Gold announced today on his blog that he is withdrawing his work from consideration for the Ursa Major Awards in the novel and short story categories. His novel Green Fairy and his short story “Rewind” from Heat were eligible for nomination.

Gold has previously won 12 Ursas over the last seven years (more than any recipient in the history of the awards). He cites wanting to showcase other authors as part of the reason he’s stepping back.

“I know you guys love me and my books,” Gold stated in his blog, “But I’d like to help the fandom’s literary scene mature, and part of that is showcasing more of the authors that are doing really good work. My name’s already up there in the lists; let’s see some of the other people.”

It’s not uncommon for awards to decline an artist eligibility after a certain number of wins. And it should be noted that Gold’s withdrawal doesn’t lessen the importance or the Ursa Majors or the accomplishments of the other authors in the fandom. So get out there and nominate and vote.

Summerhill is the kind of book that happens when hundreds of deus ex machina stack and combine and Voltron themselves until they become this bizarre poetry centered around fucking with a dog’s head.

Like a lot of authors, filmmakers, and musicians who set about to make something as crazy and epic as this, Kevin Frane has written a book that reaches peaks of greatness for him, though sometimes at the expense of his usually tight storytelling.

There are numerous great scenes within Summerhill. The opening chapter is one of my favorite things Frane has written. The book abounds with interesting stuff. A cruise ship sailing between realities. Alien creatures of every shape and size. New and bizarre worlds. Super powers. And doors, lots of doors, both literally and figuratively.

If you’re a fan of his previous work, Summerhill is like concentrated Frane. The protagonists jump from locale to locale so frequently that readers are treated to a smorgasbord of whimsical prose and experimental writing. The dialogue is sharp, the characters exude personality, and it’s very clear that this is a universe full of people Frane cares about.

Really, Summerhill is worth reading just for the sampler platter of styles and homage. At times it’s very Dr. Who, with a dash of Lost. There are scenes that feel like Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars. The influences are obvious, but not heavy handed.

The scenes don’t quite tie together very well, and for the first half of the book, that’s kind of the point. But as the story reaches its conclusion, the events haven’t coalesced into much. At its root the plot is very simple, and all the crazy stuff happening around it feels inconsequential at times. It’s a book that leaves dozens of questions unanswered, so know that going in. It’s not so much a story about finding oneself as it is a story about finding everything else.

While not a book I necessarily recommend to the general public, I will say that I’ve never read anything quite like Summerhill, and I’m glad to have experienced it. There are plenty of you out there that will adore so much about this story and the universe(s), and really any fan of Frane’s work will find more than enough parts to love.

Legends of Chima, like Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu (I hated typing that), attempts to add a action packed plot and world building to the newest LEGO set. It fails terribly at that by contradicting itself.

Reading the descriptions of the tribes and characters on LEGO’s own product descriptions would have you believe Chima is a darker, more epic entry in the brick building universe. However the show is largely about teenage (maybe? They’re all the same damn size) animals playing hide and seek, making bad puns, and painting the attempted genocide of a species with a lot of slapstick wackiness.

Also there’s some weird racism where Lion-O from Thundercats Laval the hero of Chima keeps using derogatory names for the crocs.

“I knew a mud lover like you would want to play dirty,” says the lion hero of the show to a croc who was his best friend five minutes prior. Not cool, lion guy, that’s hate speech.

Ultimately the show is a commercial for the new toys, so whatever, but the badass little animal warriors get significantly less cool when the main characters are clumsy, stupid, and cheesy.

However, Legends of Chima is interesting in the sense that it shows a preview of the rest of the Chima set.

As of now there are five animal tribes represented by minifigs: lions, crocs, wolves, eagles, and ravens. But within the pilot we get to meet members of the gorilla, rhino, skunk, and bear tribes. I think I speak for the fandom as a whole when I say “A LEGO minifig bear? Make that shit right now!”

It’s pretty cool that in the few short years since Kyell Gold started the Dev and Lee series, the notion of gay football players has gone from a dream for the future to a reality that is so close you can taste it. It’s rare for a story so heavily grounded in pop culture to get more relevant over the years, but Divisions is a novel that has its finger on the pulse of culture so much that the furry aspect is actually the least interesting part (in a good way!).

The roller coaster relationship of Dev, the gay linebacker tiger, and Lee, his activist boyfriend fox, picks up not long after the conclusion of 2011′s Isolation Play, and jumps right back into the world of football and fighting couples.

I’m always very impressed with how exciting Gold portrays football. If you don’t know anything about the sport it might be confusing, but the descriptions of the action are tight and fast-paced. It’s more exciting than real football (see: any football movie ever), but it embodies the sport exceptionally, and the team dynamics are some of the more interesting parts, mostly because of the characters.

The secondary characters in Divisions accent Dev and Lee wonderfully, shining on their own without upstaging the protagonists. The clueless, foot-in-mouth cheetah Lightning Strike is a hilarious parody of the more ostentatious sports personalities, but also comes off as one of the more real characters in the book. Hal the sports journalist returns, and gets an expanded role as the much-needed sounding board for Lee, someone to at least try and point out when the fox is being stubborn and irrational (which is, like, constantly).

