currently reading: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
I was up til 2 am finishing Uglies - and just what I needed, a punch in the stomach right before bed. It's so awesome! Adventure, romance, conspiracy, hoverboards - what more could you want? The sequel, imnmediately, that's what, and luckily I had it - but waiting another week for Specials is going to kill me, that's for sure.
And now for one of my trademark long, weird, tangential rambles... I'm remembering a book by John Verney called Ismo, a sequel to the almost equally obscure Friday's Tunnel. I read it almost 20 years ago and remember almost nothing about it, but I think "Ismo" was a sort of password for a secret Peace organization. What I most remember was how much I wished I knew someone else I could say "Ismo" to and have them know what I was talking about. The way the characters in Pretties talk about "the Smoke" makes me think of that. I bet there are a lot of kids out there right now, metaphorically searching for the Smoke, and searching for others who are searching.
This is what science fiction and fantasy are for, I think... to give us ideas and places we wish were real, that we almost feel are real. Ideas and places that seem worth striving for.
I love Scott Westerfeld. He makes me proud to be a geek.
And now for one of my trademark long, weird, tangential rambles... I'm remembering a book by John Verney called Ismo, a sequel to the almost equally obscure Friday's Tunnel. I read it almost 20 years ago and remember almost nothing about it, but I think "Ismo" was a sort of password for a secret Peace organization. What I most remember was how much I wished I knew someone else I could say "Ismo" to and have them know what I was talking about. The way the characters in Pretties talk about "the Smoke" makes me think of that. I bet there are a lot of kids out there right now, metaphorically searching for the Smoke, and searching for others who are searching.
This is what science fiction and fantasy are for, I think... to give us ideas and places we wish were real, that we almost feel are real. Ideas and places that seem worth striving for.
I love Scott Westerfeld. He makes me proud to be a geek.
posted by web at 1:32 PM
4Bligs:
I loved Uglies, too, and had to have the sequel as soon as possible (I wasn't quite so clever, and had to go out and get that one). I didn't like Pretties quite as much as Uglies - I'll be interested to hear what you think. I'm still fascinated to see how it all ends, though. I just picked up Specials this week, and am making an exception to my usual rule, and taking a hardcover book on a trip with me tomorrow.
The second book of a series often falls short, I've noticed. The only thing I like about the "chronological" ordering of the Narnia series is it puts _Prince Caspian_ further away. ;-)
I wouldn't normally take a hardcover on a trip either... but then, I would probably *cancel* a trip in order to read _Specials_! Who really needs a honeymoon, anyway...
I adored "ismo" too. Read it, oh, probably 35-40 years ago now. Do you remember the secret gesture that signalled that you were part of ismo? It involved placing one's fourth finger on one's chin. For a time in my girlhood I did this quite often in crowded places, but no one ever seemed to pick up the clue. Ah well. Too bad I didn't run into you at the same time - I suppose you would have recognized it!
I'd forgotten there was a gesture. Alas, our readings were separated by a fair amount of time as well as (most likely) space. Star-crossed readers!
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