Bibliophilia
Somewhere beyond your pedestrian notions of time and space lies the Akashic Library, its sagging shelves overflowing with golden ethereal tomes. What curious miscellany shall we unearth this time? Linger no longer, traveler, but enter and see . . .
June has been a rebuilding month here at Connor Central. After months of dealing with various work and aging related matters, I have finally been able to get back to creative writing. I’m currently co-writing a novel with a friend, taking turns writing chapters, and writing a short story on my own. It’s too early to share any of it with you, dear reader, but trust me that it feels good to be writing fiction again.
(Speaking of fiction, did you know I have books available on Amazon? It’s true! If you want to try one out, I recommend Gaming the System: The Collected Adventures of Ross Fulton.)
BOOKSTORE TOUR
I wrote last month’s newsletter in a couple of hotel rooms, in Columbus and Detroit, while I was on a birthday bookstore tour. Well I say “tour,” but it was only three bookstores. Ah, but what bookstores!
First stop was the Ohio Bookstore in lovely downtown Cincinnati. I’d been there several times before, so no real surprises, but it’s a quality bookstore with multiple floors and a good fantasy/science-fiction paperback section.
I got a few of those paperbacks and some comics:
Then we drove to Columbus. Friend, if you’re in Columbus, I recommend you check out the Book Loft:
That sign is not lying; they really do have 32 rooms of books. In this age of Amazon, when you have instant access to millions of books that can be delivered almost immediately to your home, I often dream about visiting strange and magical bookstores and finding books I’ve never seen before. Going to the Book Loft, wandering the snaking path among its 32 rooms, LITERALLY felt like a dream come true.
They have both new and used books, some heavily discounted, some less so. Killer graphic novel section, though I didn’t end up buying any because they only had the light discounts. Here’s what I ended up getting:
As you can see, I’m in a nonfiction mood lately. I got Alexis de Tocqueville, Thomas Paine, and W.E.B. DuBois out of a desire to understand What America Is All About. I picked up the small paperback copy of The Bhagavad-Gita because it’s the very version I was assigned to read my freshman year in college and didn’t, so it’s time to put right that ancient wrong. I got The New Rules of Cheese because I really like cheese.
The ultimate goal of our trip was John K. King Books and, friend, if you’re ever in Detroit you gotta check this place out.
This one has four floors, and those floors are not small. So many books.
I felt like I had finally found the place where I belong. We spent four and a half hours browsing, which was a great experience, and then I was pretty restrained in my purchasing. I’d gone in looking for the Library of America collection of the writings of Thomas Paine, and I found a discounted copy, nice, plus some other things:
I forgot I was wearing my Ulysses shirt (the green one, see above), and the woman at the check-out pointed it out. Wearing a Ulysses shirt, buying a guide to Ulysses, I know I looked like I’m trying to make Ulysses my whole personality, but I swear I’m not. I also like sword & sorcery stories and cheap Western paperbacks.
LET’S CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY
I’m obviously not going to get my July newsletter out until well after the 4th, so let’s take a moment to celebrate American independence with a quote from Thomas Paine. This is from his pamphlet “Common Sense,” first published in January of 1776:
“The present time . . . is that peculiar time, which never happens to a nation but once, viz. the time of forming itself into a government. Most nations have let slip the opportunity, and by that means have been compelled to receive laws from their conquerors, instead of making laws for themselves First, they had a king, and then a form of government; whereas, the articles or charter of government, should be formed first, and men delegated to execute them afterward: but from the errors of other nations, let us learn wisdom, and lay hold of the present opportunity—To begin government at the right end.
“When William the Conqueror subdued England, he gave them law at the point of the sword; and until we consent, that the seat of government, in America, be legally and authoritatively occupied, we shall be in danger of having it filled by some fortunate ruffian, who may treat us in the same manner, and then, where will our freedoms be? where our property?”
Hurray, we did it, we got our independence and created our own government! And how’d that work out? Well . . . There’s no time to get into details, let’s fire up the grill for the cookout.
BEOWULF VS. GRENDEL UPDATE
I finally finished cover layout for Beowulf Vs. Grendel, which was a much more difficult process than I’d expected, and ordered a proof copy. I’d hoped to have a picture of the printed book for you this time, but it hasn’t arrived yet. I got email confirmation that it’s shipped, so it could show up any day.
GET MORE OF THIS TASTY STUFF
Hey, you know what? If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to this newsletter, and get an update from me every month.
ART IS LOVE
I’m currently selling commissions in my Etsy shop. You can tell me what you want, within certain guidelines, and I’ll draw it for you! Your very own, hand-crafted 6” x 8” black and white pen-and-ink drawing to treasure.
For a recent commission, I drew this picture of the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Ultra Boy:
I also just drew this tree, which is ON SALE NOW!
As always, I’m donating every dime I make from art sales to charity. I’m currently donating through Gaza Funds. The people of Gaza are really suffering and if you don’t want to buy any of my drawings I urge you to consider donating directly to them. But if you want to donate AND get a charming pen-and-ink drawing, visit my Etsy shop.
