Pandemic Journal, Part 21: Same Pandemic, Now with Occasional Trips

My pandemic journal series continues with Part 21. When will it end? Who knows? Especially here in the US where a lot of people refuse to get vaccinated. Having been fully vaccinated since April, I've been only masking occasionally and started making some trips (read about them below!), but in recent weeks it looks like things are going back in the wrong direction here in the US due to low vaccination rates and the Delta variant. So, this series may continue awhile longer. Sigh...

But the good news? More memes!

Spooky Crime: Later by Stephen King

 

Stephen King's latest book, Later, is a fun, short novel with more spooky stuff than you might expect from a "Hard Case Crime" novel. There are also a few interesting connections to other Stephen King books (which I won't spoil).

Angry Love: Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

 

It took me awhile to get into Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi, or really, to figure out what was going on. But once I did get into this novella, it was a look at life for African Americans in recent decades through the experiences of a single family, united by a sort of magic/psychic power that allows them to see scenes from the past. 

It's hard to really summarize, though, because reading it is a big part of the experience. For instance, the bits of narrative alternate between times and places in a way that feels jarring at first, but I think Onyebuchi's deeper point is that the past is never just the past. 

Tales from the Dark Half: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

I've been delving into King's shorter works lately, and this collection of novellas (and maybe one novelette or short story) is great stuff. Full Dark, No Stars is maybe not quite up there with Four Seasons, but it's definitely in that direction.

Fantastic Americas: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

 

I loved pretty much everything about Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun: the world building, the characters, the plot, etc. I have more Hugo nominees to read, but I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being my #1 pick.

Gangster's Fantasy: Jade City by Fonda Lee

 

The setting and the world building of Fonda Lee's Jade City are really, really cool. I'd love to learn more about the world, which is something like an Earth-adjacent version of Taiwan/Hong Kong with gangsters who use jade-based magic. The magic system is cool, although we don't learn a whole lot about it. I really feel like I visited the city of Janloon, and thankfully observed the gangster fights from the sidelines!