Reading journal #1: Labyrinth of Evil, Amazing Adventures, It

After a long and busy week, I finally got a chance to rest this afternoon, so I took the opportunity to catch up on my reading.

Labyrinth of Evil

I read the first 20 chapters of "Labyrinth of Evil" (a Star Wars book) and I am delighted with the story so far. James Luceno's writing is so captivating that it made me want to go back to rewatch the prequels (yes, the prequels!). One of the things I like about the writing is that Luceno is able to bring in just the right amount of background info to provide context to the characters' motivations. And he does it in a way that does not interrupt the flow of the narrative. Some of the added context gives a new perspective to the movies. Some interesting tidbits include Qui-Gon's relationship with the Jedi Council:

Qui-Gon had always criticized the Council for being too authoritative, and for cultivating inflexible methods of teaching. He saw the Temple as a place where candidates were programmed to become Jedi, instead of a place where beings were allowed to grow into Jedihood. Qui-Gon was no stranger to what the Jedi referred to as "aggressive negotiations," which typically involved lightsabers more than diplomacy. But Obi-Wan wondered what he would have had to say abou tthe war. He recalled, as if yesterday, Dooku's taunt on Geonosis that Qui-Gon would have joined Dooku in championing the Separatist cause.

On the effect of the war on the Senate:

Before the war, widespread corruption had stifled the legislative process. Bills languished, measures sat for years without being addressed, votes were protested and subjected to endless recounts... But one effect of the war had been to replace corruption and inertia with dereliction of duty. Reasoned discourse and debate had become so rare as to be archaic. In a political climate where representatives were afraid to speak their minds, it was easier—and thought to be safer&mdashto cede power to those who at least appeared to have some grasp of truth.

Amazing Adventures

Besides Labyrinth of Evil, I read about 4 issues of "Amazing Adventures" (the 1960's marvel comic that eventually introduced Spider-Man). Most of these adventures have to do with the strange and otherworldly. The stories deal with alien visitors, the occult, mystical travels to other time periods, and sentient robots. The stories are alright, and fun to read so far. As a fan of Silver Age Marvel comics, it's easy to recognize Stan Lee's writing in these comics, as well as Kirby and Ditko's art. Still, it's clear why the series got cancelled to make way for superhero-centric adventures. I'll try finishing the rest of the series tonight and plan to have a review up on my comic book review websites sometime soon.

Stephen King's It

I think that Stephen King is one of those authors whose adaptations surpass his original works. However, I can't deny that he is a staple in modern horror storytelling. Despite being uninterested in most of his books, after watching "Welcome to Derry," I got a desire to read some of his works and experience for myself the stories that inspired some really good horror and drama movies. I had a few minutes to spare, so I read the first section of Chapter 1. As I read, I realized that the vivid imagery of both the 1990's adaptation and the more recent films are clearly drawn from the book. I appreciate the detail given to the setting, which helps visualize the environment. I guess that will come back to haunt me in the future when the book begins to get horrific.

Signing off as I rewatch "The Phantom Menace."