Wordcount Wednesday

So I decided I need to add a feature to my blog here. We have the following regular features here at the Least Read Blog currently:

• The Christian Science Fiction/Fantasy Blog Tour (which happens monthly)
• Sermon podcasts (every Sunday or Monday, depending on when I can get to the editing unless I called in a guest preacher)
• Book reviews (whenever I finish reading a book)
• TV show musings (whenever I feel the need to ramble)
• Movie reviews (again, whenever I see one)
• Whatever else is rattling around in my brain (and there's not that much)
  

Only the first two items of this list happens regularly, and only one of them happens weekly. I decided I needed to add another regular feature, something I could do every week. I notice in that little banner up there that one of the things I'm supposed to talk about in this blog is writing. And sure, maybe I've done that in the blog tour posts, but I really don't talk a lot about my own writing.

That's part of the problem. I'm sporadic when it comes to my writing. I don't keep up with it like I should. I think I need some sort of accountability to keep me honest and keep me working.

So I've got two problems. And I think I came up one solution for both problems. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the latest feature of this blog: Wordcount Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, I will post the current word count of whatever it is I'm working on. If I'm rewriting or editing, I'll post my progress on that too. If I haven't done any work in the previous week, I'll admit to that freely and with great shame. Those who read my blog regularly, feel free to take me to task if I start to stray. I need a good kick in the rear every now and then.

Let's set a benchmark then, shall we? My current project is entitled Numb. It's Christian science fiction (I'm a glutton for punishment), set a few centuries in the future. The tag line for the story is this: A surgically modified assassin fights to save the woman he loves from his superiors. Now that I see it, it's not good enough. It really doesn't explain the assassin all that well. I'll need to work on that.

As of today, at 11:13 PM CST, I have written a grand total of 41,988 words in the first draft. I'll be honest, I'm not all that pleased. I had slated this one for about 75,000 words and I hoped to be done months ago. Hopefully I can make it through soon.

But there's one other thing. If I can, I'll throw in some rambling thoughts about writing in these updates as well. Ideas on craft, discoveries about my writing, that sort of thing.

We'll start things slowly this week. Let me introduce you to my writing partner ... Boba Fett.

That's right, I write with the bounty hunter himself, the unmodified clone of Jango Fett, the man so great that not even being eaten by a sarlacc could keep him down.

Sadly, Fett does not give me a lot of writing advice, especially since I wind up cramming him head first into my computer when it's time to write. In this case, Boba Fett is actually a flash drive.

I used to use one on a lanyard to store all my writing projects, but after my brother-in-law gave me this recently, I knew I had found a great addition to my writing routine.

Like I said, start light this week. Tune in next Wednesday for the next update. And maybe I'll shake loose some odd thoughts I've been having about what video games can teach us about writing.

Farenheit 451

The best books can always transcend their limitations and really speak to future generations. That's certainly true of Ray Bradbury's classic Farenheit 451. I was on the hunt for classic sci-fi and/or fantasy this afternoon at my local library when I stumbled across a copy. I had heard of the book before but never read it. And once again, I devoured a book in an afternoon. I'd like to think that Bradbury would approve.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Guy Montag is a fireman. Only he doesn't put out fires. Instead, he starts them. In this future world that Bradbury has constructed, it's illegal to read books. If you're caught with them, the firemen come and burn them ... along with your house. Guy doesn't really think about what he's doing until he meets a teenage girl named Clarisse. She starts opening his mind to the world around him by asking some seemingly innocent questions. But soon Guy is taking a good hard look at the world around him and he's not liking what he sees. He wants more.

Not all of Bradbury's ideas translate that well into the modern age. Some of his depictions seem a bit quaint (for example, Montag at one point declares that the U.S. has won two atomic wars since 1990). And yet a lot of what he depicted is coming true. Montag's world is one of rampant consumerism and materialism. Montag's wife, their friends and neighbors, they're all plugged into watching "televisor" screens that take up entire walls. There's no real new thought, no appreciate for the classics. Keep the people entertained and whatever you do, don't let them think for themselves! It's frightening how close to modern society Bradbury hits.

Single Sashimi

Venus Chau is my kind of gal.

She's the heroine of Single Sashimi by Camy Tang, the "last" book in the Sushi Series (more on why I put that in quotes in a bit). Venus is a gamer and works in the game industry. She is a no-nonsense, tough as nails individual and has to be in a male dominated workplace. She likes stilleto heels because it allows her to at least meet the men eye-to-eye if not look down on them. She is quick to take charge and speak her mind.

