Spotlight Read: Tales from the Loop - Simon Stålenhag

Oh hey, remember me? I used to post once a week or so? No? Well, welcome anyway. I hope you stay a while.

Once in a while, a book comes along where the reader says "this was made for me". That's how I feel about Tales from the Loop. Part illustration, part alternative sci-fi centered history, Stålenhag weaves together a rich, detailed tale about a young boy growing up in the 80's in Sweden during a time of futuristic robotic invention.

*click the pictures for a zoomed in view*

The beautifully bound book starts off describing a massive military based physics experiment called The Loop Project. Its history dates back to WWII, when nuclear power became a reality. The author presents the story as fact, citing documents and personal anecdotes in great detail. Every illustration speaks for itself, the text being a delightful hint of context.

Honestly, I would frame any page in this book. The pictures are stunning and the integration of machine and man is so seamless, the reader really does feel that they're peering into author's actual memory of his childhood. Some of the stories border the freaky, the macabre, and even the humorous.

Here's something not many people know about me: as a child, I wanted to grow up and be a robot. Not a person with cybernetic enhancements, mind you; an actual wired up robot. What was I thinking? Of course, Saturday mornings spent watching Gundam Wing didn't help, and in fact helped spark (ha) a lifelong love of all things mecha.

This post is super picture-heavy because the half pages of text that accompany many of the illustrations are such a delight that I don't want to ruin it for you. I'm so impressed by Stålenhag's original designs. It's so easy to design robots and machines that simply look like things that already exist, anything from washing machines to big rigs (looking at you, Transformers). But Stålenhag has managed to create creatures and automatons that I don't think I've ever seen before. What's even more intriguing is that he almost managed to invent the science behind how these machines work. Of course, these theoretical principles are just that, theories, but it actual makes sense how they could operate.

Did I mention he also invented creatures as well? Because he totally did. He straight up invented cybernetic bison boars. Oh, and there's also dinosaurs. Yep. But still, it's all cohesive and somehow manages to make sense. There's also something to be said about a book that makes you feel nostalgic for a time that never really existed.

I'll leave you with what's probably my favorite illustration in the entire book. I absolutely love the potentially prophetic idea of technology failing and nature returning back to it's roots. Literally. We're on the brink of the most influential and complex creations of all humankind and yet without us, without all our wonders of the modern world, the planet would simply go back to what's its always been. Nature was here before us, it will be here after us. But before that, I hope we get to see plenty more of Stålenhag's incredible work. 

Revisited Read: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

“A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really..."Do the stars gaze back?" Now, that's a question.” 

Everyone that knows me knows that I'm a massive Neil Gaiman fan. That's putting it lightly. I had the absolute joy of seeing his talk in Seattle in April and it felt like it was one of those life affirming moments one always dreams about. I took my best friend along with me, who has never read anything of his before (but I try not to hold it against her) and even she was falling in love with his mastery of words.

I know I said I'd be focusing on books I've never read before, but this was a special circumstance, I swear. Stardust was one of my favorite books in college, but I'd never listened to the audiobook before. I currently have a 40 minute commute each way to work five days a week. While I of course enjoy my karaoke sessions, on occasion I need something to focus my mind to ready myself for the day. Audiobooks are an excellent way to pass the time and squeeze in a quality literary break.

Romantic stories do not do much for me. I'm not what I would consider a romantic at heart, albeit love is something that I absolutely cherish. Stardust has a beautifully lyrical combination of love, adventure, and self discovery. Gaiman himself in the introduction described the story as a "fairy tale for adults" and I couldn't agree more. The story is so delightfully whimsical that there's something for everyone, and all readers will be left grinning like a fool from at least one moment in the pages. There's just something so uniquely special about the artful prose Gaiman spins, meticulously weaving together phrases and characters, creating a completely immersive tale. I don't want to delve too deeply into the plot, as that is not the point with this post. This is simply a revisitation to an old friend in a new form, something that I think we should all do from time to time.

“Every lover is, in his heart, a madman, and, in his head, a minstrel.” 

