The Dresden Files

I've been reading all my life. I've read many different things. Some books I've struggled through, some I've really enjoyed. And then there are some series that I've not been able to put down until I've finished. David Weber's Honor Harrington series was passed around like crack among my friends. We read it and got every new book that came out.  The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher has become my new reading crack.

For those who are not familiar the Dresden Files follow the adventures of Harry Dresden, a modern day wizard and private investigator. That's right, he's a wizard, even says so on his door.  The writing style of the series is hard boiled, first person noir.  It is a detective series told through Dresden's point of view.  He narrates and weaves a compelling tale. Throw in a damsel in distress and some magical bad-ass villains and you have the series. Kind of like Sam Spade but with wands and vampires. You see the world through Harry's eyes, and it isn't always a very pretty picture.  I had never read any detective stories before but these one grabbed my by the shirt, pulled me in, and made me hold on for the ride.

Dresden is a wizard who has led a hard life. He's tall, rail thin, and sports a duster, jeans, and cowboy boots. His trusty staff and blasting rod (think magic wand) are a part of his arsenal, as is the silver pentacle that he uses to focus his magic. He's a sucker for a woman in distress and a connoisseur  of modern geekism and pop culture references.


You learn that magic and monsters are all real. Most people just don't see them because both are hidden in plain sight and usually dismissed.  But the threats are real.  Each novel introduces a new magical concept, from vampires, werewolves, to necromancers.  In every book Harry gets a job as a PI. The jobs are never easy, never as they seem, and Harry usually ends up on the short end of a beating stick.

Magic in the Dresdenverse does not play well with modern technology. Cell phones, computers, modern cars, even microwaves often go on the fritz or even burn out when magic is used around them. Magic is potent and dangerous.

The monsters and fey are not the sanitized versions you see from Disney.  Think the original Grimm's fairy tales mixed crossed with Hannibal Lector. Many of the myths and legends are brought forward and explained. They can be utterly ruthless caring nothing for the sanctity of life.I find the mythology very well researched and interestingly presented.

I discovered Dresden by accident. It was actually through the short lived Sci-Fi channel series. I remember seeing adds for it but never had a chance to sit down and watch it. Alas, it was cancelled. When Hulu first appeared this was one of the shows and I gave it a chance. I was hooked.  The first hit was free, the rest was - not enough. I blew through the series but wanted more.  On a whim I ordered the first three-pack off of Amazon and then the freebasing began.

If you haven't read any of the books go ahead and start with Storm Front.  You can pick it up from just about any bookstore or Amazon.  I'd also recommend the TV-show. If you have Netflix it is streaming! If you like magic, mystery, a dash of daring-do, and no small mix of humor and sarcasm then I think you'll love the Dresdenverse.

Spoiler Alert?!

Maybe it is a sign of me getting older but I am no longer wanting to know everything about a movie or a show before it comes out. With the advent of the internet, digital photos, and the rest it is now all too easy to sneak pictures or script shots off the set. I enjoy the surprise, the mystery, the secret, the unknown of a new movie or show.

Why will you drop $7 to $15 or more to see a movie that you know all the plot points and probably have seen a good chunk of the footage from a spoiler website? What is left to enjoy?  If you spend the entire time waiting for that one scene that you know is coming how much can you truly enjoy the movie?

I guess I'm tired of avoiding so many articles because of the dreaded "Spoiler Alert" that seems to fill so many articles. At least they are courteous enough to put in there. I know it is big business to leak this to the masses, and if there wasn't a market for it then it wouldn't be so rampant. Hell, I've avoided reading the sample chapters that Martin has posted for the next A Song of Fire and Ice novel.

It is a lot easier since I don't have cable. I am not bombarded with commercials or TMZ style shows that blurt out some breaking news.  I also keep my headphones on at work so I miss a lot of the chatter from my fellow geeks who do keep in the know.

Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic when I heard there will be new Star Wars movies. I am also thrilled that JJ Abrams is going to be helming at least first one because of his sense of secrecy.  He's kept a lot of the new Trek movie close to his vest. Some stills were released, characters, but even the trailers have left you wondering just what the hell is going on. I have also purposely ignored articles that leak script ideas.  I want to go into this fresh, not knowing much, and with as few preconceived notions as I can.

