43, 44, 45, and 49! 💕

Thank you lovely~! I was hoping I'd get more than one of these. <3 Hope you're ready for this answer lol

43. Title of a book you own that’s in the worst physical condition you have. Explain what happened to it. Post a picture if you want.

I waited till now to answer this cause I wanted to include a picture of my shame and these books were tucked safely away in the back of my bedroom bookshelf where my partner was sleeping so I couldn’t get them. Confession time: I love reading in the bath. And in the days before my waterproof ereader I have destroyed a book or two simply by rereading it and exposing it to my wet and wild habit over and over. Please don’t judge me for the severity of these pictures, it was a different time.

All trigger warnings for severely abused books apply.

That is my copy of The Good the Bad and The Undead by Kim Harrison which is the second book in her The Hollows/Rachel Morgan series and the first one I read after finding it in my dad’s rejected books pile. It’s probably the book I’ve reread the most besides Reaper Man by Terry Prachett as I recall finishing it on occasions and immediately restarting it. I loved it. I actually own three copies of this book. This one. A digital copy in a full series omnibus. And another copy of the paperback bought recently as I’d love to own the entire series so I’m trying to pick the ones I’m lacking. 

The second is my copy of Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning this is the first book in her Fever series which I to this day haven’t finished but at the time it was a favored because of its interesting world building, angst ridden characters, and of course the sexy potential of its (poorly aged!) love to hate ‘em alpha-male romantic interests. Still I used to wait for each new book of the series to be available at the library and while I waited I used to reread my copy of this one to keep the characters fresh in my mind. Funfact: I also bought a digital bundle of this series which I was reading as my “work book” (the book I only read at work) for a while. And I made it all the way to where I originally stopped. The last book in the original series, book five: Shadowfever. I made it halfway through it when the lockdowns hit and at that point I didn’t want to start reading my work book at home so I still haven’t finished it. That’s probably ok though, while I enjoy the nostalgia of the characters and world it’s not so great in 2023! 

So yeah I think they’re both pretty banged up but I think Darkfever might be a little worse? It certainly feels worse to the touch! Pages clumped and stuck together and edges destroyed. Its more waterdamaged at least, but the other one is split down the middle so I guess that’s also pretty bad! I'm posting both tho because the other one def looks worse.

44. The book(s) whose stories have become part of your very makeup.

Reaper Man. Dragonlance: Chronicles, Legends, Tales, the Lost Chronicles, and the Raistlin Duology in particular. The Count of Monte Cristo. Cyrano De Bergerac, The Art of Asking. American Gods. Countless short stories, fairy tales, myths and legends. The first six books of The Hollows series by Kim Harrison also need to be mentioned. Particularly the one above. You can’t imagine how mortified I was when I got my partner to read them and he commented “Hey, you, like, took some of your personality from these didn’t you?” Yeah. Probably bruh. But you don’t have to call me out like that.  Books five, seven, and eight of the Women of the Otherworld Series probably deserve an honorable mention for the same reason tbh. More recently I think the series of Bring Me Their Hearts, and The Library of the Unwritten definitely rewrote something in my brain. 

45. What book(s) would you sell your soul to get a TV or movie adaptation of?

Listen the other day I was imagining a Monty Python style variety show adaption of Daniel M Lavery’s book Something that May Shock and Discredit You which a WILD PULL but the only answer I have for you right now. I think it would have animated parts like Python did but they’d be stylized like The Simpson’s animation. I don’t fantasize about adaptations but I think they really work best for children’s books so if you made me answer seriously I guess I’d go with The Tales of the Frog Princess by E.D. Baker and maybe that should’ve been in the question above too lol. 

49. Do you prefer hopeful, humorous, very emotional or darker books?

I think I tend to err toward darker and angstier books. I get a lot of catharsis from them but I think most of the time books like The Bone Orchard or Leech or Iron Widow or whatever I’m reading that deals with dark topics usually benefit from that undercurrent of hope. I don’t think dark and emotional needs to lack hope and I tend to most enjoy ones that allow space for both. 

That being said I read a lot and I think what I like most is having options and variety.

