Gonzo Stuff

This is a random collection of … well, you’ll see.

Ducks

I didn’t do much on the 4^th of July, since it was on a school night, as the saying goes. I took a walk in a park in Bellevue (a suburb of Seattle) and took a picture of ducks.

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Debris

There was a collision at an intersection near where I work. Some of the debris ended up on a sidewalk. I told a coworker that one of the cars must have spun around a good amount, for part of the bumper to end up there. She replied that someone could have pulled it onto the sidewalk to get it out of the way. She was probably right.

Prices

I looked at a copy of Tolkien and the Great War by John Garth in a used bookstore. On the back, the price was listed as $14.00. The sticker for the used price was $15.99. Huh?

Later, I looked for some vitamin water in a grocery store. They were being sold at four for $5.00. I bought one and was surprised when it cost only $1.10. Those who flunked basic math won’t see the silliness of this.

Skybridge

I saw this sign on a skybridge in Seattle. At first I thought I had to be careful about gaining 8,000 pounds. But it obviously concerns loads of supplies. Shouldn’t the sign be inside?

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But the only sign I saw inside was this one. How did I get out? How am I writing this?

Donald Sutherland Passed Away

The long-time actor Donald Sutherland passed away on 6/20. Most young people will think of him as the head bad guy in The Hunger Games franchise. If he intimidates you, then good.

Donald Sutherland's own work

Such people might be surprised to know that before that, he was generally viewed as a nice guy. One hotel worker said he was very humble. He was so well-favored, for a long time his voice was used for a series of orange juice commercials.

I remember him most for his role in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). He was the protagonist, so the audience was supposed to be rooting for him. It’s not to everyone’s taste, but neither is The Hunger Games franchise.

So I was sad to hear of his passing. He was quite the actor.  

public domain

Norwescon III—Supplemental

As usual, Norwescon featured some Roman Legionnaires:

 

They just can’t help but get in fights.

I did not take many pictures this year of people in their costumes. I did in 2022, and took me an immense time to crop and post them all. So with apologies to people who put so much effort into their cosplay, here are a few examples.

This couple just looked too good to ignore.

And we had an impressive swordswoman.

To my delight, Captain Kangaroo made a surprise appearance.

 

 

And what do we think? With the blonde hair, is she half Human, half Vulcan?

Here is Torrey Stenmark in her competition costume. To see her floor costume, click here.

She seems to be a female Han Solo. Agree? Disagree?

So with a blaster in the holster and a light saber held high.

Norwescon II--Supplemental

Ken Scholes and Kristi Charish held a workshop where, among other things, they answered common questions. I asked whether it is considered fair to let an agent who sold a novel to keep getting the proceeds from it, even if the author leaves the agent. They said it was not a matter of fairness; it is part of the agreement.

 

Jessie Kwak writes science fiction detective novels.

By the way, there was a Dalek at the convention.

 

It was autographed by Peter Capaldi! He was the Twelfth Doctor. He was definitely my favorite. (Actually, I don’t watch Doctor Who much. It was his standoffish look that intrigued me.)

 

Torrey Stenmark was also there in her floor costume. Serious cosplayers often have one costume for walking around on the floor of the convention, and another one for competition.

 

Paycheck for Short Story

My short story “Flash of Brilliance” was published in Abyss & Apex. You can read it free here for at least a month.

They sent me a nice card.

Here is the thank you side. It shows a tiny sliver of the check they included.

Norwescon I—Supplemental

Norwescon is the biggest science fiction/fantasy convention in the Pacific Northwest that has a good emphasis on writing.

 

First of all, each session has chairs at the front set aside for people who have difficulty walking. The chairs have a variety of signs on the back. Here is one example: 

A number of authors had small sessions wherein they read portions of their latest works. Try to make time at a convention to go to at least one. It boosts the morale of the author to have an audience show up. Here is D.L. Gardner, a fantasy author. 

One of the most instructive sessions was “Young Adult vs. Middle Grade” with authors Marta Murvosh, Camden Rose, and Tom Llewellyn. Here are some of the highlights:

MG is more about saving the world and family.

YA is more about the individual and identity.

MG  has MG characters that targets 4^th to 6^th graders.

YA has high school to college-age characters.

MG coming-of-age involves realizing one is part of a community.

Extended YA is a real industry term for college-age protagonists.

Marta Murvosh, Camden Rose, Tom Llewellyn

click to enlarge

Movie Review: Spy x Family: Code: White

Yes, that made for a lot of colons in the title.

This will not be a detailed review of Spy x Family: Code: White. Imagine mashing Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Spy Kids. The father, Loid, is actually Agent Twilight. The mother, Yor, is actually the assassin Thorn Princess. Neither knows the other’s true identity. They go by the family name Forger. Anya is their pretend daughter, who was actually an orphan. But Anya is secretly a telepath, so she knows her parents’ true identities.

The story starts out in a fairly credible manner. Anya needs to make a dessert as a school assignment. Loid has inside information that the principal likes what looks like a meringue, so they go on a trip to a restaurant in the town the principal was from.

Then everything turns into kooky fun. Anya accidentally swallows a chocolate that contains something crucial for Cold War-esque tensions, and it’s off we go. It alternates between serious and childish scenes, but there is never a dull moment.

The background seems to be an alternate Europe, with much of the plot taking place in what looks like an alternate Switzerland. The story is pre-cell phone: There is even an old-style rotary phone in one scene.

Spy x Family: Code: White (the x is silent) is rated PG-13 for violence and occasional foul language. There is also an extended “poop god” dream that would be unimaginable in an American-made film, but is run-of-the-mill in Japan. 

My Short Story is Published

My short story “Flash of Brilliance” has been published! It is a science fiction story set in space.

Abyss & Apex is an online magazine of speculative fiction. You can read my story on their website free for a couple months here.

Happy reading. Please share any comments on their site, beneath my story. Of course, you always make a duplicate comment on this blog. 

Dune 1984

I recently saw the 1984 version of Dune in a movie theater. It was thrilling to see on a big screen Princess Irulan introduce the story, House Atreides emerge onto Arrakis, blue-eyed Paul Atreides speak in a declamatory voice, and of course, the worm riding.

The main difference in terms of characters from the more recent movies is that 1984 Paul Atreides is clearly a hero. It is easy to sympathize with him as he struggles to free people and fulfill his destiny. The 2021-2024 Paul is more of an anti-hero.

In terms of plot, the main difference is the weirding way. In the 1984 Dune, this is a form of marital arts, but they also have weirding modules. Paul and others can shout into a weirding module, and a pulse of force emerges. This was almost inevitable after other science fiction space movies had ray and beam weapons. And it was shown as crucial in going up against armies with automatic weapons. The 2021-2024 Dune has the weirding way remain a form of martial arts, which is closer to the novel.

So without casting aspersion against the new version, I still have great affection for the 1984 movie. One needs to see the expanded version shown on TV to see the widow of Jamis, and also the wacko source of the water of life.

Instead of showing a typical trailer, here is funny story by Patrick Stewart, who played Gurney.