The Martian Chronicles

     I love this book. I first read it in my 10th grade English class and gave it  a re-read after reading about Bradbury's death this past June. When he died, my Mom said to me that this was possibly the last of the great classic sci-fi writers to bite the dust, which may be arguably true. Ursula Le Guin is still alive and kicking somewhere. But her writings can be argued as more fantasy than science fiction. Larry Niven is still alive, William Gibson, Orson Scott Retard. These names just don't hold the same strength as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke. 

    When I read this book in school, it was a requirement for the class. We had tests and quizzes on it, which was probably an attempt to reinforce our reading comprehension skills. Unfortunately with my stubbornness, I didn't really like being told what to do. But also..I really didn't like being told what to read, ESPECIALLY when it came to fiction. I read the book as required and convinced a part of myself that it was a solid waste of time. But I knew that a large part of myself was really captivated and wanted to continue to turn the pages. So I did and I enjoyed it. I'm very grateful that it was required reading. 

     There's always the saying that you can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when a significant event (like 9/11) happens. On 9/11, I was in a middle school classroom and my teacher told me about it. She, all the other faculty members, and a some other students were in a state of shock. I didn't know what the twin towers were and certainly didn't understand the magnitude of the event. I'm sure I might react a little differently nowadays (although my general apathy probably hasn't gotten too much better since then). Anyways, going along with this idea of remembering where you were during significant events... What's special to me is that I remember where I was and what I was doing when learning about the deaths of several great writers. When Vonnegut died, I was in my friend's dorm room (I was a senior in high school) and I saw it on his facebook feed. When I read the news, I acknowledged Vonnegut as one of my favorite writers at the time and said that it was a bummer. My friend didn't know who he was then so he couldn't share my sentiment. I did see him reading Cat's Cradle about a year later though. When I found out about Bradbury's passing, it was a very nice sunny day and I was on my computer. I saw the news on Yahoo news and was immediately taken aback. Because of his status as a writer and his literary accomplishments many years ago, I expected that he had already passed away before my time. I had never really taken the time to research more about him and understand where he was. After giving myself a good slap in the face, I went forward and read about his life. Reading of his death re-ignited my love for reading science fiction literature. That same day, I went over to the undergrad library and rented the Martian Chronicles for a good old re-read and Stranger in a Strange Land for a good old first-read. I was also reading Dune at the time (second time around- I read half of it first and didn't pick it up for a while, so I just started over).

     This book itself is a collection of short, slightly inter-related stories. It depicts Martian life, first contact, and colonization efforts. But the thing about the book is that it can be read even if you're not a fan of sci-fi. And that is attributed to Mr. Bradbury himself. I don't know what it is about his writing that makes it so flowing and so elegant at the same time. He has the voice of a true storyteller. I find no other way to describe it besides warm even in the darkest parts of the book. There's a great story in the book for anybody who is a fan of E.A. Poe. One might even find early influences for Farenheit 451. What I find very peculiar as well is how the majority of the Martian population died- a disease epidemic introduced by foreign colonizers. Sound vaguely familiar? Does North America some several hundred years ago ring a bell? Overall, a great book that I would encourage high school English teachers to force onto their students. Honestly, it was probably the best thing that I was made to read in high school.

Sci-fi with a Cool Title

    October the First is Too Late. This book is actually a little oddly captivating at times. Many people are not very fond of the title, but the title is what made me interested in reading this book. That and of course the cover (And Sir Fred Hoyle for that matter). I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to be, but what I can say is this: Any book that has great cover art (like most of these books from the 60's-80's) or a cool title will most likely get my stamp of approval. Sure, much of the stuff might be pulp or juvenile, but that doesn't stop it from looking awesome. Sci-fi books from this time are kind of like old heavy metal records. There are so many albums with really cool covers. Heavy Load, Mercyful Fate, Dark Wizard, etc. A lot of them are great albums, but some of them are mediocre, some are not good, and some are incredible. Same can be said with 60's/70's prog albums. So much cool artwork. Again, some are awesome and others mediocre, but they are almost always good in some respect. Whether it's a sci-fi book from the 60's, a prog album from the 70's, or a heavy metal record from the 80's, there's usually going to be some good thing about it. I might say that I was born too late.

     I'll give my abbreviated summary of this intriguing little story. More of novella than a novel, it is a story of 2 people (a composer and a scientist) who get caught in an altered rift of time. Hawaii seems to be in present time, England seems to be caught in an early world war, most of North America seems to be several hundred years in the past, Deserts near Russia seem to have a flat and glass-like surface, and Greece seems to be caught in their classic period. It is a pretty cool idea for a short book.
     The first major event happens when the two are in Hawaii and get word that the entire coast of California has disappeared. They travel there via plane to investigate and observe the coastline has no buildings and no evidence of civilization, just trees and natural landscapes. They travel across the country and see that everywhere else is in the stage of what it might have looked like several hundred years ago. When they arrive in Britain, they realize that they've entered a time during WW2. One of the men travels to Greece and finds himself in Ancient Greece where Socrates is out and about (although the main character never gets to speak with him...that would've been funny). Eventually, the main character decides he needs some space from the culture and seeks solace in an old temple outside of the city where he works on composing his greatest piece of music yet. He is challenged by a beautiful woman to a musical "duel" of sorts. He awakens the next day to find himself in a new place. Everything is pretty minimal, but the technology is way past present-day standards. Apparently, he is a few thousand years in the future. He and his friend discover that they have been brought here by the woman from the  musical duel in Ancient Greece. They watch a very abbreviated four hour history of the world to get them caught up to the current time. The pattern they see is of a civilization building itself up and then eventually collapsing and destroying itself. It happens over and over for several hundreds of years until the current time. Eventually the two men get a choice to stay in the future or go back. One elects to go and one elects to stay, the end.
     Obviously, there is always a lot more to the books than my abbreviated summaries, but this is basically how it went. The author actually does a decent job of peppering in meaning to the entire story with analogies of dimensions and rabbit holes. You could tell a little bit of thought actually went into it. The book is typically met with good to mediocre (and even some poor) reviews. But I think it is pretty decent, you could probably read it in an afternoon if you have the time. I'm going to go back to studying for the NBE now.

