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Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings
Jorge Luis Borges, Donald A. Yates, James East Irby and Andre Maurois
Book
Jorge Luis Borges's Labyrinths is a collection of short stories and essays showcasing one of Latin...
Kim's Lifeline - Choose your story / chat stories
Games, Book and Stickers
App
Kim's Lifeline is an immersive chat stories app. Do you have the skills to survive this epic travel...
Awix (3310 KP) rated War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches in Books
Feb 3, 2020
Diverse collection of short stories all revisiting the Martian invasion of 1898 (as originally detailed by H.G. Wells). Most (but not all) of the stories are narrated by notables from the period, most (but not all) of these are famous writers: Henry James, Samuel Clemens, Rudyard Kipling, and so on. The collection kind of overlooks the implication that the Martians only actually invade southern England in Wells' novel, but then most adaptations do the same thing, and the stories here aren't even consistent with each other (the fate of Paris varies significantly in the Jules Verne and Pablo Picasso entries).
A bit of a mixed bag, to be honest: some of the stories just restage elements of Wells with a different backdrop, others treat the Martians as a backdrop for more introspective tales, still others indulge in literary pastiche. Unlikely juxtapositions and in-jokes abound - Rudyard Kipling meets Gandhi, Tolstoy meets Stalin, Samuel Clemens (d. 1910) makes reference to John Christopher (b. 1922). The best stories are mostly the ones which recognise the political/satirical subtext powering the Wells novel and attempt to do something similar - so Barbara Hambly's story concerns British imperialism in India, and the effect of the Martians on the situation there, while another looks at the consequences for pre-revolutionary Russia. That said, Connie Willis' Hugo-winning contribution sends the whole conceit of the novel up with a predictable mixture of tongue-in-cheek drollery and sheer absurd silliness, as the unlikely effect of a Martian encounter on the poetry of Emily Dickinson is revealed (especially considering Dickinson died twelve years before the coming of the Martians). The good stories are very good indeed, the less good ones merely a bit tedious. A worthy and worthwhile tribute to the original novel.
A bit of a mixed bag, to be honest: some of the stories just restage elements of Wells with a different backdrop, others treat the Martians as a backdrop for more introspective tales, still others indulge in literary pastiche. Unlikely juxtapositions and in-jokes abound - Rudyard Kipling meets Gandhi, Tolstoy meets Stalin, Samuel Clemens (d. 1910) makes reference to John Christopher (b. 1922). The best stories are mostly the ones which recognise the political/satirical subtext powering the Wells novel and attempt to do something similar - so Barbara Hambly's story concerns British imperialism in India, and the effect of the Martians on the situation there, while another looks at the consequences for pre-revolutionary Russia. That said, Connie Willis' Hugo-winning contribution sends the whole conceit of the novel up with a predictable mixture of tongue-in-cheek drollery and sheer absurd silliness, as the unlikely effect of a Martian encounter on the poetry of Emily Dickinson is revealed (especially considering Dickinson died twelve years before the coming of the Martians). The good stories are very good indeed, the less good ones merely a bit tedious. A worthy and worthwhile tribute to the original novel.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Tenth of December in Books
Nov 21, 2017
Dark, disturbing and satirical
This collection of short stories cannot be pigeon-holed. In this oddly disjointed, surreal collection, the underlying issues in modern American culture are loudly explored. George Saunders' breathless writing style floods over terrible realities and hard truths, leaving the reader gasping in its wake.
Tenth of December handles its running themes in a poignant, individual and certainly irreverent way. Narcissistic ideas of charity stems from trivial competition, while sheer denial is shown in the face of true poverty. Generations breed generations, passing on corrupted ideals and traumatic examples. Paedophilia, racism, poverty: nothing is safe from these chastising, powerful stories.
Saunders leaves an expunged, brutally telling view of the American dream. In his futuristic imaginings, he exaggerates the failings of Western consumerism, yet ultimately his message is clear: When one tries to have it all, they're left with nothing.
