Off the Bookshelf: Twilight, The Gathering Storm, Star Wars Atlas
Over Thanksgiving break, my wife and I made a deal: I'd read Twilight if she read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It took me a month of on and off reading, but I finally did so. Completing that teen romance horror novel let me read the book I've been waiting months for: The Gathering Storm, Book 12 of the Wheel of Time.
In between the two I've been sneaking quick reads of Star Wars: The Essential Atlas, which is sure to become an indespensible reference for my Star Wars RPG campaign.
Smaug the Magnificent ... in candy
The good folks at Miss(ed) Manners have done it again: they've recreated one of J.R.R. Tolkien's most epic scenes ... in candy.
The Battle of Pelennor Fields ... in candy
Of course, it wasn't enough to recreate the Battle of Helm's Deep in candy. The brilliant, creative minds behind that project had to go and make The Battle of Pelennor Fields ... in candy.
The Battle of Helm's Deep ... in candy
Geek Holiday Shopping List for 2009
Looking for ideas for the geek on your Christmas List? Are you a geek looking for ideas about what to ask for? Nuketown has you covered (albiet, a bit late in the shopping cycle but hey, there's still nearly two weeks until Christmas).
Two quick notes: 1) all of the items on this list link to Amazon.com; Nuketown gets a small (very small) affiliate credit if you buy something. 2) Some of these recommendations are based on review copies of games I've received. These are noted with a [RC] designation.
Strange Horizons: The Emancipation of Bat Durston
My long-time friend Nathan E. Lilly's got a dissertation on the space western up on Strange Horizons entitled "The Emancipation of Bat Durston, or: 'I'm from Iowa, I Only Work in Outer Space'". He looks at the origins of the subgenre, its intersections with space opera, and its influence on the larger science fiction field.
It's a lengthy piece, so you roll yourself a smoke, pour a shot of whiskey, and kick back in your favorite share for a informative read.
Off the Bookshelf: Redemption Ark, Dreaming Void, Far Side of the World
I'm off to a good start on my Summer 2009 Reading List, having made a considerable dent it during my early summer vacation by reading Alistair Reynolds' Redemption Ark, Peter F. Hamilton's The Dreaming Void and finally finishing the audio version of Patrick O'Brain's The Far Side of the World.
Lehigh Valley Comic Con arrives August 15
Lehigh Valley Comic Con will be held Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Schnecksville Fire Company. Admission is $5 ($4 with college ID) and kids 12 and under are free.
Soliciting books for my Summer 2009 Reading List
It's almost summer again, which means it's time for me to start assembling that long-running Nuketown tradition: the Summer Reading List. (check out Radio Active #50 for my 2007 reading list, and Radio Active #69 for my 2008 one).
The reading list is my chance to catch up on stuff I missed during the rest of the year, as well as to read some books I've meant to get, but never did. This time around, I'm sticking mostly to science fiction in general and space opera in particular. I've got a few books already lined up, but I'm looking for suggestions: send me yours by posting a comment or emailing me at nuketown@gmail.com. I'd also love to know what's on your summer reading list, so post those books as well!