nite nite

putting this poor blog to bed.

if this wasn't enough fun, you can find me at my new home: http://shawnenderlin.blogspot.com/

nothing to report

Seriously. All I do is frakking work my ass off.

At some point, one begins to wonder whether the money is worth it.

In The Stack 4/2009

Is your life busy and hectic? Do you find yourself running from one thing to the next while looking longingly at bookshelves filled with past conquests and wishing that you had time to add to them? Fear not, fellow reader. That’s what comics are for - people like us who love reading the just don't have time to do it very often or for very long!

Here's a rundown of what's in my stack.

The Incredible Hercules #127

You just gotta love this comic! It's the perfect blend of silliness and action that somehow always manages to stay on the right side of the stupid line. I'm hoping I don't miss too much Herc/Amadeus action now that they are regular members of the Mighty Avengers (which happens to be one of those comics on the wrong side of the stupid line).

Fantastic Four -- Dark Reign #2

I don't know why I keep buying the Fantastic Four. No that's not true. I buy it because Jessica Alba was in the movies. The movies weren't really all that good either, but Jessica Alba -- delicious.

The New Avengers #51

Anything with Doctor Strange is good in my book. I haven't read this one yet but I'm looking forward to it. Bendis almost never disappoints.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24

I'm looking forward to reading this one – Faith! – although I have to admit that the last few issues have been among the weakest of the series. We went from that incredible arc with Fray to that debacle of the Harmony issue. The last issue, the one with the rogue Slayer, was pretty decent but still not up to par with the rest of the series. I hope this gets back on track soon.

The Umbrella Academy, Dallas #5

The Umbrella Academy's first run was just all around stunning. I'm not really sure what's up with this one. Sophomore efforts can sometimes be rocky so I'm willing to overlook it -- for now.

Ms. Marvel # 37

This comic just confuses me. I really want to like it and sometimes there are some really stellar issues, like the one a few back when she went to visit her family, but lately I just can't keep track of what timeframe we’re in. This one is about one step away from being On Notice.

Runaways #8

I love Runaways. I love the art. I love the characters. And if the story is a little silly, that's okay because this comic just doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Immortal Iron Fist #20

Yes, I'm a few issues behind. I've been pleased that the Swierczynski run has been pretty decent. Matt Fraction set an incredibly high bar and so far I haven't been disappointed.

The Invincible Iron Man # 11

(Nice segue, eh?) I like just about everything about this comic. I like Pepper, Maria Hill, you name it.

Dark Avengers #2

Brian Michael Bendis is a rock star and Mike Deodato plays bass.

Angel #18

I really liked Brian Lynch’s run on this comic. Sometimes the story felt a little disjointed but for the most part it was a really fun ride and a worthy follow-up to season five. Not sure what's going on yet with the new run by Kelley Armstrong. Will wait and see.

Star Trek Countdown #3

This is actually really good. If you aren't reading it you should be.

Secret Warriors #2

Loads of potential here. We’ll see.

The Dark Tower, Treachery #6

This comic just keeps getting better. #6 was epic. The art is fantastic, the story is better, and even though I more or less know what's going to happen I find myself eager to turn the page.

Lock and Key Head Games #3

Not entirely sure what to make of this comic, but I like it.

Incognito #2

Too soon to say.

All Hail Megatron # eight

I go back and forth on this one. Sometimes I really like it and sometimes I don't. I keep buying it though, so that must say something -- I think. One thing is for sure, the alternate covers totally kick ass. PS my voice translation software always wants to capitalize the word Gates (you see?) But it didn't no Megatron. Fail.

The Stand, American Nightmare's #!

I've never read the book. Is it a cheat that I'm reading the comics?

Patiently waiting for more issues of:
Elektra Dark Reign
Wolverine, Old Man Logan
Gigantic
Thor
Kick Ass
Star Wars Legacy
Powers

Repost: A Spy in the House of Love

Hop on over to Wyrdsmiths and check it out!

http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-spy-in-house-of-love.html

Stretching

Sometimes you have to stretch. I don't mean putting on some loose fitting clothes and heading down to the gym, i mean taking your career or hobby or passion and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and opening yourself new possibilities.

Now, I know from experience that's easy to say, but it isn't easy to do! Whether we are talking about work or in my case, writing, we all tend to fall into that comfy rut, that path of least resistance where things are easy to deal with. Of course, the problem with being in a rut is that while you are there you you are limiting your potential for growth -- you aren't stretching.

In my case, stretching means taking my writing in new directions and into new venues. Specifically, I'm talking about my posts on the Wyrdsmiths blog. For me, this process has been, to be frank, moderately terrifying! Here I am, little old, unpublished me, blogging about controversial topics on a website frequented by established writers that I look up to and respect. Even merely contemplating the possibility of putting up those blog posts was enough to make me think twice.

