a little tv

Posted on 10 June 2022 by snail

What does “TV” even mean now. In my younger days, everyone had access to the same stuff at the same time and later, delayed time. Boxes of VHS recordings represented a time travel of sorts.

Saving stuff from now to watch later. Buying DVDs to watch later. Later.

I eventually threw out boxes of VHS tapes, recycling the boxes at least. Stuff I never got round to watching.

Now we’re in the age of streaming. Things appear on one channel for a while, then another. You subscribe to some. A chase for content that perhaps suggests it’s still better to own the tapes. A little eccy up front but perhaps a mix of cheaper and available later on. On disc, always available.

Yet I like a little streaming. Stranger Things was interesting, appealing to my Gen X origins. Loved first season and that was sufficient. Enjoyed second and didn’t finish third. Of course, season 4 has recently premiered and suddenly Kate Bush is popular again…always a good thing. Now I feel caught in the need to finish season 3 so I can watch season 4 and enjoy how the Kate Bush track was used.

I can at least continue to watch Stranger Things on the streaming platform it started on. I started watching Star Trek Discovery on netflix a year or two back and it looked sort of interesting. I recall shorts for season 3 that looked good and took the show in an interesting direction. However it is no longer on netflix and I am not willing to subscribe to yet another streaming service to get access, though others have their own workarounds.

Then there was Dark. German. Some similar tropes to Stranger Things. More depth, less referencing. Germans seem to do this sort of thing well. A strong story with interesting ideas at play. So many interesting ideas. Time travel and loops. Higgs and other such. Not to shock but to tell a different sort of story.

I like Dark. I loved Dark. If I want to watch it again, it’s still available via the original platform (netflix). However I think I should buy it as it is a fabulous show that I should keep in my permanent collection. A collection of physical discs. Permanent at least until the discs die. Media migration is a whole other challenging space…perhaps I need to stick with streaming afterall :-)

a bunch of hugos

Posted on 15 May 2021 by snail

I’ve read lots of science fiction over the years, or speculative fiction, or fantasy, or other things that sort of look like those things. I’ve realised recently that in my 50s I am increasingly seeking out award winners to purchase and read. As a librarian I am supportive of loaning and lending; folk reading books and passing them on to others. Whereas I collect and acquire, I own and I retain, I hold and I cherish. I have occasionally loaned books to others and sometimes get them back, occasionally I realise years later that there are some I don’t get back.

On to award winners. I have tended to read them incidentally, as I have come across them in my meanderings through bookshops: physically and digitally. I have read things I’ve loved that haven’t won awards, and not loved some award winners. Yet award winners tend to be at least interesting, perhaps a step in a different direction. There are some I’ve skipped eg Connie Willis’ Doomsday Book as they concern alternate histories which I’m not fond of, yet I have read alternate histories by others such as Dick’s The Man in the High Castle.

Below is a list of all the winners of the Hugo awards which I tend to regard as one of the top awards, along with the Nebula, Locus, Aurealis, Philip K Dick, and others. Anyway I thought it’d be interesting to go through each and list the ones I read and owned. A different sort of list to circulate. For each book listed I have added 2 of 3 symbols such:

+ I own
$ I own fancy edition – usually Easton Press or Folio Society or Subterranean or Suntup or Centipede or Grim Oak etc
# read – have I actually read the bloody thing.

I’ve included one of the Retro Hugos which were awarded much later to fill missing years. Of those I gather, only one has been awarded post 1953 when the awards themselves began – as that’s a Bradbury I can’t help but include it.

