What's in a Book?

Tales Out of Miskatonic University

What's in a book? Paper, glue, binding, ink, sentences, words, numbers, ideas, secrets. All manner of things can be found in a book - including authors (a tough squeeze).

In this case, I'm really asking who is in the book? The book being Tales Out of Miskatonic University, to be published by Mythos Books, Inc. Trying to guess who is included seems to have become a popular feature on the blog, so I thought I'd continue it with this anthology. But first, let me make a statement about the MU Blog Contest. It will come to an end in 3 weeks. So if you have additional posts (or emails), send them promptly. Remember, you can enter as many times as you like. For more details, click on the Miskatonic University Contest link.

Now it wouldn't be fair not to give everyone a starting point. And I suppose there should be some sort of prize involved. The top three folks who supply the most information will win prizes. I'll offer up - a choice of a copy of the book, or a cover print from the artist (Steven Gilberts). I'm offering the prizes, so these poor folks don't know about it yet. :) Not to worry.

Rules:

*Help each other, and everyone wins
*Post in the comments to prove you're helping, or go it alone and email
*(if emailing) Include the subject "INSIDE MU CONTEST"
*Be nice


What to find? (Trick or Treat)

As it the nearby holiday is Halloween, I thought we might try a twist. You can trick others by offering false information. How sinister. I'll not hold that against anyone. But, please, be kind and polite with such information.

I'm looking for author and artist names, websites, and story titles. The more the better. Finding all of them might be difficult. But who knows?

The more detail, the better. And don't overlook the obvious. That's part of the trick.

Starters:

Here are some authors who are included in the anthology, but I'm not mentioning story titles:

Richard A. Lupoff
Robert M. Price
C. J. Henderson
Stephen Mark Rainey

-- That's all you get.


Enders:

The challenge ends Novemeber 15th, 11:59 p.m., EST (that's -5/4 hours GMT depending upon the time of the year).

Change in the Weather

It seems Autumn is upon us in Michigan, despite some very nice weather this week. If it weren't for the calendar, the flora and fauna usually hint that change is in the air. The first visitor, from last week, was a well adapted insect that has a leaf shape to it. Well adapted to hide in a place with leaves, not on windows. The creates a bit of a poser. How long before creatures that have adapted to one environment find themselves extinct because they are attracted to another environment (in this case a warm window).

From the photograph, it is difficult to tell this fellow has a leaf shape to him, but take my word for it. Of course, I can't resist putting words in his mandibles. I'm just not sure what he'd be saying, hanging on the window, while I snap photos of him. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to anthropomorphize him or her or it.

The following week, I moved from the front window to the backyard, and found a column of turkeys trotted across the grass (actually, they seem to be in a skirmish line). In my area, it is not very safe to be a turkey with the upcoming holiday in November. Mind you, the skittish, and now plump birds are safe from me, but there are plenty of open forests for hunters stalking this foul foul (that's not a typo, just a pun).

Unlike the insect, it is difficult to get the turkeys to pose. There were quite a few more, but I needed to charge from the house, snapping images on the run - which is alarming in itself. Yet, they always come back for the bird feed I put out. Turkeys are pushovers. They too are well adapted for life OUTSIDE of the yard. I wonder what strange mutations might occur to help them survive? Perhaps becoming nocturnal.

The Future of Books

And so the story continues, but this time with another electronic reader. Over the last decade (or more), a variety of handheld devices have appeared, each a portent of the things to come. The things to come is the disappearance of the "paper book." What will replace the paperless book? Just as computers have reduced paperwork throughout the world (ahem), the paperless book will vanquish the ancient practice of tree death for the entertainment and education of humans. It is also a environmentally friendly choice - a Green book.

Nothing wrong with a little mild drama now and then. :) Besides, it's Friday (here), and I've been told countless times that Fridays are great days - no more work. I'll save that for another post.

Anyway, a company named Plastic Logic announced, and released photos, of their new electronic reader. In some circles this is called an "ebook," but I ask: Is it an ebook if there is nothing on it to read? And that's how they come, empty. So, I'm going with e-reader, and calling the content dropped into it ebooks.

Like Amazon's bid for the market, this device uses the same display technology (which was already flexible). Instead of placing the viewer in a cumbersome case, Plastic Logic is making their device "bendable." (For the pun, look up the definition of the word "plastic").

Other than being rather cool looking, I'm not sure of the purpose or function behind the flexibility. Plastic Logic states that the device can be "bent" but not folded. Maybe bending makes it easier to store in a backpack.

