L.S. Popovich's Blog, page 14
June 19, 2023
Review of A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
Admittedly, I have asked ChatGPT to write plenty of sequels to “The Library of Babel.” I have thought about the story ceaselessly. I have written my own fan fictions here and there. Borges was quoted as saying “I imagine Heaven as a kind of library.” The author of this book turns a library into Hell. […]
June 12, 2023
June 5, 2023
Review of solenoid by Mircea Cartarescu
A depiction of the remarkable wealth of one man’s inner life amid the bodily poverty and blindingly dull inheritance of the paltry years allotted to him on a damaged and ravaged earth in a squalid and unforgiving metropolis. Drenched in cosmic surrealism and accoutered with interlocking symbols. The author pursues central questions and then intersperses scenes […]
May 22, 2023
Review of Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi
Japanese Slice of Life Versus American Literary Fiction. Slice of Life: mundane day to day events occur regularly. Characters go to work, commute, go shopping, etc. They interact with others in quirky and amusing ways. Characters make decisions, but the consequences are not usually earth-shattering. Readers have the chance to live a life vicariously through […]
May 15, 2023
Review of Of Kings, Queens and Colonies by Johnny Worthen
Humans have relocated to a ten-planet system called Coronam. Each planet has its drawbacks and advantages. Various factions proceed to war over the resources and ownership. This is an epic with medieval warfare, space ships, and political subtexts. Told through 16 points of view, the tale could get a little convoluted, but each chapter offered […]
May 8, 2023
Review of Ruins by Peter Kuper
A worthy and important work of graphic storytelling. A married couple take a sabbatical in Oaxaca. He is a struggling insect-enthusiast, and she is working on a novel. They gravitate away and toward one another while they explore the urban desolation and natural splendor of their surroundings. It resonates strongly with political tensions, historical tidbits, […]
May 1, 2023
Review of by Crystals of Empire Trilogy by M. Poyhonen
The Crystals of Empire is an immersive fantasy tale with a steep learning curve. In time, the pieces fall into place, but the beginning eased me in with a recognizable setting steeped in mythological undertones and relatable character interaction. While I did not get on with the dialects, the dialogue was functional offering a good […]
April 24, 2023
April 17, 2023
Review of End Man by Alex Austin
The first thing I appreciated about End Man was the Vaporware/ Outrun aesthetic of its cover, followed by its intriguing premise. Wherever corporate corruption is brought upon the chopping block I am game for a foray into speculation. Then you get oodles of commentary on mortality and how the virtual world contains online remnants of […]
April 10, 2023
Review of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
2 stars for Neil Gaiman and 6 stars for old Norse authors. A glance at the cover would lead one to believe that Neil Gaiman wrote this book. He is the “author” after all. But what did he actually do? He retold the tales. His language is entertaining, but he might have used invention and […]
