Five books/book series that deserve a fandom

Five wonderful worlds that deserve the fandoms attached to  (also good!) things like Game of Thones and The Walking Dead.

5. Temeraire: His Majesty's Dragon (series) by Naomi Novik.

     A series set in the Napoleonic wars where everything is the same as ever was...EXCEPT dragons exists, they're as smart as people (mostly), can talk, and the army uses them for kick ass aerial battles.

Temeraireby sandara
This drawing is TOTALLY ACCURATE. That is the aforementioned Temeraire. Just one of a hundred different types of dragons, and dragon characters. He and his captain travel the world, learning about other cultures and how they treat dragons, all while fighting a freaking war. It's written amazingly well, and the last book is set to come out soon. Out of eight.

What do we have so far? Well, Peter Jackson is supposed to be making a mini-series about it...someday...There's also some really cool art online.

4. The Myth Adventures series, by Robert Lynn Asprin.

     This follows a young magician/thief Skeeve and his powerless (formerly powerful) demon mentor Aahz. Instead of being the chosen one or anything like that they use Aahz's knowledge and Skeeve's growing power to form an inter dimensional powerbase and near mafia. And they're the GOOD GUYS.

What do we have so far? A nice comic adaptation. Really, this needs to be an animated movie. But the comic is quite good.

3. 20th Century Ghosts, by Joe Hill.

     This is a bizarre collection of stories, that I loosely classify as horror, but that's not a wide enough spectrum.

Just a peek at what's inside: a kid turns into a giant bug, and happily goes on a rampage. Two friends growing up, but one is an inflatable boy made of plastic. The museum of silence, where last breathes are housed. Amazing, weird, horrifying, wonderful tales.

What do we have so far? It was a best seller, but no art or fans or adaptations that I can find. Joe Hill's novels are very popular (also quite good), so there's hope.

2. Small World, by Tabitha King.

A book where what has science done hits political intrigue. The short of it ( heh heh) scientist invents shrink ray and a crazy, but powerful, woman who loves dollhouses seduces him. Then this happens:

Yeah. It's a nail biter, sexy, and thrilling.

What do we have so far? NADA. ZIP. ZILCH. No fanart, no fandom, nada. And Mrs. King deserves all of it! Let's get the ball rolling people: find a copy online (it's super easy), buy it in a used bookstore, ANYTHING. Just read this kickass book.

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: the Novelization.

     The book is from E.T.'s point of view, explains SO MUCH (like live didn't bring him back, his alien friends did, also he's a space botanist, also HIS REAL NAME). It's well written, and just different enough from the movie to be weird as hell.

What do we have so far? I could barely find a copy of the cover in Google images, but there are copies of this thing all over the place. Find one. Buy it. Read it. Discuss. Also, a sort of sequel, but it's by someone else, I haven't read it, and have no opinion.

Five things nobody tells you about the paranormal

    I’ve had many experiences in my life, from seeing a phantom face, hearing voices and footsteps, and being grabbed so hard by something that it left a bruise. But for all the ghost hunters and mediums on TV, there are still a lot of things nobody’s ever brought up. For instance...

5. Not everything is a ghost.

    I don’t mean in the ‘Oh, it was just a creaking door’ or ‘you were drunk’ kind of way. But not everything is a ghost. There are less definable things out there, from ‘spirits’ to ‘shadow people’ or just plain creepiness.

    Do I believe in lizard folk and world wide conspiracy? Not at all. I’m just saying the label of ‘ghost’ is used a bit more than necessary. We understand the concept of a ghost, even if we don’t believe. But a shadow person? There’s a lot of theories, but it comes down to ‘living shadows that come from nowhere, and we have no idea why, or what they’re doing.’ Brr. Give me great aunt Ethel any day.

4. Most women are psychic

    Call it Mother’s intuition, precognitive abilities, or latent PMS, but most women are to some degree psychic. When I’ve brought up my abilities (limited to an occasional precognitive dream) in a group of women EVERYONE will have a story to tell. Often a lifetime worth.

