Really gets at the heart of why Americans are so bad at foreign affairs. You could swap out the American, Pyle, for any number of well-meaning idiots stomping around the globe these days. The protagonist’s voice is so seductive in its jaded, cynical wit–papering over the gaping, roaring hole of want and need and jealousy.
Batman and Shade the Changing Girl
Shade, the Changing Girl: Little Runaway Cecil Castellucci: Unendingly surreal. It’s no Casanova (Matt Fraction), but there’s some nice visual and narrative experimentation going on here.
Batman: I Am Suicide by Tom King: Someone wanted a Batman/Suicide Squad mashup. Bane makes a pretty good villain for this. Also, the Psycho Pirate is always a fun/weird edition. I found the art somewhat confusing, visually. Maybe it’s just me.
Eartha by Cathy Malkasian
A surreal, deeply strange story. I wasn’t so sure about how I felt about it at first, but was fully onboard with it by the midway point or so.
The art feels like a picture book, but the story is very much not for kids. Much of it feels like very pointed commentary about the state of things, particularly the compulsive need to check in on the news (guilty!).
It’s a beautiful book. I expect you’ll get something out of it.
Vallista by Steven Brust
Book #15 of the Vlad Taltos series. I guess I like them, because I’ve read all of them so far. Each book in the series is an experiment in plot structure or thematic organization. This one’s plot is fairly straightforward, except the plot is about the exploration of a weird castle, mixed up in time and space.
I liked it. Vlad, the narrator, has a pretty delightfully dry sense of humor.
The series is written in such a way that you could start with almost any of them and be ok with understanding what’s happening.
The Hunting Accident: A True Story of Crime and Poetry by David L. Carlson
I don’t think every story is improved by being told as a comic, but I think this one really does. The art and text work together beautifully. It’s slightly ironic, because it’s the story of a blind man and his son. This is one of those comics that even non-comic-readers could get behind. Check it out!
Some Links (Infinite Dingo Edition)
Some days feel like three or six days wrapped into one. There were some laughs had. Wanted more sun than I got. It’s all good though. We’ll get plenty of sun soon enough.
I’ve found a lot of really cool stuff on this site, Colossal.
Like this Russian woman, Masha Ivashintsova, who was a secret photographer her entire life.
Or this app, Artopia, that lets you leave 3D AR graffiti in specific locations.
Or this artist, Katie Doka, who makes these delightful miniature birds.
Or Rune Guneriussen, a Norwegian who makes art out of lamps and books.
Oh yeah, and José Naranja, who does some pretty swell book art.
Sometimes you just don’t feel like posting anything.
Some Links (Gallivanting Dingo Edition)
Another day at the old salt mines working in the wizard tower. A certain someone hasn’t napped in years, but there you go. Sometimes you get tired. Knowing when to set aside all the digital delights to focus on, I don’t know, napping.
I love these illustrations by Ivan Bilibin.
A lot of good roguelike game stuff on the Temple of the Roguelike blog.
Some Links (Deliberate Dingo Edition)
Some days don’t go according to plan. Like this one. Wheels, spinning wheels. Tears. It’s a good problem to have, having too many books to read. But it doesn’t always feel like a good problem.
“Equoid”: A great Laundry short story by Charles Stross.
“How to Dream” by Umair Haque. Sometimes you gotta read something a little inspirational.
A science fiction story about Kermit the Frog. I liked it.
“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nahesi Coates. One of our best living writers.
Some Links (Quintessential Caracal Edition)
There was some sun today, whee! Typing words, not really the best way for human beings to communicate. Meditation on a mustache. Riding around in style. More typing, so much typing.
I really dig this blurry fantastical sci-fi art by Alexandre Diboine.