I've always said that the mark of a good book for me is dreaming about it. Well, maybe I should amend that. Not saying that the book I've been "reading" on my commute (via audiobook) isn't an amazing book. Yikes, it's wonderful and you should read it if you haven't. But it's also disturbing. 

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is narrated by a girl who is a witness to world cataclysm through her diary. As the world falls apart, she and her family are fairly able to keep themselves together--so far, at least, seeing as how I'm only halfway through it. That's what I get for listening on audiobook on my commutes.

I'm already feeling the need to eat--usually chocolate and McDonald's and all the food she can't get anymore after the moon gets knocked out of its orbit and causes cataclysmic climate change all over the earth--and this morning right before I woke up I dreamed about such cataclysms happening to me. Dreams about needing to get together my food storage (it's something that my church encourages as part of disaster preparedness, and I also think it's a general good thing to have enough food on hand to last a year in case of disaster). Dreams about starving to death. 

I actually don't remember much of it by now, but whatever the actual story arc of what I dreamed, the feeling of desperation still remains with me. Especially because the heat is currently out in my house and has been for the last four or five days because of a gas leak. Thank goodness it's been mostly warm, though the last couple days I've spent the evenings in bed under my quilt because it's cooled down.

But even awake I am kind of obsessed with the idea of what I would do if such a huge worldwide disaster occurred. This is far beyond the apocalyptic ideas of one country losing electricity through a pulse (Dark Angel, which I love, and Jericho, which started out well but I haven't watched in months because they went in a direction I wasn't comfortable with). They start losing even the basics that would be able to give them renewable energy. We're talking *major* cataclysm. Not just losing modern conveniences.

And I also keep thinking about the difference between losing all my modern comforts now and even 20 years ago. Back when I was a kid I used to think "no problem, I could just live as my ancestors did." And I could have--I lived on a farm, we had animals that could be turned to work, and my grandpa still had 100 year old farm equipment in his barn that he'd probably never get rid of. Our furnace was still woodburning and our family spent most of our weekend time cutting, splitting, and loading firewood. I know how to age it. I've helped my dad build two barns by hand (though with the help of the loader on the tractor for the posts and roof beams). We had a half-acre garden. 

Of course, we preserved that food by freezing it, the art of canning long gone. Even then we were dependent on refrigeration.

Well, since then I've moved 2000 miles away, and I live in a city like all the people I ridiculed as completely removed from the land. And I'm just as dependent on my electricity and electronic devices as the next city slicker. I could grow things in a garden, no problem. I could teach people how to get firewood, but urban sprawl and population growth and a number of other factors mean that we really wouldn't be able to just go back to how it was 100 years ago. Back then, people had community and even on a relatively self-sufficient farm, they had needs that could only be met by a supplier of seed or a dry goods store. Transportation involved at least horses and carts, and how many people do you know nowadays who could get their hands on a horse and cart?

So as I listen to the book, I think of all the things I know how to do to cope, and Pfeffer is taking away those things one by one. What would you do, if faced with this level of calamity? Yikes. Literally gives me nightmares.

At any rate, that's another episode of Stacy's Book Recommendations via Dreams. Go read the book and tell me you don't feel like stockpiling a year's worth of supplies or more!

Just got back from a Scott Westerfeld signing at a library in Bellevue. Was able to get my copy of Midnighters signed (the first book of the series, anyway), and bought my own copy of Uglies to get signed. I'd checked it out from the library back when I was raving about it. Also had the chance to let him know that reading the series caused one of my best dreams of all time.

Also got to meet Justine Larbalestier, Scott's wife, who wasn't there to present but still kindly signed some of her own books. Sadly, I couldn't find my copy of Magic or Madness anywhere this morning. I could have sworn I just saw it here the other day, but maybe it's actually in the office. But I did get a chance to quickly chat with her--after stepping on her on my way in the door, trying to sneak in during Scott's reading/Q&A time. :/ Sorry Justine!

Both of them are the nicest people, and I'm glad I got a chance to chat with them.

Also, while Scott was talking, it occurred to me that he bears a striking resemblance to someone.



Do you see the resemblance? On the left, we have Michael Weatherly, best known as Logan Cale from Dark Angel and currently playing Agent DiNozzo on NCIS. (Loved the first season of Dark Angel, thought it was a really wonderful science fiction story with originality and great characters and great ideas. It tanked for me in the second season, though it was still interesting enough to say it was okay because I still wanted to know what happened to the characters.) On the right, we have a photo of Scott Westerfeld at some sort of appearance. They could be brothers!

Justine didn't bear any striking resemblance to anyone, but that doesn't matter. You should still read Magic or Madness and pay special attention to the fact that it has a magic system that really asks tough sacrifices of its users. It also has a sequel, Magic Lessons, which I haven't had a chance to read yet.

Also talked to two local writers, Jen and another woman whose name I should have written down because I'm horrendous with names. Much better with faces--if we ever met again, I'd remember your face! (Funny--I'm very visual. I'll remember a name once I've seen it written down.) Anyway, if you pop in here, I'd love to hear from you!

This morning, I had a dream that the events manager--the person in charge of running shows--was the person also in charge of acquisitions for books, etc. So she and I were going on a walk in my dream, and I was basically chasing her trying to convince her to acquire a certain kind of fish sandwich. She kept balking because someone else had already gotten her to acquire her fish sandwich. Somehow in the midst of this argument, we both got roped into a table on the side of the street that was getting people to apply for a local community college which was Harvard in disguise--and I found this out because a woman asked me if she applied now (summer), did it mean she would be admitted to Harvard in the winter?

Somehow a motor boat and my managing editor were involved, too, but I can't remember why at this point.

Wow, what a great dream I had this morning right before waking up. I finished Specials late last night, and apparently all night I dreamed I was a Special. Flying on a hoverboard over the city, going into a house to find a clue left by someone earlier, and being ambushed by somebody. It was the most vivid story-esque dream I've had in a while. Of course, now most of it has faded, but the memory of flying on a hoverboard remains.

Thus, to have cool dreams, read Scott Westerfeld.