Scalzi and TV

If I would have to choose a favorite contemporary science fiction writer, I'd definitely mention John Scalzi. Redshirts, one of his newest novels, was one of my favorite reads last year.

I also enjoyed his Old Man's War novels. These are books that are heavy on military themes and science fiction elements. I'm not really big on everything military, but I did enjoy these novels, especially the first one, Old Man's War. The second book, The Ghost Brigades, which is a sequel of sorts, is quite action-packed and yet quite philosophical. I still have to finish the third book, The Last Colony. And I believe that there are still more books in this series as well.

What joy it is to find out that these novels are now being turned into a TV series! This TV series is definitely something to binge-watch. I. Can't. Wait.

Anyway, the TV shows might not appear anytime soon. So there'll still be at least a year to read all the Old Man's War novels, and probably a few other works of Scalzi. He writes very entertaining novels. And he's funny as hell.

Geeking out horizontally

It's amazing how one need not go out of the house to be entertained these days. That's exactly what I did last Sunday. I stayed in bed the whole day and just downloaded new TV shows that have been generating buzz. I swear, I even forgot take a shower, as the weather was quite nippy. (I've always wondered about the origin of the word "nippy." Does it have something to do with what happens to your nipples when it's cold?)

Yes, I spent my Sunday horizontally, watching TV shows so heavy on science fiction themes. Fortunately, these new TV shows weren't so bad. Nope, not bad at all. I didn't even bother to read a page from the hundreds of books in the to-be-read pile.

First, there's the Steven Spielberg-produced "Extant." It has Halle Berry! (I swear she has no pores. Long live HD!) Halle Berry plays an astronaut who's become mysteriously pregnant. The timing points to the fact that she conceived in space. I can't help but picture it: boinking in zero gravity. "Extant" is pretty intriguing, but I can't help but think that there's a conspiracy story line somewhere.

Next is "The Lottery" in Lifetime. We're now in the 2020s and, for some reason, people no longer have the ability to reproduce. But a lady scientist was able to successfully fertilize 100 embryos. The US government, hoping to win back its popularity, decides to hold a lottery as to who among its female citizens can serve as surrogates to these embryos. Again, it reeks of conspiracy. But I love it.

"The Lottery" raised a few personal questions for me. If I were female, would I want to enter my name in the lottery? I probably wouldn't. I've seen enough videos about human birth to last me a lifetime. Very, very traumatic. Very, very messy. All that goo. And that wrinkly thing coming out of the vajayjay.

And then there's my current favorite of the lot, "The Strain." I didn't have that much love for the book the FX series was based on, but the TV show is another matter. Vampires that don't sparkle under the sun! Yay! Vampires that are monstrous! Woot! Vampires that kill! FTW!

The first two episodes of "The Strain" have the feel of a biological outbreak movie, one that delves into how the viral strain gets passed among people. But the latter episodes had me horrified. There's a certain Dracula-like character who find his way in the US from Germany. The show does remind me of Salem's Lot in certain aspects, especially in that scene where a supposedly dead girl goes back to her house and calls her father. So creepy! I think I may have had a little pee on my pants watching that scene.

I just hope that these shows improve over time. I wish that they sustain the element of paranoia which so heavily felt in each episode. I've no problems with staying horizontal during the weekends. 

Of books and action figures

Goodness, when your cardiologist and dietitian both tell you that you're allowed only 1,500 calories per day, it sounds like the end of the world, yes? In my case, I've been taking it out on watching TV shows. And buying books. And collecting action figures. Everything except having that cupcake.

So lately I've been downloading TV episodes like crazy. Started "The Americans" and got hooked. Felt disappointed that the NBC series "Kings" only had 1 season. (It's somewhat of a retelling of the David and Goliath story.) Watched the 1st season of "Arrow" and felt ambiguous about it. Anticipating the latest episodes of "Penny Dreadful" and "Fargo." Still going gaga over "Game of Thrones."

Speaking of "Game of Thrones," I am amused by the latest collection of action figures from Funko. The likenesses of the characters may be wanting, but the details are intricate. My favorite is Tyrion below. The "imp" stands atop Arthurian-themed books. T. H. White's The Once and Future King was the book club's May selection. Somehow, I prefer Malory's Le Morte Darthur to it.

Of course, "Game of Thrones" wouldn't be complete without the mother of dragons, Daenerys Targaryen. The dragon behind her isn't Drogon, Rhaegal, nor Viserion. It's an Asian dragon I bought at the Singapore airport. Ann Leckie's multi-awarded science fiction novel, Ancillary Justice, is wonderful. Yes, the hype is true.

And if there's one movie that I'm eagerly anticipating this year, it's the 4th Transformers movie. Yes, I know, the movies have become crappier and crappier. But hey, I grew up watching the animated series. My brain's hardwired to love both Autobots and Decepticons. Here's Optimus Prime with my read on this father's day weekend—Aaron Hartzler's touching and hilarious young adult memoir.

