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Humor Test
Jul. 27th, 2005 06:57 amEh. Kinda close, but I detest Woody Allen (at least anything he's done since the '70's).
( Behind the cut )
( Behind the cut )
Jul. 27th, 2005
Tim Powers -- Last Call
Jul. 27th, 2005 07:11 amI got a signed, limited edition copy of Tim Powers's new short story collection, "Strange Itineraries" in the mail from the publisher last week. Essentially, it contains the entire contents of Tim's 2001 collection "Night Moves and Other Stories" and the stories authored or co-authored by Tim from the 2003 collaborative collection (with James Blaylock) "Devils in the Details". It adds one previously-uncollected story.
So even though I've read all these before (except the new story, "Pat Moore") I immediately dove in and read the book in a couple of days.
Wow!
Tim is as good, if not better, than I remembered. So I decided to re-read Last Call, Tim's 1992 World Fantasy Award-winning novel, which I haven't read in 7 or 8 years. I spent a big chunk of last weekend reading about poker, Las Vegas, bodysnatching and the Fisher King. I finished last night. Last Call is an amazing ride; deserving of all the awards it won.
I met Tim once, in the summer of 1990, in Las Vegas. I was still hanging around with the Provo SF crowd back then, and I drove Shayne Bell and Ginny Baker to Vegas in my convertible Mustang for the Writers of the Future awards banquet at the Flamingo Hilton (they were both past WotF winners). Tim was one of the judges that year, and was also at the banquet. I was already his fan, so I spent as much time chatting with him as I could. He explained some of the backstory of Last Call, which he was then writing, and pointed out significant landmarks, such as the original Flamingo building (since torn down) from the windows of the banquet facility.
Two years later the novel appeared, and I read it immediately. It was exciting to see how Tim had woven the actual history of Las vegas into the fabric of a fantasy novel. The novel takes place in the weeks before Easter, 1990, which was pretty close to the time I'd met Tim in Las Vegas (I think that was June, 1990). It added hugely to the reading experience.
Last Call is the first in a loose trilogy, so after finishing it last night I pulled down my copy of Expiration Date (1995) and started it this morning. When I finish that, I'll go right into Earthquake Weather (1997). And then probably re-read Declare, which I've already read 4 or 5 times.
So even though I've read all these before (except the new story, "Pat Moore") I immediately dove in and read the book in a couple of days.
Wow!
Tim is as good, if not better, than I remembered. So I decided to re-read Last Call, Tim's 1992 World Fantasy Award-winning novel, which I haven't read in 7 or 8 years. I spent a big chunk of last weekend reading about poker, Las Vegas, bodysnatching and the Fisher King. I finished last night. Last Call is an amazing ride; deserving of all the awards it won.
I met Tim once, in the summer of 1990, in Las Vegas. I was still hanging around with the Provo SF crowd back then, and I drove Shayne Bell and Ginny Baker to Vegas in my convertible Mustang for the Writers of the Future awards banquet at the Flamingo Hilton (they were both past WotF winners). Tim was one of the judges that year, and was also at the banquet. I was already his fan, so I spent as much time chatting with him as I could. He explained some of the backstory of Last Call, which he was then writing, and pointed out significant landmarks, such as the original Flamingo building (since torn down) from the windows of the banquet facility.
Two years later the novel appeared, and I read it immediately. It was exciting to see how Tim had woven the actual history of Las vegas into the fabric of a fantasy novel. The novel takes place in the weeks before Easter, 1990, which was pretty close to the time I'd met Tim in Las Vegas (I think that was June, 1990). It added hugely to the reading experience.
Last Call is the first in a loose trilogy, so after finishing it last night I pulled down my copy of Expiration Date (1995) and started it this morning. When I finish that, I'll go right into Earthquake Weather (1997). And then probably re-read Declare, which I've already read 4 or 5 times.