Tenth of December handles its running themes in a poignant, individual and certainly irreverent way. Narcissistic ideas of charity stems from trivial competition, while sheer denial is shown in the face of true poverty. Generations breed generations, passing on corrupted ideals and traumatic examples. Paedophilia, racism, poverty: nothing is safe from these chastising, powerful stories.
Saunders leaves an expunged, brutally telling view of the American dream. In his futuristic imaginings, he exaggerates the failings of Western consumerism, yet ultimately his message is clear: When one tries to have it all, they're left with nothing.
Ameeka (131 KP) rated The Walking Dead: 400 Days in Video Games
Jul 13, 2017
Writing (1 more)
Stories
Nice filler between Seasons 1 and 2
400 Days is a short game that tells us about the Zombie Armageddon from five different viewpoints. I had no idea what was going on when the game started, just that I needed to choose who I was going to be. I didn't realize that I was going to be playing ALL FIVE of the characters, thus I played them out of (chronological) order.
Chronological order:
Vince - Day 2
Wyatt - Day 41
Russell - Day 184
Bonnie - Day 220
Shel - Day 236
Although you can play them in any order you wish, I recommend doing them in time-order since their stories can overlap. I did not feel a deep connection to these five characters, but I am amazed by Telltale's ability to evoke emotion even thought being half the length of an episode.
Chronological order:
Vince - Day 2
Wyatt - Day 41
Russell - Day 184
Bonnie - Day 220
Shel - Day 236
Although you can play them in any order you wish, I recommend doing them in time-order since their stories can overlap. I did not feel a deep connection to these five characters, but I am amazed by Telltale's ability to evoke emotion even thought being half the length of an episode.
The Galloping Sausage and Other Train Curiosities: 150 Steam Railway Events & Stories
Geoff Body and Ian Body
Book
The formative years of Britain's railway network produced a host of ideas, activities and...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Mar 27, 2021
David McK (3369 KP) rated Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Villains in Books
Sep 8, 2019
While the Star Wars Extended Universe has been (unofficially) doing this for years now, Disney has finally come out and given each of the current 3 distinct eras in the films their own 'name's: 'Age of Republic' (The Prequel Trilogy), 'Age of Rebellion' (Original Trilogy) and 'Age of Resistance' (Sequel Trilogy)
This, therefore, is set during the middle - arguably best - of those three, and is really a collection of short stories, each focusing on a given villain from that era: Grand Moff Tarkin, Boba Fett, IG-88, Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader himself. As such, the stories are a bit hit and miss, with some forgettable while others adding nuance and depth to the characters. I may pick up the 'Age of Rebellion: Heroes' companion when it comes out, but probably won't be rushing out to buy it.
This, therefore, is set during the middle - arguably best - of those three, and is really a collection of short stories, each focusing on a given villain from that era: Grand Moff Tarkin, Boba Fett, IG-88, Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader himself. As such, the stories are a bit hit and miss, with some forgettable while others adding nuance and depth to the characters. I may pick up the 'Age of Rebellion: Heroes' companion when it comes out, but probably won't be rushing out to buy it.
Vampire in Love
Margaret Jull Costa and Enrique Vila-Matas
Book
“Arguably Spain’s most significant contemporary literary figure” (Joanna Kavenna, The New...
Fiction
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated My Monticello in Books
Oct 7, 2021
If you buy one book in October, it should be this one. MY MONTICELLO is a collection of short stories and a novella that explore race, identity, and more. Beautifully written, nuanced, and insightful, they each make you think. My introverted self found myself wishing for a book club so I could discuss these stories with others.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.
The eponymous novella is set in Virginia, where I live, and features a group of townspeople who must flee to Monticello after racial attacks and climate change. I wish I could describe how unsettling and good it is, but you just need to read it. It’s already been optioned for Netflix, which is awesome.
I cannot stop thinking about this book, and I also cannot recommend it enough.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway -- thank you to Goodreads and Henry Holt for my copy.