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and I have assloads to read before I sleep
Jan. 7th, 2008 01:14 pmMy Amazon.com Wish List has become a deeply disturbing collection of nutball survivalist booklets and post-apocalyptic fiction. The things I do in the name of research for my novels.
God, I wish my local library carried these. Am I seriously going to have to buy the complete works of Rangar Benson and Boston T. Parry's BOSTON'S GUN BIBLE? This list has likely already put me on another list or two, keeping an eye on that ticking time bomb that is John Hefner, ready to start up his own guerrilla militia of intolerant geeks and snobs, declaring "JUNO is thoroughly overrated, but it's still pretty damn good! Just not that good! Rrrargh!"*.
Remember, I looking for story research and stuff that'll provoke ideas, not necessarily a practical guide written by a sane person.
To make matters worse, I also have to do an assload of research into Herakles and greek myth in general. I've purchased BULLFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY, which should hopefully ease me into everything, and from there I might go to Robert Graves' volumes (I've heard good and bad things) as well as whatever classics I can find, hopefully good translations that aren't dryer than Johnny Go's Evaporated MartinisTM.
Speaking of translations... so Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the husband-wife team of Russian translators who made me fall absolutely head-over-heels in love with Dostoevsky*, have come out with their version of WAR AND PEACE? I haven't even cracked Tolstoy yet, and what's that, they've also done ANNA KARARARENENAREA? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Clearly, this is the books' revenge for my not being a reader all my life. Then I discover that reading tons of stuff is the very best form of research and inspiration, and the books of the world go, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the movie geek! Who's the tough guy now, eh??"
*I've reevaluated my opinions on JUNO. See next entry.
**I still haven't gotten through CRIME AND PUNISHMENT yet. I love love love BROTHERS K and THE IDIOT, but so far, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT feels like the latter. I keep hearing that if you can endure the first quarter, it greatly improves. Here's bloody hoping. Shit, I also have to finish my copy of DEMONS!
God, I wish my local library carried these. Am I seriously going to have to buy the complete works of Rangar Benson and Boston T. Parry's BOSTON'S GUN BIBLE? This list has likely already put me on another list or two, keeping an eye on that ticking time bomb that is John Hefner, ready to start up his own guerrilla militia of intolerant geeks and snobs, declaring "JUNO is thoroughly overrated, but it's still pretty damn good! Just not that good! Rrrargh!"*.
Remember, I looking for story research and stuff that'll provoke ideas, not necessarily a practical guide written by a sane person.
To make matters worse, I also have to do an assload of research into Herakles and greek myth in general. I've purchased BULLFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY, which should hopefully ease me into everything, and from there I might go to Robert Graves' volumes (I've heard good and bad things) as well as whatever classics I can find, hopefully good translations that aren't dryer than Johnny Go's Evaporated MartinisTM.
Speaking of translations... so Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the husband-wife team of Russian translators who made me fall absolutely head-over-heels in love with Dostoevsky*, have come out with their version of WAR AND PEACE? I haven't even cracked Tolstoy yet, and what's that, they've also done ANNA KARARARENENAREA? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
Clearly, this is the books' revenge for my not being a reader all my life. Then I discover that reading tons of stuff is the very best form of research and inspiration, and the books of the world go, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the movie geek! Who's the tough guy now, eh??"
*I've reevaluated my opinions on JUNO. See next entry.
**I still haven't gotten through CRIME AND PUNISHMENT yet. I love love love BROTHERS K and THE IDIOT, but so far, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT feels like the latter. I keep hearing that if you can endure the first quarter, it greatly improves. Here's bloody hoping. Shit, I also have to finish my copy of DEMONS!