Ah, collecting action figures. Such an expensive hobby. My only consolation is that I'm actually saving some money as I've cut down on my eating out. I can't even recall the last time I ate cake.

I stopped reading the books, but the TV series is another matter

I have lots of love for George R. R. Martin's wonderful series A Song of Ice and Fire. The 1st book, A Game of Thrones, is still a favorite. I love how GRRM makes you fall for characters and then violently tear your heart out by killing them. #yeahbitch

But I stopped reading the series though. I made it halfway through the 3rd book, A Storm of Swords, when I decided to just stop. Eff it! With the writing pace GRRM, I'll be 50 by the time the series is complete. So, plenty of goddamn time. Years! Probably a decade even.

So I channeled all my fanboy juice to the TV series. A Game of Thrones is awesome! It's one of those few shows that I watch religiously. And when I mean religiously, I mean by myself, in the dead of night when I couldn't be disturbed, and on an empty bladder.

It's just a few weeks away before season 4 of A Game of Thrones and I just can't wait no longer. This must be one of Dante's circle of hell, yes? The agonizing wait, the feeling of helplessness due to anticipation, the bubbling fandom frenzy.

For the meantime though, while counting the days till the first episode of the latest season, I'll while away my days playing solitaire. And what better way to play than with a deck of cards with my favorite GOT characters. Because, Jamie Lannister's jawline is a character on its own. Respect, man, respect.

Spare

I'm having palpitations. My BP is now probably through the roof. And I would've bitten my fingernails to the quick, if I actually had fingernails. (TMI: When I cut my fingernails, I cut them so short that my fingers often bleed. Bloody true story.) I've been holding off on watching the Game of Thrones TV series, as I really, really love the books. Because, as we all know:

100% true: TV episodes/movies ≠ books
75% true: TV episodes/movies < books

But I gave in last week, and I saw all 30 episodes of seasons 1 to 3 of Game of Thrones in a span of 5 days. And, for the life of me, I've never seen so many boobs and vaginas, slashed throats, incestuous and orgiastic coupling (man-woman, man-man, woman-woman), penis cutting, beheadings, horse riding, sword fighting, and what-not in those 5 days. I loved it! I was in hog heaven.

All right, now I've resolved to go back to the books. I read the first novel of A Song of Ice and Fire, A Game of Thrones, back in 2003, if I remember correctly. Then the second one, A Clash of Kings, back in 2006. I started the third book, A Storm of Swords, in 2009. I believe I reached halfway through it, and then decided to just drop it. With George R. R. Martin's pace in writing the series, I think I have all the time in the world. Unless, GRRM dies before he completes it. In which case, it doesn't really matter, because that would be the end of the world for me anyway.

Now I'm back at page 1 of A Storm of Swords, this proverbial book with the notorious Red Wedding scene. So, sorting through my shelves and finding out that I have 2 copies—a paperback and a hardback! Woot! The hardback is a pain to lug around. I'd much rather have 2 pounds of food in my bag (that's 8 quarter-pound burgers!). Thank goodness for the paperback, right? Although, the paperback is still a brick in itself, but I know I can't be choosy if I want to get my fix. Besides, I need to reconnect to my literary family—the Lannisters. We don't mix with sheep.

Don't ever find yourself wearing a red shirt

I'm not a big fan of Star Trek. I find the TV show terribly campy and the science involved wonky. But John Scalzi's sci-fi work, Redshirts, which somehow touches on the Trekkie universe, is a novel that I really, really love.

Last year, Redshirts was high on everyone's lists of best novels. It's one of the few novels that got to be popular among critics and readers. And what's surprising is that Redshirts appealed to even among those not into the sci-fi genre. Woot woot!

Anyway, we're in the year 2456 aboard the huge spaceship Intrepid, which is the flagship of the Universal Union. People who get posted to Intrepid feel privileged. But there's a catch though. For some reason, the casualty rate of those in Away Missions is suspiciously high. Also, even though there are a lot of deaths involved in these missions, it is always the low-ranking crew members who always die. The captain, the chief science officer, and the lieutenant always survive.

Andrew Dahl, who has just recently been posted to the Intrepid, notes these weird goings-on in the ship. Together with his fellow rookies, as well as the help of a more experienced crew member who apparently has gone rogue, they find out one unsettling fact. In their universe, they're all playing out roles based on a sci-fi TV series on Earth! And guess what, the high-ranking officials, who should have been dead 3 times over based on the number of Away Missions, are the show's main characters! The rest, well, the ones who wear the redshirts, are just extras who are expendable.

While Scalzi does provide solid scientific groundwork on the nature of parallel universes and time travel, Redshirts is still so charmingly non-threatening to the non-sci-fi reader. It's a book that plays around with the concept of identity but doesn't take itself too seriously. If you find out that your life is just based on a fictional role, does this mean that your living a bogus life? The answer is no. In the universe where Dahl exists, everything is real even though their existence is based on the fate of a character in another universe.

