What I've Been Reading: January-March 2015

The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell

This bizarre, hilarious behind the scenes look of the making of The Room, a film that is arguably the 21^st century’s answer to Ed Wood’s filmography, is one that needs to be read to be believed.  The book switches between two stories: the friendship formed between aspiring actor Sestero and Tommy Wiseau, a man with all the ambition of a great artist but none of the talent, and the troubled production of The Room, a film Wiseau believed was a masterpiece but has since become a cult favorite among “so bad it’s good” movie fans.  Perhaps seeing the film first would be the best way to enjoy this book, as Wiseau’s eccentricities (refusing to say what country he’s from, confirm his age or divulge the source of his bottomless income) may be too hard to believe without additional context.  While there are a lot of laughs at Wiseau’s odd behavior and cluelessness about how art works, Sestero and Bissell do as good a job as they can at making this guy sympathetic.  The one thing I would’ve liked to have seen is anything that happened after the film’s initial release and the rise of its cult status.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Another in the series of books I’m reading while waiting for Game of Thrones season five, this one filled the time rather well.  It certainly gives Martin’s Westeros a run for its money in brutality.  In the city of Camorr (based on medieval Venice, a refreshing change of pace from all the ones based on medieval England), a team of orphans are brought up by a deceptive “priest” who raised them to be master thieves.  The second story involves the title character, an adult now running the group known as The Gentlemen Bastards, as they set up elaborate cons and amass a small fortune.  Things get messy when a mysterious player known as the Gray King makes his move on the underground controlling Barsavi family and eventually on the Bastards themselves.  I was impressed by Scott Lynch’s short story in the Rogues anthology, and this one was another fun read.  Using the heist genre in a fantasy world helps the world building immensely (since to paraphrase Christopher Nolan, in heist films exposition counts as entertainment), but at the heart Lamora and his Bastards were a compelling crew to read about, and I look forward to checking out the rest in the series.

Fire and Rain by David Browne

Basically four mini rock bios in one, Fire and Rain focuses on the year 1970 through what happened to four acts, all of whom put out a major album that year: The Beatles (Let It Be), Simon & Garfunkel (Bridge Over Troubled Water), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Déjà vu) and James Taylor (Sweet Baby James).  Within the year two of these acts broke up, one went on hiatus and the final one signaled a new era in popular music.  Their classic albums serve as the launching pad for Browne to talk about what else was happening in 1970 and how that era that defined the ‘60s was coming to an end.  Fans of any of these acts—and I have to imagine anyone reading this likes at least one of them—will find a lot of insight and maybe will be able to enjoy their work in a new, richer context.

Star Wars by Jason Aaron & John Cassaday

For certain readers, 2015 may be boiled down killing time until The Force Awakens’ release.  Obviously we still have a long way to go, so those antsy to return to the galaxy far, far away would serve themselves right to check out this new comic series, the first under Marvel’s banner since Dark Horse lost the rights.  The main title is basically episode 4.5, with the Rebels on a mission that as you can expect, goes awry.  Written by Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards), the Star Wars relaunch is off to a very entertaining start and John Cassaday’s art represents the characters and the world well.  Although Cassaday will be leaving the series after issue six, it seems like Marvel’s going to do what it takes to make sure this series doesn’t miss a step.  They certainly would want to keep this going strong.

The Martian by Andy Weir

If Gravity starred a non-evil version of Walter White, it might look a little something like this exciting debut novel.  Following a massive storm that causes his crewmates to evacuate, astronaut Mark Watley is left alone on Mars.  How he tries to survive the seemingly endless obstacles in his way and figure a way off that rock drive this story.  There is a lot of math and science to take in, but Weir ties it to the high stakes help make it relatable to non-hard sci-fi devotees.  I wonder how this problem solving will look when the film, due later this year, comes out.  If it’s anything like the book, they certainly will have a great popcorn movie on their hands.