Pro will truly be just a very large phone charger.
Even before I got the iPad, my iPhone started eclipsing my MacBook Pro as the goto computer e-mail, Facebook, Web surfing, checking news, etc. H and I frequently joked that my MacBook Pro was an obscenely large phone charger.
The iPad has accelerated that process. Its larger screen makes Web surfing and e-mailing much better. Web pages are readable and typing e-mails a breeze. Facebook is even better since it is possible to use the Web interface. (The iPhone app makes Facebook usable on the small screen, but it cannot match the full Web interface.)
I have used my iPhone for blogging, but it was not something I'd choose to do. On the iPad blogging is a joy. The bigger keyboard makes typing easy. I also like the spell checking. The iPad not only points out spelling mistakes, it offers suggestions to correct the mistake. I use BlogPress which is a universal app.
Along the same lines, I've also used pages to write fairly lengthy documents. Again, I found the key board easy to use. It is best using in it landscape mode is much better than portrait, but that is a problem for Pages. In landscape mode all of Pages controls are hidden. This means that you have to flip back and forth to do any formatted text. Pages also falls down when it comes to transferring documents between the iPad and a computer. The process is convoluted and lossy.
For pure fun, the iPad rocks. The ABC app is magical. The shows are clear, smooth, and portable. There are commercials, but they are not as egregious as watching on cable. The games I've played are also kicking. My two favorites are Harbor Master HD and Parcel Panic. The graphics are amazing and the speedy processor handles the action without a hitch.
Running iPhone games on the iPad is a mixed bag. They looked lost on the screen when played at regular size. When played at 2x they are pixelated. For some games, the pixelation is not too big a deal. For others, it is a deal breaker. One advantage is that all the games play much smoother than they do on my vintage iPhone.
The iPad also shines as an e-book reader. iBooks does a decent job displaying crisp text. It also does an excellent job displaying images. The built-in dictionary is a nice touch, as is the ability to look up words in Wikipedia. The bookstore software makes getting books easy. The UI eye candy is a nice touch even if it is useless.
Is the iPad perfect? Can it replace my laptop? No. It cannot do any photo editing. I haven't found a decent money management app. The storage capacity is tiny. There is no way to print from it. I cannot find replacements for some of the applications I use for work that will run on it. (Although there are a number of apps that will allow me to connect to my work computer to use them.)
Of course most of the problems can be solved by software. Eventually a developer will create apps that fill in the gaps.
When that happens, my MacBook Pro will truly be just a very large phone charger.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
I first learned about this book from a You Tube video. Usually You Tube videos have the effect of me writing something off, this one was so insane that it piqued my interest. It shows Abe Lincoln sitting in the Oval Office as a vampire attack him. He ensuing fight scene is like something out of The Buffyverse I wasn't going to spend money reading the book, but I would take it out of the library when the opportunity arose.
Two weeks ago I got the e-mail signaling that my turn to check Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer out of the library. After my last experiment with pop culture horror writing, I was wary. Sex pot zombies, bodice ripping, or shiny emo vampire danced in my imagination. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about.
The frame of the novel is that it is based on the secret journals of Lincoln himself. They are delivered to the author by one of Lincoln's vampire allies. The frame makes the book more interesting for a couple of reasons. The first is the mystery of why a vampire would want the truth about Lincoln's vampire slaying known. The other is the sense that the reader will get deeper insights into one of the most complex U.S. Presidents.
The writing would fit well into most books about history. The tone is balanced and slightly detached. There is plenty of "primary source" material woven into the main text. There is also a surprising fidelity to the actual events of Lincoln's life.
The vampires in the novel are of the sort I most like: slightly superior hunters, many are ruthless killers, others just want to go about their business with as little trouble as possible. They are not devoid of human emotions, but they are not as weighed down by them as humans. They are complex and believable.
The development of the alternate Lincoln is rich and still hews close to the historical Lincoln. It is not a stretch to imagine the historical Lincoln reacting to the events of the novel as the alternate Lincoln does. The Lincoln in the novel faces the same tragedies as the real Lincoln. In the book's timeline, the tragedies are perpetrated by vampires instead of more random natural causes. This gives the novel's Lincoln a target for his grief.
