On the Coffee Table: Unnatural Death

Title: Unnatural Death

Author: Dorothy L. Sayers

via Target

Lord Peter Wimsey is back for more adventures.  While out to dinner one night with his friend Charles Parker, a police inspector, Wimsey learns the details of a mysterious death from a doctor at a nearby table.  While the demise was attributed to natural causes, our man isn't convinced.  So begins an unlikely murder investigation based on close to zero evidence.

As I have written before, Wimsey is a cross between Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster and per usual, the text references both characters.  Fortunately for all of the other principals involved, Wimsey is more grounded than either and his world more earth-bound.  A Sayers mystery is different in that the author is a procedure nerd: medical, legal, whatever.  And the question of who? is less crucial than how? to this particular story.  Wimsey's logic in even pursuing the case is largely philosophical:

...if you read all the books on this shelf, you'd come to the conclusion that murder was a failure.  But bless you, it's always the failures that make the noise.  Successful murderers don't write to the papers about it.  They don't even join in imbecile symposia to tell an inquisitive world "What Murder means to me" or "How I became a Successful Poisoner."  Happy murderers, like happy wives, keep quiet tongues.

Following this logic, it is the very tidiness of the crime which leads Whimsey to suspect.

A new character is introduced to the series: Miss Katherine Climpson.  A seemingly harmless "spinster," Lord Peter employs her as an undercover investigator, drawing on her powers as an expert gossip.  Sayers is often credited as being the first mystery writer to promote feminist ideas in her work.  Climpson is her first, though not her last, character to get directly involved in the detective work.  Sayers herself was, of course, a victim of the professional limitations placed upon women of her era.  No doubt such characters were meaningful vehicles for expressing her views.  

The book was published in the 1920s, not an era known for enlightened thinking in regards to race or religion.  Several highly questionable remarks are made regarding both Jews and Catholics (Miss Climpson is Catholic).  Far worse is the language regarding Black people.

Interestingly, it's never Lord Peter himself making these comments.  Indeed, Sayers paints him as more tolerant than those around him.

Overall, the book is great fun.  When not offensive, it's quite funny, especially given the dark topic.  Sayers's unusual approach is refreshing.  I look forward to reading more.

Squid Perks: Tunnel City Coffee

Tunnel City Coffee has two locations, both in northwestern Massachusetts: North Adams and Williamstown.  We went to the one in North Adams during a recent weekend getaway.  We all ordered the iced hibiscus herbal tea but in different sizes: small for me, medium for my wife and a large for our kid.  We didn't plan it that way.  Just happened.  And interestingly, we all finished at about the same time.

via Wikipedia

The name of the cafe got me curious.  I wasn't aware that North Adams is known as the Tunnel City.  The nearby Hoosac Tunnel is a 4.75-mile railroad tunnel built between 1851 to 1875, costing $21 million - that's quite a lot in 19th century dollars.  Evidently, it was a transformative development for the local economy and the tunnel is still in use today.

Yes, the tea was good - pretty, too.

Star Trek: Emanations

Episode: "Emanations"

Series: Star Trek: Voyager

Season 1, Episode 9

Original Air Date: March 13, 1995

via Memory Alpha

Our heroes discover a burial ground on an asteroid.  When the away team transports back to the ship, Ensign Kim isn't among them and one of the corpses is in his place.  We soon learn that he is on another planet, perhaps (as the natives believe) in a different dimension.  Meanwhile, back on Voyager, the Doctor revives the corpse and the afterlife is not what she expected it to be.  In essence, she and Ensign Kim have switched places.

"Emanations" tackles the greatest mystery of all: what happens to us when we die?  The Vhnori, the species Kim encounters, believe they know.  They put those near death in a device called a cenotaph which euthanizes the occupant, then transports them to the "next emanation."  They believe the deceased encounter their own passed loved ones and carry on in a higher state of existence.  But actually, their corpses end up on asteroids in a planetary ring.  

