our little family: good reads of 2009

fiction

Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World, by Neal Stephenson. The three novels of the Baroque Cycle series total nearly 3,000 pages, and consumed about a month of free moments. Alternately about money, pirates, scientists, alchemists, war, love, prison, royalty, and a profound change of eras, these outrageous books really kicked butt. Some of the comedy set pieces were so tremendously funny I nearly hurt myself laughing. Truly great work; I'm going to have to read these again. After a couple years or so.

Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand, by Samuel R. Delany. I'd read this in my youth, and remembered it as being challenging and strange. Rereading it this year, it was much stranger than I remembered, among the most alien science fiction books I've encountered. No holds barred on this one: interested in gay sex with six-legged multi-tongued winged aliens? You've come to the right place. Somewhat exhausting to read, partly from trying to decode the author's use of "women" for creatures of all genders, but mostly because there's just so much overwhelming strangeness on each page that it's a little hard to absorb.

Chindi, by Jack McDevitt. Girl! Indiana Jones! Pilot! In Space! There are a handful of Priscilla Hutchins SF novels, but this one about finding a mysterious big floating thingy way the heck out there in space is my favorite so far. I especially like that people don't wear spacesuits in these books; they have little forcefields instead, and get dressed up in slacks and coordinating shirts and nice shoes to go out and fix the antenna or whatever.

Cyberabad Days, by Ian McDonald. The author returns to the world of 2047 India first introduced in River of Gods, this time in a book of short stories. I loved The Djinn's Wife best, but all the stories share a strange combination of poverty mixed with great wealth, of computational intelligences and water shortages, of soap opera obsessions, esoteric weapons and slums.

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale. This was a beautiful work of craftsmanship, a retelling of a quiet fairy tale that seemed real. A princess is given in marriage to a prince of another kingdom. On her way there, things happen. I had a hard time putting it down to go back to the real world. After I finished it, I discovered it had won a bunch of awards and recognition. I found out about it because my wife handed me a copy after she'd finished it and said, "this was great, you'll love it." And she was right.

Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. The best audiobook ever, on 28 (!) CDs. Took care of about two months of commutes. Sometimes the slow drive home in traffic was the best part of my day. Had this out long enough from the library that it became a sort of fund-raiser.

Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion, by Dan Simmons Enough time had passed that I'd forgotten the story, so I reread the Hyperion series over the summer. Time and space travel, evil computers, warfare, love, a talking spaceship with a piano, and the pope all conspire for big fun. The last book, The Rise of Endymion, remains my favorite. I'm going to see about getting a piano for my spaceship too.

Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin. Another wonderful audiobook that brought pleasure to my long commute and made me appreciate the heated seats in my car. This very human story takes place in and around New York over a span of decades. A kind of quiet magic slips into the characters' lives, in surprising ways. Beautifully read by Oliver Wyman.

Hell, by Robert Olen Butler. Go ahead and judge this book by its cover. This diabolical glimpse into the everyday lives of the citizens of hell follows the adventures of Hatcher McCord, the anchorman of the Evening News From Hell. Clever and funny.

non-fiction

True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society, by Farhad Manjoo. This eye-opener looks at how the amount of information available to us in the internet age has permitted us to be so selective of information sources that facts are perceived differently by different groups. As this has happened, the information sources themselves have focused more closely on core constituencies (think Fox News) in an effort to satisfy the desires of their audiences. The book also looks at perceptions of objectivity in sociological studies, and how bias permeates an audiences perception. Then the author digs into Video News Releases (VNRs) created by PR firms that get uploaded into footage libraries and then regurgitated as genuine news by local stations. An alarming and important book that uncovers the nature of "Truthiness". I think I'll get my news from Japanese comic books from now on...

Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. There was a moment early this year when it seemed everyone I knew was reading this book, and raving about it. My turn now. The core lesson is that uccess (or failure) may not be the result of obvious reasons. The book takes some interesting turns: why are Asian kids good at math? Why were Jewish lawyers so successful in New York? Why did Korean airliners crash a lot earlier this century? Looking at the reasons behind the reasons behind successful (or failed) outcomes made me think a lot about my own background, and that of my family. Somehow myself and my two brothers have all ended up in an intersection between engineering and art or craft. Perhaps my father, the engineer, and my mother, the landscape artist, had something to do with this. I think this book may be actionable - it makes me think of things that will have a positive effect on my son's future.