I also like how Lincoln's struggle against vampires is woven into the nation's history. Lincoln didn't just save the Union and free the slaves, he saved the U.S. from a far worse fate.
As a bit of light reading, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is excellent.
Two weeks ago I got the e-mail signaling that my turn to check Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer out of the library. After my last experiment with pop culture horror writing, I was wary. Sex pot zombies, bodice ripping, or shiny emo vampire danced in my imagination. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about.
The frame of the novel is that it is based on the secret journals of Lincoln himself. They are delivered to the author by one of Lincoln's vampire allies. The frame makes the book more interesting for a couple of reasons. The first is the mystery of why a vampire would want the truth about Lincoln's vampire slaying known. The other is the sense that the reader will get deeper insights into one of the most complex U.S. Presidents.
The writing would fit well into most books about history. The tone is balanced and slightly detached. There is plenty of "primary source" material woven into the main text. There is also a surprising fidelity to the actual events of Lincoln's life.
The vampires in the novel are of the sort I most like: slightly superior hunters, many are ruthless killers, others just want to go about their business with as little trouble as possible. They are not devoid of human emotions, but they are not as weighed down by them as humans. They are complex and believable.
The development of the alternate Lincoln is rich and still hews close to the historical Lincoln. It is not a stretch to imagine the historical Lincoln reacting to the events of the novel as the alternate Lincoln does. The Lincoln in the novel faces the same tragedies as the real Lincoln. In the book's timeline, the tragedies are perpetrated by vampires instead of more random natural causes. This gives the novel's Lincoln a target for his grief.
I also like how Lincoln's struggle against vampires is woven into the nation's history. Lincoln didn't just save the Union and free the slaves, he saved the U.S. from a far worse fate.
As a bit of light reading, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is excellent.
Apr 19, 2010
Half Past Dead
When did zombies become props in erotica? I'm not sure I want to know the answer. It is just wrong. I think that romance/erotica should not be mixed with horror.
I found it painful to read, but if you are into romance/erotica, this book is a decent romance/erotica novel. It hits all the right conventions: strong woman, wounded and slightly and slightly dangerous man, sex, and marriage at the end. The sex is predictably steamy and surprisingly plentiful. The characters are young, attractive, and wildly fabulous. They talk like robots. But I guess beautiful people don't need wit.
I found it painful to read, but if you are into romance/erotica, this book is a decent romance/erotica novel. It hits all the right conventions: strong woman, wounded and slightly and slightly dangerous man, sex, and marriage at the end. The sex is predictably steamy and surprisingly plentiful. The characters are young, attractive, and wildly fabulous. They talk like robots. But I guess beautiful people don't need wit.
Apr 4, 2010
PDF E-Books and my Sony Pocket Reader
I've now read a few PDF e-books on my Pocket Reader. They do not work as well as e-pub books. The PDF doesn't reflow as well when you change the font sizes. The font does get bigger, but a page is still a page. What happens is that often a page according to the reader is only the bottom line of a page in the PDF. It is slightly annoying.
All that aside, the PDFs are readable.
All that aside, the PDFs are readable.
Slaughterhouse Five
I missed this book when I was working my way through Vonnegut's works a few years ago. I'm not really sure how or why I skipped his signature novel, but I did. Anyway, I saw that it was available at the library and I checked it out burning with anticipation.
I expected to be blown away by Vonnegut's satirical wit as he commented on the petty horrors of the Dresden Firebombing. When I was finished I felt underwhelmed by the book. It has all of Vonnegut's hallmarks, but it felt flat. Billy Pilgrim was not just feckless, but also bland. I couldn't like hime, dislike him, or even pitty him. He was just a blank. Maybe that was the whole point of him. He is an everyman, but I'd like to at least feel something for everyman.
The time traveling didn't really work for me either. I get that Billy is fractured and I get that his time traveling is supposed to also offer some lesson to us stuck in time folk. Don't be too concerned about things because time is meaningless.
Maybe I'm just simply in a bad mood about time travel lately. It has been overdone. I could also be down on symbolism. Or I could just be tired lately. So it goes.
Anyway, I didn't think that Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's best work. I preferred Cat's Cradle, Hocus Pocus, Breakfast of Champions, and Player Piano more. The later works have more coherence to them. Vonnegut seems to have worked out his mythology a little better. Or maybe the Dresden Bombing was just too much to write about.