BOOKS I'VE READ SINCE LAST TIME
Signa, Andrew Lee Griffith and John Barber
John Benteen’s Fargo: Hell on Wheels, adapted by Howard Chaykin
Empowered volume 12, Adam Warren
Santos Sisters volume 1, Greg and Fake
Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp, Rosie Knight and Oliver Ono
Void Rivals Book 01, Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo de Felici
Void Rivals volume 3: The Key to Vector Theta, Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo de Felici
Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years, Doug Moench, Herb Trimpe, and various
Metallic Realms, Lincoln Michel
“Common Sense,” Thomas Paine
Lots of books this time! My loving wife Alice got me the beautiful hardcover volume Godzilla: The Original Marvel Years, written by Doug Moench and drawn almost entirely by "The Incredible" Herb Trimpe (with two issues by Tom Sutton). It collects the complete 24 issue Godzilla series Marvel published in the 70s.
If you like 70s Marvel comics or you like Godzilla, you’ll probably enjoy this. If you like both, hooooo buddy, you are in for a treat.
This book is, as far as I know, the first story to ask the question, What if Godzilla came to America? The very first page is Godzilla breaking out of an iceberg in Alaska. How’d he get in the iceberg? Don’t worry about it! Godzilla’s in North America now!
Godzilla goes to Seattle, San Francisco, Vegas, Salt Lake City, the Grand Canyon, and some cattle ranches, and then when the series is about to end SHIELD transports Godzilla straight to Manhattan, where he can have a showdown with the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. At the end Godzilla heads off into the sea, presumably headed east, his North American adventure complete.
My favorite book I read this month was Metallic Realms, a novel by Lincoln Michel, which I just devoured. It tells the story of a group of young writers struggling to get by in 21st century Brooklyn, and also tells a series of pulp-inspired science-fiction adventures.
The idea is that there was this science fiction writing group called Orb 4, and they collaborated to write a series of stories called The Star Rot Chronicles, set in an area of space called the Metallic Realms. Bad things happened and the group broke up. Now the Star Rot Chronicles’ biggest fan, and roommate of the group’s founder, Michael Lincoln has put together a collection of their stories, with commentary. That’s the book you’re reading. And as you read his notes you get the history of Orb 4, interspersed with their stories.
When I opened this book up and read the first couple of pages I was surprised at how funny it was. The narrator Michael is a stereotypical antisocial science fiction nerd who has an unhealthy obsession with his roommate, and he’ so over-the-top it’s ridiculous. You quickly notice that he lacks self-awareness and is completely delusional about most of what goes on in his life.
Lots of people these days complain about “unlikeable characters” in fiction; Lincoln Michel (the author of the book, not to be confused with Michael Lincoln, the fictional narrator) recently wrote in defense of unlikeable characters, so you know where he stands. Our narrator Michael is a pretty awful human being, and as you go on, he only gets worse. He’s just the narrator, though—most of the actual character drama is about the members of the writers’ group, and through Michael’s descriptions you come to care about them. The book starts out funny but somewhere along the way, without losing the humor, it develops actual pathos.
The interpersonal dramas of the writing group are reflected in the stories they write. Each story tells you something about the character who wrote it, and also references what’s going on with the group. At the same time, they’re genuinely entertaining short stories, and I enjoyed reading all of them. One is even inspired by Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities!
If you’re interested in science fiction and/or writers and writing, I absolutely recommend this book, UNLESS you can’t handle a narrator who is a loathsome human being, or you always insist on a happy ending. (Not really a spoiler, he tells you up front that things are going to end badly.) And even thought things don’t work out for this group of writers, reading the book inspired me to go do some creative writing.
TV SHOWS I’VE WATCHED
The Righteous Gemstones season 1
The Righteous Gemstones season 2
The Righteous Gemstones season 3
Leverage season 4
Doctor Who season 2
Four Seasons season 1
I knew going into The Righteous Gemstones that, for example, Walton Goggins would be great, but I was totally unprepared for Edi Patterson’s performance as Judy Gemstone. Good God, what an all-time great comedic character.
PODCASTS I’VE LISTENED TO
Behind the Bastards
Blank Check
If Books Could Kill
5-4
Maintenance Phase
I’ve come to enjoy the hosts of If Books Could Kill, Peter and Michael, enough that I started listening to Peter’s other podcast (5-4, about “how the Supreme Court sucks”) and Michael’s other podcast (Maintenance Phase, about “the junk science behind health fads, wellness scams and nonsensical nutrition advice.”)
MOVIES I’VE WATCHED
Venom: The Last Dance
Godzilla (1954)
Obviously I’ve been spending my time reading books and watching TV, as opposed to watching movies. I watched Venom 3 for a second time because my son wanted to see it; I am afraid it is Not Very Good. My son and I also rewatched the original Godzilla, and it is still wonderful.
And that’s June. Whatta month! See you again in July.
Your Friend,
Leighton