Con'ing it up: Emerald City Comic Con

A week ago Sunday I got to go to Seattle's biggest Con and it was loads of fun!

Because of Karen Gillan's appearance (Doctor Who's Amelia Pond) and

because my recently chopped hair could mimic his little flick,

I decided to cosplay as Matt Smith's 11th Doctor:

[elevensies]

[Lots of textures]

Being a Con veteran, I decided to simplify my approach and chose 3 panels to attend, giving myself plenty of time to be in line and enjoy things.

The first was a panel with Patrick Rothfuss, author of Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear.
I loved the first two of his trilogy - the best world building of any contemporary author I've read.

[I love you, Harry, but Kvothe's got a point here.]

[Rothfuss - sorry, his eyes were closed]

While we didn't get any news about the final installment of the King-Killer Chronicles,
He did announce 2 new novellas before the year's out, each focused on particularly interesting side-characters.
But aside from the news, I really appreciated hearing some of the thought process behind his writing and was so grateful I got to go.


Now, it wouldn't be a con without cosplay and I rounded up a few of my favorites.

If I could bestow a laurel to the best cosplayer, this girl (and her family) would have won it:

[god of mischief...eating a pb&j]

Her dad homemade all the armor pieces - including the staff that actually lit up!
Her grandmother sowed everything else together, and this girl carried it all SO well!
Bravo to Team Loki!

[Watch out Hiddleston!]

I was also impressed by these homemade Disney-princess coslpayers:

[Ariel & Snow White]

And a few other miscellaneous ones:

[10 & a weeping angel, Belle, and Indy]

Panel #2 for the day was called "From Page to Screen" and focused on adaptation - a favorite subject of mine :)
The panel featured an author, a screenplay writer, and a concept artist.
The concept artist had done a lot of word-image art that I found fascinating - including working on [my latest obsession] Once Upon a Time.
This whole topic is so fascinating... but more to come on that later.


I then met up with friends for the last panel of the day: Karen Gillan!

[Megan as Amy Pond from "Flesh & Stone,"
Kayla being her amazing Whovian self,
Me going all "bow ties are cool,"
Ash as Amy Pond from "The Impossible Astronaut"]

For those of you who aren't familiar, Karen Gillan is a young Scottish Actress
who rose to prominence playing the main companion on Doctor Who for 2 1/2 seasons.
As Amelia (Amy) Pond, she and co-stars Matt Smith (the 11th Doctor) and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) had some incredible chemistry as friends and companions.
They share, well, let's just say an extra special bond with the Doctor.

She was wonderfully genuine and no matter how many times she got asked the same question, she always had a unique response.  And she flew through questions like a pro.
Bravo, Miss Karen!  Bow ties are cool and so are you :)

Comic con was a joy - being around really passionate, nerdy people just refreshes me.
I saw some truly fantastic cosplay, heard from talented artists, and made some new friends.
All in all, a day very well spent!

* * * * * * * * *

"made some new friends."
Code for: one very special friend!!

Reading 2013

Well, if you're interested in the past, here are lists from 2011 and 2012.

The List:

1	Return of the King - JRR Tolkien*
2	The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
3	Great House - Nicole Krauss
4	Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni  (nf)
5	The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
6	Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
7	Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald*
8	Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins*
9	Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins*
10	Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
11	Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card
12	London War Notes - Mollie Panter-Downes  (nf)
13	Speaker for the Dead -Orson Scott Card
14	Shadow of the Hegemon - Orson Scott Card
15	Shadow Puppets -Orson Scott Card
16	Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
17	The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss
18	A body in the Library - Agatha Christie
19	Stardust - Neil Gaiman
20	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling
21	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling
22	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling
23	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -JK Rowling
24	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling
25	Lady in Waiting - Jackie Kendall  (nf)
26	The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
27	Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - JK Rowling
28	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling

   29 The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse - Michael Gungor  (nf)

* indicates a re-read
(nf) indicates non-fiction

General trends:


// I read longer, though fewer books.  I set a goal of 40 books in 2013.  Don't think I'd conjectured the average length of each books would be 435 pages.  You can see below for one of my spiffy graphs.  This shows trends in average number of pages per book and per month over the last 3 years:

// I loooove sci-fi and fantasy [obvi].  I started 2013 by finishing off my re-visit to Middle Earth and another quick trip to District 12, but this only set the stage for journeys into the Enderverse, the Four Corners, Gaiman's Fairyland, and the wizarding world of Harry Potter.  I fully recognize I'm a late (very late) comer to Harry Potter, so I won't even bother "recommending" it, Neil Gaiman speaks for himself, but, a few words on the other two series.

I wrote a formal review of Ender's Game as part of my 31 days project, but here and here are thoughts I shared while reading the 1st book.  I can't recommend Ender's Game highly enough, but I'd also suggest it's parallel novel Ender's Shadow and direct sequel Speaker for the Dead (an anecdote of which I shared here).  I've forayed further into Shadow series, which is a fascinating political and psychological saga.  I'm hoping to finish the Ender Quartet, which I hear is highly philosophical.  Card's fiction is a thought-provoking delight.

