Snuffy Larue's Spy Files

May 22nd, 2012

bricolage

5/22/12 09:24 am

Party of personal responsibility, my ass. (An open letter to the people who hate Obama more than they love America) A DailyKos rant from back in January to which a friend recently linked. It's a cathartic read for those of us sick unto our hearts of Fox-style lies, hypocrisy, hate, and more hate.
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Design your own action figure and have it 3d printed...this is dangerous for me. Not at all in my budget, but oh so tempting. Makies.
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I've read a lot of books in the last while, and need to do a round of brief reviews...any day now. Also need to get on redoing my website....lalala...
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Have gotten very excellent, happily positive, and useful feedback from my first readers on DEEP TERRAIN.
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As threatened, I went to see Avengers again. Just as much fun as the first time (perhaps a little slow in big battle w/the aliens at points) and yup, Black Widow and her actions are a very central axis of the story structure. Go Joss.

Tags:
deep terrain, linky, movie, politics

May 18th, 2012

somewhat frivolous & somewhat not

5/18/12 10:05 am

First the frivolous: One of my favorite things on Supernatural is the running visual trope of the motel rooms the brothers stay in all across the country. Here's a sampling from season three. In seven seasons there have been so many amazing motel sets on that show. As illustrations of the liminal space these monster hunters inhabit, they are brilliant.
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In case you read my blog but otherwise have nothing to do with SF or nerd culture, you should read John Scalzi's Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is, and then maybe Meghan McCarron's follow-up commentary, Game of Privelege. What I appreciate about what Meghan says is that it takes the issue to a wider application, that is, people like Mitt Romney, who have no earthly clue in the world that being rich doesn't make you more virtuous or deserving than people who work twice as hard as you for far less reward. The paragraph in Meghan's little essay that really says it for me:

All too often, Straight White Men do not see that their setting is easier, and they assume that those struggling against bigger challenges are simply poorer players. At first this is innocent - the Straight White Men are focused on surviving the game themselves, after all. They didn’t design it. But the “easy” setting’s invisibility breeds arrogance, not the humility necessary to acknowledge that you’re “winning” the game because a. the game is easier for you and b. the game itself is designed to benefit you most. The fact that privilege robs us of empathy and humility is nearly as poisonous as the advantages it brings, because humble, empathetic people would not gleefully skip through difficulty while leaving others to suffer.

And I'm just going to say it again: trickle down economics DOES NOT WORK. Giving rich people and corporations a pass and the keys to the kingdom has not and will not help anyone but the rich people and corporations themselves. As far they're concerned, the rest of us can go hang.

The only 'personal freedom' it's about for them, is the personal freedom to (both metaphorically and literally) rape, pillage, detroy, and take every good that they can for themselves, the rest of us be screwed. These are not the people I want running this country or any other. They are not people who deserve or earn my respect. They put nothing good into the world and are, manifestly, only set on their own gain. That is not okay or good or admirable.
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(I considered, a little while ago, not putting anything political on any of my social media outlets anymore, but I feel injustice too strongly and I just can't shut up about it.)

Tags:
linky, television, utopia

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May 15th, 2012

story sale & more Avengers musing

5/15/12 09:29 am

First, sale! Pleased to say that my story "Boneshadow" will appear in the second issue of the very cool Phantom Drift.
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Second, more stuff about the Avengers...this pair of articles looks at the treatment of Black Widow in both the movie and by major critics in their reviews of it.

This article is just right on the money.

This one has some interesting points (it goes into some consideration of other things, like the HBO show Girls, and kind of explains why that show doesn't work for me--I'm not a fan of cringe humor, of any stripe, I guess). (Myself, I don't agree with this article about replacing Ruffalo or Johansen.)

