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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a problem, mostly because many of us don’t know exactly what to make of it. Or what to do with it. Or how it works. Yet, we ask, “Will it take away our jobs?” Or, “Will it replicate—or, gods forbid, replace—humanity?” Will it take over the world!?!?!?!?! These same questions have been asked for centuries. About technology. Since the Industrial Revolution, technologies have been introduced to make jobs and human lives easier. However, the only e

Of the long list of actors who portrayed Phillip Marlowe on screen—including Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and Powers Boothe—I’ve never thought that Elliot Gould (Ocean’s Eleven) would fit the bill. Mostly because the other actors playing the iconic private eye worked well as all-around tough guys. Don’t get me wrong, Gould had the cynicism, and he certainly was a wiseass, but I had to be convinced that he would be believable as Raymond Chandler’s famous PI. I wasn’t convi

I love me a good violent action movie, but only in small doses, only if it’s done well, and only in special circumstances. Mayhem (2017) fits this bill perfectly. The action is evenly distributed; the violence is brutal, but not over-the-top or cartoonish, while the pacing is fast but not exhausting. Everything works in this film. Directed by Joe Lynch (Creepshow) and written by Matias Caruso (The Dollmaker), Mayhem uses the common, if not overused, trope of a mysterious viru

The Blues Brothers (1980) is the kind of movie that can get anybody out of a foul mood. It’s so ridiculous and fun, and it was obvious that everyone involved had a blast making it. Where else can you have a car chase through a shopping mall, numerous—and I mean numerous—police car pileups, and the petite Carrie Fisher wielding a rocket launcher? The damned thing was bigger than she was! Dan Akroyd (Ghostbusters), co-writer and co-star, called the film “a road movie interrupte

What is it about images of snowy landscapes that evoke a sense of bleakness? Even when dotted with leafless trees and other sparse vegetation, feelings of desolation—even hopelessness—rise to the surface. And what does the addition of a lone figure traversing said elements add to this? Or subtract from it? Is it simply juxtaposition? Or a refreshing feeling of hope? Does this person symbolize faith? Or signify misplaced optimism? These thoughts still stir around in my brain a

There’s nothing like a good vampire/noir tale to cleanse the palette. Wow, did the last book I read suck! Every Last Drop: Joe Pitt Casebooks #4, by Charlie Huston, is a novel I expect to enjoy, given that I enjoyed the three installments preceding it. As usual, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through (and I expect them to be good ones).

Wow. What an absolute piece of tripe! In Pinkertons, Prostitutes, and Spies: The Civil War Adventures of Secret Agents Timothy Webster and Hattie Lawton, John Stewart, the author, sends many punches Allan Pinkerton’s way, but none of them land. None of them. Stewart’s biggest problem with Pinkerton, especially his book, The Spy of the Rebellion (1883), is that the original detective makes bogus claims, introduces false events—and even false people—and tells flat-out lies. Ste

The Pinkerton Detective Agency has always fascinated me. This might be a result of my interest in mystery novels, or vice versa. Pinkertons, Prostitutes and Spies: The Civil War Adventures of Secret Agents Timothy Webster and Hattie Lawton, by John Stewart, contends to be a history filled with tales of danger, intrigue, and treachery, as well as a chronicle of mysteries. Which is right up my alley. Of course, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m done reading.

I’m no fan of hard science fiction, mostly because the science (fiction) therein can befuddle me, and I’ll find myself rereading passages just to get the gist of things. This was the case for Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, but the rest of the narrative is so well-written, accessible, and even heartwarming that, at times, the science did not matter. Essentially, the world is going to end, thanks to microscopic organisms that eat the sun. Yes, that sun, our sun. A multinationa

Having seen the original Toxic Avenger (1984) a long while back, I was interested in seeing the remake, especially what Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Elijah Wood (LOTR), and Kevin Bacon (Footloose) could do with it. I was highly entertained, joyously grossed out (and this wasn’t even the unrated version), and weirdly satisfied. The film tickled me, with its blend of camp and violence: one which was witty, the other, over the top and ridiculous (only practical special effe

