What are you reading?

[Madrigal]

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This novel is practically a homosexual manifesto? I didn't know that.

Couldn't warm up to The Absent City, something about the writing, too much ego, kinda poseurish. Might soldier through later.

[Catoptric]

Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884-1937)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Zamyatin
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4 ... y_Zamyatin

- We (1924) Dystopian
--> This has a ton of translations: Natasha Randall, Mirra Ginsburg, Clarence Brown (well regarded) Bela Shayevich is the latest.
- A God-forsaken Hole (1912) (AKA Uezdnoe)
- A Soviet Heretic - Essays

And some more books apparently (The Dragon - Fifteen Stories) (which includes 'A Provincial Tale' which I assumed was an alternative name for Uezdnoe, which I eventually found the correct English title for.) I can't find all of his books, such as 'Islanders & Fisher's of Men' which in Russian actually is titled 'Catcher's of Men,' and might have been too similar to 'Cather in the Rye' or they just thought the alternative title made more sense.

A pretty good omnibus Epub includes the 'We' sci-fi translated by Gregory Zilboorg.
'After the End – Dystopia Box Set' (which isn't available in the US supposedly.)


A Technocratic Dystopian novel
This Perfect Day by Ira Levin (1970)

[aether]

Some wikipedia articles.
Roman salute

Jacques-Louis David

Roman art

Oath of the Horatii

Cabiria
Falangism

[Madrigal]

The Green Light, by Jules Verne.

This is painfully reminiscent of all the transportation instructions my poor ADHD brain was ever subjected to throughout life, all rolled up into one interminable journey. I think there are three chapters just about a steamboat ride. What a relentless guy. Unfortunately, I have another book of his too, Helicopter Island or something like that, I dunno the translation. That one's a brick.

The Bible, King James Version

Promising start to this one! Alas, anyone who remembers Ryan Merkle knows he would have been proud.

[Catoptric]

Some pretty rare books (though mostly goofy conspiracy, Astrology, and "top secret."
https://archive.org/details/@russrunge?page=2



The Raven By Edgar Allan Poe (illustrated By Gustave Doré (1884)
https://archive.org/details/theravenbye ... vedore1884


John Dee's Conversations with Angels Cabala, Alchemy, and the End of Nature DEBORAH E. HARKNESS
https://ia802206.us.archive.org/31/item ... Angels.pdf

*************************

Looking over Dick Tracy comics (while re-watching the 1990 movie after 35 years) I can't help but think the series was overlooked after the 1930s, despite having attempted to make a TV series in the 1950s. The movies prior to that time are mostly forgotten about as well, and the 1990s film is kind of forgotten despite aging pretty well. The series started in 1931 and DC comics in 1938, and within a year introduced Batman in it's 27th comic book; changing how comics are typically perceived, which would evolve into Superman as WW2 breaks out.

DC (1938) Detective Comics #1-26 were before Batman was introduced, right around the same time as their spin-off comic series with Superman in Action Comics.

DC (1938) Detective Comics #1-26 (Before Batman)
https://archive.org/details/DetectiveComics1-26

For the most part, Dick Tracy was and would always remain a 1930s comic book, despite continuing on and probably preserving the idea that all detectives wore trench coats. I'm actually surprised how extensive the comic series ran, as you can get 29 volumes of the series when I was expecting the first 5 to contain most of the comics (and you can't find the rest online unless you get physical copies) which incidentally is around the time that DC and Marvel, as well as horror comics like Tales from the Crypt which evolved out of Entertaining Comics in a similar way to DC.)

****************************


Shirow Masamune - Intron Depot (1st Collection 1981-1991) 1998
Shirow Masamune - Intron Depot Blades (2nd Collection) 1999

The Ghost in the Shell creator's work (a 300mb pdf file, comprised of 1 of 3 - 2nd Blades and 3rd Ballistics) 2 are found here:
https://archive.org/details/@nntvhunter

The guy is apparently known for creating Hentai.

Searching for Shirow Masamune in this page surprised me a bit. . . Nothing but. . . Hentai.
https://archive.org/details/@sketch_the ... w+Masamune+

[Madrigal]

The Green Light has been abandoned but I hope to soldier through.

