Yeah, I need an engaging plot to keep my interest. World-building and characterization that doesn't feed the plot starts boring me pretty quickly these days. It's largely why I can't read modern fantasy any more.

Obligatory: Of course there's some rape, it's an Alan Moore story.

Awesome! I am reading The Hobbit to my five year old. He is enjoying it. Unfortunately, he finds the Lego video game more compelling. I started reading it to him because my wife was playing it and letting him watch, and I don't think that's the perfect introduction to Middle-Earth. I thought the book would correct…

I have made two good faith efforts to read Dune and bounced off both times. I've done my duty. There will not be a third attempt.

I had no idea he put out another anthology. My attention span these days is more short story focused anyway, and King could always write a decent one. I may check that out.

I am still working my way through Ireland's Immortals by Mark Williams. An overview of Irish mythology, and while it touches upon and explains a number of myths, the book is more about how the myths were recorded and what they meant to the recorders, their place in the literary, theological, and cultural climate. I'm…

Maybe I had taken a long enough break from King to not notice the most egregious examples, or else find them more charming than annoying this time around. I dunno. But I enjoyed Black House a lot, although not enough to gamble on a solo King novel again.

I got into the Mabinogian because of Lloyd Alexander. The mythological Gwydion is very, very different from the one who lives in Prydain. I liked all the Arthur stuff, and the Culhwch & Olwen story is just absolutely stunning.

I can't handle recent fantasy epics. I'm much further away from the stuff you like and the stuff you don't like, too. I much prefer the earlier period stuff, where they would get to the point more quickly than writers seem to do these days. Moorcock is a good place to start, although his Elric stuff never worked for…

I loved (loved!) Talisman, so I couldn't help but pick up Black House even though I have pretty much given up on late-period King. I did enjoy Black House, though. I assume it was because Straub was able to reign in the worst of King's tendencies.

They hung out on Ord Mantell. What happens in Ord Mantell stays on Ord Mantell.

No. Luke had a prior relationship, if not outright friendship, with that crazy old wizard "Ben" while growing up on Tattooine. That's why when they run into one another during the search for R2-D2, they don't act like they've just met.

You may want to sit down.

I'm slightly baffled. Luke ran away from the universe in order to live by himself on a rock and hid the space coordinates or whatev. That's not the actions of a man who is "rah-rah-rah the Jedi and the New Republic are great!"

I mean, I don't want to live in a theocracy. Fucking Jedi are always "force-this" and "force-that," well, you know what I have foreseen? People making their own damn destiny.

I think that's my visceral reaction to it. Its such a throwback to late 90s Image/Wildstorm, I simply can't deal.

I dunno that the Jedi are really all that great, but I do think Luke Skywalker is. I'm also pretty sure that he is never closer to the Dark Side then when he is whaling on Vader and chopping off his hand - and if he actually killed Vader, that would be a loss in my book.

I want to like Titans because it's Abnett and the classic team but that art, man, that art is such a barrier.

Marrina? Nah, he turned her into an ook-monster and got rid of her.

Frank Oz is still with us and so are Force Ghosts.