As for the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, I did my best to give it a proper review here.  Name of the Wind, Rothfuss's incredible novel debut gripped me from it's earliest pages and once he sets up the frame narrative - there's no going back.  Both it and its sequel, Wise Man's Fear, are innovative fantasy while maintaining some of the familiar qualities I love most about series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter (though intended for a more mature audience than either of those series).  I finished these two in August and yet still find myself wondering about the characters as if they were lost friends.  I eagerly await the 3rd and final installment!

All that said, I have enjoyed indulging more in my love for sci-fi, fantasy, and the wonderful spots where they blend.  It's saddening that these are so often relegated to niche literature in academia... but that's a thought for another post.  I have loved these literary journeys and I'm looking forward to a few more in 2014.

// I only just realized looking back at this list that I didn't read a single pre-1900's book this year.  Gatsby, published in 1925, is the earliest novel on the list.

My teenage self would be appalled.  My 23 year old self is rather thrilled.

// Another theme that emerged in my reading habits was learning more about WWII.  Not facts.  Stories.  It was the focus of London War Notes and The Book Thief, but it crept up in plenty of other books too.  London War Notes (passage here) was a heart-breaking and beautiful bi-weekly column written for the New Yorker by an American living in London throughout the war.  Interestingly, The Book Thief, though fictional, was a harrowing tale of "the other side" - how many Germans experienced the war.  As a side note, I think it would be very interesting to read The Book Thief in conjunction with The History of Love.  But these contrasting perspectives make it obvious how unnecessary and tragic the war was - not for one side or the other, but for humanity. 


As for 2014, I'm excited to announce that I'll be taking part of Jon Acuff's "Empty Shelf Project."  I've already cleared the decks and have some books in the wings - so look forward to filling it up! 

I thoroughly enjoyed my literary wanderings in 2013.  More than finding new friends, I found new parts of myself.  These stories lent me courage where I was running low, joy in some dark moments, and love - so much love - for other people.  I couldn't really ask for much more.

Have you read any of these?  What were some of the trends or highlights for your reading in 2013?

costume dilemma

You guys... I'm so ready to throw myself into choosing a costume, piecing it together... but I just cannot decide!

Star Wars?  Super heroes?  Disney?  Doctor Who? They're done every year.

Sherlock?  Always an option.  A friend and I had talked about doing a Femlock cosplay (fandom translator: she and I were going as male Sherlock characters).  But I will be doing a costume for the premiere party (just waiting on a date, Moffat!) - so I'm not sure that's "it."

Alice in wonderland?  Done it.

Lord of the Rings?  Did it last year.

Grumpy Cat?  Seriously tempting

A different Lizzie Bennet Diaries character would be "totes supes adorbs" ...but I have done it twice already this year.

Perfecting my Suzie Bishop look (from Moonrise Kingdom) would be a blast for sure... but I kinda want to tackle something new.

Would it be considered cheating to dress up like Zooey Deschanel?  [I was afraid people might stop commenting both when I went red and especially after I chopped my hair off... there has been no letting up, which is fine with me]

So then I look at books I've read or re-read this year.

Half of the are from the Enderverse.  Not really any impressive or indicative costumes from the enderverse.

Gatsby?  Everyone's going to do Gatsby this year.  [I'm afraid I've turned into a hipster cosplayer... sorry]

Hazel Grace?  Augustus Waters?  I think Augustus would actually be more fun... but with TFioS film coming out next year... 

Name of the Wind character?  Could be super fun, but very few people would recognize it.

TV shows?  

One of my coworkers seriously suggested I dress up as Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad.  That would be... intriguing.

I guess there are a bunch of Once Upon a Time costumes... comme ci comme ça.

I might be perusing classic Hollywood next.  Hmmm...

Pretty much... I need a man in my life so we can go as a couple :)

Got suggestions for me?  Leave a comment ;)

Reviews: Fandom, Fantasy, and the Name of the Wind

Sometimes... I think something is wrong with me. 

Some days I think it would be sooo nice to read or watch something, say "well that was good," put it back on the shelf and move along.

But no.  When I read or watch something - especially if it's expansive - suddenly I'm completely engrossed and I have to know ALL the things.  I thinking about it all the time.  I have dreams about it.  I read theories and interviews and every scrap of information I can find.  I scour etsy and thinkgeek, dreaming of the small, nerdy ways I could show my support (see this Finnick necklace, Avengers earrings, TARDIS journal, Sherlock necklace, Lothlorien leaf, etc...).

Basically, this is totally accurate:

It's been happening with Doctor Who for a while. 

