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You know, I would’ve found the Marian plot a lot less annoying had we not had on the show at the exact same time an example of true love breaking a curse that came from a family relationship. You’d think that Anna or Elsa, at least, might’ve managed “just kiss her, little kid!” I suppose nobody read each other’s stories, and in all the commotion, perhaps Anna and Elsa never shared the full story. But we know, and that’s enough. I suppose it half works as meta commentary about how the Author won’t let Regina catch a break.
Brennan Lee Mulligan & Molly Ostertag, Strong Female Protagonist vol. 1: Free review copy (also free to read on the Web, http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/). Best treatment of super hero morality since Supreme Power. Alison wants to change the world, not save it. But her powers don’t seem to do anything but hinder that goal. She’s quit superheroing to go to college, but that doesn’t mean superheroes have quit her. With a former supervillain as her friend, she explores the nature of power and the meaning of doing good. Alison on the fact that she kills people: “No fucking shit I kill people!! I put holes in mountains! … I saved the world on no less than seven fucking occasions, and guess what, super-accuracy is not one of my anomalies! Am I supposed to be impressed that you’ve never killed anybody? What a bold moral choice from a person who’s terrified of violence and scared shitless of going to jail! It’s like, have you ever had the option of murdering a bunch of people? Okay, then why the FUCK am I listening to your opinion on the matter!?” (This is her darkest self, not her best self—but they’re both there!) The subplot about the regenerating superhero is particularly amazing. Wolverine's a wimp compared to her.
Joe Haldeman, Work Done for Hire: A former sniper turned novelist is hired to write the novelization of a serial killer film (the work for hire of the title) but starts getting deliveries of money and a sniper rifle, with the message that he’s supposed to kill someone or they’ll hurt him and his girlfriend. His attempts to avoid this alternate with chapters from his treatment, which involves a possibly cannibalistic killer, or possibly just an alien with a taste for human flesh. The interest comes from his extended attempts to contact the police and otherwise refuse the job, which last much, much longer than the usual for this kind of story. However, I was never really clear about why we needed the serial killer chapters, and the explanation doesn’t seem worth the journey.
Daniel Abraham, An Autumn War: The third book of the Long Price quartet. This book has the distinction of making me stop a bit less than halfway through because I was too afraid of the horrible suffering ahead. As it turned out, the suffering was more told than shown, which was all to the good for my equilibrium. A clever plot by the enemy Galts succeeds in stripping the cities of the Khaiem of their andat, the physicalized spirits that had made them wealthy and untouchable. As the Galts roll through the land, characters from the previous books struggle to save themselves and their people, facing horrible choices and learning how to fight as they go. This is a book about the consequences of mistakes being inflicted on the innocent; for all it’s a well-constructed world, it’s a rough ride.
Harlan Ellison, City on the Edge of Forever: Graphic novelization of Ellison’s original script, or so they say, and if so good on him for making Yeoman Rand kick ass and take names. Otherwise, mainly interesting for the contrast, and it might be familiarity but I can’t help but feel that the ultimate changes were mostly for the better, primarily making McCoy the agent of destruction rather than a redshirt. On the other hand, having the guy who breaks time be a bad guy trying to escape justice does give Edith Keeler’s death another level of meaning—he was a bad man but he nonetheless automatically would’ve saved a woman at some risk to himself, because almost no one is just a bad man.
Brennan Lee Mulligan & Molly Ostertag, Strong Female Protagonist vol. 1: Free review copy (also free to read on the Web, http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/). Best treatment of super hero morality since Supreme Power. Alison wants to change the world, not save it. But her powers don’t seem to do anything but hinder that goal. She’s quit superheroing to go to college, but that doesn’t mean superheroes have quit her. With a former supervillain as her friend, she explores the nature of power and the meaning of doing good. Alison on the fact that she kills people: “No fucking shit I kill people!! I put holes in mountains! … I saved the world on no less than seven fucking occasions, and guess what, super-accuracy is not one of my anomalies! Am I supposed to be impressed that you’ve never killed anybody? What a bold moral choice from a person who’s terrified of violence and scared shitless of going to jail! It’s like, have you ever had the option of murdering a bunch of people? Okay, then why the FUCK am I listening to your opinion on the matter!?” (This is her darkest self, not her best self—but they’re both there!) The subplot about the regenerating superhero is particularly amazing. Wolverine's a wimp compared to her.
Joe Haldeman, Work Done for Hire: A former sniper turned novelist is hired to write the novelization of a serial killer film (the work for hire of the title) but starts getting deliveries of money and a sniper rifle, with the message that he’s supposed to kill someone or they’ll hurt him and his girlfriend. His attempts to avoid this alternate with chapters from his treatment, which involves a possibly cannibalistic killer, or possibly just an alien with a taste for human flesh. The interest comes from his extended attempts to contact the police and otherwise refuse the job, which last much, much longer than the usual for this kind of story. However, I was never really clear about why we needed the serial killer chapters, and the explanation doesn’t seem worth the journey.
Daniel Abraham, An Autumn War: The third book of the Long Price quartet. This book has the distinction of making me stop a bit less than halfway through because I was too afraid of the horrible suffering ahead. As it turned out, the suffering was more told than shown, which was all to the good for my equilibrium. A clever plot by the enemy Galts succeeds in stripping the cities of the Khaiem of their andat, the physicalized spirits that had made them wealthy and untouchable. As the Galts roll through the land, characters from the previous books struggle to save themselves and their people, facing horrible choices and learning how to fight as they go. This is a book about the consequences of mistakes being inflicted on the innocent; for all it’s a well-constructed world, it’s a rough ride.
Harlan Ellison, City on the Edge of Forever: Graphic novelization of Ellison’s original script, or so they say, and if so good on him for making Yeoman Rand kick ass and take names. Otherwise, mainly interesting for the contrast, and it might be familiarity but I can’t help but feel that the ultimate changes were mostly for the better, primarily making McCoy the agent of destruction rather than a redshirt. On the other hand, having the guy who breaks time be a bad guy trying to escape justice does give Edith Keeler’s death another level of meaning—he was a bad man but he nonetheless automatically would’ve saved a woman at some risk to himself, because almost no one is just a bad man.
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