A chill has settled in the air. It's not quite winter here in Scotland, but it's certainly getting closer. After the time change recently, it's dark by the time I walk home at night. I haven't yet broken out my pea coat. Once it's predicted to be very cold for a few consecutive days, I'll consider it.
It's also November. To me, that means NaNoWriMo (which I am honestly way too busy to participate in this year if I want to stay sane... maybe next year), Thanksgiving, my birthday, and impatiently waiting for the first snowfall. This year my birthday is on the same day as Thanksgiving, but since I'm in the UK I won't get the day off. I have two projects due the day after. I hope to get work done beforehand, so I can be free to have fun on my birthday. My 21st is one I should make sure and celebrate! Despite already being able to drink in the UK.
Today's date is 11/11/11. Yes, even in Britain. To Americans, this is Veteran's Day. I have a few issues with how some people honor Veteran's Day, and I could probably dedicate an entire post to it, but I'll leave it at this: I'm sure many of them are honorable people, but I personally don't understand why anyone in their right mind would join the military. It's also depressing what happens to these people when they come back from tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'd prefer if we focused on keeping people from going to war rather than honoring people who have been to war.
However, today isn't just Veteran's Day. To the UK, it's Remembrance Day, which honors the end of WWI. In Korea, it's Pepero Day, similar to Valentine's Day, when people give their friends and significant others Pepero, a treat similar to the Japanese snack Pocky. To gamers, it's the launch day of Skyrim, the sequel to the massively successful game Oblivion. And to some, it's just a lucky day. Something about a date with the same 6 digits that won't come around for another thousand years just seems like a reason to celebrate.
So go grab a hot chocolate, a mug of coffee, a bottle of Magners, or whatever makes you happy, and await the snow with me.
11.11.2011
11.02.2011
Honoring A Few Heroic Tales
I've had absolutely no time to write. Despite this, I've been promising people I will write, in a gaming blog and a university-related computer science blog. I'll post the links here when those start.
Otherwise, I've been swamped with coursework. For each of my 5 classes I have a project, and then I have an additional year-long project that isn't associated with a class. They include a "smart" pac-man maze solver, an Android game that has elements in the real world, a visual Facebook-related Android app, and a few more that are both code-based and writing-based. In a lot of cases, the report is worth more than the actual code.
During my free time (or to be honest, my "procrastination time," as I have no free time), I was browsing the web and remembered one of my favorite authors as a kid, Brian Jacques. I hadn't visited his website in a while, so I searched for his name and clicked the first link. The first thing that came to mind was that the website's look had completely changed. The second thing was a link at the top that caught my eye. "Obituaries." He had passed away in February, and I hadn't known. None of the people I know read his books, so I guess that's understandable. But the world has lost a great storyteller. I thought I would blog a little to honor his writing.
If you know nothing about his work, I'll give a little explanation of the style of his writing. After years of odd jobs including being a merchant sailor and a milkman, he began writing. His main work, the Redwall series, was started for the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. His writing is very descriptive, in order for people without sight to be able to imagine the story as richly as possible. The Redwall series is based around Redwall Abbey and its inhabitants, a collection of small animals that one would expect to find in a forest. Mice, squirrels, moles, rabbits, and birds are just a few of them. Jacques has given a specific accent or way of speaking to every one of these animals, which is written out in the text, and gives them much more personality. Given the descriptive element, the feasts they have at the abbey always sound marvelous. The stories are classic "good versus evil" themes, the villains usually "vermin" like rats, ferrets, foxes, and sometimes even cats. Sometimes the hero is taken away from the abbey by force, sometimes they set out for adventure, but they always end up saving the day valiantly. Don't let the anthropomorphism scare you away; the writing and his world of Mossflower is rich and beautiful. They're brilliant tales.
