I r a ginus
Best plan ever: while operating on five hours of sleep, work on the current story in progress! You'll totally produce something readable (and legible!) if you do that! Good work, team!
PS to Erik: I am sorry. So very, very sorry.
PS to Gentle Reader: The current story - Coping Mechanisms - is the second story to come from the brilliant suggestions put forth as part of the 'What the hell is that word?' contest. You may remember the other word - tomatogunner.
Today, at my current place of work, there was random cake. It was butter pecan and delicious. I shall miss you, random cake. I shall not miss the hour of bussing involved in getting to work, or waking up at 5 AM.
I'm not sure if I'll miss the woman with the shoes that sound like wuffling dogs.
Ivan's battle with disease continues, as does my battle with Ivan. I think I've finally discovered the perfect way to apply eye ointment. It involves sitting on the floor, grabbing the cat, and putting him between your legs. Your legs hold him, leaving your hands free to hold his eye open and squirt in ointment. You're seeing veterinary history in the making here, folks.
Of course, his eyes still look a bit pink, which is worrisome, but he's started participating in Tir's play fights (instead of just sitting there as Tir gnaws on his neck), which is encouraging.
Also continuing is my review of the books in the Chronicles of Amber.
It's not you, Mr. Zelazny, it's me.
The Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny
Since the events of The Guns of Avalon, Corwin has been avoiding declaring himself King of Amber now that his brother Eric is dead and King Oberon remains absent. A welcome distraction comes in the form of his brother Random, who finally decides to explain how he ran into Corwin on Earth, running from mysterious shadow creatures. Random's story leads them to the possibility that their brother Brand is not dead, as some have assumed, but imprisoned somewhere against his will. Corwin decides to rescue the brother he loved when he didn't hate him, by gathering all the siblings together in Amber. Brand's rescue and subsequent stabbing by one of the siblings, although Corwin doesn't know who, and reveals the threads of a plot against anyone who might try to claim the throne of Amber, stemming from one or more sibling with potential connections to some exterior threat to Amber, relating to the black road that's tracing its way through the shadows.
I like The Sign of the Unicorn more than the previous two novels in the series. There's greater interest and narrative strength to be found in the interactions between the brothers and sisters, bringing both family conflicts and political intrigue more cerebral than "Let us attack this castle behind the protection of our legions of meatshields!". There's also a great chapter narrated entirely by Random. I /like/ Random. His chapter shows more character and sparks more interest than anything told from Corwin's point of view. It's a shame the more immature, slightly reckless, certainly not alpha Random isn't the main character. I'd probably have enjoyed a series from Random's point of view far more than Corwin's.
There's a downside, of course. A large chunk of the novel involves Corwin investigating the events surrouding his car accident and subsequent hospitalization back on Earth. In a lot of ways, it makes those sections read like an extended recap, even though there's lots of new information being provided. But at least it's part of unravelling a political, possibly fratricidal plot, which makes the recapping more tolerable, since there's the possibility of something interesting coming of it.
Corwin doesn't have sex with any random women, either, this time around, and his sister Fiona is even revealed to have a brain and be proactive. Unfortunately, Corwin shamelessly reveals the fact that, if his sister Deirdre wasn't his sister, he would gladly have sex with her, and the fact that she is his sister saddens him, since it means he can't in good conscience have sex with her.
I /think/ I've managed to pinpoint the exact moment I stopped being bored with Corwin as a character and started genuinely disliking him.
The Sign of the Unicorn is actually an interesting read. We finally get to meet all of Corwin's family and more goes on that simple hack-and-slash. I think it might even be readable without reading the prior two novels, since their focus was really on the rivalry and battle between Corwin and Eric for the throne, while this novel starts off a related, but, I think, distinct plot that continues for the remaining two novels.
... Actually, maybe it /is/ you, Mr. Zelazny.
I've finished reading the Steven Brust novels I can read. It has been impressed upon me that they /must/ be read in a very specific order, and the ones that remain, I can't read until I find some more that go between the ones I've read and those ones. At some point, though, I will say many nice things about Mr. Brust's books, and try not to spend too much time wondering how someone who writes that entertaining can be a big fan of Roger Zelazny (although not in the way I wonder how people I like can enjoy the Potter books, which is an entirely different level of literary confusion).
Since I still need something to read, I have started reading Georgette Heyer's Sprig Muslin.
Going from a series of fantasy novels about an assassin to a romance novel is /totally normal/.
