Busy Week, But Not Stressful

Sorry I'm a day behind, but am spending much needed time with family before I go back to super-focusing on the new novel project. My Dad is in his 80s and has Alzheimer's. So, Mom needs the help. It happens.

In other news, I was glad to hear that The Handmaid's Tale got so much attention at the Emmy's. (Also, genre fiction in general.) I've been watching Top of the Lake which stars Elizabeth Moss. It's not SFF, but I like to keep an eye on what's going on in other genres because it's important not to become hide-bound as a storyteller. Besides, I'm a fan of intermingling different types of stories.[1] It's fun. Right now, I've been focusing on stories with interesting female characters. I've watched the first and second season of The Fall which was interesting--if not comfortable, and Top of the Lake is quite similar in that it too addresses anxiety-producing levels of engrained misogyny within police departments and communities. Trigger Warning: in season one of Top of the Lake the crime involves a missing twelve year old girl who is pregnant due to multiple statutory rapes and abuse. (I'm not finished yet, but it's obvious that her father and uncles are the guilty parties.) It's a rough watch at times, but it's worth it so far. I've also been watching The Good Wife and Elementary and I'm enjoying them quite a bit. More importantly, I don't understand all the hate that Elementary received. I adore the attention to detail. It's gender-flipped characters (Watson and Moriarty) are artfully portrayed and well-written. Sherlock as ex-drug addict is just the right balance of unlikeable asshole and likeable dork. I adore it, and I'm extremely happy there's so much of it to watch. Dane and I have also been continuing with Preacher--although the first half of the second season has been extremely sllllow. I loved Castlevania. And we also started watching Midnight, Texas which is delightfully hoaky. The writing is pretty bad, but every episode manages to pull something off that keeps me watching. I can't explain why. I suspect it has to do with the witch character, Fiji. (That name. Arggh. But hey, it's not as bad as Bo-Bo.) 

I've been reading Ian Banks' Culture series as well as Dan Simmons' Hyperion. I'm not enjoying them as much as finding them interesting in a craft sense. (Which describes my relationship with Kurt Vonnegut. I only read him out of obligation and education. I learn clever craft tricks from him--necessary since I don't have an advanced degree in Literature.) I gave Dhalgren a try and bounced, alas. (I feel it's a failing in myself as a reader, rather than Delany.) Most of my journey through the classics of SF hasn't been pleasant, I'll say. It's steeped in levels of misogyny and racism that are often hard to get past--even more so now. I've been making progress through Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series with the Skiffy and Fanty crew and have been enjoying those. Also, I've been trying to keep up with certain coversations regarding AI. That's been interesting. (I also find it amusing when white dudes go on about how something won't be disruptive to the economy because...well...they say so.) Anyway, that's what I've been reading these days.

I hope your week has been going well in spite of all the awful going on out there. And if you're being affected by the awful, I hope you get through it safely and whole. Take care out there.

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[1] I've done a 70s Irish Crime and Urban Fantasy mashup and an Epic Fantasy, Sharp's Rifles, Patrick O'Brian, Horror mix (Cold Iron) and an Epic Fantasy, Patrick O'Brian, Serial Killer/Murder Mystery, Horror, Samurai story mashup (Blackthorne). Like I said, it's fun.