The episode covers a lot of important issues: euthanasia, assisted suicide and the afterlife.  Harry especially stumbles over Prime Directive gaffs at every turn in his effort to find his way home but the exploration itself is certainly compelling for the viewer.

The two best parts of the episode come at the beginning and the end.  Chakotay demonstrates impressive anthropological knowledge about death rituals as the away team explores the Vhnori burial ground, stressing how the care given to disposing of the dead suggests the belief in an afterlife.  Torres counters that the Klingons believe in an afterlife but are expedient in dealing with corpses.  Chakotay replies, "Good point.  However, some archaeological digs on the Klingon homeworld..."  He never finishes the sentence because they're interrupted.  Oh, how I wanted him to finish that sentence...

Even better are Janeway's words to Harry after he returns, telling why she wants him to take some time before he resumes his duties:

I just want to give you a chance to reflect on what's happened. This may not make much sense to you now, a young man at the beginning of his career. But one of the things you'll learn as you move up the ranks and get a little older is that… you wish you had more time in your youth to really, absorb all the things that happened to you. It goes by so fast. It's so easy to become jaded, to treat the extraordinary like just another day at the office. But sometimes there are experiences which transcend all that. You've just had one, Mr. Kim, and I want you to live with it for a little while. Write about it, if you feel like it. Paint. Express yourself in some fashion. The bridge will still be there in two days.

Those are words to live by, folks.

Acting Notes

via Nukapedia Fallout Wiki

Tim Russ (Tuvok) was born in Washington, D.C., June 22, 1956.  An Air Force brat, he spent part of his childhood in Turkey.  He attended St. Edwards University in Texas, then Illinois State for grad school.

Before Voyager, Russ had a regular cast role in The Highwayman and guest appearances in The Twilight Zone, The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.  Early films included Crossroads, Bird and Star Trek Generations.  He had only one line in Mel Brooks's Spaceballs but it is far and away the best line in the movie.

Since Voyager, Russ has had a regular role on Samantha Who?, a recurring role in iCarly and guest appearances on Hannah Montana and Star Trek: Picard.  In 2014, he won an Emmy for public service ads he did for the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.

Squid Eats: Maliwan Thai Restaurant

A few years ago, Maliwan Thai Restaurant took over the space previously occupied by Joyce's Noodle House, our family's default Chinese food option (see here).  I will always take Thai cuisine over Chinese so even though it's not far from Sukho Thai (our usual spot, see here), I see Maliwan as a welcome upgrade.  My wife and I went for lunch last Friday.

She got pork shumai dumplings and tom yum soup.

I got pad ka prow with chicken - on the hotter side of medium spicy, I'd say, which is a good thing by me.

I would still call Sukho our favorite but not for any particular reason other than sentimental value.  Maliwan is still perfectly nice - more windows, too, which makes for more natural daylight.  Maliwan is also marginally closer to Phoenix Books, one of our favorite local independents so depending on our other errands, it might be the better choice.

Star Trek: Visionary

Episode: "Visionary"

Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Season 3, Episode 17

Original Air Date: February 27, 1995

via Memory Alpha

Due to radiation poisoning, O'Brien is experiencing time jumps five hours into the future and back.  Meanwhile, a Romulan delegation has arrived.  They're none too happy about the lack of intelligence available regarding the Dominion.

Once again, I roll my eyes over time travel in Star Trek.  I don't even see the point this time.  Some on the creative staff thought it was too much like a technobabble heavy NextGen episode.  Actually, I don't have any trouble with the basic Romulans-up-to-no-good story itself.  In fact, I think the same tale could have been told more effectively without the time shifting garbage.  And the wrinkle at the end where one can't even be sure if the Miles still alive is the "right Miles" is unnecessary nonsense.

As ever, there are redeeming elements.  The Miles/Julian darts "rivalry" begins when the board is put up in the bar.  Quark closing his eyes and hurling all three darts simultaneously is definitely funny.  The bar brawl involving Klingons and Romulans is good value.  We get a brief continuation of the Odo Crush on Kira story.  There's decent character development, particularly for Miles, of course.  So, there's 5-10 minutes of quality material sprinkled through the mess.  

