This week’s question about my favorite books is, as you’ve probably guessed, going to be a bit more difficult than merely spitting out some title and moving on. Then again, this is my 16th answer, just over 30% done for the year of this project, and if you haven’t figured out by now that none of these answers are that simple for me, well then, you haven’t been paying attention. Continue reading “What are your favorite books?”
Tag: science fiction
Starlog!
Growing up, my passion for film, filmmaking, and science fiction was spurred, pretty much, by one magazine – Starlog. I used to get it all the time, especially if the cover was about a film/TV show I was either desperate to see or one I had seen and was obsessing over.
Today, I discovered the Starlog Archive online. Can’t wait for a break in my daily work so I can dive in and read some of the original thoughts on films long since sequalized, lionized, disregarded, and remade.
On Women and Speculative Fiction
So oftentimes I will read something I like and want to share it here on the blog. For whatever reason the mind kicks in and says “this is something which should be preserved.” So I file it away and eventually, I write up my thoughts about the link and then I set it to post. Continue reading “On Women and Speculative Fiction”
Who Are the Forgotten Greats of Science Fiction? | Tor.com
Who Are the Forgotten Greats of Science Fiction?
Tor.com blogger James Davis Nicoll asks this question and while I’m familiar and widely read in some of these folks, there are also a bunch I don’t know and a few I’ve never heard of. So here’s another set of books and authors to go on my reading list.
A Survey of Some of the Best Science Fiction Ever Published (Thanks to Judy-Lynn Del Rey) | Tor.com
Reading a collection of short fiction from any given author is always a mixed bag. Same goes for an anthology of works by different authors centered around a certain theme or category. You might like some and some, well, they round out the collection.
But when you have a “Best of” collection, especially one curated by another well known writer or editor, well then, that’s a great way to start a good library. And that’s what Tor.com talks about in this article featuring A Survey of Some of the Best Science Fiction Ever Published (Thanks to Judy-Lynn Del Rey). While I’ve read some of these, and own several, a bunch more are going on my wish list.
Vintage Geek Culture — Top Misconceptions People Have about Pulp-Era…
You know I love me some science fiction. This post, over on the tumblr site Vintage Geek Culture, is a great dispelling of the “truths” of the pulp era. Like Chuck Wendig’s post about the “Sacred Cows of Writing Advice” and Dean Wesley Smith’s books on the myths of conventional and indie publishing, it’s great to see critical looks at the way we’ve always believed things to be.
While there is always a core to these “truths,” there’s also an equal number of examples which show there is more to it.
He kept his Star Wars legacy a secret in Boulder for decades. At 85, the sci-fi pioneer is ready to step out. — The Know from The Denver Post
This is an amazing story! Holy crap the things this guy has done and how much he’s been an invisible part of my life, childhood and overall creative development!
My takeaway though, is this line:
“Colin told me one time that this is the way he went through life, that he liked to create things that people couldn’t un-think,” Dall said. “That’s how he got into a lot of things: he would come up with such original, creative and intelligent ideas that people would look at it and then they couldn’t go back.”
And if you want a piece of signed artwork, check out Colin Cantwell’s own website.
Review: Kindred
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Incredibly powerful piece. Seriously. Octavia Butler has crafted an amazing novel which is nominally science fiction but at the same time is a historical drama as well as a slave narrative.
Written in 1976, the story follows an African American woman named Dana who has just celebrated her 27th birthday and has moved into a new house with her white husband Kevin. Then the weird stuff happens. Continue reading “Review: Kindred”
Review: Station Eleven
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Survival is not enough.”
These are the words painted on the side of the Symphony’s wagon and tattooed on the arm of one of the two primary protagonists of Emily St. John Mandel’s latest novel. The tattooed girl is Kirsten, an actress in her late 20s who is our primary guide to life in the 20 years after the “Georgia Flu” has wiped out 99% of humanity. Continue reading “Review: Station Eleven”
Spring 2014: Day Two – Dragons and Squids and a Dangerous Rain Storm
Tuesday morning arrived early, but not as early as it would have had I been at home with the crazy dog! I got to sleep in to the absurdly late hour of 8am! We both woke up, showered and were able to catch the 9:30 shuttle to the parks (which was good since otherwise we wouldn’t know where to catch it to bring us home, and in light of later events, that would not have been good). Continue reading “Spring 2014: Day Two – Dragons and Squids and a Dangerous Rain Storm”
Book geeks united…
Hanging out with my friends Wade and John and we stopped in at Amber Unicorn Books… This is them in the science fiction room.
We all geeked out completely!
Review: The Bible Repairman and Other Stories
The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There’s something wonderfully unique and strange about the imagination of Tim Powers
Review: The Mysterious Island
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Seems like I’ve been on a Jules Verne kick lately, slowly working my way through the classics. I’d heard about Mysterious Island before, and seen several of the films, but like watching the movie version of Around the World in 80 Days, the book is very much different! Continue reading “Review: The Mysterious Island”
Review: The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This isn’t so much a story as a cautionary tale of what will happen if America (any country, really) lets religion control its politics. There’s not much in the way of plot and smarter people than I have spent a lot more time than I writing about all the allusions and metaphors. I’m glad I read it, finally, though. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t read it because I have a grudge against Margaret Atwood. It’s a personal thing, they way she denounces science fiction and then explains that what she writes is “speculative fiction” because hers doesn’t have space ships in it. I call BS on that.
It’s also interesting in that I’ve recently been on a Dystopian Literature kick and I’m fascinated by the wholesale stealing of ideas from Brave New World to this and This Perfect Day. In the end, though, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Claire Danes interpretation of it as well. With audio books, the narrator can save a bad one or kill a good one, but in this case, I think Ms. Danes did a great job.
Space Travel Posters
Space Travel Posters I love this guy’s work! Vintage travel posters in general are definitely my speed, but the idea of vintage space travel posters just makes me happy. I think the Neptune and Europe Air are my favorites. If I ever have a home office again, this is what I want to decorate the walls.
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 