My Favorites: Uglies

Reading more broadly means you are surprised more often. I know I'm coming to the party very late in praising Uglies, but I devoured it this weekend. Just like with Lies of Locke Lamora, this is not my book, but I am in love with it anyway.

For the two of you out there who don't know about Uglies, Tally Youngblood lives in a universe where, at the age of 16, everyone undergoes a beautification process that turns them from an adolescent ugly into a super model. And if you think you've seen something similar on a Twilight Zone episode, you're right.

Complications ensue. Tally's best friend Peris is waiting for her on the other side of the beautification process, but Tally's new friend Shay doesn't want to be beautiful. Tally is a realistic protagonist, caught between cultural conditioning and new discoveries, old loyalties and new knowledge.

Westerfield writes effortlessly. I am as pulled along by action as I am pulled into Tally's hard moral decisions. I can see the city, the nature of the Smoke, the old ruins of the Rusties. I haven't felt this passionate about an SF book since when I was a kid reading John Christopher's Tripod books. The best ya is not only fantastic, but is often about awakening. This book hits all the bells and whistles.

I'm excited to read the next three, and will. As a writer, I could never write this kind of thing, so I'm glad Scott Westerfield is out there to do it for me.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Hulk Hercules?

Many of you have been asking me where Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler is.

Well, I don't know. I wish I had news for you. I don't.

January is still supposed to be the month of publication, and we still have six days of January, so it may appear like a birthday present on the horizon.

While ambiguity is troublesome, and waiting can be hard, at least I can not fault the publisher in the way that really counts. My advance has been paid. It has been edited, it has been proofed, and it has a cover, so I believe it is still in the pipe.

Believe me, there will be rainbows and balloons over here when I have something to tell you. Until then, we'll move the announcement on the publications page back to 2010.

Thanks for your patience.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Trollgress

Next writing session we'll revamp the first Quartz and Sigfried encounter, and ramp up the god mom rivalry.

Then I'll go back to writing through plot threads, since that really seems to solidify directions.

Now that I'm feeling more lucid, another snow day would not be unwelcome, especially one I could use for a lot of writing.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.