Jacques has written one novel in this series nearly every single year since 1986, when Redwall was published. He also has other series, including Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, which was also a great read. I've read many of the Redwall books, but not all. I expect they'd still be just as enjoyable as they were when I was a kid, so I want to make a point to read all the ones I've missed. If you're looking for a good old-fashioned heroic story, pick up Redwall, and appreciate the late Jacques' writing.
Otherwise, I've been swamped with coursework. For each of my 5 classes I have a project, and then I have an additional year-long project that isn't associated with a class. They include a "smart" pac-man maze solver, an Android game that has elements in the real world, a visual Facebook-related Android app, and a few more that are both code-based and writing-based. In a lot of cases, the report is worth more than the actual code.
During my free time (or to be honest, my "procrastination time," as I have no free time), I was browsing the web and remembered one of my favorite authors as a kid, Brian Jacques. I hadn't visited his website in a while, so I searched for his name and clicked the first link. The first thing that came to mind was that the website's look had completely changed. The second thing was a link at the top that caught my eye. "Obituaries." He had passed away in February, and I hadn't known. None of the people I know read his books, so I guess that's understandable. But the world has lost a great storyteller. I thought I would blog a little to honor his writing.
If you know nothing about his work, I'll give a little explanation of the style of his writing. After years of odd jobs including being a merchant sailor and a milkman, he began writing. His main work, the Redwall series, was started for the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. His writing is very descriptive, in order for people without sight to be able to imagine the story as richly as possible. The Redwall series is based around Redwall Abbey and its inhabitants, a collection of small animals that one would expect to find in a forest. Mice, squirrels, moles, rabbits, and birds are just a few of them. Jacques has given a specific accent or way of speaking to every one of these animals, which is written out in the text, and gives them much more personality. Given the descriptive element, the feasts they have at the abbey always sound marvelous. The stories are classic "good versus evil" themes, the villains usually "vermin" like rats, ferrets, foxes, and sometimes even cats. Sometimes the hero is taken away from the abbey by force, sometimes they set out for adventure, but they always end up saving the day valiantly. Don't let the anthropomorphism scare you away; the writing and his world of Mossflower is rich and beautiful. They're brilliant tales.
Jacques has written one novel in this series nearly every single year since 1986, when Redwall was published. He also has other series, including Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, which was also a great read. I've read many of the Redwall books, but not all. I expect they'd still be just as enjoyable as they were when I was a kid, so I want to make a point to read all the ones I've missed. If you're looking for a good old-fashioned heroic story, pick up Redwall, and appreciate the late Jacques' writing.
10.15.2011
Radio Shows And The Spoken Word
These days, I don't listen to the radio. I'm not driving, I don't own a physical radio, and I don't bother going to websites of radio stations to listen. It's just too easy to find the exact type of song you want to listen to on the web. But the one thing that I miss out on because of this is spoken radio: news stories, radio shows, the sort of thing my parents would play in the car on long drives.
The best radio station for this in America was (and still is) NPR, National Public Radio. When I was young, I was annoyed at my parents when they put it on. Why would they want to listen to news all the time? It's usually either boring or depressing. But then, I discovered something I didn't expect: radio shows with interesting stories, interviews and in-depth accounts of interesting things that have happened--and some that haven't. I started to ask my parents to turn to NPR, or to stay on listening to it after the 20 minutes of news were over. Sometimes, it was a happy surprise after flipping channels, with no interesting music playing. You'd think that radio shows like this were out of fashion, no one did them anymore, it was for a time without computers and TV. But podcasts still live and there are still people who listen to the radio in their cars. The work of reading is gone, someone is speaking to you in their best storyteller voice, and you still get to picture everything in your imagination. I love it.
