(Book #45) Michael Chabon - The Final Solution

'The Final Solution' was the first story of Michael Chabon's that I have read, and is probably his shortest. The story followed an unnamed aging detective in the 40's as he is pulled out of retirement to help solve a murder and find a missing German-code-speaking parrot. Shortly into the book, a thought came to me that perhaps this old detective fits the description of one Sherlock Holmes, and this added an interesting layer to what could have been a simple story; however I concede that the fact that I watched a Sherlock Holmes movie the night before and read a Holmes story a few months ago. We never really get a name for this "old man". I had a little trouble following the plot in some parts, which could have been due to Chabon's writing style or the choice to have a lot of similar characters in such a small story. Regardless the story was intriguing and had a nice little reveal at the end, like any good mystery should.

(Book #44) Larry Brown - Dirty Work

On a recommendation from a friend, I have been trolling the used book stores for "anything" by Larry Brown for several months now. Finally found a book called 'Dirty Work' nestled in a stack of paperbacks, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by what I read.

This particular story was about two Vietnam veterans, one white with an extremely deformed face and the other a black quadriplegic. Over the course of an evening, the two characters, told through alternating perspectives, relate their harsh personal stories and express their unique perspectives of life. The end of the story can be guessed fairly early on, but the tension and build up surrounding the narrative was poignant and genuine.

It's really hard to say much more than that, as the story really has to tell itself without being boiled down to a few sentences. Needless to say it was a great author recommendation and I look forward to picking up some of Brown's other works in the future.

(Books #42 & 43) Douglas Adams - 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe' & 'Life, The Universe and Everything'

For books #42 (oh the irony) and #43, I read the second and third books in the 'Hitchhiker' series. I picked up 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' a few years ago and actually rather enjoyed it, so when looking for things to read and finding a few more of his books, they seemed to be the perfect books to read for my little project.

'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe', the first sequel, picked up right where the first book left off, and continued the wacky quasi-sci-fi adventures of a motley crew of characters and one depressed robot. There was less direction and overall story than I expected in this book, but the sheer randomness was humorous and kept me engaged in the traveling throughout the universe. Despite this story's eccentricities, I still liked it and was intrigued enough to keep going and read the following book.

The next book in the series, 'Life, The Universe and Everything', was far more difficult for me to read. The further I got into the book, the more irritated with the story, the characters and Douglas Adams himself I got. It was almost like the author stopped taking his medication and every crazy thing that came out of his head was slapped into the story. There was still a vague semblance of structure amidst a sea of absurdities, but a person can only handle so much nonsense. I really wanted to just quit this one and move on, but decided to just plow through and read the last third of the book before bed one night.

I really was expecting to like these more than I did. I still enjoyed the first Hitchhiker book, but after reading these, I think it's safe to say I won't be reading Douglas Adams again anytime soon.

(Book #41) Sir Thomas More - Utopia

I previously read some of Sir Thomas More's 'Utopia' in a humanities class a few years ago, and I have been wanting to read the whole thing at some point. While it seemed like a fairly small piece, this book, a description of a fictional ideal society, dragged on for more than its week allotment. The book was split up into two "books", the first section being a confusing and droning on current (16th Century) social woes and concerns. Perhaps this was to juxtapose with the easier to read and far more relevant second book which attempts to give full descriptions of the many facets of the titular society. It was interesting to read this portion again, with more experienced eyes. While the notions and sweeping ideas that are established in the earlier pages seem pleasant enough, it is still an ideal fabrication. Some aspects of this perfect civilization, surprisingly not in comparison to existing and long-established systems of economy and government, but to human nature as a whole. More would have us believe that it is possible for man to be incorruptible and sustain it. Overall this attempt at structuring a perfect society is certainly a notable attempt and probably worthy of the recognition, even though personally I found some parts shallow and a little hard to swallow.

If I were still in school, I would be obliged to write a much more lengthy and in depth analysis of this book, however I am not, and can thus move on to the my next book and put this one back on the philosophy shelf where it belongs.

(Book #40) Beowulf

'Beowulf' is a great example of archetypal hero mythology ,written by an unknown hand sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries. While not as lengthy as the works of Homer or Virgil, I still place this epic poem in the same category as these ancient classics. The story of Beowulf, while dealing with some "evil", antagonistic creatures and larger than life embellishments, still feels real enough that one could believe that the story may be rooted in actual events (I'll leave that to actual historians to determine). It was a surprisingly quick read with this particular translation and since I hadn't read it before (or seen that recent movie) it was interesting and held my attention. When undertaking this piece of writing, I discovered it was important to read the words as poetry, and not as a straight story or novel. This added another level of drama and richness to the story, and helped me understand why Beowulf is held in such high regard and how it has influenced countless other stories and variations that have been written since.

(Book #39) Alien Zone II

'Alien Zone II' is a compilation of eleven essays by all different writers about the subject of spaces in science fiction films, pre-2000. I had actually purchased this book up back when I was still in Architecture school and occasionally picked it up from time to time to read something out of it. This reading project was a perfect opportunity to revisit some of these discourses and tackle all the rest that I never got to read prior.

Some of the pieces were really interesting and provided unique perspectives on a gamut of science fiction cinema through the ages, everything from Metropolis to Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Alien movies, the ubiquitous Blade Runner, and just about everything good or bad in between. The subjects in these essays ranged from more spatial and architectural reads of these movies, to the representation of race, women and society. Most of the essays were fairly engaging and could be read by those that were not well versed in film theory or philosophy, but there were a couple that were incredibly difficult to read due to the overly verbose language and air of superiority that the author embodied within the writing.

Overall, the essays were inspiring in a way and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the films I have read about as well as watching some of the more classic ones again with a new perspective. Science Fiction is a perfect medium to embody all sorts of concepts and to do so in a visually intriguing way. Whether a person is watching a sci-fi film to be entertained or is looking for some sort of deeper meaning, there will always be something fantastic and stimulating to grasp onto.