Transformers: Exodus is precisely the origin story that the franchise needed. It’s entertaining, filled with the sort of epic battles Transformers lend themselves to, and keeps the reader breathless with anticipation even though we already know how it ends. Megatronus was a gladiator, until he got his name and started thinking about the way Cybertron’s caste system diminished the “bots’” potential. Orion Pax was a data-worker—-a librarian, really—-under the master archivist. The Archivist is more than he seems, and provides a great deal of context for the history of Cybertron, and a few key deus-ex-machina twists. Orion Pax, now known as Optimus Prime, is an honest character, who never asks for the greatness that is forced upon him; Megatron, on the other hand, is an egomaniacal tyrant. But in the framework of a political revolution and the civil war that overthrows a system that had practically calcified, there are terrible fights, friendships made and broken, and the beginnings of a genuine epic; above all, it’s fun to read.
Jun 28, 2010
Booklist on Transformers: Exodus
It's pretty rare for licensed fiction to get reviewed in the trades, but Booklist took a look at the Transformers: Exodus, and seemed to like what they saw:
Jun 27, 2010
Why Soccer Is Theatrical, in a Mathematical Nutshell
Size of NFL field: 48000 square feet.
Number of players: 22.
Number of guys with whistles: 7.
Formations: Players largely concentrated in one part of field.
Probability of something illegal happening: high.
Official eyeballs per player: 0.636
Official eyeballs per acre: 14/(48000/43560)=14/1.102=12.705
Official Eyeball Coverage Quotient; 0.636*12.705=8.080
Avg. size of FIFA regulation field: 81000 square feet.
Number of players: 22.
Number of guys with whistles: 1.*
Formations: None. Players all over the field at all times.
Probability of something illegal happening: high.
Official eyeballs per player: 0.273
Official eyeballs per acre: 2/(81000/43560)=2/1.859=1.076
Official Eyeball Coverage Quotient: 0.273*1.067=0.294
8.080/0.294=27.484
So it's 27.5 times as likely that a ref will see a foul on a football field as on a soccer field. If you were a player, you'd try to get that ref's attention too. Then there's the question of how widely spread the players are...difficult to quantify, but another factor that would increase the differential.
*3 if you count linesmen, who occasionally call fouls but are mostly there to flag offsides and out of bounds; when and if they wave their flags to make calls, the ref can wave them off and allow play to continue. But even if we grant 3 "refs" in soccer, the difference is still nearly a factor of 10.
Number of players: 22.
Number of guys with whistles: 7.
Formations: Players largely concentrated in one part of field.
Probability of something illegal happening: high.
Official eyeballs per player: 0.636
Official eyeballs per acre: 14/(48000/43560)=14/1.102=12.705
Official Eyeball Coverage Quotient; 0.636*12.705=8.080
Avg. size of FIFA regulation field: 81000 square feet.
Number of players: 22.
Number of guys with whistles: 1.*
Formations: None. Players all over the field at all times.
Probability of something illegal happening: high.
Official eyeballs per player: 0.273
Official eyeballs per acre: 2/(81000/43560)=2/1.859=1.076
Official Eyeball Coverage Quotient: 0.273*1.067=0.294
8.080/0.294=27.484
So it's 27.5 times as likely that a ref will see a foul on a football field as on a soccer field. If you were a player, you'd try to get that ref's attention too. Then there's the question of how widely spread the players are...difficult to quantify, but another factor that would increase the differential.
*3 if you count linesmen, who occasionally call fouls but are mostly there to flag offsides and out of bounds; when and if they wave their flags to make calls, the ref can wave them off and allow play to continue. But even if we grant 3 "refs" in soccer, the difference is still nearly a factor of 10.
Jun 3, 2010
May 19, 2010
May 13, 2010
May 12, 2010
Apr 28, 2010
Viking Jesus Rides a Raptor
Either that, or it's a T. Rex and Our Savior is 20 feet tall. There were giants in the earth in those days...(yes, I have confused my testaments--on purpose!)...
(image seen in this Gawker comments thread)
Apr 27, 2010
In Which I Crowdsource a Syllabus
Gentle readers: if you were to teach a course in the American novel, and you had for reasons of your own decided to use only novels that run approximately 200 pages or less, what would be your top ten? I'm particularly interested in what you think is the best recent work at that length.
Apr 16, 2010
A Pake Recipe for Jeff Parker
...because no! You do not have to choose between pie and cake!
In a pan or skillet, melt a stick of butter.
Whisk in 1cup flour and 1cup sugar.
Add 1cup milk. Let it get hot again.
Add 1 egg if custardy pie-like texture is desired, 1tsp baking powder (or more if a cakey texture is what you're after), and whatever fruit you have lying around.
Bake at 350 (or whatever) until done.
It's different every time. Pake!
In a pan or skillet, melt a stick of butter.
Whisk in 1cup flour and 1cup sugar.
Add 1cup milk. Let it get hot again.
Add 1 egg if custardy pie-like texture is desired, 1tsp baking powder (or more if a cakey texture is what you're after), and whatever fruit you have lying around.
Bake at 350 (or whatever) until done.
It's different every time. Pake!
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