Carmilla, by J. Sheridan LeFanu, Irish Victorian-era writer.

I think this is going to be an erotic vampire story. It's in a collection of ghost stories by the same author. I'm in a ghost story mood.

[Catoptric]

I started looking into French animators (and these are super rare and you can't find them outside of physical copies, usually. . .)

Mœbius (Epic) Jean Giraud and Jodorowsky
https://archive.org/details/epic-presents-moebius


A list of comic series that can easily be overlooked.

Black Moon Chronicles (Olivier Ledroit coverart and some random animators helping throughout the series) which has various spinoffs as well as some being prequels, but also no complete and accurate list seems to exist, despite the series being involved in numerous games on different consoles, including an MMORPG (during the infancy of such games) as well as being the direct inspiration for some pretty well known SNES games like Drakkhen (which originated in the 1980s on PC,) and not until the last decade or so have the comics started getting translations (which even still is very mixed as to where you can find them.) I found all the comics that comprise the main series in English, but the Prequel (which shows as 15 in the series on Wikipedia, as well as shows an English title, despite never being released in an English translation) which only became apparent when looking at a French website (which hasn't updated the list of new comics in the series.) It also divides into a Series 1 and 2, which is where the 15 shows up on Wikipedia.

I've been doing the same crap with Anime, and fortunately found it much easier to find Wikipedia episodes lists with translations instead of relying on Google Translate which is almost always incapable. . .

A list of comics to look into

Spoiler

Show

French/Belgian comics, here are a few more translated titles:
FANTASY
Lament of the Lost Moors by Dufaux and Rosinski
Armies by Dionnet and Gal
Diosamante by Jodorowsky and Gal
The Fires of Askell by Arleston and Mourier
Legend of the Scarlet Blades by Tenuta
Ekhö by Arleston and Barbucci
Nils: the Tree of Life by Hamon and Carrion
Excalibur – The Chronicles by Istin and Brion
Elves (and extended universe) by Istin, Jarry and various writers and artists
The Ogre Gods by Hubert and Gatignol
Okko by Hub
White Claw by Le Tendre and TaDuc
Elias the Cursed by Corgiat and Mastantuono
Chronicles of the Dragon Knights (also translated Tales of the Dragon Guard) by Ange and various artists
The Swords of Glass by Corgiat and Zuccheri
Elric by Blondel, Poli and Recht adapting Moorcock
Saga Valta by Aouamri and Dufaux
Companions of the Dusk by Bourgeon
Lights of the Amalou by Gibelin and Wendling
Druids by Istin, Jigourel and Lamontagne
The Cathedral of the Chasms by Istin and Grenier
The Master Inquisitors by Istin, Cordurié and various writers and artists
The Cimmerian by various writers and artists adapting Howard
Marie of the Dragons by Ange and Démarez
The Book of Chaos by Lauffray
Peter Pan by Loisel
Aristophania by Dorison and Parnotte
The Golden Age by Moreil and Pedrosa
Beautiful Darkness by Vehlmann and Kerascoët
Satania by Vehlmann and Kerascoët
Incidents in the Night by David B.
Philemon by Fred
District 14 by Gabus and Reutimann
Dungeon (and extended universe) by Trondheim, Sfar and various artists
Herakles by Cour
Beauty by Hubert and Kerascoët
Rork by Andreas
A Tale of a Thousand and One Nights: Hâsib and the Queen of Serpents by David B.
Mr. Ash Tuesday by Liberge
Zombillenium by de Pins
Layla - A Tale of the Scarlet Swamp by Mika and Jérémy
Jakob Kayne by Runberg and Guerrero
Vesper by Jérémy
MANGA FORMAT
Radiant by Valente
Save me, Pythia by Brants
Lastman by Vivès, Sanlaville and Balak
SPACE OPERA
Aldebaran (and extended universe) by Leo
Mayam by Desberg and Koller
Aquablue by Cailleteau and Vatine
Orbital by Runberg and Pellé
Warship Jolly Roger by Runberg and Montlló
Barbarella by Forest
The Incal by Moebius and Jodorowsky
The Metabarons by Gimenez and Jodorowsky
Lone Sloane by Druillet
Wake by Buchet and Morvan
Infinity 8 by Trondheim and various artists
Ythaq by Arleston and Floch
Sangre by Arleston and Floch
Aama by Peeters
Orion’s Outcasts by Corbeyran and Miguel adapting Verlanger
SF
Aster of Pan by Merwan
Elecboy by Salaün
Renaissance by Duval, Emem and Blanchard
The Transporter by Armand and Roulot
Ian by Vehlmann and Meyer
Shangri-La by Bablet
Zaya by Morvan and Wei
The Nikopol Trilogy by Bilal
Megalex by Jodorowsky and Beltran
The World of Edena by Moebius
Arzach by Moebius
Last Days of an Immortal by Vehlmann and de Bonneval
Yojimbot by Repos
The Extraordinary Part by Ruppert and Mulot
Mermaid Project by Leo, Jamar and Simon
STEAMPUNK AND ALTERNATE HISTORY
Millenium by Nolane and Miville-Deschenes
Last of The Atlases by Vehlmann, de Bonneval, Tanquerelle and Blanchard
Hauteville House by Duval and Gioux
Wunderwaffen by Nolane and Vicanovic
Conquests by Runberg and Miville-Deschenes
Crusade by Dufaux and Xavier
KIDS AND YA
Alone by Vehlmann and Gazzotti
The Children of Captain Grant by Nesme adapting Verne
Castle in the Stars by Alice
Magic 7 by Toussaint and various artists
The Quest of Ewilan by Lylian and Baldetti adapting Bottero
Little Vampire by Sfar
Creatures by Betbeder and Djief
Nanami by Corbeyran, Sarn and Nauriel
The Golden Compass by Melchior-Durand and Oubrerie adapting Pullman
Milo’s World by Marazano and Ferreira
Klaw by Jurion and Ozanam
Harmony by Reynès
Okheania by Corbeyran and Picard
Scarlet Rose by Lyfoung
Devil on her Shoulder by Cardona and Mayen
Dead and Unburied by Colpron and Boisvert

