Book Review: The Best of Analog edited by Ben Bova After the death of long-time editor John W. Campbell in 1971, Analog Science Fiction and Fact needed a new person at the helm. The winner of the selection process was Ben Bova (1932-2020), who intended to stay only a few years, those years winding up… Continue reading Book Review: The Best of Analog
Tag: guilt
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural edited by Nicola Cuti As I’ve mentioned before, Superman’s impressive array of powers at the top of the super-scale make him a hard character to write challenges for. This led to the invention of Kryptonite and its subsequent overuse as a plot device.… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural
Comic Strip Review: O Human Star Volume Two
Comic Strip Review: O Human Star Volume Two by Blue Delliquanti This review contains SPOILERS for Volume One; you may want to read my review of that volume first. On a slightly alternate Earth, roboticist Brendan Pinsky finds his life turning upside down–again, when a robot that looks and acts exactly like his old partner… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: O Human Star Volume Two
Book Review: Cooked to Death
Book Review: Cooked to Death edited by Rhonda Gilliland and Michael Allan Mallory Let’s return to the world of themed anthologies, a quick way to get a sample of various authors writing on a particular topic. In this case, it’s primarily Minnesota and other Midwestern writers doing crime and mystery short stories around the topic… Continue reading Book Review: Cooked to Death
Comic Book Review: Astro City Metrobook 4
Comic Book Review: Astro City Metrobook 4 written by Kurt Busiek, art by Brent Anderson, covers by Alex Ross Astro City is filled with superheroes and supervillains. But it’s also filled with ordinary people trying to live their ordinary lives in an extraordinary world. Both these groups have stories to tell. This independent “universe” was… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Astro City Metrobook 4
Movie Review: Earthquake (1974)
Movie Review: Earthquake (1974) directed by Mark Robson There are many attractive features to living in Los Angeles. Ground stability isn’t one of them. The San Andreas Fault runs nearby, and it’s overdue for a major seismic shift in the area. This movie asks, “What if the Big One hit now?” To give us some investment… Continue reading Movie Review: Earthquake (1974)
Manga Review: The Crater
Manga Review: The Crater by Osamu Tezuka In the late 1960s, Osamu Tezuka’s career was facing a crisis. He was still popular, with publishers quite willing to buy more of the kid-friendly material he’d become famous for. But he wasn’t a trend-setter anymore. The new generation of manga creators was into gekiga, more serious and… Continue reading Manga Review: The Crater
Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time
Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time edited by Raymond J. Healy This 1951 anthology opens with an introduction by Anthony Boucher. In it he notes the proliferation of science fiction anthologies at the time, most of which were reprints of magazine stories. Often the same stories, over and over–not bad because they are… Continue reading Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a human-shinigami (death spirit) crossbreed who works as a psychopomp, delivering lost spirits to the afterlife. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Rinne is very poor and never seems to get ahead. Rinne’s closest allies are his black cat familiar Rokumon, and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 36 & 37
Book Review: An Oath of Dogs
Book Review: An Oath of Dogs by Wendy N. Wagner Kate Standish (she prefers “Standish”) is looking forward to her new job as a communications technician on the colony world of Huginn. After the traumatic accident, open space is no longer a place she feels comfortable in, and the frequent cloud cover will help her… Continue reading Book Review: An Oath of Dogs