Peter O’Toole is such a wonder to watch, a master to witness, a phenomenon to behold. The landmark roles he’s played—Colonel T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Henry II in The Lion in Winter (1968), and Henry II in Becket (1964), to name a few—are timeless portrayals, benchmarks that all aspiring actors should pursue. He’s just as remarkable, just as fantastic, just as perfect in My Favorite Year (1982), where not only does he steal every scene he’s in, he has a wond

I am currently reading the science fiction novel, Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. I look forward to reading this book with relish. After that p.o.c. I just finished reading, I need a good, complex, sophisticated speculative fiction novel to sink my teeth into. As usual, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.

Have you ever found yourself reading a book and encountering one event, one plot point, one small detail, and say, “What the f*&k?” I did so reading Coming In Hot: A Piper Harris Mystery, Volume 1, by Deany Ray. And it happened early on. The plot involves Piper Harris and her grandmother being relocated via WITSEC to a retirement village in Florida. Both of them originally lived in Oregon, where they were “employees” of a biker gang called the Falcons—a gang under serious scr

I am currently reading Coming In Hot: A Piper Harris Mystery, Volume 1 , by Deany Ray. It’s a mystery, so it has that going for it, and the premise sounds like a lot of fun, too. The narrative revolves around a woman in her thirties and her grandmother, who seek refuge in witness protection in Florida after departing from a motorcycle gang in Oregon. Then a murder occurs—but of course it does—and they have to solve it, while still having to keep their cover intact. I’m lookin

I was a little unimpressed with Veil of Shadows: Shunned Immortal—Book 1 , by Jake Skelton, when I was reading the beginning of the book. As usual with many of the urban fantasies and mysteries I read, I became more interested as the book went along, and had a good opinion of it when I finished. The layup is that Angus Savage used to work for the Fae, more specifically, the Caretakers—the keepers of the veil between human reality and faerie reality—as a magic-using bodyguard,

I have written a novel, Arrested Souls: Book One of the Ecto-Files , had it workshopped twice and beta read, and am now trying to market it. Being part of not just one, but two writing groups is essential to my creative process. The critiques and feedback members of both groups provide make me a better writer. I have grown and developed considerably because of this practice. Recently, I submitted a chapter from the second book I am writing, Soul Eaters: Book Two of the Ecto-F

Watching this movie a second (or third?) time has led me to a deeper appreciation for writer/director Guillermo del Toro ( Frankenstein [2025] ). First of all, Hellboy (2004) is based on a comic book of the same name, and the film feels like a live-action comic book. If it’s the writing, the direction, the editing, or the art direction (or a combination of all?), HB delivers what it promises. The cast, led by Ron Perlman ( Sons of Anarchy ), Selma Blair ( The Deal ), Doug Jo

I am currently reading the urban fantasy novel, Veil of Shadows: Shunned Immortal—Book 1 , by Jake Skelton. Like many books in this genre, it follows the formula of a hardboiled detective story, with the main character, Gus, a 500-year-old ex-fae enforcer living in Boston who agrees to help a young woman steer clear of dangerous vampires. Hence the urban setting, hence the detective, hence the femme fatale. I look forward to the worldbuilding, a clue-laden plot, and, hopefull

Having finished reading this book, I have a better appreciation of the plight of the American pioneer of the 19th Century. Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West , by Peter Cozzens, painted a picture of a wild, booming Western mining camp turned city that shone very brightly, but, in its legendary state, only lasted about four years (1876-1879). Old West icons like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane made Deadwood their home during this era. But the most notewort

I am currently reading Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West , by Peter Cozzens. It’s a nonfiction account of the rise and fall of this camp, including all of the major players. Deadwood , the HBO series, was a fine show with excellent episodes and even better performances. Peter Cozzens claims to dig deeper into the mining camp, into everything and everyone, in this book. Besides, I love Westerns, and I appreciate nonfiction accounts of historical events, even