Moving meatballs/pictures. Don't judge a book by its cover!

Until Christmas a few years ago I had absolutely no idea about Terry Pratchett or his books only that they had busy, grotesque, knobbly and bulgy figures in gaudy colours tumbling about their covers. I found those covers by Josh Kirby (R.I.P.) off putting, suggesting baudy fantasy stories and thus had no interest in reading them. Pratchett purists and of course Pratchett himself seems to adore Kirby's illustrations but for me they show Kirby's 1970s fantasy and sci-fi roots. That is an aquired taste and it can be polarising - you tend to either love or loathe it. I don't deny the skill and technique that went into these pieces. They're just not appealing to me...

 ... unlike Spanish meatballs with aioli! I had these two items sitting on my desk today:



 One thing led to another - with bit of half a**ed, crappy Photoshopping you've got a delicious meatball troll and, as it turns out, a blog post:
 

Then one Christmas there was a curious telemovie and it made me laugh: Hogfather. I had also read Good Omens by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman which made reading on the train a little awkward but fun because I barely stifled my chuckles. Although I'd read most of Gaiman's Sandman series it was only after reading more Gaiman paperbacks that I realised the humour must have come from Pratchett. I have since grown to adore his work, and can see how he has honed his skill over time.

When reading Pratchett's books I choose the softly coloured, beautiful new covers by Paul Kidby over the old - though I hasten to add I'm happy to get my hands on a book irrespective of cover. These and the teleseries really capture the essence of  Pratchett's work for a new generation. The steampunk flavour of Going Postal was wonderful, the story excellent, the casting and thus acting - loved David Suchet - superb making it my favourite telemovie so far. I will always imagine the Patrician, Lord Vetinari as Charles Dance now.

A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells

If you have enjoying Wells' other works you may well find this to be a disappointment. An especially inappropriate book to introduce a H.G. curious, new reader. Wells is a fine novelist but A Modern Utopia is an essay/novel hybrid which doesn't work. Wells often introduces his books with great humility and self deprecation. I've learnt to take that with a pinch of salt because I have seldom found his works wanting. However in this case it's justified. I tried to finish it, resorting to skimming but it was still too much effort for what little reward I received. He should have written an essay without a narrative - at least then the unfortunate sci-fi reader would know that they are not in for an adventure. For the philosophical reader who is stimulated by theories about what might make a modern Utopia this could be a very interesting book. I am the aformentioned reader.

Ricky Swallow: Field Recordings, by Justin Paton.

Ricky Swallow: Field Recordings
By Justin Paton
Published by Craftsman House

One of the reasons I haven't read many art books is because I feel that art is for looking at not writing about. As an artist I am loath to write too much about my own artwork because I’d like the artwork to speak for itself regardless of the inspiration and backstory of it. The other reason I have an aversion to reading and writing such statements - and some art criticism - is that it’s often gibberish infused wankery and I want no part of that. Galleries, critics and educational institutions seem to insist that words about art must contain a higher than average percentage of polysyllabic words within a set artistic vernacular. Artists are encouraged to talk up works without it being evident of having put quite as much thought into their execution, perhaps to make up for lack of technique or complexity in the final work.

The reality is that artists do need words to convey the depth of their ideas and allow their audience to get the most out of their art appreciation. Perhaps if artists were allowed to say exactly what they believe their artwork is about or what they were inspired by, instead of what is expected of them the whole process would be simplified. For an artist a skull is a really interesting shape ... which happens to be a universal symbol of our mortality and commonality as humans. By saying little about his work, and leaving it up to the viewer to interpret, Ricky Swallow allows his work to be appreciated in its own right.

I purchased this publication at the most recent, major retrospective of Swallow’s art , 'The Bricoleur' at the National Gallery of Victoria, at Federation Square aka NGV Fed Square. There were a number of tethered books in a little reading room that viewers could peruse at their leisure. I spent a few minutes with this one before deciding I’d like to own and read it in full.

I’ve been an admirer of Swallow’s sculptures since seeing a series of his turntables on a window sill back in 1999, following his career ever since. As an artist his skill, use of small scale, craftsmanship and discipline has been an inspiration to me. It was good to hear some of his artistic philosophy, which I strongly identify with. Swallow believes that if you want your audience to spend time looking at your art, then you need to spend a certain amount of time creating it.