1953 The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
1954 $# Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury [retro hugo]
1955 They’d Rather Be Right (also known as The Forever Machine) by Mark Clifton & Frank Riley
1956 Double Star Robert A Heinlein
1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1959 $# A Case of Conscience by James Blish [beat Heinlein’s Have Space Suit Will Travel]
1960 $# Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein
1961 +# A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M Miller
1962 $# Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A Heinlein
1963 $# The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick
1964 +# Way Station by Clifford D Simak [also known as Here Gather the Stars]
1965 +# The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber
1966 $# [joint winner] Dune by Frank Herbert [I own multiple editions: basic omnibus, Easton Press, Folio Society, eventually Centipede Press I hope]
1966 [joint winner] The Immortal by Roger Zelazny [also known as …And Call Me Conrad]
1967 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
1968 Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
1969 $ Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner
1970 $ The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin [I’ve read so many of her’s yet still it waits]
1971 +# Ringworld by Larry Niven [Centipede Press are planning to release a special edition]
1972 To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer [used to see it the shops and never quite bought it]
1973 The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1974 +# Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
1975 $# The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin [this was the first of her’s I read]
1976 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sing by Kate Wilhelm [not read much by her but have read some of a 2 volume collection of her short stories from Centipede Press]
1978 +# Gateway by Frederik Pohl
1979 +# Dreamsnake by Vonda N McIntyre [she wrote a bunch of star trek novels which is I came across her initially]
1980 The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C Clarke
1981 The Snow Queen by Joan D Vinge
1982 Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh
1983 +# Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov [been a long time since I read his Foundation series but I tend to feel this is a weaker entry]
1984 + Startide Rising by David Brin [also meant to read it and read others of his]
1985 +# Neuromancer by William Gibson [I can’t afford the special editions of this one]
1986 $# Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card [love it and have read it several times, hate the politics of the author]
1987 +# Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card [I anticipate getting the fancy edition in a few weeks]
1988 The Uplift War by David Brin
1989 Cyteen by CJ Cherryh [never read her adnd was alas never attracted by the blurbs – perhaps I need to try her hugos at least]
1990 Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1991 +# The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1992 +# Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1993 +# [joint winner] A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
1993 [joint winner] Doomsday Book by Connie Willis [I recently skipped the SubPress edition of this as I’m nostly not interested in alternate histories]
1994 Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1995 +# Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1996 The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1997 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
1998 Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
1999 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2000 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
2001 +# Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
2002 +# American Gods by Neil Gaiman [if anything I s’pose I’m disappointed he didn’t get a hugo for Sandman]
2003 Hominids by Robert J Sawyer
2004 Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
2005 ?# Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke [? as I can no longer find my paperback; I suspect I loaned it to someone long ago. Currently tempted to replace with a fancy edition]
2006 Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
2007 Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge
2008 The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon
2009 $# The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman [possibly one of my favourite Gaiman books]
2010 $# [joint winner] The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi [I only read it recently and then bought the fancy edition]
2010 $ [joint winner] The City & The City by China Mieville
2011 Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis
2012 Among Others by Jo Walton
2013 Redshirts by John Scalzi [I have read others by him but not this one yet]
2014 Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie [had an opportunity in the last week to buy the fancy version of the trilogy but passed as I bought a trilogy by Jemisin – see below]
2015 $# The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu; translated by Ken Liu
2016 $ The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin [Book 1 of first trilogy ever for all 3 books to get a hugo; managed to find fancy set with matching numbers this week]
2017 $ The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin [Book 2 of first trilogy to win hugo]
2018 $ The Stone Sky by NK Jemisin [Book 3 of first trilogy to win hugo]
2019 The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
2020 A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

picture books

Posted on 3 June 2020 by snail

When I was in Bowral last Christmas, I started re-reading Volume 1 of the Absolute Sandman as I was conscious that I never got round to reading the entire series. It was published as 4 volumes initially and later there was a 5th volume and a volume devoted to Death. I figured it was a good time to read them all through and made good ground initially. I took a break and read other things, recently finishing Volume 1 and anticipating continuing with Volume 2 in the near future. Dark stories well told; at times ethereal as they soak into my imagination.