Some things have been revealed.   A lot of the original cast will be back if the reports are correct.  They are known commodities, Luke, Leah, Han. My hope is that they are now in positions of authority and that they are there to hand the reins to a new group of younger smugglers, Jedi, and heroes. I plan to remain as ignorant as I can about it until I see the Star Wars logo and hopefully John Williams Fanfare blaring.

I have nothing against the masses who do want every spoiler that comes out.  I just ask that you don't blurt them out and if you post about them warn those of us who still want a little magic when we go to the movies.

Work in progress rewriting!

A fun and sometimes annoying thing that happens to me in the middle of a story is I get a great idea and then have to work it in. Sometimes this is a minor change, sometimes pretty major. I have done my best to actually plot out my current project, including an outline and even a little flow chart on what would characters do. Still, after waking up after a nice nap or a great night sleep I suddenly have an idea “here is how to do X, or this is something Y would do.” This is especially helpful when I am stuck on an idea. I know what I want to happen just trying to figure out who to make it happen and not look too canned.

I know it is part of the creative processes and you cannot plan for all eventualities.  Luckily the new things that are being integrated are not radically changing my current narrative.  I’ve been using a program called Y-Writer. The program helps you the project into chapters and then down to scenes. That way I can make a change to a particular scene and not have to search some ginormous document. I can find it quickly, edit it, or even delete a scene.  I’m still learning the software but I am using it in conjunction with Word. 

The scary thing is what had started as a short story has turned into a 60,000 word piece and I still have chapters to write. They are plotted out but I have to get this stuff down.  In the meantime I keep reviewing and editing what I do have. It is good to take a little break once in a while and go back with a fresh mind.  My steno pad is invaluable as well since I work on scenes or ideas on my breaks and lunch so I don’t forget them.

I have several other pieces I need to review, update, and finish. I am going to try the self-publishing route at first. Has anyone had any success or suggestions for this? If so please shoot them my way!

What is success in music?

A conversation some co-workers(Galindo and English I'm looking at you) of had a while back what was how do you define success in music? Record sales? Concert ticket sales? Radio Airplay?  How many torrents of your record have been downloaded? All of these things for certain. 

Record sales are obvious. If you can get a record to go gold or platinum then you have gotten people to part with their entertainment money to get your music.  Of course, how many times have you listened to a kick-ass song on the radio, gone out and gotten the disk only to find out that 2 out of 8 songs are great and the rest suck? Too many.  Of course this is where services like iTunes makes that easier allowing you to buy a single track.

Record sales is only one part of it. I guess I should say continuing record sales. Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block, and Mili Vanili all solds gobs of records. Ganbusters style.   Everyone I in high school blasted “Ice, Ice Baby” yet are now loathe to admit they ever owned it.  Once the preteen/tween girls grew up NKOTB faded into obscurity.  And we all know the demise of Mili Vanili. One can only hope they invested their money as wisely as Vanilla Ice.

Concert ticket sales are in the same boat as record sales. If the demands to see you perform puts butts in seats then you are doing well.  Not to mention the memorabilia that goes with the concert experience.

If you are selling out stadiums and travelling the world, fantastic. But if you have fallen to playing state fares and cheap dives for beer money then I guess you didn’t have staying power.

Radio airplay is a key as well. It helps get your music out to the masses so that they will go and buy your records, buy your concert tickets, and buy your T-shirts.  If you have good rotation you are in the minds and ears of your fans. You do run the risk of being a one-hit-wonder if they only play one song and ignore the rest of your catalog.

How often is your music downloaded, even illegally?  If someone is going to run the risk of a felony, confiscation of your computer, or impossible to pay fines to pay then you have to make sure that what you are downloading is worth it. Do you really want it to get out that you have to pay a multiple thousand dollar fine for downloading Liza Minnelli or Babs?

Who is covering your music?  New bands born a generation or more after the Beatles, Lez Zepplin, or Queen are covering classic songs.  Some do a dead on cover, others put their spin on it. Some of them are really good, some of them need to be taken out behind the woodshed and beaten severely.  

Are you in Rock Band?   Yes it is a video game. Yes it doesn’t really have much to do with playing real music. But it has helped introduce younger listeners to Black Sabbath, the Beatles, and Aerosmith. When my stepson told me turn up War Pigs because he had heard it on Rock Band then I knew Ozzy would live on forever.

For me, a band is successful if I pull out their CD and listen to it years later. In its entirety, not just one or two tracks, but he full record.  Sure a band might make tons of money but if no one listens to your music anymore and no longer buys your music are you still successful? This also goes back to radio airplay. Yeah you might get played a lot but if it is only one or two songs that are all you will be remembered for. Sure a band might make tons of money but if no one listens to your music anymore and no longer buys your music are you still successful?