I'll give you my three favorite shows, all available online. A Prairie Home Companion has been my favorite. It's hosted by Garrison Keillor, an amazing writer with a unique and captivating voice. I imagine he'll be hosting the show till he passes away, and what a sad day that will be. The show is largely humorous, which I think was what drew me to it in the first place. My favorite segments are ones like "Guy Noir, Private Eye" and "The Lives of the Cowboys," little made-up stories with recurring characters and largely ridiculous shenanigans, with both the characters' voices and the sound effects done by actors. Other segments include different bands, usually small and little-known, and most of them in the genre of country, blues, and bluegrass. The main segments are monologues of Keillor's, such as "The News from Lake Wobegon" which I've never believed were completely true stories, and other interesting tidbits, different in every show. There are recurring made-up ads for "Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie" and "Powdermilk Biscuits" which always make me chuckle. It runs once a week, and I make sure to catch it when I visit America--and sometimes online.
Another one on NPR that's worth listening to is This American Life. On their site, they say, "There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always." The stories have always managed to grab my attention, and I can't stop listening to one once I've started. A now-famous radio host Ira Glass hosts it, whose voice I also like listening to. Once I hear it, I know it's time for a good story. I listened to one today because I heard Neil Gaiman had written a short story for it at the very end of the hour--but the entire hour is worth listening to. The first part is about an American man who ended up in a Chinese prison, and the rest is short stories of adventure, both creepy and whimsical. The theme is "Adventure" and is available here.
Lastly, The Vinyl Cafe. This show isn't on NPR, but instead on a Canadian radio station. "The stories and misadventures of Dave, the owner of the "Vinyl Cafe", the world's smallest record store, where the motto is 'We may not be big, but we're small.'" I frequently listened to this show on weekends at home with my mom, eating breakfast and listening, lingering in the dining room and living room longer than I would have otherwise. This is similar to A Prairie Home Companion, except there is more of an emphasis on stories, though there's music too. They were always fun stories, both entertaining and gripping.
All of these are available on their respective websites for download, and are subscribable via RSS feed or iTunes podcasts. NPR has other interesting programs, so I recommend you check out their site as well. I highly recommend you listen to at least one of these shows, and perhaps leave some time in your day for stories. We all need them.
The best radio station for this in America was (and still is) NPR, National Public Radio. When I was young, I was annoyed at my parents when they put it on. Why would they want to listen to news all the time? It's usually either boring or depressing. But then, I discovered something I didn't expect: radio shows with interesting stories, interviews and in-depth accounts of interesting things that have happened--and some that haven't. I started to ask my parents to turn to NPR, or to stay on listening to it after the 20 minutes of news were over. Sometimes, it was a happy surprise after flipping channels, with no interesting music playing. You'd think that radio shows like this were out of fashion, no one did them anymore, it was for a time without computers and TV. But podcasts still live and there are still people who listen to the radio in their cars. The work of reading is gone, someone is speaking to you in their best storyteller voice, and you still get to picture everything in your imagination. I love it.
I'll give you my three favorite shows, all available online. A Prairie Home Companion has been my favorite. It's hosted by Garrison Keillor, an amazing writer with a unique and captivating voice. I imagine he'll be hosting the show till he passes away, and what a sad day that will be. The show is largely humorous, which I think was what drew me to it in the first place. My favorite segments are ones like "Guy Noir, Private Eye" and "The Lives of the Cowboys," little made-up stories with recurring characters and largely ridiculous shenanigans, with both the characters' voices and the sound effects done by actors. Other segments include different bands, usually small and little-known, and most of them in the genre of country, blues, and bluegrass. The main segments are monologues of Keillor's, such as "The News from Lake Wobegon" which I've never believed were completely true stories, and other interesting tidbits, different in every show. There are recurring made-up ads for "Beebopareebop Rhubarb Pie" and "Powdermilk Biscuits" which always make me chuckle. It runs once a week, and I make sure to catch it when I visit America--and sometimes online.
Another one on NPR that's worth listening to is This American Life. On their site, they say, "There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always." The stories have always managed to grab my attention, and I can't stop listening to one once I've started. A now-famous radio host Ira Glass hosts it, whose voice I also like listening to. Once I hear it, I know it's time for a good story. I listened to one today because I heard Neil Gaiman had written a short story for it at the very end of the hour--but the entire hour is worth listening to. The first part is about an American man who ended up in a Chinese prison, and the rest is short stories of adventure, both creepy and whimsical. The theme is "Adventure" and is available here.
