In her much-maligned statement last Wednesday, Theresa May accused the House of Commons of going to great lengths to avoid making a decision. The key irony was, of course, that at that time the main block to the HoC actually being able to make a decision was in fact Theresa May. So last week Parliament siezed control of the process, and used it to have indicative votes yesterday. Finally, a chance for the House of Commons to make that much-needed choice!
Naturally, they then proceeded to vote down every possible way forward. May's deal? Nope. A Norway-like deal (in fact, several close variants of this)? Nope. No deal? Nope. A confirmatory referendum? Nope. Rescind Article 50? Nope.
The only possible deal that has ever managed to get a majority in the House of Commons is the "Malthouse Compromise", which amounts to "May's deal, but with the backstop removed". The problem being that the EU rejected that as a possibility long before it was even mooted, and weren't ever going to budge from that position. In other words, the only thing the HoC would accept is a unicorn.
As far as I can see, the only thing that is both (a) possible and (b) hasn't been voted down is to ask the EU for a longer extension. Not to actually achieve anything, mind you, since every possibility has been eliminated. Basically, we'd be asking them for an extension of our Purgatory.
More seriously, I'm inclined to think that the best way forward would probably to put forward "May's deal, but with a confirmatory referendum". That would certainly meet John Bercow's "different motion" test, and I think it would actually get through the House. I'm also pretty certain that the EU would grant a longer extension for the referendum to actually take place. (We'd have to take part in EU elections. I don't really consider that a calamity!)
The referendum itself would be another mess, of course, but at least it's a manageable one. Ideally, I'd prefer to see a shoot-out between May's deal and Remain, but if we absolutely must then I could live with No Deal being added as a third option (despite it being insane), coupled with preferential voting. What shouldn't be on the ballot is any sort of fantasy other option (be it Norway+, Labour's alternative), or what-have-you - any such option would require further negotiation and may not actually be deliverable. The referendum really must be limited to concrete options that we know can be executed promptly.
Naturally, therefore, that is not what's going to happen. My best guess is that May will bring her deal back, again, get defeated, again, there will be more Indicative Votes on Monday where everything is rejected, again, then two weeks of farce, and then No Deal. Not because anyone wants it, but because that's the legal default.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are..."
Funsize took her first steps about six weeks ago, but then basically took no more for several weeks. Then there was some time where she might just about take a step... but more often would drop down onto all fours to crawl about. Last week, however, she took a longer walk, and then over the last week she's gone from just a few steps to basically being a toddler now.
The thing is, walking is actually a difficult thing - you need to coordinate your balance (on one foot no less), move a whole lot of muscles in combination, and in ways they haven't moved before, then re-settle yourself, and then do it again. More than that, it's something that people do without thinking, which means that it's almost impossible to explain how to do it... and anyway, you're explaining to a child without the necessary referents to understand it.
In other words, it's something that every child basically has to learn for herself, with plenty of demonstrations but no real instruction.
It is, therefore, necessarily a slow and difficult process, starting with a couple of staggered steps, then a few more, and then ever-increasing confidence.
Just like everything else.
It's not really some profound revelation, but it's something that bears almost constant repetition, and it's something that is very graphically demonstrated by a child learning to walk: learning a new skill is hard, and unless you're some sort of genius or savant you will such at it at first. But keep at it, and the second step will be a bit easier than the first... and then the next, and so on. Stick at it, and eventually you'll get to the point where it just comes naturally.
The thing is, walking is actually a difficult thing - you need to coordinate your balance (on one foot no less), move a whole lot of muscles in combination, and in ways they haven't moved before, then re-settle yourself, and then do it again. More than that, it's something that people do without thinking, which means that it's almost impossible to explain how to do it... and anyway, you're explaining to a child without the necessary referents to understand it.
In other words, it's something that every child basically has to learn for herself, with plenty of demonstrations but no real instruction.
It is, therefore, necessarily a slow and difficult process, starting with a couple of staggered steps, then a few more, and then ever-increasing confidence.