The focus of this book is Swallow’s technically refined, unforgettable, world class sculptures, while skimming over his watercolours which are unremarkable by comparison. For some works I can’t help but feel that Swallow savoured the artistic challenge and time needed to carve in wood - particularly something complex in form - or the paradox of recreating something soft in a hard material. There has been a consistent, underlying irony, in his choice of materials.

Without quotes from the artist to confirm, I am unconvinced the bulk of meaningful descriptions of the artworks featured are what the artist intended - rather than a writer’s interpretation of what they could mean. Some of this is the expected dietary art wank fibre but nonetheless, fairly digestible from beginning to end offering further insight into Swallow’s art than may be gleaned by simply viewing it. The writer's interpretations provide food for thought, and that is where the value of reading about art comes into play, and why this is a worthy book.

Amazing Rare Things.

Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery
by Martin Clayton, Susan Owens, Rea Alexandratos, David Attenborough, soft cover edition

Prior to this I read Eaten by a Giant Clam by Joseph Cummings, which proved to be quite a good companion text.

In some ways you can judge this book by its cover; there are some equally gorgeous illustrations inside; David Attenborough's contributions are insightful; it's too small in format to be an art book. Visually it's an appetiser rather than the meal its title promises to be. The text makes up the bulk of the book providing background to some illustrations whilst directly referring to others. It's the referencing that is let down by the format size. Smaller pages means more pages of text between illustrations. Being the diligent reader I am, I endeavoured to view each referenced illustration to give it context which made my progress through the book slow and something of an effort. I strongly feel this book would be a better read if the pages were bigger so that not only could you get more text to a page but the highly detailed illustrations could be better appreciated.

An interesting read and beautifully illustrated but any subsequent editions should be in a larger format.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

In a nutshell: STFU about the fish and get on with the adventure.

The plot when there was plot was rivetting, and Verne's occasional comic relief through both Conseil and Ned Land was entertaining as well. I'm told that comprehensive detailing of the science in SF is characteristic of the period. If it were published today it would probably be half as long because as a modern reader that is tiresome and we like to be entertained by the non-fiction aspect don't we? The modern reader has access to books, journals like New Scientist, the internet if he/she desires to learn more. We don't need that level of detail. There is extensive discussion of maritime history, geography, specifics of longtitude and latitude, physics and waaay too much coverage of every single fish and lifeform encountered.

This reader understands that the narrator is a marine biologist but is this text written for the benefit of fellow scientists? The use of scientific names only in some cases was particularly annoying! The text would be at least a quarter if not a third as long if these piscine descriptions were pared back to the essentials.

The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells

Despite Wells' modesty about glossing over the science with fiction (namely Cavorite) in The First Men in The Moon, I found it to be one of his most scientific pieces so far. His explanation of defying Earth's gravity, how life forms might evolve in the absence of earthly gravity, and how humans might find moving about on the moon then returning to earth were all scientifically plausible if not accurate. Well's background in natural science is highly evident in his descriptions of lunar vegetation, its habits, and in particular its growth cycle.

None of this is to say that the science overwhelms the story for indeed it does not. True to form this is as rollicking a Victorian adventure as any Wells has written. Woven throughout the book is a philosophic pondering on the often exploitative and violent nature of humans. Allowing the audience to read the story from the two characters' viewpoints in two, carefully spliced sections of the book adds a clever twist to what could otherwise have been an anti-climatic ending.

William Gibson's Neuromancer

While reading it: Really geeky and obviously written by a man. I didn't really get into it at all until halfway through. I found the pace to be a bit slow and at times staccato. In particular the sentences describing cyberspace are jumbled and completely lacking in grammar. It sounds as if he's trying to be profound when it's just confusing. A lot of the time it is too vague as to what the characters are actually doing. They are unsympathetic, I don't care what happens to them. I'm not even sure what they are supposed to be doing to be honest. It's just not clear enough.

This style of writing doesn't do it for me. It feels like a chore to read it but I'm going to finish it. I can't imagine what it would have been like to read this book before The Matrix* existed as a movie but it must have been even more disjointed.Somewhat interesting in terms of the hypothetical technology from a historical viewpoint. Frankly that isn't enough to make me recommend it as a novel. Déjà vu dear readers?**

Finished: I want the time it took me to read this muddle back! It is overly elaborate in descriptions without any clarity or explanation. In the last three or four chapters I decided to skim it I was that fed up and figured it wouldn't make it any less clear. In the end it felt a little pointless.