A few weeks ago, or was it months, I managed to find a good edition, “as new” of the Omnibus edition of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I recall seeing the movie version many years ago and while not blown away, it retained a certain charm and I wished there had been a sequel with a little more depth. The movie felt more like an introduction, of sorts, rather a complete tale. The omnibus is occasionally available through secondhand retailers but tends to be a little pricy due to weight and consequently higher delivery costs. I recently found a nice edition, reasonably priced and bit the bullet. It too, I am enjoying, having finished part I and soon to embark on part II. I believe I should also but the Black Dossier for further tales.

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Omnibus

Other enjoyable graphic novels in recent years include:

Return of the Dapper Man by Jim McCann (recommendation from Mr Shaddow)
The Tomorrow Girl: Dresden Codak Vol 1 (also recommended by Mr Shaddow)

And The Umbrella Academy Vol 1 (deluxe edition) by Gerard Way. I’d been waiting a while for the deluxe edition to be published. I first came across this when the series appeared on netflix last year. The timing was sorta right and my partner and I binged it all. I loved it both for the creative story telling and outlandishness of sorts. One of the better things I’d seen in a long while. Needless to say I went hunting for the original graphic novels and while I did find them, they were a little pricy on the secondhand market so I thought I’d wait and see if some special editions appeared and sure enough they have. There’s 3 volumes with each releasing every few months so I pre-ordered them all with the first arriving just prior to lockdown.

time passes

Posted on 19 December 2018 by snail

Been a wee bit longer than anticipated. Holiday was good. My reading continues to be mixed though I seem to be chunking through stuff at the moment. I read Matthew Reilly’s new one, The Three Secret Cities, rather quickly. I seem to be devouring everything that the Australian arm of PS Publishing is putting out, though still no sign of their special editions of Dowling’s Rynosseros cycle.

PS Publishing Australia have released 5 titles so far of which I have and have mostly read, 4:

Dreaming in the Dark – Ed. Jack Dann – short story anthology of Oz genre fiction. I’ve read about 2/3 of the stories and it’s a strong collection
Odin’s Girl by Kim Watson – reading it at the moment and the writing is fab and I flow along with the story
The Book Club by Alan Baxter – a novella of about 100 pages. Well written and easily pulled me in
The Dragon’s Child by Janeen Webb – a novella of about 100 words too. Didn’t mind it but not blown either

There is one title remaining, Phantom Limbs by Margo Lanagan, an anthology of shorter pieces. I may have to get it if only to be complete though not sure it’ll be my cup of tea. While reading those at night, I read Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve during my lunch breaks at work. I spotted this title in NZ a couple of months ago, then heard about the film and thought I’d better hurry up and read it prior to seeing the film. Didn’t really blow my socks off but was a fun enough read. The movie isn’t getting fab reviews but I’d still like to watch it sometime.

mutterings

Posted on 23 April 2018 by snail

Been a while since I last said much…it’s April and it feels like I haven’t really stopped in ages. But I sputter on. Work remains exhausting but fun though I’m spending a day/week in systems which is nice but means I’m cramming the rest of my job into 4 days/week which is at times hectic, at times ok. I haven’t been getting to the fun stuff as much as I’d like.

I think that’s about to change as I’ve had the terms of reference approved to create a working group focusing on the collection of social media…this is in addition to my responsibilities for web harvesting. We have access to some nice tools, which other amazing people got up and running and I hope to build on their work. I am anticipating good things and looking forward to sharing the development with others.

I feel a little behind in my media consumption – perhaps always behind though that’s not I think, unhealthy. I haven’t finished season 2 of Jessica Jones though only a couple of episodes remain. I was getting close then Far Cry 5 was released so that sucked up a little time. And God of War was released last week so I’ve put Far Cry aside for a while to focus on the new adventures with Kratos. To be fair, God of War is the one I’ve been waiting a long while for, while the Far Cry releases are fun, there is something about the mix of storytelling, puzzles, and violence that makes God of War rather compelling.

