I snagged this short story collection because I wanted to read Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life, the inspiration for one of my all-time favorite films, Arrival. While the story shared a ton of similarities with the film, it didn’t move me the way the film did. Ted Chiang asks a lot of his readers, and his work is science fiction, heavy on the science. When you read his work, get ready for a heaping helping of physics, linguistics, theoretical mathematics and more. Incidentally, my favorite story in this collection was Hell is the Absence of God which checked off a ton of boxes for me as the author applies his logic and rational thinking to the idea of religious salvation.
*****
The work of Richard Matheson gets mined quite a bit for pop culture content, especially films. Stir of Echoes, What Dreams May Come and Somewhere in Time all find their roots in his stories. I was curious about his work, so I went with I Am Legend and was pretty underwhelmed. He has some good sci-fi ideas and interesting takes on global viruses and vampires, but the rampant misogyny really got in the way. And the racism. In this movie-tie-in volume there were additional short stories collected with I Am Legend and the two best (IMHO) were Person to Person and Mad House, so it wasn’t a total loss.
*****
This book fell into my lap because someone who attended one of my lectures gave it to me. Their generous gesture resulted in an incredible read about the indomitable Italian Baroque artist, Artemisia Gentileschi. A favorite artist of mine and personal inspiration to me, I devoured this retelling of her traumatic ordeal and her subsequent triumph. Told partially in verse, I was quickly drawn in and carried away-I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a few hours. Great read, inspiring story, creative storytelling. Loved it!
*****
I came across this book while I was visiting my sister. Parks and Recreation is one of my all-time favorite shows and I adore Nick Offerman. I knew he was a talented writer and speaker, but I hadn’t read any of his work. I was pleased to discover that he writes like he speaks, and I find that incredibly enjoyable. I especially liked the fact that this book begins right before the pandemic, carries through the lockdowns, and comes out the other side. I love his devotion to nature and while I struggle with his advocating for a more humane approach to raising animals for consumption, I understand his incredibly valid points. I’m going to continue not eating those animals, but I’ll definitely be reading more of his books.
*****
I watched the Hulu series (good) and read the book (also, good) but feel kind of torn. The series goes in one direction while the book goes in another, and I can’t say that I prefer one over the other. The series ends on a cliffhanger, but the book does not. Do I want a season 2 of the Hulu series? 100% YES! Does the book need a sequel? No, it’s self-contained; the story has been told and told well. My suggestion is to experience both the book and the series, but I definitely recommend reading the book first. And what’s it about you may ask? Well, it’s a case of knowing as little as possible before going into it so that the surprises and reveals hit harder. If you need an elevator pitch, it’s got all the uncomfortable cringe of life in a corporate workplace plus the protagonist is the only person of color in her department. Add a dash of magical realism and you’ve got yourself a very good story.
*****
I had a ton of peeps recommend this book because it centers around a question that fascinates me-why do people steal art? I’m not a true crime aficionado by any stretch but suggest a documentary about paintings being forged or artworks being stolen and I am all over it! This book moves quickly because so does the art thief and the things this guy steals (and how easily he gets away with it) will absolutely blow your mind. I really appreciated the deeper examination of the psychology behind the thief’s unrelenting drive to acquire cultural, historical, and artistic objects. Honestly, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this become a Netflix series in the very near future… one that I’ll be watching, of course.
*****
I read that director Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE Part 3 will be inspired by Frank Herbert’s second book in the series, DUNE: Messiah. Not long after, DUNE Part 2’s release was delayed by five months. To cope, I decided to read DUNE: Messiah and I have some mixed feelings. First, compared to the first book it’s shockingly brief. My copy clocked in at a mere 255 pages. Second, it kind of feels like Herbert’s The Lost World follow-up to Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park is insanely good. The Lost World reads like a slapped together script for a blockbuster action movie, which is obviously its intent. There’s a bit of a similar feel to DUNE: Messiah. I know that Herbert has gone on record as saying that he wrote the follow-up because people took the wrong things away from the DUNE story, namely the fact that religion and government should never mix because elevating powerful, charismatic humans to deity status results in disaster. However, it also reads like Herbert wanted to make a few extra bucks off the success of DUNE. Read it anyway and then see what he was talking about happen in real time by turning on the news. Appears he was right about that whole “religion as government” thing.