Asks for Bookworms here

What are the top five pieces of media that rewired your brain?

ah jeez

uh

tales of symphonia: literally close to my entire psyche is stored in this game. if you've not played it, the remaster is about to come out on ps4 and the (not great but workable) pc port is out. look, i can't make you play tales of symphonia, but if you like jrpgs, the entire modern era of jrpgs pulls directly from symphonia, including an ENORMOUS amount of ff14. there is a straight line between tales of symphonia and emet-selch. tales of symphonia is as fundamental to my spirit as being jewish is. that's not an exaggeration.

trinity blood: yeah like half of my sexuality is from trinity blood (light novels, not manga or anime. the anime is garbage.) and im so mad it's not been relicensed for english release since tokyopop folded. uh. yeah. anyway.

dragonlance: i feel normal ways about dragonlance (lie). please read dragonlance. if you need a place to start, either "the time of the twins", "dragons of autumn twilight" or "the soulforge" (i recommend "time" first)

the dark tower: i will never reread these books, and not bc they're not good, but because they sure did uh. god. wow. they sure did fuck me up. "wizard and glass" did irreparable things to me. after i finished the series i didn't read anything for a full year because i was still so profoundly shocked by these books.

final fantasy xv: the worst game ive ever loved ardyn izunia is my gender next question.

Dragonlance’s Lost Chronicles I: Dragons of the Dwarven Depths - A rambling review

Cover art by Matt Stawicki depicting Tanis Half-Elven, Flint Fireforge and Tasslehoff Burrfoot, three of the main characters.

By now I should be rereading the second trilogy of the Dragonlance Tales, but I couldn’t resist and started with this trilogy of The Lost Chronicles which, to my eternal shame as Dragonlance fan, I didn’t even know it existed until a few months ago during confinement, when I decided to re-explore this beloved franchise of my teen years. The Lost Chronicles is a relatively recent trilogy - year 2006 - if we compare it with the first original trilogy, Dragonlance Chronicles (1984) that complete each other. Those who have read the Chronicles will remember that after finishing the first volume - Dragons of Autumn Twilight - in the second, Dragons of Winter Night, the authors made a temporary leap omitting part of the story - due to lack of time and creativity, they admitted at the time - in which the main characters’ group was recovering a sacred relic from the Dwarven nation of Thorbardin, The Hammer of Kharas, in exchange for providing protection and accommodation to refugees driven from Solace and enslaved by the Dragon Highord Verminaard. Well, precisely, this what the first volume of The Lost Chronicles is about, written no less than 20 years later, to complete this and other gaps in the original plot.

I have to say that on one hand I was excited to find this trilogy written to complete the original, and on the other hand, I was skeptical about it. Because writing decades later to complete something you had already done usually results in a grievance compared to the original work; it seems unlikely that something better will be done so long later; and unless you go with the lead feet, reread your original work VERY WELL and have a good publisher, it’s very likely to fall into contradictions and inconsistencies in the plot.

Well, nothing of that! This book is great! Not only have the authors recovered the original spirit of the Chronicles, but also - at the risk of being burned as heretic at the bonfire of fandom - they have improved it, and how! On the other hand it is logical, because writers are supposed to improve with time if they care for what they do, and let's not forget that Weis and Hickman are also the authors of that wonderful series called The Death Gate Cycle, which it is totally on another level. All that experience of years has been invested now and it shows.

How does it show? The pace of the plot, for example. The Chronicles, specially the first volume, had a very stressful rhythm - it was like climbing a roller coaster without harness - while Dragons of the Dwarven Depths has a sensible and constant pace, dosing the action and the dialogues in a balanced, fluid and consistent way. Secondly: it’s much better written than the original trilogy, both in terms of prose and setting. They take more time to describe the environments and the lore without becoming tedious, boring, or too hasty as sometimes happened in the original trilogy. Of course, the poems of Michael Williams are still horrible - or perhaps it is the translation that is horrible, I will give him the benefit of the doubt -; that issue seems to be doomed.

And finally I stop at what has always been, for me, the best of Dragonlance and the reason why I love it: the characterization. It has always been wonderful, and in this volume it shows. The Companions, very different in their origins, abilities and personality, have always fascinated me because they seem absolutely human and relatable, believable although many of them are not "humans" per se or have supernatural abilities, of course. They are supposed to be childhood friends and allies of their own free will in a world at war, but they actually malfunction as some kind of dysfunctional family, if I may allow redundancy. The mean-spirited and grumpy dwarf messes with everyone and scolds them all like a curmudgeonly grandfather, the others handle him making him believe that his decisions matter and his intervention is essential to them, the knight won’t stop annoying everyone with his ideals of honor and justice, lecturing them on what is right and good and cooperating rather little when it comes to making morally questionable decisions, the mage messes with everyone and everyone messes with the mage, who reacts like a furious snake because he’s aware that without him they would not make it to the corner alive, and in the absence of a real culprit, his fangs always end up stuck in his poor twin - an actual cinnamon roll, an example of the most tragic Stockholm syndrome -; the barbarians distrust everyone but they have no choice but to get along with them, the kender is, if possible, the most chaotic element of the group, whose burden and responsibility are passing each other as if they could really control him somehow; all of them led by a half-elf with remorse of conscience because he’s a disbelieving atheist who cannot even make up his own mind about if he feels elf, feels human, feels everything or feels nothing, and is not able to choose if he is in love with the elf girl or of the human girl, having enough work with babysitting this sociopathic group. Anyway. A delight for the senses.