Just like everything else.
It's not really some profound revelation, but it's something that bears almost constant repetition, and it's something that is very graphically demonstrated by a child learning to walk: learning a new skill is hard, and unless you're some sort of genius or savant you will such at it at first. But keep at it, and the second step will be a bit easier than the first... and then the next, and so on. Stick at it, and eventually you'll get to the point where it just comes naturally.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Experimental Cookery 2019: Spicy Lamb and Chickpeas
This one comes from Hugh's "Love Your Leftovers", which I picked up on a whim while in The Works recently. It's an interesting book, though I suspect the most useful bit may well be the introduction rather than the actual recipes. Still, we had roast lamb on Sunday and had a fair amount of leftover meat, so it seemed an ideal time to give this one a go.
This was a really easy recipe (spice some chickpeas, roast for a bit, add the lamb, and roast a bit more). My only issue was that I'd misjudged just how long it needed to roast for - I should have started a good bit sooner than I did.
The results were fine, though I must confess that I did find it rather monotonous. That said, LC did enjoy it rather more than I did, so maybe I'm just being fussy. I did think there were rather too many chickpeas for the amount of lamb in the recipe, and it probably did need the slaw that Hugh mentioned (but didn't include in the recipe itself).
I'm sure we'll have this again at some point, though I'm not entirely sure when - roast lamb isn't something we have terribly often, and although I'm probably going to do it again on Easter Sunday ('tis the season), I think it will be a little soon to have this again already.
And that's all there is to say about that.
This was a really easy recipe (spice some chickpeas, roast for a bit, add the lamb, and roast a bit more). My only issue was that I'd misjudged just how long it needed to roast for - I should have started a good bit sooner than I did.
The results were fine, though I must confess that I did find it rather monotonous. That said, LC did enjoy it rather more than I did, so maybe I'm just being fussy. I did think there were rather too many chickpeas for the amount of lamb in the recipe, and it probably did need the slaw that Hugh mentioned (but didn't include in the recipe itself).
I'm sure we'll have this again at some point, though I'm not entirely sure when - roast lamb isn't something we have terribly often, and although I'm probably going to do it again on Easter Sunday ('tis the season), I think it will be a little soon to have this again already.
And that's all there is to say about that.
Digital Decluttering: My Process
Following on from my previous post, I've given some thought to my process for the digital declutter, and so I thought I'd post them here.
The digital declutter is basically in five parts, two of which have already been completed. These follow the five 'libraries' that Windows assigns by default, if for no other reason than that's how I've been storing my files for the past several years. And, indeed, since I don't have a better arrangement in mind, and since that one is entirely reasonable, I'm inclined to stick with it.
The five parts are:
The digital declutter is basically in five parts, two of which have already been completed. These follow the five 'libraries' that Windows assigns by default, if for no other reason than that's how I've been storing my files for the past several years. And, indeed, since I don't have a better arrangement in mind, and since that one is entirely reasonable, I'm inclined to stick with it.
The five parts are:
- Music: As the name implies, this is the collection of music files (MP3, WAV, etc) on my PC. I tackled this last year, so it's just a matter now of keeping it decluttered.
- Videos: Likewise, this is the collection of video files on my PC. This is also already done.
- Downloads: The next item on the list, this is a miscellany of files that have been downloaded - be they boarding passes, installers for various tools, or whatever else. My intention is actually to eliminate this entirely - anything that I want to keep should be stored somewhere else, and there should be plenty of files that just want to be deleted.
- Pictures: I think this will be next after the downloads. Pictures are tricky to organise, especially when dealing with them years after they were taken. I may well end up only partially organising the existing files, while establishing a fuller filing system for new photos...
- Documents: The last area I'll tackle is the "everything else" folder.
- Before starting, all of the files should be copied on to a safe external storage device. This is an additional backup copy of the files and their existing file structure, to make sure that nothing gets lost in the process. Then take that external drive and put it somewhere safe. (This is actually done for all libraries.)
