This year saw a big increase in the number of books I read and wow, I watched a lot of television. Also, a bunch of movies. Following are thoughts on my favorites.
Books
The Murderbot Diaries (seven books, 2017-2023) by Martha Wells – This science fiction series is a truly addictive mix of action, thriller, and first-person snarky humor from the point of view of a cyborg “SecUnit” owned by a corporation that sends it out on security ops for paying clients. Murderbot (as it calls itself, for reasons that become clear partway through the first book, “All Systems Red”) has a rich interior life and a love of serial television that humans know nothing about – and it likes it that way. However, complications arise, as they are wont to do in novels, and Murderbot has to risk exposure to save itself and its current clients from a deadly plot. Once the story gets going, it is unrelenting until the final page. I could barely put the book down! After that first one, I quickly acquired the rest (five other books at that point, as well as a few online short stories) and hoovered them up within a week (easy to do when most of the books are novellas of about 150 pages). Like many fans of the books, I feel “seen” in an unusual way by the depiction of Murderbot, who is outwardly hypercompetent, remote, and rather cranky, but is inwardly riddled with self-consciousness and anxiety stemming from years of trauma, and able to open up emotionally only to its private entertainment feed. (Spoiler alert: that does change a bit over the course of the books.) Those elements don’t bash you over the head, though – they are threaded into the main plots skillfully. Wells is also great at writing scenes of both physical action and computer hacking – no hand-waving or technobabble here! It’s all described with a level of detail and logic that is very rewarding for geeks like me who care about the “how” of a story and not just the “why”. Then there’s the slowly unspooling story of corporate evils and a resistance movement building against them. And the interesting take on gender (or lack thereof). There is so much to like about this series! I really recommend it.
Witch King (2023) by Martha Wells – After the first six Murderbot books, I had to wait for the seventh to come out, so I went looking for other fiction by Martha Wells. I tried the first two Raksura books (fantasies about shape-shifting dragon people) and liked some elements but found others frustrating. Then I tried this standalone fantasy novel, which is perhaps the perfect melding of Wells’s Raksura books and the Murderbot series, in that the main character is an outsider with superpowers and romantic feelings, and he moves through a landscape and history that is magical, fantastical, and tremendously complex politically, and there is a TON of action! Two timelines alternate through the book, and though I was occasionally frustrated by the disruption of the story I was reading, I was quickly pulled back into the other story. And then again a chapter or two later. And toward the end, they begin to dovetail in a very effective way. I really enjoyed this.
Lincoln in the Bardo (2017) by George Saunders – A tale both vast in scope — across history and many viewpoints — and utterly focused on one man’s experience of intense grief over a short span of time: a single night in a cemetery where his young son has just been interred. That sounds ponderous, but the book is anything but! Every word in it is uttered (or written, or thought) by a specific individual, so it reads like a play — and it is often funny or surreal, which keeps things lively. The prose is simply gorgeous, and the evocation of spiritual torment after the death of a beloved child is intensely moving at times. Such an experience changes you forever, inwardly if not outwardly in an obvious way. Saunders does seem to be proposing that Lincoln’s grief changed his approach to the Civil War in important ways, but to me that is less “the point” of the book than all the many stories of the narrators that are revealed over time. Some of the Roger Bevins III passages pierced me with their beauty!
Tenth of December (2013) by George Saunders – Perceptive, frequently hilarious, and sometimes quite moving, these stories are masterfully crafted and quite attention-grabbing. So much so that I finished the collection in just two days! Probably not the ideal way to read it; I felt some of the stories suffered a bit from the proximity in my brain to the previous ones I had just read. I might have to reread to fully appreciate some of them. That being said, I have already read my favorite story in the collection, “Sticks”, several times — easy to do, because it’s only one page long! Bleak yet quite funny, it sketches a whole life story in a few brief strokes. A model of narrative economy.
Errantry (2012) by Elizabeth Hand – An absorbing collection of surreal tales in which anyone is liable to shape-shift or burst through a portal at any time. That makes it sound madcap, but the stories are carefully constructed, with strong and sometimes unsettling buildup to a moment of disruption, either internal or external. My two favorites were “Near Zennor”, which is very effectively creepy without overdoing it, and “The Return of the Fire Witch”, which entertained me greatly by returning to the weird world-building and verbiage of her novel Winterlong, which was my first introduction to Hand’s writing back in the ’90s. But I also appreciated her deep identification with the landscape of Maine, and the recurring message that a primeval green energy waits to burst forth again from the human-blighted earth.
