Comic Book Review: The Drained Brains Caper

Comic Book Review: The Drained Brains Caper written by Trina Robbins, art by Tyler Page Megan Yamamura wants a pet. Unfortunately, the young poet’s (she specializes in haiku) father is allergic to all fur-bearing animals, so she’s thinking maybe a tarantula, which is fuzzy but not furry might be the best bet. She’s been looking… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Drained Brains Caper

Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology

Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer As the subtitle of this volume indicates, it’s a collection of 29 short stories written from a feminist perspective. There are selections from the 1960s through the 2000s–SF, fantasy, horror and a couple of stories that seem to… Continue reading Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology

Book Review: The Martian Chronicles

Book Review: The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Once, Mars was a place of mystery.  Humans looked at it from the blue Earth with feeble telescopes, and imagined what life, if any, might inhabit that red dot in the sky.  Were there canals filled with water?  Bloodsucking tripod operators?  Beings that had never fallen from grace… Continue reading Book Review: The Martian Chronicles

Book Review: The Killing Moon

Book Review: The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin The city of Gujaareh worships Hananja, the goddess of dreams.  Their entire culture is centered around the power of narcomancy to draw magical power from dreams to heal and perform other wonders.  The most powerful of these “humors” is dreamblood, which is only produced by a person’s… Continue reading Book Review: The Killing Moon

Anime Review: Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, Vol. 03

Anime Review: Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, Vol. 03 It is the year 2030, and after the effects of World Wars Three & Four, Japan is relatively unscathed, having become one of the world’s economic and technological powerhouses.  In particular, they lead the world in cybernetics, and various cyborg upgrades are commonplace.  Of course,… Continue reading Anime Review: Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex, Vol. 03

Book Review: Curiosities of Literature

Book Review: Curiosities of Literature by John Sutherland This is a book of trivia, factoids and amusing stories about the world of literature.  The author is a professor of English literature, so he knows his stuff.  The book is organized by loose themes, beginning with food (both as featured in literature, and as eaten by… Continue reading Book Review: Curiosities of Literature

Book Review: The Sculthorpe Murder

Book Review: The Sculthorpe Murder by Karen Charlton Disclaimer:  I received a Kindle download of this book as a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested. The year is 1810, and Bow Street Runner Detective Stephen Lavender has been called from his native London to Northamptonshire.… Continue reading Book Review: The Sculthorpe Murder

Open Thread: Relocation Update

Open Thread: Relocation Update As mentioned previously, the new management of the apartment building I have been living in for the last three decades has decided to close the entire complex for renovations.  Thus all the tenants had to be out by the end of September.  As a low-paid temp worker with no car, my… Continue reading Open Thread: Relocation Update

Manga Review: Servant X Service 1

Manga Review: Servant X Service 1 by Karino Takatsu In a certain city in a certain prefecture of Japan, the Health & Welfare Department has hired three new people.  Yutaka Hasebe, a highly competent slacker; Lucy (etc.) Yamagami, a strait-laced woman with an improbable name,  and Saya Miyoshi, an under-confident woman who has a tendency to… Continue reading Manga Review: Servant X Service 1

Comic Book Review: Essential Captain Marvel Vol. 2

Comic Book Review: Essential Captain Marvel Vol. 2 by various creators. Back in 1967, Marvel Comics became aware that the name “Captain Marvel” for a superhero had fallen out of trademark status.  It was too good a name for Marvel to pass up, so Stan Lee quickly came up with a character to appear in Marvel… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Captain Marvel Vol. 2