Lastly, The Vinyl Cafe. This show isn't on NPR, but instead on a Canadian radio station. "The stories and misadventures of Dave, the owner of the "Vinyl Cafe", the world's smallest record store, where the motto is 'We may not be big, but we're small.'" I frequently listened to this show on weekends at home with my mom, eating breakfast and listening, lingering in the dining room and living room longer than I would have otherwise. This is similar to A Prairie Home Companion, except there is more of an emphasis on stories, though there's music too. They were always fun stories, both entertaining and gripping.
All of these are available on their respective websites for download, and are subscribable via RSS feed or iTunes podcasts. NPR has other interesting programs, so I recommend you check out their site as well. I highly recommend you listen to at least one of these shows, and perhaps leave some time in your day for stories. We all need them.
10.06.2011
Fall Term Classes
The new term is now in full swing, and I'm enjoying myself. I finally get to choose (all but one of) my classes this year, and I find them all both engaging and challenging. Here's as understandable an explanation I can make of all the classes I'm taking:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Speaks for itself, mostly. I'll be learning everything from decision-tree algorithms to how we can make robots think, learn and be "intelligent." I don't know what our project will be yet, but last year's was to create the "mind" for a robot like a roomba. Ideally, if attached to a real roomba "body," it would be able to navigate a room's floor and vacuum it in the most efficient way possible. I've heard from last year's 4th years that this project--and class--was quite challenging. It interests me enough, though, that I'm just going to put my nose to the grindstone and hope for the best.
Constraint Programming (CP): Consider a Sudoku problem. You have spaces for numbers, some of which are filled in. Then you have "constraints," where each row, colum, and 3x3 square must all have the numbers 1-9, no repetitions. A solution program to this constraint satisfaction problem, or CSP, would consider the empty spaces, the ones filled in, and the constraints, and using built-in algorithms, would be able to solve any Sudoku problem. These are the sort of problems I'll be learning about. I won't have to write the algorithms, but instead will use software called Choco to write these programs and then look "under the hood" at the algorithms themselves so that I understand how Choco works, and can write more efficient programs. We'll be first writing a Sudoku solver, which is actually small and straightforward, and then be doing something more complex, which I don't know yet. This is a branch of AI, so a few of the topics overlap with my AI class.
Functional Programming (FP): In this class we will be learning a programming language called Haskell, which is classed as a "functional" language. Languages like C++ and Java are considered "imperative." It's too complex to explain what these mean if you don't know much about programming. Essentially, functional languages are more mathematics-based. Many banks use them for their software, but they can usually be used for anything imperative languages can be used for. The important part is that you have to think differently when programming, which can be quite challenging if you're not used to it. As a programmer, it's always good to learn new languages, and I enjoy the challenge.
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI): This class is a bit less technical. We will be learning about different ways of interacting with computers (not just visually, but including touch and hearing/audio) and how to write a user-friendly program. This includes things like, where will the button/menu bar/text field go so that the user instantly knows what that thing does? Sites like Twitter, Facebook, even Google and Apple probably have an HCI expert or team helping their website designers choose how things look. This applies to programs like Word and Excel, games, even Android and iPhone apps. The project in the class is to create any program, just as long as it follows the HCI rules we learn in the class. Next term I'll be taking MHCI, which focuses on Android programming. Apps are definitely the thing to know about these days.
Those were the classes I've chosen for this term... hopefully they were fairly understandable to those of you who aren't technically-oriented. The class I'm required to take is Professional Skills and Issues, where we learn about ethics in the software world and write essays to learn how to argue and hone our writing skills. I don't think I need help there, but completion of the course means getting accredited by the BCS (British Computing Society), where otherwise I'd have to take a test, do a presentation, and pay something around £150. I guess it's worth it.