I think Avengers is structured so that Black Widow is central to the film's motion; I also think Scarlett Johansen's performance was so quiet that this slips by a lot of people. I'm of two minds as to whether that's a plus or a minus. But I actually think it was purposeful and that Joss pulled off a subtle bit of sleight of hand with this movie (which is why I'm kind of ~~obsessed~~ fascinated). Rather than being up in umbrage about a girl sullying their action superness, Black Widow's centrality to the clockwork of the film slid right by a lot of critics and viewers, never really standing out to their conscious minds that it even happened. But it did, and maybe it got into the collective subconsciousness, snuck behind the wall on the tide of the movie's awesome--right into that sanctum where the real superheroes have always been men and women are just sexy decoration.

It's no accident that the non-super powered heroes on the team, Black Widow and Hawkeye--and Ironman, who without his suit is still pretty human--are the emotional heart of the movie's action and arc. And Banner, who is human when not hulk, is a close second. There's not really that much emotional arc for Thor or Captain America, one of whom never was and one of whom truly is no longer human.

Yes, I am waxing slightly academic on a super hero movie.

Tags:
movies, sale, writerstuff

May 14th, 2012

good things

5/14/12 11:04 am

About the Avengers: thank you Joss for the central and nuanced portrayal of Black Widow and general acknowledgement of women as capable, serious, interesting people--heroes, even--making an already super yay fun movie more awesome than awesome sauce. I may actually see this movie a second time in the theater--first time in a loooooong time I feel like doing that.
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To celebrate that the book's up on Amazon for pre-order, Martha has posted the first chapter of The Siren Depths, third book in the Books of the Raksura series, for your teasement. I heart this book, like the ones before it a great and satisfying fantasy read.
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In conclusion: bioluminescent bloom like waves full of stars.

Tags:
books, linky, movies

May 7th, 2012

interesting things and stuff

5/7/12 10:03 am

You might know Maureen McHugh as the award winning author of literate and deadpan science fiction novels and story collections, but she's also part of Fourth Wall Studios, which is busy building the scaffolding of a new way of telling stories and involving people in them. Check out DIRTY WORK and go for a pretty amazing ride.
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If you're in or near Portland, Oregon right this moment, A.M. Dellamonica will be reading at Powells in Cedar Hills tonight at 7, and signing BLUE MAGIC, sequel to her Sunburst Award winning INDIGO SPRINGS. I happen to know she's going to read from a story called "Wild Things" set in the universe of the novels, and it's a sexy wild fun story.
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The fab and amazing M.K. Hobson's kickstarter for THE WARLOCK'S CURSE, number three in her VENEFICAS AMERICANA series is a great example of kickstarting done right, is well worth both your time and a little backing, and offers in return not just what promises to be great books, but backer updates featuring puppies, elegant awesome swag, and all over coolness.
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Chris N. Brown is his indubitably smart self in this article in The New York Revue of Science Fiction, "Science Fiction in the Edgelands."
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My old friend Dean Mermell's book, The Digital Storyteller's Handbook, is available on iTunes for various iThings, from Amazon for Kindle, and from B&N for Nook. Dean knows his stuff and if you're a writer who needs to make a book trailer at some point but needs some clues on making it well, Dean's book is probably a good investment. From the reviews, it is "...a fun and practical guide to media creation. It covers scripting, storyboarding, production with video and DSLR cameras, sound, preparing for editing, and much, much more. If you want to make short films, Kickstarter videos, web content for a business, documentaries, or document live performances, this book will prove invaluable and get you inspired and empowered to make great stuff."
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I have a Pinterest; so far I'm just pinning to one board, which I've named "images of awesome." I'm a very visual person, so I guess Pinterest was inevitable for me.
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In other news, my website, storyrain.com, is languishing in outmoded software/new computer purgatory and has not been updated for a while. I need to pretty much start over and that's taking me some time. Like pacing by a cold pool before getting hot and sweaty enough to make myself plunge in.

Tags:
friends, linky

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May 1st, 2012

things you can't say in 140 characters

5/1/12 09:59 am

When I was a little girl, up through my teens and on into adulthood, I was obsessed with legends of knightly loyalty, cameraderie, and adventurous, honorable service to a deserving, beloved figure, such as King Arthur. I'm not obsessed these days, but the little girl is still there.

