Book Review: Mammoths of the Great Plains

Book Review: Mammoths of the Great Plains by Eleanor Arnason On an alternate Earth, the mammoth lived into historical times, abiding with the bison and the Native Americans.   But then Lewis and Clark saw their first mammoth, and reported on it to President Jefferson and the teeming masses of the East.   This is the story of… Continue reading Book Review: Mammoths of the Great Plains

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 by various creators In 1940, a year after Batman debuted, he gained the first superhero kid sidekick in comic books.  Robin aka Dick Grayson served several functions.  Kid appeal, merchandising, lightening up the tone of the stories a bit, and giving Batman someone to have… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1

Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space

Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois Per the introduction, in the Fifties and Sixties, many young science fiction fans’ introduction to the genre was “juveniles”, books aimed at an age above “children’s” but not quite “adult.”  In the 1970s or so, this category was re-labled… Continue reading Book Review: Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space

Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1

Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1 edited by Leigh Brackett Planet Stories was a pulp science fiction magazine that ran from 1939-1955.  Its specialty was “space opera”, exciting tales of adventure set in the future and on other worlds, full of square-jawed heroes, scantily clad damsels and bug-eyed monsters.  Not always the most… Continue reading Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1

Comic Book Review: Essential Killraven Vol. 1

Comic Book Review:  Essential Killraven Vol. 1 by various In the far future Earth of 2018, the Martian invaders rule.   Having learned their lesson from their last attempt, this time the Martians immunized themselves against Earth diseases, and neutralized the humans’ nuclear stockpiles before landing.  Scattered free humans scrabble for survival in the ruins of… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Essential Killraven Vol. 1

Book Review: How We Came to Know the Cosmos: Space & Time

Book Review: How We Came to Know the Cosmos: Space & Time by Helen Klus Disclaimer:  I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered. The universe is very large, while humans are very small.   We inhabit only an infinitesimal fraction of… Continue reading Book Review: How We Came to Know the Cosmos: Space & Time

Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One

Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One written by Martin Powell, art by Seppo Makinen Sherlock Holmes and his good friend Doctor Watson are on the trail of Professor Moriarty, but they’ve just missed him.  The Napoleon of Crime has realized that the world’s first consulting detective is more difficult to deal with than… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries Volume One

Book Review: The Invisible Man

Book Review: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells The sleepy village of Iping doesn’t get many visitors in the middle of winter, so when Mrs. Hall gets a new customer (and one that pays on time!) for her boarding house, it’s not polite to look a gift horse in the mouth.  It’s true the guest… Continue reading Book Review: The Invisible Man

Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby

Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby War, pollution, crime, climate change, general immorality–it sure seems like the world is going to Hell these days.  According to Ryo Asuka, a teen genius professor, it might be because an increasing number of humans are becoming possessed by demons.  He’s come up with a plan, though.  Ryo theorizes that by… Continue reading Anime Review: Devilman Crybaby

Book Review: The Periodic Table

Book Review: The Periodic Table by Tom Jackson Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate writing this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered. The periodic table was developed in 1869 by Dmitri Mendeleev   as a way of categorizing elements, substances that cannot be refined or purified… Continue reading Book Review: The Periodic Table