Fun stuff.
Side note: I've started using Tumblr again. So check out my page of pretty books and cute things and fun quotes (link on the left near the top of the page).
Oh, and Happy October! It's almost All Hallows Read.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Speaks for itself, mostly. I'll be learning everything from decision-tree algorithms to how we can make robots think, learn and be "intelligent." I don't know what our project will be yet, but last year's was to create the "mind" for a robot like a roomba. Ideally, if attached to a real roomba "body," it would be able to navigate a room's floor and vacuum it in the most efficient way possible. I've heard from last year's 4th years that this project--and class--was quite challenging. It interests me enough, though, that I'm just going to put my nose to the grindstone and hope for the best.
Constraint Programming (CP): Consider a Sudoku problem. You have spaces for numbers, some of which are filled in. Then you have "constraints," where each row, colum, and 3x3 square must all have the numbers 1-9, no repetitions. A solution program to this constraint satisfaction problem, or CSP, would consider the empty spaces, the ones filled in, and the constraints, and using built-in algorithms, would be able to solve any Sudoku problem. These are the sort of problems I'll be learning about. I won't have to write the algorithms, but instead will use software called Choco to write these programs and then look "under the hood" at the algorithms themselves so that I understand how Choco works, and can write more efficient programs. We'll be first writing a Sudoku solver, which is actually small and straightforward, and then be doing something more complex, which I don't know yet. This is a branch of AI, so a few of the topics overlap with my AI class.
Functional Programming (FP): In this class we will be learning a programming language called Haskell, which is classed as a "functional" language. Languages like C++ and Java are considered "imperative." It's too complex to explain what these mean if you don't know much about programming. Essentially, functional languages are more mathematics-based. Many banks use them for their software, but they can usually be used for anything imperative languages can be used for. The important part is that you have to think differently when programming, which can be quite challenging if you're not used to it. As a programmer, it's always good to learn new languages, and I enjoy the challenge.
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI): This class is a bit less technical. We will be learning about different ways of interacting with computers (not just visually, but including touch and hearing/audio) and how to write a user-friendly program. This includes things like, where will the button/menu bar/text field go so that the user instantly knows what that thing does? Sites like Twitter, Facebook, even Google and Apple probably have an HCI expert or team helping their website designers choose how things look. This applies to programs like Word and Excel, games, even Android and iPhone apps. The project in the class is to create any program, just as long as it follows the HCI rules we learn in the class. Next term I'll be taking MHCI, which focuses on Android programming. Apps are definitely the thing to know about these days.
Those were the classes I've chosen for this term... hopefully they were fairly understandable to those of you who aren't technically-oriented. The class I'm required to take is Professional Skills and Issues, where we learn about ethics in the software world and write essays to learn how to argue and hone our writing skills. I don't think I need help there, but completion of the course means getting accredited by the BCS (British Computing Society), where otherwise I'd have to take a test, do a presentation, and pay something around £150. I guess it's worth it.
Fun stuff.
Side note: I've started using Tumblr again. So check out my page of pretty books and cute things and fun quotes (link on the left near the top of the page).
Oh, and Happy October! It's almost All Hallows Read.
9.24.2011
Flashcards And A Book Review
It's the last weekend before lectures start. As always, I've been ready for them to start for weeks. Summer always feels too long. I took time this week to do all the shopping I've been meaning to: I bought new pens, a stiff folder to keep papers from crumpling in my bag, and a brand new shiny phone-- the Samsung Galaxy S2. It's the most beautiful phone I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating. I then got out a blank notebook I've been saving for note-taking. Now, I'm just finding things to do with my time.