So it goes.
I expected to be blown away by Vonnegut's satirical wit as he commented on the petty horrors of the Dresden Firebombing. When I was finished I felt underwhelmed by the book. It has all of Vonnegut's hallmarks, but it felt flat. Billy Pilgrim was not just feckless, but also bland. I couldn't like hime, dislike him, or even pitty him. He was just a blank. Maybe that was the whole point of him. He is an everyman, but I'd like to at least feel something for everyman.
The time traveling didn't really work for me either. I get that Billy is fractured and I get that his time traveling is supposed to also offer some lesson to us stuck in time folk. Don't be too concerned about things because time is meaningless.
Maybe I'm just simply in a bad mood about time travel lately. It has been overdone. I could also be down on symbolism. Or I could just be tired lately. So it goes.
Anyway, I didn't think that Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's best work. I preferred Cat's Cradle, Hocus Pocus, Breakfast of Champions, and Player Piano more. The later works have more coherence to them. Vonnegut seems to have worked out his mythology a little better. Or maybe the Dresden Bombing was just too much to write about.
So it goes.
Mar 21, 2010
We Can Build You
"We Can Build You" by Philip K. Dick is an odd duck of a book. (I know a Dick book that is odd is perfectly normal.) Like most of Dick's books it deals with identity and what make a person human. It starts off with a piano salesman being thrown off of his game when his partner makes simulacra of Edwin Stanton and Abraham Lincoln. It twists through a decent into a twisted love triangle, a decent into madness, and finally a recovery of the self through the reassertion of personal will.
The novel is full of doubles.
There is the fact that the Rosen piano company is in two parts: the manufacturing arm and the sales arm. They make two products: a spinet that is popular and an electric organ that is not. They make two simulacra: Stanton and Lincoln. There becomes two teams: the Rosen team and the Barrows team. There seem to be only two mental states: sane and crazy. The story even has two distinct parts: the simulacra story and the Rosen and Pris story.
The simulacra story focuses more on the question of what make a person a human. On the one side you have the simulacra: Stanton is cold and efficient, Lincoln is melancholy and insightful. Both are morally upstanding and loyal. On the other side you have Pris and Sam K. Barrows. Pris is cold and introverted and schizophrenic. Barrows is a charming slumlord. Both are willing to betray people to achieve their ends. Who is more human in this equation? The simulacra are at least as human as anyone else in the story.
The Rosen and Pris story deals with Rosen's descent and recovery from insanity. His love for the cold, crazy Pris drives him to the brink. His actions become less rational and his eventually lands in the care of a mental institution. (I find the test used to determine mental illness pleasingly insane.) To cure Rosen's insanity, the doctor pumps Rosen full of hallucinogenic drugs. Durring these fugue states Rosen lives a fantasy life with Pris. It is not until the real Pris tells Rosen to assert his own will power that Rosen is recovered. (This is the only warm thing Pris does for Rosen). In the end we are left to wonder if Rosen was every really crazy.
I didn't find "We Can Build You" to be the best work Dick did. It was, however, an above average book. Dick's prose and plotting is controlled. His subject matter is deep and handled well. The only off putting bit was the lack of resolution for the simulacra story line. I sort of want to know what becomes of Stanton and Lincoln.
The novel is full of doubles.
There is the fact that the Rosen piano company is in two parts: the manufacturing arm and the sales arm. They make two products: a spinet that is popular and an electric organ that is not. They make two simulacra: Stanton and Lincoln. There becomes two teams: the Rosen team and the Barrows team. There seem to be only two mental states: sane and crazy. The story even has two distinct parts: the simulacra story and the Rosen and Pris story.
The simulacra story focuses more on the question of what make a person a human. On the one side you have the simulacra: Stanton is cold and efficient, Lincoln is melancholy and insightful. Both are morally upstanding and loyal. On the other side you have Pris and Sam K. Barrows. Pris is cold and introverted and schizophrenic. Barrows is a charming slumlord. Both are willing to betray people to achieve their ends. Who is more human in this equation? The simulacra are at least as human as anyone else in the story.