Hearing Mr. Gaiman read his own work is something I find absolutely fascinating. It is without shame I admit that I might be at least 85% in love with Mr. Gaiman's voice as much as I am with his writing, but it adds an entirely different element to the stories to hear just how much he loves what he does. Each character has a distinct personality that comes through in the voice he chooses and it's rather funny to picture him sitting in a recording booth. But, that's probably just my imagination running off as usual. I think the thing that resonates so deeply with me from this story is that it is about, and for, dreamers. It's for the people who fall in love, do reckless things in the name of it, live their own lives, tell their own tales. Even if we don't live in a typical fairy tale, life itself is magical. Look up at the stars and try to argue that every twinkle, every gleam it just that. There's an awful big world out there. We are all adventurers at heart.

"You have to believe, otherwise it will never happen."

Spotlight Read: The Book of Speculation - Erika Swyler

“Once you’ve held a book and really loved it, you forever remember the feel of it, its specific weight, the way it sits in your hand.” 

Every once in a while, I'll come across a book, get a few chapters into it, and realize that this was exactly the book that I was meant to read in the time I chose to pick it up. This is one of those books. Erika Swyler crafts her words so precisely, so delicately, it feels as though she is caring after a centuries-old tome, much like that of her protagonist.

The only reason I picked this up was when I asked a coworker about magical realism titles. As a library worker, I have to say I'm particular about the way certain library protocols are handled. Granted, I'm part of a larger library system spanning two counties, but still. There's not a lot of glorious spare time to go on genealogical goose chases. Which is why I'm glad certain plot points happened as they did. Like I've said before, my aim is to keep this blog spoiler free, so I am going to try my hardest not to get into the particulars.

I'm almost positive I was a fortune teller in a past life. 

Another thing I'm protective of is weird arcane things, like tarot. If someone dramatically flips over the Death card as lightning strikes, I'm going to pull a grumpy face and be all salty for the rest of the story. That is not the case here. Swyler did her research with hidden meanings and symbolism with tarot cards and readings, which I very much appreciate, although . Coupled with the mysterious Slavic woman who interprets the cards, mermaids, and you've got the makings of a classic tale. But that is just the part of the story that takes past in the centuries past. There's a contemporary story, one that surrounds a mysterious book arriving in the mail and a possible family curse. Intrigued yet?

“Something is very wrong. What began as a passing fascination with the book has turned into something darker.”

On the modern day side of the tale, we have Simon. He and his younger sister Enola are orphans and while Simon spends his days filling grant requests and curating the whaling history collection of his library, Enola is off reading tarot cards for a traveling carnival with her cephalopod-inked boyfriend. Simon himself is an interesting character. We don't see many hints into his personality outright, and to some readers he may come across as rather boring. I took a shine to him and his introverted, introspective self. Hmm, an introverted librarian living an a coastal town, why would I relate to that? (Hint: because it's me.) His relationship with his fiery younger sister is incredibly real and Enola is so interesting that I did find myself half-wishing that the book was from her perspective as the coincidental deaths in their family follow the women. But Simon as a protagonist is a quiet one, which adds a low-key energy as he begins to uncover the past and mysteries from his family's history.

“We carry our families like anchors, rooting us in storms, making sure we never drift from where and who we are. We carry our families within us the way we carry our breath underwater, keeping us afloat, keeping us alive.” 

I'm a huge sucker for dysfunctional family stories. While I wouldn't consider my own to be such, we are certainly not without our quirks. One things that makes this book truly special is the complex dynamics between the characters. We see Simon's interactions with his sisters boyfriend, as well as the weighty realization that his baby sibling is, gasp, having sex, something I'm sure no older brother would want to be aware of, my own included. In the sections taking place in the past, we see a much different type of family, one that people are capable of choosing of their own accord. We follow a mute young boy, Amos- a name given to him by the Russian fortune teller, Madam Ritzkova, through the course of his life from abandonment to finding his way into a traveling carnival, where he is adopted as a sideshow spectacle- "The Wild Boy", and further as he enters adulthood, falling in love with a woman whose sudden appearance changes everything for the troupe, setting into motion events that will ripple into the future. Being mute, Amos communicates mostly through the pictures and details hidden in the intricate hand-drawn tarot cards Madame Ritzkova uses in her trade.

