Anime Review: Pluto

Gesicht confronts the darkness in his own past.

Anime Review: Pluto On an alternate Earth where robotics technology is far more advanced than our own, self-aware robots have spread into almost every facet of society. Some are virtually indistinguishable from humans, and in recent years, robots have been granted at least some civil rights. But some robots are more powerful than others, with… Continue reading Anime Review: Pluto

Movie Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. shows off one of his nifty powers.

Movie Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) directed by Steven Spielberg Elliott (Henry Thomas) is a middle child. He’s old enough to want to participate in his teen brother Michael’s (Robert MacNaughton) Dungeons and Dragons game, but not old enough to be welcome there. He thinks of his little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) as babyish, and hasn’t… Continue reading Movie Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Book Review: Binary Star #4: Legacy | The Janus Equation

Book Review: Binary Star #4: Legacy | The Janus Equation by Joan D. Vinge | Steven G. Spruil “Binary Star” was a short-lived series of paperbacks from Dell SF in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Their gimmick was pairs of novellas with a loose theme, something like the classic Ace Doubles. #4 was the first with… Continue reading Book Review: Binary Star #4: Legacy | The Janus Equation

Anime Review: Gamera: Rebirth

Gamera's in a bit of a pinch, but turning him upside down is not a winning move.

Anime Review: Gamera: Rebirth It is summer, 1989, on an alternate Earth where the Apollo Program never ended and there’s a permanent station on the Moon. In Tokyo, Japan, three children are enjoying their last summer break together before middle school separates them. Sensitive Boco, protective Joe and cryptid fan Junichi may not share all… Continue reading Anime Review: Gamera: Rebirth

Book Review: Sweep of Stars

Book Review: Sweep of Stars by Maurice Broaddus Muungano isn’t an empire, at least not yet. It’s a strongly connected group of communities including the Dreaming City on the Moon, Bronzeville on Mars, Titan, and the far flung Oyigiyigi mining outpost. They’re tired together by a shared weusi culture dominated by peoples from the African… Continue reading Book Review: Sweep of Stars

Book Review: Time Gladiator

Book Review: Time Gladiator by Mack Reynolds (aka “Sweet Dreams, Sweet Princes”) In the early 21st Century, the United American State has become a caste society. The Upper 1% have most of the wealth and power, while the Lower 90% have been automated out of jobs and must subsist on the People’s Capitalism, a welfare… Continue reading Book Review: Time Gladiator

Movie Review: Monster from Green Hell

Monster not to scale.

Movie Review: Monster from Green Hell (1957) directed by Kenneth G. Crane The Space Race is on, but before a human can be shot into orbit, the risks need to be assessed. Therefore, the United States has put scientists Dr. Quent Brady (Jim Davis) and Dan Morgan (Robert Griffith) in charge of a program for… Continue reading Movie Review: Monster from Green Hell

Manga Review: Blade of the Moon Princess 1

Manga Review: Blade of the Moon Princess 1 by Tatsuya Endo Mukashi, mukashi (a long, long time ago) the Moon was inhabited by scientifically advanced humans whose civilization happened to resemble aspects of ancient Japan and China. The Pure World was ruled by a line of Empresses who wielded the Three Sacred Treasures of the… Continue reading Manga Review: Blade of the Moon Princess 1

Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14

Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14 by Fumi Yoshinaga Note: This review may contain SPOILERS for earlier volumes; you may want to read previous reviews if you are unfamiliar with the series. Quick recap: In an alternate history, Shogunate Japan was struck by an epidemic of “red-faced pox”, also known as “bearpox.” For unclear… Continue reading Manga Review: Ōoku Volumes 13 & 14

Movie Review: Universal Squadrons

Deakin confronts Peacemaker.

Movie Review: Universal Squadrons (2011) directed by Mark Millhone (also released as “Minuteman.”) Captain Lance Deakin (Riley Smith) has returned to his Texas ranch after a second hitch in Iraq as a quartermaster at an isolated supply depot. During his absence, his lover Becca (Willa Ford) and hired hand Corky (David Born) have been trying to… Continue reading Movie Review: Universal Squadrons