Book Review: The Marsco Dissident by James A. Zarzana It’s a Marsco world. Much has changed by the last years of the 21st Century. The rot started to set in with the Abandonment Policy (euphemized as “Divestiture”) where countries with prosperous sections and not-so-prosperous bits split off the not-prosperous sectors as “another country now, not… Continue reading Book Review: The Marsco Dissident
Tag: science fiction
Open Thread: Minicon 51 Report
Open Thread: Minicon 51 Report For those of you new to this blog, Minicon is the Easter weekend science fiction convention put on by MN-StF every year. I’ve been going to it for somewhere around three decades now, and this year was no exception. Once again it was at the RadiShTree (Bloomington Doubletree) hotel, and… Continue reading Open Thread: Minicon 51 Report
Book Review: Twin Cities Speculations: An Anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Book Review: Twin Cities Speculations: An Anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy edited by Eric Binfet As I may have mentioned before, I have a soft spot for local writers, of which Minnesota has many. One Twin Cities writers’ group got together and self-published an anthology, and here we are. Eight stories of SF and fantasy,… Continue reading Book Review: Twin Cities Speculations: An Anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2
Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2 by Gary Larson The Far Side was a daily single-panel newspaper comic that ran from 1980 to 1995, although reruns are common in newspapers. Gary Larson’s offbeat comedy often features science fiction and horror concepts, as well as talking animals and cavemen. Honestly, it’s hard to describe… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: The Far Side Gallery 2
Magazine Review: The American Scholar Spring 1977
Magazine Review: The American Scholar Spring 1977 Edited by Joseph Epstein The American Scholar is a quarterly production of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, published since 1932. Its primary focus is non-fiction essays, but it also features poetry, book reviews and since 2006 fiction. I happened across an old issue, was intrigued by one of… Continue reading Magazine Review: The American Scholar Spring 1977
Comic Book Review: The Best of Judge Dredd
Comic Book Review: The Best of Judge Dredd edited by Tharg It is the dark future of the 22nd Century. Nuclear war and environmental devastation have made large portions of Earth’s surface barely inhabitable, and the majority of the remaining population is crowded into sprawling urban areas called Mega-Cities. Overpopulation, high unemployment, and a general… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of Judge Dredd
Book Review: Father of Lies | Mirror Image
Book Review: Father of Lies | Mirror Image by John Brunner and Bruce Duncan, respectively. Belmont Books was a minor publisher of paperback books with a specialty in speculative fiction, which lasted from 1960 to 1971. Apparently in an effort to mimic the success of Ace Doubles, they produced a series of “Belmont Doubles” that… Continue reading Book Review: Father of Lies | Mirror Image
Book Review: Infinity Five
Book Review: Infinity Five edited by Robert Hoskins This is the fifth and last (so far as I know) of the Infinity series of science fiction anthologies from Lancer Books. As mentioned in my review of Infinity Two, they’re heavy on the New Wave style of story, free to have sex scenes and rough language (but not yet… Continue reading Book Review: Infinity Five
Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK
Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK edited by Scott Nybakken Disclaimer: I received this volume from a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. I don’t talk a lot about colorists. In most comics, they’re not noticed unless they really screw up, or there’s a particularly striking image.… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Vertigo CYMK
Manga Review: Dream Fossil
Manga Review: Dream Fossil by Satoshi Kon Satoshi Kon (1963-2010) was an acclaimed anime director, making a handful of movies (including Paprika) and one television series, Paranoia Agent. His themes of confusion of dreams and reality, and madness lying just below the surface of society, made his works fascinating. He also spent some time as a… Continue reading Manga Review: Dream Fossil