HSU IT Department

That ridiculous anti-gay bill in Russia -- the one that would criminalize any book, song, film or organization that mentions the word "gay" -- has been revived. It has actually passed the legislature (the mind boggles) and is awaiting the signature of the mayor of St. Petersburg.

Read more here and here and then sign the petition.

Well, lots of people, apparently. It seems that the problems with LJ last spring weren't just software glitches. According to the Moscow Times, LJ is "the country's main platform for uncensored political discussion" and the April service issues were part of an organized attack on LJ by the Russian government.

Wow. And here I thought LJ was all about fan fiction, with the most subversive thing on it being H/D slash...

I'm kind of embarrassed at myself, actually. Usually I make sure I'm aware of significant political issues -- fair trade, social justice, environmental sustainability, etc. -- surrounding the products and services on which I spend my hard-earned dollars. Happily, free speech in Russia is something I'm a big fan of, so am pleased that my paid LJ subscription is supporting same :)

My reading in December outstripped my desire/spare time/attention span/dedication to writing about it, so herewith a very brief summary of the last of 2009 to get us up to speed:

It Could Happen Here (Judson) - prediction of collapse of the US due to gross economic inequity. Cites things like the French Revolution and the Great Depression as evidence that excessive economic disparity in a country leads to instability and therefore quite possibly to revolution.

Book of Live Dolls (Gates) - children's book; all the dolls in a village come to life and they and their "mommies" have adventures. OK, it's from the 1950s and it's hokey as hell, but I was sick and wanted mental baby food. This one, perhaps obviously, was a re-read of a childhood favorite; I can't think why I like it so much since I never played with dolls, but it's sweet in a daffy kind of way. (There are NO BOYS in it at all, apart from the main little girl's father!)

Day Watch (Lukyanenko) - second in the supernatural series translated from Russian. The books aren't exactly sequels in that the main characters aren't the same throughout but rather the focus of each story shifts from one character or set of characters to another; a better description would be a series of interlocking short stories or novellas. Fabulously complex, original, and engrossing (pretty much the polar opposite of the preceding book, now that I come to think about it).

The Left Hand of Darkness (LeGuin) - Hugo AND Nebula winner, a double header. Exploration (sort of) of gender and what happens when there isn't any as we define it. A groundbreaker in its day but it's a bit of a slog to read now; one wants less politics and more sociology.

Time of the Hunter's Moon (Holt) - Victoria Holt's gothic romances are one of my guilty pleasures, crammed with young pretty governesses, lonely moors, huge old manors with dark hallways and bloody histories, mysterious noblemen with suspiciously-deceased first wives, strange old women who drop elliptical hints, secrets and lies and (of course) rakes who Just Haven't Met The Right Woman. I'm embarrassed to admit how much I love them. (Reread)

Modern Magic (Alcott) - Continuing the gothic tradition, we have (again) mysterious governesses, previously unknown love children, cross-dressing, drugs, and death squads from India. Includes such immortal lines as
" 'Heaven bless hashish if its dreams end like this.' " These are no doubt the same stories that were "the blessing of the Marches in the way of groceries and gowns" and are great fun, not only for themselves but also because it's so easy to picture Jo scribbling them in her garret.

Total books read in 2009: 99, about 70% new and 30% rereads.*

Whew. Caught up and ready to start 2010. Ooh, and on the writing front, have not one not two but THREE ideas for short stories. AND another writer who I very much respect has suggested I sub one of my pieces (with some minor polishing) to a pro magazine. w00t!!

(...51 days...)

* That does not count the 437 times I read "The Berenstain Bears' Picnic" to my 4-1/2 year old nephew. I think I have it memorized. "Mother Bear, put your apron away -- we are going to go on a picnic today!!!" Every time we got to the scene near the end where Poppa Bear is flipping out and waving his arms The Nephew would say, "Wait, I have to show this page to daddy, it's his favorite." Heh heh heh.

Finished this one by Alexei Panshin last night. In Mia's world (which is a giant spaceship built out of an asteroid), on their thirteenth birthday kids get dropped onto a planet solo except for a horse; if they survive for thirty days, they get to come home and be adults. If they don't, well, they don't. It wasn't bad -- interesting premise -- but the characters are one-dimensional and never quite came alive for me. One thing that jarred me was the kids leaving for their Trial; if this is really such an important rite of passage in society, there would (one would think) be more ritual, pageantry, emotion, etc involved. But nobody comes to see the kids off, and Mia's father doesn't even say "Good luck," he just says, "Bye, Mom and I will see you when you get back." Weird.

Panshin does raise some interesting ethical questions -- always a good thing -- but it's done more in Mia's head than in discussions with her tutor or fellow students, which would have brought the debate more to life. ( Minor spoilers involving tigers and murder ). Easily the most interesting debate was that at the Ship's Assembly at the end, on what to do about Tintera; I have to say I was pleased Mia fell out with her father on this question. All things considered, though, the book suffers from too much tell and not enough show.

And perhaps this is why: Today I discovered this interesting essay by Panshin (the website appears to be maintained by his son), explaining why he wrote Rite of Passage and how it was largely a response to Robert Heinlein's open support of nuclear testing and his rabid antipathy towards Russia/Communism. Panshin's question "wasn't whether or not we ought to confront Communism whatever the cost, but whether being locked into anti-Communist postures skewed our behavior and made us small-minded and self-favoring." An excellent question, but Heinlein appears to have been uninterested in it, preferring the lock-in. I continue to be disappointed by my discovery that there are people whom I otherwise admire that became, in the 1950s, rabid anti-Communists and thought they were an elemental threat that should be obliterated. Maybe they were, then; it's hard for me to comprehend that era's mindset and how afraid everyone was. But I expect better of my favorite writers and I'm sorry to learn this about Heinlein, and even more sorry if Panshin's account of their correspondence is accurate.