Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells Murderbot does not want to kill all humans. Or even very many humans. It just doesn’t feel comfortable interacting with humans outside its security unit (SecUnit) duties, and would rather spend its spare time watching the endless hours of human entertainment available in the various archives. (Right… Continue reading Book Review: All Systems Red
Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022
Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022 edited by Rebecca Markovits & Adeena Reitberger The literary magazine is still alive in America, though I will not say “well” as I have no idea how many people read them. American Short Fiction, an Austin, Texas-based magazine, has been running since 1991. It is, as the title… Continue reading Magazine Review: American Short Fiction Summer 2022
Manga Review: Blue Lock 1
Manga Review: Blue Lock 1 story by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, art by Yusuke Nomura One of the stock characters found in sports stories, and especially shounen manga sports stories, is the “solo ace.” He (it’s almost always a “he) is extraordinarily skilled at the technical aspects of the sport. He runs the fastest, throws or kicks… Continue reading Manga Review: Blue Lock 1
Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000
Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000 by Charles M. Schulz Peanuts was a long-running newspaper comic strip (1950-2000) created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000). This volume is a collection of the strips during its final year. At the time it was introduced, Peanuts was an innovative strip, starring children but meant for a “family” audience.… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Peanuts 2000
Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) directed by Steven Spielberg We are not alone in the universe. There are beings from beyond the stars, who have visited Earth from time to time. Sometimes there have even been “close encounters”, sightings and nebulous evidence. Now, perhaps, it is time for a true meeting in… Continue reading Movie Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Manga Review: Gyo
Manga Review: Gyo by Junji Ito Tadashi and Kaori, a handsome young couple, thought a vacation by the sea would be an excellent idea. That’s why they’re in Okinawa, living in his uncle’s seaside home and diving off his boat. One day while SCUBA diving, Tadashi comes across a wrecked battleship on the ocean floor.… Continue reading Manga Review: Gyo
Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1
Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1 by Various Creators Much like DC, Marvel Comics also had dedicated superhero team-up series. Marvel Two-in-One featured perennial favorite character Benjamin Grimm, the Thing of the Fantastic Four–and I’ve never done a review of anything with him before, so first, a bit of character history! Fantastic Four… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 1
Anime Review: Digimon Ghost Game
Anime Review: Digimon Ghost Game In the not-too-distant future, advances in hologram technology have made holograms ubiquitous in advertising, robotics, public services and other aspects of life in Japan. Some, it would seem, are even artificially intelligent. But there’s also been a spike in weird, seemingly paranormal activity, often involving creatures that appear to be… Continue reading Anime Review: Digimon Ghost Game
Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002)
Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002) directed by Sam Raimi When perpetual loser teenager Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is bitten by a genetically modified spider during a school trip, he gains amazing spider-like powers. At first, his plan is to use these gifts for profit and to impress the girl he loves, Mary Jane “M.J.” Watson (Kirsten… Continue reading Movie Review: Spider-Man (2002)
Book Review: The Argosy Book of Adventure Stories
Book Review: The Argosy Book of Adventure Stories edited by Rogers Terrill This collection of exciting tales of action and bravery plucked from the pages of Argosy, the long-running pulp magazine, is most notable for only choosing from those printed between 1946 and 1952, when the collection was published. Thus it had, at the time,… Continue reading Book Review: The Argosy Book of Adventure Stories