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Book Review: Zeitgeist (Sterling)

The inside flap explanation of the book makes it seem pretty straightforward, at least for a Bruce Sterling book - guy tries to use his fake girl band to make money selling merchandise to third world countries, until Y2K, when it will all be done. Things get complicated when he has to take on a Turkish business partner and when he meets the daughter he has never seen, and the members of the band start dying.

But the book is much more than just this global mish-mash of pop culture. The book is based on the premise that the defining moment of the 20th century was the creation of the atomic bomb, but the 21st century will be something completely different. It also uses the idea that people create their own storylines, trying to become the main character in a narrative but sometimes having to play a supporting role for someone else. It sounds like a gimmicky idea, especially when the characters really are part of a narrative, but I really enjoyed the way it played out, even if it meant the book took a pretty dramatic turn in the middle. Some of it did come across a little hokey, like the father/grandfather, but I really did appreciate the Turkish James Bond scene.

In any case, this helped keep Mr. Sterling on my favorite authors list, and made me think about what I want my narrative to be. Not bad for a book that was just supposed to be about throw-away pop culture.

Comic Review: Lone Wolf and Cub

I finally finished all 28 volumes last night. Reading 8000+ pages takes some time, and I would probably need to flip through some of it again to give it a really comprehensive review, but I wanted to capture some of my impressions. (Besides, the detailed analysis can wait for the secret comics project!)

It starts off in an entertaining, but pedestrian, way. Ogami Itto is the best swordsman in Japan and he defeats anyone standing in the way of his quest to get revenge on the clan that killed his wife and cost him his job. His son "chose" to go with him, and since he was a baby the father had to protect him. And the way to gather funds for the quest: become an assassin. This is really well done formula, though - well researched, beautifully drawn, enough twists and insights to keep it from getting too stale, although you know it will have to happen if it lasts for 28 volumes.

But a few volumes in, things change. The son, Daigoro, begins to learn what it means to live as a warrior and begins to develop his own sense of honor and duty. Ogami Itto interacts with different parts of society and we begin to see that his sense of honor and duty are quite unusual. He maintains the respect for traditions that are quickly becoming forgotten. And the challenges he faces become more and more dangerous.

And then it gets deeper, examining the politics and factions of the Tokugawa shogunate, while still interspersing character stories showing the limitations and benefits imposed by the strict caste system. Any time we get to see the good things in the lives of people outside the criminal system they get torn away because of the quest. The quest evolves very slowly, giving us clues here and there but not being fully explained yet. We also see Ogami use the caste system and the traditions to get himself out of some dangerous situations - when his sword is not strong enough he is able to rely on his intellect and understanding of the culture and the people.

The final third of the serious finally resolves the history of the feud, the true plans to finish the quest, and Ogami finally has to face an opponent that can match all of his strengths. We also are introduced to a character that represents all that Itto is not - fear, comardice, lack of regard for others. This character came off too cartoonish for my taste, a harsh counterpoint to the increasing seriousness and drama of the final showdown. But the final showdown happens, with entire volumes being devoted to single duels. It is a masterpiece of pacing and subtle artwork, using all the cinematic techniques you can think of and using techniques unique to comics to enhance the suspense and the emotion.

The very end is left a little vague, however, not letting us know how everything will work out but giving us an emotional resolution. I was a little disappointed by not having the "historical" explanation of the fate of the characters, but I think if I reread it I could focus on the emotional resolution and feel more satisfied. It also fits in well with the understated tone of many of the individual stories.

Overall, well worth reading. It is easy to see why it has remained popular for so long all across the world.

i shall call him "dopi"

Just to save anyone else the trouble, if you buy an ipod hoping to use it with your non-mac computer, it does not come with what I know as the standard USB connector, it only comes with the little 4 pin version or the weird non-rectangular 6 pin FireWire plug. If you want the standard PC USB connector you need to buy the $19 cable (also known as the
"iPod Dock Connector to FireWire and USB 2.0 Cable (Windows PC only)").

Playing catch-up

No, I'm not dead. Yes, I did go on another vacation. It was fun. Few things in life are quite as nice as sharing fireworks with someone special.

It is taking me a while to adjust to my life back here, though - it feels like it won't last like this, so it is hard to get comfortable in any of the routines.

But the weblog is certainly not in the routines that seem that urgent now, so it may be on summer vacation a while longer.