The Rosen and Pris story deals with Rosen's descent and recovery from insanity. His love for the cold, crazy Pris drives him to the brink. His actions become less rational and his eventually lands in the care of a mental institution. (I find the test used to determine mental illness pleasingly insane.) To cure Rosen's insanity, the doctor pumps Rosen full of hallucinogenic drugs. Durring these fugue states Rosen lives a fantasy life with Pris. It is not until the real Pris tells Rosen to assert his own will power that Rosen is recovered. (This is the only warm thing Pris does for Rosen). In the end we are left to wonder if Rosen was every really crazy.
I didn't find "We Can Build You" to be the best work Dick did. It was, however, an above average book. Dick's prose and plotting is controlled. His subject matter is deep and handled well. The only off putting bit was the lack of resolution for the simulacra story line. I sort of want to know what becomes of Stanton and Lincoln.
Mar 13, 2010
Palm Sunday
I'm a long time fan of Kurt Vonnegut. When he is on, his work is sublime. When he is off, his work is still pretty good. He somehow managed to combine humor, sci-fi, and social commentary. At times he is too cute and sometimes his prose comes off as sloppy. Still he is a member of the last generation of great American novelists.
I borrowed Palm Sunday, one of Vonnegut's memiors, from the library last week. I find Vonnegut's non-fiction more problematical than his fiction. He is a convicted humanist and his forthrightness often makes his prose stilted. The humor comes through, but it can be obvious that it is a thin finish on strongly held and long considered positions.
I'm personally fond of his expositions on the value of human life and the importance of reading. These are ideas that are not given enough coverage. The book is a good reminder that we are all flawed, but still valuable, creatures. We need to laugh at ourselves and act in ways that make the world a happy place.
I borrowed Palm Sunday, one of Vonnegut's memiors, from the library last week. I find Vonnegut's non-fiction more problematical than his fiction. He is a convicted humanist and his forthrightness often makes his prose stilted. The humor comes through, but it can be obvious that it is a thin finish on strongly held and long considered positions.
I'm personally fond of his expositions on the value of human life and the importance of reading. These are ideas that are not given enough coverage. The book is a good reminder that we are all flawed, but still valuable, creatures. We need to laugh at ourselves and act in ways that make the world a happy place.
Mar 3, 2010
Too Many Books?
One of my favorite features of the Boston Public Library's e-book system is that you can add yourself to the waiting list for a book. When your turn in the list comes up, the system sends you an e-mail and gives you five days to check out the book. I've used it more than a few times since the books I gravitate to are either popular or in short supply.
All was well until this week. I was on the waiting list for two books and they both became available with in days of each other. Why was this a problem? It's not like one can ever have too much to read....
Well, it happens that I've been very busy as of late and my time for reading is tight. On top of this, the lending period for an e-book is 14 days with no obvious renewal option other than checking the book out again. So, I have two books I want to read that I can borrow, but if I cannot get through one of them I'll have to add myself to the bottom of the list and wait to finish it.
An abundance of riches is a lovely problem to have:)
I still think the waiting list feature is great. I think from now on I'll only put myself on one waiting list at a time.
All was well until this week. I was on the waiting list for two books and they both became available with in days of each other. Why was this a problem? It's not like one can ever have too much to read....
Well, it happens that I've been very busy as of late and my time for reading is tight. On top of this, the lending period for an e-book is 14 days with no obvious renewal option other than checking the book out again. So, I have two books I want to read that I can borrow, but if I cannot get through one of them I'll have to add myself to the bottom of the list and wait to finish it.
An abundance of riches is a lovely problem to have:)
I still think the waiting list feature is great. I think from now on I'll only put myself on one waiting list at a time.
Feb 17, 2010
Outliers
I first heard about Outliers this past summer. The coach mentioned it during a BCU three star training. He told us that Gladwell claims that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. The idea of a book that explores what it takes to be excellent really intrigued me.
It didn't intrigue me enough to want to plop hard cover cash on it. If it turned out to be a vacant self-helpish trope, I'd be upset to have payed prime price. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long because Boston Public Library had Outliers available in ePub.
The book starts off strong. The stories and characters are interesting. They propel the material along and makes what could be tedious flow. The stories also makes up for the fact that Gladwell tends to ramble on and repeat his points.
