Book Review: Shelter by Susan Palwick

Title: Shelter
Author: Susan Palwick
Published: New York: Tor, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 574
Total Page Count: 75,154
Text Number: 221
Read For: interest in the author after reading "Gestella" in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifteenth Annual Collection, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Roberta is on parole for "excessive altruism" when Meredith reenters her life, prompting both to reflect on the events which drew them together: a devastating virus, Preston, first man translated into virtual existence, and their attempts to protect Nicholas and Fred, an unstable child and an artificial intelligence. Shelter has a number of flaws: over-explained backstory, a too-simple conclusion, and heavy-handed themes. Nonetheless it's a brave and intelligent book. The plotline is intriguing and the characters empathetic, and the book is rich which thoughtful issues of identity. While it could be better, it's still quite enjoyable and I recommend it.

( Long review. )

Review posted here on Amazon.com.

Music meme: five songs beginning with the letter R

From the lovely tabular_rasa: a music meme!

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.

2. List and upload (or link from YouTube) 5 songs that begin with that letter.

3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

My letter was R, ergo:

The Rum Tum Tugger from the musical Cats (DVD performance)
I much prefer the original Broadway cast performance, but alas it is not on YouTube. Cats is one of those pieces of media which I can point to and say "me." I've seen it many time, I used to fall asleep to Memory, I know all the songs by heart. (I own the poems, too.) Of all the cats Macavity is my favorite, but Rum Tum Tugger is the most like me. Contradictory, whimful, curious, indeed.

Radio Song by Superbus (song with the lyrics)
I have a secret weakness for almost any pop which isn't in English. J-pop is my favorite but French pop delights me as well. Bright, peppy, mindless music is simply more enjoyable when I can't understand all of lyrics. I do understand this song (my French isn't that rusty), but I enjoy it nonetheless. I discovered it through Guitar Hero, and it was one of the first songs I learned to play on expert.

Ruby by Kaiser Chiefs (official music video)
As with the above, I discovered this song through Guitar Hero, and it was perhaps the second song I learned on expert. It (and Guitar Hero) also lead to the creation of a playlist full of music like this: Franz Ferdinand, Wolfmother, The Killers, OK Go—high-energy music with an edge of emo, all with by male vocalists. I listened to it through most of the winter.

Rats by Rasputina (set to the album cover)
Not my favorite Rasputina (it's be hard to narrow down what that is—perhaps High on Life, or Girls' School, or When I Was a Young Girl), but it's somewhere nearer the top of the list. When I grew tired of high-energy emo boys, I switched back to my usual playlist: Rasputina, Dresden Dolls, Poe, Imogen Heap, Kate Nash—odd songs sung by odd women. I find their oddness inspirational.

REV 22:20 by Puscifer (Underworld music video)
Devon told me once that before we met, even when he never planned to date, he knew that all potential girlfriends had to fit one requirement: they had to love Tool. My adoration for Keenan tends more towards Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, but I love a lot of Tool as well. There is little in the world which is not turned golden by Keenan's touch—he is a musical god among men. Of all of his oeuvre, Pet is my favorite. But REV 22:20 (surely, I will come quickly) is one of his best works—few things are as seductive as these five minutes.

I approve of memes which operate on a voluntary basis, rather than tagging; I approve even more of ones which indicate preferences, tastes, some sort of thought and identity outside of one word answers for age or favorite food. Tastes in media don't necessarily indicate anything about a person (goodness knows I've very good friends with tastes which oppose mine), but the reasoning behind them sometimes does—and I think it's all interesting, either way.