Recommended reading

Michael and I were discussing books this morning as we looked for coffee.

Coffee is very important, by the way. I need it when there is too much blood in my caffeine supply.

I've been reading a lot of stuff lately.

Revelation Space
Alastair Reynolds' first book. A great novel about humanity, aliens, and the reasons for so few civilizations in our galaxy. It was followed up by a pair of sequels and has some related short stories, but this is probably the pick of the lot.

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Volume 21
I try and read this every year when it comes out. Dozois does a nice summary of the state of the genre, and there are usually one or two really good short works. I'm not sure what we're going to do when he finally retires--the most important editor in SF since Campbell, really.

Essential Fantastic Four: Volume 3
Contains the introduction of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. One of the highlights of the Marvel era, or of any era. (There's an entire issue of Marvels devoted to the three issues of Galactus. I re-read that the other day and while it's not as great as I remember it being, it's still not bad.)

War of the Flowers
Just started this the other day. I love Tad Williams' other work, like the Three Swords books and Otherland.

Up next: Don Quixote
I really need to read this and this new translation is evidently very good.

My geekdom could be worse. I could be in this photo.

P.S. I am not kidding about that Obama speech.

I'm not talking about blind optimism here — the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No, I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too. The audacity of hope!