The Wonderful World of Was | July '23
New look; same old newsletter!
Welcome to the second half of the year, my lovely people.
Last month, I threatened to dedicate this entire newsletter to Batman, but rest assured that I rarely make good on my threats. Chances are reasonably high that as you scroll through this newsletter, you’ll catch a reference to the Caped Crusader, but for now, let’s talk about UFOs.
Today—2 July, for anyone reading from another timezone, or anyone who stumbles upon this at a later date—is World UFO Day. You may believe in government conspiracies, weather balloons, a little guy who just wants to phone home, or all of the above. But today is a time where we can contemplate our place in the universe, whether we’re alone in this big, black void, but if not, what the probability of aliens reaching this little planet actually is. The truth is out there, as a certain FBI agent has told us, and it could be mundane. Or it could be fucking spectacular.
July also marks Camp NaNoWriMo, where suckers for punishment try to write (or edit) as much as humanly possible. If this newsletter isn’t enough evidence that I am, indeed, a sucker for punishment, the fact I registered for the camp is all you need. My goal is to rewrite Luminary, something I’ve been wanting to get to for a while now. Let’s face it though, I won’t make it through an entire draft, but if I hit 50,000 words, it’s a win.
Before we embark on our interstellar journey to the bottom of this newsletter, you may have noticed the new header. While I’ve tweaked this little manifesto over the last year or so, in the interest of keeping the word count down—which you’ll no doubt notice I failed at—I’ve played with the format again.
But that’s enough waffling. Let's get to it.
On the blog
I Made a Terrible Mistake!: If the single paragraph above about undertaking Camp NaNoWriMo isn’t enough for you, I have eight more where that came from.
Relearning to Type: In perhaps the most interesting thing I have ever written about, I got a new keyboard.
Prideful reads: Did you know I’ve reviewed 24 books with LGBTQI+ characters and themes? Pride Month may now be over, but between these books, there’s sure to be something that captures your imagination.
Saturday Snippets: And naturally, I shared some snippets yesterday. If you’d like a peek at the current draft of Till Death Do Us Party, it’s the place to be.
Writings
June wasn’t quite as productive as May, but I’m cool with it. At 29,632 words, it’s still my second most productive month this year. Most of my words were dedicated to book reviews—again—plus a few blog posts, most of which you’ll find linked above. The longest one will be included in next month’s newsletter, but if you can’t wait until then, pop by the website any time from 7 July.
I’m obviously hoping for next month to be far bigger, thanks to Luminary’s next draft. The last time I took part in Camp NaNoWriMo, my total reached 83,488 words (not simply limited to the draft). That’s looking unlikely, since I wasn’t working full-time hours back then, but we’ll see where it lands.
Multiversal movie marathon
Okay, it wasn’t really a movie marathon, it was more of a double. And it’s not like I saw the mpvies back to back, or anything. But I like the alliteration of “multiversal movie marathon” more than “multiversal movies at indeterminate times.”
Naturally, I’m talking about the two big multiverse movies in cinemas right now. Well one big multiverse movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and one big fucking flop, The Flash. Two separate multiverses, which would put the two films in a shared omniverse; if Warner Bros advertised The Flash’s connective tissue with Spider-Man, the movie could have broken even (hey, James Gunn, if you won’t hire me to write a Batman movie, at least hire me to do your marketing).
And what did I think of the movies? I didn’t mind them.
Across the Spider-Verse is a stunning movie, and well worth the price of admission on the big screen just to take in that animation. It carries the charm that made the first movie so successful, but doesn’t have quite the same heart to it. Instead, it was preoccupied with cameos, some of them in live action.
Meanwhile, a live action The Flash, also preoccupied with cameos, had some animated ones. Discourse around the movie ranges from one of the superhero greats to a steaming pile, but sits somewhere in between. Its heart works, as does the nostalgia of having Michael Keaton back. Ezra Miller is great, which pains me a little to say. It’s pretty par for the course for a modern superhero movie, and doesn’t do much more.
So, why is Across the Spider-Verse raking in all the money while The Flash is floundering? Ezra Miller likely has some impact on this, as does James Gunn announcing the new and improved DC Universe, essentially telling viewers the last films in the current iteration don’t matter. But that’s only part of the story. Superhero fatigue doesn’t quite explain it either, given the success some have seen this year. I posit it’s releasing-the-same-movie-again-and-again-but-being-told-it-really-matters-this-time fatigue, especially when the movie really doesn’t matter. Audiences are growing cynical of cynical cash grabs, especially when the cynical studios make three endings depending on the corporate direction of the day.