One of the many interesting traits of Simon's family is that they are swimmers. Not "doing a few laps at The Y" swimmers; Simon himself can hold his breath upwards of ten minutes at a time, something his mother taught him. There's so much about symbolism and beautiful imagery that I want to get into about what that means for the family and their fates but I just cannot do that without breaking my "no spoilers" clause. If you'd like to go into it further, feel free to message me here or on Goodreads!

Now, the ending of this book doesn't have a huge shock reveal, at least not to me. It felt rather obvious that the direction it was taking was leading to it, but for others this may be a surprise. Others may be disappointed. But I feel that the point of the story follows the idiom "it's the journey that's important, not the destination" and family reminds us that we're more than just ourselves. And love is just as wild, unpredictable, and all encompassing as the ocean's waves.

"Because there are things you do for people you’ve known your whole life. You let them save you, you put them in your books, and you let each other begin again, clean.” 

Update on the Challenge Thus Far

How I feel about my current To-Read list.

WHEW. It's already three weeks into March. According to Goodreads, I've read 21/100 books and I'm currently "1 book behind schedule". Well, Goodreads can stuff it. As far as I'M concerned, I'm perfectly on track and totally not crying over the amount of stuff left on my To Do list.

How I'm sure the books feel about their To-Read status.

While I definitely intend to branch out in terms of genre, so far this list has been dominated by sci-fi and graphic novels. I do apologize for that, but for the record, they've been really, really good books. You may (or may not) be wondering why so far I've had glaringly positive reviews on this blog. On Goodreads, it's a little bit of a different story. The truth is, I want this blog to have a nice, positive atmosphere, not a group of angry villagers with pitchforks. I don't like talking about all the reasons why I don't like something when I could put the energy into something more positive. I try to limit my negative reviews on Goodreads to less than a paragraph, unless it's so awful I just can't contain myself.

Anywho, this is just a small update so you all know I haven't given up on this blog. I'm still more than willing to accept recommendations for future reads!

In progress (in audiobook form):

Spotlight Read: Monstress by Marjorie M. Lui

GASP a quote on the cover from Neil Gaiman? Art deco plus steampunk art?! Talking animals and magical hybrids?? Man, it's almost like Rhianna's dream. To further that idea, the plot surrounds an incredibly diverse, mostly female-lead, ragtag bunch in a mystical version of Asia. And the main character, Maika Halfwolf, is technically handicapped- she's missing her left forearm. 

Okay, how FREAKING cute is this character? This is Kippa, an archanic, with the feline Master Ren.

It's not every day that I'll buy a comic when I'm not even done reading it. I was 1/3 of the way into this one before I knew I had to buy it, no question. I don't want to get too heavy into the plot because seriously, it's so well done that I'm afraid I'll get ahead of myself and end up diving into my spoilerific conspiracy theories about where the story is headed. But this is what I will say: there is a war between the Arcanic and the Cumea, sorceresses  which feed off the power the Arcanic posess. Archanics, although some can pass as human like our protagonist Maika, others, like the adorable Kippa, are obvious to those wishing to do Archanics harm. The first few pages show everything from cannibalism, torture, and kidnapping, even hinting at the genocide behind the acts. Now that's a heavy plot to follow right off the part, but Lui writing is absolutely mesmerizing. I had to force myself to deliberately slow my reading speed down to fully take in everything on the page.

Let me take a moment to talk about the art. I'm a massive sucker for epic comic art, stemming from my love of Dave McKean's art for the Sandman series. Sana Takeda's art definitely crosses over into the manga style, which makes the art as a whole for this volume truly stand out. Every panel is so intricate, it's easy to get lost in the illustrations. I found myself continually flipping back to pages that stood out. Between the terrifying gods of the Old World (something the insane Lovecraft fan in me lets out an epic "squee" over) to the ridiculously adorable kitsune girl Kippa, the balance of the grisly violence and the tenderness in Maika's life before her capture, the intense feeling laden in the pages is spellbinding.