    I’ve met one man who has a similar ability, and again, only brought it up when a group of women were with him and already discussing it. If men also have this ability, they’re being tight lipped for fear of ridicule.

    Try it, ladies (and open minded men). Even if you’ve never had an experience that you remember, start the conversation. You’ll be surprised.

3. Being psychic is useless

    TV psychics are Bullshit. Psychics you pay are Bullshit. I have had personal experiences, and I still know these people are bullshit. Psychic ability varies in strength and talent, but there is no way in hell Sylvia Brown could look at a person and tell them how their loved one died. A psychic impression from a personal item? Maybe, but that’s one hell of a maybe.

    Your garden-variety psychic will be limited to gut instinct that may be a little stronger than most peoples, and an occasional precognitive dream or vision. That’s it. And even those are useless little snippets from everyday life. The best I’ve had? I’ve avoided pointless arguments with my husband, and stopped myself from biting my tongue. Woo-hoo! America’s Got Talent here I come!

2. Research doesn’t fix everything.

    In a TV show or movie, even a ‘reality’ show, an investigator will dig up something to explain what’s happening. In real life, this isn’t the case. My house has weird stuff going on the whole time I’ve lived there (AKA my whole life), but I have no idea why. There’s no deaths that I can find, no satanists, nothing. The place was built in the fifties, changed hands two or three times, and now my family owns it. End of story.

    Which doesn’t come close to explaining my last issue...

1. You can get used to anything.

    My bedroom is shaped like a shoebox. My bed was positioned lengthwise inside. I slept on the left side since I got out of the crib. 29 days out of 30 I had a nightmare that would keep me awake for at least an hour.

    It wasn’t until I mentioned this offhand to my brother in law that it struck me as odd. I never considered that other people didn’t get terrible nightmares every night of their lives.

    Why do I say this is paranormal and not just my wounded psyche? The nightmares abruptly stopped at age fifteen, when I switched sides of the bed. I didn’t notice they were gone, aside from vague relief. I figured it had to do with growing up.

    Then a friend mentioned whenever she slept over (on the left side, of course), she had the most awful nightmares.

    When I rolled to that side in my sleep? Nightmares. When other friends stayed over? Nightmares.

    I have no explanation for this. My bed is situated differently now, and when I sleep on the left I have no issues. Something about that corner of my room, not the bed itself, is the problem.

    The dreams were scary enough. The idea that I never knew anything was wrong for fifteen years is infinitely more terrifying.

AlmaCon: Epic-tastic

So, some time ago, I attended a local anime and gaming convention, AlmaCon. Granted, local in this case is a two hour drive, but it was well worth it. Only $5 to get in for the whole weekend, you can't beat that. The Motor City Comic Con charges about $25 PER DAY. And that's just to get in, not meet any special guests. I'm looking at YOU, Stan Lee.

So what was at AlmaCon? Well, the short list is:
Doug Walker, AKA The Nostalgia Critic
Chris Niosi, AKA Kirbopher.
Martin Billany, AKA LittleKuriboh
As well as several fine voice actors from things like DBZ, FMA, and other great artists.

I got to meet Doug first thing, with Bahamute. He complimented me on my home made Harley Quinn mallet. He congratulated Bahamute and I on our upcoming nuptials. "You (me) must be busy, and you (Bahamute) must be terrified." We got a pic, and scuttled off with a couple of signed DVDs. A great experience!

Next, there were a few fun panels. How to make a Manga Character (hilarious and informative), Kirbopher's Flashstravaganza, (lots of info about animating and how not to be in it for the wrong reasons), an acting workshop with the voice of Shou Tucker where Bahamute got to do a fun acting exercise. Lunch at the Braveheart Pub, and back to the Con for Doug's panel about movies that you love/hate and every disagrees with you on. Then, on to the FMA panel with Shou Tucker, Scar (Brotherhood) and Jean Havok. Those three are a FREAKING HOOT, and told a LOT of fun stories when they weren't tossing around water bottles.

