The True Meaning of Smekday and Generation T

[alias_sqbr]

After reading this amazing review by thefourthvine(scroll down) I went and reserved "The True Meaning of Smekday" by Adam Rex at the library. It came in today and I read it in pretty much one sitting (modulo dinner and my obsessive need to check my email every five seconds etc) It's everything she says! Hilarious illustrated children's science fiction book about alien invasion with a lot of clever satire about colonisation and society and stuff. (It's like "The Xenogenesis Saga" only funny! And for kids!)

The only things that bugged me: as happens with a lot of humourous speculative fiction, I was sometimes thrown out of the story by stuff that was funny or clever but made absolutely no sense. Also I realised how the story was going to end about 2/3 of the way through and spent the rest of the book feeling a bit frustrated at the "subtle hints".

The other book I got out was Generation T: 101 things to do with a tshirt. Pretty much all 101 are simple and easy to make... and unbearably ugly. It might have been useful before I'd figured out how to do more complex things from places like t_shirt_surgery but as it is I don't see myself getting much out of it apart from better self esteem about my own creations.

Comments

[bunny-m.livejournal.com]

I don't see myself getting much out of it apart from better self esteem about my own creations

This is bad, how?

[alias_sqbr]

The internet is full of things that boost my self esteem about my own creative abilities, useful instructions for making good stuff is harder to come by :)

[stephiepenguin.livejournal.com]

I really want to read the Rex book, based on that review also!

[alias_sqbr]

I was going to say "It's in the library system" but I don't know if it's in your fancy Victorian library system. It is probably in your fancy victorian bookshops, however.