I have been reading and blogging even less lately. I think it is a combination of laziness, lassitude, and insomnia. Two weeks of polar vortex did not help; this is something we expect in western Canada, but the fact we have been sheltering in place for so long because of the pandemic meant that we were already housebound. However, our family and friends are okay, so I have little reason to complain.
I was sitting in my room early this morning, and right at my elbow, I found a potential remedy, a pile of anthologies. I started with Aliette de Bodard's "The Frost on Jade Buds" from Solaris Rising 3 and followed that up with "A Mouse in the Walls of the Global Village" by Dean R.Koontz from Again Dangerous Visions 2. Neither story was a cheerful read.
But the more I discuss science fiction with Doug during our weekly get-togethers, now via Skype, the more I realize how short stories have informed my science fiction reading. Both Doug and Helen are more novel orientated. So I thought the best solution to get my butt in gear was to select some anthologies to dip into regularly. I tried to have some reasonably current material and some significant anthologies I had on hand, but I have not read extensively. Also, I wanted to read paper books with no music or tv in the background to reduce my overall screen time to see if that helps with my insomnia and my concentration level. The Dangerous Visions anthologies include introductory material by Harlan Ellison and the author of the stories, which can be quite interesting. The Koontz story has already given me some ideas for future posts and titles to investigate.
How are you doing/coping?
