by Jane | Oct 22, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
There has been a lot of hype recently over Netflix’s Stranger Things. It is not unfounded. In the first episode, we are introduced to a group of four middle school boys: Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas. Soon after we meet them, Will is pursued by a monster and disappears. His mother, played by Winona Ryder, is hysterical, but is convinced her son is alive and trying to contact her through phones that blow up and blinking lights.
Meanwhile, the middle school boys, also searching for Will, meet Eleven, a strange little girl who has escaped from a secret organization. Mike befriends her and hides her in his basement. Though she talks little, they soon discover she has strange powers, powers which can help them search for Will. Little by little, other people get involved in the search, both for Will and for the monster, though their efforts are constantly blocked by the men working for the secret organization.
There are parts of this story which remind me of the movie ET — the way the boys hide Eleven and disguise her so they can take her out in public, as well as their conflict with the men of the secret organization. But there’s more to it than the children’s story. Several adults get involved as well, at times putting their lives in danger. So, there is much tension in the series, which moves it along very well. But there is also a strong human element — the friendship between Mike and Eleven, conflicts among the boys, the partnership between a teenage girl moving into a new clique and a young man considered an outsider, and the way in which the Police Chief puts aside his personal tragedies to help someone else.
Young or old, if you like fantastic stories, Stranger Things this is a good series to watch. The first season wrapped up one story in eight episodes, but left hints of things to come. I hope it’s around for a long time to come.
by Jane | Oct 12, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
On August 26-28, 2016, I attended my first all-Star Trek convention in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the show. I decided to go not only because it was the fiftieth anniversary but because, frankly, I wasn’t sure how much longer any of the original series actors would be around and able to appear. I also knew it might be my last chance to get a William Shatner photo op and autograph on the East Coast.
The con itself was great. Although there weren’t as many of the actors that appear on the West Coast, seventeen actors came, at least one from every series, plus some who had only appeared in one or more movies. The leads from each show included William Shatner and Walter Koenig (TOS), LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn and Gates McFadden (TNG), Ethan Phillips and Garrett Wang (Voyager), Nana Visitor and Nicole Boer (DS9), and Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating (Enterprise). They all did a wonderful job on stage, talking about Trek and their current projects and fielding questions from the audience. However, even though I had gone largely to see Shatner, my favorites were LeVar Burton, Garrett Wang, and Max Grodenchik (Rom on DS9). Garrett was incredibly funny and personable, both on stage and in the dealer’s room where he was selling autographs and selfies. He even did an audience participation exercise, where different parts of the audience would shout out phrases from the show or riffs of theme music. My selfie with Garrett appears below.
Max Grodenchik was also personable and funny, both in his daytime appearance and nighttime show, which I’ll talk about later. LeVar I found very intelligent and was entranced by his discussion of his reading program for children, Reading Rainbow.
As with other Creation conventions, autographs and photo ops were available for a fee. Luckily, the type of ticket I had purchased entitled me to four free autographs, including Shatner, so I only paid for three. As mentioned earlier, I also wanted a photo with William Shatner and had prepaid for that. It was the same, yet very different, from the photo op I had had at the Supernatural Convention last year. We were rushed through and Shatner didn’t even move, much less say anything. Still, I came out with a pretty good picture. (See below.)
The autographs with Shatner were similar. He kept his head down and said barely a word as the line flowed past. Unfortunately, he seems to treat these as something to just get through, rather than enjoy, as the other actors seem to. But he can get away with it because he always has been, and will always continue to be, Captain James T. Kirk.
But what surprised me was how much I enjoyed the nighttime entertainment. Friday night was a performance by the Star Trek Rat Pack, consisting of Max Grodenchik, Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun, Brunt, and Shran), Vaughn Armstrong (Admiral Michael Forest, plus several aliens), Casey Biggs (Damar), and Ethan Philips. (Armin Shimmerman is usually a part of this group as well, but was unable to attend.) The group sang songs written by Max Grodenchik which parodied Star Trek, mostly Deep Space 9 and Voyager (though my favorite was from TNG and entitled “A BORG named Hugh.”) Ethan Phillips not only sang and played guitar, but also told jokes between numbers.
Saturday night was a Karaoke party hosted by Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating. Though I didn’t expect much, I was pleasantly surprised. Connor and Dominick would sing along with the soloists, as did much of the audience. Before long, a group formed in front of the stage singing and dancing and many of us got pulled up on stage. Connor and Dominick were very gracious hosts and kept saying “just one more song.” The party started at 9:00 and went until midnight. A convention official finally put an end to it.
There was a lot more to the con – dealer’s room, costumes, panels, etc., but this is already twice as long as my usual posts, so I have to end. I can only say, it was a great time. All Star Trek fans should get to at least one of these in their lifetimes. You can spend a lot of money or a little, but you will enjoy yourself.
by Jane | Sep 30, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Physicist Jacob Newman decides to go back in time and kill Hitler before he comes to power. What could possibly go wrong?
