The original television documentary that established Northern Soul in the public’s consciousness. From roughly the same time that Sandra was also going to the Wigan Casino and such like. Worth it if only for the lad selling Socialist Worker.
Books read October
I finally picked up the pace somewhat this month, with seven books read.
Fledgling — Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Another free novel set in their Liaden universe, this is a classic coming of age science fiction novel, amusing but perhaps better read when you’re twelve.
1938 Hitler’s Gamble — Giles MacDonogh
A very useful overview of the political and military events that shaped the last year of peace before World War II, showing how opportunistic Hitler’s policies were.
Filthy English — Peter Silverton
An amusing overview of bad language of all kinds.
Vast — Linda Nagata
Hard science fiction of a subgenre that also includes Alastair Reynolds’ revelation Space and Paul McAuley’s Eternal Light: humantiy stumbles over the remains of a millions of years old war and is hunted to extinction by the left over killing machines of the war. I hadn’t read anything by Nagata yet, save for perhaps some short stories but on the strength of this she’s a writer I need to read more off.
The Battle for the Rhine 1944 — Robin Neillands
An overview of the campaign in western Europe from Normandy up until the Battle of the Bugle and very concerned with putting the record straight with regards to Montgomery’s part in the war.
The Eye with Which the Universe Beholds Itself — Ian Sales
Second chapbook in the Apollo Quartet, this is alternate history hard science fiction about a slightly more ambitious Apollo programme.
Child of the Grove — Tanya Huff
I like her military science fiction so I thought I’d check out her fantasy work as well. A decent but weirdly paced novel.
Gory Glory
Something that annoys me a lot is when a supposedly adult television show bleeps out swearing. It feels so childish to swear and than cover it up, as if nobody can figure out what was said. In comics it’s even more obnoxious, as seen in this example from Glory #30:
Then the very next page this happens:
Ouch.
So why is ultraviolence, though cartoony ultraviolence okay, but mild swears like shit or fuck have to be blacked out? It seems silly to worry about bad language when every other page or so somebody’s jaw is graphically punched off.
Not that this should stop you from buying Glory, which is an absolutely brilliant superhero comic somewhat overshadowed by the success of Prophet and Saga and sadly therefore already cancelled. Smart writing by Joe Keatinge, great art from Sophie Campbell. I should do a proper review of this some time soon.
UPDATE: since Sophie Campbell has gone public with her transition, I thought it only decent to update her pronouns here.
Fanfare
Boycotting Ender’s Game
Nick Mamatas reminds people that boycotting something really is an alternative to violence:
But if you were in favor of Rosa Parks and the civil rights movement and the bus boycott, even though a lot of other people got hurt, then there should be no issue with the much milder boycott of Ender’s Game. Tor Books is being left untouched. The studio’s other films are being left untouched. The movie theaters showing the film are being left untouched. This boycott is the caress of a pudgy little newborn baby hand against the cheek of hatred.
That’s part of why boycotts are necessarily collective. It’s a way of saying, “Look how many people you have annoyed. Would you really like to annoy us further?” Just think of all the pudgy little baby hands, reaching for your eyes…
The quality of the movie doesn’t matter. Nor does whether or not it would hurt other people if you boycott the movie. The latter is a confusion that also crops up with strikes a lot, as you always get the handwringing that innocent bystanders are disadvantaged by e.g. a railway strike. That’s the whole point. Strikes or boycotts should hurt or they’re pointless. The only thing that should matter is whether or not hurt Orson Scott Card’s ability to wage war on gay people by hurting him finacially.