Sic semper tyrannis
Oct. 1st, 2025 06:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jhetleyAir temperature 39 F, wind north about 1 mph, clear sky. Frost advisory for tonight. Again. I'll warn our rose bush. Foraging morning, walk afternoon.
jhetley
Tuesday goose/duck report
Sep. 30th, 2025 12:48 pmjhetleyMixed flock of maybe four dozen out at the cemetery this morning. Guess they found out that segregation is now illegal. Only the geese seemed to be grazing out among the graves, while both geese and ducks were hanging out around the pond.
One roadkill porcupine on the other side of the road at about mile five on my route, smear of green guck across the asphalt at about mile nine. The latter was probably porcupine stomach contents left when the corpse went elsewhere. Both locations are known porcupine death zones.
Asters blooming in profusion along with the other usuals. Most of the red maples have dropped their leaves in the bog while the upland trees have barely started to turn. Touch of yellow on some of the tamaracks.
Got out on the bike when the temperature reached 60 F, up to the country club and over to the road through the bog and home. Not a lot of wind, comfortable biking weather. Did not die.
15.33 miles, 1:28:43
One roadkill porcupine on the other side of the road at about mile five on my route, smear of green guck across the asphalt at about mile nine. The latter was probably porcupine stomach contents left when the corpse went elsewhere. Both locations are known porcupine death zones.
Asters blooming in profusion along with the other usuals. Most of the red maples have dropped their leaves in the bog while the upland trees have barely started to turn. Touch of yellow on some of the tamaracks.
Got out on the bike when the temperature reached 60 F, up to the country club and over to the road through the bog and home. Not a lot of wind, comfortable biking weather. Did not die.
15.33 miles, 1:28:43
September 2025 in Review
Sep. 30th, 2025 12:22 pmjames_davis_nicoll
21 works reviewed. 11 by women (52%), 9 by men (43%), 1 by non-binary authors (5%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 8 by POC (38%).
The chart is breaking formatting. Need to fix or remove it. I do like charts, though.
September 2025 in Review
Elegy for Angels and Dogs /The Graveyard Heart by Williams and Zelazny
Sep. 30th, 2025 08:45 amjames_davis_nicoll
Two stories about beautiful people partying their way through time.
Elegy for Angels and Dogs /The Graveyard Heart (Tor SF Double, volume 24) By Walter Jon Williams & Roger Zelazny
The social contract
Sep. 30th, 2025 07:36 amjhetleyThe Emperor is required to provide enough bread and circuses to keep the masses from open rebellion. It's right there in the rules.
Abomination of desolation
Sep. 30th, 2025 06:52 amjhetleyAir temperature 50 F, wind near calm, sunny if the sun ever bothers to rise. A few gulls patrol the far side of the park, but whatever draws them seems to be on the wane. Plan to snatch a bike ride from the jaws of advancing winter once the world warms up a bit. Any one of those may be the last of the year . . .
Bicycle Tires
Sep. 29th, 2025 11:02 pmhrjI have this mental block about actually "fixing" leaky bicycle tubes. Swap in a new one and move on. But tubes aren't exactly cheap (especially since both my regular bicycles have odd size wheels and I have to mail order), so the last several flats I've kept the tubes, meaning to patch them. Eventually.
Last week I had a flat on the right front of the tricycle, removed a small thorn from the tire, and put in a new tube. That made three leaky tubes waiting for a fix. This morning, the same wheel was soft, so I assumed I'd missed the actual culprit. Figured this was my cue to actually patch all the tubes, so I filled up the kitchen sink to locate the leaks. The three older tubes had clear leak sites, though the most recent of those was very small and slow.
But I couldn't find any leak in the newest tube. I suppose it's possible I didn't have the valve tightened completely and it was leaking slightly through the stem. (The tricycle uses Presta valves.) So I checked the tire carefully for possible causes and put it back on. We'll see tomorrow if it's gone soft again. Which would be annoying.
But at least I've gotten a bit more practice in getting the tire on and off, which requires a high level of believing that it can be done plus significant hand strength. (The front wheels on the tricycle can be worked on without removing them from the frame. The rear wheel is...more complicated. But not quite as complicated as the rear wheel of the Brompton fold-up, which involves a lot of keeping track of which small item goes where.)