Scalzi is one funny writer, and Redshirts is probably one of the most comedic novels that I've read. The characters just pile one hysterical one liner after another. Some of the scenarios may toe the line on being slapstick, but everything works though.

The ending of Redshirts is very memorable too. While the overall feel of the novel is humorous, the ending is very heartwarming and affirming. Characters in the two universes find redemption and discover their purpose. There's also a bit of romance and nostalgia that never becomes cloying. A lot of reviews say that this novel is mind bending. I couldn't agree more.

Read this book if:

1. You're a big Star Trek fan.
2. You're not a Star Trek fan but you want to find out what the fuss is all about.
3. You know that there's another you in another universe.

Elementary, my dear

I have a confession to make, dear reader. We're almost at the end of February, and I still have not finished a book this month. I blame it on my current favorite TV series from CBS: Elementary. It's now on its 17th episode, and I am really hoping that the series gets its 2nd season, or 3rd. To say that I'm addicted to Elementary would be an understatement.

And still I have another confession to make: I haven't read the short stories of Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the great and infallible detective Sherlock Holmes and his very grounded companion Dr Watson. I do recall a story we read in high school involving a snake as the culprit. Nevertheless, it's a good thing that I do have one of Doyle's books, which is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I guess reading the bloody thing is now in order, eh?

Anyway, back to the TV series. One of the aspects that I enjoy about it is the characters. Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock is perfect, with his British accent, his unpredictable nature, and his totally disarming demeanor. In the TV series, Sherlock lives in New York, has a rich father somewhere who supports him, and is on his road to recovery from being a heroin addict. He's a consultant for the NYPD, with almost a 100% success rate.

Lucy Liu as Dr Watson is very groundbreaking. We don't get the usual "maneater" vibe from Ms Liu in Elementary. In fact, like the short stories, her character provides the much needed contrast to Sherlock's excess. She's the human touch to Sherlock's methodical and sometimes insensitive process. Dr Watson's character in the TV series is quite intriguing. All we know that she was a former top surgeon who's now taken on the role of a sober companion to recovering drug addicts. The episodes somehow peel the layers of Watson's character slowly, as if taunting the viewer to keep on watching week after week after week.

There's even a Moriarty, the great nemesis of Sherlock. But in the TV series, he isn't revealed yet. There's one episode wherein the duo appears to have caught a murderer whom Sherlock assumed to be the mysterious M that he has long been searching for. It turns out though that the man was simply hired by Moriarty.

If you like CSI, detective shows, and police procedurals, you just might be addicted to Elementary as well. I know that there's another TV series in the UK inspired by Doyle's works, but Cumberbatch rather weird. Miller and Liu are the detective duo for me. I love their banter, which thankfully doesn't go overboard.

Yesterday, I went to the bookstore and was quite happy to see that Doyle's books are as popular as ever. People (well, except me) are still reading the adventures of Sherlock and Watson even though the stories are more than 100 years old. And I also saw some books which have been inspired by the original stories. Below are just 2 of these books. The novel by Moore, The Sherlockian, has received very positive reviews.

So maybe this is the year when I finally get to read Doyle. I dread the time when the final episode of season 1 of Elementary airs and I'm having withdrawal symptoms waiting for season 2.

The book about my favorite TV show

I don't watch that much TV. However, for the life of me, I got hooked to 'Downton Abbey'! Maybe it appealed to my being an Anglophile. Or maybe I just love those period dramas.

So just imagine my surprise when I found this at the bookstore. In my mind, I was doing my happy dance! I couldn't care less if it were overpriced. I just had to have it!


The book's behind-the-scenes material is such a joy to go through. It offers a glimpse not just of the actors who play the different characters but also the creators and the production staff who make all of 'Downton Abbey' such a joy to watch.

And speaking of characters, the book made me realize that there are more characters downstairs than upstairs! See the character map below.


One of the things that endeared me to the show was the elaborate costumes. These pieces are so detailed down to the last stitch. And the book shows us just how difficult assembling these clothes to fit the actors.





Of course, the set design is exquisite as well. Just look at the nitty gritty of Mrs Patmore's kitchen! It must have taken a lot of work for the production design team to gather those antique set pieces.


The World of Downton Abbey also touches on the different themes that the show touches on. One of my favorite characters is the first footman, Thomas Barrow. Here's his dashing self beside a discussion on homosexuality.


I am really impressed with the dedication of every person involved in the show. Even applying on makeup is a rigorous process.



But what really makes the book a good purchase is the wealth of information regarding what goes on off camera.

If you haven't seen an episode of 'Downton Abbey', then I think you're missing out on good TV. If you end up really liking the series, you'd understand why I bought The World of Downton Abbey on a whim.