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And so the reread of the Discworld Witches books begins! Had an absolutely lovely time with this one. I can distantly remember a certain vague disappointment upon first reading this book a few years ago, but I think I was expecting it to do too many things or maybe just different things.
There's a smidgen of commentary on gender roles/sexism, there's a pleasant left-turn on the classic chosen one motif. 1/?

In case it wasn't very obvious by how much I just spam posted about the art and writing in this book, I LOVED it.
It's fair to say it covers art and artists who were working and influencing from the 60s to 80s, with perhaps peak popularity and certain trends in the 70s. The book is an amalgam of specific subject matter and broader topics in sci fi art 1/?

A ridiculous sense of triumph seeing two of my favourites make the epilogue: John Harris and Paul Lehr.

So frustrating, I loved this cover, I loathed this book.

It's a vibe? 🫣 ...and also a well-worn trope to have “warrior women with more fortitude than clothes“.
I mean there must be a psychological effect on the enemy forces when one rides into battle, no fucks given, buck-naked on the back of a very angry bird firing a laser gun, though I have to wonder if that rig is comfortable against bare skin. 😬

Okay, people, I now have all the evidence I need that sci fi covers can be colourful. Can we please ditch the blue/black/white/grey/red palette - please?!

Wow. 😑

Yes, more surrealist, please. 🙏🏻

Both of these are gorgeous, but I'm swooning for Vallejo's butterfly bird in particular. Wish me luck as I now try to track down a children's picture book from 1978. 😩

Oh, that's going on my TBR. 🐱👽🛸

Big kitty.

Like if WALL-E, but scary. 🌿🤖

Different vibe but same colour palette, looks like Lehr had a fave mix.

Beautiful and trippy.

Awwwww, lookit! Curious alien friend. ☺️

Such a promising premise, such a cold, empty, shallow, bitter, clumsy execution.
I love being able to add books to the sub sub genre of job-based horror, and I think this fits there better than it does in the sci-fi or fantasy genres, but I can't recommend it as a decent read within that categorization.
There are a number of fragments within chapters or sections of what is too messy to be either a series of connected short stories or a novel 1/?

Is person with all the wires coming out creepy? Yes. Does google-y-eyed robot kinda make up for it? In my estimation, yes! 🤖

I ask you: why are all the Jeffrey Catherine Jones works I want to see in detail featured in thumbnail size???

Respect 👏🏻The 👏🏻 Pronouns! 👏🏻

I wondered why that sounded so familiar. Pretty sure that's the dude that wrote the non-fiction book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space under Gerard K. O'Neill. Not a bad read if you can get past the tragic optimism of the timeline long past for space colonization. 🤦🏼‍♂️

That was just fun!
Dizzying, fascinating, amusing, I think a big part of my enjoyment is the wit and humour of the writer (who also reads the audiobook), somehow casual and the epitome of precision by turns.
You get Stamper's experiences getting the job, learning the ropes, different parts of working on a dictionary as a lexicographer, definer and editor, different components involved in making a dictionary: 1/?

😏

The death of the American Dream at its birth. This feels appropriate.

Is it sci fi if it's illustrating speculatively subjects of actual events? The colours on that asteroid, looks tasty. Love the slingshot figure making the metaphor into a tangible image.

😵‍💫🤯

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Dude. 🤦🏼‍♂️🫣

Whew, this granola is CRUNCHY! So, let's start by addressing the subtitle 'mindful stitching and textile art though the seasons'. If you, like me, picked this up with the understanding that it would be solely or primarily textile based crafting, I think you might be disappointed.
It does discuss eco-dyeing, weaving, slow stitching, textile collage in the Creative Approaches section which is an introduction to all the techniques 1/?

A more pleasing, jam-packed grab bag than the last volume or just more up my alley?
As opposed to feeling disconnected from some of the material, I actually was engaged in each story, so that's definitely an improvement over the last volume!
Hunter or Hunted: love the more art than words action moment, the limited colour palette 1/?

All hail the Cover Gallery as a comic book institution - such a lovely way to get bonus art, often a space where the artist obviously got to put in more time than a regular panel would permit.
Always impressed when a golden glow is accomplished with no metallic pigment. Kudos Sebastian Fiumara.

1. Return artifacts to their home countries. ✅👏🏻
2. Acknowledge the hazards of an open bar.✅😂

Bruce and Alfred moments are everything. 🥰

Midden? Limitations?! Oo hoo hoo, let the smack talk begin.

Aw, Barry, being super fast doesn't always help with microfilm. Thank you for keeping the records tidy. ☺️

I'm in love.
“...paint strokes still visible...using impressionism to craft a warmer, more lived-in image of the future than photorealism can provide.“ 😍 Yes, please.

Quite understandably, many space scapes are done in shades of blue, but I do love when greens enter the picture. 💚

I want to champion this book for the messaging it put front and centre but I'm hampered by a few factors, some of which are subjective:
1) Something about the pacing had me regularly courting a reading slump. Following multiple people can sometimes ensure you don't end up with deadspace in the plot, and sometimes it means that the reader constantly feels like none of the storylines are moving as fluidly as they should 1/?

The colours, the curves, the composition. Everything about it makes my brain happy. 🤩

“...it means we didn't heed the warning.“ 🙎🏼‍♂️🤨

Wh- um.... Okay, so, there's a solid portion of two or three of the essays in this little collection where I was following the thought process, and appreciating the unique points Perec was raising.
Otherwise I have to assume one of two hypotheses: either it made sense to him, he felt it was of enough value to write and publish, and I just couldn't follow the flow of the thoughts, OR he was kind of fucking with his readers, and he knew it. 1/?

What with the bulk of my reading material being on loan from the library, I very rarely eat and read at the same time, but Perec sure makes me rethink the possibilities of that experience. 🤔 😋📚🍴

🗣️ Why is my reading pace this slow? Because 70% of the time, I'm reading the text out loud to myself. It increases my focus and enjoyment. Whisper or shout it, whatever you feel is best. 😁

🍪🕊️ Get the crumbs!

Something's ng almost Ferngully-oil-slick about it, but I like it.

*Pffft* 🤭

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📘💙

A very wholesome experience. 😊 There's an unobjectionable peppy-ness to Knighton's narration, complete with the occasional silly joke. I appreciate that he does acknowledge those issues which you cannot honestly avoid mentioning when discussing national parks: the fraught history of removing indigenous people from their ancestral lands, the lack of diversity in park visitors and staff (the systemic and historical racism that means people 1/?

I get the 'unspoiled wilderness with no ringtones to wreck it' vibes - but being able to call in help to remote areas via a cell phone tower disguised as a tree sounds like a good idea. 💁🏼‍♂️