Then back to the merch room to buy one more character coin from LittleKuriboh. He was nice enough to call Grizz as Seto Kaiba. I was crying, it was so funny. And LOOOONG. Like at least 5 minutes.

Then, I was a creep.

I overheard the volunteer mention that Doug and the other Talent were going to the Braveheart Pub for food and drinks. So, I muttered to Bahamute "Wanna go back to the to Braveheart?"

 "That's where they're all going, isn't it?" He knew.

"Yeeaah, but I'm not gonna ambush 'em or anything."

"...Sure. I could use a drink." He agreed. So, we were creepers together.

On the way, I confessed a small fantasy: That the bar would be nearly empty, and Doug would recognize us and call us over to sit with him and the others, to just talk and hang out. Stupid. It was a college town on a Saturday night. No way would the bar be empty. No way would they want to hang with some weird fans.

Well, when we parked and got out. I wasted a few minutes throwing on a shirt over my leather bodic (borrowed from my RenFest outfit). As I closed the door, Doug Walker walked past with a small group. Holy Crap! Was my fantasy about to come true???

I fell into step a few paces behind, and we all entered the pub. The very, very full pub. Doug and the others headed for the back. Bahamute and I grabbed a table a few seats away. My heart sunk. No fantasy becoming reality today. We ordered our drinks and got ready to head out. I went to the restroom, nearly slipping on the wooden floor behind Doug.

'Perfect. Fall and break your leg in front of The Nostalgia Critic and LittleKuriboh. That'd be a really shitty end to the day.' I made it to the bathroom, admittedly a little buzzed, and headed out a few minutes later. Passing back by Doug, my mind flashed to a scene in Hannibal where Lecter is on a Merry-Go-Round behind Starling. He reaches out and barely brushes her hair. She turns, but he's already gone, and she's not sure he was even there.

'You could do that.' A devilish little voice whispered as I saw Dough's thinning, short hair.

Then, the voice of reason perked up 'Okay, you just crossed the line from fan to stalker. TIME TO GO.'

And go I did, leaving Doug Walker unmolested, and not landing myself in jail. All in all, a good day.

SuperWhoLock: What the Hell?

I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I've read all the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I own them as well, I was a big fan of House, I love the Robert Downey Jr. movies, Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, and of course, THIS:

As a fan of the BBC Sherlock, I follow several blogs on Tumblr that specialize in Sherlock-related posts. The only odd thing is that at least 50% of them also frequently post Dr.Who and Supernatural (the show, not the basic phenomenon) stuff. And what's more, they frequently cross the three over into one ubermench show.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate either of these shows. I've just never seen them. I just don't get why people want to combine the three. Dr. Who and Sherlock, okay, both British, both Stephen Moffat. But how the hell does Supernatural fit in there?

This is akin to making Superman fight Wolverine and Paul Chadwick's Concrete. Two are superheros from two separate universes that have existed for decades and share a basic fandom. One is a LITERAL Dark Horse that was abducted by aliens, put into an artificial body, and lives in an otherwise normal world and just happens to be a graphic novel. In other words, zero connection outside medium.

Though he does seem a bit like The Thing, I'll give you that.

So, why put these three radically different shows together? Just because teen girls to twenty somethings enjoy all of them? That argument never made the Buffy, Sex in the City, and Sailor Moon crossover popular, did it?

Wait, gotta check Google.

Okay, nope. We're good.

So...it's just weird. And as someone who tries to shine a light into the deep recesses of nerd-dom and report back, I may have to start watching these shows and get an idea of why people think they'd mesh well.

Right after Series 4 comes out. Heh.

People are Dying to get out

I just found out that they went through 4 people in a year in my position at work.

Eep.

Now, it's not an easy job. There's a LOT to learn, especially about how to properly document things. Last night I was at work for an extra hour and a half (paid) putting in a late contract. I had no plans, so I was just very tired and hungry when I got home.

But I learned how to do it properly.