How to Be Perfect (2022) by Michael Schur – A humorously-titled primer on moral philosophy by the show runner of “Parks and Recreation” and “The Good Place”. That might make it sound like a vapid attempt to cash in on his fame, but… it’s not! He does a great job explaining major strains of thought in moral philosophy like virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and contractualism while also being funny on damn near every page. I highly recommend it.
The rest of the books I read and reviewed in 2023 are logged in my GoodReads account.
Movies
NOTE: I am not including last year’s Oscar nominees that I covered previously.
Paris Is Burning (1990, dir. Jennie Livingston) – A famous documentary about drag queens in New York in the 1980s that I belatedly watched on the Criterion Channel this fall. I was blown away. There is more insight into humanity in this film than practically anything else I’ve seen. It made me realize in a new way that we are ALL role players, dreamers, rivals, and seekers of community. The subjects of this documentary are so marginalized by society, and so creative in building their own support networks and traditions, that they’ve achieved an uncommon clarity about all of this. I loved them all. This is a great, great film.
Barbie (2023, dir. Greta Gerwig) – I loved it so much that I’ve seen it three times now. It’s hilarious, weird, and quite moving toward the end. Margot Robbie is funny and relatable as Barbie, which is a feat considering she’s also supposed to be “perfect”. Kate McKinnon is loopy in a very entertaining way as “Weird Barbie”, and Ryan Gosling looks to be having the time of his life playing Ken, a frustrated borderline incel who is also a real hoot. (?!) And there are so many other actors I have affection for (including three from the cast of the TV show “Sex Education”). Also: The music! The dream ballet! The critique of double standards! Allan! (You might think I’m joking, but I do love Allan.) To top it off, it had one of the best final lines of any movie I’ve seen lately. Definitely recommend!
The Quiet Girl (2022, dir. Colm Bairéad) – An Irish film that was nominated for a Best International Feature Oscar last year, it tells the story of Cáit, a young girl who is sent to stay with relatives when her immediate family becomes overwhelmed by financial troubles and an impending birth. Her new guardians are kind, but mournful, and the mystery of why is slowly revealed. Cáit – and the movie — say only what they need to, to intensely moving effect. At one point, a single cookie is placed silently on a tabletop, and the emotional effect is gigantic. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.
Nothing Like a Dame (a.k.a. Tea with the Dames, 2018, dir. Roger Michell) – A series of filmed conversations between four famous actresses who are also old friends: Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, and Joan Plowright. These women are wonderful. I loved their reminiscing, jokes and affection for each other as well as their rueful musing on the pitfalls of old age. “Have we got three eyes between us?” one of them cracks at one point. (There are four dames in the room.) Now I want to go back and watch some more of their earlier productions.
Belle (2021, dir. Mamoru Hosoda) – An anime feature about a depressed teen who saves others — and herself — by making connections with a global audience over the internet. This is one of the most optimistic stories about social media I’ve ever seen, while also being repeatedly tear-jerking. I felt for these kids.
The Big Short (2015, dir. Adam McKay) – A dramatization of the financial shenanigans that led to the collapse of the U.S. housing market in 2007 – and the enrichment of a few who had wagered a lot of money on the possibility that it would crumble. The film plays out as an entertaining character-based drama mixed with humorous fourth wall-breaking info dumps, and it really works. It was weird how it made me root for the guys betting on the system to fail just because they were smarter than the other jerks. But it did!
MANY others that I rated with fewer than 4 stars are included in my Letterboxd review list.
Television
Favorites
Our Flag Means Death season 2 (Max) – Season one of this funny, romantic, and VERY historically inaccurate show about 18th century Caribbean pirates featured prominently in my “Best of 2022” post that never saw the light of day. A show run by David Jenkins and executive produced by Taika Waititi, it started in an underwhelming way, then turned things around impressively and ultimately became one of my favorite shows of not only last year, but perhaps the last decade. After some suspense, HBO Max renewed it for a second season, and in October it aired. I am happy to say that it was a worthy continuation of the show, with lots more funny (and usually queer) character dynamics and a truly standout episode in “Calypso’s Birthday”, which features Bronson Pinchot playing the sadistic pirate Ned Low… but also Wee John in a drag outfit reminiscent of Divine and Izzy Hands singing “La Vie en Rose” in both English and French. Truly great. Will we get a third season? I hope so, but none has been announced as of yet.
Bonus links!