The emperor has no clothes nor does he hack the Gibson. My opinion remains unchanged see above. I just checked on Amazon and I'm not the only one who feels this way about this book. Apparently Gibson has done better according to reviews there.


*very loosely based on the ideas in this book.
**Choose the Jules Verne instead, the plot is clearer!

I <3 H.G. Wells

Listening to: Anarchy by KMFDM from Symbols.

Recently I have been endeavouring to devour the classics of sci-fi since it is a genre which interests me particularly as a dabbler in steam punk. So far H.G. Wells is my favourite. His writing style is clear and accessible without spoon feeding it to the reader. I like the way he makes the reader think about the moral, philosophical and scientific possibilities evoked within his stories.

The Island of Dr Moreau
From the first page I found it to be page turner. That teamed with being a novella makes it an extra quick read. It's quite visceral, horrific and violent at times. Wells questions what it is to be human or beast, and the merits of each. Nature versus nurture is explored as well as scientists playing God.

The Time Machine
A very thought provoking hypothetical on the eventual state of humanity, the progress of civilisation and industry, and what that could mean for our evolution. The inspiration from Darwin's The Origin of the Species is very strong in this novella - more so than The Island of Dr Moreau. I found my thoughts wandering a few times in a good way because it got me thinking 'What if?'

Paris in the 20th Century by Jules Verne: Reviewed

Listening to: Dressed in Black, by Depeche Mode, from Black Celebration

Background and other reviews here for you if you feel the following review you are about to read is ignorant or blasphemous to the history of sci-fi. I formulated this opinion on my own prior to seeing any other reviews - apart from the glowing ones on the book cover of course - and I feel validated that I'm not the only one to think this way.

In a nutshell: this sci-fi novel was published posthumously and his editor rejected it originally.

There's a reason why his editor originally rejected this forgotten manuscript and I hardly think it was because of the sci-fi technology being beyond its time, especially given that Verne is known for his sci-fi. I think that's just spin from the publishers. I don't think it was the dystopia either although that was highly unusual for the period. The reason is because this is bloody BORING!

Yes there are some startlingly accurate predictions as to technology's progress a hundred years into the future. Verne knows his stuff and is insightful.

An extreme form of feminism is predicted with women being so like men there is no point in them being women any more. It's certainly a dystopian outlook in keeping with the rest of the novel. However the idea of women being replaced with air compressors (WTF?) in human reproduction is VERY far off the mark. I'm guessing biology isn't one of Verne's scientific strengths but rather physics, chemistry and engineering.

There are dull descriptions about some of the organisations and what they do or rather don't do and how they control society in general, the history behind their formation.

There are ridiculously detailed, measured descriptions of things that aren't that pertinent to the story but have been included anyway eg exactly how many centimetres deep a particular body of water froze because the winter was so cold etc etc. I don't care, why are you telling me this?!

One chapter is a flimsy history of French writers in some rather pointless 'dialogue'. If I wanted to read about the history of pre-Victorian French authors I would borrow a book on the subject. The characters' dialogue in general is unbelievably flamboyant. This may or may not be due to the translator's hand.

The protagonist from quite early on is obviously a loser, not a survivor. I had hoped with the friends he made and his desire to pursue art over industry that he would start some sort of small revolution but he was too foolish for anything so clever. His pathetic attempts to move up in the world were so ignorant, they were obviously going to fail so they elicited no sympathy from me. I always feel cheated when the protagonist of a story is not just an anti-hero but a fool who should have seen it coming and could have stopped it if he had a backbone.

At first I felt some empathy with the idea that he and other artists are not appreciated. They want to create and have no choice but to work for money while their soul longs for something better. I could believe that 100 years into the future, Art is squashed out of existence by commerce. I can see how that could happen.

On the whole this felt unedited. You could probably fill only 3 or 4 chapters with the actual story. So much of the rest is superfluous.

Other reviewers have said there is little plot and this should be read and recommended as a historical piece, a remarkable prediction of the future. Perhaps that would have aided my appreciation, and allowed me to recommend this book which I do not: at least as a novel.

In spite of all this I do intend to read at least one of his better known works since at least they were edited. Jules Verne is famous for a reason after all and other reviewers agree; his other works are a far better read!