Today is my day off. Sucks because it's the only day this week Bahamute works for sure (he got called in last night, and was gone before I got home).

All in all, still really excited about the job. But tired. But hopeful.

Also, small side note, I LEARNED HOW TO USE A WORD PROCESSOR. It's awesome. I might get to type up death certificates!

In other news, going to go spend an hour on the phone so I can prove I'm me and get healthcare. Yaaaaay.

Achievement Unlocked: First Week at New Job Completed!

So, it's official: I work at several local funeral homes.

And it is kinda awesome.

For those of you who regularly read my blog, you'll know I was out of work for about two months prior to this, so even a part time job is a step up. Now, I find myself an office Manager for a small funeral home literally TWO MINUTES from my house (and a fill in for two others,slightly farther away).



As for the actual job, let me answer your big questions:

NO, I don't do anything with bodies. It takes years of training to do anything with them. The closest I've come to a body was going down to the supply room, which is next to where they store/work on bodies. Perhaps slightly creepy, but it doesn't bother me.

YES, part of my job is working funeral services, if they need me. This will involve showing people where to hang up coats, and answering simple questions. More like being a hostess than anything yes.

NO, it's not creepy. My office is upstairs, and used to be a house. It has PLUS PINK CARPET for Pete's sake!

Pictured: Office Cuteness Level

So, what do I actually do, you ask. Well, A LOT. I take payments, enter payments, enter bills, put in contract info/change contract info, take checks to the banks, do the mail, and about a hundred other things for which I'm training on the computer. So, general office manager stuff, with a VERY sharp learning curve. My supervisor says I'm doing really well, but at the end of some days I can't even think straight. I feel kinda dumb.

But not this dumb.

The people are all really nice, and very upbeat. No dour old undertakes in my offices. One of the Funeral Directors, let's call him Art, is about my age, and pretty much the least serious individual I've ever met. It took me aback, but they're all dead professional (ha ha, pun) with the families.

A few little oddities have abounded. I'm apparently the only one with an English degree (not surprising, it's not field related), but have not become known for using big words that have to be explained. Words like 'Preemptive' and 'Jubilant'.  I'm also the comma and apostrophe editor, and have been asked about minor wording issues on service materials, like obituaries and programs.

All in all, I like the job, but I wish I could go six months into the future and pluck all the knowledge and experience out of my head, and bring it back here. I understand how to do things: now just comes memorization.

On an unrelated topic, pretty sure the house ghost/presence is acting up again, as a music box that quite literally hasn't been touched in years went off while Bahamute and I played Minecraft last night (among other things). Cheers!

And sweet dreams.

Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared (of the internet)

Some of you may not be familiar with the puppetry phenomenon taking the internet by storm. If not, check out these two videos. Warning, they are CREEPY and a bit gory. Probably not safe for work, depending on if your boss is around or not.

Go ahead, watch 'em. I'll wait, and they're less than 8 minutes put together.

 The two videos are very interesting, and personal favorites of mine. Childlike whimsy mixed with puppets and creepiness: sign me up!

Of course, with popularity, comes fandom. And with fandom, comes people  who will recreate your characters in their own image. Just have a look at some of the art the two DHMIS's has inspired.


(From this artist)

Yep, that's the notepad and the clock. One artist on Tumblr drew humanized versions of the characters, and now the fandom has exploded with art.

And cue the ridiculous hate storm.

On Tumblr (the source of most of the art) people are complaining about the drawings. 'Why is it a herto couple?' 'Why do they 'look white'?' 'Why is their only one set design?'

These are drawings created by a fan that other people recreated of INHUMAN (but not inanimate) objects.  And other fans are offended by this. Instead of creating their own designs, they're just bitching and complaining. Kind of a microcosm of actual societal problems.

By the way, the puppets are voiced by a woman and man, respectively, which is why they are drawn that way.

For my part, I'm just boggled by the depth and creativity of some of these things. And for the record, there needs to be more art of the Red Guy (nicknamed Harry by the fans for obvious reasons). He's become an unofficial mascot of being done with weird stuff.