Given how many miles I put on the bike, I probably have a relatively low rate of flats. I got heavy duty tires because the rec trails have some vegetation hazards. (Star thistles can serve as surprisingly functional caltrops.) Glass is less common. One flat was due to a small, short wire that I only found by running my finger around the inside of the tire. (Ouch!)
Last week I had a flat on the right front of the tricycle, removed a small thorn from the tire, and put in a new tube. That made three leaky tubes waiting for a fix. This morning, the same wheel was soft, so I assumed I'd missed the actual culprit. Figured this was my cue to actually patch all the tubes, so I filled up the kitchen sink to locate the leaks. The three older tubes had clear leak sites, though the most recent of those was very small and slow.
But I couldn't find any leak in the newest tube. I suppose it's possible I didn't have the valve tightened completely and it was leaking slightly through the stem. (The tricycle uses Presta valves.) So I checked the tire carefully for possible causes and put it back on. We'll see tomorrow if it's gone soft again. Which would be annoying.
But at least I've gotten a bit more practice in getting the tire on and off, which requires a high level of believing that it can be done plus significant hand strength. (The front wheels on the tricycle can be worked on without removing them from the frame. The rear wheel is...more complicated. But not quite as complicated as the rear wheel of the Brompton fold-up, which involves a lot of keeping track of which small item goes where.)
Given how many miles I put on the bike, I probably have a relatively low rate of flats. I got heavy duty tires because the rec trails have some vegetation hazards. (Star thistles can serve as surprisingly functional caltrops.) Glass is less common. One flat was due to a small, short wire that I only found by running my finger around the inside of the tire. (Ouch!)
(no subject)
Sep. 29th, 2025 03:16 pmjhetleySome topics are poisonous to touch. This ranges from a poison-ivy itch to blue-ringed octopus level of poisonous.
Clarke Award Finalists 2016
Sep. 29th, 2025 12:15 pmjames_davis_nicoll2016: The Chilcot Inquiry illustrates the meticulous process by which the UK went to war in Iraq, Lord Lucan is declared dead, and the UK’s narrow vote to leave the EU is at worst the second stupidest collective decision made by a Western democracy in 2016.
Pretend I caught that the poll autofilled the wrong question and that it reads "which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read?"
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read??
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Arcadia by Iain Pears
Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Way Down Dark by James Smythe
Pretend I caught that the poll autofilled the wrong question and that it reads "which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read?"
Poll #33672 Clarke Award Finalists 2016
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 48
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
21 (43.8%)
Arcadia by Iain Pears
2 (4.2%)
Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson
7 (14.6%)
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
11 (22.9%)
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
40 (83.3%)
Way Down Dark by James Smythe
0 (0.0%)
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read??
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Arcadia by Iain Pears
Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Way Down Dark by James Smythe
(no subject)
Sep. 29th, 2025 11:32 amjhetleyAsh trees continue to amuse. Some are bare, some defy the season and remain green. I have no idea how much of this difference is genetic and how much environmental.
Oopsie observed
Sep. 29th, 2025 10:32 amjhetleyHouse on my walk route had the driveway repaved a few weeks back. Today's saunter around the neighborhood found a crew tearing up that driveway, prior to repaving. Did not interrogate said crew further.
(no subject)
Sep. 29th, 2025 07:50 amjhetleyHark, hark! the dogs do bark,
Beggars are coming to town.
Some in rags, some in jags,
And some in velvet gowns.
Beggars are coming to town.
Some in rags, some in jags,
And some in velvet gowns.
Götterdämmerung
Sep. 29th, 2025 07:00 amjhetleyAir temperature 48 F, wind southwest 4 mph, sunny. A few gulls across the park, also a couple of crows. No coordinated advance apparent. Ambitions limited to a walk, maybe to include meet-up with a cat friend.
I don't know what to make of this
Sep. 28th, 2025 08:37 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The Cherryh titles I dropped into ngram fell into 3 patterns:
Ones whose titles don't play nicely with ngrams. I dropped those.
