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Mistborn Trilogy (and The Alloy of Law) – Brandon Sanderson

July 29, 2013 5 Comments

It seems like all I’m doing these days is talking about Brandon Sanderson. Reading The Wheel of Time and Elantris started me on a journey through Sanderson’s work, and I’m finding it hard to catch up. The man writes so much it’s unbelievable. He’s a machine. Since my last post about Brandon Sanderson, I’ve read 2 novellas by him (Legion and The Emperor’s Soul, both of which were excellent) and 4 books (the trilogy-plus-one herein reviewed). I’m currently reading yet another novel of his and have (not joking here) 4 more, just of Sanderson’s, in my “next reads” list. Anyway, I’m here to talk about Mistborn. The first book of the trilogy, The Final Empire, was his second published novel and is, in my opinion, truly unique approach to fantasy literature. To begin, this story takes place in a world consumed by darkness, overruled by a tyrannical god-king, where ash rains

Sigur Rós – Kveikur

June 19, 2013 2 Comments

I am not ashamed to admit that I am similar in many ways to my father, a man I respect and admire greatly. A quality of his I share is a general excitement for things (be it music, food, or a trail) and the ability to say of those things that they are the best or my favorite with such regularity as to dull the value of those lofty praises. Maybe I ought to use the words with less frequency or, perhaps, plumb the depths of a digital thesaurus for alternatives, but that will have to wait because all I can think about is the new Sigur Rós album. I shall begin by saying that Sigur Rós is by far one of my all-time favorite bands, and that Kveikur–their newest album–is one of the best I’ve heard in as long as I can remember, rivaling Random Access Memories and The

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

June 4, 2013 4 Comments

Disclaimer: there will be many statements in this review that seem over-the-top. Rest assured that I mean everything I say and that, though there is a possibility that I will enter the realm of obscurity from time to time, this is the real deal. Okay; let’s review. French duo Daft Punk is best known for their funk-inspired dance tunes, specifically “Around the World,” “One More Time,” and “Harder Better Faster Stronger.” They’re also known for only making appearances as their Android identities and playing shows that are incredibly stimulating, both aurally and visually. When the announcement that a new album was on its way, fans were afroth with glee, expecting an album filled to bursting with sexy dance hits that would become the staple of the decade. The tracklist leaked (showing mostly collaborations) and people began raising eyebrows, some with doubt and others with excitement, but the general expectation began to change.

A Footstool / In Memoriam

March 4, 2013 5 Comments

A boy bounced up a pebbled path between a wall and hedge as tall as he was. During the day, he enjoyed skipping up the path, but at night it scared him. He always ran through it at night. Skipping joyfully, he turned sharply to the left and ran to the door of the bottom-rear apartment in the multi-unit–but homely–building at 47 Sokolov in Nahariya, grabbing the brushed metal handle that always left his hand feeling a little gritty, and turning it until the bolt clicked in a satisfying way and the door swung open. The hallway–it could hardly be called that, he recalls–was tight, with doors on the left and right leading to the bathroom and bedroom respectively. A few feet in front, a large wooden armoire of sorts served as an all-purpose desk, holding the phone, pens and paper, and all manner of knick knacks that may have

Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Ascension / Descension

February 7, 2013 No Comments

Concept-Rock outfit Coheed and Cambria is one of my many obsessions. I’ve been listening to them and following the sci-fi opus that is the subject of their music since 2005, when a friend in college introduced me to their second album: In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. The title tune from the album (from which the album derives its name) completely blew me away. I wasn’t aware that there was a group taking metal, prog-rock, unique (and exquisite) vocals, and combining them in an epic and (to me) incredibly enjoyable way. You can listen to In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 here. In the years that have passed since I first heard of Coheed and Cambria, they’ve released four albums. About each I’ve grown progressively more excited, and the dual release of double-album The Afterman was no exception. I preordered the deluxe collector’s edition, complete with all the bells, whistles, and doohickeys;

I’ve been working hard

January 31, 2013 4 Comments

Your browser does not support the video tag Though I’ve been neglecting my blog–a thing I no longer intend to do–I thought to provide evidence of what I have been working on over the last several months. I won’t publish any of the actual drafts in the blog anymore, but I have been working diligently (if slowly) on putting together a novel. Note: so is the whole world, apparently. I’m really enjoying the work, and I’m still in communication with the writing group I joined last year (through WriteAboutDragons,) which has taught me innumerable things about my own writing, audience, and the general issues one faces when making stuff up on a large scale. I’ve got (somewhere around) 12,000 words of actual chapter draft written, I believe, and as I’m not yet finished with chapter 5, so this should be a long–and totally awesome—process. The video above is a Vine I posted a

A Memory Of Light – Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

January 29, 2013 2 Comments

I was first introduced to the Wheel of Time Series by my old boss, Brian, when I worked at Berkeley Tuolumne Camp. I was stubborn in my assertions that I “knew” fantasy because I had read Tolkien, which was woefully ignorant. I had almost no relationship to the wider world of fantasy literature and was, as a result, completely unprepared for the experience of reading “The Eye of the World,” the first book in the series called The Wheel of Time. Fourteen (that’s right, 14) books make up the series. Each is roughly one thousand pages long, and they are (for the most part) jam-packed with action and intrigue, magic and mystery, light and shadow, and love and hate. They are compelling, addictive, and without a doubt my favorite fantasy books. Ever. I read the first four that summer, and now have an

Going Out on a Limb

January 15, 2013 1 Comment

It is no secret to many of you that I have been (as many are) looking to move; to do something new. In a perfect world, I could live where I want (at the moment, that place is Seattle,) do what I want (write stuff,) and visit my parents often enough that I could once again get tired of eating my food in a tortilla. (That last bit is a joke. I don’t think it’s possible to get tired of eating tasty snacks in a tortilla.) That being said, I’ve been cruising the listings just to see if anything resembling a writing gig has popped up in the cold Pacific Northwest. I found a hilarious listing for a technical writing position at [REDACTED] and decided that I just had to send in an application. [REDACTED] is a tech company in downtown Seattle, mere blocks from Pike Place market. Sounds up my

Haircuts: A Necessary Evil

September 2, 2012 2 Comments

In honor of my Mother’s birthday, I decided to try to write something that would make her laugh (I hope.) I got a haircut yesterday, and often joke about how uncomfortable the experience is for me, so I decided to take some creative liberties with the whole process and embellish it. Hopefully you’ll find this funny, as I do, Mom. I’m so deeply grateful to have your support in my creative, academic, emotional, and spiritual endeavors. You’re the best, Mom. You inspire me. Happy birthday Mom. I love you.

Elantris – Brandon Sanderson

May 22, 2012 No Comments

The first question a person might ask of me when seeing the title of this book is: “Hey, Elan? Did you only read this book because your name is in the title?” Partially, yes. There’s more to it than that, though. Brandon Sanderson is a pretty well-thought-of fantasy author who is currently finishing a series I am particularly passionate about: The Wheel of Time. Book 14 is scheduled for release 1/8/13, and I’m somewhat eager to get my hands on it. Since Robert Jordan–the author of the series–passed away in 2007, Brandon Sanderson has been working toward finishing the series using Jordan’s notes and the editing help of Jordan’s wife, Harriet. It’s incredible that, after releasing his first novel (this one) in 2005, by 2007 he had enough notoriety within the fantasy community to be tasked with this demanding responsibility. He is, in my opinion, doing the series justice. He’s able to

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