And Venus has big plans. She and a friend are working on a game development tool called the Spiderweb that could revolutionize the game design industry. But her life starts to go awry when she's passed over for a promotion at her job. At the same time, her old boss, Drake Yu, contacts her and offers her a position at his sister's start-up, an MMO company geared for families. Everything seems to be falling into place but then Venus's life starts to spiral out of control. Could it be that God is trying to tell her something?

Like I said, I loved Venus. Probably the gamer in me. Heaven knows I'd probably be scared to death of her if I met her in real life. I'd be the timid guy in the corner wishing he had the courage to go up and speak to her (that is, if I weren't married already. Love you, Jill!). But I think that's why I enjoyed reading about Venus. She was tough but vulnerable at the same time.

The same can't be said for Drake Yu, though. He's not quite as fleshed out as the other men in the Sushi Series. At least, he didn't seem to be that way to me.

The plot for this book also wasn't quite as twisty as the previous books (especially Only Uni, which I think is my favorite out of the series). That's not a complaint necessarily. Even though I saw the big crisis coming, when it happened, I was riveted watching the drama unfold. And I was cheering as the "bad guys" got nailed in the end. So the story definitely kept me riveted, so much so that I was up until about two in the morning yesterday to finish the book.

There are really only two complaints that I have about the book and they both revolve around Venus's family. First there's her cousins. Part of what I enjoyed about the other books in the Sushi Series is how visible the other cousins were. They showed up constantly to add drama or try to help. They largely disappeared through the middle of Single Sashimi. Now that's certainly understandable due to their own dramas, but I missed them.

The other revolves around Grandma, the indomitable force of nature that blew through the first two books. In Sushi for One and Only Uni, Grandma was devious, conniving, and ... well, a great antagonist for the girls. In Single Sashimi, she's a bit too tame. I think that's because Venus is so similar to Grandma, but it seems like the old lady got defanged somewhere between book two and three. We find out a potential reason why at the very end of the book, and when I read what had happened, I was like, "You've got to be kidding me! That happened? Why couldn't I see that?" I think it's a missed opportunity.

That said, I'm kind of sad that this is the "final" book in the series, seeing as there's one more cousin to go. But maybe I can take heart. I recently popped by Camy Tang's website and saw that if you sign up for her e-mail newsletter, you'll receive Weddings and Wasabi, a novella about Jenn Chau, the fourth and final cousin.

I know I'm signing up as soon as I'm done with this review. Because I have to find out what's up with the goat in the backyard.

Terminator Salvation

Even though critics have been ripping it apart (sometimes quite viciously), I had to see Terminator Salvation for myself. And I have to say, I see what they mean.

This movie wasn't all that good. Oh, sure, you've got the special effects, the bang-em-up, blow-em-up spectacular that every summer blockbuster needs. But really, that's all there is here. Lots of "fun" effects, including a nude "governor" at one point that made me chuckle (and wonder if the T-800 prototype was on steroids).

A lot of critics have panned the film saying that it had no heart, no emotional connection to or between the characters. And that's certainly true. There's nothing, not a single warm moment to be had. Even when John Connor met Kyle Reese for the very first time, there was some dull surprise but that was about it. You'd think that finally meeting dear old dad would be ... well, you know, emotional or something.

But the movie didn't just suffer from a lack of heart. It also suffered from a lack of brains as well. Someone please tell me how Skynet knew about Kyle Reese? I mean, seriously. How did they find out? Sarah Connor didn't exactly make this public knowledge. So how did Skynet find out? How did the computer know that by kidnaping Kyle, it would be able to get its hands on John Connor?

Allow me to play Monday morning quarterback for a moment. I think it would have been a lot more satisfying to see a movie about the early resistance where John Connor doesn't want to embrace his destiny. He sees the resistance under the able control of Michael Ironside's character and thinks that maybe Mom was wrong. And then something happens and John has to take control, scoring a decisive first victory against Skynet. The end of the movie could revolve around Skynet realizing that it had a tremendous adversary in John Connor and gearing up to stop him (but no time travel yet). Much more emotional. Much more interesting.

As it is, this movie is just a bunch of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Lots of great ILM effects but that's about it. I have a friendly suggestion for the production team. Bring the writing crew from The Sarah Connor Chronicles to help you write the inevitable sequel. I hear they're not doing anything right now. More's the pity.

