Played Lately: World of Warcraft

• It's my turn to make the obligatory patch 2.4 post for WoW, so I'll go ahead and get that out of the way. So far, I really like it. Hmm, maybe I should say more.


• When I finally got into the game and got my mods up-to-date, I was greeted by a very different Shattrath City. I only took a few minutes to check out the new quests before portalling to Silvermoon and from there to the Island of Quel'Danas. There were a lot of people all standing in very close proximity. Rain was falling thickly and the misty darkness obscured the horizon. There was also an ongoing war on the waterfront between the Shattered Sun Offensive and the blood elves and demons defending the Sunwell. In other words, it was really cool to watch. The new dailies were interesting, if overcamped at this point. I also got a chance to witness the capture of the Sun's Reach Sanctum and the new quests there.


• After a rather fruitful run in Karazhan this week, I was able to get a group of guildies together to run Magisters' Terrace, the new five-man instance. I had more fun in this instance than in any of the others I've run. Each of the bosses plays like a "best-of" selection of earlier encounters. It looks beautiful and is a lot of fun. The only problem I had was the final boss. I like the encounter, but my lack of stamina and the difficulty of healing made it just south of a nightmare. We won, but it did dampen an otherwise fun evening.


• What haven't I checked out? Well, I haven't PvP'd at all, so I'm not sure how the removal of diminishing returns or the updated Alterac Valley have changed that. Considering how little I PvP, I doubt there will be a huge effect on me, but I'm still interested to see them. I also haven't tried the fishing daily quest because none of my characters fish well enough. Someday, maybe.


• On a semi-related note, I decided that I'm not going to leave my guild any time soon. I wasn't seriously consider it, but I did wonder if staying in the guild was keeping me from seeing the deeper raids. Chaotic may not be ready for 25-mans any time soon, but I'm not ready to burn bridges for the short term gain.

Comic Roundup: March 12, 2008

• Not a whole lot by the way of comics this week. I did as threatened and reread the first issue of the new Criminal. It's still great. Beyond this list I also purchased Empowered volume 3, but that is deserving a much longer post than I can give it here.


• Return To Wonderland cover gallery: Yeah, I bought this because I'm a big nerd. Don't judge me.


• Serenity: Better Days issue 1: I wonder sometime if I'm not as big a fan of Firefly as I aught to be. Other times I remind myself that I am and Firefly, it's just Serenity that I have trouble with. There is always something lacking in these comics, as though the writing does not quite mesh with my feelings for the original television series. I don't have this trouble with the Buffy series, but I can't tell whether it is because the writing is better in that book or if distance from the show makes me more nostalgic for it. In spite of all that, this was not a bad issue and I'll be picking up the next two just to see how it ends up. I just wish I could get more enthusiastic about it.

Top Five: Books

• The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler: The funny thing is that I never actually knew much about Raymond Chandler until the re-release of the movie classic based on this book. When the film came out of DVD, I was fascinated by this prototypical portrayal of the private detective and the dark world he travels in. That lead to me tracking down the novel and the inevitable inclusion on this list. Before the pulp era, fiction had grown florid and overwrought. Then at the beginning of the twentieth century, the authors of the new genre fiction market began paring down their prose to a keen edge. The master of these was Raymond Chandler. Chandler's power was in the precise way he used language to not only tell you what was happening but also how the main character felt about it. The sad thing is that so many people ape the style without understanding the purpose in his craft. The Big Sleep was my first exposure to Chandler's finely honed prose and will long be a favorite.


• H Is For Homicide by Sue Grafton: While my favorite pulp author may be the master himself, my favorite crafter of modern crime fiction is Sue Grafton. Beyond continuing the legacy left by Hammett, Chandler, and MacDonald, Grafton made her mark by presenting a fully realized character in Kinsey Millhone. In the hands of a lesser writer, the minutia of everyday life recited in these novels would be grating and monotonous. Grafton, instead, uses these details to ground her heroine and the very human dangers she faces. While it is almost stupid to pick out a favorite among the series of books, H stands out as the turning point in the series where Grafton has said all she can with standard mystery and starts to elaborate on the form. Although I'm singling this book out, I encourage you to take the journey starting from A Is For Alibi and enjoy the journey with Kinsey.


• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke: As a writer, if there was ever a book that I wish I had written, this would be it. In truth, this is an idea so genius that I very well may steal it for my own purposes. JS&MN is the story of two magicians in 19th century England who's actions bring about the return of English magic to the world. Only that one line summary tells you as much about the book as dipping your foot in the shallow end tells you how a swimming pool feels. Clarke has realized an entire world that is so detailed that one is left wondering whether she is telling a truth the rest of us have been overlooking. She is able to juggle multiple plot threads, lets them cross one another in natural ways, and resolve them in fantastic fashion. All of her characters, from the stars to the supporting cast to the bit players, have rich personalities and fascinating contributions to make to the narrative. (A favorite is Jonathan Strange's wife, Arabella, who becomes such a full and interesting character that when she becomes imperiled, one can't help but become invested in her rescue.) Her prose is evocative of the period's style while maintaining the readability of a modern novel. If I had one complaint to level at the author it is that Clarke needs to write more books. Seriously, Susanna, if you're reading this instead of writing I'm going to be very cross with you.


• The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul by Douglas Adams: Out of all of Douglas Adams' books, you might be surprised that I did not pick one of his Hitch-hiker's novels. That would not be the case if you read this book. The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul is, Adams' exploitation of the detective novel to discuss the consequences of myth and belief. It is also one of the most tightly wound and intricately plotted books I have read. I have read this book numerous times to savor the care that went into proving Dirk Gently's belief in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. I doubt a novel of its like will ever be written again.


• Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein: I began reading Heinlein at the insistence of my maternal grandfather. He handed me a copy of Farmer In The Sky, sure in the knowledge that I would enjoy the book as much as he had. Thus began my life long affection for science fiction in general and Robert A. Heinlein in particular. My favorite of these is Starship Troopers, written in the transitional period between his juvenile works and his latter novels. In many ways it shares the best of both spheres, combining the action-driven plots of the earlier books with the mature themes he would soon be exploring. What makes this book stand out for me is Heinlein's ability to make science fiction not just about the advances in technology, but about the changes in humanity. I've read in many places about the fascist agenda this novel forwards. That is patently false. The agenda forwarded here is that humanity is a resilient species with the ability to adapt to their situation. That a military government was the solution to their problems was not a prescription for us, it was a description of our ability solve societal problems. That so many people dismiss Robert Heinlein's work for the surface elements without regard for the deeper writing structures he was constructing is one of the great tragedies of literature.

Comic Roundup: March 5, 2008

• It's already new comics day again, but better late than whatever, right?


• Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season 8 issue 12: The best compliment I can give is that Drew Goddard writes this exactly like I believe Joss Whedon would have. It's a testament to the strength of this franchise that there are people able to step up and tell an entirely Buffy story so seemlessly. While it was teased that this issue would see the return of a fuzzy character we haven't seen in some time, it turns out that the surprise was very, very surprising. And hilarious. I had to stifle my laugher because I made the mistake of reading this at work. That doesn't happen often. I'm not spoiling anything for you, but this turn of events was very interesting and I can't wait to see what becomes of it.


• Echo issue 1: Some might find it strange that Terry Moore is writing a... well, what is it really? A superhero story? A techno-horror? What is it? No matter what the book is about, I'm confident that Moore will had it with the warmth and depth we expect from him. Maybe Strangers In Paradise was a romance at heart, but the way he handled the mafia/conspiricy story lines shows he's comfortable with a more muscular tale. This first issue was an interesting introduction that didn't overdo explaining its premise, but included enough detail to hook me until the next issue.

Watched Lately: The Wire

• I don't have a lot of patience for television anymore. I've probably become a TV snob, much like the movie snob I became years ago. I can't stand to watch something that does not at least aspire for greatness, even when confined within the limits of its chosen genre. With that in mind, I now mourn the passing of one of the finest shows to even turn the standard cop drama on its ear, The Wire.


• Over the last year (or so) my wife and I have followed this series on DVD and were just caught up enough to catch the final season broadcast on HBO. Last night, we watched the final episode of the series. I am, of course, of mixed feelings. But the good kind because I'm just feelings sorry for myself for not having anymore episodes to watch.


• The ending of the episode was much like the prior season closers, just longer. Once again we are reminded that no matter what any one individual achieves, the system goes ever on in its own broken fashion. The cyclical nature of life, pointedly displayed in the final scenes for Michael and Duquan, has been a constant theme in the show. It also reminds us that Baltimore is a city that David Simon and his crew have genuine affection for even as they take it to task for its imperfections.


• From the first episode of the series to the last, I have been captivated by this tale where the good guys and the bad are not all that different. They all have their good sides and they all have their flaws (some very bad, like committing multiple murders). But they are all real people trying to make their way in a world that has the deck stacked against them.