The first part of the book that explores the lucky bits that influence success is the stronger of the two sections. It is interesting to see how something a simple as a birthday can impact a persons chance of succeeding. Some of the stories do make it seem that luck and skill are the key ingredients to being successful. It is not just talent, but the combination of luck and talent.
The last sections of the book are thin on characters but deal with more complicated ideas. They also propose ways to make opportunities for success. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about how the reason poor children don't do well in school has very little to do with their lack of ability in school. It is a strong argument for extended school years.
The lack of strong characters and stories makes the back half of the book drag. That plus the fact the Gladwell starts repeating himself. The chapter on airline crashes seems endless. The final chapter is equally boring and seems gratuitous.
Overall, it is very interesting read. At some level what Gladwell points out feels like it should be common knowledge. However, it isn't. There were several ah-ha moments. Who knew that a guy with a 200+ IQ wouldn't end up as a super star academic?
It didn't intrigue me enough to want to plop hard cover cash on it. If it turned out to be a vacant self-helpish trope, I'd be upset to have payed prime price. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long because Boston Public Library had Outliers available in ePub.
The book starts off strong. The stories and characters are interesting. They propel the material along and makes what could be tedious flow. The stories also makes up for the fact that Gladwell tends to ramble on and repeat his points.
The first part of the book that explores the lucky bits that influence success is the stronger of the two sections. It is interesting to see how something a simple as a birthday can impact a persons chance of succeeding. Some of the stories do make it seem that luck and skill are the key ingredients to being successful. It is not just talent, but the combination of luck and talent.
The last sections of the book are thin on characters but deal with more complicated ideas. They also propose ways to make opportunities for success. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about how the reason poor children don't do well in school has very little to do with their lack of ability in school. It is a strong argument for extended school years.
The lack of strong characters and stories makes the back half of the book drag. That plus the fact the Gladwell starts repeating himself. The chapter on airline crashes seems endless. The final chapter is equally boring and seems gratuitous.
Overall, it is very interesting read. At some level what Gladwell points out feels like it should be common knowledge. However, it isn't. There were several ah-ha moments. Who knew that a guy with a 200+ IQ wouldn't end up as a super star academic?
Jan 31, 2010
The Strain
I'm a fan of Gillarmo del Torro's movies, so I had high hopes for his first book. I was not disappointed. The writing is excellent, the characters are generally compelling, and the plot is tight.
The book pays homage to the traditions of the genre. It has the hero scientist with family problems, a mysterious powerful business man who doesn't care about the consequences of his actions, feckless government officials, an extintion level pandemic, and a remorseless and unstoppable villian. It has all of the elements of a romping ScyFy movie.
While it hews to the traditions of the genre, The Strain takes the Vampire mythology in an interesting direction. I like the way the book updates the mythology to play on our modern fear of pandemics. Like the newer takes on zombies, del Toro brings vampires into the 21st century.
He does it without making them sensitive emo-wienies. These vampires are truly horrible. There evolution is as scary as there final form is awsome.
The book pays homage to the traditions of the genre. It has the hero scientist with family problems, a mysterious powerful business man who doesn't care about the consequences of his actions, feckless government officials, an extintion level pandemic, and a remorseless and unstoppable villian. It has all of the elements of a romping ScyFy movie.
While it hews to the traditions of the genre, The Strain takes the Vampire mythology in an interesting direction. I like the way the book updates the mythology to play on our modern fear of pandemics. Like the newer takes on zombies, del Toro brings vampires into the 21st century.
He does it without making them sensitive emo-wienies. These vampires are truly horrible. There evolution is as scary as there final form is awsome.
Jan 21, 2010
Shadow Command
I got this out of the library to tide me over while I waited for "The Strain" to be available. I figured it would be a quick and moderately interesting read. It was a quick read. The plot was ridiculous and packed full of cold war stereotypes, the dialog tritely predictable, and the ending implausible.
If you are a fan of the genre it is probably decent. But despite the cool space planes, it is not for sci-fi fans.
If you are a fan of the genre it is probably decent. But despite the cool space planes, it is not for sci-fi fans.
Jan 9, 2010
Heat Wave
I love the ABC show "Castle". When I saw that ABC had commissioned a real book to match the one written in the season one story arc of the show, I felt compelled to read it. Fortunately, it was available from the Boston Public Library as an e-book, so it didn't cost me more than a little computer time. I'm not sure I would have felt good about spending money for "Heat Wave", but I probably would have done it anyway.
