Genre Character of the week: Scott Pilgrim

First off, I have to admit my biases - I'm Canadian, I enjoy reading manga, and references to video games and role playing games make me very happy. I actually only got into this comic series earlier this year, but it is fast becoming one of my favourites. The main reason for this is definitely the main character, and my genre character of the week, Scott Pilgrim.

Here's the basic run down of Scott, he's 24 (at the start of the series), lives in Toronto, Canada with (or you might say off of) his room-mate Wallace, is the basist for a band called Sex Bob-omb, and has just met the girl of his dreams. The only problem, Ramona (the girl in question), has seven ex-boyfriends, each of which want to kill Scott and will fight him one-on-one in a series of martial arts battles.

The things that blows me away most about this crazy series, is how real it feels. Scott begins the series by dating a girl he really isn't into when Ramona comes along and his break up scene with his current girlfriend is pretty painful. The idea of dating a girl whose past won't stay in her past is pretty easy to relate to for most people, and Scott's past does not exactly stay where it should either.

What I admire most about Scott is that he's trying. I like a guy who is putting effort into himself and is attempting to be better. Scott is a definite slacker, though, so it is a work in progress, luckily he does have a great number of friends (pictured right) who are there to help him out.

A film version of the comic series is due out in August of 2010, so if you haven't checked out this great series by Bryan Lee O'Malley, give it a look, it is pretty awesome.

Top Five books I want to read in 2010

As New Years is just around the corner, this is usually the time of year when I start to think of things I'd like to get done in the next year. 2010 for me will likely include doing some more University courses, hopefully writing some more stories and hopefully dropping more than a few pounds.

The resolutions I would like to talk about here however, are the book I will definitely want to be reading at some point in the next year, and as I usually read more than a hundred a year, I think I'll just stick to my top 5.

Bookmonkey's top five books to read in 2010

5. The Fall: Strain Trilogy #2, by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

One of my very first blog posts was about the first book in this trilogy, wherein Vampires began their plan to take over the world, and a few dedicated humans did everything they could to stop it. The sequel comes out in May, and even though I'll have to wait until February 2011 to finish the trilogy, I will be reading this book as soon as I can. (Sorry - couldn't find an image of the cover!)

4. Fury on Sunday, by Richard Matheson

Over the years I've read a number of books by Richard Matheson, Hell House, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, and I am Legend. This guy can really get under your skin. This year I'm going to try my best to read all of his books in publishing order. That starts with a 1953 novel I may have a lot of trouble finding, but as I love this guys books, I'm really gonna give it my best try.

3. The Glass Teat, by Harlan Ellison

As I'm working towards getting a Bachelors degree in Professional Arts, majoring in Communicates Studies (TV, Movies, Internet, etc.), sometimes I'll hear of a book that both interests me personally and might give me good arguments for upcoming university courses. Ellison's book, a non-fiction look at America's dependence on Television written back in the 1970s, appears to be just this kind of book.

2. Queen & Country, by Greg Rucka

I started reading these graphic novels from my public library a few years ago and loved them, basically they follow British MI-6 and specifically a spy named Tara Chase. The writing was tense, sometimes brutal, and felt totally real. Unfortunately for me me, the library had only the first 5 collections so I had to wait. But for Christmas this year I got all 4 Definitive Edition of the series, which means I finally get to finish this incredible series.

1. Paradise Lost, by John Milton

Every year I try to read something that is not only good, but good for me as well. Last year it was The Iliad of Homer, this year, I'm going to attempt Paradise Lost. It's kind of funny as a big part of why I am reading this book is the fact that I've had a novel called To Reign in Hell sitting on my "To be Read" shelf for the last couple of years, and it is a modern retelling of this classic. I'm doing the same thing with Dan Simmon's Hyperion and the Canterbury Tales, but I think that that book will have to wait for 2011.

Merry Christmas from Bookmonkey

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to wish you all happy holidays and hope you're reading or watching some great stuff this year - if it's really great, let me know!

Merry Christmas!

In defense of Avatar

Normally I would be doing a character of the week right now, but as I saw Avatar last night and then read or watched all kinds of negative reviews on it today, I thought I would give my opinion of the film.

Many of the reviews basically saw that although the film has some stunning visuals, it's story is derivative of films ranging from Dances with Wolves to Ferngully (which is entirely true by the way). In my opinion however, this misses the point.

The point of a story is to bring the audience in and keep them engaged, something that for me and my twelve-year-old daughter, Avatar definitely succeeded in.

Deciding whether or not a film has value in the big picture is tricky. Watching the film I definitely saw many aspects of earlier SF films that I had seen as a kid, but the thing I try to keep in mind is that films like Avatar are the ones that SF writers 20 years from now will have seen in their youth. People say this film doesn't say anything new, but they forget that to take into account that it is speaking to a new generation of fans.

In the end, I found the film a good way to pass an afternoon, but for my daughter, it said some new things, and it will be these kids, who in 10 years will really be able to tell us if the film was a classic or not.

Book Review: Nor Crystal Tears

Today has been a pretty big SF day for me, I started the day by watching the newest Doctor Who special: The Waters of Mars (excellent), followed it up this afternoon by watching the Spanish time-travel thriller Timecrimes (intriguing) and now I'm reviewing one of my favourite SF novels focusing on first contact between alien species - Nor Crystal Tears, by Alan Dean Foster.