Ones where the mentions per year decline fairly steadily year to year.
Cyteen. What's up with Cyteen? Did Jo Walton mention it on tor dot com around 2009?
Sunday floral/avian report
Sep. 28th, 2025 11:50 amjhetleyMasses of the brilliant purple asters by the roadside, mixed again with the chicory and goldenrod. More milkweed pods starting to split open. A few of the highland trees turning, red and orange and yellow.
Flock of about 10 turkeys by the roadside, about 4 miles into my route. No threat postures, at least one tom. Airport metal birds limited to a couple of commercial takeoffs and the Army whirlybirds. No roadkill beyond a couple of small patches of flattened brown feathers.
Got out on the bike, temperature about 62 F when I headed out and 75 F now, wind gusting over 15 mph but at my back on the way home. Did not die.
15.69 miles, 1:30:04
Flock of about 10 turkeys by the roadside, about 4 miles into my route. No threat postures, at least one tom. Airport metal birds limited to a couple of commercial takeoffs and the Army whirlybirds. No roadkill beyond a couple of small patches of flattened brown feathers.
Got out on the bike, temperature about 62 F when I headed out and 75 F now, wind gusting over 15 mph but at my back on the way home. Did not die.
15.69 miles, 1:30:04
(no subject)
Sep. 28th, 2025 02:07 pmwatervoleTheo is growing rapidly. He'll be one year old by the end of October, and it hardly seems possible.
He's a cheeky little monkey, outgoing and very confident.
He's totally adorable when he sees me. Gives a big smile and crawls, very fast, over to see me. Grabs hold of my legs, pulls himself to standing, and asks to be picked up. (Not verbally, but it's a very expectant face)
Which I love doing - he's very cuddly.
But, he's also getting heavy. Very heavy...
And my back is suffering.
I've got to learn to resist that happy face, and play with him on the floor. And read books to him on the floor as well. I think that lifting him onto my knee when I'm reading to him is actually the biggest source of the back pain, as I have to lean forward to do it.
Tiger by the Tail and Other Science Fiction Stories by Alan E. Nourse
Sep. 28th, 2025 08:59 amjames_davis_nicoll
Nine science fiction stories by the author of The Universe Between.
Tiger by the Tail and Other Science Fiction Stories by Alan E. Nourse
Ornithology
Sep. 28th, 2025 07:05 amjhetleyAir temperature 59 F, wind southwest about 5 mph, fog at the airport but just overcast here. Gull gathering down, as are the crane flies. Whether correlation is causation remains an open question. We're supposed to get into the low 80s F this afternoon, so bike ride morning.
Books Received, September 20 — September 26
Sep. 27th, 2025 09:10 amjames_davis_nicoll
Six works new to me: four fantasy, one mystery, one non-fiction (from an unexpected source)... unless you count the fantasy-mystery as mystery, in which case it's three fantasy and two mysteries. At least two are series. I don't know why publishers are so averse to labelling series.
Books Received, September 20 — September 26
Poll #33662 Books Received, September 20 — September 26
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43
Which of these look interesting?
View Answers
An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong
12 (27.9%)
Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 2026)
12 (27.9%)
Following My Nose by Alexei Panshin (December 2024)
11 (25.6%)
The Fake Divination Offense by Sara Raasch (May 2026)
7 (16.3%)
The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow (February 2026)
8 (18.6%)
Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson (September 2025)
17 (39.5%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.3%)
Cats!
32 (74.4%)
Nothing continues
Sep. 27th, 2025 07:04 amjhetleyI believe that the Althing also continues. Air temperature 47 F, wind near calm, sunny. Now that the sun has bothered to get up, that is. And the gulls are gathering for their morning rituals in the park. Walk later, then TV sports.
Friday duck duck goose report
Sep. 26th, 2025 01:07 pmjhetleyAbout 30-40 ducks on the banks of the cemetery pond, a similar number of geese spread out among the tombstones across the road.
No roadkill seen. Did have a number of woolly bear caterpillars galumphing across the road, no common direction seen. Don't know what their GPS was telling them.