The e-reader is 8.5 by 11 inches, and is very thin. The display is larger than any other e-reader on the market, and it also comes with a wireless connection. This does sound like a great device. However, we are left with the question of whether people prefer plastic or paper (I wasn't working for that pun, it set itself up - honest). Those of you who have been following me blog, or who have read my previous editorials in Dark Wisdom magazine, know that I sometimes rant about this topic. Here, take a peek at my previous rant/editorial (editorial), or my post about the loss of tools for reading (focus). What's clear, is I post all too much about the topic. From all of these posts comes the fundamental question: Will we be reading in the future? If not, then it makes no difference what type of e-reader we have. Yet, the race to make the SF version we've all read about (hmmm) continues.

I for one prefer paper. That might be because I grew up reading paper books. I do want there to be a good e-reader, because I can keep many of my books with me. Certainly Plastic Logic offers a tempting promise (not to be released until 2009, with a color version coming - maybe - in 2010).

Enough of my ramblings! It appears that soon, we'll be able to read newspapers on the go. Okay, well, we could do that before. But, we'll be able to bend them. Oops. You can fold those paper ones. Still, the news will be updated by the minute (ha! the paper version can't top that). Then again, in the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of people who read newspapers. Maybe that's because they weren't plastic - environmentally friendly, plastic.

This was added afterward due to a clever suggestion by Jeff Edwards in his post:

The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

If you're a fan of the film "The Big Lebowski," then there is a chance you know the 10th anniversary is arriving, and so is a special re-release of the film. I'm spoke with many people who have not seen them film - thinking it was about bowling - only to learn that they enjoyed the film after watching it. In the past, my argument is that the film isn't about bowling. Yet, the new re-release has the DVDs in a bowling ball case. Okay, I still hold my ground. It isn't about bowling. In fact, it is pretty much about everything but bowling. It just so happens that the Dude (Jeff Bridges) enjoys bowling - it is his Zen.

The new release is a limited edition (at least in the bowling ball case), and includes a 2nd special edition DVD. If you're into the brevity thing, then the DVD can be purchased at 1/2 price without the special case.

If you haven't seen this film, and don't intend to purchase the DVD, then at the very least, rent it. Watch it with an open mind. And then re-watch it to find all of the clever aspects. Even figure placement (the characters and how they are staged) is playful. Of the three key characters in the film, one is always on the "right" one is always on the "left" and one in the "middle." Oddly, there seems to be some political banter that goes with these characters. Of course, all of them are caricatures - hyperbolic. But that is what makes the film entertaining. Among the various aspects of the film are two characters named Lebowski. One seems to be a left-0ver hippy, and the other a successful businessman. There is more to both of these characters than the fact they share the same last name. Naturally, this mirror-reflection trick speaks volumes in the film.

Yes, there is bowling in the film. This seems the be the route that the film company has taken to promote the film. But The Big Lebowski is much more than that. I won't say he's a hero, because what's a hero? But sometimes there's a man. And I'm talking about the Dude here. Sometimes there's a man who . . . he's the man for his time and place, he fits right in there - and that's the Dude.

Opening voice over from the script:

A way out west there was a fella,
fella I want to tell you about, fella
by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At
least, that was the handle his lovin'
parents gave him, but he never had
much use for it himself. This
Lebowski, he called himself the Dude.
Now, Dude, that's a name no one would
self-apply where I come from. But
then, there was a lot about the Dude
that didn't make a whole lot of sense
to me. And a lot about where he
lived, like- wise. But then again,
maybe that's why I found the place
s'durned innarestin'.

Fun Friday

Sure, the title is hokey, but I just made it up, and I thought I'd post something to have fun with.

I pulled some song lyrics from the Internet, and I thought I'd post them. The purpose is to interpret what they mean - or not mean. The song is "Nowhere Man," by the Beatles (really a John Lennon song). So, I do think there is something to be gleaned from these seemingly strange lyrics. If it was what Lennon intended, I don't know. But that doesn't make the interpretation any less valid - so long as it is anchored in some coherent reasoning. I'll hold off on my comments and let the lyrics brew for a bit. I will say that I think it might have something to do with identity and who we are.

Nowhere Man

He's a real nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere Man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missin',
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.

(lead guitar)

He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

Nowhere Man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all 'till somebody else lends you a hand.

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere man please listen,
you don't know what your missin'
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command

He's a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.