update #387: no quick route to experience
I have a new computer and, so far, it is making writing anything a less frustrating process.
Most of these were quick reads: a short story and a novella (more Murderbot!), a manga graphic novel and a comic volume (both by Rainbow Rowell) and then a novel (which, at ten hours, was still half the length of my current audiobook).
• “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells: A story about Dr Ayda Mensah set after the events of Exit Strategy (and before the most recent installment, Fugitive Telemetry). It is very, very short but I really liked seeing things from Mensah’s (third person) perspective.
The story was posted on Tor.com but without the italics, which makes some of the scene transitions and messages sent via interface less clear. I read it there, then bought the Kindle edition for like a dollar. I considered that money well spent.SecUnit is looking down at her. “You can hug me if you need to.”
“No. No, that’s all right. I know you don’t care for it.” She wipes her face. There are tears in her eyes, because she’s an idiot.
“It’s not terrible.” She can hear the irony under its even tone.
“Nevertheless.” She can’t do this. She can’t lean on a being that doesn’t want to be leaned on. Of all the things SecUnit needs, the only ones she can give it are room and time in a relatively safe space to make decisions for itself. Becoming a prop for her failing emotional stability won’t do either one of them any good.
Or maybe there’s something else she can give it. She looks up, keeping her eyes on its left shoulder, leaving it the option of meeting her gaze or not. “In all those requisition forms you’ve been sending me, is there something you actually want?”
• The Murderbot Diaries: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: Murderbot investigates a murder on Preservation Station.
I found this a less intense installment -- it takes place before Network Effect, which limited the possible directions this story could take. I knew nothing too life-changing would happen to Murderbot or its friends.
On the other hand, I would happily read about Murderbot solving any number of mysteries. ANY NUMBER. It was interesting to see Murderbot working under a different set of restrictions -- it doesn’t have to hide that it is a rogue SecUnit, but it is trying to keep its promise that it won’t access various station systems without permission, even though it is capable of doing so without anyone realising. Pin-Lee pointed out, “Everyone else who has a feed ID has one voluntarily. Consensually, one might say.”
Senior Indah stopped looking at me to glare at Pin-Lee. “All we’re asking for is a name.”
I have a name, but it’s private.
On their secure feed connection, Pin-Lee sent to Mensah, Oh, that’s going to go over well. When station residents are running into “Murderbot”-
That’s one of the reasons why it’s private.
(Dr. Bharadwaj was easy to talk to, for a human. [...] The second time we had talked I had somehow just come out and told her that I thought being here on Preservation Station as myself, and not pretending to be an augmented human or a robot, was disturbing and complicated and I didn’t know if I could keep doing it. She had said that it would be strange if I didn’t find it disturbing and complicated, because my whole situation was objectively disturbing and complicated. For some reason that made me feel better.)
The weapons scanners on the station’s entrance went off on me, of course. [...] Finally I pulled up my sleeve (using my onboard energy weapons made holes in fabric, so I’d have to get my shirt fixed) and held my arm up. “Hey, it’s me.”
They all stared. Still woozy, Target Four said, “It’s a slitting SecUnit, you pussers, how stupid are you?”
Yeah, these Targets are going to be fun to chat with, I can tell already. I told him, “You’re the one who got yourself bodyslammed into station detention, so let’s talk about how dumb you are.”
Target Four seemed shocked. “SecUnits aren’t supposed to talk back,” Target Five said weakly.
Tell me about it. “Cargo ship crews aren’t supposed to take Port Authority supervisors as hostages, but here we all are.”
I hate being in this situation, not knowing what to say, and I couldn’t even figure out a query for a search of my media archive for similar conversations because I didn’t even know what kind of conversation we were having.
• Fangirl: the manga, volume 1 by Rainbow Rowell (story), Sam Maggs (adaptation) and Gabi Nam (illustrations): A lovely way to revisit Fangirl, one of my favourite stories! Judging from my memory of the novel, this is a remarkably -- and satisfyingly -- faithful adaptation. Lots of scenes and dialogue that were very familiar -- to the point where I kept feeling surprised that the characters didn’t look exactly how I’d imagined them! (Instead, they look like what someone else imagined. A valid interpretation.)
I really liked the artwork.
