For some reason this year I’m getting into the Holiday spirits. I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or happy whatever else you might be celebrating.
Clearly, you should take advantage and celebrate Festivus tonight with your family or friends. This year seems most appropriate for this celebration, as it involves rituals like the Airing of Grievances. This ritual consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year. So pack your bags, we’re going on a guilt trip.
I’ll take a stab at complaining about the weather in Santa Barbara. It has been raining lately and it has been cold (about 50 at night). What gives? I was promised eternal perfect weather when I moved here.
In more news of the world, Cara King has a great post about 2008 . Cara is a good friend and a writer. She writes amazingly funny new year’s letters that I look forward to every year.
Also, you should check Dmitry’s Xmas entry for today. That could put you in the mood to have some fun.
Now, being slightly more serious, you might not have found time to stuff your stockings yet. So as a public service I’ve made a stocking stuffer list at Amazon for those people who like reading Science Fiction and Fantasy. It contains some of my favorite books and authors with descriptions of my impressions. These books I’ve selected are not your standard SF&F. Rather they are darker and more visceral than many others out there: not for the faint of heart. I chose three authors, two books each. Best of all, you don’t have to like them.
For those who prefer links to Wikipedia instead, here they are
The algebraist, by Iain M. Banks.
Look to windward, by Iain M. Banks.
Imajica, by Clive Barker
Weaveworld, by Clive Barker
Perdido street Station, by China Mieville
Iron Council, by China Mieville
Also, while you are at it, feel free to add your own favorite stocking stuffer material below. Some of the readers might appreciate it.
Finally, I learned today that yesterday was the 150th anniversary of Puccini’s birth.
Coincidentally I was listening to Tosca two nights ago, in a version with A. Georghiu as Tosca. I love Puccini’s operas, especially Turandot (which unfortunately was left unfinished by Puccini). The main reason I like it is because the music is really different in style from anything else.
I seem to have accidentally marked as spam and proceeded to delete a legitimate comment. Oops. Sorry, and do please submit again…
Merry whatever-it-is David and everybody else.
I fixed some links that weren’t working quite right. Oh, and happy holidays to you too Moshe.
Why do you complain about returning normal weather? 20 years of blissful warmth have ended. Santa Barbara might be getting a white Arbor Day. Festivus, for the rest of us!
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/maps_and_graphs/2008/12/05/06.13.08.globalairtemp.gif
Three cooling years in a row – and accelerating! “2008 will be coolest year of the decade.”
http://www.spaceweather.com/
No sunspots, no associated faculae, decreased solar constant.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30sep_blankyear.htm
http://sidc.oma.be/news/106/wolfjmms.png
http://www.pmodwrc.ch/pmod.php?topic=tsi/virgo/proj_space_virgo#VIRGO_Radiometry
and one more picture below
Oort (1010-1050), Wolf (1280-1340), Spörer (1450-1540), Maunder (1645-1715), and Dalton (1795-1820) minima.
2009 will be an agricultural disaster of cold, short growing season. As true believers (criminals, e.g. Al Gore, Jr.) scream “GLOBAL WARMING!” the Green Revolution will collapse. I’m thinking 50 million starved to death, though ten times that would not be unappreciated.
Evolution is a hoot if you are one of the survivors.
Dear Al:
It’s a running local joke.
Hi David!
Of the three New Crobuzon books, I think “The Scar” is my favorite:
http://www.amazon.com/Scar-China-Mieville/dp/0345460014/ref=pd_sim_b_1
You should also check out Mieville’s story “Reports of Certain Events in London” — you can find it in his collection “Looking for Jake”, or in the excellent “McSweeny’s Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories”.
Hi Bob:
Nice to hear from you.
I actually liked `The Scar’ the least of all three and for some reason the ‘Iron Council’ resonated more with me. Maybe I have a closer connection to a world of failed ideologies and time golems. I also got myself a copy of `Un Lun Dun’ for the holidays. I’ll try and find the others.
Hi David
Thanks for dropping by and Merry Christmas to you and Moshe!
As for Xmas books, “Ender in Exile” is the choice. It should nicely fit your list – very dark one
Cheers,
Dmitry.
Can I propose something too? “The Dark Tower” series by Stephen King, his magnum opus. Seven volumes of magnificent writing. Roland the last gunslinger, represents the futile quest of man to find an explanation, a purpose and a reason; only to realize (or not) that there is none. The game must be played again and again for the sake of the game. The tragic figure of man who was thrown into the world without explanation is depicted brilliantly. The hero is condemned -much like in the ancient myth of Sisyphus- to an eternal cyclic action with no solution to its drama and no way out. There is no Ithaca to this Odyssey, no salvation. But the hero is unaware of the futility of his journey. Each time Roland begins the new cycle without memory and with a revived hope that he will achieve his ultimate goal… to find the Dark Tower.
Correction: “to his drama” not “to its drama”
Yes. Those Mieville books are good. I heard him talk a couple of times in London. He’s an interesting guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Miéville