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A couple of reviews
Jul. 8th, 2011 10:27 amWestercon 64. I didn't really see a lot of the con due to health issues. I mainly went to a handful of panels and chatted with friends. Sadly I missed the Business Meeting apocalypse. But from the little I saw the con was well-run, panels were well-attended, and they made good use of the space. Unfortunately the Fairmont hotel is not that great a space for a con unless you are also using the nearby convention center. The layout of the meeting rooms meant it was a long haul to get to anything, which kind of sucks if you're mobility challenged. Also the lack of a gift shop frustrated people who wanted things like energy drinks or other sundries. I can't give a rating for the whole con, simply because I wasn't there, but thumbs up for the con staff and a half-thumb down for the venue.
Polaris by Jack McDevitt. Second of the "Alex Benedict" novels, following the adventures of an antiquities dealer in the unspecified far future (humanity has been out among the stars for at least 4,000 years based on the information given) as he and his pilot/assistant Chase Kolpath hunt down valuable artifacts and sell them. The story centers around the mystery of the Polaris, which was carrying a group of VIPs to observe a collision between a G-class star and a neutron star. After the event, the Polaris' pilot report they were about to depart, then nothing. The first ship on the scene found the Polaris intact, but the occupants missing. Sixty years later, an exhibition of artifacts from the ill-fated flight sets off a chain of events that have Alex and Chase running for their lives and following clues. This is a classic locked-room mystery, and is fun because Alex and Chase don't beat information out of people, but use their brains. Not as good as A Talent For War or Seeker, the first and third books in the series, but very enjoyable. 3.5 penguins out of 5.
Tool - Undertow Tool's first full studio album, this is far more a traditional metal album when compared to their later work. Still, very good and you can hear the beginnings of the ideas that would come out later. Probably best known for the track Prison Sex. There is one thing.. Officially there are ten tracks on this album. The CD has 59 one second tracks between Flood and Disgustipated. My stereo choked on this and would stop after nine tracks. Strange, but what else do you expect from Tool? 4 penguins out of 5.
Blood Into Wine. Speaking of Tool, lead singer Maynard James Keenan fled Los Angeles in horror in 1995 and ended up in Arizona's Verde Valley; he found himself there, and decided to opening a winery. Blood Into Wine is the story of that effort, the people, and the place. As a documentary it lacks real focus, but remains fascinating as you watch Keenan working his vines with the same passion his gives his music, see the investment required to build a winery, and learn a lot about viticulture. The movie features the lighter side of Keegan's music, so if you're metal-phobic, you're safe. Really fascinating film. Better than I expected, 4 penguins out of 5.
Polaris by Jack McDevitt. Second of the "Alex Benedict" novels, following the adventures of an antiquities dealer in the unspecified far future (humanity has been out among the stars for at least 4,000 years based on the information given) as he and his pilot/assistant Chase Kolpath hunt down valuable artifacts and sell them. The story centers around the mystery of the Polaris, which was carrying a group of VIPs to observe a collision between a G-class star and a neutron star. After the event, the Polaris' pilot report they were about to depart, then nothing. The first ship on the scene found the Polaris intact, but the occupants missing. Sixty years later, an exhibition of artifacts from the ill-fated flight sets off a chain of events that have Alex and Chase running for their lives and following clues. This is a classic locked-room mystery, and is fun because Alex and Chase don't beat information out of people, but use their brains. Not as good as A Talent For War or Seeker, the first and third books in the series, but very enjoyable. 3.5 penguins out of 5.
Tool - Undertow Tool's first full studio album, this is far more a traditional metal album when compared to their later work. Still, very good and you can hear the beginnings of the ideas that would come out later. Probably best known for the track Prison Sex. There is one thing.. Officially there are ten tracks on this album. The CD has 59 one second tracks between Flood and Disgustipated. My stereo choked on this and would stop after nine tracks. Strange, but what else do you expect from Tool? 4 penguins out of 5.
Blood Into Wine. Speaking of Tool, lead singer Maynard James Keenan fled Los Angeles in horror in 1995 and ended up in Arizona's Verde Valley; he found himself there, and decided to opening a winery. Blood Into Wine is the story of that effort, the people, and the place. As a documentary it lacks real focus, but remains fascinating as you watch Keenan working his vines with the same passion his gives his music, see the investment required to build a winery, and learn a lot about viticulture. The movie features the lighter side of Keegan's music, so if you're metal-phobic, you're safe. Really fascinating film. Better than I expected, 4 penguins out of 5.