I mean, just look at this. It's gorgeous.

I came across the Kotaku article "Monstress Has the Best Cat in Comics Right Now" and I really have to agree. I don't encounter feline cohorts very often, in face the only that immediately come to mind are the Lying Cat from Saga and the post-apocalyptic cats from Legend. One thing that is fascinating about the way animals are handled in this series, is that cats are intelligent creatures, ones that speak and are viewed as diabolical saboteurs. Although, many of us cat owners will see this as not being too far off the mark from reality. There's a blur between humans and animals in this universe, and a definite caste system with Arcanics being hunted down and enslaved. I don't want to see this is an allegory to racism and inherit bigotry with real-world inspirations, but....

I've never seen a better depiction of cat behavior. (also- MY EMOTIONS)

Behold, my favorite line in volume one. 

To sum up, Lui and Takeda are an unstoppable powerhouse with this one. The story is dark, comple, and completely original. Image has some of the best comics on the modern day market as far as I'm concerned, between Monstress, Paper Girls, Sex Criminals, and of course the much beloved Saga. I think we're seeing something really special here, guys. And I for one am looking forward to it with all my Archanic heart.

Absence!

Apologies to the (maybe) six of you who read this blog that is still in its infancy. The past weekend was spent at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle! My bank account is in shock and I'm fairly certain I'll be exhausted for the next month or so, but this was certainly one for the books. (Ha. Get it?)

Certainly one of the highlights of the entire weekend was just HAPPENING to meet Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead while dressed as a character he created. NO BIG DEAL AND I WASN'T COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT OR ANYTHING. But seriously, that was a big moment. And he was totally cool, signed both my 100 issue of Walking Dead and my homemade Lucille. I'll count that as a fangirl success story. 

This is Rhianna Negan not freaking out. (But totally freaking out.)

My biggest purchases were a fat stack of graphic novels from the Image booth, ones I've been dying to read for the past few months. I know I said I would vary the types of books I spotlight to review, but these babies are just begging for attention so the next few posts will be graphic novels. I'm sorry if that's not your thing and I promise I'll get to more genres after that! 

I'll leave you with two of my favorite pictures from this weekend. The kid's dad actually said "Act like you're about to hit him with the bat!" Things only heard at comic con.

Anywho, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled program soon! Thank you for sticking with me through the unintended hiatus. Happy reading!

Spotlight Read: Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel

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“The beauty of this world where almost everyone was gone. If hell is other people, what is a world with almost no people in it?”

Man. I don't even know where to being with this one. I knew absolutely nothing about the story going in. All I knew was that were "mildly post-apocalyptic" themes. That's it. I think that's what made this story such a thrill ride for me. I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible, although with this story, the jumping back and forth with different timelines can offer hints into certain plot points.

“But these thoughts broke apart in his head and were replaced by strange fragments: This is my soul and the world unwinding, this is my heart in the still winter air.” Before I talk about the storyline, let me take a moment to sing the praises of Mandel's writing. This is the only book of hers I read, and if her other titles are even a smidgen similar to this, I'm in love already.  One of my all-time favorite authors is Neil Gaiman. He has this profound gift to make the most mundane aspects of life and writes about them with such a flourish and natural knack for adding a touch of whimsy suddenly the dull and lifeless become somehow lyrical and fascinating. That's something Mandel nails as well. Most of the stand out scenes in this book is when characters are in complete solitude. One such moment is when Jeevan, who just had a life-altering moment, is walking alone through Chicago in snowstorm. It's such a simple premise, but the picture she paints of a man alone with his thoughts, surrounded by the silence of a winter snowfall. It's an oddly reflective moment in time, certainly not the most exciting in the book by far, but it was just so human. And that was just in the first thirty pages. There are multiple storylines that take place in different decades, but Mandel brilliantly weaves them in and out, tying the characters together in a profound tangle of missed connections and fleeting moments.