Occassional interpretations of these tales with women in the roles of the knight have appeared over the years, but by and large, it was me imagining myself in a traditionally male role.

(spoiler for Game of Thrones below)
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So this past Sunday's Game of Thrones scene with Brienne and Catelyn, two strong women, swearing fealty to one another--made me so so happy. I almost cried, I was so moved.

I can't think of a single other time I've seen that scene, the trope of fealty sworn, with two women, in a movie or television show. And I'm not sure I can come up with more than a couple from books, either.

I love the Arya content of Game of Thrones, too, of course, but that's been moving so slowly (torturously), and I haven't read the books, so I didn't know the Brienne and Catelyn scene was coming (or if it's in the books, but seems like it must be) and it's like this amazing gift, all these years later. So, thank you G.R.R.M. and HBO.

More, please.

Tags:
television

April 29th, 2012

items of note

4/29/12 09:07 am

Love this stop-motion animation (also like the Shins song with it): The Rifle's Spiral. The artist also did the end credits of the Lemony Snickets movie, (with which I was obsessed for a while, as I think they are a thing of absolute brilliance and beauty). I want the magician and the rabbit for my birthday, please.

What Martha says here is true, women seem to get erased from history all the time--we also get erased, elided, and omitted from current reckonings of various achievement pretty regularly, too.

Tags:
art, linky, music

April 20th, 2012

Dear Rich Folk and Repubs

4/20/12 01:51 pm

A few things:

Rich people, listen up, you'll be fine, you're covered. You have enough--and you know what? It's not trickling down. So stop trying to get more at the expense of the neediest. Unless creating misery is really your aim (eyes you all suspiciously).

Republicans, listen up, I'll wager Ann Romney has had at least a housekeeper, if not also a nanny or mother's helper, so, no, she's not working all that hard as a mom. Sorry, but the Romneys are rich, see above.

Also, Republicans, you guys are cracked. Head open, brains steaming, cracked. Unbelievable and out of your minds. Racist, women-hating, mean-spirited, and stupid cracked in the heads. Seriously. You should all have that checked. You've made this country about as déclassé as it can get.

Sincerely,
me

Tags:
rant

Sometimes, you wonder...

4/20/12 09:33 am

Some people's paths to lauded bookhood appear, from the vantage of the internet and sometimes even from a real world vantage, to be relatively short, blessed, and easy in comparison to your own many many years long journey through unwelcoming and rocky territory. That is still ongoing.

Those same people often seem to have a great deal of family support and love bouying them up. Some people, indeed, just seem unfairly blessed.

But that's life and fair, as a woman I used to know was wont to say to her children, is a sunny day.

Of course, you don't know what those people have actually been through, you never know. And if they're people you think are swell, you're just happy for them, for the success of worthwhile things, for the love of art, of the book, of story, of people you're glad are in the world making awesome things.

But maybe, sometimes, you wonder, when the fuck is it my turn? Because for some of us, it seems every small success is beset by the orcs of difficulty. The path is thick with thorns and you never seem to reach those clearings where people, even ones you don't know, celebrate the thing you made, are gladdened and inspired by it, and say so, with confetti and chamagne.

You get tired. You feel discouraged.

You still love the writing itself, but sometimes you wonder, where did I go wrong? Is there any hope? Did I offend some great god of the book in a former life? Is someone hexing me? WTF world?

Of course, this is a useless place to be, and you don't want to be there. You want to be one of the happy, hard working, lucky ones. The in-crowd, the supported and wanted and loved. (What you have always longed to be, since the family of origin evaporated around you and you were, terminally, it seems, alone and unsupported, feeling unwanted.)

For long stretches of time you do well, you're positive, you know you, too, are blessed in many ways. You are thankful and sunny and productive.

Probably you will keep writing, even into your dotage. Because language and story are magic, and you love magic, love making magic, even if your magic remains forever small and quiet, receives no awards, and bubbles to itself in obscurity. Because it's yours, and there is joy in its making.

