sdelmonte | I Should Be Working...

But with our new exhibition open, it's gotten a bit calmer here.

So some thoughts on various and sundry...

1. Finally read Watchmen from cover to cover. Surprised that I haven't done so till now? Well, when this classic of the comic book genre came out, I was 17, and just wasn't ready for it. I would skim it in the shop every month, but the overall effect was too depressing, too overwhelming. Since then, I have not been in a rush to read the whole thing.

My mistake. It's still a fairly heavy comic, but with the passage of time and with my own maturity, I can get past that, and find the brilliance involved. I should have read it much sooner. Naturally, as befits something so tightly packed, I'm reading it again.

Alan Moore has long been my pick for greatest comic book writer ever, and this one series confirms that to my satisfaction. It's not flawless - the ending is missing the right kind of "oomph" to fit the build-up, and a couple of characters needed a bit more work - but the scope of the story, and the things Moore and Dave Gibbons do with super-heroes, Cold War politics, and people is still amazing. I could probably write a book on this. I'm surprised no one has.

I may come back and do a spoiler-filled post on it, or maybe not, but if you love comics and haven't tried Watchmen, you owe it to yourself to do so.

2. Also just read Carl Sagan's SF novel, Contact. This story of how mankind (notably the main character) is changed by getting a message from Out There is quite readable, but also feels way too much like a longer Arthur C. Clarke novel for me not to wonder if Clarke wouldn't have done it better (or at least shorter). Like Clarke, Sagan takes an idea and explores the ramifications of it. Like Clarke, he uses a lot of narrative instead of dialogue. And like Clarke, his characters are often little more than hooks for the ideas.

Now, I am a fan of Clarke's novels, and I guess there are worse role models for another scientist/visionary to imitate. But Clarke's greatest virtue is that he kept it relatively short. He never lost track of how far he wanted to go with his ideas. I think by writing a longer novel, Sagan did start losing something. What's more, I think that Sagan thought he was developing the characters a lot more than he ultimately did.

The end result is worthwhile, but really needed editing. Also, Sagan gets points for trying very hard to have a sympathetic man of the cloth mixed in to the story. While I don't think that Sagan succeeded in making this preacher believable or real, it's noteworthy that Sagan at least allows for such people to exist. He really, really tries not to show a bias against all religion that many SF writers do, but then the book has a surprising spiritual side that emerges at its conclusion.

3. We return to OVFF for the Pegasus Award winners, and some comments. (Cut-tagged due to length and boring subject matter for non-filkish friends.)

First off, a tip of the hat to Steven Macdonald for his hard work. His efforts, especially in adding MP3s to the Pegasus website, helped everyone.

Now, award winners and my thoughts...

- Best Filk Song: Shooting Star by Michael Longcor

This won, I think, due to the subject matter - an astronaut accepting his fate as a "shooting star" as his ship breaks up on re-entry - and to Longcor's overall talents. Hard not to agree with these sentiments. However, I would much rather have seen Andy Eigel's inspirational "Uplift" win. Longcor dedicated his win to 14 people, to the 7 who died on Columbia and to the brave 7 who will be next into orbit when flights resume.

- Best Classic Filk Song: Banned From Argo by Leslie Fish

A new category, given this year by the OVFF ConCom, and to be voted on afterwards like the other awards. The criterion is that any song over 10 years old that hasn't won a Pegasus is eligible. I'm still unclear on whether this means older songs are no longer eligible for Best Filk Song. The funny thing is that I jokingly suggested that the Pegasus needs a "lifetime achievement" category for songs nominated unsuccessfully (and played to death) for years and years. Guess I wasn't the only one who felt that way. This will mean, of course, that the Pegasus concert will get a bit longer and will include five songs everyone knows.

Wonder if Leslie is happy about this award.

- Best Performer: Dandelion Wine - Dave Clement and Tom Jeffers

While I voted for Clam Chowder, how can anyone not like seeing these two venerable men of folk/filk get this award? Hearing them is a joy. Seeing them accept the award was, too.

- Best Writer/Composer: Cat Faber

I'm not really all that familiar with her songs, actually, even though I've heard Echo's Children more than once. But the great thing about these individual awards is that everyone who is nominated tends to be great. Guess I need to play some catch-up.

- Best Parody: Knight's in White Satin by Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff

I never heard of the Bohnhoffs till they were nominated. I loved seeing them perform at the con. Jeff is a great guitarist, and Maya a good singer. I really enjoyed everything they performed. Except this somewhat humorous one-joke song. (Indeed, it wasn't even the best song about crossdressing I heard at the con.) Would much rather have seen Dave Weingart's "SMOF Too Blue" win.

- Best Original Humorous Song: My Husband, the Filker by Bill and Gretchen Roper

I was pulling for "Stray Dog Man" just because it's so much fun. But Bill and Gretchen's charming love song is just as worthy. (Indeed, I wonder if we didn't vote for Stray Dog just so we could nominate it again and have Bill Sutton play it at a few more Pegasus concerts.)

And speaking of the concert, it's always a hoot. The ConCom does a good job in finding able substitutes for those who can't be there, and everyone gets a chance to hear lots of talents in a short time, sort of a "who's at the con" sampler. It's always a good way to start the con.

More on OVFF as inspiration permits.