By Darkness Hid

Holy cow! I am in awe right now of Jill Williamson's phenomenal book, By Darkness Hid. Let me put it to you this way. I'm a fast reader. I always have been. And how fast I read is directly proportional to how much I enjoy what I'm reading. I do believe I devoured this 490 page book in approximately 24 hours. When I woke up this morning (or rather, was woken up by my son. At 5:30 in the morning), I really wasn't all that upset because it meant I could finish reading this book!

The story centers around two young people. One is Achan Cham. Achan is a stray, worse than a slave, forced to work in the kitchens of a spoiled crown prince. The other is Vrell Sparrow, supposedly another stray but really a young woman in hiding because she doesn't want to marry the aforementioned spoiled crown prince. Both Achan and Vrell are adept at bloodvoicing. They can read other people's thoughts. They can project their own to others. And Achan is probably the most powerful bloodvoicer to come along in a generation.

Yet there's a fair bit of intrigue that both must face. Achan is selected by a knight named Sir Gavin to train as his squire (although it's illegal for strays to do so). And Vrell is taken from her hiding place to be the apprentice of a man named Macoun Hadar. While you know that these two will eventually cross paths, the how and why is simply breathtaking.

Can you tell I loved this book? Absolutely adored it. Williamson's characterizations are incredible. Your heart simply goes out to Achan as he is abused as a stray. You want Vrell to be able to go home to be with her family and marry the man she truly loves. Personally, I want to punch spoiled Prince Gidon in the face. Repeatedly.

The world Williamson created is vibrant and fun. The bloodvoicing is fantastic as well, especially as Achan discovers his talent for it. And the plot was great. I did see the surprise coming ... well, kind of. I had a sneaking suspicion what Sir Gavin was up to, but I didn't realize the full extent until the trap was sprung.

Probably the only gripe I have is that the sequel isn't in my hands already so I can read it. In the final author's note, Williamson reveals that she's working on it, To Darkness Fled. All I can say is, Jill Williamson, get cracking!

The Dark Man

I first heard about The Dark Man by Mac Schooley from Jeff Gerke, the publisher of Marcher Lord Press. This past September, I interviewed Jeff for this blog and he told me about this book he got about a master of disguises who is tormented by a talking puzzle box. Jeff was extremely excited about the story so it came as little surprise to me when I saw that this book was part of Marcher Lord's second list.

The story itself is set in the not-so-distant future. Christianity has been outlawed in the United States. So the Church has gone underground, meeting where they can when they can. But they have to be extremely cautious. The government is hunting them down and sending them to reclamation centers. And one of the best agents in the business is Charles Graves.

Charles is the aforementioned master of disguise. He can become just about anyone, allowing him to infiltrate Christian cells to bring them down. And yes, he really is tormented by someone he calls "the dark man," an entity that speaks to him primarily through a wooden puzzle box his grandfather made.

Charles and one of his colleagues, a man named Farris (and pronounced Fah-reese), are given a plum assignment: they're to track down and capture one of the last pastors in Texas, a man named James Cleveland. But things go awry for Charles in the middle of the hunt. Suddenly he finds himself in the middle of a crazy adventure that sets his former allies against him. Can Charles survive and save the ones he loves? And can he find out who he really is deep, deep down?

I enjoyed this book, mostly because of Schooley's crackling wit. While the subject matter is familiar (there are plenty of stories about future persecutions out there. I'm even writing one myself right now), Schooley's voice really sings throughout the book. The world he has created is gritty and dirty, sort of what you would expect of a bleak dystopia. And you really do feel for Charles and James as they grapple with the reality they're in.

That said, there were a few things that I didn't like. Schooley presents Charles as being somewhat crazy. When we're in Charles's point of view, we often see him arguing with himself or the dark man about what his next course of action should be. That's a great thing, but the problem is, Schooley utilizes the same method for Julia (Charles's lady friend) and Cotton (Charles's dad). The lessened the impact of when he did it for Charles.

My other complaint was the way that two of the subplots seemed sort of tacked on. The mystery surrounding Charles's brother, Stephen, didn't seem to fit in all that well and when it was finally resolved, I was left a little disappointed. The other plot, which I can't really go into here because it would involve some big spoilers, really felt tacked on. There didn't seem to be any references to it through most of the book. Then, suddenly, toward the end, extra characters pop out of nowhere and the story suddenly revolves around them and what they're trying to do. If they had been mentioned earlier in the book, it may not have been so jarring.