Already experts in handling such a bunch of misfits, Weis and Hickman make you laugh hard at the interactions between them. In the Chronicles it wasn’t yet quite funny - especially if you hadn’t gotten used to Raistlin's mood, whom you’ve to swallow in little doses like a bitter medicine - but here, you’ve a great time! The knight annoying the mage, the mage messing with the knight, the two messing with the dwarf, the dwarf messing with everyone, the kender in the middle messing around... it seems incredible that these people saved the world, right? Well, they did! And even though they can’t totally get along, without a single one of them it would not have been possible. There, the greatness of the story.

I don't want to wind up much more. In this volume, the authors take the opportunity to correct other failures their original narrative had, such as devoting more attention to Riverwind, who plays a fantastic role as leader of the refugees - at the cost of casting a shadow over Goldmoon and therefore obtaining the inverse result of the original trilogy - and also, to pay a little more attention to poor Tika - the most human and perhaps most relatable of them all, although unfortunately she’s forgotten, like Goldmoon, halfway through the book - and above all, pay much more attention to Flint Fireforge, the dwarf, who’s really the main character of the book, and who finds himself faced with a moral dilemma: recover the sacred relic of the dwarves, the Hammer of Kharas, and hide it from his own people to take it to the Knights of Solamnia and therefore be used as an artifact to solve the war and give the world in danger of destruction a chance; or willingly return it to the dwarf nation and risk losing it to the cause.

5 stars. Great. Fantastic. It’s not boring for a single moment, there is no tedious, long or unnecessary part, the characters are genuinely themselves, the plot is better written and the style much improved. In short: it seems that time has not passed at all, or rather, it has passed, but for good. Highly recommended for Dragonlance fans and especially for those who are already familiar with the Chronicles. You will not regret it.

Geez, I need to shorten these reviews.

Lmao would u be mad if i made u answer all the questions ahsjdjfmhj

LOL no 😏 (i ended up leaving out a few that i didn't have an answer for)

Song of the year?

According to Spotify, it was Starlight Brigade by TWRP feat. Dan Avidan. 👍🏻

Album of the year?

Uhhh okay I know it's old but I rediscovered how fkn great The Black Parade is lol. OH also All Time Low released a 10 year anniversary edition of their album Nothing Personal which was dope. They redid all the songs and made some nice changes, and Alex's voice just keeps getting better with each new release I swear lol.

Movie of the year?

How to Train Your Dragon 3. I cried so hard LOL fuk.

TV show of the year?

So after refusing to watch any episodes of Game of Thrones for it's entire run I changed my mind and binged all of it in November LOL. And I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Watchmen is also REALLY good.

Best month for you this year?

August cause I got to see my cousin (who I used to live with) for the first time in almost a year. 🙂 Also May cause my dad and my stepmom got married and it was beautiful. 😭

Something that made you cry this year?

The aformentioned wedding LOL I cried during the ceremony. I'm such a sap. 😂

Favourite book you read this year?

I reread the Dragonlance Chronicles books for the first time in almost 10 years and remembered how much I love them. Especially Tas. He is best boi.

What's a bad habit you picked up this year?

Leaving the tv on while I sleep. 😩 It's so comforting but wastes so much energyyyyyyy and fucks up your tv faster lol.

What's something new about your room/house now vs at the start of the year?

My pokemon plushie collection continues to expand. 😂 Also my parents got two pet turtles this year lol.

If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

"There's gonna be a strike in November. Do not neglect all of your assignments to watch GoT. You will experience one of the most stressful weeks of your life if you do." fml LOL

Did you create any characters this year? Describe one.

does my boy McChinny count?

I found a bunch of my old books when I moved that I’m rereading now. I’m steadily working my way through the Dragonlance books now. 

They’re not as great as I remember. Fifteen years of writing experience gives me a better understanding of literary choices I would not make. But I’m still having fun reading them all the same.

However the absolute #1 best thing about this series that I had completely forgotten about are kender, which is the most amazing and adorable race, holy shit. I would love to play one of these guys in a D&D setting. It would be so fun.

