rhivolution | (no subject)

This post sort of starts in medias res because I can't figure out how to start it otherwise: I managed to be a responsible adult last week in epic ways, before starting to come down with a cold the day after. It whinged for a while as my body threw things at it, but then I ended up so poorly early this week I had to take a sick day for the first time in two years. (Oddly enough, I was also sick, though with GI issues, in early April 2012...idek.)

So this week has pretty much been a wash. Shit has not got done outwith work. And here we are in April and Easter is next week and the US in a month or so and I am thirty... ~~cue existential crisis~~

A few things I know for sure, though.

I've not seen Winter Soldier so I feel a bit left out, but carry on squeefully!

I will be at Wiscon on the Friday so make your plans accordingly? (insert Sally Field moment here with not understanding why people like me so damn much.*) I need to vid for this omg, but my idea involves going through a ton of canon which is causing much anxiety.

In a similar vein, I finally am reading through the copy of the Year's Best SF that I picked up before going to Birmingham (2009, so this'd be YBSF 2008?) and now I remember why I stopped reading SF indiscriminately. Not just because of the obvious fail, but also the more insidious things...for example, I feel like I want someone to talk with about Ian McDonald and why his work creeps me out so much. Also, it's helped me realise that I made the right choice in not touching Bacigalupi's work. (Conceptually the protagonist's work and workplace in that story is a fantastic concept that rings stunningly true to today's social media and pageclick driven journalism. But that's negated and buried under the amount of sideeye I have to do because it's just...)

so many white dudes in this omg thank fuck there's at least an Aliette de Bodard story near the end and I think Nancy Kress is in it somewhere

This is part of my project to read more, and while it's not failing, I need to push myself a little harder, I think. Or track what I read over lunch better, because I don't tweet about what I don't find amazing.

I...have run out of steam thanks to exhaustion. Ask me things, instead, maybe?

* To deconstruct this, I think this is a combination of imposter syndrome and the fact that at school/work (e.g. social situations where the group is not self-selected) I have always been deemed 'pleasantly quirky' at best and 'wtf' at worst. Therefore I believe the negatives because I am a goddamn cynic.

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God, I'm so conflicted about Bacigalupi. There's so much in his stuff that I frankly enjoy, and I've actually assigned that story in one of my intro classes, but at the same time... yeeeeeah. I guess for me the side-eye just doesn't entirely overwhelm for whatever reason.

I'm getting into Madison on Friday, though I don't yet know when. Probably early. Have a panel on fic at midnight but otherwise wide open if you want to collide at some point.

I keep trying to articulate what bugs me about him. He's a good writer and storyteller, but in "The Gambler", I think what got me was that the characters were all such tropes--which can be done, but as he's a white dude writing from the first person standpoint of an an Asian immigrant to the US, it made me itchy. (Also I'm fond of Thoreau and found that aspect a little oversimplified, but that's minor.) Also, that he just sorta screwed over Laos in his worldbuilding for the sake of his story having meaning...idek.

Which, as I said, is a real damn shame, because there are some very good IDEAS in it, and I can see why you assigned it from that perspective. AUGH.

I would definitely like to meet up if you would like to!

Yeah I have stopped reading scifi indiscriminately for much the same reason. I had better luck with Steampowered 2, a collection of f/f steampunk stories, though then I was reminded that I don't actually like short stories much.

I used to not like them, but I've recently (last few years) developed a taste for the form. I'm not sure how or why!

Tell me about spring in Scotland! Is it lovely?

Tell me about one adventure you have planned for being 30! (I liked 30, for what it's worth... just think how much wiser you're getting as you get older!)

Sorry if those aren't terribly interesting questions; I just came home from a concert and three hours of singing has wiped me out!

I must say that my 30s were really the best years to date, far better than my 20s. Got to skip a bunch of the crap that comes with emerging from the teens, which seemed to last much longer than you'd think.

Yeah, still haven't read anything by that Paolo B fellow. Life's too short.

Yay, you're coming to WisCon!

That is very much true! Though I still have some teen legacies...zits, for a start.

Hope to see you there!

Heh, no, at least not here and not this year! At the moment it is mostly grey and about 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit every day, with periodic rain. (I should note that it's been like this since late February, same temp, same grey, and that it didn't get really cold this winter, so it feels like we've had grey with rain for about six months.) It's great for the green things, which are coming out, but the actual decent part of spring is probably a month or so off.

I honestly don't have any adventures planned. Going to America next month is about as exciting as I get outside my imagination!

Hey, travel should be fun, I hope! Enjoy Wiscon!

Thanks! Sorry, I was feeling a bit cynical at the time I replied, I blame this cold.

Lord, well, you're surely allowed to be cynical now and again!

Psst, I would very much like to see you while we're both in Madison! I know it's a pretty busy/tricky-to-plan time; should we just wait and see how things go? I'm arriving Thursday.

<3

Aye, and it's not helped by my having a UK cell phone and therefore being costly to text! I would adore seeing you so definitely if you can shave a bit of time for me?

I am absolutely certain I can make time for you. :) Just let me know what you think your availability might be, whenever? (Email is nearly as good as texting on my end, also, so.)

Joy of joys, I will have moved the week before Wiscon! Yay for a more open schedule and possibly a less stressed Reg. Frankly, I'm just glad for the actual chance to see you. :)

Yayyyyyyy moved Reg will be moved! I will be in MKE for about a week and a half prior to that weekend anyway, and I'm thinking about renting a car, so...very likely I could trek over maybe at some point prior to the con or you could trek over or something.

That would work for me either way. A sow's ear visit is still an option if you decide to make the trek out here. I'm not sure what my post moving budget's gonna look like yet, but I'll let you know as I get closer to having crap figured out. :)

I have seen Winter Soldier and enjoyed it! It's basically the Steve and Natasha buddy cop show occasionally featuring the titular character when... they actually remember to have him show up ;)

I have to catch up with some books so we can talk about them!

Yes! But do tell me what you are reading as otherwise I very well may NOT have read them with all my failing at reading these days.

I've been slowly devouring Marvel Comics, sniffle. I was recently recommended Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves? It's along the same genre as WTNV.

Hmmm, if they have it in the library here I may need to have a nosy.

Hey, so it's WisCon week! \o/ I cannot seem to find your email. /o\ Would you be able to drop me an email re: possibly hanging out on friday? chris@wrdnrd.net I'm on a 4pm panel, but should be available by 5:30. There's another panel i want to attend at 9pm. In between is currently wide open, if you're also available. If you're already booked, sadness! But understandable -- no worries at all! It's WisCon, and this is just how things go.

Edited (wrong dang icon!!) 2014-05-20 07:01 (UTC)