total eclipse of the heart

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (#3 in the Twilight novels) 2007 (629 pgs)

I’m not exactly the target audience (witness the use of a cheesy 80s song for the post title.) Nevertheless, I do enjoy revisiting the land of teeny angst and drama occasionally.

This third entry finds Bella in an emotional tug of war between her vampire boyfriend Edward and her werewolf best friend Jacob (who’s naturally in love with her). Add in the necessity of keeping their world a secret, a vampire in search of vengeange, and rampaging spree killers in nearby Seattle. Stir. And enjoy.

girls just wanna have GNs

Strangers in Paradise, vol 19: Ever After by Terry Moore 2007

The final chapter of the SIP saga- one of my favorite series. Moore writes the most believable characters, and lovingly illustrates them.

Checkmate, vol 1: A King’s Game  written by Greg Rucka, art by Jesus Saiz 2007

I gave it a try because I’m a huge Rucka fan, but I couldn’t hack it. Seems like a slick story for someone who knows 30 years of backstory necessary to enjoy a DC/Marvel comic.

Fallen Angel, vol 2: To Serve in Hell  &  vol 3: Back in Noire  written by Peter David, art by J. K. Woodward, both 2007

Mysterious little vignettes set in a mysterious city, featuring- you guessed it- a mysterious woman with mysterious powers. All mocking aside, I enjoy this series, even if I don’t know what’s going on.

Invasion of the Mind Sappers  by Carol Swain 1995

Weird little semi-enjoyable alien invasion/teenage alienation story from the creator of the much more effective Foodboy.

Villains, vol 1: Thick as Thieves  by Adam Cogan and Ryan Cody 2006

Finally someone is putting the focus where it belongs- on the supervillians. Reprehensible loser blackmails a post-prison supervillian into teaching him the biz. Let the double-crossing commence.

Manhunter, vol 1: Street Justice  written by Marc Andreyko 2005

Excellent start to a series with the most rounded character treatment since Morrison’s Animal Man. Frustrated with the system’s failures to stop supervillians, public prosecutor Kate Spencer doesn’t turn bitter- she turns vigilante.

Garage Band  by Gipi 2005/US 2007

Gipi superbly captures the teen garage band experience- the arrogance and insecurity, the way boys talk to each other, the consuming conviction that they will be stars, the postures and facial expressions of rocking out. You’d never even know he was talking about Italy.

Shortcomings  by Adrian Tomine 2007

A compelling story of relationship disintegration overlaid by a subtle and realistic portrait of racism and prejudice.

The Louche and Insalubrious Escapades of Art d’Ecco  by Andrew & Roger Langridge 2006

Chuckle-worthy absurdity, with broadly winking nods to everyone from Munch to Marx (Karl & Groucho). And yes, I had to look up definitions for both “louche” (disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way) and “insalubrious” (unpleasant, run-down, unhealthy).

united states of disrepair

The Pesthouse  by Jim Crace 2007 (255 pgs)

 The country is in a state of disrepair, unrecognizable in it’s dissolution, and has been for ages. Memories of better days are fabled and several generations removed. The survivors eke out a hand-to-mouth existence in frontier-style conditions. The hopeful ones make for the coast, where rumors tell of ships sailing for a new promised land.

Two such miserable hopefuls meet when the town in the valley below is struck by an unknown cataclysm- killing every living being within its limits. They seem the unlikeliest of adventurers- Margaret the recent survivor of a pestilence that exiled her from town, Franklin a naive young hopeful, hobbled by a worn-out knee. But the two somehow forge an instant and powerful trust, striking out together for the coast.

Crace’s writing is atmospheric and taut without being dismal. He perfectly captures that aura of pragmatic hopefulness that compels pioneers. One of my favorite books of the year, and among the top post-apocalyptic books I’ve ever read.

Amano

Worlds of Amano  by Yoshitaka Amano 2004/2006 US

I don’t buy many books. I read too heavily to support my “habit” with anything but library books. I tend to purchase my favorites after I’ve read them, while visions of re-reading are dancing in my head. My weakness is graphic novels- I love ”owning” the art that I admire.  If I can’t afford to put it on my walls, at least I can hold it in my hand. Amano’s graphic novel work, specifically Sandman: The Dream Hunters,  was my original introduction to his work. This art book, a compilation drawing from several of his projects, is my latest purchase.

Amano’s art is compelling. His central motif is an aloof, melancholy woman surrounded by a sea of elaborate, diaphanous cloth. Rarely does he provide a full figure- a face, a hand, an occasional foot float like masks. The faces are almost incomplete, mere thin brushstrokes, and mostly colorless. All lines and an excess of color lead the eye to that blank spot, an absence of color. The result is dually of removed emphasis and hyper-focus. 

where have all the heroines gone?

Rant time.  What’s up with pseudo-feminist “rape as a path to personal empowerment”?  Two books I’ve read recently arbitrarily tossed in a rape to get the plot going.  Both girls were previously innocent, virginal, and timid. For one the rape served as a life-affirming experience, making her regain the hope she’d lost and (when she naturally became pregnant) giving her a reason to live.  For the second protagonist the rape was the trigger that turned her into a devouring serial man-killer.

I object to rape as a plot device.  It offends me on an visceral level.  I understand the need for dramatic tension and character arcs, and I understand how personal trauma can be a catalyst for change.  But do we really need to see more literature where weak-willed girls become ass-kicking superwomen only after being as stripped of as much dignity as possible?  Can inviolability really only come as a result of the ultimate violation?  Is destruction of self-identity now the only way to gain self-sufficiency?

More disturbing to me is the fact that both authors were women .  Maybe they think it’s brave.  Maybe they think it addresses this widespread social problem head-on rather than hiding.  I can’t speak to their motivations.  But I don’t think rape should be used as a plot prop or easy character motivation.  That simplifies rape to the point of cheapness.  It’s a complex problem with complex repercussions.  I do think it needs to be addressed, not ignored.  And as with any other topic, fiction can be more powerful than any other medium.  But I think there should be more caution or at least more thoughtful treatment when an author chooses to include an act that has such strong social connotations and such devastating personal ramifications.

Strangely there was a third book in which the rape was done well- if there is such a thing. In that case the rape was used as a metaphor for how a totalitarian government makes individuals powerless. The author “earned” the moment, built up to it emotionally, dealt with the emotional aftermath in a way the two previous books ignored, and used it in a way where it informed the character’s arc. What does it say that both the character and the author were men?  Is that important or even relevant? I don’t have the answers.