- That done, all of the existing files should be moved out of their current library location and into a separate folder (Downloads_old, or similar). Care should be taken to ensure that all of the files move to this single location - at present, there are three possible locations for each of the types of files; they need to be gathered together for further processing.
- Finally, work through each of the files in this separate folder. In each case, one of three things should be done: either the file should be deleted, or it can be moved directly to its new home, or it requires some more processing and then can be moved. (For instance, a document might need renamed to something more descriptive.)
Note that, as with my house move strategy, the action of moving it to a new home can vary slightly in some cases. If the file's final home is in the same library as is currently being processed (for instance, if it's a picture file and I'm dealing with Pictures), then it should go to the appropriate folder in the library. If it actually belongs in a library that has already been done (for instance, if there's a Music file in Downloads) then it goes into the new library in the right place. If it belongs in a library that hasn't been dealt with yet, it gets moved to the correct library, but can be placed anywhere vaguely appropriate - it will be dealt with again later.
- Music: The 'default' Music folder has only a small number of dummy folders (download points for Amazon Music and the like), and then a link to the 'real' library. This is stored on a data partition, for easy backup. Within that folder there are subfolders for each album (or, where an artist has several albums, a subfolder for the artist and then subfolders by album).
- Videos: The 'default' Videos folder contains only a link to the 'real' library, stored in the data partition. Within that folder there are then subfolders by content type, and then within that subfolders for specific content.
- Downloads: The intention here is that everything will be cleared out of here, leaving only the 'default' Downloads folder. This will be used for short-term storage, being regularly cleaned out as files are either moved elsewhere, or just deleted as they outlive their usefulness.
- Pictures: The intention is for the 'default' Pictures folder to contain only a link to the 'real' library, stored in the data partition. There may be a short-term need to store other pictures here, but only until they are properly sorted. Within the 'real' library I plan to have a subfolder for Photos and another for Other pictures. The Other pictures will then be sorted by topic, while the Photos folder will have subfolders by year. Then, within each year there will be subfolders by month, and inside those folders for specific events. (As noted, it may be tricky to identify some events, which is why existing pictures may only be partially sorted.) Where an event straddles a month or year boundary, the event will be placed according to its start date.
- Documents: As above, the intention is for the 'default' Documents folder to contain only a link to the 'real' library, stored in the data partition. There may be a short-term need to store things here, but only until they are properly sorted. Within the 'real' library, I plan to sort by topic, with fewer top-level topics than at present (largely because I'll have a top-level RPG folder, rather than one folder per game).
Monday, March 25, 2019
Finished!
After just over six months of effort, and two marathon sessions in the last week, I have finally finished the effort of scanning and shredding all of my old RPG notes. Which means that that entry in my To-Do list can now be removed, and my daily task list drops from seven entries back down to six. All of which is great.
My next big project is the next phase in my digital declutter, which in the first instance means going through my downloaded files and deciding which ones to keep and which to get rid of (the latter group being by far the biggest). Apparently there are about 1,500 such files, which is rather more than I had expected.
However, before that I'm going to spend a little time looking at some of the smaller items on the To Do list - notably the tasks of clearing the garage, extracting the concrete plug from the garden, and re-fixing the bedroom wardrobe. With luck, I'll be able to cross some of these off the list in fairly short order - it currently stands at six items, but if I could drive that down to four, that would be great.
But before that I'm dealing with a strange feeling of disconnection - all weekend I kept finding myself itching to go and get on with my scanning for the day, only to have to remind myself that it's done. Which was a really strange feeling, albeit an absolutely classic reaction to the end of a big project.
#13: "The Skaar Invasion", by Terry Brooks (which is okay, but I really wish I'd waited until all four books in this series were out before starting...)
My next big project is the next phase in my digital declutter, which in the first instance means going through my downloaded files and deciding which ones to keep and which to get rid of (the latter group being by far the biggest). Apparently there are about 1,500 such files, which is rather more than I had expected.
