James Pyles's Blog, page 26

My Fantasy Adventure Novelette “Ice” has been Reviewed on twitter/X

I have exactly one book that is self-published on Amazon; Ice. My short description blurb says: At the end of time, the world is hot and men travel the vast oceans in merchant sailing ships. Captain Ki-Moon Yong of the Star of Jindo has discovered a new horror at the bottom of the Earth. Can […]

Neglect

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. “Screw it.” Sam’s aging body sat heavily onto the wrought iron chair. Long legs were stuffed underneath the matching table. The garden she had lovingly created looked like crap. He’d neglected everything over the summer. Now the morning air had the […]

Book Review of “Pushing Ice” (2005)

It’s been over five years since I read and reviewed one of Alastair Reynolds’ books so I guess reviewing Pushing Ice is long overdue. I actually keep a list of books I want to read. Which books I read and when depends somewhat on whether or not I can find them in my local public […]

Rewellagans

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. “Rewellagans,” insisted five-and-a-half year old Joannie Palmer as she pointed up at the machine. She had led me into a glade I’d never visited before, one covered with several varieties of long grasses and surrounded by tall but otherwise unremarkable trees. […]

Film Review of “They Live” (1988)

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. I’ve been seeing memes based on this film for years, but last night I finally got around to watching John Carpenter’s They Live (1988) starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster. This is supposed to be one of those “cult […]

Anhedonia

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. A storm was coming. It was perfect. A trick of the wind let him hear the laughter of old men swapping jokes at the nearby truck stop. Wyatt trudged through the freight yard. Old, rusted cargo containers were stacked high around […]

Odd Man Out

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. For a chain, Joe’s Crab Shack had lots of personality. It fit how Mickey saw the life he used to live. Now he had bigger problems, his co-workers. “Hey, there he is,” shouted Nate waving him over to their table. “About […]

Little (Synthetic) Girl Lost

It was illegal for her to be in Shenzhen let alone to time shift into the past. Fortunately, she had enough power left to transmogrify into a western tourist and evade her pursuers. As she boarded the double-decker street bus, she did attract some male attention, but for predictable reasons. He kept a home in […]

Book Review of “Hauser’s Memory” (1968)

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. I finished my re-read of Curt Siodmak’s classic novel Hauser’s Memory a few days ago but this is the first chance I’ve had to write about it. I know I originally read the book some decades ago but remembered very little. […]

Toxic Fandom and What is “real” Star Trek?

If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi. After the controversial Star Trek Strange New Worlds musical episode and whatever latest mess actor Robert Beltran (who played Chakotay on “Star Trek: Voyager”) stepped in, the question once again comes up, “What is a true Star Trek fan?” We could […]