- Essay from the Folger Shakespeare Library: Sometimes the old tropes are the best tropes: Shakespeare and Our Flag Means Death
- Behind the scenes video from Samba Schutte: Behind the Flag: Calypso’s Birthday (Samba plays Roach; the rest of these videos are also great, as is his Instagram OFMD content)
Reservation Dogs season 3 (FX on Hulu) – The third and final season of Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s show about Native American teens in Oklahoma went out on a high note. There are so many poignant and/or funny stories in this season, but my favorite moment is when imprisoned wise auntie Hokti (played by Lily Gladstone, who was also in Killers of the Flower Moon this year) explains to her niece Willie Jack how the dead live on through their influences on others… using Flamin’ Flamers chips from the prison vending machine as props. Not only does her explanation resonate with me in a way that religious ideas of “the afterlife” normally don’t, but it’s conveyed in a way that is utterly appropriate to the time, place, and people involved. A standout scene in a season that had a lot of them. This show was truly something special.
Sex Education season 4 (Netflix) – There’s a change of venue for this final season as the former students of Moordale are sent to other schools after it is shut down. There are various other disruptions to the earlier story dynamics, some of which work better than others, but ultimately, this sex-positive, occasionally absurdist, but always compassionate show ends in a way that fits its beginnings. What I took away from it is that change always comes, and it can often be challenging, but with the right skills and mindset, you can make something good out of it. A solid message. Also: wheee! Ncuti Gatwa (who plays Eric) was cast as the new Doctor Who!
Slow Horses season 3 (Apple TV+) – A return to form after the slight dip of season 2, this installment covers the events of book three in Mick Herron’s Slough House series, “Real Tigers”. Jackson Lamb, River Cartwright, Catherine Standish, Louisa Guy, et al are thrown into another crisis not of their own making, and the stakes are a bit higher than previously. Lots of action, and a lot of focus on the power games being played inside Regents Park. Also, Shirley punches Roddy, and River gives Louisa a very awkward hug. Ha ha ha, it’s great stuff.
Ted Lasso season 3 (Apple TV+) – Call me crazy, but this season of Ted Lasso was my favorite of the three. Yes, the episodes were doubled in size; yes, Ted himself hardly featured in most of them; and yes, the show kept yanking the narrative football away from the viewers just as they were about to kick it (strained metaphor and the wrong sport, oh well). But to me, it was “the way of water” — as in Taoism, not the James Cameron blue people movie — a lesson in humility, indirection & going with the flow rather than being rigid, macho, and focused on image. I dug it.
The Great season 3 (Hulu) – There is less madcap bloody humor in this season and a lot more grief and psychological trauma. A real downer for some, but I thought it turned up the quality a few notches from an already impressive baseline. Elle Fanning was riveting this season! And the show seemed poised to move her story forward in a very interesting way. But then… it was cancelled. The opposite of huzzah!
This Is Going to Hurt (BBC One / AMC+) – Truth in advertising! This depiction of the life of a doctor in an NHS obstetrics and gynecology ward did hurt, in a special soul-piercing way that was made all the more painful by the lack of a hopeful ending. As far as the show depicts (or anything I know outside of it), the NHS remains an over-stressed and underfunded service to this day. But the show is full of insight and pathos and is (thank god!) quite funny from time to time. My heart still bleeds for Shruti and Harry. Less so for Adam, who is a right bastard too often, especially near the end. Brilliant acting by Ben Whishaw, though!
Years and Years (BBC One / HBO) – A limited series from Russell T. Davies that focuses on a single British family and begins in the year 2019 (the same year the show premiered) then skips ahead years at a time with each episode, ending in the year 2034. The extrapolations of UK politics, international relations, technology, climate change, and immigration issues are intelligently made, and the character work is tremendous. A standout is Emma Thompson playing against type as an insidiously appealing politician with murderous tendencies. This was incredibly gripping, and even more so given the 4-year time gap since its release, which reveals some things it got wrong… and some it got very right. Harrowing.
Bonus link: Daniel D’Addario of Variety wrote a very insightful review of this show
Also Quite Good
More comments to come on these soon…
- Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix)
- Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire season 1 (AMC+)
- Good Omens season 2 (Amazon Prime)
- Only Murders in the Building season 3 (Hulu)
- Party Down season 3 (Starz)
- Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix)
- The Afterparty season 1 (Apple TV+)
- The Bear seasons 1 & 2 (FX on Hulu)
- The Diplomat (Netflix)
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 5 (Amazon Prime)
- What We Do in the Shadows season 5 (FX on Hulu)
