Fictional Mortality

I've been drifting back to prose lately. Most of it is fantasy. Oh, I'm still reading comic books, don't get me wrong, but Marvel keeps getting bleaker, and my interest in that is decreasing at a higher rate than my interest in DC is increasing. And my interest in the DC monthlies is primarily the surreal metafiction (Air, The Unwritten, Greek Street...) that's been coming out of Vertigo lately.

My favorite fantasy series these days are urban. Not paranormal romance so much, but adventures centered on wizards and werewolves, peppered with vampires, fae, and djinn? Sure! A little romance on the side is good too. Spices things up a bit. And then there are the reasonably strong female protagonists:

-Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville, the snarky werewolf radio talk show host, whose personal growth is pronounced as the series progresses.

-Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson, the coyote shapeshifting VW mechanic with, among other things, a great gift for finding trouble (and getting out of it.) There is also a comic book mini-series, which I would recommend. The trade is coming out in late August, according to Amazon.

-Rachel Caine's Joanne Baldwin, a Weather Warden with slightly more strength than mental acuity. To be fair, though, she has more magic than most Wardens, and I think she's smarter than she lets on. Just started reading the series, though, so I can't know for certain...

Those are my three favorite series so far, but the world of urban fantasy is still pretty new to me, Buffy and Charmed episodes of my youth not withstanding.

And then there are the more traditional fantasy series, not the least of which is George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. I bring up ASoIaF because, well, let's put it this way. You learn very quickly not to get too attached to characters because NONE OF THEM are safe. POV characters are almost as vulnerable as non-POV characters, and none are exempt from the threats of mutilation, torture, death, or worse. (And believe me, there are fates worse than death in ASoIaF.) I don't think Martin will kill off all of the Starks (none of whom are named Tony or wear high-tech power armor, by the way), but you never know. The point is, I do know what to expect in terms of character death, I have since close to the beginning of the series, and I don't expect it to change.

Character death is somewhat less frequent in the urban fantasy series, but the key protagonists generally don't die, or if they do, they get resurrected pretty quickly for obvious reasons. It's okay to get attached to the leads, at least. The mortality rate for likable supporting characters is naturally higher.

But comic books. I thought I knew what to expect from Marvel, starting out. It's my own fault, really. I thought it was safe to get attached (as much as one can get attached to fictions), in spite of jumping in at the tail end of House of M, because they are comics and... yeah. I don't know why I assumed it was safe.

Of course, it's not safe. I know that now. Of my favorite trio -- I think of them as an unofficial trio, which I know I've mentioned before -- only one is neither dead nor MIA. That would be Sue Richards, who a few months ago I was almost certain they would send the way Janet van Dyne.

And I have no idea what terrible fate they have in store for Jennifer Walters. I'm not sure I want to know.

Ultimately, I'm not sure it's worth it. With the urban fantasies and ASoIaF, I know what to expect, and it's fine. The stories are good, sometimes great, and I can accept them for what they are. But the cape and cowl yarns? Story quality fluctuates depending on creative teams and editorial edicts. The constant isn't the storytelling, but the characters, and it's the characters I seem to follow. If my favorite characters go away, temporarily or (rarely if ever) permanently, then, I suppose, so do I.

Comic Shopping

So I met Kalinara for lunch today, and as it was a nice day, we went for a walk. During this walk we went to three stores, two of which were comic shops I'd never been to.

The first of these was hers. It was impressive. Twice as big as my LCS, it had a lot of merchandise, but still seemed open. It emphasized the games, I think -- they're the first things you see when you walk in -- but the comics section is pretty well organized, segregating titles by company or genre, and sorting them alphabetically. I found one issue of Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four I'd missed but hadn't found. There were more than a few tall shelves of trade paperbacks. We didn't really have time to peruse them, but I have a feeling I'll be going back at some point. Oh, and the staff seemed nice enough, too. Good vibes all around.

The second shop was not impressive. Small, and disorganized, it had long boxes strewn haphazardly under gaming tables and employees that didn't seem all that interested. I'd been keeping an eye out for an issue of Marvel Adventures Iron Man (the one featuring Yay!Spider Woman). We (well, Kali) asked whether they might have it, and one of them replied, "Probably not". Maybe he knew what he was talking about, but I kind of got the impression he just didn't want to bother. Then he went back to eating lunch. On the way out, we took a look at the back issue rack. Among other things, there was an issue of Anita Blake sandwiched between The Flash and Batman and the Outsiders. Which sounds like bad slash fic, but whatever. If the store survives the recession, I'll be surprised. That is, if I notice.

