Open Thread: Minicon 52 I was fortunate enough to attend the 2017 iteration of this venerable science fiction convention thanks to the generosity of another member. As usual, Minicon was held over Easter weekend at the Bloomington Doubletree (known as the RadiShTree to longtimers.) This may or may not be the last year at… Continue reading Open Thread: Minicon 52
Book Review: Twice Told Tales
Book Review: Twice Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) is one of the great American writers; his The Scarlet Letter is studied in many schools across this land. But it took him quite a while to reach that status. After crushingly disappointing sales for his first novel, Fanshawe, Hawthorne spent a dozen years in poverty,… Continue reading Book Review: Twice Told Tales
Book Review: The Physics of Everyday Things
Book Review: The Physics of Everyday Things by James Kakalios Disclaimer: I received an uncorrected proof of this book for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. The final product, due out May 2017, will have some changes, including a full index. Today is no ordinary day. While… Continue reading Book Review: The Physics of Everyday Things
Book Review: 14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book
Book Review: 14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book by Mike Kowis, Esq. Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. Back in the day, self-publishing was the province of cranks and egomaniacs who couldn’t find a legitimate publisher. “Vanity presses”… Continue reading Book Review: 14 Steps to Self-Publishing a Book
Book Review: A Game of Thrones
Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin About three centuries ago, the land of Westeros was known as the Seven Kingdoms. Then Aegon Targaryen and his sisters came from the collapsed civilization of Valyria with their dragons and conquered six of the Kingdoms. (The seventh Kingdom joined up later semi-voluntarily.) Eventually, the… Continue reading Book Review: A Game of Thrones
Magazine Review: Science Fiction Stories January 1960
Magazine Review: Science Fiction Stories January 1960 edited by Robert A.W. Lowndes Science Fiction Stories was a minor SF magazine published as Science Fiction starting in 1940, then under a couple of different titles until 1943 when it and its stablemate Future Fiction were cancelled due to paper costs. It was revived in 1950 and ran until… Continue reading Magazine Review: Science Fiction Stories January 1960
Book Review: Kings & Queens of Great Britain: A Very Peculiar History
Book Review: Kings & Queens of Great Britain: A Very Peculiar History by Antony Mason For about 12 centuries, the English have been ruled by monarchs, and eventually this form of government spread to all of the British Empire. That’s a lot of history, and many kings and queens to take account of. This small… Continue reading Book Review: Kings & Queens of Great Britain: A Very Peculiar History
Book Review: The Big Time | The Mind Spider and Other Stories
Book Review: The Big Time | The Mind Spider and Other Stories by Fritz Leiber Have you ever noticed that something isn’t in the place you last remembered putting it? That an event you remember happening one way is described as happening a different way in the history books? Perhaps you have suddenly felt that… Continue reading Book Review: The Big Time | The Mind Spider and Other Stories
Audio Review: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker
Audio Review: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker Most Star Wars fans are aware that director George Lucas based much of the look and feel of the first movie on classic Hollywood films and especially the thrilling chapter serials. But have you ever considered what A New Hope would sound like if it were a big-budget film made in… Continue reading Audio Review: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker
Book Review: The Book of Andre Norton
Book Review: The Book of Andre Norton edited by Roger Elwood Andre Alice Norton (1912-2005) was a prolific author, best known for her science fiction and fantasy novels marketed to the young adult sector. (I’ve previously reviewed her 1960 book Storm Over Warlock.) Her output of short fiction was much less, but enough good stories were… Continue reading Book Review: The Book of Andre Norton