Are you embarrassed to have that disk in your collection?  Will you risk the ridicule and mockery if someone goes through your playlist or CD collection? Did you erase the track or destroy the disk to avoid anyone discovering your dark secret? This might not mean much for true success but who wants to be known for being an embarrassment?

 I am very discerning with my entertainment dollars so I have to be sure of what I am buying.  Some music I will buy without listening to first just on the brand name.  I may download a track after hearing a song on the radio but I am very careful before I commit to a new CD.

Success, ultimately, is based upon who you are asking and what metrics you use.  What are your thoughts?

The end of 2012

As 2012 slowly closes I look to the future. 2012 has been a roller-coaster, one helluv a ride.  I survived it so I guess that is all one can ask. We survived the Mayan End of the Age thing, and alas the events of Shadowrun did not occur.

As I get older I realize that New Years Resolutions are done to try and make you feel better. I am going to stop doing something. I will start doing something. Of course, statistically speaking, resolutions will be abandoned at the earliest opportunity. Having typed that, I do think they can help identify things that need change.

I look forward to 2013. It is a clean slate in a lot of aspects. I have dug up some of my old writing and I'm revisiting it and pushing forward. I plan to try the e-publishing thing once I'm ready. A scary step but exciting! We plan to have the tub ready for the heater by tax refund.  My car will be closer to being paid off. The next Hobbit installment! A new Star Trek movie! So many things, plus those not even looked forward to.

Today is the last day of my vacation. Instead of stressing about going back to work, the fiscal cliff, or anything else too negative. I find that people concentrate too much on the negative and don't seize the day. Gods above and below know I am guilty of that.  Bad things are going to happen. I prefer to think about the good things - finding an old friend, getting another project on the house done, spending time with my wife.


As I look to 2013 I am thankful. Thanksgiving officially comes once a year (in the States) but you really should take time to be thankful for what you have more than once a year.  I am thankful for my supporting and loving family. I have a decent job that I don't totally hate (most of the time). I have good friends. I live in a fantastic city.  Can things be better? of course.  But when I think about all I have and read reports about those who have less than I do I realize I have it pretty good.

So how about y'all? What do you all hope for or plan to do in 2013?

The Hobbit - an Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit – an Unexpected Journey

Warning! There will be spoilers. If you do not wish to have some plot points revealed you may want to read after you have seen the movie. Continue at your own risk!

When Peter Jackson completed his Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2003 I knew it would only be a matter of time before he, or someone else, would come back and do the Hobbit. After many years and rumors production of the Hobbit truly began.  Probably the biggest controversy would be Jackson filming the movie at 48 frames a second instead of the standard 24. Despite the fact I knew there would be changes I was going to see this movie.

Peter Jackson is taking the original novel The Hobbit and breaking it into three movies.  An Unexpected Journey begins just before Bilbo Baggins going away party as he decides to tell Frodo the truth about his adventures with the dwarves some 60 years before. More importantly he will reveal how he got the One Ring. 

Many  years before the events of the Lord of the Rings we are introduced to the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor. Here the dwarves mine gold and jewels and make Scrooge McDuck’s vault look like a kiddie pool filled with pesos.  Dragons, too, love hoard of gold and Smaug is no different. The dragon captures the Lonely Mountain and displaces the entire people of the Dwarves.  These lonely souls wander from city to city selling their services as artisans waiting for the day when they will reclaim their home.

 Now just sixty years before the events of LoTR, Bilbo Baggins was a respectable hobbit. He was predictable and lived in a nice hole. He had no desire to leave the shelter of the shire. After all it would make one late for tea.   Gandalf the Grey has other intentions.  After a brief, and uncomfortable visit with the wizard, Bilbo disappears into his home content to continue.

That night however, Master Baggins is paid a visit by not one, not two, but thirteen dwarves and a wizard show up for dinner and promptly clean out his larder.  They reveal the reason they are at his not so humble hole – to find a burglar and help them take their kingdom back.  Bilbo declines, despite a guarantee of 1/14 of the treasure but after hearing the dwarves sing of their homeland he has a change of heart. And thus the fortunes of Middle Earth are forever changed.