Later, at my own LCS, for which I have new appreciation, I found the Iron Man issue I was looking for. As part of a digest, but that's easier to store, anyway. That made me happy. But the real find of the day occurred not at a comic shop, but at a used bookstore. I'd been to the store before, but not to its second floor which has, among other things, television and film tie-in books:


Yes! It is a novel based on a screen-play for a notoriously bad film (which I haven't seen) based on comic books that aren't bad at all. I read the first chapter tonight. It's very meta, which I guess you have to expect. And it's probably better than the movie, since you actually picture comic book Howard, not a guy in a duck suit. (I still want to see the film, though, for the score if nothing else. John Barry is very good.)

It definitely takes precedence over finishing Twilight.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 11 ("Complications") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Ooh, movie day in science class
• What high schooler doesn't like that?
• But of course Bella can't focus on it.
• Duh, Edward's right there.
• Ohh, Edward, with his perfect face.
• Zot, zot.
• Next class.
• Bella cannot bear to part with Edward!
• Aww, Mike's all chivalrous in Gym.
• Poor Mike.
• Great guy with no taste in girls.
• But he's perceptive.
• He knows Edward wants to eat Bella.
• Probably doesn't know that Edward literally wants to eat Bella.
• (We the readers do!)
• But Bella could probably figure that one out.
• Listen to Mike, Bella!
• You idiot.
• Driving with Edward, blah, blah, blah.
• Hunting with vampires is dangerous for humans.
• More electricity. Zot, zot.
• Dreams of Edward.
• Chat with Charlie.
• Yes, Bella, Charlie might take issue with your possible necrophilia.
• Not that it matters, 'cause adults are useless.
• Bella's favorite color of the day is brown.
• Because it's warm.
• It's also the color of...
• Nevermind.
• She doesn't say it, I just think it.
• Edward is such a stalker.
• Oh, come on Bella, how hard is badminton?
• For a more-or-less able-bodied idiot, I mean?
• Exit Edward (finally).
• Enter Jacob the Complication.

Reading Twilight into the New Year

Reading notes for Chapter 10 ("Interrogations") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• It is a foggy morning.
• Edward gives Bella a ride to school.
• Overprotective, much?
• She likes his smell.
• They are compatible in an olfactory way.
• Vampires like fast cars.
• Yes, everybody stare at Bella and her beau.
• Jessica grills Bella about Edward.
• They continue to be boy obsessed for two class periods.
• Vampires can eat solid food.
• Like people can eat dirt.
• So can vampires get pica?
• Edward wants to know everything Bella thinks.
• And would like to censor her thoughts, if only he could...?
• All the guys at Forks High want Bella?
• Really?
• Why, for gods' sakes???
• Bella and Edward have a long lunchroom conversation.
• Vampires like to eat mountain lions.
• And bears.
• (And presumably tigers.)
• Oh my.

Reading Twilight

I really am still reading Twilight. And slowly, due to the note-taking. My current hypothesis is that the faster you read this book, the more likely you are to like it. If you slow down, you actually have time to think about it, and it comes out sounding like Alanis Morissette covering "My Humps."



It's only an hypothesis, based on one bad song and the fact that I'm pretty sure I could blow through this terribly long novel in the space of a day or two if that was my goal. It would probably be better that way. But I'm prolonging the agony for the sake of my two or three readers, all of whom are friends who warned me about this book's level of awful. (Willow's right. I'm a masochist.)

So without further ado, here are my...

Reading notes for Chapter 9 ("Theory") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Edward knows your scent, Bella.
• This just gets better and better.
• Bella's mind doesn't work normally?
• No way.
• Edward drives too fast.
• Bella asks Edward about vampires.
• She doesn't care if Edward's a vampire.
• For some reason I start wondering if there's a necrophilia angle to this.
• I've never wondered that before.
• Why?
• "Vegetarian" vampire idea starts here.
• Edward worries about Bella when he's away from her.
• He also worries about her when he's with her.
• Edward worries about Bella all. The. Time.
• Obsessed much?
• This has been covered in previous chapters.
• Bella? Crying? Will wonders never cease...
• Edward gets Bella home.
• He warns her not to go into the woods alone.
• Meaning she inevitably will at some point.
• Mundane details, blah, blah, blah...
• And we end on the paragraph that's on the back cover of this book.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 8 ("Port Angeles") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• High school girls apparently talk about boys to the exclusion of all else.
• And there is drama.
• Boy-related drama.
• Mundane details aplenty.
• So... Let's talk about Cullens!
• The Cullens "go backpacking all the time".
• The mystery deepens.
• No, Bella, the new age bookstore is the one you want. Idiot.
• (Can't go wrong with a new age bookstore in urban fantasy, right?)
  
