Hello, readers.
Things happen from time to time. Here are a few of said happening things.
Thing one.
I watched the first episode of American Gods. It struck me that they are aiming for a violently weird sort of Americana. Everything either looking flat and staged and nightmarish or deep and rambling and golden. Somewhere between goth and Johnny Cash. So, basically, Johnny Cash.
Thing two.
It’s short story month. Which is weird. Because I read stories every month. But that’s not how these things work. It’s not about saying this is the only month. It’s about saying let’s take a moment and celebrate the existence of this particular thing. Like a birthday, really. You exist all year. But people only notice, really, for this one day. Well. I mean. If your life is sad. I hope your life isn’t sad. Or if it is, you make some good art out of your sadness. Or like really feel it for a little while and then put it aside and go out and make room for happiness in the world. Making room for happiness in the world often helps make room for happiness in your heart. There’s a mirror in everything.
Thing three.
This week, on Storyological, we discuss these two stories.
He—y Come On Out! by Shinichi Hoshi, The Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories, 1989. (orig. F&SF, 1978).
&
Bring Your Own Spoon by Saad Hossain, The Djinn Falls in Love, and Other Stories, 2017.
Along with, among other things–emotional baggage, Grayson Perry, Ted Chiang, logic, nonsense, and that old song hope.
Thing four.
There’s this new bag of Doritos that will play the soundtrack of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.
Also, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 is great1.
Happy Wednesday.
ttfn.
- For some values of great. Such as incredibly violent, ridiculous, and sincere. There’s no such thing as nostalgia. That’s just life in the 21st century. The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past. We might as well put its music in movies so it has something familiar to listen to. ↩
the magnelephant review 