But this is still a great debut novel and I'm certainly looking forward to Schooley's future endeavors.

CSFF Blog Tour: Tuck Day Three

As we wrap up the blog tour for Tuck by Stephen Lawhead, I thought I'd take a moment or two and compare Lawhead's masterful retelling of the Robin Hood stories to other portrayals of this story. At least, the ones I've seen and can remember.

Let's start with the first, namely Disney's 1973 version:

Okay, so maybe this is a bit silly. There's not many points of contact here, seeing as Lawhead's book doesn't feature anthropomorphic talking animals. But I still see some similarities to this movie and the book series as a whole. I mean, this movie did feature Robin dressing up as different characters to trick ol' Prince John (think the stork costume for the archery contest). That's similar to what Lawhead's Rhi Bran does time after time after time (such as the papal envoy at the end of Scarlet). And I suppose I could make something of the fact that in this movie Robin is portrayed as a fox while Bran pretends to be King Raven ... well, maybe that's a stretch.

Let's move on then. How about Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves?

Now here we have the more traditional portrayal of Robin. And while there may not be as close of a connection between Robin and Rhi Bran, I think they still exist. You have the wicked clergyman in Prince of Thieves contrasted against the simple spirituality (and somewhat drunk spirituality) of Friar Tuck. You have a "wise woman" in both, although one is a witch and the other is a banfaith. And some of the traps the "merry men" use are reminiscent of the ambushes we see in the King Raven trilogy.

Which only leads to the next one, namely Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

What? Don't look at me like that.

Okay, so obviously this one is more of a parody of Prince of Thieves, but I still see some cross-connection. There were a lot of genuinely funny moments in the King Raven trilogy (especially the times that Bran dressed up in his many costumes). And this is, by far, the funniest of the Robin Hood movies.

But there is one other similarity. At 1:12, Robin Hood reminds people that unlike other Robin Hoods, he can speak with an English accent. Well, we can certainly say the same about Lawhead's Bran (although in this case, it's a Welsh accent). I certainly enjoyed the linguistic gymnastics that my mental voice had to do to decipher the many Welsh phrases scattered through Lawhead's story.

And here's the final one: Qpid.

Okay, so this time I really do have nothing. No connection. I just really like Worf's version of Will Scarlet.

So that's it from me this month. Go check out what the other tourists have to say:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

CSFF Blog Tour: Tuck Day Two

One of the reasons why I enjoyed Tuck by Stephen Lawhead so much was because of the different perspectives we were given. And no, I'm not talking writing craft, points of view here. Instead, I'm speaking of the different spiritual perspectives that arose throughout the trilogy. For example, you have the very earthy faith of Angharad. You have the different monastic architecture between Abbot Hugo, who prefers expensive stone chapels, and the Welsh abbot (whose name escapes me), who oversees one made of rough wood. And, of course, there's the scene where Friar Tuck hides in a Ffreinc chapel, only to marvel at the fact that they have an actual confessional in there.

It was refreshing to me, at least, because it presented the very familiar Christian faith from new perspectives. For example, I wasn't all that comfortable (at first), when in Hood, Angharad was presented as basically a Christian druid. I worried that Lawhead had gone too far. But as I realized that Angharad was a good Christian, just one from a different tradition than mine, I could relax and enjoy the new perspective.

This is something that I think is sadly lacking in Christian fiction right now. I don't know about you, but I've noticed that in most Christian fiction, the main characters all belong to the same homogenized, generic, non-denominational churches. I've even heard rumors that publishers won't let characters be different denominations because they're worried that readers will somehow be "offended" if a character is a different denomination than they are, so no character can be any denomination.

That's just silly to me. What about us readers who do belong to a particular denomination? Should I be offended by the fact that I can't find any books that are written with Lutheran characters? (And yes, I know there are exceptions, but from where I'm sitting, those seem few and far between.) Maybe I'm being a little silly, but this has been bugging me for a while. Give us readers a bit more credit please.

Besides, like I said earlier, it's great to get a new perspective on things. We can often do that through fiction, by seeing things through a new character's eyes. Wouldn't it be great if we could see more Angharads and Tucks in Christian fiction? Wouldn't it be great if we could take a look at the faith through new theological perspectives?