*****
I re-read DUNE to cleanse my brain palate after reading Starship Troopers. What’s my review? DUNE is amazing and it’s amazing for all the reasons why Starship Troopers sucks. Frank Herbert crafted fully developed cultures, not just with cool languages and histories, but with religions and superstitions. The logistics behind space travel make a lot of sense and the technology doesn’t come off as cheesy or silly. Plus, it’s kind of like a slice of Medieval history (with all the fiefdoms and rulers and powerplays) but in space. Not only is it “Star Wars for grown-ups” but in some ways it’s also The Lord of the Rings for Sci-Fi nerds like me. Incidentally, I love both LOTR and DUNE, which, if you have met me, will not surprise you in the least. Read DUNE.
*****
Well, they can’t all be winners, can they? Picked this one up cheap (thankfully) from a library book sale and since it was only about 200-ish pages thought, “What the heck, I’ll finally read this Sci-Fi classic.” I hate spoilers but these are more like warnings: no plot, no character development and absolutely no explanation for how an insect-like alien species developed an advanced culture complete with cities, militaries, and space travel. Oh, I almost forgot about the pro-fascist militaristic police state propaganda. Yup. Robert Heinlein blatantly advocates for the abuse of children (akin to “breaking a puppy”) because democracy has made the population too soft. I wish I was joking. That said, I have a whole new appreciation for the 1997 film adaptation by Paul Verhoeven which comes off as a brilliant satire of all the wartime propaganda Heinlein attempted to promote. Also, it has a plot.
*****
The annotated screenplay for Get Out is something that every cinephile and horror aficionado should have on their bookshelf. And it’s not just because it’s one of the best written scripts of all time… it’s because of those Jordan Peele footnotes! This art historian loves footnotes and JP doesn’t hold back. How cool is it that the writer/director of a film that reinvented the horror genre and impacted cinematic storytelling walks you through their thought process? It is unbelievably cool, and everyone should read this screenplay, especially if they want to become a better writer or storyteller. This screenplay also introduced me to the amazing Tananarive Due who provides a powerful introduction that is just as important as the script.
*****
I loved this book! I watched the film adaptation starring the incomparable Florence Pugh last year and it was phenomenal, so I really wanted the book to be good… and it is! The story checks off a bunch of boxes for me: first off, it’s set in Ireland and written by an Irish author. Second, it examines the blind devotion to religion (even to the detriment of a child’s wellbeing) by exploring the conflict between science and faith. The protagonist is an English Nightingale summoned to rural Ireland to observe a miracle but how do you prove/disprove something that people have already convinced themselves is legitimate? I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to give anything away, but definitely check out this book and then go watch the movie because the film is an excellent adaptation of the book, which is extremely rare.
*****
Quick little fun fact about me… I like zombie stuff. Films like Last Train to Busan and 28 Days Later are iconic and the South Korean show Kingdom is a game-changer. So, when I grabbed a copy of World War Z for super cheap at a library book sale, I thought I’d give it a go. I loved how it was told in short story form but still with a journalistic approach. This technique allows the reader to experience a global zombie plague from vast and wildly diverse perspectives, not just a scientific or militaristic one. What stood out to me are the practicalities-how would certain countries, certain cultures, and certain governments respond to a zombie plague? The story felt incredibly real, and I think it’s a sign of clever and creative writing when even the logistics of managing a global zombie crisis are fascinating. If you’re a zombie fan, definitely add this book to your horde.
*****
I’ve been a huge fan of Amber Ruffin’s for years, so I was excited to read the book she co-wrote with her sister, Lacey. I knew it would be funny because Amber is funny-she writes for Late Night w/ Seth Meyers and has her own show on Peacock-and I absolutely love her sense of humor. What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer volume of racist incidents detailed in the book. From microaggressions to blatant (and frequently public) displays of racist discrimination, there are so many stories. I laughed and I cried, and my jaw dropped more than once. And it made me take a critical look at myself and realize that I still have a lot of work to do. I highly recommend this book to everyone as a “must read” because, simply put, we all need to do better at this “being human” experiment.
*****
My sincerest gratitude to all who participated in The Wandering Art Historian book club (2020 – 2022).
Take a walk down memory lane to see all the books we read together and discussed…
The Wandering Art Historian 
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