One thing I started yesterday, which I will do my best to continue with for a while, is use a program called Anki to brush up on my Japanese vocabulary. I was inspired by a friend who wants to learn German on his own, and a reminder from my boyfriend that this program exists. It's also an Android app, so I'm using that version of it on my new phone. It's a program in which you can create or download pre-created decks of flashcards about anything, be it chemical names, language vocabularies, anything you want to memorize. It's based on an algorithm proven to be the best way to remember things: to be reminded of the word just when you are about to forget it. After looking at the "back" of the flashcard, you rate how easy it was for you to get the answer, and the program then decides how far in the future you will see the flashcard again.
I've only done it for two days, and since I'm doing 10 words a day, it only takes a few minutes to go over the new cards plus the old ones I didn't know very well. If it gets to be too much eventually, I'll make it 5 words a day. There are pre-made decks that people have made for the Genki textbook that is so standard for Japanese these days, and so I'm working through the Genki I vocabulary deck and kanji deck. I went through all of Genki I when I was in class learning Japanese, so I should know all of these words, but I know I've forgotten quite a few of them after a year of not practicing. This also means that Anki won't really help me practice grammar, but perhaps I'll speak a bit with a relative or friend who knows Japanese for that.
The difficult thing is, I know that with Japanese it's best to learn writing at the same time as reading, so the kanji one may not go so well. The program is made so that you can't look at that day's words again easily, since you're supposed to follow the algorithm of only looking at them when you're doing that day's reviewing. So I can't go back and see what I learned, look up stroke-order, and practice writing. But if the algorithm is known to work so well, perhaps all I'll focus on for now is reading. I'll let you know how it goes, particularly mixed with the extremely busy school term that's starting soon.
I've realized it's been a full month since I finished reading the following book, the second of the two I promised to review, and figured it's about time to write my review before I forget what I was going to say.
Book 11: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, since my main draw to it was the interesting cover and apparent popularity. Once I started reading, though, I couldn't put it down.
It is about a boy with autism, or an autism-related illness (it's never explicitly stated), written from his perspective. His perspective on things is intriguing to me, as I've never met anyone like him and am curious how a conversation might go. The story starts with the boy finding a dog lying dead on a neighbor's yard, and he becomes adamant about finding the killer. The book touches on the hardship of parenting such a child, the amazing learning capabilities he has, and his inner thoughts. I don't know much about autism and related illnesses myself, so I can't say how accurate I think it is, but it can't be far off. It certainly opened my eyes to the way some people live and think differently, and I was interested to find some of his quirks in myself.
One thing I started yesterday, which I will do my best to continue with for a while, is use a program called Anki to brush up on my Japanese vocabulary. I was inspired by a friend who wants to learn German on his own, and a reminder from my boyfriend that this program exists. It's also an Android app, so I'm using that version of it on my new phone. It's a program in which you can create or download pre-created decks of flashcards about anything, be it chemical names, language vocabularies, anything you want to memorize. It's based on an algorithm proven to be the best way to remember things: to be reminded of the word just when you are about to forget it. After looking at the "back" of the flashcard, you rate how easy it was for you to get the answer, and the program then decides how far in the future you will see the flashcard again.
I've only done it for two days, and since I'm doing 10 words a day, it only takes a few minutes to go over the new cards plus the old ones I didn't know very well. If it gets to be too much eventually, I'll make it 5 words a day. There are pre-made decks that people have made for the Genki textbook that is so standard for Japanese these days, and so I'm working through the Genki I vocabulary deck and kanji deck. I went through all of Genki I when I was in class learning Japanese, so I should know all of these words, but I know I've forgotten quite a few of them after a year of not practicing. This also means that Anki won't really help me practice grammar, but perhaps I'll speak a bit with a relative or friend who knows Japanese for that.
The difficult thing is, I know that with Japanese it's best to learn writing at the same time as reading, so the kanji one may not go so well. The program is made so that you can't look at that day's words again easily, since you're supposed to follow the algorithm of only looking at them when you're doing that day's reviewing. So I can't go back and see what I learned, look up stroke-order, and practice writing. But if the algorithm is known to work so well, perhaps all I'll focus on for now is reading. I'll let you know how it goes, particularly mixed with the extremely busy school term that's starting soon.
