World in the Satin Bag

World in the Satin Bag

Graphic Novels and Novels Are Not the Same

I’m sorry to say it, but even though it hurts that a book that deserves to be on a bestseller list doesn’t get there, if it doesn’t belong in the same category as the other books on that list, then it shouldn’t belong on that list at all. Over at Suvudu this was a point of concern in regards to the hardcover collection of the first four graphic novel/comic issues of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series. The problem? Well, while it sucks that the hardcover collection wasn’t allowed onto the list, I understand why. Graphic novels are not the same as traditional novels. They’re visual and while there tend to be very in-depth and fascinating stories behind those visuals, they simply are not the same as traditional novels precisely because they do not rely entirely upon the writer’s words in order to succeed in forming an image in the reader’s mind. Traditional novels only have words to work with. To try to compare a graphic novel to a traditional novel would be like trying to compare flying in an airplane to riding on a bus. As such, you can’t really put the two on the same list. It wouldn’t be an adequate assessment of the material.That being said, it’s entirely reasonable to desire a graphic novel/comic category for the bestseller list. This might take time, but I would think that such a category would be a good thing. I happen to like graphic novels (and comics, although I’m more favorable towards the former), but I do understand the reason why they don’t end up on the New York Times Bestseller List along with traditional novels. It’s sort of common sense, you know?

World in the Satin Bag

Inside the Blogosphere: Question #9 (I’m in it!)

The next “Inside the Blogosphere” question is up. This time it was about what makes a good battle scene exiting to read and what makes it drag or detract from the narrative. I’m curious what you all think about this. What makes a good battle scene exciting to read and what makes it drag the narrative? (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)

World in the Satin Bag

Graduate School, Here I Come!

In the interest of letting you all know what the heck I’m up to, I thought I’d let you all know where I’m applying for grad school. Yeah, this will likely be of little interest, I suppose, but so be it. If you have suggestions for universities that would be open to someone wanting to study science fiction and postcolonialism together, let me know (things are still open for inclusion at this point). Anywho, here’s the list: University of Liverpool: Science Fiction Studies MA University of Leicester: Modern Literature MA (w/ option for a creative dissertation) Brunel University in West London: Contemporary Literature and Culture MA Birmingham City University: English Literary Studies MA (w/ SF) (PhD. too) Newcastle University: Modern & Contemporary Studies MA (Literature focus) Oxford University: English Language & Literature M.St. (basically MA) University of Massachusetts, Boston: English MA Temple University: English Literature PhD. (Samuel R. Delany works here) University of Pittsburgh: Critical and Cultural Studies PhD. (Literature focus) University of Oregon: Comparative Literature PhD. University of Florida: English PhD. That’s it for now. Please, if you have suggestions of universities you think might be good fits for me based on my interests, please let me know. I’m eager to continue my studies and I’m particularly interested in the question of the human and how postcolonial discourse and science fiction deal with the human/other dichotomy, etc. That’s where I’m going with all this. So, suggestions welcome! I haven’t searched every university simply because I don’t have the time. Anywho! (Don’t click the read more, there isn’t any more after this!)

World in the Satin Bag

McCain = Hypocrit

This will be short, but I should also mention that I will be talking about politics on occasion here. The reason being that this is my blog and, well, I want to talk about politics a little. You’re free to ignore the posts on politics, or argue with me if you feel the need to. Anyway, on to the topic on hand. I just read on a Yahoo news article (thank you Yahoo for putting interesting tidbits of news on my email) some things that McCain has recently stated that have forced me into a “WTF?” situation. I’ll quote the article and the specific passages for you so any of you remotely interested in my political rambles can also join me in the WTFery that is the McCain/Palin campaign: Republican John McCain, taking a cross-state bus tour aimed at keeping vote-rich Florida from swinging to the Democrats, on Thursday accused rival Barack Obama of saying “anything to get elected.”…While criticizing Obama, McCain also targeted his own party. He complained the Bush administration was not yet buying up mortgages so homeowners facing foreclosure could renegotiate them at a more favorable interest rates. The GOP nominee has proposed a $300 billion plan, but a similar one is included in the $700 billion Wall Street bailout recently passed by Congress. Both McCain and Obama voted for that plan.“I call on the administration to act now and buy up these mortgages and keep people in their homes,” McCain said before singling out Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. “And why is the secretary of the Treasury not ordering them to do that?”…“Whether it’s Joe the Plumber in Ohio or Joe over here,” McCain said, pointing into the crowd at All Star Building Materials in Ormond Beach, “we shouldn’t be taxing our small businesses more, as Sen. Obama wants to do. We need to be helping them expand their businesses and create jobs.” WTF? So, Obama will say anything to get elected, but McCain won’t? Really? Let’s talk about that for a moment: McCain has been caught putting out ads that intentionally lie about Barack Obama in an attempt to paint Obama as a bad person and untrustworthy. McCain and Palin have actively sought to paint Barack Obama as a terrorist by repeatedly pointing to the same two or three things (mostly the Ayers fiasco), inciting anti-Muslim and racist verbal attacks (like the clever “Kill him” and “He’s an Arab”). McCain has repeatedly lied about Obama’s tax plan regarding small business orders and continues to do so because it’s a cheap political point and pretty much the only thing he has going for him as far as the economy is concerned. The problem is that his lying forces people to ignore the truth, which is that Obama’s tax plan will actually give more people more money than McCain’s plan. The only people that should be pissed off about Obama’s plan should be those making over $250,000 a year. If you make less than that you’ll actually spend a hell of a lot less in taxes with Obama than you will with McCain. Remember, McCain wants to give the biggest cuts to rich people, not to the 99% of Americans who aren’t rich. McCain’s plan is a big “fuck you” to the people that actually drive the economy and a nice hand job for those that most of us hate for being rich, filthy, immoral jackasses. Think about that. Obama wants most Americans to get more back, because if you’re going to give a tax cut you should give it to people that will actually use it to build up the economy. McCain has now turned to criticizing the Bush administration because his association with Bush has obviously hurt him. So, the end result is that McCain is just a hypocrite. Obama may be a politician and he probably is saying things just to get votes, but that’s sort of how the game is played. The difference is that McCain has turned to a rhetoric dominated by negativity and smearing; Obama is trying to appeal to the people: us. Obama is saying things and promising things that we want; McCain is promising things that either don’t make sense or that we don’t want. And don’t get me started on Palin, who is probably as corrupt as Presidential candidates come (just read up on all the crap that she’s been pinned with lately). Anyway.

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