But sometimes, you wonder, and you are sad.

Tags:
processing, writerstuff

April 17th, 2012

mom's 80th, also seal pup rescue!

4/17/12 03:10 pm

My mom's 80th birthday was lovely, and I'm glad I got to be there, but the highlight of the weekend was helping a northern elephant seal pup get rescued. My participation was looking up the number, talking to the rescue people and then sitting on the beach for an hour and a half with the pup, as instructed, to keep other people and dogs away until they could get there. The rescue people did the heavy lifting (seriously heavy)--and the path down and back up from that beach is not easy. My mom doesn't go down there anymore.

Kid of an awesome outcome, since when I first saw the pup I actually thought it was dead. But no, just conserving energy.

Other than that, here's a bird:

Tags:
malibu

April 11th, 2012

finishing, beginning, ratatouille

4/11/12 11:01 am

And that's a revised draft of DEEP TERRAIN. Pretty spiffy. Feels good. And jeezub, it took long enough.

Hey, I get to write something all new while I wait for more notes on SUBSTRATE PHANTOMS. That's exciting!

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In other news, off to California tomorrow for my mother's 80th bday. Tonight I will fold, wrap, charge things, and leave offerings to the travel gods for the grace of safe, easy travel. Also snuggle the cats more than they will care for. And write a long note to my neighbor B about catfood portions and the leftover ratatouille in the fridge. Mm, ratatouille.

Tags:
deep terrain, writerstuff

April 10th, 2012

Blue Magic is loose in the world!

4/10/12 02:24 pm

Tody is the book birthday of A.M. Dellamonica's BLUE MAGIC, sequel to the award-winning INDIGO SPRINGS.

For some interesting words from Alyx on the book and its writing, check out M.K. Hobson's three-question interview with her, here: http://www.demimonde.com/2012/04/10/three-questions-with-a-m-dellamonica-author-of-blue-magic/

Then order the book, or go buy it, or request it, from your local bookstore.

Tags:
books, friends

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March 29th, 2012

evil genius cat

3/29/12 09:28 am

So this is Tinker:

Tinker is an evil genius mastermind. Tinkerarity. On Monday night, my three month-old new computer was sitting on the coffee table, in the middle of a restart. I was on the couch, drinking a glass of water, nowhere, theoretically, near enough the computer for shenanigans. Just as I drained the glass, Tinker leapt through the air from the back of the couch in perfect configuration to knock the glass from my hand and send it falling to hit the computer. It left one tiny dent next to the trackpad. In exactly the right place to entirely bork the hard drive. Entirely. Bork. Replace hard drive, do not recover one byte of data. Do not pass go.

Still under warranty, so replacement was free. Paid $100 for them to try basic recovery (serious recovery efforts cost a minimum of $800, up to $3,000, if you want it done without voiding warranty); nada zilch--"hard drive just makes a clicking sound."

Now, the writing was pretty well backed up. I managed the iTunes recovery from the last backup and a cloud download of everything since then. I did lose some things, and it's a big honking pain in the ass, and that cat has switched from trying to kill me to just fucking with me. He figured those angles and the timing to the nth degree. He did. I could see it in his eyes.

Tags:
cats

Adrienne Rich

3/29/12 08:33 am

Adrienne Rich, RIP.

On Lies, Secrets and Silence informed the beginnings of my undergraduate forays into critical thought and theory. It remains on my shelf to this day.

As I posted here, her poem "In the Wake of Home" is one I identify with, one that echoes so strongly for me and, in doing so, helped to heal and strengthen places in me invaluably.

Tags:
linky

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March 21st, 2012

books & links

3/21/12 09:51 am

It's a smidge less than three weeks until the sequel to A.M. Dellamonica's award-winning INDIGO SPRINGS comes out, but you can read a Blue Magic excerpt over at Tor.com right now.

Authors Lynn Flewelling, Harry Connolly, Juliet McKenna, Martha Wells, Robert Mancebo, and Julie Czerneda, among others, are featured in this Kickstarter project, Tales of the Emerald Serpent.

