skepticlysm

A Fourth of Pulp

Written by

Skeptifist

in

  • Should’ve known better.
  • That’s what I’m saying.
  • Should’ve known better.
  • (There I go, repeating myself like bad movie dialogue.)
  • … than to have brought up Fourth Wing.
  • Yes, I called it a “fantasy beach read.”
  • That was not a knock.
  • I’m not a literature reader.
  • I pretty much only tread in genre territory.
  • I don’t want to read modern real-life drama.
  • I don’t want to be bombarded by non-stop five-syllable words, or pages of purple prose.
  • I want to escape.
  • I want to experience things I can’t here.
  • I want to go to the stars and explore big ideas.
  • Or see someone blow shit up with fireballs (of the D&D variety).
  • FFS, my book, the one I’m writing, is a “portal fantasy,” which means they’d classify it in there with Chronicles of Narnia.
  • So.
  • Fourth Wing.
  • Dragons. Blades. Fighting. Steamy sex scenes.
  • What’s not to like, right?
  • In the first book, the characterizations came off to me as a bunch of 16-year-olds who’re all supposed to be 21.
  • I still read it.
  • The story moves well.
  • You get drawn in.
  • And the two books after are better.
  • See?
  • Not knocking it.
  • Why do you read?
  • To get pulled into a good story.
  • Sure, you can separate books in terms of “quality,” I suppose, but at the end of the day, what’s the point?
  • Whether you like a book or not is personal.
  • Subjective.
  • Hell, take The Martian.
  • Helluva story.
  • Simple prose.
  • Loved it either way.
  • Even the metrics are subjective, right?
  • My favorite book series is urban fantasy pulp, for Pete’s sake.
  • (The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher for those playing the home game.)
  • Steph and I went to Hot Springs many years ago on vacation.
  • She bought a couple of books for the trip.
  • One of them was Dead Beat, which is the sixth or seventh book in the Dresden Files.
  • She chose that for herself, btw.
  • I picked it up when she laid it down at some point.
  • Hooked.
  • Two immediate reactions:
  • 1) This is awesome;
  • 2) Why the fuck didn’t I write this? Damn you, Jim Butcher!
  • I’ve since had the guy autograph a copy of that book in person.
  • What I’m saying here is …
  • Who gives a shit if someone does not like something you do?
  • Does someone else’s opinion of a thing take away from your own?
  • Love what you love.
  • That you do is none of their business anyway.
  • The Fourth Wing series is a fun read.
  • Was for me, anyway.
  • Sheesh.
  • And, again, she’s a multi-millionaire best-selling author.
  • I don’t know shit.
  • Where the hell was I?
  • Today is the kid’s last day of her Junior year.
  • Oof.
  • No.
  • I am not prepared.
  • Time is unfair.
  • Love her so much.
  • Being a parent is equal parts boundless joy and boundless terror.
  • I would not have missed it for anything.
  • Speaking of time …
  • Steph mentioned this, but tomorrow is the one-month mark from surgery day.
  • I do not understand how that is possible.
  • I have lost time.
  • Like seriously.
  • Black holes.
  • And I’m still passing out in the afternoons, like someone’s in the braincave flipping the switch to standby.
  • Yeah, I’m getting better, but the fatigue has been the thing.
  • Was not expecting that.
  • Sure, there’s some clicking in the head.
  • I think it’s the jaw.
  • That or there’s something sliding around in there.
  • Tectonic.
  • Heh.
  • Have you guys seen those remixes of the Golden Book covers of our youth?
  • Worth a find on social.
  • Irreverent in the best way.
  • You know, if you have my kind of sense of humor.
  • Last night, I walked into the dining room to do … something.
  • Was nearing bedtime.
  • Lights were out.
  • I looked up because there was a strange light in the corner.
  • I stopped.
  • Looked closer as my eyes adjusted.
  • Steph stood in the corner, back to the room, illuminated by the soft glow of her iPhone.
  • I started.
  • “What the hell. What’re you doing?”
  • She said something about an air freshener.
  • We have one of those Pura things. You can adjust it with your phone.
  • I dunno. I just work here.
  • I said, “Looked all Blair Witch over there. Freaked me out for a minute.”
  • Scary, but smells nice.
  • Four of five stars.
  • High five.
  • Read (and like) whatever the hell you want today.

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