And the Snow Begins My Reading List

As this early March snow begins to cover the mansion, I'm curled up in my attic office with many good books. I enjoy reading in the wee hours, when it's raining or, better yet, snowing. With snow, noisy things get quieter; freshly fallen flakes hush the sounds on top and bottom, and all around. Aside from the giddy laugh or two as someone experiences the delight of being the first to put footprints into the virgin white fluff, all is calm. It is a perfect time for catching up on that tottering stack of books threatening to clone itself.

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry: I received my copy at the NY Comic Con, where Maberry showed up to give away a limited number of free--and autographed--copies, introducing his 421 page Joe Ledger novel ahead of it's general release. The book hits the street tomorrow. Maberry takes a rapid-fire approach here, and tosses terrorists, prion-enduced zombies, and his Baltimore detective into a mixer along with a fifth of humor, two fingers worth of graphic terror, and covert ops bitters. I'm still reading it, but I can say it's the type of book you reluctantly put down once you have started it.

Hater by David Moody: British author David Moody self-published Hater in 2006. Now published by St. Martin's Press in the U.S., and with Guillermo del Toro having purchased the screen rights to it, Moody is definitely on a roll. Ordinary people are surrounded by gravely deteriorating circumstances, and decisions need to be made quickly. Bloody violence, a family struggling to survive, a burgeoning apocalypse, and its the first novel in the Hater trilogy; try and read it in the dead of night. I dare you.This hard cover edition, suitably dappled with blood stains, is also printed with style. I do not say this often, but you will enjoy holding this book in your hands while reading it.

Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know by Jeremy Vineyard, and illustrated by Jose Cruz: A rather large pet peeve I have involves the amateurish horror auteur in Sheboygan, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, or wherever, who usually knows more about a zombie's ass than about actually filming his or her horror opus professionally. Pans, tilts, and dramatic angles might as well be Esperanto to them.This book is for them. Vineyard and Cruz show it all in simple language and diagrams, and even list which films to watch that highlight the techniques competent directors took the time to master. My recommendation is, if you do not know what Dark Voyeur means, then put down that camera and start reading.

King of Nod: Some Things Never Die by Scott Fad: At 590 pages, this Southern Gothic tapestry of ghosts, hoodoo, a monster, and the swamp-misted mysteries on Sweetpatch Island will require dedication on your part. Moving between past and present, the narrative weaves the events across the years, from the 60's to the present, and across the lives of the various characters with an elaborate prose that combines realism and fantasy. Be warned, though; not all mysteries are fully answered or tied-up neatly.

Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practice of the World's Most Popular Art Form by Will Eisner (26th Printing, Poorhouse Press edition): This wonderful book explains the use of text and art in the comic book format through example. Using several complete stories of The Spirit, Eisner gives detailed and practical demonstrations of the principles and methods discussed. This book is required reading for anyone planning on writing or drawing comic books. Chapters cover compositional and internal timing, the use of the panel across pages, and the relationship between writer and artist.

There are many more books, but we will save those for another time. The clock is showing close to midnight, and I see footprints in the snow waiting to be made.

Comments

[Brian Barker]

Interesting mention of the global language Esperanto!

It's unfortunate that most people still do not know that this comparatively new language has also become a living language.

Confirmation can be seen at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670

Otherwise http://www.lernu.net ?

[IL]

Hi Brian,

Esperanto is the language Forrest J. Ackerman advocated throughout his life.