Crossing the Cosmologies of Dragonlance and Planescape

I got asked this question by Beriorn over on the Onyx Path forums, so since I wrote a very long answer, I thought I would post it here as well. 

How do you handle Dragonlance, if I may ask? Do you just make the people of Krynn a bunch of superstitious yokels who think all the Lower Planes are the Abyss and people laugh at them for that?

This is an excellent question that I am going to talk about at length, but for the sake of ease, I'll stick my answer first and then go into my long-winded explanation of the logic I'm using. One disclaimer first, I haven't done anything with Dragonlance in a REALLY long time, nor have I reread the books recently (although I have been very slowly listening to Dragons of Autumn Twilight as an audiobook), so my cosmology may be a bit sketchy and not well reasoned in this particular case. I also don't have a hard and fast answer for Dragonlance's place in my cosmology because of this. Opinions could change. Anyhow, my tl;dr answer is that I may have the Cagers of Sigil look down on the people of Krynn as you've described, but the truth would be much, much more complicated. I'd say that either Krynn's Abyss does represent the Lower Planes viewed from a different "angle" than that of the traditional Great Wheel, or that Dragonlance's Abyss is a completely different Abyss from the Great Wheel's, but two of them overlap so often most prime sages don't realize this and most Sigilian sages ignore the evidence staring them in the face. Of the two possibilities, I currently favour the latter. Let me explain. There are three possibilities I see for incorporating Dragonlance into Planescape. Possibility 1: The Great Wheel Wins This is the position that your question assumes, it is the position that Planescape's canon assumes, and its the position that I hate the most. Everyone on Krynn is wrong about the way the planes are structured, everyone in Sigil is right, so we'll shoehorn all of the powers and planes from Dragonlance into somewhere they fit in the Great Wheel. I understand why Planescape mostly went this route since this is the easiest/smallest word count form of resolution and it is the easiest to communicate/wrap your head around. The problem is, it is also the laziest, least creative, and least interesting solution to the problem. It also runs roughshod over the cosmologies that make all of these Prime Worlds so interesting, which kinda defeats the purpose of having a massively interconnected multiverse between these worlds. I know how I felt when 4e blew the Great Wheel to shit and I don't want Dragonlance, FR, or Dark Sun fans to feel the same way about Planescape. (Aside: I eventually found a way to incorporate the World Axis Cosmology into the Great Wheel. I don't use it much, but it lets me steal the parts of 4e I like.) Finally, it also kinda screws with Planescape's own themes. Yes, the citizens of Sigil think they are the literal centre of creation, but they are supposed to be arrogant dicks. They may act like they know everything and everyone else is a clueless rube, but sometimes they just need a good kick in the ass to stop them from being so stuck up. They've also forgotten one of the Plane's key laws: The Centre of All. Wherever you are in the multiverse, that's the centre of the multiverse. If you move, the centre moves. The Planes are infinitely infinite, so there is no one most important place. Everywhere is important. Everywhere is valid. So it makes zero sense for one cosmology to override all others. Possibility Two: From a Certain Point of View This is my usual approach to reconciling cosmologies. Treat both cosmologies as being true and correct, with the discrepancies between them being the result of "viewing" the planes from different metaphysical reference points. Oerth, Toril, and Golarion make an excellent example of this. Each of the three worlds has a different cosmology (The Great Wheel, The World Tree, and the Great Beyond, respectively). Despite their differences, each of the three cosmologies is similar in very broad strokes. They draw on similar archetypes, they have similar Inner/Outer/Transitive categories, and the material plane interacts with them in similar ways. Here, it is easy to handwave and say "both realities are true, both realities exist simultaneous, and the maps of reality exist because different mortals experience the planes in different ways." My logic here kinda works like this. We know that portal keys open portals between the planes. We also know that planer pathways have a similar form of conditional operation. The planes are often infinite, but it is also possible to walk from one infinite plane to another without passing through a portal given the right set of conditions. What if one of the keys/conditions was being from a certain world or believing in a particular cosmology? That would explain why each world is ignorant of alternate cosmologies. If scholars and planer travellers only journey with adventurers from their own world, they would never encounter these alternate connection between the planes! So if a party from Toril wants to go from Fire to Air, they can pass directly from one plane to another (passing through the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke on the way). A party from Golarion, on the other hand, would have to go the long way, because, for them, a direct connection between Fire and Air doesn't exist! They get to drop from Fire to Eath, then to Water, and finally to Air. They'd also cross through border regions between each elemental plane, which Torilians would identify as being part of the Paraelemental Planes, but again, if you are from Golarion, you experience those as the border