I’d be terrified to total up the amount of Time, Money, Energy, and Gas used in my purchasing and traveling to Ryden’s Border Store in Grand Portage. I mention this as I realize in the next week alone I personally have four packages arriving there. The total value of this trip in particular is in excess of $300 CAN.

1) Absolute Watchmen by Alan Moore
I read this recently, on loan from The BookShelf when it came in in Trade Paperback form. It was a weird read, but not something I didn’t enjoy. I’ve read a small amount of work by Alan Moore, and every time he’s thrown me for a loop, this book being no exception. A review I once read, and totally agree with states that this is a book meant to be digested several times over a large time-span. Having only read it once, I figured for the next 20 reads, why not have it in a beautiful oversize hardcover edition. This edition also features newly recoloured artwork by the original art team, oversized images and plethora of special features. Along with a sewn in bookmark and a cardboard slipcase. In Canada this would retail for over $100, on eBay i got my copy for $50. Currently its sitting on the shelf at Ryden’s just aching to be brought home and read again, and again, and again.

2) All Star Superman Vol 1 by Grand Morrison
This story proved to be one of the most interesting I’ve read in years Comic Book wise. Morrison took the entire sixty odd years of back story and shackles that have been applied to the character of Superman, and threw them right out the window. This story exists in its own little corner of the universe, away from all the trappings of continuity, and coming back from the deadness that has been dragging most Comic Book titles to an early grave. This story features a Superman who is actually dying, and not in some weird shot with a Kryptonite Bullet kind of way. He is a plausible and serious character to read, and the story unfolds as a nearly End of Superman kind of event. I read this series originally in regular issues, and now have sold those on ebay, and upgraded to beautiful Hardcover editions. I already have volume two waiting on my bookshelf at home next to all the other unread graphic novels, but it won’t be going anywhere until this beauty comes home from Ryden’s.

3) Samsung BD-P1500 (see its not all graphic novels)
This beautiful piece of drool worthy tech is my second Blu-ray player. Last year I purchased a Sony PS3 with Ryan, and love the little bugger to pieces. But sadly it does not reside at my house, its at Ryan’s. This isn’t a problem as I spend a Lot of time over there, and get to watch my fair share of stuff on the PS3. But there are plenty of occasions where my taste in movies just doesn’t quite match up with that of my better half. So I do my best not to watch those titles when he isn’t around. The other occasion of conflict is the time I actually spend at my own house in front of the 52″ HDTV there that only has a DVD player hooked up to it. For those occasions I made this purchase for the benefit of not just myself but that of my family too. So I sold what proved to be an DVD recorder worth $130, and some other odds and ends around the house I found while we were moving. After a little ebaying, voila, enough money to fund this purchase, and that of item number 4. This player just recently got a good review from CNET, now that it has been updated several times by Samsung with firmware. All things are looking up for this purchase, so I can’t wait to get it home. My parents are puzzled by it with the question of why buy it when we don’t have any Blu-rays? My thoughts, we don’t have any because we didn’t have the player.

4) HDMI Cable
If I’m going to buy item 3, then obviously this essential piece must be purchased too. Also screw you Future Shop for daring to charge over $50 for an HDMI cable, I got mine for $10 with free shipping online. No reason this stuff should be so expensive, it makes me sick. Also don’t ever buy anything made by Monster Cables. There stuff isn’t any better than the rest of the stuff available cable wise. If I ever find it, I’ll post the link where they had sound experts fail to notice a difference between a stereo wired with Monster Cables, or patched together with plain copper cables and duct-tape type setup.

As you can see, these kind of trips get to have large values and large quantities of items. This one honestly pales in comparison to some previous trips I’ve made. Surprisingly they don’t know me by name there yet, but I doubt I’m the most active customer they have there.
To top all of this off, Ryden’s charges $3 US in handling fees per package when you pick them up. You can’t tell me they don’t make a killing by accepting peoples mail for them. Though slightly more stringent pickup procedures would be nice, as I could waltz in and grab whatever I wanted as long as I know the persons name.
Anywho, I accomplished my goal of making a long, meaningful post that actually has pretty pictures in it. Hope you all enjoyed.

Today, while wondering about on the internet I found a review at one of my local haunts of Batman (1989) on blu-ray. Reading it I realized, I have it written down that that movie doesn’t come out until March 10th in North America. wtf?

So I continue reading, to find out, it’s the UK release, and its Region Free! Now I would have balked back in the DVD days, because just because you can play it here, doesn’t mean it won’t be crap. No longer must I fear, as the stupidity that is NTSC vs PAL is not over. Turns out that there is only 1, yes 1 kind of HD signal in the world, about freaking time. 1080p/24 is the same 1080p/24 EVERYWHERE.

So much to the dismay of my poor little credit card, $54 CAN just went to the monolithic company that is Amazon.co.uk. But the bright side is, these Blu-ray discs come as individual films, so I can own only Batman and Batman Returns, without having to waste money (again) on Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

Technological progress can be a good thing once in a while, and I’m glad to be up on it, most of the time.

Below are the pretty new covers.

As of yet Joe Hill has not quite reached the prolific status of his father. Though with the current output of novels, short stories, comic books and who knows what else waiting in the shadows he is poised to approach such selling power very quickly.

Until that happens and mostly likely even afterward, those of us shopping online with small publishers such as Subterranean Press and PS Publishing will be in for a real treat.

Late in 2008 saw the release of Joe Hill’s latest novella Gunpowder from PS Publishing. This title is available in an extremely limited run. Both the Slip Cased and Jacketed hard cover editions already sold out, and the 500 copies of the regular hardcover are sure to go very fast.

I managed to get my order in on time for the basic hardcover edition, at a price of £12.00, plus shipping to Canada. The wait from ordering this 6 months in advance was excruciating, but Hill has made it more than worthwhile.

After devouring all 22,600 words of this novella in a single evening I could little else than stare amazed at the story laying in my lap. Not only was this one of the most beautifully produced books I’ve read, with astounding cover art by Vincent Chong, but it was one of the most engaging Science Fiction stories I’ve read in years. An unlikely cast of children with psychic power, and their regular human mother Elaine populate this stories small desolate planet so fitting nicknamed Gunpowder. These children, bred with the express purpose of terraforming the planet are maturing before their mother’s eyes, and developing exciting powers along with the understanding of the outside world only a child can acheive.

Hill makes every word count, setting each character perfectly in place to pull every heart string necessary to draw you so far into the story I had difficulty leaving. It is a real art to be able to so fully populate such a short story and have such a deep and engaging plot. I commend the abilities of Hill, and continually look forward everything and anything that he writes.

Until his next novel comes out later this year I’ll be reading and rereading Locke and Key: Head Games, available from IDW at your local Comic Shop. If that proves not to be enough I’ll be rereading Heart Shaped Box and 20th Century Ghosts, as well as the short story Thumbprint (available from Subterranean Press and as part of The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 19).

Check out Joe Hill at his website joehillfiction

As well you can find Vincent Chong, the master behind the amazing cover to Gunpowder here.

Here for viewing pleasure is the cover.