• A silver Volvo in Port Angeles! Oh noes!
• A scary group of strong men following Bella! Oh noes!
• More scary guys. Triple oh noes!
• Edward swoops in to the rescue!
• Edward fears his temper.
• Edward takes Bella to dinner.
• At an Italian restaurant.
• So I guess garlic isn't an issue.
• Ohh, Edward, you really shouldn't dazzle people so.
• Ohh, Edward, you are so muscular.
• Bella is a "magnet for trouble".
• Duh.
• Meyer has to spell out everything in simple terms.
• That's kind of insulting.
• Edward's stalking Bella, but that's totally okay with her.
• He's mentally stalking her, even.
• Creepy.
• Edward is emo.
• Creepy and emo.
• Dangerous, creepy and emo.
• Don't leave me alone, Bella, or I will kill someone.
• If you don't leave me alone, I may kill you.
• Decisions, decisions.
• After (Bella eats) dinner, they go back to the Volvo, and that's it for Chapter 8.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 7 ("Nightmare") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Bad dream involving a werewolf fighting a vampire.
• It was probably inevitable.
• Okay, I swear, I DO NOT NEED TO KNOW every single blessed detail about what Bella does while she waits for her modem to dial.
• Talk about padding the page count.
• Is the whole book gonna be like this?
• Yes. Pop-up windows are the bane of the internet user. I get it.
• Vampire research time for Bella!
• Bella's research fails. Time for her to take a walk!
• How long is this chapter again?
• Seriously?
• Damn.
• "Could the Cullens be vampires?"
• That question appears on page 138.
• Bella doesn't know.
• Of course, I do
• I saw the movie trailer.
• Bella does homework.
• Charlie gets home.
• Bella goes to bed.
• Another day dawns. It is sunny.
• School time!
• Bella writes a paper on Shakespeare and misogyny.
• I wonder what she concludes.
• I wonder whether it's ironic or appropriate.
• What? No Cullens?
• Bella can't keep her mind on anything.
• Well, except for getting her homework done.
• 'Cause she's a model student.
• Of course.
• Bella does not trust her sheriff dad to feed himself.
• Because adults are useless, I suppose.
• Time to go dress shopping with the girls!
• End of chapter.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 6 ("Scary Stories") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Yes, Forks students, by all means tease Bella about the fainting spell.
• Ohh, Edward, where are you?
• Bella has an enemy. A blonde enemy.
• Time to go to the beach! And it's sunny!
• Pretty beach.
• Mike is a nice boy, Bella, you idiot.
• Dare you defy Edward and brave the tide pools???
• Sure. Better than braving evil blonde Lauren.
• Geez. I'm not exactly graceful, but even I don't fall all the damned time.
• Not even in the woods.
• Maybe Bella has an undiagnosed neurological condition.
• That would explain some things.
• Native Americans join the party!
• Another boy, Jacob, notices Bella.
• That makes... Five now?
• Well, five that are named.
• Jacob is pretty.
• And he's a mechanic.
• And he's a story-teller.
• A good one.
• Bella gets a scary vampire story.
• It's clearly an important plot point.
• And she gets a new friend.
• It starts to rain just in time for the beach party to leave.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 5 ("Blood Type") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Edward is beautiful.
• Gush, gush.
• Bella's not smart, Edward.
• She's not gonna avoid you.
• She wants to gaze into your "deep gold eyes".
• Ohh, Edward, are you... Spider-Man?
• No?
• How about Superboy?
• No.
• Edward's... dangerous.
• Ooh.
• He's an ass, Bella. Stay away from Edward!
• (She's not staying away from Edward.)
• A micro-lancet! Oh noes!
• There is blood. It is time for Bella to faint.
• Is it even legal to do the blood type test in a public school?
• Or is it just a liability issue?
• My high school didn't allow it.
• Edward steals Bella away from Mike and carries her to the nurse's office.
• He. Carries. Her.
• Edward and Mike: Bitter rivals.
• But Mike doesn't have a voice "like melting honey".
• He can't possibly win.
• Pushy Edward.
• Not healthy, Bella.
• Just remember, no means no.
• When and if the time comes, I mean.
• Seriously, Bella.
• Yes, he's pretty.
• But he's moody, pushy, and over-protective.
• And he's a jerk.
• Not worth it.
• You are not being adult about this.
• Not that adults don't fall into potentially abusive relationships, too.
• But are adults being adult when they do?
• Okay, right, back to the dreck.
• Bella's planning to go on a beach trip.
• Edward's going camping with his family.
• Blah, blah, end of Chapter 5.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 4 ("Invitations") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Dream of Edward.
• Bella's not used to being the center of attention by now?
• That's it, Tyler. Grovel. Good boy.
• Edward's being all weird again.
• School dance? Oh noes!
• Bella can't dance!
• So she'll... go to Seattle.
• Excuses, excuses.
• Make up your gorram mind, Edward.
• Bella drops her books.
• Edward picks them up for her.
• Bella drops her keys.
• Edward picks them up for her.
• Bella falls down a lot in Gym.
• Tyler asks Bella to the dance.
• So does Eric. And Mike.
• Gawd.
• You're right, Bella. You're not interesting.
• But this is the "Twilight Zone".
• Apologies to Rod Serling.
• Fretful sheriff.
• We know where his daughter gets it.
• Or maybe he's wise.
• But probably not. Parents are useless.
• And Charlie seems a little slow. Idiocy runs in families?
• Don't do it Bella.
• Don't say "yes".
• Don't open that door.
• Bella, you idiot.

