In my defense, the Customs&Immigration droid did startle me.

Anything to declare?

Yeah, don't go to Antigua.

Beware the autumn people. For some, autumn comes early, stays late through life where October follows September & November touches October & then instead of December & Christ's birth, there is no Bethlehem Star, no rejoicing, but September comes again & old October & so on down the years, with no winter, spring, or revivifying summer. For these beings fall is ever the normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond.

Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? the grave. Does blood stir in their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth? The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with their ear? The abyss betweeen the stars. They sift the human storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They frenzy forth. In gust they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter, motion, make all moons sullen, & surely cloud all clear-run waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles - breaks. Such are the autumn people. Beware of them.

-Bradbury

...o grant thy faithful hedgehog's boon...

Why didn't I know about this?

Of course now... Oh, god, why do I know about this?

And I'm having a queazy heartattack. 

...until I read Moby Dick.

As stated in my previous communique', for readers who don't have time for me to suggest a novel.

A Study in Emerald, by Neil Gaiman. Sherlock Holmes horror pastiche'.  It's free, short, and fantastic.

http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/exclusive/shortstories/emerald.pdf

The problem with readers (and I should know, I am one) is that it's almost impossible to recommend a book to one! Any real reader is in the middle of something, and also has a backlog reading list a meter high.

But I have a solution! I will be recommending a series of short writings, mostly fiction but some non-fiction too, probably. Rules are, must be readable in an hour and freely available (pub domain, CC, etc.).

I hope some of you will take a look, and maybe play along.

First installment - "They're Made Out of Meat", a Nebula Award-nominated short story by Terry Bisson.

http://www.terrybisson.com/page6/page6.html

OPW editor is not very. Especially as LF is handled.

Language Salesman    

Have you thought much about language, Mr. Banks?

Joe

No, I never really have.

Language Salesman

It's the central preoccupation of my life.  You travel the world, you're away from home, perhaps away from your family, all you have to depend on is yourself and your language.

Joe

I guess that's true.

Language Salesman

I believe I have just the thing.

Joe

Wow.

Language Salesman

This is our premier dialect.  All handmade, only the finest metaphors.  It's even hyperbole-tight, tight as a drum. If I had the need and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my method of expression.

Joe

I'll take four of them.

Language Salesman

May you live to be a thousand years old, sir.

(Thanks, John Patrick Shanley)