I am at least, with my partner, halfway through Altered Carbon, which is proving to have some good ideas and emerging as decent science fiction…there’s a few times I’ve wondered whether this would have been a better direction to pursue with the second Bladerunner flick, though I did like it to a point. This year is the 40th anniversary of Blakes 7 and we are watching from the start as I bought the 4 seasons on DVD some years ago. It remains a pet peeve that there is no apostrophe in the screened title, nor of course on the DVDs, though everyone tends to put one in. One day, perhaps we’ll get to the boxed set of The Avengers (the older English version of course).

pressing on

Posted on 21 February 2018 by snail

I have a sneaking suspicion that I have turned into a serious, albeit amateur, book collector; certainly I abide by the key rule of collecting: buy what you like. Some of the things I like have ended up being worth quite a bit and occasionally I pause and wish I’d bought doubles. That way lies danger and madness. I continue to buy pretty versions of things I want to read or re-read so that I can read them in a nice edition. I am on the mailing list of several independent presses within my area of interest: SF and Fantasy.

This week I have added another press to my list, Grim Oak, as I’ve decided afterall that I do indeed want nice editions of the The Sword of Shannara series by Terry Brooks, of which they’re publishing the initial trilogy. I had considered it last year but decided against as the first had already sold out. Last year was also the 40th anniversary of publication of the first book. I’ve recently watched season 1 of the TV series (based on Book 2) and while not blown away, was keen to re-read the originals. So I’ve found the first one on Abebooks though it was a wee bit eccy (US$325) and have purchased books 2 & 3 (preorder) direct from the publisher at regular pricing (US$100 each). I contacted the publisher directly to see if I could get 2 & 3 with matching numbers to the first. They were happy to oblige and I’ve had a nice chat via email with their Associate Publisher.

That’s one of the things I like with small presses, that sense of personal engagement. Another I deal with is Subterranean Press and I’d recently missed an announcement for their next installment of Corey’s Expanse series. I emailed the main guy directly and he was able to put aside a copy for me with the matching number of the titles I had already. I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve bought from Subterranean over the years but a rough estimate puts it over 30, possibly 40, titles. I’m also collecting the Malazan series (10 books) from Subterranean, and they’ve just announced preorders for the 8th book. Even though the limited set is not yet finished, their resale value is already a few times the purchase cost and the first alone has jumped to around US$2,000 (original purchase price of US$160).

The Grim Oak edition of The Sword of Shannara should arrive in a couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to re-reading it as soon as I have it. Book 2 (Elfstones of Shannara) is due in a few weeks and the third book (Wishsong of Shannara) mid-year.

Value is a curious thing and it’s interesting to watch how much some titles sell out and increase in value while others languish. The Malazan titles for example by Subterranean Press, are a wee bit out of control, and I recall seeing a set (incomplete as only the first 7 of 10 have been published in these editions) of the lettered editions on ebay for a five figure amount whereas sets of the numbered editions seem to be in the mid four figures. Whereas I can easily buy the Subterranean editions of Greg Egan‘s shorter fiction and a new one is up for preorder. Egan is an Australian writer of hard SF.

The Centipede’s Press edition of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card sold out quickly and has a scary range of secondhand pricing: US$800 to US$2,200 whereas I bought it direct from Centipede for US$275. I missed out on Centipede’s edition of Logan’s Run and it’s now available for a range of US$200 to US$300 which is not bad but I don’t have the personal keenness for that title. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to buy their edition of The Delicate Dependency (vampire novel) but decided to read it first. Now I want it but it’s sold out and hard to find with the occasional copy turning up for US$275 or so, again more than I want to pay for that one.

Small presses that I like:

Centipede Press – they do a lot of horror and some SF
Grim Oak – Terry Brooks + a few short story collections and other things
PS Publishing – UK publisher that has recently launched an Oz office. SF and horror. I started with them for Malazan stuff but have continued to find interesting things. They will eventually publish (I hope) nice editions of Oz author, Terry Dowling’s Rynosseros cycle
Subterranean Press – primarily SF and Fantasy

Other publishers that I may or may not dally with include:

Cemetery Dance – horror and dark – I think I’ve bought some Terry Dowling, or been tempted to buy some
Easton Press – they do old school leather bindings, gilt edge and book ribbons…and they do it really well. I have a few on the shelf though I don’t think I’ve paid more than US$100 or so per title.
Folio Society – I have a bunch and there’s a whole bunch more that I want – every time I look I get a little scared. Current temptations include The Foundation Trilogy and Dune – though I already have a nice Easton Press edition of Dune.