 



(the artist)

(this artist)

(original post)






So, you can understand why I might identify with Red.

The (Job) Hunter Games: The first Day is Nigh

Monday I officially start my new job at a local funeral home. Extremely local. Literally 2 minutes from my home (unless I'm at one of the other two locations). And not a bit two soon. My greenback stack is getting kinda slack, to borrow a Flanders-ism.

Wise words.

So, what does this mean for the future? Well, my free time will be back to pre-unemployment levels, and I'm okay with that. Just the prospect of getting a job got me working on my manuscripts and Wedding stuff. So actually having less time will make me more motivated. Or so the past has shown.

Other than that...Well, I don't know yet. I'll know more after Monday; how things work, what I'm expected to do daily, all that good stuff. I'm super excited.

In other news, I'm in day five of the week long separation from my fiancee, AKA his Florida vacation. In coming years when my employment situation is solid, I'll be able to join him. For now, just slogging through the last few cold days. At least I've been busy addressing invitation. Super fun.

Well, gotta go: I'm heading out for a brief visit with an apparently adorable bulldog. :D PUPPY!

Just a quickie

As I'm getting ready to go fill in paperwork for my new job, this blog will just be a quickie. But here are some things I'll cover in the future (and soon, Job, weather, and writing permitting):

Tumblr: I'm hooked. More on the story as it develops.

Sherlock Series 3: Waiting for the apparently trauma-inducing 'His Last Vow' to air before writing this.

Insidious 2: I don't own it yet, but I will soon. Review to follow.

Life and death and money: once I've worked a shift or two at the funeral homes, I'll have more info.

Teaching acting: Gonna propose this as a side job to a local theater owner I have an in with. Much discussion of business plans and models and tax codes and curriculum to follow. If I can make it interesting.

And about a thousand other things. Lately, my creative side has bounced back big-time. Guess I need the pressure of knowing I have a job and structured times where I can or cannot write and be creative. But until then, I'm sorry for the lack of real blogs and updates.

Well, gotta go put my face on and edit another manuscript chapter. Ahh, manic stages. Eases the pain.

Polar Vortex

I hate being cold.

Now, for those who know me, this will come as no surprise. I'm usually the one shivering, and trying to go inside when everyone else is enjoying their second (or first) hand smoke.

Which is not to say I don't enjoy winter, or snow, or things that come with being cold. It's mostly about shivering in a friend's house who prefers a cooler temperature, or mine where we're trying to save money. I generally find it easier to cool down than to warm up. I'll take being overheated any day.

Cue the POLAR VORTEX currently bearing down on us. 

Nope, I didn't make up the term. That is an honest-to-God (psuedo)scientific name for what the hell's going on in Canada and the Midwest USA. I've seen it on several website, and every time I've mentioned it, I've been accused of making it up. I'm flattered, but nothing I've made up is that good. Although the phrase 'The Netflix' is catching on among my friends.

But I digress.

Yesterday, Bahamute and I braved the crowds and went to Meijer for supplies, should the power fail. My future brother in law Grizz, a Kroger employee, has warned us in the past that storms make people crazy, and that everyone buys milk. Well, we needed milk, so to the back of the store we went, expecting the worst.

One hour later we left with milk, salt, Duraflame logs, and a tentative respect for our fellow man. Yes, it had been busy beyond belief, but nobody was shouting, or pushing, or complaining about long lines as far as we heard. There were a lot of  'pleases' and 'thank yous' and 'excuse mes' going about. It was nice that everyone realized the storm was the cause of the massive crowd, and that being a jerk wouldn't help anything.

However, I don't envy anyone who has to shop today, or even leave their house. Bahamute has a shift at GameStop in two hours, which will probably be slow beyond reason. That or a storm-maddened crowd will take the place over. Extremes are fun!

EXTREME!

My new job starts later this week, so the worst will be over by the time I have to leave the comfort of my green bloggin' chair. So to those of you who have to brave the cold: Godspeed.