Maybe I'm just dreaming, but it's a good dream as far as I'm concerned.

Go and see what the other tourists have to say:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

It's a good day to be a geek...

... for two very specific reasons:

Dollhouse has been renewed.

And so has Chuck!

The catch in both cases is that both shows are facing smaller budgets. In the case of Chuck, that could be problematic, since one of the great things about Chuck is its superb ensemble cast. I'd hat to see any of them go, but you can be sure at least one or two of them will be sent packing.

But even still, it's great that both of them will be back in the fall.

CSFF Blog Tour: Tuck Day One

Holy cow! Is it time for the blog tour already? You'd think I'd be on top of this more since this month's book was particularly fantastic. We're delving into the final book in the King Raven trilogy, namely Tuck by Stephen Lawhead.

The book picks up where the previous volume, Scarlet, leaves off. Rhi Bran and his Grellon have been betrayed by King William. Rather than giving Bran his throne back as promised, William has turned Elfael over to Abbot Hugo and his cronies. Rhi Bran sees no other choice but to go to war against the Ffreinc. But some of his subjects aren't completely sold on the idea. Merian, for one, feels the best thing for her to do is to return home and enlist the aid of her father. And Friar Tuck, while supportive of all of Bran's schemes, doesn't feel that full-on war is the best solution either. But with war brewing between the Cymry and the Ffreinc, can Tuck's voice be heard?

I said this back when I reviewed Scarlet, but I'm not exactly a dyed-in-the-wool Lawhead fan. Some of his books haven't sat all that well with me. But I've been hooked by the King Raven trilogy. I've loved the retelling of the Robin Hood myth in a different time period than we're used to. Making him a Welsh rebel as opposed to a happy-go-lucky thief worked very well. There was a great deal of grit and realism to the story and I could easily believe that this is the way that it happened.

Lawhead infuses his story with an number of twists and turns and clever strategems throughout. The only "low note" for me was the way things ended. It was almost a deus ex machina, but here's the screwy thing: it really worked for the story, especially since the majority of this tale was told from the perspective of Friar Tuck. This is Tuck's story, so given that, it makes sense that the story ended the way that it ended. So while things were a bit abrupt, it completely fit with the overall story and actually had me laughing a bit.

So if you're a fan of historical books, or if you want to see a great retelling of the Robin Hood stories from a new perspective, you can't go wrong with learning about Rhi Bran y Hud.

Go and see what the other tourists have on their minds:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Keanan Brand
Rachel Briard
Grace Bridges
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Alex Field
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Caleb Newell
Eve Nielsen
Nissa
John Ottinger
Epic Rat
Steve Rice
Crista Richey
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Robert Treskillard
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson

Beyond Corista

Beyond Corista by Robert Elmer is the third book in The Shadowside Trilogy. It tells the story of Oriannon Hightower, a young woman from a plant named Corista. The story starts with her and her friends on the run from Coristan security. They've apparently stolen a shuttle and managed to kidnap the planet's despotic dictator. But a new threat has invaded their system, one that has destroyed an asylum station. Now Ori has been sent on a mission to warn the other stations. The mission was given to her by Jesmet, her former mentor who apparently died and came back to life. Can Ori fulfill her mission? Can she warn the other asylum stations of the on-coming Troikan threat?

I had a bit of a problem getting into this book, but that's because it is the third book of a trilogy and I haven't read the first two. I got the feeling that the second book ended on a high point and Beyond Corista picked up where it left off. At the same time, figuring out the events from the first two books (or the relevant parts) isn't that difficult. Elmer makes sufficient reference to them that a reader could conceivably pick this book up and follow the action. But I think it would probably be better to read the other books first. I suspect that the story would fit a bit better in its larger context.

Elmer's worlds and creatures are very interesting. Wist the Owling, Alymas the Translucent, the Makabi, and especially the Troikans, are colorful and fascinating. The Troikans especially intrigued me. The fact that the planet Corista seems to have a slower rotation than Earth's fascinated me as well. I can only guess about that; this didn't really come into play in this book.

My only real complaint is the way the book ended. It didn't have a whole lot of finality, especially as the final book in a trilogy. It seemed more like Elmer was leaving things open for a fourth book. Maybe there will be one. But given that this was a trilogy, I thought a slightly "punchier" ending would have been better. That's probably just my own taste, though.

So it's a good book, definitely worth a read, especially if you know any young sci-fi fans.