In terms of buying sold out titles, I tend to use abebooks and bypass ebay though I have used the latter once or twice. I sorta like using book specific resources and non auction sites at that. Ebay often has an option to buy immediately but it’s more of a general store than a bookstore. The main time I used ebay was to buy a particular numbered edition of the first of the Malazan series.

more sheep (there are spoilers)

Posted on 26 October 2017 by snail

…which sounds like it could be a line introducing the planned Settlers of Catan movie.

But no, I of course refer to a second movie picking up on the themes of Philip K Dick‘s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. As an aside, thankfully, googling “android” and “dick” produced far less scary results than anticipated. Dick’s greatness far exceeds dodgy pr0n references. DADOES as it is often shortened to, is possibly Dick’s second best novel, the best generally regarded as The Man in the High Castle. I tend not to disagree.

When the first version of the first movie was released in, I think, 1982 or 3, I wasn’t able to see it. Dad however, bought me the book. I was 14 at the time. It blew me away. I loved it much. I’ve only read it once but it has always stuck with me. Vivid. I finally saw the film on its second release, as the Director’s Cut. Loved it. Also vivid. Seared into my mind. I saw it many times both on big screen and small.

I suspect I’ve seen the original version several times since. Comfortably double figures on the director’s cut, possibly double figures on the original. I love both though it remains true that people generally prefer the version they saw first. There is also a final cut that was much later that I tried to watch recently but didn’t quite find the right moment to pop it on. I’ve read enough to know where it differs and seen the other versions enough to work out where it fits visually.

Seriously: spoilers below.

Bladerunner is that rare, rare film that leaves out so much of the book yet captures its essence, shares its soul. Blade Runner 2049 also succeeded…mostly. I was riveted to the screen for most of it, for most of it was perfect. If it had stopped shortly after Agent K and Deckard met, or been effectively finished at that point, I would have been happy. But it didn’t finish, there were fights and kidnapping and more fights, Terminator-esque. The side plot of the tycoon Wallace, felt shallow and vacuous. Unnecessary. Even then, if the film had ended with K dying on the snowy steps it might have been redeemed. It felt so much like an interesting film with a Brady Bunch ending slapped on.

And yet, it was still so bloody good…so much perfect, visually grand (it needs a really big screen, a big space), musically, aurally wonderful. It still traces the path of what does it mean to be human, and explores new ripples. It was well paced, events, music, landscapes…connected. I loved its play with virtual characters, and the way it overlapped virtual with real…or a sense of real. It’s all about the sense of real, and not necessarily the real itself.

playing with editions

Posted on 22 June 2017 by snail

I was a little late to the party on “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. It was first published in 2011 and I finally got round to reading it last year and the movie is coming out in 2018. It was a fun read full of 1980s pop culture references. I initially came across it because Subterranean Press released a limited edition in 2015 which quickly sold out.

Now I’m sorta wondering whether it’s worth grabbing a nice edition myself. The limited edition initially sold for US$75 from Subterranean Press and the cheapest I can find on abebooks is US$275 and they go higher, much higher. Curiously, I came across the first printing of the first edition on ebay and it was only US$125, however it’s not pristine and looks well read. I am amused the first edition is cheaper than the special edition. With that said, I’m not particularly interested in first editions myself (well unless they’re Biggles of which I have a bunch of first editions) and like to buy pretty editions, well bound with nice typesets.