between the planes, not as a separate plane. It sounds confusing and complicated (which it is), but it works. Now, could you potentially learn what the cosmology of another world and potentially use that pathway? Totally, although these people would be the exception rather than the rule. It may take a lot of time and deep philosophy to do it on your own, but if you are travelling with a group, you should get pulled along with whatever the collective beliefs of the group are. That conveniently allows the DM to keep the group together when necessary, or lets you split the party if it makes for a good story. This works well for most D&D settings like Forgotten Realms, Pathfinder*, Greyhawk, and Dark Sun*. It doesn't work for Eberron and I don't think it works for Dragonlance either. *Mostly. There are some planes that require method three in these cosmologies. Possibility Three: A Multitude of Planes Dragonlance has a very distinctive set of themes when it comes to good, evil, and neutrality, and those themes are reflected in Dragonlance's cosmology. So pretty bluntly, trying to force the planes from Dragonlance into the plane of Planescape kinda destroys Dragonlance, both narratively and thematically. The established rules of Dragonlance's planes are also very different from those of the Great Wheel. The Hidden Vale is supposed to be practically impossible for mortals to enter, which just does not jive with the way the neutral planes of Planescape are portrayed, particularly the Outlands, and specifically the Gate-towns and Sigil. I feel like Dragonlance requires its own set of Outer Planes that are both parallel and tangent to the Great Wheel. These planes are parallel because they are clearly different from the Great Wheel, but some of the niches overlap, and they occupy the same metaphysical "position." I had to do this with Abbadon from Pathfinder's Great Beyond, so it makes a good example of what I mean. Most of the Great Beyond's planes map smoothly on to the Great Wheel using method two. Heaven is Mount Celestia, Axis is part of Arcadia, Hell is Baator, Elysium is Arborea/Ysgard and so on. Abbadon, the neutral evil plane, occupies the same position as the Grey Wastes of Hades in the Great Wheel, but it lacks several of Hades' key attributes, most notably the dulling of emotions and the concurrent loss of colour. While I've toyed with making Abbadon "merely" the fourth layer of the Wastes, ultimately I think its a poor fit. The themes of the two planes are too different, the physics of the planes are divergent, and the inhabitants would step on each other's toes. Instead of merging the two planes, I preserved them as separate realities. When one travels the planes while oriented to the Great Wheel, they find Hades in the location of the Neutral Evil plane. When the travellers are oriented to the Great Beyond instead, they encounter Abbadon. Cagers may present Abbadon as being "just" an obscure and little-known evil demiplane, but that's just them being conceited about something that rattles their prefered cosmological schema. Abbadon is an Outer Plane, it is a "proper" plane, it just doesn't fit inside the Great Wheel. Instead, it runs parallel to the Wheel, separate from it, but in no way inferior. I would imagine that Krynn's Abyss, Dome of Creation, and Hidden Vale to function similarly. Each is "parallel" to the Lower, Upper, or Conflict planes, respectively. Their structure isn't the same as the Great Wheel, but you can see where scholars would get confused if you squint. "But wait," I hear you say! "Doesn't Planescape have canonical divine domains for Krynn's pantheon?" Indeed it does, which is why I say Planescape and Dragonlance's are also tangent to each other. In some locations, the planes bleed through and touch. Think of this like shadows kissing. If you hold two objects close enough together, their shadows will blister and connect, even if the two objects are not touching. Some locations in the Great Wheel and River of Souls cosmologies exists simultaneously on multiple planes, particularly divine domains. So Takhisis had a realm that is simultaneously both part of Baator and part of Krynn's Abyss. They are the same location no matter the plane from which you approach. The plane you are on depends on your frame of reference. That allows the two cosmologies to remain distinct and unique, while still giving them enough points of contact to interact and be part of the same greater multiverse. I'll also note that this has precedent in Planescape's canon. Multiple cities exist simultaneous on several planer layers, most notably the city of Centre, which simultaneously exists on all three layers of the Grey Wastes. Likewise, I'd argue that the Planer Pathways (Yggdrasil, The Infinite Staircase, and Mount Olympus) are not mere pathways, but separate and tangent planes that overlap with multiple parts of the Great Wheel, but don't fit cleanly into one location, much like Krynn's planes. Olympus is an excellent example, in at least one published adventure, you when cave spelunking from Arborea straight to the Grey Wastes without passing through the intervening planes or portals. That sounds like using the tangent plane of Olympus to go from one plane it overlaps with to another, at least to my ears. So there you go, that's my 1919 word explanation for how I would incorporate Dragonlance's unique cosmology into Planescape. Both cosmologies are correct and exist independently, but they overlap and bleed together at a number of important locations. Simple? Not really, but simple was never the point of Planescape. Easy? Could be easier, but not that bad. Interesting? Respectful of the source material? Rich with opportunity to tell unique stories? Absolutely.

