Books, cats, battle lines
I'm reading Robert A Heinlein's "The Cat Who Walks through Walls" and thoroughly enjoying it. Completely. It has earned a place on my favorites list. To whomever decided to leave it and a armful of other books in the laundry room for three weeks, you are a literary angel dropping small miracles.
Firstly, the plot appears irrelevant. Granted i still have about 80 pages left to read. It is full of wit and dialog, humor built entirely upon statement of the obvious, understatement, and polite cynicism. It has so strong a voice and accent that i find myself thinking in the same voice, which is marvelous as my vocabulary has been under-stimulated for months. This also means creative input, which i've been lacking in sufficient quantity to make up for the required creative output of the That Other Job (who knew decorating 3 dozen cupcakes could be tedious?)
Secondly, Heinlein has proven to be a cat person. I do not care what his biography is, i have not read it. He understands what being owned by a cat is. Like being chosen and owned by a cat. Like that cats are always a part of the conversation, regardless of whether you asked them or not.
Also, it makes me desperately want an orange kitten with a blue-eyed trace of Siamese, to be named Lord Pixel, despite that very nearly no one will ever get the joke. (I know this because, having googled it, there are not hordes of orange cats named Pixel spamming the intertubes.)
Thirdly, this means i've chosen sides in the only other great battle i've encountered repeatedly in sci-fi. I have read Asimov, have in fact over-dosed on hard core science fiction from reading the Greatest Sci-Fi Short Stories of the 1940's collection, which he edited. His are there. I found them acceptable, palatable. So far, i like Heinlein better. And if this sort of well-mannered prime character is a cliche of his, I accept. It's nice to have a character who is not complex because he is hiding or atoning for past sins. This also finally gives me a preferred Sci-Fi author to talk about that people have actually heard of. I am sorry, Jeff Carver, but you are obtuse to the masses.
In other news, happy Hallmark Day. Ris bought me candy, i got myself flowers days ago. Josh was caught flat footed but has promises to make it up to me with dinner at Troy tomorrow. I approve, i had not expected anything at all.
Firstly, the plot appears irrelevant. Granted i still have about 80 pages left to read. It is full of wit and dialog, humor built entirely upon statement of the obvious, understatement, and polite cynicism. It has so strong a voice and accent that i find myself thinking in the same voice, which is marvelous as my vocabulary has been under-stimulated for months. This also means creative input, which i've been lacking in sufficient quantity to make up for the required creative output of the That Other Job (who knew decorating 3 dozen cupcakes could be tedious?)
Secondly, Heinlein has proven to be a cat person. I do not care what his biography is, i have not read it. He understands what being owned by a cat is. Like being chosen and owned by a cat. Like that cats are always a part of the conversation, regardless of whether you asked them or not.
Also, it makes me desperately want an orange kitten with a blue-eyed trace of Siamese, to be named Lord Pixel, despite that very nearly no one will ever get the joke. (I know this because, having googled it, there are not hordes of orange cats named Pixel spamming the intertubes.)
Thirdly, this means i've chosen sides in the only other great battle i've encountered repeatedly in sci-fi. I have read Asimov, have in fact over-dosed on hard core science fiction from reading the Greatest Sci-Fi Short Stories of the 1940's collection, which he edited. His are there. I found them acceptable, palatable. So far, i like Heinlein better. And if this sort of well-mannered prime character is a cliche of his, I accept. It's nice to have a character who is not complex because he is hiding or atoning for past sins. This also finally gives me a preferred Sci-Fi author to talk about that people have actually heard of. I am sorry, Jeff Carver, but you are obtuse to the masses.
In other news, happy Hallmark Day. Ris bought me candy, i got myself flowers days ago. Josh was caught flat footed but has promises to make it up to me with dinner at Troy tomorrow. I approve, i had not expected anything at all.