Monday, July 22, 2002
The Year's Best Science Fiction
edited by Gardner Dozois
It took me a few months to read this title. A co-worker lent it to me as he always sees me reading over lunch and I didn't feel comfortable taking it home with me. My review started writing itself when I skimmed the opening credits -- two of the names there were names that I recognized from my brief membership in the Teen Writers Organization of America. Fortunately for my ego, they were only editorial assistants and hadn't penned any of the featured tales. (Seriously, I don't even know if it's the same Jim Allen or Gordon Van Gelder who were in the TWO*A. Either way, my hat's off to their accomplishment.) Still it started me thinking of doing a long, drawn out rumination about my youthful ambitions and all that. But that just led me to think about the girl I met through TWO*A and, well, I haven't got to the point where I'm willing to talk about those youthful ambitions on the web. Even if it was more interesting than any writing I did with the group. But I digress. It's been a while since I've read a "best" collection of science fiction. This one, for 1999, certainly lived up to it's title. I can only think of one tale that I found to be boring, and a number which were great to read. I'd give you titles and names of the best, but I don't recall them, and since the book was borrowed, I can't look them up. However, I think I'll keep my eyes open for a copy and get one to put on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
It took me a few months to read this title. A co-worker lent it to me as he always sees me reading over lunch and I didn't feel comfortable taking it home with me. My review started writing itself when I skimmed the opening credits -- two of the names there were names that I recognized from my brief membership in the Teen Writers Organization of America. Fortunately for my ego, they were only editorial assistants and hadn't penned any of the featured tales. (Seriously, I don't even know if it's the same Jim Allen or Gordon Van Gelder who were in the TWO*A. Either way, my hat's off to their accomplishment.) Still it started me thinking of doing a long, drawn out rumination about my youthful ambitions and all that. But that just led me to think about the girl I met through TWO*A and, well, I haven't got to the point where I'm willing to talk about those youthful ambitions on the web. Even if it was more interesting than any writing I did with the group. But I digress. It's been a while since I've read a "best" collection of science fiction. This one, for 1999, certainly lived up to it's title. I can only think of one tale that I found to be boring, and a number which were great to read. I'd give you titles and names of the best, but I don't recall them, and since the book was borrowed, I can't look them up. However, I think I'll keep my eyes open for a copy and get one to put on my shelf.
LibraryThing link
Labels: GardnerDozois, OnMyShelf
Thursday, July 11, 2002
The Cost of Discipleship
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This was a tough read. Not that the translation from the German was obtuse. No, what Herr Bonhoeffer had to say was quite clear. The difficulty arose from my conscience when Bonhoeffer talked about what is and isn't following Jesus. Like many, I like to think that since I trust Jesus to forgive my sins, the sins I do commit really don't matter. That just isn't so. As the book points out, when I sin, I stop following Jesus. That, friends, was a scary concept. I was resting comfortably on my salvation and to have that pulled out from under me was very troubling. So much so that the first time I attempted to read this tome I ended up putting it aside. This year I attempted it again and was able to handle it better. It's not that I'm less of a sinner now, but rather that confronting the harsh reality of the law forced me to take a look at God's grace. I realize that the forgiveness that Jesus offers is for the unfaithful disciple as well as for those who don't know better. Which is not to excuse my failures and rebellions. I certainly deserve to rot in hell for all eternity. I'm grateful that I don't have to, that my eternal life depends on God's mercy rather than my obedience. This is a book written for Christians, so if you believe that God is willing to forgive you for Jesus' sake, then go ahead and read this book. I'm putting it on my shelf, where it's ready to be read again. If you don't believe, go read the Bible instead.
LibraryThing link
This was a tough read. Not that the translation from the German was obtuse. No, what Herr Bonhoeffer had to say was quite clear. The difficulty arose from my conscience when Bonhoeffer talked about what is and isn't following Jesus. Like many, I like to think that since I trust Jesus to forgive my sins, the sins I do commit really don't matter. That just isn't so. As the book points out, when I sin, I stop following Jesus. That, friends, was a scary concept. I was resting comfortably on my salvation and to have that pulled out from under me was very troubling. So much so that the first time I attempted to read this tome I ended up putting it aside. This year I attempted it again and was able to handle it better. It's not that I'm less of a sinner now, but rather that confronting the harsh reality of the law forced me to take a look at God's grace. I realize that the forgiveness that Jesus offers is for the unfaithful disciple as well as for those who don't know better. Which is not to excuse my failures and rebellions. I certainly deserve to rot in hell for all eternity. I'm grateful that I don't have to, that my eternal life depends on God's mercy rather than my obedience. This is a book written for Christians, so if you believe that God is willing to forgive you for Jesus' sake, then go ahead and read this book. I'm putting it on my shelf, where it's ready to be read again. If you don't believe, go read the Bible instead.
LibraryThing link
Labels: DietrichBonhoeffer, OnMyShelf
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