Whole hells of asters blooming, with chicory and goldenrod and white sweet clover mixed in. Bracken all gone brown, some milkweed pods splitting open. Red maples in the bog dropping their leaves, while the ones on the high ground have just started to turn. Ash trees into their turn-yellow-and-drop routine.
Got out on the bike, temperature in the 60s F and little wind. Don't know how many more ride-days I will be offered. Did not die.
15.33 miles, 1:30:04
No roadkill seen. Did have a number of woolly bear caterpillars galumphing across the road, no common direction seen. Don't know what their GPS was telling them.
Whole hells of asters blooming, with chicory and goldenrod and white sweet clover mixed in. Bracken all gone brown, some milkweed pods splitting open. Red maples in the bog dropping their leaves, while the ones on the high ground have just started to turn. Ash trees into their turn-yellow-and-drop routine.
Got out on the bike, temperature in the 60s F and little wind. Don't know how many more ride-days I will be offered. Did not die.
15.33 miles, 1:30:04
Bound Feet by Kelsea Yu
Sep. 26th, 2025 09:17 amjames_davis_nicoll
A grieving mother and her best friend break into a ghost museum to conduct illicit but surely harmless Ghost Day celebrations. Revelations await.
Bound Feet by Kelsea Yu
The decline and fall
Sep. 26th, 2025 07:01 amjhetleyThe decline and fall
Air temperature 61 F, wind southwest about 4 mph, partly cloudy. We got enough rain to trigger our basement leaks, nothing major but I swept maybe a gallon of water down to the floor drain. May try for a bike ride this morning, to contemplate the new-washed asters and fall color. We do not at the moment have gulls foraging the park.
Air temperature 61 F, wind southwest about 4 mph, partly cloudy. We got enough rain to trigger our basement leaks, nothing major but I swept maybe a gallon of water down to the floor drain. May try for a bike ride this morning, to contemplate the new-washed asters and fall color. We do not at the moment have gulls foraging the park.
(no subject)
Sep. 25th, 2025 03:20 pmjhetleyActual rain falling. We got a shower earlier, but this has the street shiny and drips from the roof eaves. Hope it soaks in.
On Writing Romance as Hard Science Fiction
Sep. 25th, 2025 10:07 amjames_davis_nicoll
More stories should dig into the chemistry, biology, and physics of falling in love.
On Writing Romance as Hard Science Fiction
Southern Star are recruiting!
Sep. 25th, 2025 01:59 pmwatervoleThe Morris Federation have been producing a series of short videos for many of their members. The aim is to get as many shares as possible, in order to boost the number of people reached.
So, here's the short video for Southern Star Longsword. We're a small, friendly team, who welcome men, women and children. We meet in Corfe Mullen on Monday evening. We're especially keen to recruit new musicians at present.
We perform English longsword dances (no connection to Scottish sword dancing), and write many of our own dances. Our latest dance - sadly, no decent video as yet - is danced to 'The Wellerman'.Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack
Sep. 25th, 2025 08:53 amjames_davis_nicoll
Amid economic downturn and political strife, young American teen discovers her hidden potential.
Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack
Blog about nothing
Sep. 25th, 2025 07:07 amjhetleyAir temperature 56 F, wind east about 5 mph, mostly cloudy. Rain supposed to start after noon. Walk early?
(no subject)
Sep. 24th, 2025 06:17 pmjhetleyIf you are interested in a Maine leaf-peeping trip:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/fall_foliage/report/index.shtml
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/fall_foliage/report/index.shtml
(no subject)
Sep. 24th, 2025 10:28 amsartoriasI'm up here at my sister's, not quite a hundred miles north of home, while the new floors are put in. It's all SoCal, and yet a completely different microclimate. I woke to the tut-tut-tut of some bird we don't ever hear at home, and other chirps and twitters equally unfamiliar. Over that, though, the very familiar caw of crows.
As I did the morning walk with the little dog, and listened to the local crows up in the eucalyptus and pines, I wondered if the crows that follow me at home were watching for me to come. Now that the sun is lowering a bit, we're back to increasing numbers, so I might have thirty or so swirling around me when I throw unsalted peanuts out. so exhilarating to watch them!