Lee’s ideals for gay activism and borderline obsession with the suicide of a gay college student are sometimes overshadowed by his many poor decisions. Not that this is new for a character that committed infidelity, lied to a reporter on the record, and physically assaulted his boyfriend’s father. Lee is a character I love, when I don’t want to punch him for being an idiot.

I’m rooting for Dev and Lee’s happiness, but at this point I’m not sure I’m rooting for their happiness together. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen relationships get utterly destroyed over just a fraction of the shit that’s happened to these two in a mere six months. As broken as their partnership is, though, it’s staying intact through sheer force of will, and there’s something to be said for a couple that doesn’t give up even when they probably should have.

Divisions‘ story “ends” before anything really gets resolved, leaving a lot of questions about the Firebirds, Lee, his family, and his career. According to Gold his original draft was so long that he split it into two books, and it definitely feels that way. It’s a “to be continued” instead of the more satisfying finales of the previous two books. Despite that, Divisions feels like the most balanced book in the series thus far, straddling the football and home life aspects well, as well as the romance and the melodrama.

P.S. As always, the illustrations and cover by Blotch are incredible. The selection of images might be the strongest yet, showcasing some of the most humorous (and sexiest) parts of the story.

Right now the only noteworthy thing about Pokemon X and Y is that it’s in 3D. Still looks like Pokemon through and through. But squeal in joy anyway, I guess.

Summerhill, the vaguely canine protagonist, finds himself on an inter-dimensional cruise ship filled with creatures of all shapes, sizes, and viscosities. How does one interact with a giant wooden insect, or a talking pink raincloud…

Or Katherine, a beautiful human woman with a secret, running from her past, while Summerhill is trying to find his.

Furthermore, what happens when this ship travels to dimensions where the laws of physics are changed? Space operas and jungles are exciting enough, but how about a universe where the world is actually flat?

Add on to this, Summerhill’s new friend Katherine is wanted by the Consortium, an interdimensional law enforcement agency that prevents Existential Integrity Violations (which are just as serious as they sound).

Frane has a knack for exciting adventures and thrillers, as well as a quirky sense of humor. The Dr. Who influence is certainly noticeable in Summerhill, but it is also very clearly its own unique tale unlike anything you’ve read before.

If you want a taste of Summerhill, check out the preview chapter here. It will give you a glimpse into the world Frane has created, with all its eccentricities. Summerhill goes on sale in January and is available for preorder. And be sure to check out the bigger version of Kamui’s cover here.

2012′s Thale seems to largely be about what happens when you are not nice to a huldra.

Gross. But still hotter than Bitter Lake.

But he’s cute, and he rolls up into a ball!

William Joyce (a name that appeared regularly on my bookshelf as a kid), weaves a new mythology, creating a Superfriends of childhood make believe. The Tooth Fairy becomes a collector of precious memories, Sandman an enigmatic mute who makes good dreams. And Santa Claus… who is still just Santa, but a bit more leather-daddy (Where Mrs. Clause at, St Nick?).

But let’s be honest here, readers, you’re all interested in Hugh Jackman as the Easter Bunny. What’s funny is that he’s actually one of the least interesting characters in the film. Sure, he’s funny, and arguably studly, but he gets outshined by the more developed characters, like the Tooth Fairy. The story is really about Jack Frost, though, and the rest of the cast serves as reasons to teach Jack about his purpose while they travel around the world and have huge swooping montages through each Guardian’s home base. Structurally, Legends of the Guardians feels more like a three part TV series arc, more than a film.

While it’s nice to have an animated family film that isn’t about mommy/daddy issues, the message of “don’t be afraid of the Boogieman” is weaker than most animated features these days. Still, Jack Frost manages to be a likable, if not very relatable, character. And, really, it’s nice to see something done with that character that isn’t, “Hey I’m freaky looking and I make shit cold.”

You’ve got to hand it to DreamWorks, they’ve really stepped up the animation quality over the years, and Rise of the Guardians features some gorgeous shots, especially with the liquidy magic sand creatures used by both sides.

Rise of the Guardians comes out as one of the more exciting animated films this year, in a year of “pretty good” movies from all the respective companies.

*I’m being informed that no, it is not.

Don’t go back and play Epic Mickey 1.
“But I need to know the mythos!” you cry. But honestly, if you missed the first game, oh well. It’s really not a game that is worth going back for. Besides that everything that made the first game unique and interesting is in Epic Mickey 2, along with a story recap, so there’s nothing you’ll actually miss.

Play Epic Mickey 2 on the Wii, or with a PlayStation Move, but NOT on the Xbox 360.
Epic Mickey 2 is a Wii game, pure and simple. It was developed for the Wii remote, and the port to dual analog controls is shoddy. Bluntly, the 360 (and PS3 Dualshock) controls play like garbage. The reticule resets or bugs out, and controlling the camera is slower and less intuitive.

Get a friend.
There’s a reason it’s called Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. The redundant sounding title emphasizes the co-op gameplay, which is in every second of the game. Oswald is a helpful and necessary member of the team, and the game is most fun when another person is controlling him. Combos are easier, exploring is more thorough, and the experience is more satisfying.

Frankly, Epic Mickey 2 is not a great game, but it has it’s share of fun and charming moments. And for a Disney fan the amount of detail and nostalgia inducing references will add an extra level of enjoyment. Just follow these tips to make sure you make it as fun as possible.