Acting Notes

via Wiki 24

Jack Shearer played the role of Ruwon, the leader of the Romulan delegation.  Shearer was born March 21, 1944.  "Visionary" was his second of six Star Trek appearances.  In First Contact, he played Admiral Hayes, a role he would reprise for two episodes of Voyager.

Other films include The Usual Suspects and Senseless.  Television appearances include Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle and Boston Legal.

Squid Perks: The North Branch Cafe

The North Branch Cafe has been operating in Montpelier since 2013.  Central Vermont in general and Montpelier in particular have been through a lot in the past few years.  Obviously, COVID took a big bite out of local businesses just as it did for many others worldwide.  Then last summer, our state capital was hit with severe flooding that caused damage to everyone at ground level.  On top of that, Vermont's recent mild winters (climate change is real) have hurt the ski industry, robbing everyone of tourism dollars.  Plus, there are the ongoing workforce shortages currently plaguing many cafes and restaurants.  So North Branch is not in the strongest financial position these days.  If you're in a position to help, check out their gofundme page here.  

North Branch is seemingly never open when we're in town, though learning more about their struggles offers clues as to why.  As luck would have it, they were open this past rainy Saturday afternoon so my wife and I stopped in.  We ordered a pot of Assam and a piece of gluten-free Scottish shortbread to share.  You will likely notice in the photo above that we were served in to-go cups rather than a pot.  Understaffed, management elected to close an hour early at 4.  And yet, they continued to take orders right up to closing time.  I suppose it's understandable given their cash crunch but it didn't make for the most relaxing experience.  

On the positive side, the tea was perfectly nice as was the shortbread - a little dry for my taste but flavorful.  I'm all in favor of bringing North Branch more business the next time we visit Montpelier... assuming they're open.

Family Book Swap: Starter Villain

Title: Starter Villain

Author: John Scalzi

via Amazon

Charlie Fitzer is down on his luck.  Once happily married and gainfully employed as a business reporter, he is now divorced and working as a substitute teacher.  He moved back into his childhood home to take care of his ailing father, now deceased.  His financial situation is dire.  On the bright side, he has two cats who clearly adore him.

Charlie's world gets turned inside out when he learns an estranged billionaire uncle has died.  Charlie is his only living relative so much to Charlie's own shock, he is placed at the head of an international financial empire that extends way beyond owning parking lots.  He becomes, in effect, a supervillain based in a remote Caribbean volcano cave.

The story that unfolds is a combination of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor No and The Cat from Outer Space.  The ties to James Bond are the most obvious with direct references to Goldfinger, Blofeld and SPECTRE.  But the Douglas Adams narrative elements are many: a lovable loser who learns his world is not at all what he thought it was; animals (including dolphins) who turn out to be a lot more intelligent than expected; Ford Prefect- and Zaphod Beeblebrox-like characters plus a generally irreverent sense of humor.  We're talking laugh out loud funny.  As for the cats, well, some surprises are worth preserving for anyone intending to read the book.

Scalzi is a well-established scifi novelist. He has won several Hugos in various categories, including Best Novel.  Starter Villain has been nominated for that award for 2024, the winner to be announced in Glasgow on August 11th.  The fantastical elements aside, the basic premises of the billionaire playground world are surprisingly believable.  The typically incompetent super rich play by their own rules with minimal accountability to anyone besides, only occasionally, each other.  Sounds about right.  

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending.  It's not all tied up quite so neatly as one expects which I suppose it's a good thing.  Fortunately, Charlie is certainly better off than when the book started and the most important characters are still devoted to him.  There's just enough of a crack in the door to allow for a sequel but perhaps better to leave the story as it is.

Overall, it's definitely a strong book.  I'll be keeping an eye out for Scalzi's other work and certainly will check in for the Hugo results in August.