An Unexpected Journey is not an exact translation of the novel but it remains faithful in most aspects. Things were added and modified. But the impetus is the same – the quest to the Lonely Mountain.

The Good

I have read many complaints that the 48 FPS made it look like a cheap BBC documentary. I did not see it in IMAX or 3D but I did not have this experience. I found the film beautiful to look at. The sets were exquisite and the exterior shots felt like I was truly seeing Middle Earth.  

Martin Freeman does a very good job of giving the younger Bilbo life and purpose. Sir Ian McKellan  continues to bring wonder and power to Gandalf.  Richard Armitage made me believe he was Thorin Oakenshield . Andy Serkis returns as the sinister Gollum, playing the ever famous game of Riddles with Bilbo.

The Dwarves – Each of the Thirteen dwarves is distinctly different. Some are young, others old and fat. While all are bearded they do not have the stereotypical beards you are accustomed to seeing. they are dressed differently and all carry different weapons. 

The action sequences are top rate, exciting, and fast paced. Many of the battles described by Tolkein maybe lasted a few paragraphs at best. Jackson and crew have expanded upon these quite nicely.

Despite the changes to the story I enjoyed how characters who did not appear in the Hobbit were brought in.  Rhadagast the Brown, the only other wizard mentioned in Middle Earth is introduced and played by the Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy.  Galadriel (Cate Blanchet) and Saruman( Christopher Lee)  both journey to Rivendell to discuss Thorin’s Expedition. 

The expansion of the Story.  In the original novel we discover that there is a dark force that dwells in Mirkwood named only the Necromancer.  We learn through the Lord of the Rings that the Necromancer was none other than Morgoth’s Lieutenant Sauron. An Unexpected Journey takes this and runs with it.

The Bad

The Dwarves.  The quest is to reclaim the Dwarven Kingdom and here we have thirteen dwarves up to the task. Each is introduced but only Thorin seems to stand out.  This was an issue with the novel as well – while there are thirteen dwarves they are for the most part interchangeable.  While we see each dwarf, and some of them even have lines, Thorin was the only one I truly cared about. 

The movie is long. At almost 3 hours you might want to make sure you have used the facilities well before the movie starts.

The beginning is slow going.  While it has some exposition and some humorous scenes the movie takes a while to get moving. 

A series of very unlikely falls. There are a few points in the story where it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief.  Most of them involved falling. The company of dwarves, plus Gandalf, riding down a crevasse on the remains of a wooden bridge while escaping Goblin Town?  I think I found Indiana Jones leaping from an airplane and landing safely on an inflatable raft more plausible.

The Great Goblin.  I thought with all the different goblins and orcs that had been used in the previous three movies that the production crew could have come up with something better than this.  His voice was also off for me. Goblins and orcs always seemed to speak with a growl and with an air of menace. I thought the Great Goblin came across as a greasy used car salesman.  

The fact that this is part one – and I have to wait a bloody YEAR to see part two.  And then I will have to wait for part three. Damn your black heart Peter Jackson!

Conclusion

I enjoyed the movie.  Visually it is stunning.  I enjoyed the story, despite the changes and additions. It made me yearn to see the next leg of their journey – Mirkwood, the Elves, and finally the Lonely Mountain.  If you have the time to commit and loved the original Lord of the Rings you should go see this.

4 out of 5 stars

Steampunk and CosPlay

A few months ago Sun took the daughter of a friend to San-Japan – the largest Anime Convention around.  There were a lot of people in costumes, not just anime but also Steampunk.   I guess the years of theater pulled on her because she came back and stated that it would be fun to dress up and go to conventions like that once in a while.  I am an avid gamer but have never done CosPlay and thought it sounded like a grand idea. 

We went to the Austin ComicCon last month. We did dress up but due to an unforeseen vehicle repair bill we were not able to really do what we wanted with our costumes. I am proud of what we did for our first outing but I would like to do more.  I did find it fun to be someone else, even if it is for a few hours.  What I would like to do is come up with a costume that will get people to stop and want to take my picture (Yes I am still a camera whore).  

To this end I am planning on making some new costume gear. It is going to be a fun experience and I’m sure one that is filled with much cursing. What I would like to do is build up a small amount of costume ideas and things that can be used and recycled for future events. I think my first project is going to be some leather bracers.   

Is there anyone out there that has any experience with CosPlay and have any suggestions, websites, warnings?  If so please share links. I will document my progress with each project.  Who knows, depending on how good I get with it I might be able to sell things!