“Survival might be insufficient, she’d told Dieter in late-night arguments, but on the other hand, so was Shakespeare.”

When the book begins, we are introduced to Jeevan, who is out for what we can assume is a lovely date night to a production of King Lear when tragedy strikes. Again, this is the first ten pages, but even then I don't want to spoil anything. Jeevan meets a small girl who was a bit player in the play named Kirsten, who's life is later documented after the blight as she herself is a traveling actor of a Shakespeare company. We are transported in time through the leading man of the play's life before that fateful night, Jeevan's sudden realization of the pending doom of the sickness running rampant through the city, and Kirsten's survival with rapidly fading memories of the world before. Usually, I'm not a fan of the whole jumping storylines and contrived plot details thing. I like to have a specific cast of characters with a concise arc to follow and track both the plot and development. I become very attached to fictional characters, you see. Something that has plagued me since childhood. (Still considering therapy for a few unreasonable deaths of some of my most beloved.) However, the cleverness that Mandel utilizes to entwine the lives of these briefly connected strangers is so seamless and coherent, the reader hardly notices the jumps.

But can you really have good post-apocalyptic stories without zombies or a sprawling desert landscape with vehicles with welded spikes and a guy with a guitar that blows fire?! Short answer, and possibly disappointing for some of you, yes, you very much can. I am a sucker for anything post-apocalyptic; the Fallout games, Mad Max, The Walking Dead, that episode of Twilight Zone where the guy's glasses break, anything. I love to see how humans adapt when their world is taken away from them and the new goal of the day-to-day is simply to survive. We will see the darkness of people becoming violent offenders and looters, but you will also see people band together, forming new societies and coming together with each other and making connections they may not have ever considered under different circumstances. I would say this book takes a more Book of Eli approach (a movie I consider to be grossly underrated and solidifies Gary Whitta's genius behind the lens). The "apocalypse" we see here happens after a flu turned pandemic wipes out most of the Earth's population. Kirsten, now in her twenties, and her acting troupe have a motto scrawled alongside their travelling caravan that Star Trek fans are sure to recognize: Survival is insufficient. The phrase fits as a theme for the entire book as well and directly relating to each character's narrative. Take Kirsten and her band of actors. Do we really need actors when there's a constant threat of starvation and death? Of course not. One could even argue that we technically don't even need them now. But we appreciate them. We appreciate them for what they offer us; An escape. An escape for our surroundings and troubles, however temporary that break might be. Survival is about more than just finding water and shelter. It's about living.

“First we only want to be seen, but once we’re seen, that’s not enough anymore. After that, we want to be remembered.”

We see Jeevan, shortly after the genesis of the collapse of civilization, in a very unique situation with his brother, who he's been safely confined in his apartment with supplies and equipment, but of course, these resources are not infinite. Both know they'll eventually have to venture into the unknown to seek further aid. We see Arthur, the lead actor in the play on that fateful night, decades before the event, then a struggling actor, throughout his numerous failing marriages, and how a simple act can change not only the person's life, but those around them as well.

I'm an absolute sucker for looking below the surface and seeking out nuances connecting characters to each other. This book is so character driven and so carefully crafted it could've easily been 200 pages longer. But I think one of the main things this book really excels at is simplicity. The plot itself is full of intricacies, but none of them are unnecessary or cloud the plot. Survival as a human is a simple enough thing. We all have Maslow's Hierachy of Needs that gets us by every day. Living is something else entirely. We see characters with their various regrets, emotional hardships, interactions with those around them, all in vastly different circumstances. We can see ourselves, how we react to similar stimuli. We can even theoretically hypothesize how we would react with a sudden catastrophic downfall of the modern world. But the truth is, we simply do not know what tomorrow will bring, for ourselves, for our siblings, our loved ones, but we do know this: survival is insufficient.