Wrapped Up Like a Blog

The latest book from Michael Chabon, Manhood for Amateurs, is yet another non-fiction entry by the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. It represent a collection of his personal essays from such magazines as Details and Vogue as well as a few previously unpublished pieces.

Chabon is best known for his fiction. He burst on the scene as a young writer with The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and went on to write Wonder Boys, The Yiddish Policeman's Union, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

The topics covered in the book range from dating, to marriage, from having babies to raising them into small adults. Chabon opens up his life and his emotions to scrutiny with raw and truthful musings on the role of a man as husband, father, lover and writer.

The results are mixed. Some of the pieces show Chabon's trademark humor and insight, such as his thoughts on whether or not a child should be circumcised, or a poignant story of his youth, trying yet failing to connect with other awkward and geeky children. Other stories fall flat, as a discussion of obsessive compulsive disorder or the benefits of an MFA writing program.

But whether or not the reader can connect with these stories, each one is an open and honest look into the life and soul of one of America's greatest authors. And Chabon imbues each story with turns of phrase and imagery that are creative and familiar at the same time. While a bit of a mixed bag, the book contains many memorable and thought provoking looks into the mind of an author, husband and father.

The ninth hour of Lost's sixth and final season gave the viewers something that had been hoping to see for an eternity- or at least since season three of the show. The episode Ab Aeterno was an origin story of sorts, depicting how simple farmer Ricardo became the eternal man of mystery, Richard Alpert.



But before getting to the meat of Richard's story, the viewers got a little extra gravy on a scene from the season five finale, featuring the almost-as-mysterious Ilana. The scene extension showed the viewers that she was, indeed, tasked to protect the 6 remaining candidates and that she should seek advice from...

Ricardus, who was once known as Ricardo, a farmer from the Canary Islands, trying to learn English so he and his wife could make a new life in a New World. But, in trying to save the love of his life, Ricardo seeks the aid of a doctor, who becomes the first in a long line of authority figures to use and abuse the poor farmer when he refuses to sell Ricardo the medicine his wife needs.

After Ricardo commits manslaughter- and is still unable to save his wife- he is sentenced to die. A corrupt priest, who refuses to absolve Ricardo of his sins, sells the poor man into slavery for a few pieces of coin. Ricardo ends up, of course, chained in the depths of the Black Rock, which washes up on LOST island, smashing the four-toed statue in the process.

Then Ricardo sees first hand the cruelty of yet another authority figure, when an officer on the ship kills the other slaves in the cargo hold- only to be himself slaughtered by a mysterious cloud of black smoke. Ricardo then tries his best to escape his bonds, but finds his attempts futile. A visit from his dead wife convinces him that he is in hell, so when the Man in Black arrives with a promise of salvation, Ricardo is more than willing to kill the devil.

Except... he realizes that killing is what got him into this predicament in the first place. Nevertheless, when the Man in Black gives him a knife and points him toward the Devil, Ricardo is willing to do what it takes in order to see his wife again. But when he tries to kill this 'devil', who is better known as Jacob, Ricardo realizes he needs to live, and convinces the powerful Jacob that the only thing a good person must do in order for evil to win is nothing.

And this is the story of how Ricardo became Richard Alpert, mouthpiece of Jacob and advisor to the leader of the island inhabitants. But it takes Hurley and a message from beyond to restore Richard's faith, and now he seems poised to fulfill his ultimate role in Jacob's drama- whatever that may be...

The Wild Cards universe has been around for a quarter of a century, and has taken a long hiatus or two in the process. Because of this, there's no reason to suspect that any new Wild Cards novels could be of any value whatsoever. But of course, leave it to this group of talented writers to prove that assumption dead wrong.

Suicide Kings, which marks the twentieth Wild Cards novel, is the third and final chapter in the latest trilogy that began with Inside Straight and continued into Busted Flush. Once again, there is a mix of old and new characters starring in the novel, written by new and classic Wild Cards authors.

The point of view characters in this mosaic novel do offer some surprises. Curveball and Drummer Boy are nowhere to be found, but Gardener is a featured character, for example. But the show is stolen by Rustbelt, whose naivete and dedication shine through as a nice contrast to most of the other Wild Cards characters of note. And Jonathan Hive continues his transformation from self-centered blogger to something far more, all the while engrossed in one of the strangest love-triangles of all time.

