Oktapodi (2007)

Fun and cute.

October 3rd

October 3rd, originally uploaded by oliverwilke.

Picture taken in Prague. Fun image, not profound just fun.

HDR – Black Fireplug

HDR – Black Fireplug, originally uploaded by antiplastik(c).

Hmm, kind of odd but enjoyably so.

“Chronicles of the Black Company”, Glen Cook

It was a dark and stormy 15 years. And what 15 years they were, Evil is constantly on the verge of overwhelming the world and The Black Company is at the heart of the action, whether they like it or not.

The “Chronicles of the Black Company” covers fifteen years in the life in a group of mercenaries living, fighting and dying.”Chronicles” is composed of three books; “The Black Company“, “Shadows Linger“, and “The White Rose“. The stories are told from the point of view of a physician, Croaker, who is the annalist of The Black Company.  These books are often cited as having radically changed the nature of Epic Heroic Fantasy. I’d have to say that  that is a bit of an understatement, more like blowing that genre apart and replacing it with what are really just soldiers’ tales. That shift in focus cannot be underestimated. The primary characters in these books are not heroes, princes, powerful wizards, bored sons of nobility searching for meaning in life, or some-one who has special powers but just doesn’t realize yet because they’ve been hidden from the world, no, they are grunts doing their jobs as best they can. How they get caught up in world shaping events is explained in a way that makes sense, they are very good at what they do and powerful forces come looking for them. The things they do for these powerful beings and how that shapes them over the years, the changes that happen both mentally and physically are the heart of these stories. These stories are about the search for the ability to live with the choices that have either been made by or forced on the Company and its members. These choices aren’t always pretty, the reasons behind them aren’t always honorable, and isn’t that just life? Sometimes you just have to do what have to do. In the hands of Glen Cook the push and pull of that reality never descends into angsty existentialist drivel. So these are the tales of talented but ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times.

Cook does a really good job making the physical world of The Black Company different enough to pique curiosity at times in the first two novels. But some serious weirdness comes to the fore in the last book included here. For the most part of the first two novels The Company operates in a world that is western European medieval with magic. I think he did this in order to make sure the reader is concentrating on his characters, their stories, the forces at work on them and not getting distracted by the world in which they live.

So do I recommend these tales. Yes, highly in fact, but with the following caveats. First,these are dark, grim tales. Secondly, Cook’s writing style is terse, so terse that it may seem that the writing is simplistic and basic. Don’t be fooled, it is not, just remember that these tales are told from the regular soldier’s point of view and is therefore more like a personal diary than a work of high literature illuminating the epic deeds of heros of ages gone by.

Reading 5/5

Scalzi Stuff:
Okay so I have finished the “Old Man’s War”, “Ghost Brigades” and “Last Colony” group. I have thoroughly enjoyed all three. First yes, yes, yes, Scalzi took a fair bit from Starship Troopers. Okay, if it bothers you when some-one takes themes and then writes variations on them then this series isn’t for you. For anyone else, this series was alot of fun to read. Scalzi balanced action, good ideas, and characters that I enjoyed. This is military science fiction so combat is an essential feature but it isn’t the only thing going on here. Scalzi puts some interesting ideas into this series; human consciousness transfer, genetic manipulation, cloning, cool weaponry, and post-colonial politics. So a busy series but it is spread out over three novels so never too much in any one novel, again balance. The characters; what can I say, they are the true centers of these novels and you either enjoy the rather blunt and authoratative manners of Perry and Sagan or you don’t. Many of the criticisms of this series seemed to miss that point and focus on other aspects of the series. This is a series about Perry and Sagan and what they go through. There are scene shifts and interesting subjects are dropped. Because the scene and subjects are secondary to what is going on with these two. So, have I read better world building, fuller discussions of the science, seen authors wrap up every last little detail in a book? Yes, but then many books that follow up every last thing are unbalanced or overly long. Scalzi gets the balance right and keeps things moving. Good, thought provoking fun. Highly recommended and as a friend of mine said, “I like the way that Scalzi thinks”.

A Friend’s Jewelry Website.

Jewelry making friend of mine has some medical bills coming soon. She does great work, here is her site: www.maryellendoran.etsy.com

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover_007

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover_007, originally uploaded by ChuckEye.

“He’s dead. They stuffed him with pages torn from his favourite book. Could you cook him?”

Repo Man_028

Repo Man_028, originally uploaded by ChuckEye.

“The life of a repo man is always intense. “

Brazil_110

Brazil_110, originally uploaded by ChuckEye.

Another.

Brazil_063

Brazil_063, originally uploaded by ChuckEye.

Really great results from a really clever idea. Enjoy. Just dying to be a wallpaper.