Booklist

The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells - I have seen both movies and enjoyed them both but I finally decided it was time to read the source material. This book isn't so much an account of the invasion but a journal from a survivor. I've read that this is perhaps the "father of all science fiction" and I really do believe it. This book has inspired so many and sparked so much great sci-fi over the years, it's truly amazing. Now, it is true that the language is a bit antiquated and the pacing is a bit slow but it was written in a different time. 1895 to be exact. H. G. Wells was truly a visionary writer and way ahead of his time. I plan on reading more of his stuff. Batman/Superman Generations by John Byrne - I read them out of order because that's the way the library got them in. No matter. It's kinda fun to read these alternate universe comics. Of course, continuity in a comic is a big joke anyway. The point is to let yourself go and just be a kid again. Just have fun and enjoy the artistry of the thing. I do appreciate that. John Byrne is one of my favorite comic artists. I wish I hadn't lost his "Next Men" series in the fire that claimed my apartment about about 7 years ago. I'll have to see if I can find those again. Anyway, I love the way Byrne manipulates the history of these two heroes by forcing the continuity of time upon them. In our world, these guys never age and get reborn in new ways all the time. But Byrne forces time to have an effect on these supermen. They age. They marry. They have kids. They have happy times and sad times. Some of it's a bit cheesy. Byrne loves to infuse his books with a retro-style charm at times. In this instance, it fits. You know, it occurs to me that some of these comic book movies might be better if they let the guys that truly love them and know what they are doing write them instead of handing them off to some Hollywood writer who thinks he can reinvent the wheel. Go to the source, people. Let the comic book geeks have their day.