I don’t know if this would be the best way to encounter Fangirl for the first time, because it’s only Part 1 of 4 and the second volume isn’t out yet. Then again, anyone desperate to find out what happens next can always read the book.
• Runaways: Canon Fodder (volume 5) by Rainbow Rowell and Andrés Genolet: Following on from But You Can’t Hide (volume 4). Karolina, continuing to use her powers to help people, has caught the attention of LA superhero, Doctor Justice. When the Runaways need a new place to stay, they accept Doctor Justice’s offer of accommodation.
The previous volume had more scenes which stood out to me as memorable or quotable, but this volume had a strong, complete story arc and that was really satisfying! As is the rather pointed commentary about being a superhero.
Looking forward to volume 6.
• A Natural History of Dragons: a memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (audiobook): Isabella -- well-travelled, unabashedly unconventional, strong minded, and passionate about dragons -- tells of her childhood obsession with dragons began, and how, aged nineteen, she joined an expedition to study the rock-wyrms of Vystrana.
This is such a novel and interesting approach to dragons. Isabella’s adventures are eventful, and her observations are astute and often delightfully expressed. Because she’s looking back on her youth, she’s able to comment on things that her nineteen year old self didn’t recognise or appreciate. This introduces a level of nuance, and self-awareness, which the narrative might have otherwise lacked.
But it also makes it easy for Isabella, at key points in the story, to create distance between her narrative and her nineteen year old self’s emotions. I came away feeling unsure if I found the ending satisfying and unsure if I wanted to read more. As a reader, I’m HERE for the emotions. Be warned, then: the collected volumes of this series will contain frozen mountains, foetid swamps, hostile foreigners, hostile fellow countrymen, the occasional hostile family member, bad decisions, misadventures in orienteering, diseases of an unromantic sort, and a plenitude of mud. You continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart -- no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such a study offers rewards beyond compare; to stand in the presence of a dragon, even for the briefest of moments -- even at the risk of one’s life -- is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten.
I believed myself to be ready then; now, with the hindsight brought by greater age, I see myself for the naive and inexperienced young woman I was. We all begin in such a manner, though. There is no quick route to experience.
Originally @ Dreamwidth.
Most of these were quick reads: a short story and a novella (more Murderbot!), a manga graphic novel and a comic volume (both by Rainbow Rowell) and then a novel (which, at ten hours, was still half the length of my current audiobook).
• “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells: A story about Dr Ayda Mensah set after the events of Exit Strategy (and before the most recent installment, Fugitive Telemetry). It is very, very short but I really liked seeing things from Mensah’s (third person) perspective.
The story was posted on Tor.com but without the italics, which makes some of the scene transitions and messages sent via interface less clear. I read it there, then bought the Kindle edition for like a dollar. I considered that money well spent.SecUnit is looking down at her. “You can hug me if you need to.”
“No. No, that’s all right. I know you don’t care for it.” She wipes her face. There are tears in her eyes, because she’s an idiot.
“It’s not terrible.” She can hear the irony under its even tone.
“Nevertheless.” She can’t do this. She can’t lean on a being that doesn’t want to be leaned on. Of all the things SecUnit needs, the only ones she can give it are room and time in a relatively safe space to make decisions for itself. Becoming a prop for her failing emotional stability won’t do either one of them any good.
Or maybe there’s something else she can give it. She looks up, keeping her eyes on its left shoulder, leaving it the option of meeting her gaze or not. “In all those requisition forms you’ve been sending me, is there something you actually want?”
• The Murderbot Diaries: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: Murderbot investigates a murder on Preservation Station.
I found this a less intense installment -- it takes place before Network Effect, which limited the possible directions this story could take. I knew nothing too life-changing would happen to Murderbot or its friends.
On the other hand, I would happily read about Murderbot solving any number of mysteries. ANY NUMBER. It was interesting to see Murderbot working under a different set of restrictions -- it doesn’t have to hide that it is a rogue SecUnit, but it is trying to keep its promise that it won’t access various station systems without permission, even though it is capable of doing so without anyone realising. Pin-Lee pointed out, “Everyone else who has a feed ID has one voluntarily. Consensually, one might say.”
Senior Indah stopped looking at me to glare at Pin-Lee. “All we’re asking for is a name.”
