Webcomic? More like GLEBcomic.

Back to the very talky page type, for today. Pardon me, readers.

It had to happen eventually I guess – we got a brief write-up somewhere! And it was positive, even about the story. You can see it on February 10th's entry over here at the Introspect page of The Whiteboard.

This week I'm gonna recommend the webcomic Metacarpolis. It's actually by Erin, who designed the lovely webpage you're looking at right now. How does one person have enough time to do all that tech stuff, make a comic and study martial arts like some kind of renaissance man who is, in fact, a woman? Dude, I dunno. I can't even find time to cook myself real food. I didn't even follow the oven instructions for these taquitos! I used the microwave. I even got impatient doing that.

Yesterday was World Book Day. That's as good an excuse to talk about books as any, right?

At the moment I'm reading Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Actually, I'm listening to it, because my local library had the audio book on hand. That always makes me happy. It's read by René Auberjonois, to boot. I know him best as Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, because around here everything comes back to sci-fi, I guess. As I've come to expect, he does a good job. I mean, c'mon, it's about a cop who plays everything close to the vest. I know he's got that down.

It's the fourteenth book to star Special Agent Pendergast, and all of them bounce around between being intriguing and silly and melodramatic, at least to this reader. But I can also say that every one of them has earned its place in the thriller section, 'cause they've all thrilled and entertained me, even if sometimes it meant deliberately not over-thinking things, or avoiding looking for depth where nobody tried to stick much in the first place (Well, except for Wheel of Darkness. That one did try to be kinda deep, and it didn't thrill me at all. You can skip Wheel of Darkness.).

I like the series a great deal, much more than the other thriller books people have tried to get me to read. I find that unlike, let's say, the Jack Reacher novels, they've never felt repetitive in the least. There's always some crazy new pseudoscientific threat out there to shake things up, and a bigger and better consistent cast to be played with in the bargain.

Someone asked me once why I'd read "fun" books at all. I think they were justifiably curious, because getting through any novel takes a considerable investment of time and imagination. A lot of people prefer that their reward for all that focus be something really substantial, or even potentially life-changing.

I can't remember what I said at the time (if I had it together enough to say anything at all), but even though I do read fairly slowly and with some difficulty, I enjoy just-for-fun novels in the same way I enjoy comics and movies and TV shows of the same stripe. I always have, ever since that time the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew were in that first extra-length book together, remember that? A thriller is a well-named thing; its primary object is to be exciting, and you can't hold it against the book if that's what it does best.

Besides which, to me, a well-crafted story is rewarding to take in all on its own. Even apart from how it hopefully teaches me to piece together my stories better, too, it's art. Your enjoyment of it has value of its own. Surely we wouldn't call a sculpture or a painting bad art just because its only use is to be admired?

Wait, I got off on a weird track, there... uh, so far I'm having fun hearing Blue Labyrinth. But you don't have to take my word for it! There's a very good chance that you can check the Pendergast series out at your local library.

I'll see you next time.

- Gunwild

I'm pretty darn tired right now, whipping this page together. But I figured I could just take a moment to say I'm pretty happy with the visual imrpovements this comic has had since say, this. I'll see ya folks next week! For more Peia Adventure where we nicely wrap up this butt-filled chapter!

- Psu