I don’t read enough

Says man who’s about to list the 52 books he read this year

In an insignificant order bellow the cut.

1.The Steerswoman  by Rosemary Kirstein

Fun Adventure, mildly generic but refreshing.

2. Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente

Holy fuck this book is absurd, it’s great.

3. Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente

Portal fantasy where sex is the portal, it’s great.

4. The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente

Can you tell I like this author? If you like comic books you should read this.

5. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

This book has some of the most interesting magic I’ve ever read and the best depiction of modern culture I’ve ever read.

6. The Tombs of Atuan By Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin is amazing, the “protagonist” of this series doesn't’ show up until half way through this book.

7. The Farthest Shore By Ursula K. Le Guin

The Protagonist in this book shows up in the beginning but he’s mostly being Gandalf and the focus is on his companion.

8. Tehanu By Ursula K. Le Guin

Revisiting characters and pointing out the problematic elements of a book that came out 20 years ago, bravo.

9. Who Fears Death  by Nnedi Okorafor

I need to learn more about African mythology.

10. A Closed and Common Orbit  by Becky  Chambers

Really fun ride, great companion piece to current QC, well Antho PC focused elements of QC.

11. Ever Fair  by Nisi Shawl

Interesting if not greatly carried out book.

12. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

Read this fucking book. (It’s the Sequel to “The Fifth Season” Read that First)

13. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

This better win the fucking Hugo (mostly so N. K Jemisin gets the first hat trick in Hugo history)

14. Woman On the Edge of Time  by Marge Piercy

I can’t decide if this should be read as companion piece to “Slaughter House 5″ or “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” probably both.

15. Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

OH MY GOD I GET IT, IT’S ABOUT SLAVERY! Still good though.

16. Minaret by Leila Aboulela

Good book, it provides a compelling immigrant story.

17. Northern Lights (I read the UK Version)  by Philip Pullman

One of the best YA books ever written, re reading this series was an excellent idea.

18. The Subtle Knife  by Philip Pullman

See above.

19. The Amber Spyglass  by Philip Pullman

SPOILERS: Prepubescent sex saves the multiverse. Also there’s like, four or five lines that are different between the UK and US versions, I had too look up what they were.

20. Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snicket

Different enough from “Series of Unfortunate Events” to be necessary, still has nice call backs.

21. When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket

Good book, probably not as strong as “Series of Unfortunate Events” but worth the read.

22. Shouldn’t you be in School? by Lemony Snicket

Uh, there will be a spoiler tag on the next book.

23. Why Is this Night Different from all Other Nights? by Lemony Snicket

SPOILER: Having an eco terrorist as the main villain in a children's book is fucking brilliant. The end is telegraphed but then again I’m probably a decade older then the expected audience for this book.

24. The Children of Hurin by J.R.R Tolkien

Interesting book, it’s probably has the most direct evidence of Tolkien stealing from other mythology (As you only have to mildly well read to see exactly what he’s stealing).

25. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

It’s just good. It’s nice to have a modern version of all these legends. I hope he continues to rewrite legends, especially lesser known ones. ((This is elaborating on the last point) Yes I know having a white man write a book about African Mythology is can be somewhat problematic but I’m sure he’d do it respectfully) Also saw him read from this.

26. Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy

Favorite factoid about this book, Tom Clancy played table top war games to help outline some chapters. That said it is kind of hard to get though and problematic at times. It does have a female fighter pilot who shots down satellites so that’s cool.

27. The Iliad by Homer

SUPER GAAAAAAAY

28 The Odyssey by Homer

The famous part of this is like, four chapters in the middle, mostly it’s “Where fuck is Odysseus and how do we deal with these dickwads in my house?”

29. The Symposium by Plato

See note for The Iliad .

30. Dragons of Spring Dawning  by Margaret Weis , Tracy Hickman

Fun adventure book, not 100% satisfying end to the series (I would have preferred a huge show down with I’m not looking up the name for Dragonlance Tiamat)

31. Dune  by Frank Herbert

There’s a reason this book is legendary, it’s that good, also read relatively quick if you read it while you’re taking a week off work.

32. The Lurker at The Threshold  by H.P. Lovecraft, August Derleth

It’s Lovecraft.

33. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Not about tiny pigs, still good though. I’m probably still not smart enough to understand all of it.

