New Old Western Town

So this is another quick look at parts of the Bay Area. Today, the East Coast, in the near forgotten town of Union City.

What we are looking at here is the new expansion on the West side of Union City Blvd, a road which starts as Hysperian in Hayward, and runs down into Newark as Newark Blvd. This small business park was built in the last couple of years in a faux 1850's look. First impressions is that it's a repainted old area, but no, I saw them going up on a vacant lot.

On the corner of Alvarado and Union City Blvd is an old, probably bank, building which has a NW aspect, and so fails to catch the morning light. It's fence however plays with the low sun in a most delightful manner.

Towns of this vintage seem to all come with a typical hyspanic styled church. This is no exception. Not a large one, just a humble clean church. I like the palm, it adds to the fun of things.

This old street light in itself shows the clash between new and old; looking like it was possibly an old gas lamp, it is sporting two compact florescent bulbs.

Finally, some great light through these leaves, I believe it was a row of zucchini planted along a hurricane fence. Shadows of tendrils and wire dark against the veins of the leaf itself.

The Pelican and Cormorant

This afternoon I had occasion to pass by San Leandro Channel, and there were some pelicans at rest. I made an effort to get back out there as soon as I had some free time.



I am still lamenting the lack of long lens on my new camera, but hey, that's what digital zoom is for.

The Pelican and Cormorant seems like an unlikely name for a pub, but here we see that the two go hand in hand quite well.

It's strange that my two favourite local birds are the very large and almost ungainly, and the perilously small humming birds. One day I will get photos of humming birds in our lavender.

Oakland's Scenic Tour

This evening I decided to checkout Oaklands "Scenic Tour", visiting the most impressive locations in the city.

Back lit by the setting sun looks okay, but I think in full light you can see the full splendour.

Actually, to be honest, the corner of Cooke and Boeing is right next to the Western Aerospace Museum, alongside some of the old airport buildings on Earhart; so there is some impressive stuff to see.

My collection (so far)

I owe you a list of publishers and artists. I will also list which has extra text and by who.

Strangely one of the least interesting covers it the lower right red oversized book. This is the graphic novel by Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, published by Black Horse. The book to the left of it contains the text and then a dozen essays by learned persons and science fiction authors.

My oldest copy is the Penguin, though I'm not sure how old it is.

The middle bottom was a bonus too, it has the original Pearsons Magazine edition, with illustrations, some essays and the full text of the Orson Welles production. The accompanying CD includes the full play, and interviews with Orson Welles and HG Wells.

The purple and green one in the top right is a reprint of the Edward Gorey illustrated edition.

As well as the books I also have the full Scarlet Traces, copies of all four movies, and I have the Jeff Wayne musical on tape, vinyl, CD and also the CD boxed set.

New cover for War of the Worlds.

This one is new to me, and I believe new to everyone. The book is printed to look aged.

Publisher Tor Doherty Associates, LLC. Artist Anthony Schiavino.

So this has all the classic elements. Houses of Parliament, with the tripod brandishing the heat ray. What makes it so distinctive, other than the aging? I think the hue of the heat ray, definitely green, but so powerful it is bleached to whiteness. This colour also looks very 1940's paperback. The second thing I like is the styling of the tripod. Yes, very classical ornate legs, hinting at Victorian styling, but something softer in the carapace. Could it possibly that it evokes the shape of the George Pal film version flying machines, whilst holding onto an almost organic tripod form?

The book has extra text by James Gunn. Intro, bio and afterword. The biography is not really illuminating, but the intro spent more time showing the inspiration to SF of later years than other intros do. They typically favour illustrating Wells humanitarian attitudes, and how they fit in the novel.

For reference I have added the previous image used by Tor. Sure, a powerful Tripod, but just a garish and annoying cover. I may add this to the collection one day, but I have limited space to keep them all, so...