Put on the Full Armor of God

So back during Lent, I was given the incredible privilege of preaching a sermon series at Concordia University in St. Paul. It's a Lenten series I've done twice before, based around the full armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-20. The sermons were videotaped and I finally found them on YouTube.

I've been posting my weekly sermons on here for a while. I don't know if any of my readers are actually listening to them. If you are, here's an added twist: full video! Enjoy:

Masterpieces

So in keeping with the resolution I made a few months back to read more sci-fi, I picked up Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century. I figured that this would drop me into the classics, both old and new, and really give me a taste for what I've been missing.

And in some ways, it worked. I was exposed to authors I hadn't read before. Orson Scott Card's introductions to the stories talked a little about the authors' other works and even pointed me in some directions I might like to go.

But here's the thing: at least a third of these stories just didn't do anything for me. They weren't that good. At least, I didn't think so. And based on what I've seen over at Amazon reviews, a lot of people feel the same way.

That's not to say that there aren't enjoyable stories in here. Personally, I really enjoyed "Call Me Joe" by Poul Anderson, "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr., "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" by Ray Bradbury, "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison, "Sandkings" by George R. R. Martin, and "The Road Not Taken" by Harry Turtledove. Out of those, "Sandkings" is my personal favorite. Wild tale, well told, enough to make me check out more of Martin's works.

So was it worth it? Sure. The book accomplished what I bought it for. But I'm not so sure I'd call everything in here "Masterpieces."

Alpha to Omega: The Final (?) Dollhouse

And so tonight, we may have seen the end of another Joss Whedon show. That's right, I speak of "Omega" on Dollhouse. A great capper to a great season, perhaps even a grand finale to a show that finally hit its stride.

I was impressed with how well the stories all wrapped up for the most part. I think Joss Whedon did the right thing by casting this as a potential series finale. Yes, a lot of loose ends were tied up. But there are still a lot of questions left open and left unanswered. For example, what was Topher and Whiskey's relationship? Did Alpha really throw away Caroline's wedge? What role will Ballard play in the Dollhouse? And what did that final word that Echo whisper really mean?

But rather than speculate about any of those things, I think I'd rather spend the rest of this post heaping more praise on Joss Whedon's foresight. Perhaps it's simply a case of "once bitten, twice shy." After the shameful way that FOX treated Firefly, it's only understandable that Whedon would expect his latest creation to die an early death. But in the long run, I think it's a good thing. If nothing else, it should give an example to every television producer and writer: don't leave too many threads dangling from one season to another (I'm looking at you, Chuck!). Sure, leave room for future growth, but given the volatile nature of television scheduling, it's always good to find end points just in case.

Having said that, I'm not hoping that Dollhouse is over. Far from it. I want this to come back. But if it doesn't, well, this was a fun ride. A great show.

And Alan Tudyk is still the man.

Star Trek

This afternoon, I was sitting in a movie theater waiting to be wowed. And boy, was I wowed.

I have seen the reboot. And it is good.

I was a Trekkie for a long time. I got started by reading novelizations of the original episodes that I found at my local library. The Next Generation hooked and reeled me in. I loved the Dominion war on Deep Space Nine. Voyager, while not as great, was still a great ride. Enterprise cured me, in spite of Scott Bakula. My Trekkie-ness waned thanks to the final, lackluster spin-off.

But it still lurked within me, waiting for the right moment to come out. And thanks to J.J. Abrams's reboot, I can say that my Trekkie-ness came out to play this afternoon and did it ever have fun.

This was a magnificent movie. Lots of great special effects, some very powerful story telling, and plenty of nods to the original canon to keep even a waning Trekkie like me having fun.

Notice I said there were only nods to the original canon. That's because this script tossed the original canon out the window from the very start. Nothing too major at first but then, about halfway through, we had a major moment. A "they didn't really do that, did they?" moment. One that was followed by another in very short order. I was stunned. I was aghast. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. If you've seen the movie and you know anything about Star Trek, you'll be able to figure out what it is.

But here's the thing: they knew we'd object. And shortly after the canon-breaking moments, they had Spock explain it all. And I had to nod and say, "Well, duh. I should have realized that. It's an excellent point."

Because of their canon-breaking, be ready for huge surprises. Big ones. Enough to make a half-Vulcan science officer raise one eyebrow. Come to think of it, most of the big surprises centers around Spock. Including one of the best ones. I wish I wasn't against dropping spoilers, because I'd love to revel in one of the best twists toward the end of the movie.

