Philip K. Dick is a maddening writer. He can write great books like Dr. Bloodmoney and Martian Time-Slip but also write stinkers like VALIS and The Divine Invasion. However uneven Dick’s novels are his short stories hold up much better. Subterranean Books just published Upon the Dull Earth, Volume 3 of their wonderful ongoing project of reprinting all of Philip K. Dick’s short stories, novelettes, and novellas. Dick published some of his best short fiction in the 1950s. In general, I find the later Dick novels and short stories unreadable (meaning I couldn’t finish reading them) even though I tried. If you’re a Philip K. Dick fan, this is a must-buy. If you’ve always wanted to read Philip K. Dick, this is the perfect place to start.

Table of Contents

Fair Game
The Hanging Stranger
The Eyes Have It
The Golden Man
The Turning Wheel
The Last of the Masters
The Father-Thing
Strange Eden
Tony and the Beetles
Null-O
To Serve the Master
Exhibit Piece
The Crawlers
Sales Pitch
Shell Game
Upon the Dull Earth
Foster, You’re Dead
Pay for the Printer
War Veteran
The Chromium Fence
Misadjustment
A World of Talent
Psi-Man Heal my Child
Notes

I’ve been a big fan of Margaret Atwood’s work for years. Somehow this 2002 collection of Atwood’s speeches on writing slipped past my radar. Atwood believes “that not just some, but all writing of the narrative kind, and perhaps all writing, is motivated deep down, by a fear of and a fascination with mortality–by a desire to make the risky trip to the Underworld, and to bring something or someone back from the dead.” Atwood argues her case with wonderful examples from her writers: Borges, Connolly, Davies, Graham Green, Kafka, D. H. Lawrence, Alice Munro, George Orwell, Adrienne Rich, and Eudora Welty. If you’re in the mood for a personal survey of the creative process, I highly recommend Negotiating With the Dead. GRADE: A

Diane thought Hit & Run was silly fun. I thought it was just stupid. Dax Shepard plays a guy in the Witness Protection Program. He’s “protected” by Tom Arnold who plays a totally inept U.S. Marshall. Kristen Bell plays Dax’s girlfriend who doesn’t know his criminal past. Kristen Bell has a jealous ex-lover played by Michael Rosenbaum who is pretty much wasted in this film. Kristen Bell gets a job offer in Los Angeles so Dax decides to leave Witness Protection to drive her there. The rest of the movie revolves around how plot points can generate a car chase. Or, a dune buggy chase. Or…you get my drift. Hit & Run is being marketed as an “action comedy.” There’s plenty of phony “action” (the tedious car chases) and very little comedy. You’ve been warned. GRADE: C

Today I find out if I can stand in front of a class of students for an hour. Or will my new knee buckle? Will I have enough energy to make it through a nine-hour work day? The First Day of classes is always chaotic: students wanting to add classes that are closed, students who signed up for the wrong classes looking for the right classes, former students who inexplicably choose the First Day to pay their favorite professors a visit, dozens of student emails and phone messages to answer, etc. I wish I had a couple more weeks of Physical Therapy to prepare me for this, but I’ll have to play the hand I was dealt. I’m always excited when a new semester begins. New classes, new students, new surprises. Time to rock & roll!

Postscript: I survived the day. No pain in my knee (thank goodness for PT!). I had less fatigue than I thought I would have (thank goodness for the pool!). Thanks for all the encouragement! I took Jackie Meyerson’s advice and bought a celebratory pizza on my way home. Looks like the Fall Semester got off to Good Start!

This is the 11th Annual orgy of chicken wing eating. Wingfest was a hit from Year One. Now, the event is held at Coca-Cola Field to accommodate the thousands of hungry attendees. Over 100 different varieties of chicken wings are available. Over 30 tons of chicken wings will be consumed. Good thing the new cardiac wing for Buffalo General Hospital just opened! Vendors from 46 states and a dozen countries will be serving up their own special style of chicken wings. If you’re a fan of this delicacy, you’ll want to make the pilgrimage to Wingfest sometime. It’s always held on Labor Day weekend so make your vacation plans now! This is one of Western New York’s most successful events.

The Doctor’s companion, played by the feisty red-head Karen Gillian, will be leaving the series in a few episodes. The fetching Karen Gillian is my favorite companion. There is a sexual tension between Karen and The Doctor despite the fact she’s married to Rory. The entire Doctor Who series has improved in each of the last few seasons. Matt Smith, who plays the 11th Doctor, is both quirky and clever. If you haven’t been watching this BBC America program, you’re missing a lot of fun. Don’t worry about the backstory. You’ll figure things out. Just jump in! You’ll be happy you did! Check out the cool trailer below.

Bill Crider sat on a panel with Tanya Huff earlier this summer (Armadillocon, I think). As a “Get Well” present, Bill sent me this autographed copy of A Confederation of Valor, an omnibus edition of Tanya Huff’s excellent SF military novels, Valor’s Choice and The Better Part of Valor. If you haven’t read these action-packed novels, you’re missing out on some great adventures. Staff Sergent Kerr is a believable character. She doesn’t glamorize warfare, but she’s prepared to make the hard decisions to win an military engagement. Tanya Huff hasn’t received the attention she deserves for these entertaining, yet thought-provoking novels. Thanks again for this wonderful gift, Bill!

ECM Records just released this classic concert on two CDs 30 years after the event. Why it took so long, I have no idea. Sleeper features the youthful Keith Jarrett “European Quartet” with Jan Garbarek on tenor sax and flute, Palle Danielsson on bass and Jon Christensen on drums. The concert was recorded live at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo Japan on April 16, 1979. The performances sounds as fresh today as if they were recorded last week. If you’re a fan of this style of jazz, Sleeper is a must-buy. If you’re a casual listener, check out the sample below. GRADE: A
TRACK LIST
Disc 1:
1. Personal Mountains 41:32
2. Innocence 21:09
3. So Tender 26:21

Disc 2:
1. Oasis 55:18
2. Chant Of The Soil 29:09
3. Prism 22:03
4. New Dance 13:57

My niece, Tara, is a Forensic Analyst for the Coroner’s Office in the New Orleans area. With Hurricane Isaac making landfall seven years to the day after Katrina, our thoughts are with her and other friends in the affected area like Deb and Megan. We’ll see if the $15 billion dollars of “improvements” to the levees withstand the storm. But the bigger problem will be the estimated 20 inches of rain that could flood the city and suburbs. Rush Limbaugh made statements that the Weather Bureau (on Obama’s instructions) deliberately exaggerated the impact of Hurricane Isaac to diminish the GOP Convention in Tampa. If anyone had any doubts about Rush’s paranoia and his addiction to conspiracy theories, these latest charges shows how nutty he is. I’m not making this up. Just click here for the bizarre details.