Here they don't know me, of course, so the calls can't be to let me know they are there. I'm sure the lives of humans are ignorable, except as annoyances that send them into the trees. I wondered about that sky civilization as I trod the path to the dog park. So much going on at the tops of the trees, that we barely notice!
It's such a relief not to be toiling with packing, though of course unpacking lies in wait to pounce when I get back. Then I'll only have three or four days before I take off for my October east trip, so most of my share of the unloading will await me on my return. The big job (and the fun one) is the library.
Speaking of, since it's Wednesday, let's see, what have I been reading? The Military Philosophers by Anthony Powell, which is part of a book discussion that I've been following since the start of the year. One book a month in Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time series. The discussion happens at the start of each month over Zoom, and what interests me is how folks from either side of the Atlantic read the work. Also, non-genre reading. This time I'll be on the train when the discussion rolls around, so I hope I have connectivity, but if not I'll listen to the recording. At least that way I can skip ahead if the fellow who leads it gets prolix over an obvious point as he has a tendency to do. The academic curse; students above a certain age level are too polite to say 'Zip it! We got the idea already." (High schoolers had no such restraint, and middle schoolers invariably signalled boredom by more physical means.)
Anyway I had the leisure, for the first time in a couple of months, to make chocolate chip cookies. So I can have those and tea and do some reading. Heigh ho, I will go do that now.
As I did the morning walk with the little dog, and listened to the local crows up in the eucalyptus and pines, I wondered if the crows that follow me at home were watching for me to come. Now that the sun is lowering a bit, we're back to increasing numbers, so I might have thirty or so swirling around me when I throw unsalted peanuts out. so exhilarating to watch them!
Here they don't know me, of course, so the calls can't be to let me know they are there. I'm sure the lives of humans are ignorable, except as annoyances that send them into the trees. I wondered about that sky civilization as I trod the path to the dog park. So much going on at the tops of the trees, that we barely notice!
It's such a relief not to be toiling with packing, though of course unpacking lies in wait to pounce when I get back. Then I'll only have three or four days before I take off for my October east trip, so most of my share of the unloading will await me on my return. The big job (and the fun one) is the library.
Speaking of, since it's Wednesday, let's see, what have I been reading? The Military Philosophers by Anthony Powell, which is part of a book discussion that I've been following since the start of the year. One book a month in Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time series. The discussion happens at the start of each month over Zoom, and what interests me is how folks from either side of the Atlantic read the work. Also, non-genre reading. This time I'll be on the train when the discussion rolls around, so I hope I have connectivity, but if not I'll listen to the recording. At least that way I can skip ahead if the fellow who leads it gets prolix over an obvious point as he has a tendency to do. The academic curse; students above a certain age level are too polite to say 'Zip it! We got the idea already." (High schoolers had no such restraint, and middle schoolers invariably signalled boredom by more physical means.)
Anyway I had the leisure, for the first time in a couple of months, to make chocolate chip cookies. So I can have those and tea and do some reading. Heigh ho, I will go do that now.
On Reading in Retirement
Sep. 24th, 2025 09:30 amhrjPerhaps the odd thing is that my overall reading patterns *haven't* changed that much in retirement, although I do have more time for it. A substantial amount of my reading continues to be non-fiction for the Lesbian Historic Motif Project, and that continues. In fact, I have to fight the temptation to spend most of my productive time working on that. But today I wanted to talk more about fiction.
Pre-retirement, my pattern was to have an audiobook going for commuting and my lunchtime bike ride (though bike rides were also for podcasts, since they fit better). If an audiobook really grabbed me, I'd find excuses to do things (like house or yard work) to continue listening. I generally also had one print book in progress at any given time, but they took a long time to finish because I didn't have a fixed context for reading. (Sometimes I'd read them during the break in my weekend bike rides.) Despite doing most of my buying via ebooks, they mostly just piled up because by the time I was done with work and other things, I didn't want to stare at a screen any more.