Reading Twilight

Reading notes for Chapter 3 ("Phenomenon") of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight:

• Forks is icy. Oh noes!
• Better be extra-careful, Bella.
• Remember: You're a klutz.
• Why do the boys of Forks like Bella?
• I don't understand.
• Oh, hey, snow chains. Good idea, Charlie.
• Out-of-control van! Oh noes!
• Edward is Bella's hero.
• He's so pretty and golden-eyed and mysterious.
• How'd he do that?
• Deny, deny, deny.
• Dr. Cullen is pretty, too.
• I bet Tyler becomes a Bella hanger-on.
• Maybe he'll give her chocolates.
• Or something.
• Bella doesn't like lying.
• Charlie's daughter is involved in a car accident, and he feels guilty about telling her mother?
• WTF?
• Adults are useless.

Still reading Twilight...

The second chapter ("Open Book") of Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, is about as slow as the first. Hopefully things will pick up a bit, but right now this is decompressed storytelling in novel form. And this is what I've learned:

• Mike and Eric are totally sweet on Bella.
• Bella remembers people now!
• Edward is not in school.
• Bella is worried.
• Bella's parents are useless.
• Bella's already studied this stuff.
• So school is kinda useless, too.
• Also, she can't play volleyball.
  
• Neither can I, so I guess I sympathize.
  
• Dad likes the Cullens. He gets vocal about that.
• I don't think snow works like that.
• Not when it's warm enough for rain as well.
• How would enough accumulate in the space of a high school class period?
• Well, maybe Washington snow is different than Michigan snow.
• Whatever. I'm not a climatologist. Moving on.
• Edward comes back to school.
• Bella is worried.
• Ooh, Edward is flawlessly beautiful.
• With a musical voice.
• And golden eyes.
• And his touch is electric.
• OMG.
• And he's smart, too!
• But strangely tense sometimes.
• Also, adults are useless.
• Annnd... Previous question answered: FlakeMom remarried, so Bella moved to Forks so FlakeMom could spend more time with Stepdad.
• Martyr.

Please, by the gods of urban fantasy, let there be villains or werewolves or something in Chapter 3.

Death and Dumb

It's not worth going into my thoughts about Marvel's Secret Invasion, except to say that I am disappointed and will absolutely continue to seek refuge in the Marvel Adventures universe, where characters don't get killed off. For any reason. Paul Tobin may well be a better writer than Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis combined, as measured in Fun Stories Written.

But... enough about that. Let's move on to Stephanie Meyer.

