Stranger in a strange land

On Sunday, Dan and I went across to the Comic Art Festival in Kendal.

In the time I've lived in and around Kendal, it's let a few few things slip through its fingers, both in terms of businesses and events, and I think it struggles a bit to find its place and identity these days. Let's face it, "the auld grey town" is not a nickname any marketing department would choose. So the Comic Art Festival seemed like a very good thing to happen here (and, happily, it appears that it'll be back next year, too).

If I had one criticism of the organisation, it wasn't terribly clear what was happening and where or what needed paying for, so Dan and I took our chances and had a mooch about.

To be honest, it wasn't quite for us, although I think it was an amazing event: Dan is very much into mainstream comics - Marvel and DC - and just felt a bit swamped; I needed a bit of guidance. (I really don't mean to knock the event, which was clearly very well done: the limitation was entirely on our side!)

One thing I did love, though, was this used book stall, which was populated by editions that all resembled the ones that filled my dad's bookshelves when I was a boy. And the more that I looked at it, the more I became convinced that this edition of 'Stranger In A Strange Land' (price 5'-) was the one that he had, the one that I first read.

I love the premise of the novel and its execution but the older I became - and I have read it several times - the more Robert Heinlein's espousal of 'free love' made me feel uncomfortable. But books are made to be read and I'm going to read the book again soon because I bought this copy. I'll let you know whether it's improved with age or not :-)