Today started my third week at work. Yes, I got a job three weeks ago! I am a Flash Trainee at an e-learning company. "A trainee" because I'm not expected to know everything, but it's still a steady, not temporary, position with a normal paycheck (almost exactly what I got at my previous place). I make Flash animations, edit images and stuff.
So, I spent about a week-two weeks honing my CV and studying how to make a cover letter. Then, during the next two weeks I sent five job applications, which got me an interview at my current work place for the week after that. It was a Thursday, and I was hired from the interview. I started work the next Monday. So, all in all, my job search went surprisingly well, and I wish good luck to everyone else who is going through the same!
So, what else is up with me? Well, I recently read the Tekkon Kinkreet (All in One paperback). It was good, as was the movie. I don't know how differently I would've reacted if I hadn't seen the movie, but at least now it was easy for me to keep track of the characters and follow the plot. I am currently in the middle of re-reading a collection of Moomin books, Good Omens, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I want to buy more books and comics, thanks to Dan's book pr0n photo extravaganza.
Books I'm interested in:
1) The Dresden Files
2) Detective Inspector Chen
3) The Raw Shark Texts
4) Gormenghast
Dan, can you tell me more of Ekaterina Sedia's The Secret History of Moscow? What 'sort' of book is it (atmosphere-character-wise)?
Also, am I missing something when I automatically dismiss books that have the word "planetary" or "alien races" in the back cover text? Different planets just really turn me off. Of course Pluto doesn't count, since it's not a planet.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Flash Trainee
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4 comments:
Secret History is on my to-read list, so I only know for sure it's been praised by people I trust and that it's urban fantasy of the American Gods school, using distinctly Russian myth and folklore. I get the impression it's got a surreal quality to it as well, in a slightly arty Slavic sort of way, but I don't know for sure.
You're definitely missing out on some good stuff if you're casting away all space opera out of hand; Iain M. Banks' Culture novels are mind-blowingly good, aliens and hyperdrive and all. (And different planets too, though, the Culture being what it is, only rubes live on anything as inelegant as a planet.)
As I said elsewhere, the Detective Inspector Chen stuff is really great; aside from its other merits (Gods! Ghosts! Beaurocratic Chinese Hell!), it's that rare fantasy in which almost nobody is white.
The Dresden Files books are loads of fun - not dazzling literature, maybe, but great New Pulp.
And Gormenghast is very weird and baroque and a little more difficult than maybe it looks on first glance. I didn't finish the first one when I started it years ago, though I remember it having a lot of merits; I'd like to go back to it sometime and see if the patience of greater years make it easier to get through now. I think you'd find a lot to like in it, actually, and I'd definitely be interested in hearing what you think of Peake's style.
My sister owns Gormenghast, and is coming to visit this Thursday over the Easter holidays, so I could ask her to bring it along. I think it would take me a while to wade through it, but I'll try.
Pulpy detective stuff is sort of what I was expecting to get from the Dresden Files, for fun and lighter reads. They've been described to me as pop corn, I think, or then I forgot the analogy.
And since I love supernatural detective stuff, I expect to read some Chen novels soonish.
Hmm, I think I'll wait until you've read Secret History. I'm not into *too* surreal stuff.
When you said 'Detective Inspector Chen' I thought you meant Qui Xiaolong's Chief Inspector Chen novels. While I have yet to finish Death of a Red Heroine (I hate it when I start a novel on vacation and then forget it the second I get back), I can attest to its (non-fantasy) awesomeness.
But this other Chen intrigues me, and I must track these books down.
V
PS My own bookporn coming soon.
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