Website Found: LitDrift (A Nifty Literature Site)
I actually heard about this site through the University of Florida’s English Graduates listserv, but recently the folks at LitDrift contacted me regarding posting something about them, and so here I am. I became a follower of LitDrift the second I saw the site, for several reasons. First, it’s a site about literature, and generally speaking, if it’s about literature, I’m in. Second, they have a feature called “free book Fridays” in which they give away a book to one lucky commenter…every Friday. Free books? Every week? Again, I’m in. Third, the posts are actually quite good, discussing everything from books to writing from all directions (they’ve really got their bases covered). There are writing prompts (daily, apparently), tips, videos, and all sorts of other goodies at LitDrift. LitDrift isn’t limited to the three things that drew me in, though. They talk about all manner of things there of relevance to literature-oriented folks, and the posts are, in my opinion, of quality. If you’re interested in a new site focused on literature, I suggest checking them out. I like the site and some of you might like it too.
Website Found: A History of Communications
It’s not every day that you find a chronology of every major communications advancement in human history. But that’s what this website is all about, or at least this page anyway. What is it?A History of Communications is the pet project of Nathan Shedroff, who apparently has not only a lot of time on his hands (the current version took him close to five years to put together), but a lot of patience. The project is an ongoing attempt to chronicle human advancements in methods of communication from paleolithic writings to cell phones. Why is it cool?Why isn’t it cool? If you’ve ever wondered just how we’ve advanced over the thousands of years we’ve been writing and talking, then this enormous chronology puts everything together for you. You can now see where the intersection between the creation of the Internet and the evolution of the computer is. The only downside as of now is that the timeline is incomplete. It’s extensive, but missing everything that occurred after 1998 and small bits and pieces here or there between what Nathan already has laid out. But, that’s really sort of irrelevant at this point, because at five years of work, this list is extensive enough to deserve a good look. So, go check it out and satisfy your historical curiosity (he also has a whole bunch of other strange stuff on his site, in case you’re interesting in poking around).
Website Found: Secret and Complex Literatures
I had at one point been mulling around in my head an idea for a young adult fantasy/science fiction novel centered around the Voynich Manuscript, a mysterious collection of pages written in an unknown and undecipherable language accompanied by bizarre illustrations. Presumably it’s one of those incredibly clever creations that we’ll likely never understand, since the person who wrote it died before it was found. The problem for me was finding a book that put all of the pages of the Voynich Manuscript into one place, but without all the writing of an author discussing it crammed between the pages or in the margins. With that in mind, I present to you Secret and Complex Literatures. What is it?Secret and Complex Literatures, which needs a different name, by the way, is a fascinating site filled with ancient texts, strange invented languages/alphabets, obscure and relatively forgotten elements of ancient writing, and, of course, the Voynich Manuscript. If you’re interested in invented languages by people other than Tolkien, particularly people you might not have known had invented languages, this is certainly a site for you. Why is it cool?Well, aside from the fact that it’s a site that puts all this wonderful stuff right in front of your face, it includes a section of thirty-six beautiful manuscripts, a page of ambigrams, a page of calligraphies/micrographies/calligrams, six palimpsest manuscripts, twenty-three variations of secret writings and invented languages, and much more (Voynich, for example). It’s all there. Fantasy fans will love this site, I imagine, because it puts all this wonderful stuff in one place; no need to Google search it (unless you want to know more about a particular item). The only downside is that much of the site is written in French, but that shouldn’t deter you. Give this site a look and let me know what you think!
Website Found: Blade Runner Insight
I’m a Philip K. Dick fan, to say the least, and while I don’t consider Blade Runner to be an entertaining film, I think as far as aesthetic value is concerned, it is top notch. Blade Runner Insight is a website I stumbled onto a while ago and I’ve been meaning to put it up in my Website Found feature. What is it?Blade Runner Insight is a website dedicated to the analysis of the film. It’s not a fan site, per se–certainly not in the sense that you will find gushing fan raves over the latest director’s edition or anything of that sort–but it is a site with a mission to expand upon the already well-rehearsed criticism of the film. Why is it cool?Well, if you’re interested in reading and commenting on deeper discussions of the Blade Runner film, then this site is definitely for you. The site is run partly as a blog (with news and information added into the mix) and partly as a forum (not an actual forum, but as a forum) for the authors to present their arguments and thoughts. The archives are considerably extensive, thus providing, I think, plenty of material to keep you interested during their occasional lulls in posting. Check out this fascinating site and satiate that Blade Runner hunger you have in your lower intestine (because it’s much more interesting to think of hunger in your lower intestine than in your stomach).
Website Found: Anthem, the Musical
The wonderful thing about randomly surfing the interwebs is that sometimes you find something so cool it’s hard to believe it exists. Case in point is this website for Anthem, the Musical. What is it?You know that book by Ayn Rand called Anthem? Well, apparently somebody thought it would be a good idea to turn it into a musical, and this website is all about it. Why is it cool?Well, what isn’t cool about it? It’s a website all about a musical version of Ayn Rand’s Anthem. It doesn’t get much cooler than that, right? Okay, so maybe you don’t know what book I’m talking about; if that is the case, then just take note that someone loved a single book enough to turn it into a musical.The website has sample audio to listen to, which has a sort of 80s rock sound in to vocals, which is interesting, and several pages with information about the musical, including: The Story, The Characters, Creative Team, Media, and Contact pages. If you like Ayn Rand’s work, this website could change your life (maybe, or maybe not). If you don’t know Ayn Rand’s work (I’ve never read any), then this page should be a testament to the awesomeness of literature, because only a book (the musical Wicked was also based on a book, by the way) could bring something like this to life. Or someone who really likes musicals (or both). Enjoy!
Website Found: Forbidden Library
I figure since it’s a new year and there are bound to be a whole slue of new book bannings and burnings across the country, this would be a most fitting website! What is it?The Forbidden Library is a website featuring only books that have been banned at one time or another, with short commentary on each of the books explaining the reasons behind any past or present banning (at least the ones known). Why is it cool?I’m not sure if this section of this post is even necessary. If you’ve even wondered why people have banned a particular book, this is probably the place to go. Books are listed by title or by author (there are also an about page, censorship quotes page, mailbag page, other sites page, and credits page). You’d be surprised what books have been banned and for what reasons, too! Books have been banned in the past even though the challengers never read whatever it was they were trying to ban! Talk about idiocy! Give it a look. It’s a cool site and might prove interesting for a reading list for your kids or just for yourself (recommended for kids, since corrupting our youth while they’re still young is much better than waiting until they are almost adults; books are “evil” after all).