However, before that I'm going to spend a little time looking at some of the smaller items on the To Do list - notably the tasks of clearing the garage, extracting the concrete plug from the garden, and re-fixing the bedroom wardrobe. With luck, I'll be able to cross some of these off the list in fairly short order - it currently stands at six items, but if I could drive that down to four, that would be great.
But before that I'm dealing with a strange feeling of disconnection - all weekend I kept finding myself itching to go and get on with my scanning for the day, only to have to remind myself that it's done. Which was a really strange feeling, albeit an absolutely classic reaction to the end of a big project.
#13: "The Skaar Invasion", by Terry Brooks (which is okay, but I really wish I'd waited until all four books in this series were out before starting...)
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Ten Days
We've gone from it being ten weeks to being in a position where, in exactly ten days' time, unless something changes in the interim, the UK will leave the EU. At present, we will be embarking on a "no deal" Brexit, overseen by the worst government in living memory.
In theory, our government are in the process of writing a letter asking for an extension to Article 50, but it's for an extension they don't really want, of a duration they haven't decided, and for a reason that can best be summarised as "um..." So that's going well.
Still, no hurry, you guys!
#12: "Book of Swords, Part II", edited by Gardner Dozois
In theory, our government are in the process of writing a letter asking for an extension to Article 50, but it's for an extension they don't really want, of a duration they haven't decided, and for a reason that can best be summarised as "um..." So that's going well.
Still, no hurry, you guys!
#12: "Book of Swords, Part II", edited by Gardner Dozois
Monday, March 11, 2019
Les Mis - BBC style
LC and I watched the BBC's adaptation of "Les Miserables" over the course of last week, culminating with the final episode on Saturday. In truth, midway through the first episode I had inklings that we were wasting our time, but we stuck with it on the grounds that it might pull together by the end.
We might as well not have bothered. I wonder at what point those involved realised that they'd gone to all that effort and all that expense, and produced something that was less true to the novel than the musical, if indeed they did at all?
In fairness, I do have to give credit where it's due: the cast were actually almost uniformly excellent, and did a very good job with the material they were given. And the production itself was lovely - the costuming, the settings, the music... all great.
But the problem was that the cast did a very good job with the material they were given, and I'm afraid that material just sucked. Next time, maybe they could employ someone to do the adaptation without changing the antagonist into a caricature of himself, without turning a tragic death scene into a melodramatic farce, and without inserting a highly inappropriate not-quite-incestuous relationship between the hero and his adoptive daughter.
Two other things:
In the book, Fantine's degradation comes about entirely as a result of being an unwed mother - as a consequence of that she can't find work, is abandoned by all her friends, can't show her face in polite society, and yet is expected somehow to feed both herself and her daughter. It is this problem, and the utter desperation that results, that leads to her leaving Cosette with a seemingly-sympathetic stranger. And it is this stigma that leads to her supervisor sacking her from the factory when she finally does find work.
The adaptation dances around that stigma against unwed mothers, which makes Fantine's decision to leave Cosette, and especially her decision not to go back for her, looking positively insane. Now, I could just about understand that, since times have changed and hopefully so too has the stigma against unwed mothers... except that that's the whole damn point! One of the key themes of the book is that Valjean is absurdly criminialised, losing 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread; and Fantine is absurdly victimised for a foolish misadventure in love.
The other great theme of the book is the redemption of Valjean, the outsider who nonetheless represents the Christ-figure * in the story; as contrasted with the Pharisee-like Javert who represents the established order. And the story is highly critical of the organised church with its empty ritual, as contrasted with the living faith of the Bishop of Digne and Jean Valjean.
So to produce an adaptation of the book without actually mentioning God is an... odd choice. (The adaptation does have plenty of the trappings of religion, with plenty of churches, nuns and convents, people taking Mass, and so on. But God himself was absent from proceedings.)
* Actually, it would be more accurate to liken Valjean to St Paul, after his Road to Damascus conversion. Almost literally, in fact, given that his turning point comes after his encounter with Petit-Gervais on the road from Digne. But that requires a bit more knowledge than the Christ/Pharisee contrast.
