I'm Feeling Somewhat Better

I went to my taekwondo class this morning and felt much better about what's going on at my publisher's. There's nothing like kicking the stuffing out of targets and heavy bags to lift the spirits. Unless it's breaking into a good stenchy sweat. If only I could go to taekwondo every few hours.

Jane Yolen has this kind of publishing bump happen to her, and she doesn't fall apart. She doesn't have taekwondo to sustain her, either.

Yeah! I've got a black belt, and Jane doesn't! At last! I don't have to feel inferior to her about something. Okay, so it's a martial art that most people have barely heard of. How does that change anything?

Back to My Witchie Self

Children's Fiction: Give Them Fights, Cameras, Action by Charlie Higson is all about the thrill of the thriller, and shouldn't kids get to enjoy them, too?

Good question, given the arguments and controversies regarding problem books. And mentioning the article is a marvelous segue into my discussion of Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. I was looking forward to reading Point Blank because Horowitz writes (and I think created) the television series Foyle's War, which I absolutely love. (That's right. You heard it. I love something.) And as I began Point Blank, I was impressed. I thought the writing was good, and I liked the opportunities Alex Rider, the main character, had to defeat drug dealers and bullies. I think that when I was a kid I would haved liked the vicarious thrill I'd get from seeing the bad guys get theirs. I thought Horowitz was doing a very delicate balancing act between reality and and going too far with Alex's exploits.

Then, when I was a little more than halfway through, the book descended into a mad scientist story. You're mad, mad, I tell you. And your girlfriend is ugly, too! I made up that dialogue, but that's the flavor of the book from that point on.

Now, I get that the Alex Rider series is a Bond takeoff. That explains the snowboarding on the moving train scene. And I respect messing with pop culture. I really do. The problem is...

...well, I never actually liked James Bond.