The Journal of his Delights

One of my co-workers is a big comics reader and fan of Wonder Woman, so we attended the new Wonder Woman animated movie’s sneak peek at this year’s Wondercon in San Francisco. This post is a short review of the film.

I had heard good things about it prior to going, but the film exceeded my expectations. The script was witty, with some solid storytelling and a refreshing playfulness about gender roles. The animation was beautifully done, bold and clean. The action scenes were a lot of fun, and the voice acting was spot on. Nathan Fillion, especially. He plays Steve Trevor and nearly steals the show with his one-liners.

During the panel after the screening, the director, Lauren Montgomery, mentioned that she had to edit the first cut of the film when it originally received an R rating. Apparently, there were a few too many decapitations. Too bad — I would’ve been interested in seeing a more gory story, but I understand the need to bring it down to a PG-13 and keep the film accessible.

I did have a couple of minor quibbles, but they didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Really folks, it was just a lot of fun, and you didn’t have to be a comics reader to enjoy it. I recommend picking up a copy — it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray on March 3rd.

If you’re a Princess Bride fan, you should definitely check out today’s comic from xkcd. LOL!

Zoe Keating performing Tetrishead. It’s a lovely piece — check it out.

Thanks to Wil Wheaton for the musical find!

Kim tagged me for another meme, this one to list 30 books that I dig.

Hmm… how to define “dig” though? For me, it’s a book that flips a switch, that turns me on mentally or spiritually. Either because it’s a great story, takes me on a fun ride, unearths hidden wisdom, and/or presents some novel ideas. It helps if the writing is articulate and beautiful, but that’s not always necessary. Sometimes serviceable writing is enough, in which case it isn’t a great book, but it still might make this list.

I’m inclined to say a few words about each book, so I’ll present the list in five-book chunks till it’s complete.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
How can I not include the book that first introduced me to science fiction? I can barely recall the story, but I remember clearly my astonishment that something like this book existed. I devoured the other books in the series. Please refer to Rose City, City of Memory for a post specifically about this book.

Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
There was a time when Cherryh was my most favorite author ever, and I owned all of her books. Cyteen is one of her most well known, and it won the Hugo Award in 1989. It certainly blew my socks off when I first read it. Gut churning anxiety, questions of identity and otherness — these are the hallmarks of a Cherryh novel. A sequal was released last month, and I’m looking forward to picking up a copy.

The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh
The story of Tully, a human stowaway on an alien ship. This is an older work, and begins a series of five books. Gut churning anxiety? Check. Questions of identity and otherness? Big check. Fun read? Oh yeah. The link is to an omnibus of the first three novels.

Fortress in the Eye of Time by C.J. Cherry
Yes, more Cherryh. Fortress is a fantasy that starts a little slow, picks up midway through, and turns into a fine adventure. This book begins a series of four, and each is a treat.

The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
If C.J. Cherryh used to be my favorite modern author, Lois McMaster Bujold is my current favorite (and has been for a few years now). Quite simply, I love her characters. I love what happens to them and the ways in which they respond to the trials and tribulations that they face. Miles Vorkosigan, the protagonist, is an inspired, loveable maniac. His is not an easy life, but still he tackles it with zeal and chutzpah. There are quite a few books in the series, but they’re quick reads and an immense amount of fun.

I saw that I was tagged for a meme on Kim’s blog a couple of days ago, but I’ve been a lazy git and I’m only responding now.

I’m supposed to list 6 boring, quirky, details about myself and tag 6 other people for the same. Hmm…

1. The first video game I fell in love with was Wasteland. I started playing it, and the next thing I knew, it was five a.m. I had played a few other games before it, but they were just toys and I was more interested in how they worked than anything. It was Wasteland that first totally immersed me in its world.
2. I’ve started four traditions at work, and three of them relate to food. They are:
   • Decadence – someone brings homemade sweets to our weekly campaign team meeting.
   • Third Thursday – a potluck once a month, all vegetarian and homemade for maximum shareability and quality. No store bought chips, etc.
   • John Doe – this one doesn’t have a name yet, but me and my co-workers tend to eat lunch at our desks so I’ve taken to arranging a biweekly outing to a new restaurant in the area. The last place we visited was Sky Kitchen, a diner attached to a local airport. Not bad, but the real treat was watching the small planes.
3. When I was in high school, I used to stay up till 3-4 am every night watching movies. I’d head out to the living room once everyone was asleep and just watch whatever was on. I saw a lot of great small, wacky, and/or odd films that way. And then I would catch up on sleep in Honors Physics, which I still somehow managed to get a B in.
4. Speaking of which, in college, I received a B in a class on Milton without having read any Milton at all. I just took very good notes, and I was curious to see if I could pull it off. Okay, maybe I read a passage here and there, but not more than a couple of pages worth, I don’t think.
5. My very first paycheck went into buying two things: a sling shot and a small Sony boom box. I quickly became bored with the sling shot, but the boom box lasted over a decade.
6. I believe in Santa Claus. Not as corporeal being, of course. But as a spirit? Sure. And I have it on good authority that he likes oatmeal raisin cookies best.

Who shall I tag, I wonder? How about: CC, Lowie, and Emily. Yes, I know I’m supposed to choose six, but I’m a contrary kind of fellow.