Thursday, December 31, 2009

Looking Back Best of 2009...

My pointless list of Best Of's ie my faves for 2009, I will attempt to keep it to things from 2009 but on occasion they may simply be things I found in 2009.

Best Personal Triumph:
Signed a two book contract with WiDo Publishing for Heroes of the Fallen and Blood of Our Fathers they also have first rights for the continuing series-which I greatly hope it will be-roughs for the next two are already started.To a lesser degree, won a general fiction contest for Dance the Ghost with Me a weird western I plan on finishing in 2010. And I did finish a Spartan novel Bless the Child which is in revision at the moment.

Best Novel I read this year: Joe Abercrombie's Last Argument of Kings. It wasn't released this year-Best Served Cold was but I liked LAOK better.

Best Non-Fiction read this year: Bruce Porter and Rod Meldrum's Prophecies and Promises. As far as I'm concerned it settles the B of M geography issue.

Best CD I bought this year: Yes, I still bought CD's this year like maybe 4 of them-the least ever since I was a kid and started buying cassette tapes. Morrissey's Years of Refusal has a couple good tracks but I can't say that they measure up to his previous works by any stretch. Lacuna Coil's Shallow Life would have to be my most listened to album of the year and I still like their 2006 Karmacode better.

Best Movie I saw in 2009: This is tough because I honestly can't think of anything that really tops stuff that's older. I may go with Inglorious Bastards. There were lots of movies that could have been great (Wolverine) but stunk. This is what happens when you stray from source material people-it sucks. I don't have high hopes for the next Conan movie either.


Best piece of Art: I bought this year. Dixon Leavitt's Stripling Warriors. Every time I walk past this in my living room I have to look at it. Bear in mind I did buy several paintings this year and also bear in mind what I can afford since I can't afford a Frazetta.

Best Musical: I saw this year: watched Grease 2 with the wife a week or two ago and had a good time doing Mystery Science Theater 3000 to it. I mean whats with Crater Face from Grease 1 still hanging around isn't he like 40 in the continuum by now? That and you see him in a Hawaiian shirt at the Luau right before he suddenly attacks it at the end. Yeah I don't really watch musicals. And could this outfit be MORE gay?

Best Graphic Novel: read this year: Props to Brandon Dayton for his Green Monk it was just too short. Props as well to IDW for re releasing the original G.I.Joe comics from the 80's those are excellent (Again movie that could have been great if it stuck to the source material but Su-Didely-Ucked!!! instead) As far as a 2009 release I am still gonna go with reprinted yet new material (to me) Savage Sword of Conan volume 6. Reprints from the black and white mag of the 70's.


Best Old Book: I discovered in 2009: War Commentaries of Caesar by Julius Caesar. Liked it so much I even had to take a line for the opening quote in my novel. That and I have started my love of the ROME TV series late. Love it though, gripping speculative storytelling set within historical parameters. Got it for Christmas. Guess I can add best TV to this segment too even though the series is older. Other Best TV would have to go to History Channel for my fav shows-Monster Quest, B.C. Battles, Warriors with Terry Schapert, and Ancient Discoveries.

and finally my latest post on twitter. Unbelievable jobs I actually had (however briefly) this year: Insulation/Building Inspector, NaNo tech R&D, Gun-safe assembly line, Novelist.

5 comments:

The Debster said...

well, now that is a list that I can appreciate. Especially Grease 2. Boy that was fun to rip apart!

And I have seen "Gay-er" outfits than that. That one is just particularly crappy!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Yes, but the question was how could this particular outfit be MORE gay?

The Debster said...

fake chest hair, glued to his chest?

Mary E Campbell said...

Awesome painting for the Stripling Warriors. Congrats on your book deal. I have mixed feelings about Grease 2. I adored it when I was a teenager, but it could be more gay with a pink boa around his neck. He's actually very hot in that movie. That outfit was a bit much though.
I imagine you want to puke right now.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

No, its just funny is all. I think of it as a terrible movie that I actually enjoyed watching with my wife. And I think it was probably the high point in Maxwell Caulfields career wasn't it?