Oh yes, and they missed out the elephant. Inexcusable!
#11: "Pathfinder: The Dead Roads", by Ron Lundeen
We might as well not have bothered. I wonder at what point those involved realised that they'd gone to all that effort and all that expense, and produced something that was less true to the novel than the musical, if indeed they did at all?
In fairness, I do have to give credit where it's due: the cast were actually almost uniformly excellent, and did a very good job with the material they were given. And the production itself was lovely - the costuming, the settings, the music... all great.
But the problem was that the cast did a very good job with the material they were given, and I'm afraid that material just sucked. Next time, maybe they could employ someone to do the adaptation without changing the antagonist into a caricature of himself, without turning a tragic death scene into a melodramatic farce, and without inserting a highly inappropriate not-quite-incestuous relationship between the hero and his adoptive daughter.
Two other things:
In the book, Fantine's degradation comes about entirely as a result of being an unwed mother - as a consequence of that she can't find work, is abandoned by all her friends, can't show her face in polite society, and yet is expected somehow to feed both herself and her daughter. It is this problem, and the utter desperation that results, that leads to her leaving Cosette with a seemingly-sympathetic stranger. And it is this stigma that leads to her supervisor sacking her from the factory when she finally does find work.
The adaptation dances around that stigma against unwed mothers, which makes Fantine's decision to leave Cosette, and especially her decision not to go back for her, looking positively insane. Now, I could just about understand that, since times have changed and hopefully so too has the stigma against unwed mothers... except that that's the whole damn point! One of the key themes of the book is that Valjean is absurdly criminialised, losing 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread; and Fantine is absurdly victimised for a foolish misadventure in love.
The other great theme of the book is the redemption of Valjean, the outsider who nonetheless represents the Christ-figure * in the story; as contrasted with the Pharisee-like Javert who represents the established order. And the story is highly critical of the organised church with its empty ritual, as contrasted with the living faith of the Bishop of Digne and Jean Valjean.
So to produce an adaptation of the book without actually mentioning God is an... odd choice. (The adaptation does have plenty of the trappings of religion, with plenty of churches, nuns and convents, people taking Mass, and so on. But God himself was absent from proceedings.)
* Actually, it would be more accurate to liken Valjean to St Paul, after his Road to Damascus conversion. Almost literally, in fact, given that his turning point comes after his encounter with Petit-Gervais on the road from Digne. But that requires a bit more knowledge than the Christ/Pharisee contrast.
Oh yes, and they missed out the elephant. Inexcusable!
#11: "Pathfinder: The Dead Roads", by Ron Lundeen
Thursday, March 07, 2019
Driving Towards Car 5
Back in November my car went for its MOT and came back with a big repair bill. Slightly annoyingly, this came in drip-feed form - I had a threshold for what I'd pay for repairs rather than replace it, and the initial bill was under that; but then there was another thing, and then another, and then another. Had I known the total up-front, I'd have gone for a new car then. Oh well.
For the past few months, unfortunately, the car just hasn't felt 'right'. There's a bit of a noise, and it doesn't feel like it quite has the power I'd normally expect, and... I can't put my finger on it, quite, but it definitely feels like the car is on its way out.
That's not exactly terrible. When I bought the car I said I'd ideally like to get 6 years and 100,000 miles from it but would settle for half of that; it has since done four and a half years and 60,000 miles. If I take it to the next MOT, that would be almost all of the time and two-thirds of the distance I'd hoped for, which isn't bad. (I won't get that 100,000 miles, largely because my annual mileage has dropped a great deal since moving to Livingston. Which is no bad thing.)
In terms of metrics, I'm actually doing pretty well. I've been driving now for 26 years (or just under), and have owned cars for 21 years (or just under). In that time I have owned 4 cars, at a total cost of approx £23,500. That's pretty good - you wouldn't have to try too hard to spend that on a single car, if you were so inclined. In particular, that works out at an average of one car per 5.25 years, and a rate of approx £1,120 per year. (Of course, none of this measures the total cost of ownership. I've been reasonably lucky in terms of repair costs, and my fuel efficiency has never been terrible, but that's still two big costs I've ignored!)
