News

Upon the recommendation of my good friend, Francine Roche Kay, and since it appears to be a good follow-up to A Short Stay In Hell , I am currently reading Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. Like ASSIH , it’s about Hell, mostly about a hero’s descent into it. As per my norm, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m done.

Hands down, this is, by far, one of the best novellas I’ve ever read. The worldbuilding, the character arcs, the questions it raises…all phenomenal. ASSIH is what it endeavors to be: a story about a man’s stay in Hell. And what a Hell it is. Imagine a massive library with no Dewey Decimal System. Imagine a massive pit in the center of it all. Imagine a fruitless search. Imagine a soul whose questions are never answered. This is just a taste of what this story truly is. Read i

I am currently reading A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck. The title is self-explanatory. I look forward to how the author builds the world of Hell, and what the main character’s arc would be in such a setting. I’ll let you know what I think when I‘m done.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the buildup to the end. On the way, I was up and down about how I felt about it. Not that it dragged—it definitely did not—but at these times I wondered what the author was up to. And I had some prejudices that came into play as well. Before I proceed, allow me to mention that I’ve learned a few things about Earth, space exploration, and the possible habitation of humans on other planets in the galaxy. I found out that because of the dis

It always strikes me how an artist can take something horrible, or someone horrible—or a committee of horrible people—and poke so much fun at the subject that audience members laugh—and cringe—despite themselves. Filmmaker Armando Iannucci (Veep) is just such an artist, and his film, The Death of Stalin , is just such an example. Even the film’s tagline, “A Comedy of Terrors,” says much of what the auteur accomplished here. The film centers around the titular event and the ch

I am currently reading Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinnaman of the Dungeon Crawler Carl fame. It involves a colonist on a planet that is threatened by gamers from Earth. Gamers from Earth. Gamers who—Would these gamers be considered aliens?—through an interface offered by a money-grubbing corporation, are offered to play war games on this particular planet. I’m looking forward to a fun read.

This book was good. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t fantastic, it was good. That being said, I enjoyed the dual timeline and the mystery surrounding it. A man was mysteriously murdered and left in a ditch in Ireland in the 1890s. This man was a thoroughbred horse trainer, a gambler, and a terrible husband. In the present time, the heroine, or the detective, recently split from a terrible husband and a gambler. The parallels, the parallels, the parallels. The plots moved along in f

I have a couple of things to say about Walking Tall (1973). First of all, it’s bullshit. Not the film itself—although the execution thereof leaves much to be desired—but the premise behind the film, that Buford T. Pusser was an upstanding, forthright, morally driven hero, is absolute bullshit. The film claims to be fictitious; that true events “inspired” this film. Well, some of this may have been accurate, but it’s mostly bullshit, as well. Pusser, portrayed with gravitas by

It is always satisfying when a formulaic, by-the-numbers, trope-filled action movie is done well. And The Wrecking Crew (2026) is such an example. The movie stars Dave Bautista ( Guardians of the Galaxy ) and Jason Momoa ( Aquaman ), Summa Cum Laude graduates of the Superhero School of Acting. Each play estranged half-brothers, James and Jonny Hale (pronounced hah-lay), who are reunited by the mysterious death of their father. They meet up in Hawaii, their homeland, to find

I am currently reading the novel The Family Shadow (Foley Family Mysteries Book One) by Suzanne Winterly. It’s a century-spanning historical mystery novel that takes place in Victorian-era Ireland and the present day. It checks off many boxes on my list. I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.

What a fantastic book! This is one of the very few books I give a 5-star rating to. It’s clear why it won the Pulitzer Prize and other prestigious awards. AVFTGS is a splendidly crafted mosaic novel, (mostly) set in New York City. It jumps back and forth between decades, its chapters include several different narrative styles, and its one major theme, “Time is a Goon,” permeates throughout, leaving characters blessed and cursed, but undeniably changed One spectacular chapter

I’m excited about this book! It’s a multi-award winner, and it’s a mosaic novel. I think I’ll be pleased, but I will, as usual, let you know of my thoughts when I’m through.

I tried. I really, really tried. Maybe I just don’t have the brain or temperament for internal, philosophical, or reflective conflicts. But with this book…Well, I tried. Darrow appears to be the valedictorian of The Dickens School of Ceaseless Verbosity. Yes, he writes like that. I was waiting for Darrow to call himself Pip. In thousands of ways, call himself Pip. And I thought that this style was out of vogue one hundred years before Farmington was written. I guess I was wro

Yes, Yes. I’m reading this work of fiction because it is by Clarence Darrow, and he fascinates me. Darrow harkens back to his childhood in rural Kinsman, Ohio, for this piece, placing, I’m certain, many of his own experiences in the text. Well, as they say, “Writers write what they know.” I hope to enjoy this. I’ll share my thoughts afterwards.

As stated, I became interested in Clarence Darrow when he appeared in the historical mystery, The Angel of Darkness, by Caleb Carr. At the time, I wondered what type of man would defend such a horrible murderess as Libby Hatch. I found out who. Not surprisingly, this biography inspired me to read more biographies. It was sharp, well-written, and painted Darrow, in all his faults and glories, as unquestionably human. At times, I found myself screaming at the book, more so at D

Utterly horrible films promise one thing: even in their trashy badness, they’re bound to entertain you. The old So-Bad-It’s-Good category of movies. It’s all about expectations, after all. Then there’s The Room by Tommy Wiseau. I started watching this…film…with the right expectations, as mentioned above. But as I was watching it, I was unfortunately eating my dinner: sirloin steak with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. I couldn’t finish my dinner, and I don’t like to waste

I am currently reading Clarence Darrow: American Iconoclast by Andrew E. Kersten. I became interested in this trend-setting American lawyer when I finished reading The Angel of Darkness (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler Book 2) by Caleb Carr. In that book, Darrow was called in to defend the villain Libby Hatch in her criminal trial. Trusting Carr as a historian and novelist, the portrayal of Darrow in this novel was compelling and thought-provoking enough for me to do a little research o

I always appreciate a story that doesn’t pander to accepted story tropes, especially speculative fiction stories. I’ve already vented my spleen on recognized science fiction motifs—White Time Syndrome, anyone?—but I found, in this short story by John Scalzi—a more than capable writer—such motifs, when presented properly, no longer stick in my craw. One such motif is the aforementioned White Time Syndrome. The narrator and main character of this story is an AI that is in charg

Six members of a blended family crash a rehearsal of some nameless play in some nameless theater in some nameless city. These members—The Father, The Mother, The Son, The Stepdaughter, The Boy, and the Child—are all in utter despair. An event that fractured this family beyond belief haunts them and does not relent. These folks claim to be characters abandoned by their author because their story is too harrowing and tragic to bear. Are these family members real people? Are the

I saw this play as a community theater production about thirty years ago. I’m thinking about how I, as an author, could be affected by a concept like this. I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.