One that stands out is (and I recommend getting a good quality copy)
Diosamante, La Passione E I figli by Jean Claude Gal & Alejandro Jodorowsky (1992, 2002)



*********************************


27 pg Article
Bullshit, Living, and the Future by Kyle Takaki
https://www.philosophyoflife.org/jpl201909.pdf

ARE WE TOO STUPID TO SURVIVE?
https://fiercelyindependent.substack.co ... to-survive


Near the end of Trump's first term, this was written (and similar to a Stasi or SS, they reviewed the article before it was published)

State-Sponsored Bullshit, and Why Truth Matters
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... th-matters

[starjots]

Camus, The Stranger

Pretty sure this is a deep, albeit brief book told in the first person. The protagonist is an ordinary, but alienated French guy in Tangiers (?). Think Casablanca for setting. Through a very short series of questionable choices, he becomes the main character in a court drama on trial for murder. There is no happily ever after here, just something to think about. Good.

Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

A recent best seller in the US told in the third person. The protagonist is a girl abandoned first by her mother, then her siblings, and finally her father. She raises herself from an early age in the coastal tidewaters of North Carolina. This part of the book is fascinating. Eventually, through a series of events, she becomes the main character in a court drama on trial for murder. It seems working a book into the on trial for murder stage is a popular choice with authors. Here we exist for the last third of the book. There is a twist at the end. This is the world we'd like to believe exists vs The Stranger being the world that probably exists. Very good (more entertaining).

[Madrigal]

Camus, The Stranger

Pretty sure this is a deep, albeit brief book told in the first person. The protagonist is an ordinary, but alienated French guy in Tangiers (?). Think Casablanca for setting. Through a very short series of questionable choices, he becomes the main character in a court drama on trial for murder. There is no happily ever after here, just something to think about. Good.

I had started reading it and never finished, I should give it another try soon.

The Monk by Matthew Lewis.

Scandalous gothic novel from around 1795. It's supposed to be depraved but I'm finding it quite funny for now.

[Madrigal]

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

The English like to say this made him the real founder of modern detective fiction (and not Poe).

He was more popular than Dickens in his day but Dickens stood the test of time, I guess. He's definitely a worthy rival though, hilarious and witty.