When considering car 5, I find myself torn between two approaches. On the one hand, a big part of me is inclined just to go and buy another Ford Focus - the last two have done me well, they're cheap to run and easy to maintain and repair, so that's a big plus. Also, since I know what I'd be getting, that would take a lot of effort out of the "buying a new car" process. On the other hand, part of me is tempted to go for something a bit bigger and more powerful; indeed, something much more like the car LC currently drives - I've been pretty impressed with it, it's plenty big enough for all three of us plus a load of stuff... (Then again, we don't really need two such cars. If it's just about getting me to and from work, that would be overkill.)
And then there's a small part of me that wants one of those luxury German cars... but that guy will have to wait a few more years, I think!
Or there's one more possibility: maybe I'll manage to get just one more year...
For the past few months, unfortunately, the car just hasn't felt 'right'. There's a bit of a noise, and it doesn't feel like it quite has the power I'd normally expect, and... I can't put my finger on it, quite, but it definitely feels like the car is on its way out.
That's not exactly terrible. When I bought the car I said I'd ideally like to get 6 years and 100,000 miles from it but would settle for half of that; it has since done four and a half years and 60,000 miles. If I take it to the next MOT, that would be almost all of the time and two-thirds of the distance I'd hoped for, which isn't bad. (I won't get that 100,000 miles, largely because my annual mileage has dropped a great deal since moving to Livingston. Which is no bad thing.)
In terms of metrics, I'm actually doing pretty well. I've been driving now for 26 years (or just under), and have owned cars for 21 years (or just under). In that time I have owned 4 cars, at a total cost of approx £23,500. That's pretty good - you wouldn't have to try too hard to spend that on a single car, if you were so inclined. In particular, that works out at an average of one car per 5.25 years, and a rate of approx £1,120 per year. (Of course, none of this measures the total cost of ownership. I've been reasonably lucky in terms of repair costs, and my fuel efficiency has never been terrible, but that's still two big costs I've ignored!)
When considering car 5, I find myself torn between two approaches. On the one hand, a big part of me is inclined just to go and buy another Ford Focus - the last two have done me well, they're cheap to run and easy to maintain and repair, so that's a big plus. Also, since I know what I'd be getting, that would take a lot of effort out of the "buying a new car" process. On the other hand, part of me is tempted to go for something a bit bigger and more powerful; indeed, something much more like the car LC currently drives - I've been pretty impressed with it, it's plenty big enough for all three of us plus a load of stuff... (Then again, we don't really need two such cars. If it's just about getting me to and from work, that would be overkill.)
And then there's a small part of me that wants one of those luxury German cars... but that guy will have to wait a few more years, I think!
Or there's one more possibility: maybe I'll manage to get just one more year...
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
The Value of Good Writing
A lot of software engineers are very clever folk. Indeed, that almost goes with the territory - you need to be at least quite bright to do the job. However, a very large proportion of software engineers have extremely technical, even mathematical, minds. This is also important - we're operating in a field where exactness matters a great deal, and where we're thinking around problems that are, generally, deterministic in nature. That's all good.
However, what this also tends to mean is that many, if not most, software engineers aren't very good at technical writing - that's a different skill-set that requires different aptitudes. Indeed, many software engineers are remarkably bad at explaining what they're doing - very often they start from a position about two steps in advance of their audience, and then expect that audience to keep up.
This is why so many instruction manuals suck.
A big part of the reason that I'm posting about this right now is that I'm in a transition from one project, with a technology that I've been working with for almost 20 years, onto another project, with a technology that I've used extensively but never worked with. This has meant a very steep learning curve, aided and abetted by the documentation that has been available to help. It's fair to say that it has been... difficult.