I have a name, but it’s private.
On their secure feed connection, Pin-Lee sent to Mensah, Oh, that’s going to go over well. When station residents are running into “Murderbot”-
That’s one of the reasons why it’s private.
(Dr. Bharadwaj was easy to talk to, for a human. [...] The second time we had talked I had somehow just come out and told her that I thought being here on Preservation Station as myself, and not pretending to be an augmented human or a robot, was disturbing and complicated and I didn’t know if I could keep doing it. She had said that it would be strange if I didn’t find it disturbing and complicated, because my whole situation was objectively disturbing and complicated. For some reason that made me feel better.)
The weapons scanners on the station’s entrance went off on me, of course. [...] Finally I pulled up my sleeve (using my onboard energy weapons made holes in fabric, so I’d have to get my shirt fixed) and held my arm up. “Hey, it’s me.”
They all stared. Still woozy, Target Four said, “It’s a slitting SecUnit, you pussers, how stupid are you?”
Yeah, these Targets are going to be fun to chat with, I can tell already. I told him, “You’re the one who got yourself bodyslammed into station detention, so let’s talk about how dumb you are.”
Target Four seemed shocked. “SecUnits aren’t supposed to talk back,” Target Five said weakly.
Tell me about it. “Cargo ship crews aren’t supposed to take Port Authority supervisors as hostages, but here we all are.”
I hate being in this situation, not knowing what to say, and I couldn’t even figure out a query for a search of my media archive for similar conversations because I didn’t even know what kind of conversation we were having.
• Fangirl: the manga, volume 1 by Rainbow Rowell (story), Sam Maggs (adaptation) and Gabi Nam (illustrations): A lovely way to revisit Fangirl, one of my favourite stories! Judging from my memory of the novel, this is a remarkably -- and satisfyingly -- faithful adaptation. Lots of scenes and dialogue that were very familiar -- to the point where I kept feeling surprised that the characters didn’t look exactly how I’d imagined them! (Instead, they look like what someone else imagined. A valid interpretation.)
I really liked the artwork.
I don’t know if this would be the best way to encounter Fangirl for the first time, because it’s only Part 1 of 4 and the second volume isn’t out yet. Then again, anyone desperate to find out what happens next can always read the book.
• Runaways: Canon Fodder (volume 5) by Rainbow Rowell and Andrés Genolet: Following on from But You Can’t Hide (volume 4). Karolina, continuing to use her powers to help people, has caught the attention of LA superhero, Doctor Justice. When the Runaways need a new place to stay, they accept Doctor Justice’s offer of accommodation.
The previous volume had more scenes which stood out to me as memorable or quotable, but this volume had a strong, complete story arc and that was really satisfying! As is the rather pointed commentary about being a superhero.
Looking forward to volume 6.
• A Natural History of Dragons: a memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (audiobook): Isabella -- well-travelled, unabashedly unconventional, strong minded, and passionate about dragons -- tells of her childhood obsession with dragons began, and how, aged nineteen, she joined an expedition to study the rock-wyrms of Vystrana.
This is such a novel and interesting approach to dragons. Isabella’s adventures are eventful, and her observations are astute and often delightfully expressed. Because she’s looking back on her youth, she’s able to comment on things that her nineteen year old self didn’t recognise or appreciate. This introduces a level of nuance, and self-awareness, which the narrative might have otherwise lacked.
But it also makes it easy for Isabella, at key points in the story, to create distance between her narrative and her nineteen year old self’s emotions. I came away feeling unsure if I found the ending satisfying and unsure if I wanted to read more. As a reader, I’m HERE for the emotions. Be warned, then: the collected volumes of this series will contain frozen mountains, foetid swamps, hostile foreigners, hostile fellow countrymen, the occasional hostile family member, bad decisions, misadventures in orienteering, diseases of an unromantic sort, and a plenitude of mud. You continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart -- no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such a study offers rewards beyond compare; to stand in the presence of a dragon, even for the briefest of moments -- even at the risk of one’s life -- is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten.
I believed myself to be ready then; now, with the hindsight brought by greater age, I see myself for the naive and inexperienced young woman I was. We all begin in such a manner, though. There is no quick route to experience.
Originally @ Dreamwidth.