The Design of Dissent, by Milton Glasser & Mirko Ilić. This book begins with no introduction, no title page, but instead with a page of posters. Many more posters, buttons, stencils, photos, and other artifacts follow, from Kosovo, Iraq, Gaza, the USA, Slovenia, Mexico, Israel, and many other places around the world. Some images stick with you, like the poster of George W. Bush with crude oil smeared around his lips. Others are too painful to look at, like those of factory farm animals. One stencil replaces the heart in Glasser's own iconic "I love NY" design with a bomb. Minimal text identifies the images and provides a bit of context. At the very end, following all the images, is a short introduction, an interview with Milton Glasser, an index, and (finally) a title page. This is a powerful and painful work. Highly recommended.

Abstracting Craft: The Practiced Digital Hand, by Malcolm McCullough. Another designer recommended this book to me, and there were moments when it seemed like the author was writing about me. The book dates from the early 90's, so a few passages dealing with technology seemed dated, but the concept of craft as having a digital expression was compelling, and discussions on the nature of work in the digital realm were ahead of their time.

Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century, by Lauren Slater. I don't have a psychology background, and found this tour of significant psychology experiments strange and evocative and a bit creepy. The author is warm and human while describing clinical experiments with blurry moral borders, no mean feat. I think I'm glad I've read this book, but it gave me bad dreams for a couple nights.

Real World Adobe Illustrator CS4, by Mordy Golding. This is one of the best technical design books I've read. Well-written, with a light touch, and yet filled with behind-the-scenes insights and about 700 tricks I didn't know about. The book showcased Illustrator's strengths, but also pointed out weaknesses and suggested workarounds. Full color throughout. Ought to win a technical writing award - highly recommended if you have an Adobe Illustrator project in your future.

1,000 Icons, Symbols, and Pictograms, by Blackcoffee Design. I added this to my collection of icon and symbol books and dingbat fonts. It's mostly just pictures, with the odd credit here and there. Some of the symbols are pretty good, and seem like interesting solutions to problems.

anime, manga, and graphic novels

Noein. Haruka and her friends have dangerous and exciting experiences with travellers from another dimension. Time becomes fluid, and some versions of the future don't look so sweet. Soldiers drop in from the sky on energy tethers and leave in a small flurry of blue snow. The young people grapple with this in between cram school and soccer games. This outstanding science fiction anime series sports a mix of hand-drawn art and computer effects, layered into intricate scenes, with some remarkable design work. Haruka is a charming waif surrounded by good people who care about her, with deep relationships that span dimensions. One of the villians is a chubby entrepreneur who put me in mind of the dot-bomb days. The title sequence and theme music are good enough to watch all the way through every time. As Tobi says towards the end, "may there be happiness in your dimension's future." Five stars.

Alive, by Tadashi Kawashima. An alien virus strikes the earth; those infected commit suicide with blissful expressions on their faces. Some survivors are given remarkable powers along with a broad contempt for mere humans. Bad things happen to normal people. The infected survivors grapple with their new abilities. Quietly horrifying. Attention Hollywood - if you're looking for a manga title that would translate well to the big screen check this one out. Would make a frightening and controversial thriller.

Ai Yori Aoshi, by Kou Fumizuki. College student Kaoru helps out a beautiful young woman in a train station who is looking for an old childhood flame. Who turns out to be him. She's from a wealthy and powerful Zaibatsu family; he isn't. But they're both determined to persevere in spite of family, minders, photo-club members, bathhouse mix-ups, and compromising situations involving buxom young women. Simple and clear line art, a story alternately funny, sweet, and teasing, and characters with good hearts make this one a winner. There's an anime of this series also, but I like the manga much better.

Samurai Champloo. Moogen, Foo, and Gene are roaming through Edo-period Japan searching for the "samurai who smells of sunflowers". Foo is cute and gets held hostage a lot. Moogen has wild hair, a slouch, a serious bad attitude, and fights as if samurai train in Brazil with capoeira masters. Gene is upright, quiet, wears glasses, fights formally. Oh, and Gene and Moogen have sworn to kill each other. They meet many strange people and have a great many odd experiences. There are little asides that touch on Elvis, beatniks, impressionist painters, pirates, geishas, and criminals. Little musical numbers feature hip-hop vocals accompanied by kotos and scratching. Samurai brothers duel with graffiti tags. Zombies. Japan vs. America at baseball - in the Edo period. It's all a rather improbable combination that somehow hangs together. Recommended.

Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, by Kio Shimoku. Get ready for a manga about otaku who sit around all day and read manga. Well, sometimes they go out shopping for more, or stand in long lines in the hot sun to buy fanzines at conventions. One is a handsome guy who has two cute girls chasing him, yet he seems to prefer 2D ladies. Gaming, anime, cosplay, high school clubs, shopping for electronics in Tokyo, love sims, boyfriends, girlfriends, and all the normal things of otaku life are what this series is about. Yes, a comic about reading comics. And it's very good. This is another one of those series where I didn't care much for the anime, but enjoyed the manga.

The Twelve Kingdoms, by Fuyumi Ono. I started reading the newly-translated young adult novels that the unfinished anime series was based on. I enjoyed the first two books (all that's out so far) quite a bit, although they were a bit uneven. It's been a while since I've seen the anime, which I'm remembering now as a pretty faithful rendering. Anyway, young Youko Nakajima is somehow launched from her Japanese middle school into an another world, which resembles China, but with demons and spirits and magic kings and talking animals and all kinds of fun. Everybody has many adventures. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books coming out - the anime series ended abruptly when the producers ran out of money. The music in the anime was so evocative that I still hear it when I read the books.

Origin: Spirits of the Past. A beautiful feature film with a terrific opening. An ecology snafu leads to civilization being destroyed by an aware forest hostile to humans. Some of the remaining humans have good coping skills. Some have more of a militaristic approach. The movie had great art and music and I liked the two main characters a lot. Recommended.

Battle Angel Alita, by Yukito Kishiro. I'd seen bits and pieces of this famous manga, but had never read it. Wow! Alita is a powerful android fighter who has no idea where she came from and what her purpose in life is. She learns love and loss, and her memories slowly come back, mostly when she gets beaten up. Alita is a relentless warrior - in one chapter, one of her arms gets cut off and she grabs it and thumps her opponent with it. By turns violent, funny, and touching, Alita tries to learn what it means to be human, and what is worth fighting for. I think I need to own this series, at least the first cycle. The second cycle of the series is ongoing; there are also animated episodes, but I haven't seen those. Read this manga.

Cheeky Angel, by Hiroyuki Nishimori. Nine year old Megumi saves a wizard from some bullies and is given a magic book as a reward. The smirking tiny clown who pops out says he'll grant any one wish. Megumi wishes to be the world's "Manliest Man", but is instead turned into a cute girl. Several years later, she's a hottie, in high school, pursued by drooling guys who she typically beats up. This gender bender manages to be funny and touching and violent, often all at once. Poor Megumi can't figure out from one moment to the next whether she's a guy or a girl, and her horror at actually starting to like boys is wonderful. Funny stuff.

Gurren Lagann. One of the best anime ever. Cave-dwelling post-apocalypse humans emerge fighting into the light to face beastmen and inter-dimensional beings with giant fighting robots and babes with really big guns. Every few episodes it rachets up a notch and gets even bigger. Loud, funny, brash, the bright primary visuals thwack hard. I loved this riot of a show. It's insanely way better than I make it sound. Watch this one.

Alchino, by Kouyu Shurei. This series has only three volumes out, as the original publisher went toes-up. The art is exquisite, looking something like if Buddhist monks with a lot of time on their hands drew fashion illustrations. I got the characters mixed up and needed to reread the first volume, but didn't mind because the art is so gorgeous. Wish there was a volume 4 so I could see how it all turns out.

Kaze Hikaru, by Taeko Watanabe. This Shojo romance centers on a young girl who disguises herself as a boy and joins the Shinsengumi samurai in Edo-period Kyoto. The author took her research seriously and tries to convey a realistic sense of what life was like. Violence is sudden, surprising, and somewhat infrequent in these books - much more time is devoted to relationships and setting. The art isn't anything special, but the characters are expressive and the story is fascinating.

Bride of the Water God, by Mi-Kyung Yun. This manhwa (Korean shojo manga) is elegant and strange, full of characters with beautiful faces and magnificent clothes. The story begins with Soah being sacrificed by her drought-stricken village to the water god Habaek. But he doesn't eat her; instead she becomes his bride and lives in his palace, with frequent visits from other gods and goddesses. In a brilliant touch, her mother-in-law is the goddess of torture.

Berserk, by Kentaro Miura. Imagine William Blake and H.P. Lovecraft teaming up to remix Conan the Barbarian. Now make it louder and more frightening, with magnificently flawed and tragic characters. I'm up to volume 31 in this ongoing series, and just now realized there's a couple more out there already. A hundred years from now people will still be reading these.

Ok, enough reading about reading already. It's time for you to go out there and read great stuff and watch fun anime. See you in the design / science fiction / manga aisles in the bookstore...