I'm really not sure what the answer to any of this is. As noted, good engineering and good technical writing are different skill-sets, which means that people who can do both well are vanishingly rare. Obviously, a possible solution is to employ a separate team for the technical writing, but that only goes so far - sometimes there's no substitute for having built the thing when it comes to understanding how it works.
Mostly, though, this post is an aknowledgement of just how important good writing is (where 'good' writing is, of course, defined by the context - what is good in technical writing isn't the same as in a novel, for instance). And where you do find someone who is good at it, and especially if you happen upon someone who can do both things well (the engineering and the writing), make sure to value them accordingly!
However, what this also tends to mean is that many, if not most, software engineers aren't very good at technical writing - that's a different skill-set that requires different aptitudes. Indeed, many software engineers are remarkably bad at explaining what they're doing - very often they start from a position about two steps in advance of their audience, and then expect that audience to keep up.
This is why so many instruction manuals suck.
A big part of the reason that I'm posting about this right now is that I'm in a transition from one project, with a technology that I've been working with for almost 20 years, onto another project, with a technology that I've used extensively but never worked with. This has meant a very steep learning curve, aided and abetted by the documentation that has been available to help. It's fair to say that it has been... difficult.
I'm really not sure what the answer to any of this is. As noted, good engineering and good technical writing are different skill-sets, which means that people who can do both well are vanishingly rare. Obviously, a possible solution is to employ a separate team for the technical writing, but that only goes so far - sometimes there's no substitute for having built the thing when it comes to understanding how it works.
Mostly, though, this post is an aknowledgement of just how important good writing is (where 'good' writing is, of course, defined by the context - what is good in technical writing isn't the same as in a novel, for instance). And where you do find someone who is good at it, and especially if you happen upon someone who can do both things well (the engineering and the writing), make sure to value them accordingly!
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
No Power in the 'Verse
Back in 2015, I purchased the four graphic novels in the Serenity comic line that represented the Firefly/Serenity expanded universe. And that was that - until about two weeks ago I hadn't realised that there was actually a fifth volume, "No Power in the 'Verse" that carried on where the fourth volume finished up.
Anyway, having learned that there was a fifth version, I proceeded to hunt it down - Amazon UK didn't have it for any reasonable price, eBay let me down, so eventually the order went in with Amazon US. And a week or so later, the book arrived, so that was a good choice.
The volume itself is made up of two stories - the aforementioned "No Power in the 'Verse", and "The Warrior and the Wind". Of the two, the latter is actually the better story, consisting of River telling a bedtime story to young Emma. Good stuff, even if it was mostly just another take on what we've already seen.
The main story was fine - it actually felt much more like Firefly than most of the other stories. Except for two things, both of which came right at the end (there are, of course, spoilers ahead!)
My first issue with the story is that it just stops. I think the publishers expected to have a few more volumes to come, but they never quite panned out. That's a bit of a problem, as the book therefore leaves a number of threads just dangling - actually, in much the same way as the show, and indeed it was those very threads that the movie did a good job of tidying up. Oh well.
My second issue was that the book ended with Mal engaged in another of his "my way or the high way" speeches (as in "Serenity"). This time, he's decided to take down the Alliance as a whole. Unfortunately, this just didn't ring true, both because it really feels like something that's just too big for one ship and one crew to deal with (he isn't Luke Skywalker, after all - heck, he isn't even Han Solo), and also because his crew is much more divided over this issue than over the question of Miranda. He's basically trying to browbeat several members of his crew into something that most are lukewarm at best towards, and that some actively oppose.
And then the book just stops.
My understanding is that the new Firefly comic will eventually pick up where these graphic novels have left off, and we'll get some sort of a resolution. Unless, that is, they change their mind and decide to ditch the expanded universe (or, perhaps, Disney decide to pull it in-house - having bought Fox, they now have control over "Firefly" as well). So we'll see. It would be good to see how this cleans up, if indeed it does. Alas, without that, I don't think I can really recommend this book, or by extension the rest of the series.