34. The Prose Eda by Snorri Sturluson

Read this after/before/with Norse Mythology, seeing the various versions of the tales is interesting. Also the version I had went into a lot of the Norse literary elements which is fun (Viking is a kenning I think, it might be a synecdoche )

35. The Library at Mount Char by Scott  Hawkins

Holy fuck this book is amazing, it might be my favorite book I read this  year.

36. The Quran by Muhammad/ Gabriel/Allah 

My favorite part of this book is the part where Muhammad throws shade on his Uncle. 

37. Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur

This is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever read.

38. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy  by Douglas Adams

Timeless classic, I don’t know how many times I’ve watched/read/listened to this work.

39. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe  by Douglas Adams

Not as good as the  first, but still good, the Zaphod plot doesn’t 100% work in my opinion idk.

40. Life, The Universe and Everything  by Douglas Adams

Apparently started life as Doctor Who script, it’s a departure from the others b/c of this to some extent.

41. So Long and Thanks for all the Fish  by Douglas Adams

I’ve read this is considered rushed by some people, and I’ll admit it’s certainly different but I think it’s as good as any of the others.

42. Mostly Harmless  by Douglas Adams

Multiverse stuff is crazy in this. Also Elvis is in it.

43. How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman

Fun little romp in the Neverwhere world. The Neverwhere world is really great. I heard form his mouth he’s working on a sequel so that’ll be great.

44. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

MY FUCKING COPY WAS ABRIDGED, still, it has its moments, I should reread it one day. I think I liked “A Tale of Two Cities” better.

45. A Portrait of the Aritst as a Young Man by James Joyce

Good book? I don’t think I’m smart enough to get this book. It’s certainly worth the time, I wish I understood it better.

46. Beren and Luthien by J.R.R. Tolkien

Holy fuck this book. First it has Christopher Tolkien giving very interesting commentary (is probably his last book he’s in his fucking 90)  second Luthien figuratively fucking bitch slaps Morgoth (Tolkien’s Satan), it’s great.

47. Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer

I’m convinced the author wanted to write an 18th century court drama or a science fiction book and decided “Por que no los dos”

48 For Whom the Bell Tolls  by Ernest Hemingway

Fuck Fascists (Note: This book is about killing fascists, I’m not implying anything about Hemingway although he’s basically the definition of an alpha male although he has some progressive moments like advocating for the elimination of fascism apparently, also has both a bad ass women and a one dimensional women)

49. Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Compelling read, I can see why it was controversial in its time but it’s tame by modern standards. It has its issues but is still a fun read.

50. Venus in Fur  by David Ives 

Sexy, funny, commentary on the above, can be read in like, 2 hours. If you don’t wan to read “Venus in Furs” at least read this.

51. Her Smoke Rose up Forever by James Tiptree Jr

If you read one thing from this read “The Screw-fly Solution” it’s on of the most effective short stories I’ve ever read.

52. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

This book isn’t about why playing god is wrong, in my opinion that view is 100% indefensible by the text. It’s about why men need to take responsibility for the life they bring into this world. 

Dragonlance Tales I: The Magic of Krynn - A quick review

Cover art by Larry Elmore, depicting the short story The Legacy.

Just finished my first rereading of The Magic of Krynn, the first volume of the first trilogy of Dragonlance Tales, a collection of 6 volumes taking place - if I'm not mistaken - after what it was and is the best trilogy of this universe, Dragonlance Legends. It’s been many years since the last time I read it, because unlike what happens to me with Chronicles, Legends, Dragons of Summer Flame and The Raistlin Chronicles, the Tales were never on my shelf and I read them from the library. Now however, they are already home. 

It is not a unique novel but, like the whole series, a collection of stories belonging to the Dragonlance universe developing lore and parallel stories (what is now called a spin-off) of the well-known characters. Although the prologue is by Weis and Hickman, only two stories are written by them, belonging the rest to other authors of the universe. Despite they are not bad - some in fact, are quite good - I remember that in their day I was a little disappointed since it shows when Weis and Hickman write the Heroes of the Lance and when they don't. That doesn’t mean at all that the Tales are not worth it, only that, compared to the hectic end of the Legends, it is normal that when dealing with the Tales, which are not a continuity, there is a certain feeling of downgrade.

However, the volume is worth by two jewels, in my opinion. The first is Margaret Weis' The test of the twins, which was the first short version of what happened to Caramon and Raistlin when the latter passed the Test to be a recognized mage. A more complete, profound and developed version was later published in The Soulforge, the latter being the one the author considers canon and leaving the previous one - and other flashbacks and mentions found in the Chronicles and Legends - like incomplete stories modified by legend, which instead of adding chaos to the lore, adds realism. Of course, here is a short, dry version with an abrupt end, in addition to some small inconsistencies with the later full version, but it's worth it in any case.