Introducing Superman and Lois Lane. Again.
You’ve probably seen the news about Superman: Legacy casting David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. I mean, it’s not like Warner Bros made the announcement, hoping everyone would hear it and be so distracted that they stop talking about how much money The Flash is losing, right?
Five fun facts about UFOs
With Superman arriving on Earth via one, and today being World UFO Day, let’s look at five fun facts about those celestial objects from the skies:
There were 12,618 UFO sightings between 1948 and 1969. People like to focus on 11,917 of these being explained. But what about the 701 that were left unexplained?
In 1977, scientists sent aliens a mixtape. There’s no word about whether they sent one back.
After “ghost rockets” appeared in Sweden, the US military “helped” with the investigation, and a document declassified in 1997 stated they’re not willing to discredit the possibility of UFOs.
Last year, the Pentagon confirmed military personnel reported at least 400 UFO encounters. Up until 2001, they only advised of 144. Looks like a busy couple of years.
Foo Fighters derived the band’s name from the term foo fighter, used by the Allied aircraft pilots to describe UFOs they spotted during World War II.
The Foo Fighters are back
No, that isn’t a smudge on your screen, that’s the cover of the new Foo Fighters album, But Here We Are, a little over a year since we lost Taylor Hawkins (whose position is now filled by Josh Freese). With a sound that blends the heavier music of Medicine at Midnight with the stuff from the 90s (and a sweet duet between Dave and his daughter Violet), But Here We Are is an album all about mourning the memory of a lost friend. And yet, it’s not entirely sombre, with many of the tracks feeling like good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.
Book reviews
Though not quite as packed as May, June was another huge month for book reviews. July will be quieter, which affords me the opportunity to aim to hit Camp NaNoWriMo’s word count.
Slaying the Frost King by Candace Robinson and Jill Beaumont is part of the Mortal Enemies to Lovers series, but each book stands alone (although it’s set in the world of the Demons of Frosteria series). Read it if you’re a fan of erotic fantasy romances and delight in their tropes.
Gearteeth by Timothy Black blends heavy steampunk machinery with a healthy dose of grisly horror. Read it if you like steampunk or if you like werewolves, or better yet, if you like them both.
Silvie’s Choice by Viola Tempest is a light read, telling the fantastical tale of a kitsune warrior fighting to protect her home from an attack by the world of dragons. Read it if you’re an epic fantasy fan who likes different settings, especially if you’re a fan of Japanese mythology.
So You Survived the End of the World books 1, 2 and 3 by K.C. Cordell are humorous young adult stories about a radio DJ’s post-apocalyptic misadventures. Read them if you like your stories and protagonists to bring a love of music and an acerbic wit.
Petals in the Hail, Volume 1 by Anthony Baus is an epic fantasy tale about a princess leaving royalty behind to become a warrior. Read it if you like deep and nuanced fantasy worlds packed full of pulse-pounding action.
Frostfire by Sam Thorpe and Lauren Ivey, the first book in The Dark Inbetween, a dark fantasy about a world beset by demons. Read it if you like your dark fantasy to be filled with disturbing elements.
Silver and Salt and Faerie Thief are two stories set within Mark Jonathan Runte’s urban fantasy series, Mythos, and add even more fun to this universe. Read them if you like your urban fantasy to incorporate elements from mythology (and possibly elsewhere).
Did I get through a newsletter without mentioning Batman?
Nope. But you know what? I’m sick of answering that question. Let’s talk about David Bowie instead.
Bowie album of the month: 1. Outside
David Bowie was never a stranger to concept albums, and with a subtitle of The Nathan Adler Diaries: A Hyper-cycle, 1. Outside is about as high concept as his albums get. Originally meant to be the first part of a trilogy (and ending on a cliffhanger), it tells the story of a detective investigating the murder of a teenage girl, in a world where “art crimes” reign. Songs and spoken word pieces offer the perspectives of various characters. Inspired by Twin Peaks and utilising cyberpunk themes, the musical stylings include electronica, industrial, ambient and jazz. Not one of Bowie’s more successful albums, it’s perhaps better known for the nightclub hit, Pet Shop Boys’ remix of “Hallo Spaceboy.”
And now, it is time to bid you farewell. If you like the changes I’ve made to the newsletter, loathe them, or fall anywhere in between, why not leave me a comment and let me know?
TTFN,
Was
Always such a fun read!