Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction & Fact January/February 2024 edited by Trevor Quachri Let’s look at a recent issue of this long-running science fiction (and fact) magazine. The opening editorial by Howard V. Hendrix, “Machines Passing for People Passing for Machines”, which among other things discusses the Turing Test, where a simulated person tries to… Continue reading Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction & Fact January/February 2024
Tag: games
TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5
TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5 In 1961, a new show hit the airwaves in Britain, The Avengers. The main character was Dr. David Keel (Ian Hendry) whose wife had been murdered. He’s recruited by spy John Steed (Patrick McNee) to be an expert consultant in exchange for help avenging his spouse. After the… Continue reading TV Review: The Avengers ’68 Set 5
Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1
Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda Hitohito Tadano is an average boy on his first day of high school. After a truly horrific experience when he tried to stand out from the crowd in middle school, he’s turned timid, wanting to blend in and fit in so as to have the… Continue reading Manga Review: Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1
Manga Review: King of Cards Volume 1
Manga Review: King of Cards Volume 1 by Makoto Tateno First-year high school student Manami Minami wants to play the collectible card game “Chaos” with her cousin Tamotsu Kazama, who’s the president of their school’s gaming club. She randomly picks a beginner’s set to purchase–which turns out to be an out of print one with… Continue reading Manga Review: King of Cards Volume 1
Movie Review: Ready Player One
Movie Review: Ready Player One (2018) directed by Steven Spielberg It is the dark future of Columbus, Ohio in the year 2045. Ecological disaster and economic collapse have made the outside world unbearable for many of the world’s citizens. Fortunately, there’s an online virtual world known as the Oasis that they can escape to. But worse… Continue reading Movie Review: Ready Player One
Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970
Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970 “Strange Fantasy” was a short-lived reprint digest-sized magazine from Ultimate Publishing. This issue’s stories were originally published between 1959 and 1964, which somewhat belies the cover text. “The Shrine of Temptation” by Judith Merril starts us off with an anthropologist’s tale of a mysterious shrine on an isolated island.… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970
Book Review: The Green Knight
Book Review: The Green Knight by Vera Chapman Most long-time readers will be familiar with the basics of the legend of the Green Knight. King Arthur is holding court in Camelot at Christmastide when a stranger dressed in/colored green appears. This Green Knight proposes a contest of blows. A champion of Camelot will strike at… Continue reading Book Review: The Green Knight
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
Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2
Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1 & 2 edited by Kristy Quinn Wonder Woman is a favorite character of many comics readers, but her regular series often disappoints. The powers that be will assign writers that are a poor fit, or a promising storyline will be derailed by needing to tie… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2
Manga Review: The Birth of Kitaro
Manga Review: The Birth of Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki Blood bank worker Mizuki (no relation) is sent to investigate a report of tainted blood provided by his business, which has turned a hospital patient into the living dead. Narrowing down the possibilities, Mizuki is startled to learn that the blood donor put down his, Mizuki’s,… Continue reading Manga Review: The Birth of Kitaro