I don't have a lot (or any) experience with the modern detective genre, so I was not sure what to expect. I hoped that the sexual tension and goofy humor from the TV show would carry through to the book. What I found was that it was a tightly written mystery that made for a quick, enjoyable read.
The sexual tension was there, but almost laid on too thick. The humor was there as well, but it wasn't quite as goofy. One thing that I like about books is that it lets you go deeper into the character's heads, but in this case I found it distracting. The slight differences between the books protagonists, Nikki Heat and Jameason Rook, and the TV show protagonists, Castle and Beckett, was unsettling. Castle is more goofy than Rook and Beckett is less serious than Heat.
Aside from the tension between the characters I know and the ones on the page, the book was good. The plot moved pretty quickly. The mystery was complex without being crazy. The dialog was a little stinted, but I imagine that is par for the genre.
Overall, it was a fun read. Since I got it for free, I have no guilt. Since it was e-book, the only evidence that I read it is this blog entry. My bookshelf at home stays pretentiously highbrow and sci-fi heavy.
I don't have a lot (or any) experience with the modern detective genre, so I was not sure what to expect. I hoped that the sexual tension and goofy humor from the TV show would carry through to the book. What I found was that it was a tightly written mystery that made for a quick, enjoyable read.
The sexual tension was there, but almost laid on too thick. The humor was there as well, but it wasn't quite as goofy. One thing that I like about books is that it lets you go deeper into the character's heads, but in this case I found it distracting. The slight differences between the books protagonists, Nikki Heat and Jameason Rook, and the TV show protagonists, Castle and Beckett, was unsettling. Castle is more goofy than Rook and Beckett is less serious than Heat.
Aside from the tension between the characters I know and the ones on the page, the book was good. The plot moved pretty quickly. The mystery was complex without being crazy. The dialog was a little stinted, but I imagine that is par for the genre.
Overall, it was a fun read. Since I got it for free, I have no guilt. Since it was e-book, the only evidence that I read it is this blog entry. My bookshelf at home stays pretentiously highbrow and sci-fi heavy.
Jan 4, 2010
Breathers: A Zombies Lament
It is pretty obvious that I'm a zombie fan, so this book piqued my interest when I saw it was available at the library. I was also a little afraid because it looked like it would be one of those social commentary, woe is me, weepy sort of books. It was that, but done in such a way to make it a fun zombie book as well.
S. G. Browne does an excellent job of making his zombie characters fully fleshed out. The narrator is just a regular guy who happens to have reanimated after his death. You can really feel the torment he goes through having lost his place in the world, but the narrative never slips into melodrama. Browne keeps things moving with snappy dialog and clever use of zombie folklore.
Using zombies also takes a little of the edge off of the truly terrible things that happen to the zombie cast. There is something funny about a zombie putting on make-up to fit in, or a zombie wearing a sign protesting that zombies are people too.
I hear they are making a movie out of the book. That usually scares me since it is hard to make most good books into films, but I think "Breathers" has a good shot of surviving the translation. The book is dialog and character driven, so a good scriptwriter should be able to make it work. The danger is having the movie slip off into camp or horror. "Breathers" is not horror.
I highly recommend this to both zombie and non-zombie fans. It has something for everyone.
S. G. Browne does an excellent job of making his zombie characters fully fleshed out. The narrator is just a regular guy who happens to have reanimated after his death. You can really feel the torment he goes through having lost his place in the world, but the narrative never slips into melodrama. Browne keeps things moving with snappy dialog and clever use of zombie folklore.
Using zombies also takes a little of the edge off of the truly terrible things that happen to the zombie cast. There is something funny about a zombie putting on make-up to fit in, or a zombie wearing a sign protesting that zombies are people too.
I hear they are making a movie out of the book. That usually scares me since it is hard to make most good books into films, but I think "Breathers" has a good shot of surviving the translation. The book is dialog and character driven, so a good scriptwriter should be able to make it work. The danger is having the movie slip off into camp or horror. "Breathers" is not horror.
I highly recommend this to both zombie and non-zombie fans. It has something for everyone.
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