I debated for a long time about doing it. Then, after getting the go-ahead I drug my feet for a couple weeks before sending off my first post. I nervously waited for my post to go up and then was pleasantly surprised to see a number of comments. I was energized!

Ready to go with post number two, I decided to break out the big guns. My first post was a bit of a puff piece but this time I wanted to take it a step farther. I wanted to move into territory that would stretch both me and my audience. So what do I do? I choose a topic that essentially confronts one of the fundamental tenets the writing community.

Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Post number two ( http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2009/04/guest-blog-creative-commons.html ) has turned out to be a mixed bag. There were no cries of "heretic get off of our blog!" so that's a good thing. Of course, there weren't any other cries, or even murmurings. Oh, except for the one where someone pointed out a factual inconsistency in my post. It was a minor thing in the grand scheme of what I was trying to accomplish, but it didn't do anything for my stress level. :-O

So, now, here I am, still ruminating about that frakking post two days later.

I need to get over it. Move on. Maybe start writing post number three.

I need to keep on stretching.

Repost from Wyrdsmiths: The Kindle 2: More Than a Geek’s Dream?

This is a repost of a guest blog I recently did over at Wyrdsmiths (http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/)

So, for those who haven't seen it, enjoy!

----------------

Okay, I'll admit it. I like my books. I like the way they feel. I like the way they smell. I like all the shelf space they consume in my room. Peruse my shelves and you will see rows of paperbacks with near-perfect bindings and others that have been read so many times that even an anal freak like myself can't keep them from showing wear.

So why on Earth would I ever consider -- gasp! -- an e-book?

Well, I haven't. Not yet at any rate. But I gotta admit, the Kindle 2 is piquing my interest.

Now, most of you don't know me, but I'm a tech geek. So, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I'm a bit biased when it comes to new technology. But still, that new Kindle, she looks smoooooth. She's got free wireless. I can sit in my comfy chair, shop for a new book, and then read it without ever having to get up. (Is that a good thing? That's probably a different blog post…) She can run for two weeks on a single charge, and she can hold 1500 books.

That's geektastic, folks.

But do I actually want one?

To be honest, I don't really know. I think it might be one of those things that you really have to try out before you decide if you like it. Even so, I experienced the same existential conflict with my music. I adore my music collection just about as much as I do my book collection. But now, two iPods later and with slew of DRM free music at my fingertips, I buy more music in electronic format than I do on CD.

My suspicion is that there are still a few hurdles to overcome before e-books go mainstream. First is the right reading device. The Kindle 2 may be the bees knees but $359? Ouch! Availability and variety of books is another thing. Sure, I can buy a book from my comfy chair, but according to the advertisements there are only 240,000 books available for it. Yeah, I could never read all those, but do I actually want to read any of those? (Let’s see… sci-fi/fantasy section… Dune? Read it. Neverwhere? Read it. Kurt Vonnegut? Not my thing. Halo? Huh?)

Now, here's where things get interesting. Technology is just beginning to break in to the publishing industry and you can already see signs of the major publishers acting the same way their movie and music brethren did. The Writers of Guild America has already come out strongly against the Kindle’s text to speech feature (that is a different blog post). And publishers? Offering up 240,000 books isn't exactly a firm embrace.

So what do you think? Readers, have you sworn on your copy of Ender’s Game that you'll never buy an e-book? Writers, do you have / want to have books published in e-book format?

Geeks like me want to know!

PS. Hi! Thank you to Lyda and to the Wyrdsmiths for letting me squat on your blog! (That's an odd image.) Assuming I don't get too many flames, I hope to bring more geektastic commentary in the not-too-distant future. Until then, cya!

PPS. Lyda requested a bio, so here it is. Hey all, I’m Shawn Enderlin. I’ve been writing off and on for almost ever but in the last few years it has turned into an obsession that is beginning to interfere with my day job (IT). I have taken classes at the Loft Literary Center with both Lyda and Kelly and am a member of the [UNTITLED] writing group along with four other fantastic up-and-coming authors. I am currently finishing up my first novel, To Kill the Goddess. You can find me on the web at http://twitter.com/seamusspeaks and at http://embracethedoppelganger.blogspot.com/.

Facebook crosspost: 10 books that stick with you

This can be a quick one! Don't take too long to think about it! Ten books you've read that will always stick with you! First ten you can recall in no more than 15 minutes!

This will explain a lot!

In no particular order:
1. The Belgariad -- David Eddings
2. Hyperion/The Fall of Hyperion -- Dan Simmons
3. The Elric of Melnibone Series -- Michael Moorcock
4. Midnight Nation -- J. Michael Straczynski
5. The Mists of Avalon -- Marion Zimmer Bradley
6. The Lord of the Rings -- J.R.R. Tolkien
7. The Gunslinger/Wizard and Glass/Song of Susannah -- Stephen King
8. On Writing -- Stephen King
9. Crossing the Threshold of Hope -- Pope John Paul II
10. Ender’s Game/Speaker for the Dead -- Orson Scott Card