Elizabeth and Mary Kirby's authorship

'The World at Home', by Mary and Elizabeth Kirby, published by T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1888 is the source for some of the vintage clippings recently shared here.

A quick bit of googling reveals:

'Elizabeth KIRBY (F: 1823 Dec 15 - 1873 Jun 23)
Steps Up The Ladder (anon) [1862]
Dame Buckle And Her Pet Johnny (anon) [1867]
The World At Home (w Mary KIRBY) [1869]
The Sea And Its Wonders (w Mary KIRBY) [1870]
Lost Cities Brought To Light (anon) [1871]
Margaret's Choice (aka: The Mistress Of The Manor) (anon) [1872]
Beautiful Birds In Far-Off Lands (w Mary KIRBY) [1872]
Humming-Birds (w Mary KIRBY) [1874]
Birds Of Gay Plumage - Birds Of Paradise (w Mary KIRBY) [1875]
Birds Of Gay Plumage - Sun Birds (w Mary KIRBY) [1875]
Aunt Martha's corner cupboard: or, Stories about tea, coffee, sugar, rice, etc. (w Gregg, Mary Kirby) [1887]
& more natural history related titles.

Ah [sigh and smirk] there's a certain innocence that's part of the Victorian age which makes the part of my mind that's quickly in the gutter, giggle. The part that loves old stuff and the way language changes, smiles and glows for being enlightened.

Clearly the Kirby sisters(?) had a shared passion for the exotic and far-off, natural history and bird-life in particular. Their work is widely considered to have made a significant, historical contribution to non-fiction literature. Various titles are available as reprints here.

I was originally going to cut up my copy of their work for making my signature surreal collages since it is falling apart and has been hand-coloured with watercolours randomly, by a previous owner rather than the publisher. Now I think I'll keep it in one piece!

* From The New General Catalog of Old Books and Authors

Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Reviewed

Haroun and the Sea of Stories
by Salman Rushdie
Illustrated by Paul Birkbeck

The hard back, large print edition I borrowed has intriguing, fantastic little pictures dotted over it, which is what initially caught my attention. The illustrations by Birkbeck throughout are beautiful and exquisitely detailed.



This well paced work needs no illustrations but they are a perfect accompaniment. They do enhance the reading experience - like a nice biscuit or three to dunk makes a well brewed cup of tea something morish! The story telling is so vivid that you may well imagine something to match Birbeck's art. He has certainly read the book since his art is true to it both overall and in detail. My only quibble with the illustrations is that a couple of the full colour, full page ones of plot events preceeded the text to accompany them - thus spoiling the surprise.

I have only heard of Salman Rushdie as a fugitive, a free speaker and an author of repute. I had not read a single one of his works until now. It is something I will definitely look into. I came to this book with fresh eyes and can see what all the fuss is about.

Finely written in the tradition of the Arabian Nights tales, this is classic, exotic, storytelling gold. A first class read, it's full of texture, magic and diversity of characters with a gentle peppering of humour for young and old. I appreciated it as a pure fantasy work separate from our world. However it does have relevant messages about freedom of speech, understanding, peace, imagination, the value of traditional culture, and the power of the people - all deftly woven with a subtle strength on a foundation established early in the book. As Haroun realises, that is the point of stories that aren't true: you are entertained and your thoughts are provoked.

Highly recommended!

Shy shark chooses flatulence

Listening to: Goodbye by Sneaky Sound System

Fact* for the day

The sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus,** is unique as a shark when it comes to regulating buoyancy. Instead of just having the high density lipid squalene***, this shark farts. It gulps then swallows air from the surface of the water. As necessary it then farts to control its position at a depth.

*Fact paraphrased from 'Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze' published by New Scientist, 2006, p53, Alexandra Osman, London UK
A fascinating book derived from the 'Last Word' page of New Scientist. It won me before I started reading it when I discovered it has a cute flick/flip book animation of a penguin down the right hand margin. I had to laugh with delight! If you enjoy this part of New Scientist - especially if you do what I sometimes do and read it before I get to the end - if you have an enquiring mind and appreciate a scientific and sometimes humourous explanation for why things are, then you will enjoy this.

**Species corrected via cross referencing Shark Info / Dr. Erich K. Ritter.

***Edited 04/02/08 Also known as shark liver oil since that is what it is. I recently read that it has been used extensively in cosmetics including lipstick (eww!). Fortunately most cosmetic manuafacturers won't be doing this anymore.