You can only imagine.
In The Kronos Interference by Edward Miler and J. B. Manas, Jacob is tapped by the CIA to help investigate a vessel on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, thought to be of alien origin. There he finds images of historical events, atrocities throughout the ages. It is thought by members of the team that the aliens may be telling humans what a terrible species they are, and the fear is that the aliens want to destroy the Earth because of the things the human race has done.
One of the images Jacob sees is of the Holocaust, which he is drawn to because of his grandparents. His grandmother had been killed in the Holocaust, and his grandfather had been plotting to kill Hitler while he was imprisoned but backed out at the last minute. When Jacob discovers that the alien vessel contains time travel capabilities, he decides to help his grandfather carry out the original plot and save the human race.
As you might imagine, things do not end up the way Jacob had hoped. When he returns to the present, he finds another type of plot going on. He has to fight against both the present and the past to make things right.
The Kronos Interference is the first novel by Miler and Manas, published by Pop Culture Zoo Press. It was so well-written, I intend to check out their most recent collaboration, The Cadet, set in the Star Trek universe. But for now, if you’re into time travel at all, check out The Kronos Interference.
by Jane | Sep 5, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
A lifetime science fiction writer, I sometimes enjoy grabbing a book by one of the old masters, especially if it’s one I haven’t read. This summer the book I grabbed was The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke. Not one of his more well-known books, it’s still an excellent example of 1940’s science fiction. One of the reasons it’s fun to go back and read some of these is because you can see what the writer got right. In this case, Clarke accurately predicted the internet, social media, and virtual reality.
As to the story itself, there is a young man coming of age in a utopian society, a city shut off from the rest of the world. The young man, Alvin, asks “What lies beyond the walls?” You might think you’ve seen this theme many times, but remember, Clarke was one of the first.
Alvin lives in Diaspar, where individuals live thousands of years, then go into the central memory of the city to be born again thousands of years later. Though sex still exists, no babies are born because they are not necessary. And all a person’s needs are taken care of.
But Alvin is a Unique — he has no previous lives. His tutor believes Uniques are “born” from time to time to introduce an element of randomness into the system to avoid stagnation. Randomness is also introduced by a person known as the Joker, whose job it is to create chaos. Up to now, the chaos he has created has been minor. But when the Unique meets the Joker, Alvin gets what he wants — a way out of the city, and what he finds changes the lives of the people on Earth forever.
I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Clarke, but The City and the Stars had passed me by. It doesn’t reach the heights of 2001: A Space Odyssey or the expanse of the Rama series, but it is definitely worth a read.
by Jane | Aug 25, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters is an alternative history novel set in an America where slavery never died. It only exists in four states (including a merged Carolina), but in those states it shows no signs of ever ending.
The protagonist in the story is an ex-slave working undercover for the U.S. Marshal’s Service. He has had many names, but for my purposes, I’ll call him Victor. The Fugitive Slave Law, or a new version of it, is still in effect, and Victor helps find escaped slaves. To do this, he uses various guises to try and infiltrate the Underground Airlines (not the railroad, as in our history.)
At the beginning of the book, Victor is looking for a man with the slave name of Jackdaw. But there is something different about this case, and for the first time, Victor starts to really question what he is doing and has to decide if he should turn on his employers and risk getting sent back into slavery himself.
Underground Airlines is a very interesting analysis of slavery as it would be in modern times. Slaves are not at old-time plantations, but in factories and meat processing plants. Up North, blacks have gained some rights (for instance, employment in law enforcement), but are still segregated. Abolitionists exist throughout the U.S., but there is a constitutional amendment in place that forbids the federal government from abolishing slavery in the remaining four states.
I personally like books that educate as well as entertain, which this one certainly does. Particularly in today’s America, it highlights race relations so the reader can view them from a different perspective. But it is also a detective story, where Victor tries to determine what is different about Jackdaw; and a morality tale, where Victor must decide what to do in a tricky situation.
If Underground Airlines doesn’t get you on one level, it will get you on another. Read it.
by Jane | Aug 21, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
I recently found a book of stories entitled Twilight Zone, edited by Carol Serling, Rod Serling’s wife. I came out in 2009, the 50th anniversary of the television series, and purports to contain stories reminiscent of that show. Each story even has an introduction and epilogue similar to what Serling would say before and after each show.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Most of the stories don’t fill me with dread and horror the way the show did. Many of them are more whimsical than scary.
That said, there are a few exceptions. The first story in the collection to get under my skin was “The Street That Forgot Time” by Deborah Chester, the story of a neighborhood where something is very wrong, but only one man can see it — definitely in the Serling tradition. “The Wrong Room” by R. L. Stine about a salesman lost in the wrong convention has merit, as do others about a soldier with a good luck charm, a man who’s put up with all he can from his wife, a strange little shop, and a confused man in two realities.