And the other jewel, much superior, and which is rightly at the end of the volume and structured in several chapters, is The legacy, written by both Weis and Hickman, which narrates the Test of Palin Majere, son of Caramon and Raistlin's nephew. Just for this story the entire volume is worth it, and although it was later re-published in The Second Generation - which I did not remember - it is good that it appeared in this volume since the constant of this first collection of stories is the theme of magic- and the fact it’s a very moving and very well written story. As said, no one writes Majere twins like these two authors. On the other hand, although deep down I will always defend that Raistlin should have been left where he was at the end of the Legends - dead and missing - I cannot deny that his return from the dead - real and not real - is very moving and doesn’t leave you indifferent. I just can’t with Palin though. Neither Dalamar. God, what a jerk. 

Finally, if I don’t give it five stars, it’s for the diverse quality between some stories and others. A stone's thrown away is great, but Finding the faith is horrible. The poem that tells how Riverwind found the Blue Crystal Staff is illegible - or will it be a matter of the Spanish translation? - but the humorous tale The Last Home in which a kender throws an aphrodisiac into Otik's beer barrels is priceless. Much depends on the author who writes the story. Not to mention this first volume is based on the lore of magic, but this lore is not developed at all, leaving magic as something merely anecdotal. It's Dragonlance's problem: no time has ever been spent explaining how magic works.

In short, I recommend this book to Dragonlance fans who felt - as we all do - totally destroyed after the devastating end of the Legends and need to raise their heads from the dust. But do not expect anything similar or at the same level. It is worth if you want to know how some plots follow and know more about some beloved characters - particularly Raistlin - but at this point the essentials of the saga - which will always be the Chronicles and the Legends - are already behind us.

Dragonlance Chronicles - A (very brief) Review

Many years have passed since the first time I read the Dragonlance Chronicles, recommended by a friend upon learning that I really enjoyed reading Tolkien’s works. Although it’s not comparable, it was an incredible experience that definitely established my taste for the genre and also for writing. I have been rereading the trilogy every few years and this is the first time that I do it in the 20th anniversary limited edition, which was a total success. With the passage of time and myself becoming an adult, especially when reading reviews from other fans who have also followed the course of the years, you might think that the story, or the characters, have lost the charm they had in your teens - or even that where you saw a lot, there is little left.

I am pleasantly surprised to discover that this was not the case. I would even say that they have gained a lot, now that the Chronicles can be read from an edition annotated by the authors. Not only have they not lost their original luster, but they are still the endearing and well-built story that helped me through sleepless nights.

The premise from which the story begins could not be simpler: a structure modeled after the Dungeons & Dragons RPG games. A group of different heroes, belonging to different races and with different abilities, leave in search of an answer for the evil invasion plaguing their world, and that change and evolve according to events.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Cover art by Matt Stawicki.

This story has been criticized for being made up of cliches, stereotypes both at the level of characters and dialogues. This being true, we must value and respect the ability of the authors both in the construction of the world of Krynn - not an easy task - and in the characterization of the characters, some better than others, but in the end all contributing to the plot of a more relevant than another.

Its strong points? The great diversity of personalities. Far from being completely flat, many characters are complex, make mistakes, get confused and lost, exalt and regret, suffer and rejoice. The moral of the story, that evil turns against itself but that just as an absolute kingdom of Evil would be condemnable, so would be the stereotypical triumph of Good. Racism, treated in hatred between nations that are unable to unite against a common enemy. The empty codes of honor and the suffocating rules that are useless if they are only by word of mouth and do not apply to life - I am looking at you, Solamnia Knights -; or how the excessive abuse of power or ambitions contribute more to personal destruction than to happiness.

Yes, this is surely very trite today, but it is still a saga of the late 80s, early 90s, and compared to today's young adult fantasy, this is quality. It’s well written, well built, and above all, it serves its cause: entertainment and evasion. It’s very easy to empathize and care for these characters and their motivations. Even the kender, who until recently had annoyed me more often than not, I’ve started to like and appreciate him.

Margaret and Tracy have written a wonderful story, which I will never tire of recommending to lovers of the genre. And only because of that tormented, twisted and sociopathic character named Raistlin Majere, it's worth it even if everything else doesn't matter to you.

Dragons of Spring Dawning. Cover art by Matt Stawicki.

Hold on now, for it’s time to read the following trilogy: the Dragonlance Legends. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you better brace yourself.