I decided to read Twilight, just to see first-hand what all the fuss is about. I have to admit, I went in predisposed to dislike the thing (I've been reading funny internet critiques, you see, thank you Willow), and... well... Prophesy fulfilled. Granted, I've only read the prologue, and the first chapter, so things may change. But I'm not counting on it, because this is "First Sight" (i.e., Chapter 1) summarized:

• Mom's a flake.
• Dad's monosyllabic.
• Bella's really pale.
• She's also a klutz.
• With a really loud truck.
• And all the boys are drawn to her.
• Except Edward Cullen.
• Who is even paler than Bella.
• And who seems to hate her.
• Which might make him the only sane person in Forks.
• Which is a terribly rainy place.
• Bella misses the sun.
• So why'd she move away from Arizona, again?
• Maybe I'll learn that next chapter.

On a brighter note, MaryJanice Davidson's Fish out of Water, a three-hour read of mindless, crude romantic comedy fluff (think mermaid sitcom on cable), was worth the read. Davidson won't be winning a Pulitzer any time soon, but I somehow doubt that's her goal. The Fred the Mermaid trilogy is probably to Twilight as the Marvel Adventures line is to anything written by Bendis or Millar. (It's a fun versus not fun thing.)

Right. Back to attempting to study now.

Exercise in Microfiction

I emerged from my first bed, shed my last coat and spread my wings. It was the first real warmth I had felt; the earth had coated and sheltered me, but it was still cold among the twisted roots and blind moving threads of flesh. Standing amidst the tall shadows, I drank it in. And soon, I folded my dry wings, rasping together in my first experimental song.

Around me, my brothers did the same. I know, because my leg membranes ached with the force of the chorus.

We soon found our bearings, my brothers and I. We touched the souls drifting up from the fruits of the tall shadows. We fed on these fruits when we first saw her. She was silent, but not demure, never demure. She leapt with confidence and grace greater than any of the other silent ones.

Every night my brothers and I courted her, our song growing as the world grew warmer. She did not choose between us. (I try to believe that she would have chosen me.) She ignored us, as we ignored everything but the world's bounty and her.

And then, one warm night, the ghost leaper took her. It was a giant beast, with damp fungal breath, and a cry that shook us all.

Fools, we leapt after it, dropping our bounty, for what was it next to her?

One by one, it took them, grasping them with an impossibly long strand of sour honey. We are agile, but it is fast, this beast. Of my brothers, I alone was quickest, springing behind a boulder, and finding shelter beneath.

Here I cower, but the cloak of earth is no longer a comfort, for I feel the monster's baleful cry. I touch its soul. And I know that the nearest fruit is much too far, and my crop is empty. The beast can afford to wait. I cannot.

Exercise in Microfiction

Swift, a blue blaze on winged feet, leaps through and past the flashing sirens'
call. Cries for help come early to one with the sense of velocity.

Ancient gray stone and pillars arrive in an instant, and a gaping maw of a door. An instant more, and the speed sense guides Swift to a chamber of clocks, all stopped. And in the center of it looms a shade, the alarm tripper. Widdershins. Swift pauses to meet the gaze of stop watch eyes, but quickly averts it.

The shade's cloaked right hand rests upon its jeweled timepiece quarry. The left hand begins to gesture, and stop watch eyes stare at the figure in blue.

Swift, always impatient, leaps past Widdershins into a dusty grandfather clock. The loud clang interrupts the spell, and Widdershins spins sunwise to silence the echoes.

The sirens draw closer. Widdershins, unbalanced by the spin, struggles to concentrate on a new spell. Swift focuses on the enemy, rocking imperceptibly on heels and toes.

This time, Swift is more patient. Widdershins focuses on the clocks surrounding them now, and slowly with surprising stealth one second hand clicks backwards. Then another. Then another, and Swift senses a pause of time no noise can interrupt.

They are beyond noise.

They are not beyond movement, though, in a field of time out of time, and Swift moves. Widdershins, whole attention on jewel-encrusted prize, does not expect a collision at Swift speed.

Knocked back, Widdershins drops both clock and field. The uniforms storm and secure the exhibit, place silver bracelets on the ever-patient Widdershins. Stop watch eyes never leave the door.

Swift is gone as though Swift never was. Other sirens beckon, after all. But they will meet again. They always do.