Classic characters make their presence felt as well, as Mark Meadows's alter-ego, the Radical, looms as a huge presence in the novel, and the past and psyche of the world's last hippie are explored in surprising ways. Also, a scene with Popinjay hopefully foreshadows a fascinating direction for one of the main characters.

There is action, romance and mystery, as with any good Wild Cards novel, but, perhaps most satisfying of all, the book has a strong resonance and social awareness. The plight of child soldiers in our real world Africa is echoed in the super-powered sci-fi universe of Wild Cards, and the reader cannot help but be moved and intrigued to learn more about this horrific situation. The series has always tackled issues of politics and prejudice, and does a nice job presenting the situation without becoming too preachy.

The biggest drawback to the book may be its inaccessibility to a reader who is not familiar with the previous two books (or the previous 19 to a certain extent), but for long-time fans, the novel offers a high level of satisfaction. And with more Wild Cards books announced for the near future, it seems to be a Wild Cards Renaissance.

The urban fantasy genre is very popular these days, considering the multi-media success of such franchises as Charlaine Harris' Souther Vampire Series (see on HBO as True Blood), and such Young Adult fair as the Vampire Diaries and the Twilight saga. For the most part, these series thrive on melodrama and have little in the way of humor, as is fairly common for many entries in the contemporary paranormal genre. But one series stands out for its humor and accessible lead character: the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.

Kitty Norville was an ordinary late night radio host until she was stricken with lycanthrope, thrusting her against her will into an unfamiliar world. Over the course of seven novels in the seires, Kitty has adjusted to her new lot in life, making a name for herself on the airwaves- and in the annals of history. She has found friendship, love and danger, and through it all, she maintains a realistic personality and even a sense of humor.

The seventh book in the series, Kitty's House of Horrors, finds Kitty reluctantly agreeing to take part in a Supernatural reality series- kind of a Real World meets the Unreal world. She ends up in a secluded cabin in the Montana woods with other supernatural types (and one skeptic), some of whom are familiar to readers of the series, some of whom are brand new characters (including a were-seal!)

Vaughn had used the framework of a reality show before, in writing for the mosaic novel series Wild Cards, which depicted a group of super-powered individuals competing on television to become the next American Hero. The device works well here, also, playing with certain staples of the TV genre as seen through a paranormal light, as Kitty herself comments on these cliches. Of course, something goes wrong, as usually happens to this protagonist, and the show becomes something out of an Agatha Christie story instead of an episode of Survivor (though watching that show's host after reading this novel will be a completely different experience).

The book works well as a part of the series- long-term plots are advanced, and a certain fan favorite character seems poised to return- as well as a standalone novel. Kitty's personality meshes well with the vampires, psychics and other supernatural beings she is paired with, and her relationship with her mate is tested by their distance and the danger she faces. The book is packed with excitement and danger as well, with a few dashes of genuine, character-based humor to keep things light. All in all, one of the best entries in the Kitty Norville saga, and one of the best series on the Urban Fantasy Market today.

“When you’ve been around as long as I have, you’ve done just about everything at least twice.”



Centuries ago, Misty Johnson, Supernatural…er,…Dick, was cursed with near immortality when a black magic spell she and a friend were casting backfired…and the supernatural realm has regretted it ever since. A near millennium full of battling paranormal nasties, saving helpless victims, and trying to stay up with the latest cultural niceties, Misty has put her experiences to good use. With the help of her trusty partner, Drew Chance, the two take on the magical underbelly of Washington D.C. as they investigate crimes that no one else can handle.



From shady Senators to sneaky shape shifters, from a ninja made of clay to a vampire afraid of his own shadow…Misty Johnson navigates the nation’s capital, all the while seeking to uncover the truth for her clients—and for herself. An unnatural life span. A timeless mission. A woman like no other. Just don’t call her a detective.

Just a short welcome message to start. This is my first blog, and I'm not entirely sure what form it will take over the coming months. I hope to post reviews of books, movies and television shows, as well as witty social commentary (guaranteed). Stay tuned for my first post in the next day or so, and thanks for reading!