Author Archives: Keith West

Free Speech Takes a Major Hit

If you’ve paid much attention to the news lately, you’ve surely heard about the major hacking attack Sony Pictures has suffered. (This is an active news story, so I’m not going to put in links, because things may have changed considerably between the time I write this and you read it. Edited to add: Risk Based Security is compiling daily updates here.)

Everything stems from a movie called “The Interview”, the plot of which involves an attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The movie, a comedy, stars Seth Rogen and James Franco. The movie was originally scheduled to be released on Christmas Day. That’s not going to happen now after several major theater chains pulled the film and refused to show it. It’s questionable now if “The Interview” will ever be released, at least officially. Someone leaked the death scene and posted it on YouTube today. That’s it below.

The attack was launched by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace, which threatened violence at theaters where the movie was shown. Today the US government released a statement claiming that they had evidence that North Korea was behind the attacks.

How is this not an act of war?

It’s still too early to tell what the US response is going to be.

Kim Jong Un seems to think he’s above criticism. He’s not. He’s a two bit dictator who deserves to be put on trial for numerous crimes and human rights violations. And then executed.

No one in public life is above criticism. Or being the subject of satire. Not Congress. Not the President. Not the Queen. Not the Pope. Not a bunch ayatollahs. Not ISIS. Not monarchs, prime ministers, chancellors, members of parliament, university presidents, or celebrities. And certainly not a sorry excuse for a human being like Kim Jong Un.

I’m appalled at the pathetic response of the theaters and the studio. Cowards. Craven cowards. When you give the bullies what they want, they win. And it only encourages them. I get that theaters are worried about liabilities if something were to actually happen. But let the public decide if they want to take the risk. “The Interview” isn’t a movie I would normally have any interest in seeing. But now I do. That’s the way bullying and censorship always work.

In the meantime, I think we should show the Supreme Leader of North Korea all the respect he deserves.

Another Strong Issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly

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The current issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (number 22) has been out for a little while now. I’ve been reading it here and there when I have a slow few minutes at work. (The fact that it’s taken me several weeks to finish should tell you how many slow minutes I have.)

Once again, this one is strong. There are four pieces of fiction here, two long and two short, as well as two poems. The longer stories are historical fantasy, while the shorter pieces are set in imaginary worlds.

Here’s a quick run down of what you’ll find. Continue reading →

Look What I Got in the Mail Today

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My reading plans for the evening have just been changed.

If you’re jealous, you can do something about that here. My copy was 168 of 200. I don’t know if the Foundation is shipping high number or low numbers first.

But like I said, my reading plans have just changed.

I’m Starting to Understand Why Barnes and Noble Is Hemorrhaging Money

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So my wife and I and have been going back and forth on whether she should get me a tablet for Christmas. She got a Samsung a few months ago, and lately I’ve been playing Mah Jong on it. The reason for this is simple. I’m either too tired or there’s too much noise/distraction/interruption to try to read. (The concentration with simple games and reading is different; that’s all I can say.) I don’t want a tablet because I don’t want to read on a backlit screen. I do enough of that either at work or on my phone if I’m reading to kill a few minutes while I’m waiting in line or something. The game playing thing is usually a sign I need to get more rest and/or have less stress in my life.

I have a first generation Nook. What decided me on that rather than a Kindle is that B&N is only a few minutes from my house, so if there’s a problem (which has happened), I can get help from a person fairly quickly.

For quite a while I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Nook Glowlight. They’re light. The screen refreshes faster. They have a touchscreen. I can read in a dark room. And most importantly, the battery has a much, much longer life.

I’ve gotten to where I don’t read on my Nook much because it takes too long to scroll through things or change between the nookbook folder and the Documents folder which has all the things I’ve sideloaded. Yes, they are in separate folders on the original. But mainly, I don’t use it as much as I used to because the battery life is so short. I don’t like having to put it back on the charger so often. Like before I’ve finished reading. But, hey, waddaya expect? It’s first generation technology. Continue reading →

Rogues, Scoundrels, Grifters, and Unreliable Narrators

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Academic Exercises
K. J. Parker
Subterranean Press
signed limited hardcover (sold out)
ebook $6.99 Kindle Nook Kobo

Academic Exercises is K. J. Parker’s first collection of short fiction, and I absolutely loved it. Many of the stories involve a school of magic, although its practitioners call it philosophy, called the Studium. This where the title of the book comes from. Parker understands academic infighting and all that goes with, although I found that aspect of the book a little tame it.

One institution I was at for a couple of years (many years ago, not where I am now) had an instructor who was running for Congress get arrested in the parking lot of IHOP while waving a machete and screaming about the right to bear arms; one department head murdered in his home by his same sex lover; and one adjunct prof pick up a woman hitchhiker, take her back to his place to do a few lines of coke and instead lock her in his closet for a couple of weeks as his love slave. (She managed to escape; he jumped bail and was caught about a year later after a shoot-out in Oklahoma.) And that was just in a two year period. Like I said, Parker’s academia is tame compared to that. Continue reading →

The Raksura Return

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Stories of the Raksura, Volume 1
Martha Wells
Night Shade Books
trade paper, $15.99
ebook Kindle $9.99 Nook $7.49

Have you ever had one of those books that took you forever to read? Not because the book isn’t interesting, but every single time you try to read it, you can’t get more than a few pages further along before something interrupts you.

That was my experience with this book. It seemed the Fates were conspiring to thwart me every time I picked the book up. But I persevered.

And I can say it was nice to revisit this world. I would also like to thank Lauren Burstein of Night Shade Books for the review copy. There are two novellas and two short stories here plus a couple of appendices. Here’s what you get. Continue reading →

RIP Judy Crider

Happy Thanksgiving

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I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. May it be full of fun, food, family, and joy.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more aware of the role of gratitude in my life, and particularly my need for it. When I focus on what I have and on God’s blessings, I find it easier to have a balanced outlook. When I look at things through a lens of thankfulness, I have a better perspective on the small irritations and disappointments.

Some of the things I’m thankful for:

My family.

Employment.

The readers of this blog and the friendships I’ve made through it.

That I live in the greatest country in the history of the world.

The freedoms that come with living in the US.

Laughter.

For those who aren’t old enough to remember, here’s the clip of the classic episode of WKRP in Cincinnati the above image is from:

An Open Letter to the AAS

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So with the holidays coming up, my reading list – We interrupt this blog post for the following public service message:

Earlier this month, the Rosetta mission made history by landing a probe on a comet. This is slightly more difficult than playing a video game, in case you were wondering.

Dr. Matt Taylor was the ~~spokesperson~~ spokesman for the ESA, the organization which accomplished this feat. He wore a shirt which caused some people to get knots in their knickers. I discussed this at the end of my review of Interstellar. I’d hoped we’d heard the last of this because the stupid, it burns.

Then the AAS (American Astronomical Society) issued a statement. Let’s look at it in detail, shall we? Continue reading →

Dark Screams is Something to Scream About

Adventures Fantastic

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