#10: "100 Classic Stories", by Miles Kelly (a book for Funsize)
Anyway, having learned that there was a fifth version, I proceeded to hunt it down - Amazon UK didn't have it for any reasonable price, eBay let me down, so eventually the order went in with Amazon US. And a week or so later, the book arrived, so that was a good choice.
The volume itself is made up of two stories - the aforementioned "No Power in the 'Verse", and "The Warrior and the Wind". Of the two, the latter is actually the better story, consisting of River telling a bedtime story to young Emma. Good stuff, even if it was mostly just another take on what we've already seen.
The main story was fine - it actually felt much more like Firefly than most of the other stories. Except for two things, both of which came right at the end (there are, of course, spoilers ahead!)
My first issue with the story is that it just stops. I think the publishers expected to have a few more volumes to come, but they never quite panned out. That's a bit of a problem, as the book therefore leaves a number of threads just dangling - actually, in much the same way as the show, and indeed it was those very threads that the movie did a good job of tidying up. Oh well.
My second issue was that the book ended with Mal engaged in another of his "my way or the high way" speeches (as in "Serenity"). This time, he's decided to take down the Alliance as a whole. Unfortunately, this just didn't ring true, both because it really feels like something that's just too big for one ship and one crew to deal with (he isn't Luke Skywalker, after all - heck, he isn't even Han Solo), and also because his crew is much more divided over this issue than over the question of Miranda. He's basically trying to browbeat several members of his crew into something that most are lukewarm at best towards, and that some actively oppose.
And then the book just stops.
My understanding is that the new Firefly comic will eventually pick up where these graphic novels have left off, and we'll get some sort of a resolution. Unless, that is, they change their mind and decide to ditch the expanded universe (or, perhaps, Disney decide to pull it in-house - having bought Fox, they now have control over "Firefly" as well). So we'll see. It would be good to see how this cleans up, if indeed it does. Alas, without that, I don't think I can really recommend this book, or by extension the rest of the series.
#10: "100 Classic Stories", by Miles Kelly (a book for Funsize)
Monday, March 04, 2019
Iain Banks
Part of me wishes that I'd come to Iain Banks novels much earlier - I did read one of his 'Culture' novels a long time ago, but it never really compelled me to read more. If I had done, and especially if I'd read both his genre and non-genre novels, I suspect he would have become one of my favourite authors, I would have eagerly awaited the release of each novel as it came, and would have quickly devoured each one.
As it is, I've been reading them one a month for about a year now. And while the standard is generally high, each novel is quite different from the others, which almost inevitably means that they're a mixed bag. Some of them are very good indeed; some of them, not so much.
(I've been somewhat surprised to find that I've tended to enjoy the non-genre novels a bit more, on average, than the genre novels. I had expected the sci-fi to be the better. Given that I read all the sci-fi first, that's no bad thing.)
On the other hand, part of me is aware that if I had come to his novels earlier, and he had become a favourite author, that would have meant losing another favourite a few years ago. Which always sucks. So perhaps it's better this way.
#9: "Dead Air", by Iain Banks
(Incidentally, this novel was okay but I felt it was one of the poorer ones - it didn't feel like it really had quite enough plot to carry the novel, and so it felt more like an extended rant about various political topics. Not that I'm averse to a good political rant...)
As it is, I've been reading them one a month for about a year now. And while the standard is generally high, each novel is quite different from the others, which almost inevitably means that they're a mixed bag. Some of them are very good indeed; some of them, not so much.
(I've been somewhat surprised to find that I've tended to enjoy the non-genre novels a bit more, on average, than the genre novels. I had expected the sci-fi to be the better. Given that I read all the sci-fi first, that's no bad thing.)
On the other hand, part of me is aware that if I had come to his novels earlier, and he had become a favourite author, that would have meant losing another favourite a few years ago. Which always sucks. So perhaps it's better this way.
#9: "Dead Air", by Iain Banks
(Incidentally, this novel was okay but I felt it was one of the poorer ones - it didn't feel like it really had quite enough plot to carry the novel, and so it felt more like an extended rant about various political topics. Not that I'm averse to a good political rant...)
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