I might kill a man for eight hours sleep,
Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off
PS to Erik: I am sorry. So very, very sorry.
PS to Gentle Reader: The current story - Coping Mechanisms - is the second story to come from the brilliant suggestions put forth as part of the 'What the hell is that word?' contest. You may remember the other word - tomatogunner.
Today, at my current place of work, there was random cake. It was butter pecan and delicious. I shall miss you, random cake. I shall not miss the hour of bussing involved in getting to work, or waking up at 5 AM.
I'm not sure if I'll miss the woman with the shoes that sound like wuffling dogs.
Ivan's battle with disease continues, as does my battle with Ivan. I think I've finally discovered the perfect way to apply eye ointment. It involves sitting on the floor, grabbing the cat, and putting him between your legs. Your legs hold him, leaving your hands free to hold his eye open and squirt in ointment. You're seeing veterinary history in the making here, folks.
Of course, his eyes still look a bit pink, which is worrisome, but he's started participating in Tir's play fights (instead of just sitting there as Tir gnaws on his neck), which is encouraging.
Also continuing is my review of the books in the Chronicles of Amber.
It's not you, Mr. Zelazny, it's me.
The Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny
Since the events of The Guns of Avalon, Corwin has been avoiding declaring himself King of Amber now that his brother Eric is dead and King Oberon remains absent. A welcome distraction comes in the form of his brother Random, who finally decides to explain how he ran into Corwin on Earth, running from mysterious shadow creatures. Random's story leads them to the possibility that their brother Brand is not dead, as some have assumed, but imprisoned somewhere against his will. Corwin decides to rescue the brother he loved when he didn't hate him, by gathering all the siblings together in Amber. Brand's rescue and subsequent stabbing by one of the siblings, although Corwin doesn't know who, and reveals the threads of a plot against anyone who might try to claim the throne of Amber, stemming from one or more sibling with potential connections to some exterior threat to Amber, relating to the black road that's tracing its way through the shadows.
I like The Sign of the Unicorn more than the previous two novels in the series. There's greater interest and narrative strength to be found in the interactions between the brothers and sisters, bringing both family conflicts and political intrigue more cerebral than "Let us attack this castle behind the protection of our legions of meatshields!". There's also a great chapter narrated entirely by Random. I /like/ Random. His chapter shows more character and sparks more interest than anything told from Corwin's point of view. It's a shame the more immature, slightly reckless, certainly not alpha Random isn't the main character. I'd probably have enjoyed a series from Random's point of view far more than Corwin's.
There's a downside, of course. A large chunk of the novel involves Corwin investigating the events surrouding his car accident and subsequent hospitalization back on Earth. In a lot of ways, it makes those sections read like an extended recap, even though there's lots of new information being provided. But at least it's part of unravelling a political, possibly fratricidal plot, which makes the recapping more tolerable, since there's the possibility of something interesting coming of it.
Corwin doesn't have sex with any random women, either, this time around, and his sister Fiona is even revealed to have a brain and be proactive. Unfortunately, Corwin shamelessly reveals the fact that, if his sister Deirdre wasn't his sister, he would gladly have sex with her, and the fact that she is his sister saddens him, since it means he can't in good conscience have sex with her.
I /think/ I've managed to pinpoint the exact moment I stopped being bored with Corwin as a character and started genuinely disliking him.
The Sign of the Unicorn is actually an interesting read. We finally get to meet all of Corwin's family and more goes on that simple hack-and-slash. I think it might even be readable without reading the prior two novels, since their focus was really on the rivalry and battle between Corwin and Eric for the throne, while this novel starts off a related, but, I think, distinct plot that continues for the remaining two novels.
... Actually, maybe it /is/ you, Mr. Zelazny.
I've finished reading the Steven Brust novels I can read. It has been impressed upon me that they /must/ be read in a very specific order, and the ones that remain, I can't read until I find some more that go between the ones I've read and those ones. At some point, though, I will say many nice things about Mr. Brust's books, and try not to spend too much time wondering how someone who writes that entertaining can be a big fan of Roger Zelazny (although not in the way I wonder how people I like can enjoy the Potter books, which is an entirely different level of literary confusion).
Since I still need something to read, I have started reading Georgette Heyer's Sprig Muslin.
Going from a series of fantasy novels about an assassin to a romance novel is /totally normal/.
I might kill a man for eight hours sleep,
Almighty Ingrid, Signing Off