Books: Brundage, Nausicaä, Wives, Skies, Pirates, and Saucers

[woodwardiocom]

The Alluring Art Of Margaret Brundage by Korshak & Spurlock

Margaret Brundage was a cover artist for the pulp magazines of the 1930s, particularly for Weird Tales, which she dominated for a decade or so. Her art tended to send the bluenoses into heebie-jeebies, with its emphasis on barely-clad women being menaced by the menace du jour. This is the first book on the lady and her art, including a lengthy biography about her leftist background and involvement in civil rights. If you're into the pulps, recommended.

Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind by Hayao Miyazaki

This manga classic (basis for the movie) has recently been re-released in a handsome two-volume slipcase. It's a fascinating ecological epic, taking place around and about two decadent empires in the grip of their last war, with numerous detailed (and often gruesome) battles, and an equal amount of detailed philosophy. Its after-the-end setting is not original, but Miyazaki spins it in new ways, and the final moral is nicely subversive of both conventional ecological thought, and the genre. Also, Nausicaä is a delight as a kind-hearted warriror heroine. Highly recommended.

Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber

This is a classic of urban fantasy, in which the faculty wives at a small college control campus politics from behind the scenes with magic. I wanted to enjoy it, but I don't like cattiness, and this books is basically 100% about weaponized cattiness, so I couldn't finish it. Somewhat recommended, nonetheless.

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Sequel to The Lies Of Locke Lamora, in this novel our thief heroes are working on a huge con job, but get suddenly diverted into a life of piracy, which they take to moderately well. As usual, it all ends in a splurge of revenge and recriminations. It felt like there were a few too many balls in the air, but I wasn't bored, and the pirate scenes (and pirate queens) were fun. Recommended.

Guide To Pirate Parenting by Tim Bete

Speaking of pirates, I expected this book to have some actual parenting advice mixed in with pirate jokes, but it's prety much all jokes, and not especially funny ones, at that. Not recommended.

Night Of The Saucers by Eando Binder

The eternal dilemma: I buy a book used, and discover it's second (or later) in a series. It's arguably good enough to keep, but not good enough to spend money tracking down the previous books. Do I keep it, even though I don't like having just the middle of a set?

This novel is a sequel, about a human who becomes part of the alien agency that enforces the Prime Directive upon Earth, protecting it from malevolent aliens. It's pulpy and fun, but not quite good enough to make finding the earlier volume worthwhile. Oh, the dilemma...