Music I've Been Listening to Lately

It's not Christmas without this classic rendition!

An Adorable Tribute

Hugh Jackman is very much a song-and-dance performer (which is why I find his intensity as Wolverine so fascinating). His tribute to Stephen Colbert while promoting his new movie as sweet as the Neil Diamond original.

Another Influence Passes

I was sad to learn John Varley passed away last week. The first book his I read was Titan. I can't remember if it was in junior high or high school. I only remember I borrowed it through our county library's Books Through Mail program for those of us who didn't have regular access to the system.

(This was in the late 70's and early eighties when money was tight because of the Energy Crisis, electronic borrowing hadn't become a thing yet, and before I had a driver's license, much less a job.)

John wrote strong female characters long before it was acceptable. He'd definitely get slammed by both sides if he wrote the Gaea Trilogy today. But this was one of the first books I read where a woman was the spaceship's captain. Needless to say, John had a huge influence on my own development as a writer.

I'd re-read John's trilogy every few years until life got in the way. One of my goals for 2026 is to re-shelve all my books in my new library in our house.

It's funny how something you read nearly fifty years ago can stay with you. That a woman can be in charge and not disparaged because of it. Maybe that's why I love sci-fi writers like John. He could see the changes coming and said so long before the reality hit.

Thanks, John. And I hope you are pain-free and at peace in the next world. 

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

The new American holiday standard! It's not Christmas without Mariah!

A Question for My Readers

I'm planning to release hardbacks for the 10th Anniversary of the Justice series late next year. The hardback with have all new covers as well, and I hope to do something bling-y like maps and painted edges.

How would you like a bling-y illustrated encyclopedia to go along with the series? I'm thinking foil trim and gilded edging in a very nice hardback collector's volume. It wouldn't come out until 2027, but I would need to start it now to have it ready in time to print by 2027.

What's everyone's thoughts on the idea? 

Monday Movie Mania - The Running Man

DH and I finally had a date night late yesterday after a month of personal chaos. Frankly, we needed it! Out of all the November releases we wanted to see, we went with The Running Man since it looks to be leaving our local theater first.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) This version of Stephen King's novel hews much closer to the book that the 1987 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It restores Ben Richards original, and much more personal motivation--obtaining medication for his infant daughter.

2) Colman Domingo stands out from the rest of the cast as the host of "The Running Man" show. He's far slicker and scarier than Richard Dawson's host in the 1987 version. Colman brings an odd sincerity to his role.

3) Michael Cera was wildly in a league of his own as Elton Parrakis, a young man who sees an alliance with the main character of Ben as the method to extract revenge on the cops that murdered his father.

4) Josh Brolin was so damn cold-blooded as network executive Killian I half-expected him to be the masked lead hunter McCone, too.

5) The sock that reminds Ben what he's fighting for.

6) The biting commentary on our current U.S. culture.

NOT QUITE CONS
1) As charming as Glen Powell can be, his physique is way too buff for such a poor man. But he captured Ben Richards' anger perfectly.

2) This is America cinema so Ben had to kill Killian personally. I would have a enjoyed a more creative ending if the writers wanted Ben to survive. (He didn't in the book.)


The Running Man is a fast-paced dystopian movie that may hit too close to home for some viewers. However, I enjoyed it greatly! I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

If you ever have any doubts about Joan's writing talent...

A New Normal in Publishing

Amazon launched its Digital Text Platform ("DTP") in November of 2007, the same month they debuted the Kindle. It was a major game changer for e-books.

It was such a game-changer that writers, agents, and publishers went to war over the changing concept of self-publishing. It became easier for some writers to publish stories that mainstream publishing ("trad publishing") didn't want to touch. By the same token, readers had more stories in the genres and subgenres they love instead of waiting for those types of books to become popular again.

After nearly twenty years, we've hit the (relatively speaking) the new normal in publishing.

On the plus side, we don't have the nasty online flame wars online that happened in the beginning of the changes. For the most part people stay in their lanes and don't bother the other side.

The weird thing is that so many agents I used to follow back in the '00's are no longer agents. Even the readers who tried gatekeep via their blogs during the initial chaos no longer have any power. And you know what? That's okay, too.

So many of the authors I followed before the changes hit are still the same authors I follow today. And guess what? A large portion of them have gone indie.

So what it comes down to, I still love my favorite authors, and I get to read a wider variety of the books they enjoy writing. Especially on a day like this when there's five inches of snow on the ground and the temps are below freezing.

All I need is the Princess Pup on my lap, a hot cup of tea, and a damn good story. Life doesn't get any better than this.

Monday Movie Mania - A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

This is the last of the late summer/early fall movies DH and I saw at the theater. We haven't started our holiday viewing yet, though I will try to drag him to the cinema before the weekend is out to see a particular Oz-related flick.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) This isn't the typical Hollywood romance film. There's no grand gestures. No wild escapades. It's a bittersweet acknowledgement of the baggage we each bring into a new new relationship, and how, if we let the baggage weigh us down, it can destroy the possibility of love and happiness with the right person.

2) This is the first film of Colin Farell's I've watched that showed a softer side of his masculinity. His everyman David's desire to have a family is transposed with the magical doors showing his parents and his own failed relationships.

3) Margot Robbie's Sarah was the perfect romantic foil for David. Her desire to avoid love in order to avoid pain is also shown through the trips through the magical doors to her own past.

4) Jodie Turner-Smith was pitch-perfect as the GPS trying to get David and Sarah to see their possibilities instead of their past pain.

5) The pacing is leisurely, but appropriate, for this type of a story since it's as much about the characters working through their traumas as it is about them revealing themselves to the viewers.


CONS
1) This is one of those movies you need to be in a certain frame of mind to watch. Otherwise, your lack of attention span will drive you insane.

2) Kevin Kline and Phoebe Waller-Bridges roles as the comedic relief just didn't work. Both people have excellent comedic timing, but their scenes seemed forced. I have to presume the writing, directing, or editing didn't show their real chops.


Overall, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is a poignant look at how our pasts affect our future. I give it 9 stars out of 10.