So what's changed? Well, for one thing, I cancelled my Audible subscription as part of paring down fixed expenses while I get settled into my new budgeting. But I decided it was well past time to actually get a local library card, and now I'm discovering the joys of Libby for audiobooks. I can't necessarily get the instant gratification (and there are plenty of audiobooks they just don't have), but I always have something going. And the borrowing logistics mean that once I've borrowed an audiobook, I make sure to prioritize it.
Print books aren't making any more of a dent on my time than they did previously, in part because my bike ride breaks are pretty much all LHMP all the time. So consumption is about the same.
Ebooks are getting a bit more of my attention. I'm trying to keep the iPad with the books (long story, two iPads for different purposes) charged up so that I can grab it when I'm in the mood. I'm gradually capitulating to the need to track about four different ebook apps, since Apple Books can get weird about showing me non-Apple books that I've side-loaded via the laptop. (It's not all-or-nothing. Some non-Apple books show up on my phone but not the iPad. And some do show up on the iPad.)
That brings us to reading during my recent New Zealand trip. Part of the trip plan was to include lots of relaxation time, and I cued up a bunch of books I'd been wanted to get to. One thing I found (when giving myself time and context for reading) was that I want to be more hard-nosed about DNFing when a book just isn't working for me. And one of the things that more and more doesn't work for me is books with blah prose.
There were several of those during the NZ trip. Stories that had a good premise, and themes that should be appealing to me, but the writing was just...not good. Not bad. Not awful. Just not *good*. Stories where if felt like the author was explaining the story to me rather than telling it. Stories where there were too many WTF moments in the plotting. Stories where the prose was relentlessly pedestrian. And because I started half a dozen novels in quick succession on the trip, it was easy to compare the ones that *did* work for me. Books with singing prose. Books with solid plot and character work. Books where I didn't want to get up from the couch until I'd finished them.
I need to get caught up with my "things I've read" posts, which will have more specifics.
Pre-retirement, my pattern was to have an audiobook going for commuting and my lunchtime bike ride (though bike rides were also for podcasts, since they fit better). If an audiobook really grabbed me, I'd find excuses to do things (like house or yard work) to continue listening. I generally also had one print book in progress at any given time, but they took a long time to finish because I didn't have a fixed context for reading. (Sometimes I'd read them during the break in my weekend bike rides.) Despite doing most of my buying via ebooks, they mostly just piled up because by the time I was done with work and other things, I didn't want to stare at a screen any more.
So what's changed? Well, for one thing, I cancelled my Audible subscription as part of paring down fixed expenses while I get settled into my new budgeting. But I decided it was well past time to actually get a local library card, and now I'm discovering the joys of Libby for audiobooks. I can't necessarily get the instant gratification (and there are plenty of audiobooks they just don't have), but I always have something going. And the borrowing logistics mean that once I've borrowed an audiobook, I make sure to prioritize it.
Print books aren't making any more of a dent on my time than they did previously, in part because my bike ride breaks are pretty much all LHMP all the time. So consumption is about the same.
Ebooks are getting a bit more of my attention. I'm trying to keep the iPad with the books (long story, two iPads for different purposes) charged up so that I can grab it when I'm in the mood. I'm gradually capitulating to the need to track about four different ebook apps, since Apple Books can get weird about showing me non-Apple books that I've side-loaded via the laptop. (It's not all-or-nothing. Some non-Apple books show up on my phone but not the iPad. And some do show up on the iPad.)
That brings us to reading during my recent New Zealand trip. Part of the trip plan was to include lots of relaxation time, and I cued up a bunch of books I'd been wanted to get to. One thing I found (when giving myself time and context for reading) was that I want to be more hard-nosed about DNFing when a book just isn't working for me. And one of the things that more and more doesn't work for me is books with blah prose.
There were several of those during the NZ trip. Stories that had a good premise, and themes that should be appealing to me, but the writing was just...not good. Not bad. Not awful. Just not *good*. Stories where if felt like the author was explaining the story to me rather than telling it. Stories where there were too many WTF moments in the plotting. Stories where the prose was relentlessly pedestrian. And because I started half a dozen novels in quick succession on the trip, it was easy to compare the ones that *did* work for me. Books with singing prose. Books with solid plot and character work. Books where I didn't want to get up from the couch until I'd finished them.