The cast was excellent. Well placed, well acted. Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy killed me (especially with the revelation of where he got his nickname). Simon Pegg as Scotty? Absolutely wonderful! And Zachary Quinto as Spock? Holy cow! My only problem with that bit of casting was that I kept expecting him to saw open someone's head with telekinesis.

I think we have a rebooted franchise on our hands. And with any luck, we'll be going where no one has gone before with them again very soon. Yeah, I know, that last sentence wasn't all that great. But I had to work that in there somewhere, didn't I?

My (Scrubs) Finale

Let me tell you a little story.

About eight years ago, when I was a fresh-faced associate pastor in Blue Earth, Minnesota, I started hearing rumbles about this new show on NBC. I didn't watch the first few episodes. I don't remember why exactly. But I knew my senior pastor did. His wife, who was attending med school at the time, could relate to the characters. And, he reported, his confirmation students believed that I behaved like one of the characters as well. He told me that I had to watch one of the episodes he had on video. So one night, I went over, not sure what I was getting myself into.

I found myself getting into Scrubs.

I was skeptical at first. But as I watched those episodes (not in the correct order, I might add), I was drawn into the world of Sacred Heart. I loved the random wackiness of J.D.'s fantasies. I savored the medical storylines. And I grew to admire Dr. Cox's acerbic wit (the aforementioned confirmation students believed I had a similar wit). I was hooked.

And now, it's eight years later. Tonight's episode, "My Finale," leaves us in a weird place. Word on the Internet has it that this was originally intended to be a series capper but that several key cast members are willing to go for a ninth season if the network is interested.

I say it's time to let it all go.

It pains me to say it. I still love a great Dr. Cox rant. While the show stumbled and grew a bit too dark in seasons six and seven, they recovered a great deal of the original fun this last season. But even still, it's time for the show to let go and for us all to move on.

Part of the reason why I say that is because, when you come right down to it, J.D. was the heart and soul of the show. He was the one who created most of the wacky fantasy sequences. He was the perfect foil for the Janitor. He meshed perfectly with Dr. Cox's gruff manner. Even if Zach Braff were to come back once in a while in future seasons, it wouldn't really be enough. He was the voice who bound the episodes together. And let's not forget the Scrubs naming convention. Every episode (with very few exceptions) were all "My." J.D. was the owner of that possessive. Since J.D. has left Sacred Heart, a major part of the show has gone with him. That can't be recaptured.

Now sure, it's possible that they could retool the show so it can run without J.D. Dr. Cox is still there as chief of medicine. While he may have gotten softer over the years (just a bit), he's not about to let up on anyone. Turk and Carla are still there. So is Ted and the Janitor. The new crop of interns are an interesting crew and I could see some fun dynamics growing out of this group. It could work. But I'm not sure if it's a good idea to try.

Let's face it. Tonight's episode was a perfect capper to a very good show, especially given the final fantasy sequence with all the guest stars (still wishing Gift Shop Girl and Franklyn could have been there. Thanks a lot, NBC!). That wrapped things up nicely, especially with the extended future fantasy. It feels done for me. This is a good place to leave it.

So am I saying that I won't tune in if it goes on from here. No. I'm not saying that at all. I would. But I would most likely be wondering if maybe, just maybe, things would have been better to end where they did tonight.

Alan Tudyk is the man!

This may be a bit incoherent. I was at a youth lock-in until 3 AM last night and I'm not operating on a whole lot of sleep. But Alan Tudyk is, honest to goodness, the man. And I'm not even talking about him as Wash. Instead, I'm speaking about what happened on last night's Dollhouse.

If you haven't watched it yet or care about spoilers, go away.

Sadly, I had seen rumors on the web saying that Tudyk was Alpha, but even with that knowledge, I loved last night's episode. I was able to "suspend my knowledge" for a while and, if I hadn't seen those rumors, I would have been taken completely by surprise. Tudyk's agoraphobic environmental engineer was pitch perfect and would have served as a great mask for his true personality. And his "medicinal carrots?" Hilarious!

Dollhouse has really grown on me over the past couple of months. After the first few episodes, I was kind of like "take it or leave it." I'd keep watching it only in hopes that it'd get better. Now it has. I love it. FOX had better not cancel this one. I want to see where Joss Whedon will take us next.