A big part of what I love about this book is the fact that the main character, Ryo (an insectoid alien called a Thranx), is going through the process of handling a first contact situation with humans, so we get to see ourselves through the eyes of others. There is a similar feel in the William Golding novel The Inheritors (Neanderthal meeting Cro-magnum), and in Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity (tiny little caterpillar-like aliens doing a rescue mission for humans), but this book gives us half of the novel with just the aliens before the humans even appear.

The main character is an agricultural expert who is thrust into the situation involving first contact with a new and bizarre race, and although he is basically a giant Preying Mantis, I actually find him quite relatable. With the trend inn SF focusing on darker and more gritty stories, the simplicity and wonder involved in this story are like a breath of fresh air for me.

Alan Dean Foster (pictured right) has for me, mostly been the guy who wrote the novelization of many of my favourite films (Alien, Star Trek, Tranformers) so I was a little nervous when I first came across this story, but honestly, I can't think of a better way to take a look at ourselves as a species than through the eyes of a very remarkable alien.

Thing's I've Noticed: Used Book Store shopping is an art

Like many men, I shop in a hunting style. I am not very good at all when it comes to browsing through a store and gathering what I need. I like to know what I'm shopping for, and then like a hunter I slip in at the best time (usually right after the store opens), head directly for my target and scoop it up. I tend to stay away from stores like Winners and Costco due to their constantly shifting merchandise - sometimes I can get overwhelmed in such a store and then the hunter can become the hunted (pictured above), and instead of leaving the store with the simple item I wanted, I end up leaving with bags and bags of stuff I might need.

This is infinitely worse at Used Book Stores.

As a huge fan of genre books, Used books stores (pictured right) carry a big threat for me and my wallet. I can easily spend hours looking through a store in case an item was shelved strangely. The horror novel I'm looking for could be listed under Horror, Thriller, Authors, Staff Picks, or sometimes Movie Tie-Ins.

Therefore, like I do with many things in my life, I prepare ahead. Here is my simple 5 step strategy for Used Book Store shopping.

1. Make a list

Considering how easy it is to add books to your to be read pile, it is a good idea to keep a list in your wallet of all the used books you would immediately purchase if discovered. I have a list of about 20 books that fall into this category. BTW I've checked to make sure that my public library doesn't have them, because that may save me a few bucks in the long run.

2. Have a budget

Knowing exactly how much you are willing to spend on a trip makes a huge difference. If I know that I'll only be spending $40 (the cost of a new hardcover), I will be less likely to go crazy and come home with multiple shopping bags full of books (why yes, I have been watching Hoarders on A&E, how did you know?)

3. Go on a regular schedule

In my home town we have about half a dozen really good Used Book Stores to shop in, and thankfully (for me) most of them are not within walking distance of my house. I tend to spend a day going through the various used books stores about once every three months. This allows the stores to change their product from the last time I was in and gives me time to read all the books I purchased between trips.

4. Remember to check in unexpected places

When it comes to finding your book, you have to remember that the staff in the store are only human and unless the cover of the book has a well known author, or an obvious genre image (Robot for SF, Unicorn for Fantasy, or Possessed person for Horror), the book may get misplaced. Also keep in mind that if you ask the staff, they may have boxes of books in the back that they might let you check out.

5. Go with a friend

The single greatest piece of advice I can give is to do your used book shopping with a friend, preferably a friend who is also into reading. This gives you a chance to hang out for a day, and effectively gives both of you a spotter in case the other is going a little crazy with purchases. For the last couple years I've gone with my BFF Mike, and in addition to getting a lot of book shopping done (6 or more stores in 1 day), it is a great way to see what kind of things your friend is into lately.

There you have it, my suggestions on how to make the most of a shopping trip to the Used Book Store. If you have any great tips that you think might help me, feel free to let me know, I'm always looking to improve my technique.

Genre Character of the Week: Chris Romero

One of my favourite things about blogging is getting to meet and read so many other great bloggers out there, because when you start finding people with similar interests, you get pointed to movies and books you might never have seen before. Case in point, Night of the Creeps, a 1986 horror/comedy that I had never heard of before, and then was pointed to by Paul Castiglia (who writes the classic horror/comedy blog Scared Silly) and BJ-C (who writes a feminist view of horror blog called Day of the Woman). Thanks very much to both of them I have just enjoyed an incredibly fun film and have found this weeks Genre Character, Chris Romero.

When the film was first brought up to me, it was described as the closest thing you will ever see to Archie and Jughead in a horror film. Our main character Chris is a guy who is still getting over a break up with his high school sweetheart and then sees Cindy. His best friend A.C. (pictured right with Chris) introduces them and it looks like these two cute kids are gonna hit it off.

Unfortunately, first they'll have to deal with a host of zombies, and space slugs, and a serial killer. What I really like about Chris is his ability to freak out like anyone would under these horrible conditions and then he gets the job done anyway. The end of the film is probably one of the coolest zombie stand-offs I have ever seen and along with Cindy (pictured left), Chris really gives it his all.

I love this guy, he comes across as someone you'd really like to get to know, and if alien-infested zombies ever do come calling, you will definitely wish you could have spent some time with this guy.