The Vulgar Eclectic
Vulgar: of the usual, typical, or ordinary kind
definitions courtesy of Merriam-Webster
Eclectic: composed of elements drawn from various sources
recent blog posts
- The Hard Switch by Owen D. Pomery
I finished reading The Hard Switch (2023), a graphic novel written and illustrated by Owen D. Pomery. It’s a science fiction tale set in a world in which interstellar travel has long been an established reality thanks to a mineral called alcanite. However, the end of such travel is fast approaching, as the finite galactic supply of alcanite is almost completely depleted.
The plot focuses on a small group of companions who scavenge alcanite from old shipwrecks amidst a world that seems to be falling apart, with everyone scrambling to get to a world they will have to stay upon once interstellar travel ceases to exist. Ada, Haika, and Mallic (an eight-limbed cephalopod) make a memorable team as they navigate a world increasingly unraveling at the seams, trying to stay alive while holding on to their humanity.
The artwork is unique, clean, and beautiful. The dialogue and characterization are solid and the plot unfolds in an unforced, graceful fashion. All the parts of this book combine to make a whole that is a very enjoyable reading experience.
- The Arctic Prairies by Ernest Thompson Seton
I just finished reading The Arctic Prairies (1911) by Ernest Thompson Seton. This memoir is an account of a six month journey by canoe Seton took into northern Canada in 1907. Seton was an artist, writer, and naturalist who undertook the trip in hopes of finding bison and caribou and, in his words, “the chances to see and be among wild life.”
The narrative details various aspects of the trip: logistics, the people he traveled with, communities encountered, and ample descriptions of the land and wildlife. It is a pleasing mix of anecdote, sublime description of the natural world, and insights on human behavior. It’s also a compelling window into another time and place.
“This was the land and these the creatures I had come to see. This was my Farthest North and this was the culmination of years of dreaming.”
***
When I was a young child, my father read aloud to me his old copy of The Biography of a Grizzly by Ernest Thompson Seton, a book from his childhood. I was completely enthralled and remember crying as my father finished the book. I have read that story to my daughter but never looked into any other books written by Seton until I stumbled across The Arctic Prairies. Soon, I felt as if I was traveling along with Seton, Preble, Billy, and Weeso deep into the northern Barrens, looking for caribou as the slim canoe glided over the river’s surface.
As seems to sometimes happen, a book that hadn’t even been on my radar ended up being a wonderful reading experience. It feels like such an unanticipated, serendipitous meeting when this happens…the reader (me, in this case) bumping into a book that carries them away to a previously unglimpsed experience. This is one of the true joys of reading.
- Alone by Megan E. Freeman
I just finished reading Alone (2021) by Megan E. Freeman, a young adult novel in free verse. It is narrated by a young girl, 12 years old in the beginning, who finds herself in a very serious survival situation after waking to find herself completely cut off from human contact.
It is an extremely compelling read; the voice of Maddie is strong and her experiences, emotions, and reactions believable. It’s a story about self-discovery, perseverance, isolation, family, and love. Freeman uses the free verse style very well to tell a powerful story that is hard to put down.
I don’t know
what might be in store
down the road
but I know I won’t
waste another day
agonizing over
what I can’t control.
I am going to make sure
my one wild and precious life
is spent living as fully and
completely as I can
- My Crowd by Charles Addams
I just read My Crowd (1970), a collection of cartoons by Charles Addams. It’s the first time I’ve read one of his books and I found a lot of it hilarious. It reminds me very much of The Far Side…both share a similar sense of the absurd.
I would definitely like to read more of his work and plan to track down another book. My Crowd is a curated collection from his first six books and the copyright page mentions that it contains 189 drawings, 185 of which originally appeared in the pages of The New Yorker between 1937 and 1969.
These cartoons are sometimes macabre, sometimes absurd, sometimes excellent observations, and almost always very funny.
- Galactic Warlord by Douglas Hill
I finished reading Galactic Warlord (1979) by Douglas Hill. I’ve read it once before; this time I read it aloud to my daughter. She very much enjoyed it and wants to start the second one in the series right away.
It’s a young adult science fiction novel that unfolds at a rapid pace with a small cast of characters. I have heard it described as influenced by the Lensman series by E.E. Doc Smith. I’ve only read the first of that series, Triplanetary, and, while I don’t remember any specific plot or character parallels, they do share a similar pacing and emphasis on action. Both are space opera at its most exciting.
The story focuses on Keill Randor, one of the legendary Legionaries of Moros, a sort of Chuck Norris Jedi society, as he attempts to discover the identity of the villains who attacked his home world. A character introduced partway through the novel ends up making for a very likeable companion and was one of my favorite parts of the book.
I found the first book several years ago at a thrift store in a small town. I read it and passed it on to my brother who was recovering from a shattered leg (that story involves a tornado and a tent crushed by two trees). We both enjoyed the story but never came across the next book. This year, my daughter and I gave my brother a copy of the second book, Deathwing Over Veynaa, for Christmas. And now after finishing Galactic Warlord, I’m looking forward to reading the next installment with my daughter.
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