I need to get caught up with my "things I've read" posts, which will have more specifics.
Kowloon Generic Romance, volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki
Sep. 24th, 2025 09:05 amjames_davis_nicoll
Realtor Reiko Kujirai has many questions, about her apparent rival and about herself, but very few answers.
Kowloon Generic Romance, volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki
Hand-basket central
Sep. 24th, 2025 07:01 amjhetleyAir temperature 59 F, wind northeast about 7 mph, cloudy. Had some ground fog overnight but gone now. Supposed to have scattered showers, more serious rain tomorrow. We need it. Foraging morning, walk afternoon?
WHY
Sep. 23rd, 2025 12:12 pmjames_davis_nicollwould my Framework charge if plugged into one outlet but not another? I tested the outlet from which it did not charge and it works for other devices.
[Update]
I shut it down for an hour and everything works again.
[Update]
I shut it down for an hour and everything works again.
Adventures in Tourism: Five SFF Stories About Travel
Sep. 23rd, 2025 10:24 amjames_davis_nicoll
Oh, the joys (and perils) of visiting unfamiliar places and times...
Adventures in Tourism: Five SFF Stories About Travel
Funny thing about this singer
Sep. 23rd, 2025 09:11 amjames_davis_nicollYoutube pushed a song from this source at me.
I don't think they exist. There are no non-generated images of the singer and their pace of output is suspicious. And their FB bio references ai.
I don't think they exist. There are no non-generated images of the singer and their pace of output is suspicious. And their FB bio references ai.
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis
Sep. 23rd, 2025 08:56 amjames_davis_nicoll
Oxford sends its best to study World War Two in this (grinds teeth) Hugo-winning tale of sound and fury.
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis
Still no sanity
Sep. 23rd, 2025 07:07 amjhetleyAir temperature 58, wind southwest about 4 mph, cloudy. Supposed to get showers this afternoon, but the nearest green on the weather radar is upstate New York. Foraging still may defer into tomorrow. Gull foraging, on the other hand, proceeds in the park.
Bundle of Holding: Weird Wizard
Sep. 22nd, 2025 01:57 pmjames_davis_nicoll
The SHADOW OF THE WEIRD WIZARD corebooks, supplements, and adventures.
Bundle of Holding: Weird Wizard
Clarke Award Finalists 201
Sep. 22nd, 2025 09:52 amjames_davis_nicoll2015: Five Britons sign for the doomed Mars One venture, the UK pays off its WWI War Loans, and the Liberal Democrats’ adroit political maneuvering yields memorable electoral returns.
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2015 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson
Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
Poll #33648 Clarke Award Finalists 2015
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 39
Which 2015 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
View Answers
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
26 (66.7%)
Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson
8 (20.5%)
Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta
7 (17.9%)
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
4 (10.3%)
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
16 (41.0%)
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
19 (48.7%)
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2015 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson
Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
Obscure equinox
Sep. 22nd, 2025 07:06 amjhetleyAir temperature 46 F, wind near calm, fog at the airport and visibility under a quarter mile. It's patchy -- I can just about see across the park now and couldn't earlier. Gulls hunting whatever gulls hunt in the grass.
Frostflower and Thorn (Frostflower and Thorn, volume 1) by Phyllis Ann Karr
Sep. 21st, 2025 09:13 amjames_davis_nicoll
Frostflower can solve Thorn's pregnancy problem... but can the pair survive the attention of a fanatical farmer-priest?
Frostflower and Thorn (Frostflower and Thorn, volume 1) by Phyllis Ann Karr
Godot still missing
Sep. 21st, 2025 06:53 amjhetleyAir temperature 37 F, wind near calm, fog at the airport. Again, not here. Overnight low 35 F, grass in the park showing frosty. Also showing gulls. Fiber optic internet and phone out, waiting on repair guy and using cell phone hotspot for internet. Happy equinox of your choice to those who believe in such things.
Signs and portents
Sep. 20th, 2025 10:42 amjhetleyWore a (light) jacket for the morning walk. Breezy and about 50 F when I headed out. Some trees starting to turn, mainly ash and red maple. Beechnut husks on the sidewalk. No cat friends.