Category Archives: Reviewing

Movie Review: Ghost in the Shell (2017) 2.5 stars

Ghost in the Shell Released: March 31, 2017 (US) Director: Rupert Sanders Watched: 10/2/2019 (via Hulu and SyFy) Rating: 2-2.5 stars Synopsis (from IMDB): In the near future, Major Mira Killian is the first of her kind: A human saved … Continue reading

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Movie Review: Born of Hope (4 stars)

Born of Hope: The Ring of Barahir Release date: December 1, 2009 Director/Producer: Kate Madison Official Website: http://www.bornofhope.com/ Watched: late September 2019 My rating: 4 out of 5 stars I stumbled across this fan film last week while researching (translation: … Continue reading

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Reading the 1944 Retro Hugo Finalists

My reading list for the next several weeks, thanks to the recently announced finalists for the Retrospective Hugo Awards.  Or rather I should say my scavenger hunt because finding some of these stories will be challenging. Update 7/4/2019: Happy Independence … Continue reading

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Book Review: Meditations on Middle-Earth (4 stars)

Meditations on Middle-Earth Edited by Karen Haber ♦ Illustrated by John Howe Essays by Various Authors (see highlights below) First Edition Published: 2001 Read in January 2019 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Excerpt from St. Martin’s Press Synopsis: In … Continue reading

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Reading Resolutions

Happy New Year! My January is fully stocked with reading, book clubs and even a lecture (on a book of course). Tomorrow, I start listening to the audiobook of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles to discuss next Thursday, … Continue reading

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My Reading Recap for 2018

Best Book(s) read in 2018:  The Murderbot Diaries (all of them) by Martha Wells Best Short Fiction: The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata Best Tome: Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright Best Tolkien* Book: The Fall of Gondolin Best Non-Fiction:  Never … Continue reading

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Postcards from the Edge of Islandia

The second third of Islandia suffered middle book syndrome even though it’s not actually a middle book.  Yet it is the middle of this book.  The first third had elements of a travelogue, a natural history explorer, a diplomat and … Continue reading

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Book Review: Raven Stratagem (3.5 Stars)

Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee Published: June 13, 2017 by Solaris Books Read: May/June 2018 2017 GoodReads Choice Nominee for Science Fiction 2018 Best Novel Hugo Finalist Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars This time last year I was … Continue reading

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Unexpected Heart-Pounding Action-Adventure in Under 7,500 Words

I seem to have left the best for last in my Retro Hugo short fiction reading.  This morning, I started reading and could not stop reading “The Sunken Land” by Fritz Leiber.  His writing took me back to the days … Continue reading

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Reading the Best Novelette Finalists (2018 & 1943)

I predict it will take me longer to get through the Best Novelette category than any of the other short fiction categories.  Most modern novellas and some of the short stories are available in audio format.  Thanks to Heinlein’s continued … Continue reading

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