I've realized it's been a full month since I finished reading the following book, the second of the two I promised to review, and figured it's about time to write my review before I forget what I was going to say.
~
It is about a boy with autism, or an autism-related illness (it's never explicitly stated), written from his perspective. His perspective on things is intriguing to me, as I've never met anyone like him and am curious how a conversation might go. The story starts with the boy finding a dog lying dead on a neighbor's yard, and he becomes adamant about finding the killer. The book touches on the hardship of parenting such a child, the amazing learning capabilities he has, and his inner thoughts. I don't know much about autism and related illnesses myself, so I can't say how accurate I think it is, but it can't be far off. It certainly opened my eyes to the way some people live and think differently, and I was interested to find some of his quirks in myself.
9.20.2011
A Short Week Of Summer
This week we had an enrollment lecture, one intro lecture later in the week, and nothing else till next week. I'm not even sure yet what classes I'll be taking, since the final deadline isn't until two weeks into teaching. I was expecting classes to have started already, but at least I can catch up on a few things now! Like blogging...
9.06.2011
Eaters of the Dead
Life is getting busier. I'm moving to a new flat tomorrow; it's right across the street, but it'll be new people, a fresh start. The day after, my boyfriend and I scheduled a spur-of-the-moment trip to Spain to visit family. It'll be my first time in mainland Europe without being on an official "tour." The warm weather will be welcome after such a clammy summer in Scotland! Then, just a few days after we get back, the new school term starts. My last year as an undergrad. I plan to work hard.
About a week late, here is the first of those book reviews I promised...
About a week late, here is the first of those book reviews I promised...
~
Book 10: Eaters of the Dead, by Michael Crichton
I've read many books by Crichton, including Timeline, Sphere, The Andromeda Strain, and Prey, all of them great sci-fi suspense-thrillers. This one is different, though still entertaining. It's now a movie (that I haven't seen) called The 13th Warrior.
This short novel set in A.D. 922 is about an Arab who goes on a journey for the Caliph of Baghdad. He sets out to visit a particular city, but on the way encounters Vikings who whisk him away on an adventure in the North. It is essentially Crichton's take on the Beowulf and Grendel story. It was particularly interesting after seeing Beowulf & Grendel the movie, which paints a much more forgivable picture of Grendel. In this book, the Arab is compelled to follow Beowulf the viking and record everything about these "barbaric" men, and Grendel is not so much one "troll," but a whole army... I won't go into too much detail, but it's a great story.
It's made even more interesting because it's written from the Arab's perspective. He doesn't embellish anything; he's a purely historial, factual writer, which is very different from the voice in Crichton's other novels. Despite this, the suspense and thrill still appear, perhaps even more intensely. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're into historical fiction or fantasy and are in the mood for a bit of suspense, give it a read.
I've read many books by Crichton, including Timeline, Sphere, The Andromeda Strain, and Prey, all of them great sci-fi suspense-thrillers. This one is different, though still entertaining. It's now a movie (that I haven't seen) called The 13th Warrior.This short novel set in A.D. 922 is about an Arab who goes on a journey for the Caliph of Baghdad. He sets out to visit a particular city, but on the way encounters Vikings who whisk him away on an adventure in the North. It is essentially Crichton's take on the Beowulf and Grendel story. It was particularly interesting after seeing Beowulf & Grendel the movie, which paints a much more forgivable picture of Grendel. In this book, the Arab is compelled to follow Beowulf the viking and record everything about these "barbaric" men, and Grendel is not so much one "troll," but a whole army... I won't go into too much detail, but it's a great story.
It's made even more interesting because it's written from the Arab's perspective. He doesn't embellish anything; he's a purely historial, factual writer, which is very different from the voice in Crichton's other novels. Despite this, the suspense and thrill still appear, perhaps even more intensely. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you're into historical fiction or fantasy and are in the mood for a bit of suspense, give it a read.
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