But it's happened again.  Last night I finished the 2nd novel in a fantasy trilogy - and now I must wait! Grr... Now is also when I remember why I mostly read dead authors.  I'm horrible at waiting.  And it makes the obsession worse.  Because there are forums and reddit threads and theories galore about what or how things will happen.  It's just... I'm pretty much a lost cause.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I suppose I should give this something like a proper review.

First, due credit: Jennifer, my coworker had been telling me about it for a while and lent me the first book months ago.  Then, in Powell's, I saw it on their "employee recommendation" shelf.  Both excellent commendations. 

The series is called the Kingkiller Chronicles.  It is a high fantasy told in framed narrative by the central character, Kvothe [pronounced like "Quothe"].  When we meet him, Kvothe is likely in his mid-thirties and is, quite literally, the stuff of legend!  Born to a gypsy-like performer's troupe, he is a gifted musician, singer, and actor.  He is a ginger.  He's a quick wit and, from an early age, studies "magic" - something, in this series, much closer related to the sciences than what we think of as magic.  He's an instantly lovable character that acts stupid for most of the first book.  He should be dead many-times over; and frankly it's a mercy on Rothfuss's part that Kvothe is the one telling the story, alleviating unbearable suspense.  (I often have to remind myself, "he survives!  He's the one telling the story, ergo, he survives!")  All in all, he's a gifted hero who has had the most extraordinary, fantastical adventures and experiences.  But in the story's "present day,"  Kvothe is tired of being hunted and so has intentionally "killed off" his heroic character to settle down as a humble inn-keeper.  And yet, even at the Waystone Inn, he can't help being a hero down to his bones.


[One fan's fantastic rendering of Kvothe]


Rothfuss sums up: " In some ways it's the simplest story possible: it's the story of a man's life. It's the myth of the Hero seen from backstage. It's about the exploration and revelation of a world, but it's also about Kvothe's desire to uncover the truth hidden underneath the stories in his world." 

With so many stories swirling about him, he's decided to set the record straight and tell his story with all of it's bruises and misadventures. He agrees to tell his story in three days - with each day taking an entire book. Day / Book 1, Name of the Wind (2008) was 700 pages & explained up to age 15. Wise Man's Fears (2011), the one I just finished, was 1,000 pages and covered about 2 years. So basically, the third book (expected 2014) is going to need to be 5,000 pages in order to finish the story.  JK.  Kind of.

How do I talk about the story without giving too much away? Well, I will start by saying that many would, correctly, label the story "episodic." But while episodes within a single novel tend to break the pace and lead to distractions,  I'm not sure how an author writing a saga could achieve moving the character through new locations and groups and adventures without feeling episodic.  Mind you, many of these "episodes" are 200 - 300 pages long.  I moved from one to the other, reluctantly at first, but found myself appreciating a new cast of characters and becoming familiar with new regions of Rothfuss's fantasy map.  One of the most significant aspects of fantasy is integral world-building, and it is one of the many things Rothfuss excels at.

So what type of these adventures does Kvothe go on?  At heart a wanderer, and after an unorthodox youth - including a stint as a street urchin, Kvothe spends time at University studying the "magic" of sympathy and naming; he fightss a dragon-like creature, he serves at a royal court; he entertains both pubs and princelings with his music; he wanders into fairyland for an unknowable length of time; and he is trained to fight by some of the best mercenaries in the world.  Of course, there is a pretty, mysterious lady in his life too.  All the while, he is searching out dangerous creatures that everyone else take to be the stuff of nursery rhymes. 

"Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." - the Kingkiller Chronicles includes them all.  This series has made me cry real tears.  It's made me anxious.  One time, I was reading it home on the bus, got dropped off at the park & ride and proceeded to sit in my car for the next hour and a half because I couldn't put it down.  Most of all this book has made me care.  Of course I'm rooting for and pretty much in love with Kvothe.  But it's not just him.  I genuinely care to find out what happens to his friends and teachers and the whole realm Rothfuss has created.  I eagerly await the final installment, Doors of Stone, due out sometime next year.  In the meantime, I'll probably meet a lot of other characters and take in many other stories.  But I'll be waiting.  Waiting to hear the rest of Kvothe's tale and hear what comes after.

If you like fantasy or are just looking for an engaging book, you might want to check out this series.  The world, characters, and plot are all well developed and, despite the length, I read both in just over a month.  I should mention this isn't a children's series.  As Kvothe becomes more of an adult there is, well, adult content.  Although some may consider this an immature reason to read - I certainly don't - I will add that at ComicCon last month, it was announced that Fox has optioned the series for a tv show [Watch out, Game of Thrones].  If for whatever reason you do decide to pick up the book, let me know and tell me what you think of it.

I'll leave you with a few favorite quotes from the series:

"Stories don't need to be new to bring you joy. Some stories are like familiar friends. Some are dependable as bread."

"It's the questions we can't answer that teach us the most."

"All the truth in the world is held in stories..."