(no subject)

[sideways]

• I broke my digital media streak by plunging into a re-read of every Diana Wynne Jones book in my house: Charmed Life, Dogsbody, and Hexwood. She had such a knack for telling stories outside the formulaic mould, and Dogsbody in particular still feels like something that was written exactly for the tastes of my younger self. I loved it so much as a kid that I tried to copy it out by hand once, because I was moving away from the library it was in. Fortunately there were still copies in print by the time I was able to buy it, years later.

• A group of friends held an online 'convention' over the Memorial Day long weekend, and though I couldn't attend everything scheduled because timezones, I did manage to sit in the group watch of Justice League Dark: Apokolips. I don't know exactly what it is about comic book franchises and the urge to write Kill 'Em All storylines, but unrelenting grimness is far more fun when you're all screeching together as a group. Also, there was, you know, the shark thing.

• We also played a oneshot, which ended up becoming a twoshot, haha. Very enjoyable, even if I'm still not terribly adept at tabletop gaming. I stutter out into silence far too often, fret constantly about whether I'm being too passive or demanding too much spotlight or just otherwise not doing what I 'should', always seem to come up with better ideas far after the fact... I was never much of a natural at improv in drama either. Brain just a little bit too hamster in some respects, and a little bit too sloth in others. Regular practice in a smaller group would probably help, but them's the breaks. I still had fun, and still hope to participate in any future oneshots we do! (Again, alas: timezones.)

• Apparently it was Time for the personal pilgrimage that is rewatching Ergo Proxy. It's still very dear to my heart, wonky as it is. Another case where someone just managed to appeal to some ridiculously specific tastes of mine.

• Inception is back on Netflix, so I sat down with it again. Actually felt a bit bored? It's a decent action film with some light heist flavouring, but the grand cinematics it was so famed for aren't as impressive after a decade dominated by high octane CGI-driven superhero films, and there really is a lot of extrapolation that crunches up dialogue time. Poor Ariadne is only half a character: the rest of her is a Google search bar. 

• Apologies to Mass Effect; StarCraft has briefly consumed my life again. I'm no whiz at strategy games, but I've done decently so far... and I also still remember 'power overwhelming'. Be interesting to see if that still works. Mostly I have my eyes set hungrily on the zerg campaign, and the promise of cooing lovingly once more over the Queen of Blades. (Queen of my heart.)

Comments

[dray]

Sounds like a productive month, all told! Well done!

[sideways]

Fairly normal, to be honest... tfw your primary hobby is "consume media". But thank you!

[chomiji]

I love DWJ, although Hexwood is near the bottom of the list for me. Dogsbody is near the top, though.

[sideways]

She's so good. Hexwood is an odd one, though, in that even now I find the first third of the book confusing and dull, but the way it came together at the end made an impression on me and I still enjoy the slowly unfolding horror of realising what the Reigners are all about. Not her tightest storytelling by a long shot, but there are gems in there.

What is your topmost DWJ favourite?

[singedsun]

StarCraft was one of the games that got me into computer gaming a million years ago when I'd only ever been a console gamer. Every now and then I go back to it because I miss it. I really like what they did with II as well.

[sideways]

StarCraft was one of my first games stat :') It really is well-crafted - not an especially unique story, but the aesthetic is so strong? And the gameplay itself is just really fun. What's your favourite player race?

Ooh, I admit I have some mixed feelings about II. Completely down for Kerrigan the anti-hero of the hour, but I didn't love that she was... softened before getting to take that role? But then I am always, at heart, Kerrigan's Cerebrate, and it's very much a "I have done many things wrong" "I know this and I love you" sort of affection.

[anneapocalypse]

I am also really bad at improv and it's one reason I avoided tabletop for SO long! I am still vaguely surprised that I manage to enjoy it as much as I do, and even then, I could not do it every week because it takes a lot of energy.

Man, I haven't seen Inception in years, and now I kind of want to watch it again and see how well it holds up for me.

[sideways]

It takes so much energy omg. I don't know how this was ever supposedly the prime past-time of introverted, socially shy nerds.

How much did you like Inception the first time around? I enjoyed it a lot at the time, and I can still see why.

[anneapocalypse]

I remember enjoying Inception a lot when I watched it, which was only once if I recall, and I think with movies I'm a fairly easy audience to please on a single watch. I'd probably enjoy seeing it again.

[tozka]

Charmed Life is my favorite DWJ book!! The whole Chrestomanci run is so fantastic. And you have Hexwood, too, wow! That's one that slips through the cracks a lot-- I think it's still out of print, ugh. I like Hexwood, though I agree that the first half is really confusing. Reminds me a little of a Doctor Who episode...

(I have also read Dogsbody but haven't reread it in a few years. I do have this icon, though!)

[sideways]

Eeee, the icon! :D I haven't read much of Chrestomanci in full, actually, I probably should. And it would be nice to revisit Howl's Moving Castle and the sequel some day.

Hexwood is a little bit Doctor Who! Between the confusing aspects and the fact it's rather dark even for DWJ I'm not surprised it's not super popular, but I'm glad someone else is a fan. Might be able to pick it up ebook style?

[tozka]

My favorite Chrestomanci book besides Charmed Life is Witch Week, but Magicians of Caprona has gotten up there on the list as well. I just adore her books in general!

And hey! As it turns out, Hexwood is available in the UK as an ebook & a very pretty new paperback release. US is out of luck, though.

[muladhara]

FUCK YES DIANA WYNNE JONES!
Oh man, Dogsbody made me cry so hard when I read it. I love that book.

Yeah, I like Inception a lot (it's about dreams, which is one of my favourite things), but there's a whole lot of nothing going on for a lot of it. Also Ken Watanabe was wasted in it, imo.

[sideways]

You will NEVER tear me away from the small hinted hope of Kathleen becoming Companion ;^;

He really was! Honestly, the whole cast was a bit... muted? So much goes into explaining the dream system that the character moments are surprisingly few - though that did at least fuel a very eager fandom.

[muladhara]

Honestly, the whole cast was a bit... muted?

Agreed. And yeah, I remember people being Very Into It - or they were at least on tumblr.

[sideways]

I actually wondered if that wasn't part of my problem during the rewatch - I've seen half this movie gif'd to the last fine detail, haha. Mostly looking at you, Arthur/Eames fans.

[muladhara]

Ahhh, could've been!