It’d be nice to have a decent copy of Ready Player One but I reckon I’ve missed the boat and when the movie comes out next year, the prices will likely skyrocket. If I was in to making money, it might be worthwhile picking up a few copies now, even if they’re a little eccy and then sell them at substantial profit when everyone’s riding high on the movie release. But I’m not that sort of person and not into that whole investing thang. I like to buy nice books because I like to read nice books.

sff 2017 day 10

Posted on 16 June 2017 by snail

Friday night, one movie and I was home by 9.30. Was supposed to be in Newtown much, much earlier but all city trains were stopped due to a fatality at Granville. While I am saddened at the loss of life, I am also concerned that it could bring most of the trains to a standstill. It took around half an hour to move one station from Town Hall to Central, at which point I got off and got a taxi to my car. The advantage of living in the inner west is taxis aren’t too expensive but it’s not something I’d want to do too often.

Friday night’s movie was the world premier of an Australian SF movie, called Otherlife (Australia). This was really good and they made it work, and even seemed to have a reasonable budget. Interestingly some of the bits I’ve read about it note that it actually had a very low budget. The basic idea is the development of a software based chemical that messes with the chemicals in your head, launching you into a virtual experience that feels totally real and lasts for hours, while only seconds pass in the real world. Throw into that a sub-plot around funding and you have a decent thriller in the making. There were sections of the movie I was unsure whether they were real or virtual/imagined; there was just enough of a suggestion that I was on the edge of “I don’t know”. Cleverly done and good SF.

time to play

Posted on 4 October 2016 by snail

I was a little disappointed that Tomb Raider for the PS4 was not out in time for the long weekend…not to mention Dishonored 2 and the updated version of Skyrim…all of which are due in October. Later in October when I probably won’t have as much time to play. On the other hand, it doesn’t really matter if I don’t get to play them on day 1, yet there is something of that sense of release day anticipation…still. I’m 48 now and I feel it at the edge of my consciousness: lurking, waiting, intensifying. It is the same of books, I have to have that book on day 1, first edition, etc…though I no longer necessarily read it that day.

Yet, day 1 desire remains.

I recently got round to playing The Last of Us, the PS4 remastered version of which was released in 2014…2 years ago, and the PS3 version was released before that. It was still a good game. Then there’s the Bioshock Collection, released in September on the PS4 yet been around for years on other platforms. I nearly bought it for the long weekend but thought no, I won’t finish all 3 by the time Tomb Raider is released. I can always play it later.

The PS3 version of Skyrim was a massive timesink and I spent over 300 hours playing it that summer. I may never have time to play that enough, nor even that amount of time to play. I was single and living alone in those days, now I have other, wonderful people in my life. I still fire up the PS3 and play a little Skyim every so often. Yet, I am also curious about starting from scratch on the PS4 and seeing what sort of game I’d play these days.

Instead, on the long weekend, I bought nothing new and enjoyed what I had. I continue to be rather fond of No Man’s Sky, though it’s more exploratory than actual game. It is strangely alluring and easy to lose many hours playing. I finally got round to playing The Order: 1886 which was generally panned on release as being short and lacking in the gameplay department. While gameplay is a little simplistic and full of detailed setpieces, it is visually sumptious and I’m hard put to think of a game that is so well realised in its visualisation of the environment. I’ve spent a lot of time just sitting back and viewing my surroundings. The story too, seems sufficient and I look forward to finishing it off.

Further to gaming I finally finished season 1 of Daredevil on Netflix which was pretty fab. I found the 13 episodes a little slow at times but the story and character development was good. I’m undecided whether to move to season 2, or watch season 1 of Jessica Jones next, and of course Luke Cage has recently dropped. I have at least read most of the comics for Jessica Jones. To top off a good three days off work, I also managed to get through the first half of season 2 of Once Upon a Time. Somewhere in there, I’d like to fit in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D but suspect I’ll need to buy the DVDs as it doesn’t seem to be on the Oz version of Netflix. I do have the DVDs for the first season of The Expanse and I’ve read the first two books.

So much to watch and play and yet I still hunger for day 1 releases. That’s a wee bit wrong.