This month I took full advantage of paternity leave, reading and playing some books and games I wouldn't normally find the time for.
Books
Polostan (2024)
I listened to Neal Stephenson's Polostan at the start of the month. At merely 12 hours feels suspiciously like the first 1/3rd of a "normal" Neal Stephenson novel, which I honestly didn't hate. It's easier for me to listen to three 12 hour books than even a single 24 hour novel.
I would not have picked up Polostan if I knew it was a pre-WWII historical spy fiction but once I was in deep enough to realize there wouldn't be a sci-fi twist I was hooked and enjoying the ride, so it was for the best!
If you like Neal Stephenson you'll like this book. If you don't know if you like Neal Stephenson I would recommend a book he co-authored (and nobody talks about) The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
The Lost Cause (2023)
The Lost Cause is a recent Cory Doctrow novel about how my kid's generation might deal with the climate catastrophe, MAGA extremists, and refugee crisis all at the same time. In some ways it is an optimistic read of the 2050s, in others it is pessimistic, and it weirdly made me want to visit Burbank.
Sci-fi tends to either be in the "great ideas" or "great characters" bucket and Cory Doctrow definitely leans more toward ideas and less toward characters. As with most of his books this had great ideas like:
- carbon-neutral concrete factories that run during excess solar production.
- pre-fab housing that can be constructed in a week
- banning all guns
The characters aren't the most complex, but it did get me to empathize with refugees in a way that no other piece of media has done before.
The Sluts (2004)
This might be the most interesting book I have ever read. I picked up Dennis Cooper's The Sluts on a whim after it was mentioned on the Something Rotten podcast. I am really happy that I read it even if I did gasp, cringe, and laugh all within a single page while I sheepishly read this at my local coffee shop.
Interesting feels too diplomatic, like "-- no no I didn't hate it -- it was just... interesting!" I am really happy that I read it as it played with themes and story telling devices I haven't been exposed to before. Buuut can also be a brutal book for anybody not numb to horror themes and imagery. The pain serves a purpose to be sure, but it's still uncomfortable as hell getting through those paragraphs.
Fun fact, this is an Epistolary novel (a new word for me!) told through early 2000's forum post and escort reviews. It plays with un-trustworthy narrators because on the internet nobody know's you're a dog.
Ultimately I'm happy I read it and the ending was thought provoking in a "raises a mirror to the reader" sort of way without bashing you over the head with it.
Neverender Vol 1 (2023)
Neverender is a very fun comic. I would describe it as Gladiator in Space -- which looking at my shelf is not a sparse sub-genre.
If you enjoy anime fights, political intrigue, and big space stations you should check this graphic novel out.
Games
SCHiM (2024)
SCHiM is an a e s t h e t i c platformer where you play as a little shadow frog thing (I guess it's called a SCHiM) jumping from shadow to shadow. I'm including it here because it was a fun take on platforming, making it both mechanically interesting while still feeling like a familiar platformer.
... that said I did not finish SCHiM; the game is just too damn long. I got about half way through and felt like (a) I wasn't getting new mechanics at a regular clip and (b) I wasn't enjoying the Platforming (a genre I am especially bad at).
It's a pretty game with tight but repetitive mechanics. Honestly if I had more time on my hands I would have loved to turn my brain off and play the whole thing out.
NORCO (2022)
NORCO was a gift from my best friend and occasional collaborator, Sam Hall. I don't usually play point-and-click-adventures but this was really fun!
I pitch NORCO as "Blade Runner in the Bayou". It's also got a dad-schedule-compatible playtime of just 6 hours. Yippee!
Movies
Civil War (2024)
After finishing Devs and watching Men, I figured I should continue on my Alex Garland's directorial journey with Civil War. I don't think I have anything interesting to say that hasn't already been said a few thousand times on the web, but I enjoyed the movie. It's got that Alex Garland cinematography a e s t h e t i c and some fun acting -- and did a good job of helping me empathize with civilians that have to live through a civil war.
Here's hoping it's not too prophetic.
Godzillas
This month's Godzillas had some duds but also had my (current) favorite Godzilla -- a true S-Tier entry!Let's get into it.
Destroy All Monsters (1968)
I don't remember much about this one, but I remember that Ghidorah is a tool that sucks. Also this continues a trend of 60s Godzillas that are obsessed with space travel, aliens, and aliens mind controlling kaiju.
All Monsters Attack (1969)
Despite the very similar title, All Monsters Attack rocks. This is easily my favorite Godzilla flick thus far because is breaks the formula in so many ways:
- It all takes place in a little boy's imagination. Minilla (a.k.a. Son of Godzilla) teaches the boy a lesson. Great start.
- The stakes are [in kaiju adjusted terms] very small, but still real! You are rooting for a boy to get out of a tough situation, not rooting for one guy in a rubber costume to beat up another one in a WWE match.
- The whole movie has a more grounded 70's film-making style without leaning into the cringe 70s stuff like disco and bell-bottoms (I'm looking at you Gigan)
- The fight at the end is between kids and not Kaiju! Breaking! The! Formula!
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
This has the most on the nose "pollution is bad" story and that's fine except they fumble it at the end! Instead of the solution to defeating the monster being like... going green and stopping polluting they just get Godzilla to electrocute the dang thing.
That said, there are some quirky animated sequences that felt vaguely Monty Python.
Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
Again with the aliens mind-controlling Kaiju? Guys I have to dock you points just for unoriginality. It was fine the first three times but now this feels like a cry for help.
Most Godzilla movies end with a fight and this is no exception, but this one feels especially like a WWE match. I half expected them to jump into the ring and start doing pile drivers.
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973): June 30
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974): July 7
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975): July 14
- The Return of Godzilla (1984):July 21