Mortuary Science Pathology

Happy Birthday to me. After band practice last night, I enjoyed some chocolate stout and sake. Earlier in the day, however, I was studying for the national board exam for mortuary science. During that time, I spent a good amount of time gazing into this book:

     Yes, a textbook. I was contemplating whether to include texts or not. I decided that if I read them and enjoyed them, why not? This book is actually really cool, even if you are not that into textbooks or anything of the like. Not only does it provide basic terms for post-mortem evaluation purposes. But it is especially interesting because it outlines specific diseases and situations and how they would have an effect on the post-mortem body. I can now recognize patterns of disease/trauma and understand how a licensed embalmer could approach  these cases. For example.. Burn marks on or near the scrotum with no other apparent trauma? Lightning strike.

     Embalming is hardly an exact science but efficiency is tripled when you can recognize the signs that may have an effect on it. There is a lot of information within this book, but it is hardly overwhelming. From its initial introduction, it shares the scope of study of disease for mortuary science specialists (including fluid distribution, injuries, genetic basis, neoplasia, infection, etc). It gives you basic information concerning the mechanism of specific diseases and how they contribute to the signs and symptoms. I really enjoy how the book is written because it allows you to absorb the basic information while also providing an introductory glimpse into the actual 'why' of the process. Obviously it's not as heavy as Robbins Pathological Basis of Disease or other pathology texts. But it serves as an excellent introduction for students (primarily those in mortuary science) who aspire to learn more about pathology and its relationship to the post-mortem body.

Intro + Book 1

     Well, I made this blog pretty much just for myself so I could document what books I've read, with maybe some occasional music thrown in. I don't know what it is about science fiction, but I find myself limiting the fiction I read to this genre. Maybe it's because so much of these sci-fi books and stories have applications that can applied in the real world? Maybe I'm drawn to it because of my own alienation with others? Maybe it's because it inspires us to learn more. In many cases, science fiction of the past has turned into science fact of the now. Science fiction instills wonder, hope, curiosity, and interest. It can even provide blueprints of how science was thought of in the past and present.

     I guess the bottom line for me is sometimes I'll read a book but only slightly recollect the premise when I look it up a year later. So hopefully this blog will help me recall and remember the good things I've read from here on out. To start it off, I'll just go ahead with this:

     I wish I had been smart enough to read this book back in high school. But I wasn't. In fact, I just read it about 3 months ago. After I was done reading it, I found out that I had read the version that was trimmed for publication. I'm kind of grateful for that because now I get to read the unabridged version and compare the differences (I'm sure the unabridged will be better). 

     This book is so interesting because while it is based in sci-fi, it deals primarily with real-world applications. Definitely would not call this a science fantasy novel like the cover of this version suggests. The story follows Valentine Michael Smith, a human who was born on Mars and raised as a Martian. When another Mars expedition finds him, he elects to travel back to Earth. He is not acclimated to Earth's climate and gravity at first but recovers quickly when in the hospital. Smith looks like a regular human, however that is about the extent of it. He can read a book in about as fast as it takes us to read a few pages, he has several psychic abilities that humans may be capable of reaching but have not. He doesn't know what a female is. He doesn't know what God is, what love is, what laughter is. But he wants to learn, and he wants to grok.

     I see two parts to the book. The first part, where he is truly A Stranger in a Strange Land and is unaware of peoples intentions and what specific items are used for. The second part, where he is still a stranger, but more accustomed overall. He finds more confidence and purpose. A large part of the book focuses on religion and spirituality. Smith, who eventually gets very rich because of some earthly circumstances, builds his own space (temple?)  and allows people to learn his 'Martian ways'. It's described as a religion by some and as a cult by others. And while it might have elements of both, it really is neither. There are practices of free love and psychokinesis strewn throughout. In my opinion, he is really unlocking barriers that humans have placed upon themselves. These barriers that Martians have somehow broken down.

     Stranger in a Strange Land is a really great story about a human Martian who is trying to understand why humans act the way they do. While it asks you to question human nature and who you are, it's not all "hey look at me, I'm serious." It has several uplifting moments as well. On the other hand, I find humor in strange things. Robert Heinlein is probably more known for his patriotism and sexist undertones. I'm not really one to advocate either (sexism sucks, yeah I know), but I'm also not going to completely disregard an author/artist based on his or her personal beliefs (ie. Orson Scott Card, who sounds like a HUGE douche in person, wrote the highly acclaimed Ender novels). In the end however, there is more to this book than I can type on here and I would implore anyone to read the unabridged version. 

     Upon finishing it, I thought to myself, "That might be my favorite book I've ever read". Although to be honest, I find myself saying that somewhat often when I read books that I really enjoy.