Starfire

Yeah, I've been a bit busy lately. This morning, I finished reading Starfire by Stuart Vaughn Stockton. This is the first book I've read from Marcher Lord Press's second list.

I've been very excited to read this book. I first met Stuart at the ACFW National convention in Dallas two and a half years ago. He's been "fighting the good fight" for Christian speculative fiction longer than I have and has held the banner high. So when I learned that he was finally getting his book published, I was thrilled. No offense to the other authors on Marcher Lord's second list, but this is the book I was looking forward to reading the most.

The book centers around a warrior named Rathe. Rathe is a Saurian, a reptillian alien, who fights for the Karn Empire. Rathe has a lot of obstacles to overcome, most notably his low status thanks to when he was born. But against all odds, he fights his way up and joins the light infantry of the Karnian Empire.

On what should be a routine mission, an ancient artificial intelligence called Karey Or imprints on him as its protector. Rathe and his companions now find themselves on a deadly race against their enemies, the Herians, to help Karey Or fulfill her original programming. But there are many obstacles along the way. The dreaded jerkranaks oppose him and betrayal lurks within Rathe's friends. Will he help Karey Or unleash the power of the Starfire?

Stuart has created an incredibly rich and detailed world for his saurians to inhabit. The history, the technology, the vivid imagery that he weaves into the story are incredible. It almost gets overwhelming at times. There's a lot of new terminology to assimilate in a very short order. Not only that, but the different saurian "clans" can get overwhelming at times. There are dozens of them. What helped me was the fact that most of these clans names seem based on dinosaur names and the description of the clans match the names.

The story itself was pretty straightforward. Lots of action as Rathe and his compatriots did his best to escort Karey Or to safety. The ending genuinely surprised me. I didn't totally expect it and that's a good thing. It makes me wonder what's going to happen next (which, like I said, is good since this is the first book in a series).

So if you're a Christian sci-fi fan, rejoice! We have another worthy entry in a long-neglected genre!

90 Minutes in Heaven

My congregation members know that I'm a reader. I do a monthly book review in our church's newsletter. A few of them have started passing books on to me to see what I think of them. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper is one of those books.

Don Piper is a Baptist minister who died in a car accident. An 18-wheeler rolled over his car and partially crushed him, killing him almost instantly. For 90 minutes, his body was trapped inside of his car while paramedics worked to help the others involved in the accident. Another pastor happened upon the scene and felt moved by God to pray for Piper. The amazing thing is, while he was praying, Piper came back to life.

But apparently Piper was occupied while he was clinically dead. He spent that hour and a half outside the gates of heaven, welcomed by his departed family and friends. But then he found himself in a hospital ICU, undergoing an experimental procedure so he could save his crushed leg.

The majority of the book deals with Piper's recovery from this horrific accident and the life lessons he took away from surviving. It's a fast read; I knocked it out in a matter of a day or three. There's no heady theological insights to be had here. It's inspiring to be sure, but overall, it's an average book. Not bad, not particularly good either.

Wolverine

So about an hour ago, I got done watching an afternoon matinee of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And I enjoyed it. I thought the action scenes were great, I thought there was a great deal of humor injected into the dialogue. There aren't any Oscar-worthy performances, but hey, it's a popcorn flick. You normally don't expect to see those in this kind of film.

Now I'm sure that there will be some people who are upset about things. I'm guessing, anyway. I'm no fanboy. My exposure to X-Men is limited to the '90s animated series, the first three movies, and a few comics I've borrowed from my brothers-in-law (although I did once track down a copy of God Loves, Man Kills on e-Bay). So for me, any canon-breaking items really don't matter. I'm vaguely aware of some of the ancilliary characters and who they are in the comics (i.e. Deadpool, the Blob, and so on). Others, I had no clue. Agent Zero? Wraith? Not a clue. Doesn't matter. While there were a few things that I questioned, none of it was related to the characters.

My regular readers will know I'm usually spoiler averse, so I'll keep them out of this review. But I will say this: one bit at the end of the movie surprised me and it really shouldn't. I went into the theater, pretty much sure we were going to see something at the end. But by the time it happened, I had forgotten I was expecting it and so I was pleasantly surprised. For those of you who will see the movie soon, it has something to do with Cyclops. That's all I'm saying.

So go and check this one out. May is promising to be a great movie month for geeks like me. We still have Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation, and even Up! to look forward to. Wolverine got things off to a great start.