If you're hungering for some more or less recently published fiction by me, there are my stories in Subversion ("A Thousand Wings of Luck") and the Unfit for Eden ("The Bottom Garden") edition of the wonderful Postscripts.

Tags:
books, linky

March 9th, 2012

Books! Booksbooksbooksboookssssss!

3/9/12 02:10 pm

Just out:
THE PILLARS OF HERCULES - has a really cool site that definitely whets my appetite for the book.

E.C. Myer's debut YA, FAIR COIN, garnishing praise where'er it goes!

Stina Leicht's sequel to OF BLOOD AND HONEY, AND BLUE SKIES FROM PAIN, also garnering praise far and wide!

Books you probably don't need me to mention, but they're on my read list, Gail Carriger's TIMELESS and Naomi Novik's CRUCIBLE OF GOLD.

Coming soon:
BLUE MAGIC, sequel to A.M. Dellamonica's Sunburst award-winning INDIGO SPRINGS is out in early May.

Elizabeth Bear's RANGE OF GHOSTS, for the advance copy of which you may remember my great love, is out March 27, soon soon soon!

And, far ahead, in January 2013, the third in the Books of the Raksura series, THE SIREN DEPTHS, from Martha Wells, the ms of which I am just now finishing, and wow, guys. It's so good. That thing they say, riveting? That. I love these books. In anticipation, you can get the first two books, and check out some fun ephemera from the Three Worlds Compendium on Martha's site. Like the quick guide to distinguishing Raksura from Fell. It may save your life.

Tags:
books, linky

March 8th, 2012

Things to do to celebrate an 80th bday?

3/8/12 09:44 am

My mom's 80th birthday is in April and my sister and I are looking for engaging things to build into the celebration--party games, art activities, what have you. I don't want to surf a bunch of icky, ad-laden sites, so, dear braintrust, any ideas to float?

Tags:
family

February 16th, 2012

Myriad worlds await you...

2/16/12 08:40 am

Visit some wonderous places...

Via a short story from Martha Wells set in the world of her Books of the Raksura, The Cloud Roads and The Serpent Sea: "Adaptation"

In an A.M. Dellamonica story now up at Tor.com, "Among the Silvering Herd." This is a world you're going to see more of in novels to come and, trust me, it's full of wonder and awesome.

And here's that Intergalactic Nemesis segment from the Valentine's Day episode of Conan. Yes, some of the words are still from the original.

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Meanwhile, the phrase that lately comes to mind for me in describing my own writing is "laboring in obscurity." But hey, if I didn't love the writing process itself, I wouldn't be doing it.

Tags:
linky, writerstuff

February 13th, 2012

Intergalactic Nemesis on Conan! Plus more!

2/13/12 10:52 am

So, this radio play that I was one of the original writers on, The Intergalactic Nemesis, which is now a live action graphic novel show (you can still see my name on the screen at the beginning) is going to be on Conan tomorrow, February 14th, doing a scene from the show. How freaking cool is that? (Doubt I'll be mentioned, but some of that stuff is still my original words!) If you're local, you can head to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which is going to be screening it as it is being broadcast, or you can stream it to your computer after the broadcast from HERE.

That's tomorrow night, Tuesday Feb 14 on Conan, 11:30 (10:30 central) on TBS.

Other Intergalactic Nemesis stuff:

NPR's All Things Considered ran a feature story on the show a few weeks ago and you can listen to it HERE.
The TOUR continues, with dates all over. The show is honestly very cool and a lot of fun; also kid-friendly.

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Also, plus!
con_or_bust's fundraiser auction started on Saturday. It helps fans of color/non-white fans attend SFF conventions. Bidding ends Sunday, February 25, 2012. There are tons of great items up for auction here. Go bid!

Tags:
linky, nemesis

February 1st, 2012

Dear everybody on my friendslist

2/1/12 10:37 am

If you're on my friendslist, I read your posts. I don't like memes. I won't be posting the single word comment thingy comments. Sorry.