L.S. Popovich's Blog, page 18
July 7, 2022
Review of MONKEY: New Writing From Japan (Volume 1) by Motoyuki Shibata
I have been a hug fan of this publication, having completing the original run of Monkey Business, so I was delighted to find this resurrected imprint. Nearly every issue contains writing or interviews available nowhere else featuring Haruki Murakami, Hiromi Kawakami, Mieko Kawakami, and Hideo Furukawa. If that isn’t enough to justify checking them out, […]
June 30, 2022
Review of Into the Violet Gardens by Isaac Nasri
In this very near-future s-f novel, cyborgs and cartels battle it out amid a powder keg political imbalance. The author provides prose rich with details of setting and character that easily communicates the suffering common to human experience, which constitutes the novel’s beating heart. Making use of tried-and-true thriller trappings, realistic dialogue, and a multi-layered […]
June 27, 2022
Review of Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 4: Materia (Gunnerkrigg Court #4) by Thomas Siddell
A continually surprising series. Meshing classical myth with original ideas, this kid-friendly series of light adventures and comical mishaps often stumbles into darker territory, heady themes, and far-reaching consequences. While I long for more maturity, it is nice to see rich character development throughout each volume. The players change subtly, and I doubt the level […]
June 23, 2022
Review of The Poems of Catullus by Catullus
Words and expressions the translator should have thought twice about using: “Treadmill,” “French poodle,” “syphilitic.” Catullus is the OG badass Roman poet. His polyamorous adventures and vicious satirical portraits amply flex his majorly ripped wit, status, and (professed) sexual prowess. Listen to him mic drop other statesmen and rapturously serenade his shameless strumpet Lesbia. His […]
June 20, 2022
Review of U-Day (Memory Full, #1) by Rapha Ram
A desperate CEO gives the reader a taste of the morbid underbelly of the near-future society featured in this book in the prologue. In this multi-faceted work, the lens through which we perceive the world is Livvy Blunt, a girl with a modern mind, trying to squeeze the meditative regimen of her monastic existence into […]
June 16, 2022
Review of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) by L. Frank Baum
As whimsical and intriguing as the film. As timeless and humorous and charming. As off-kilter and unique. But can it sustain the delicate balance of childish wonder, nostalgia, and creepy subtext, the Alice and Wonderland dreaminess, for a dozen books? This splendid series has spawned a recognizable aesthetic, probably due to the subtly unnerving drawings […]
June 13, 2022
Review of The Marvelous Land of Oz (Oz, #2) by L. Frank Baum
The darkly amusing saga continues in this slightly less consistent sequel to the classic children’s tale of Oz. We are back in the magical land, but without Dorothy and the frame story. Noticing quite a few differences between this and Return to Oz, the film, I can tell that they brought in material from the […]
June 9, 2022
Review of Tales From the Liminal by S.K. Kruse
Tales from the Liminal showcases a hearty handful of hilarious and poignant tales for every occasion, tales full of personality and pizzazz, modernistic flair and quirky humor, clever situations described with aplomb and enough literary extravagance to enlighten the most jaded reader. Equipped with charming illustrations, each easily digested episode scratches my itch for effective […]
June 6, 2022
Review of Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Very much in line with the film, Return to Oz, a personal favorite of mine. Rife with weird objets d’art and dramatic situations void of any real danger. The underground fortress and faint-hearted exploration were reminiscent of Narnia, which is to say I was entertained and sometimes absorbed. It boils down to a rather simple […]
June 2, 2022
The Arden Finalist in Indi Book Awards 2022 Awards
We are pleased to announce our Book, the Arden was a finalist in the Indie Book Awards 2022 in the science fiction genre.
