Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk
Book seventeen of 2019: Beyond This Horizon, by Robert A. Heinlein. ⭐️⭐️ 1943 Retro Hugo Best Novel. 📚
As an exploration of boredom in a utopia and the possibilities of genetic engineering, it’s mildly interesting, but felt unfocused, oddly structured, and kind of tedious.
🖖 #StarTrekDiscovery S02E05: Mostly continues the stronger season. I’m really enjoying Pike, the adventures in the Upside Down, and the “sinking ship” effects were really fun. But I’m not sold on the non-secret Section 31, and the continuing Spock teases are ever more annoying.
This image, visible for just a second or two in this trailer for LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS, an upcoming animated SF anthology show on Netflix (content warning: strobing/flashing images, glimpses of possibly NSFW content) made me laugh.
A happy Valentine’s Day to all of you who are celebrating with spouses, partners, significant others, metamours, paramours, lovers, friends with benefits, playmates, platonic loves, or any other applicable person, persons, or combinations of the above.
And for those of you who for whatever reason don’t celebrate this day, I hope you have a good day as well, and survive the onslaught of shmoopyness throughout the day!
Book sixteen of 2019: Slan, by A.E. van Vogt. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1941 Retro Hugo Best Novel 📚
Definitely dated, esp. regarding views of women, odd extrapolation of tech (a very 40s world, but with ray guns & antigravity ships), but I’ve read far worse from this era. Fans are slans! 😏
Bed used in hotel honeymoon suite for 15 years then discarded in a parking lot, rescued by an antiques dealer, and initially believed to be Victorian, turns out to be Henry VII’s marriage bed.
Book fifteen of 2019: The Book of Merlyn, by T.H. White. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📚
A curious coda to TOaFK, mostly serving as an argument against humankind’s warlike tendencies. Not critical to finish Arthur’s story, IMHO.
Book fourteen of 2019: Assignment: Eternity, by Greg Cox. ⭐️⭐️ 📚
An average Trek romp, marred by the author trying too hard to drop “clever” references to other Trek and pop culture events, and (worse) using a PNW indigenous people’s name for the name of a planet (Duwamish).
I’ve come to a theory about Saru on Star Trek: Discovery. Obviously, spoilers ahead (at least, if you haven’t seen all of ST:DSC to this point, and if I’m correct).
Ventured out from the homestead to make the trek over ice and snow to the local mercantile for provisions. Though the skies were clear, ‘twas still bitterly cold, as the winter sun brought no warmth. The footing was treacherous, but no spills were taken; scavengers were seen, but we gave them a wide berth. Some supply runs had made it through, so we were able to procure most of what we had hoped for. Loaded our purchases onto our backs, safely made the journey home, and have settled back in to warm ourselves by the fire once more.
(Walked down the road to Fred Meyer on a pretty day. Saw a few crows. The store shelves were only decimated (in the proper sense), but not entirely wiped out anymore, and what we bought easily fit into our lightweight, pocketable IKEA backpacks. Back home, the fake electric fireplace is on, and warm drinks will likely be made soon.)