The last story is not a story at all but rather, a previously unpublished treatment that was never produced. It’s entitled “El Moe” — a con man takes the role of a long-dead Mexican hero. It’s Serling, so it’s very good. I’m sorry it was never published.
Bottom line — there are some good stories here. If you don’t expect them all to be The Twilight Zone quality, you won’t be disappointed.
by Jane | Aug 11, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Jeweled Fire is a fantasy novel by Sharon Shinn. It is described in the blurb as part of the Elemental Blessings series, but it also works as a stand-alone book.
Corene, a princess of Welce, hears that Empress Filomara is seeking wives for her three nephews, any one of which could be named her heir, and looking for an adventure, stows away aboard a ship bound for Malinqua. She is welcomed by the empress and given roms in the palace, where she makes friends with other potential brides and the nephews. Also on board are Steff, a newly discovered grandson of Filomara, and Corene’s bodyguard Foley.
But everything is not as it seems. Corene learns of several deaths that have occurred surrounding the royal family and begins to suspect that she and the other women are being held hostage. She wonders two things: Is my life in danger? How can I leave and return home?
A well-written book, Jeweled Fire keeps the reader’s attention from beginning to end. Shinn is a master, creating many memorable and distinct characters, some likeable, some not. Read this book and get to know Corene and her friends. It’s a good ride.
by Jane | Aug 3, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Goldenland Past Dark by Chandler Klang Smith is categorized as fantasy by my public library. I’m not so sure. Although the book definitely has a weird feel throughout, the first indication of anything actually otherworldly is almost sixty pages into the book. It is a wooden doll named Wags that the protagonist Webern sees come to life as a boy and who visits him several times during the story.
Webern is a 16-year-old hump-backed boy with stunted growth who works as a clown in a second-rate circus in the 1960’s. He had some hard times as a child — the accident which caused his disfigurement, the untimely death of his mother, and mistreatment by his older, very weird twin sisters. The book tells the story of his curious life, his friendship with Lizard Girl Nepenthe and his mentor Dr. Show, the ringmaster, interspersed by flashbacks from his childhood.
This is less fantasy and more of a psychological journey for Webern as he travels with the circus and later has to confront his past. The reader is left wondering whether Wags is real or simply an imaginary friend Webern never gave up.
Goldenland Past Dark is an interesting book, although one I would probably not have picked up if it did not carry the label “fantasy.” That said, I would not recommend it as a fantasy book, but only if you’re interested of a view into a disturbed boy’s head.
by Jane | Jul 26, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
The Last Star by Rick Yancy completes The 5th Wave trilogy. Ringer has been enhanced and betrayed, a prisoner of Vosch, who wants to use her for his own purposes. He tells her more and more about the Others’ plans, but can he be trusted? Either way, it doesn’t look good for the remaining humans. Zombie (Ben) decides to go look for Ringer. Battling Silencers, he makes his way toward the caverns, which, unbeknownst to him, are no longer safe. Cassie is still around, and as always, has her own agenda.
How all these people meet up and interact is the crux of the final book. The questions to be answered are: Who will survive? How will the humans deal with the Others’ plans for humanity? Can humanity itself survive and what will it look like?
This book deals directly with courage, sacrifice, and the meaning of trust. It is a fitting end to the trilogy, though some questions are only partially answered and others perhaps not answered in the way the reader would like. But what is sure is that this book does not disappoint and neither does Rick Young. I hope to read more of his work in the future.
by Jane | Jul 15, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
When I picked up The Last Exodus by Paul Tassi and started reading, I was disappointed to learn that it was about yet another alien apocalypse. Having just finished The 5th Wave series, I wasn’t sure I wanted to delve into another similar tale. Fortunately, this book was set apart in two ways: (1) the apocalypse here was absolute — in a very short time after the beginning of the story, all life on Earth would cease to exist; and (2) the protagonist Lucas teams up with a rogue alien to escape their (almost) dead planet. The alien, a scientist calling himself Alpha, has deserted because he doesn’t believe in his people’s policies. He has a spaceship but no crew, so he enlists the aid of Lucas and a woman called Asha to fly the ship to a planet where he hopes to find sanctuary.
The Last Exodus is published by Talos Press, an imprint of independent publisher Skyhorse Publishing, and as such has many more mistakes in punctuation, spelling, and so forth than books published by the Big Five. That being said, it is well-written and a good story. The characters are complex and well-developed. Tassi tells a tale of desperation — three individuals thrown together by circumstance, who must work together to survive. Combined with much action, both on Earth and in space, it is very engaging. I had a slight problem with the ending, which is almost, but not quite a cliffhanger. I would have preferred a more satisfying conclusion. Still, it’s worth a read, and I will definitely pick up the next book in the series when it is available.
