Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1 by Konami Kanata Life is tough on the streets, even if you’re a cat. So young kitten Chi’s existence could have been cut short when she got separated from her mother due to distraction. Fortunately, Chi is soon found by the Yamada family. Papa, Mama and toddler Yohei… Continue reading Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1
Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French Revolution turned from freedom to revenge. In an effort to unify the country both against outside enemies and counter-revolutionaries, the Committee of Public Safety holds trials of those suspected of acting… Continue reading Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice edited by Jack Zipes Most likely, when you saw this title, you immediately thought of the Fantasia sequence with Mickey Mouse, or perhaps the more recent Disney film with Nicolas Cage. But the multiplying of brooms is only one aspect of the tales gathered under the general title of “The… Continue reading Book Review: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Comic Book Review: Superman Smashes the Klan 1
Comic Book Review: Superman Smashes the Klan 1 written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Gurihiru It’s 1946 in the city of Metropolis, and times are changing fast in this post-War world. The Lee family is moving from the isolated neighborhood of Chinatown to the heart of the city, the first Chinese family to live… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Superman Smashes the Klan 1
Book Review: Planets for Sale
Book Review: Planets for Sale by A.E. van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull Evana Travis was supposed to be traveling to live with her sister on Doridora III. But there was a reason this spaceflight was so inexpensive. After Earth had finally gotten its act together and improved working conditions to be actually comfortable, the… Continue reading Book Review: Planets for Sale
Movie Review: eXistenZ
Movie Review: eXistenZ (1999) directed by David Cronenberg In the not so distant future, virtual reality games are a commonplace. At a deconsecrated church, genius game designer Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is about to plug a dozen lucky volunteers into a demonstration of her new title, eXistenZ. But just as she’s activating the main… Continue reading Movie Review: eXistenZ
Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931
Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931 edited by Harry Bates Strange Tales was published as a direct competitor to Weird Tales, the top fantastic/occult story pulp magazine of the time, starting with this issue in 1931. It had more of an action slant to its editorial policy as compared to the more idea-heavy stories of… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931
Book Review: Ashenden or The British Agent
Book Review: Ashenden or The British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham Archduke Ferdinand has been shot, and Europe is rapidly tipping in to the Great War. Britain can no longer rely on a small number of trained government agents to handle its necessary intelligence efforts. But who to recruit? Perhaps a writer who’s currently between… Continue reading Book Review: Ashenden or The British Agent
Movie Review: Black Jack: The Movie
Movie Review: Black Jack: The Movie (1996) directed by Osamu Dezaki The Twentieth Century is still waning, but it looks like the people of the Twenty-First Century, the superhumans, have already arrived! At the most exciting Olympics in decades, record after record is smashed by athletes from around the world. They’re from different countries, so there… Continue reading Movie Review: Black Jack: The Movie
Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67
Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67 by Gosho Aoyama Premise: Teen detective Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the American version) is trapped in the body of a child. As Conan Edogawa, he solves mysteries anyway, while trying to track down the Black Organization that did this to him. See my previous entries. We open Volume… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67