"I will battle for the sun..."

[greygirlbeast]

There are certain sorts of book reviews I like better than others. For example, I loathe the "book report" style of review. And one of the sorts I most enjoy reading is the book review wherein the reviewer spends more time talking about the effect the book has had on her or him than about the book itself. Which is exactly the sort that Catherynne M. Valente (yuki_onna) has written about The Red Tree. You can read her review here. It made me very, very happy. I particularly liked this line —— "I thought it would be like House of Leaves, but it was nothing, really, nothing like that book..." I think it's a fair mistake a lot of readers will make going into the novel, in part because of the way I've chosen to present it.

Started the day off talking with my film agent at UTA, describing to him the sort of film I think should be made from The Red Tree, which is a very peculiar way to begin a day. More on this as it develops.

Yesterday, I wrote 1,092 words on a new sf story, "A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea," that I've been trying to get started since early June. Yesterday, I finally found the way in. It may throw off my plans to get both Sirenia Digest #s 45 and 46 written this month. But what the hell. This is a story I want to write, and one that's been in my head for more than two months, that has refused me entry until yesterday. Oh, a question. In it, I present a new subspecies of Homo sapeins genetically engineered for life in the sea, H. sapiens natator. And I'm calling them "amphibs." But I don't really like that term, because they're not actually amphibious, but completely marine. Any suggestions for an alternate term?

Also, I had a new sort of soda yesterday. It's called Zevia, and it's sweetened not with cane sugar, but with an herb called stevia (Stevia rebaudiana). The lemon-lime flavor is quite good, with only a faint aftertaste. The root beer wasn't very good, but I have hope for both the orange and ginger ale. Anyway, Zevia is sugar free, caffeine free, has zero calories, and no net carbohydrates.

Anyway, I'm running a little late, and there's email to answer, so I should probably wind this up.

Comments

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Man, I would fall over in joy at a Red Tree feature film. In my head, I picture Sarah as looking a lot like Sigourney Weaver.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Man, I would fall over in joy at a Red Tree feature film. In my head, I picture Sarah as looking a lot like Sigourney Weaver.

I wouldn't be unhappy with Weaver, though, in my head, I see Jodie Foster.

[nykolus.livejournal.com]

grr... damn book cover. i cannot get that image out of my head and only picture 'that' sarah when i read.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

grr... damn book cover. i cannot get that image out of my head and only picture 'that' sarah when i read.

Actually, the woman on the cover is meant. to be Constance.

[nykolus.livejournal.com]

well... ahem... there ya go. my apologies.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

No need to apologize. It's not like she looks like Constance.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Now I'm wondering what it'd take to take a Chuck Palahniuk-style movement going where people make their own covers for your books. (Didn't you say that of your mass-market covers, only the ones for Silk and Murder of Angels come close to how you'd pictured the characters?)

in my head, I see Jodie Foster.

You just want to imagine Jodie Foster getting laid, don't you?

*ducks something thrown*

Personally, I'm picturing Sarah Crowe a little curvier than Foster's ever been, for whatever reason.

By the way, I'm glad you and yuki_onna are in touch. She's good people.