Wesley Britton's Blog, page 13
February 14, 2019
Book Review: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sorta Autobiography by Eric Idle
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sorta biography
Eric Idle
Audible Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Random House Audio
Audible.com Release Date: October 2, 2018
ASIN:B07CX4LPPB
https://www.amazon.com/Always-Look-Br...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
As Eric Idle himself says in the introduction to his new memoir, over the years we've been given a deluge of histories, documentaries, and other memoirs about the careers of the six Monty Pythons. So can Idle's "sorta" autobiography give us anything new?
Not having read all the books Idle alluded to, I can't fairly answer that question. I suspect if you're one of those who have, in fact, read and seen everything related to the funniest comedy troupe of all time, I suspect you'd still enjoy a book that is as funny as the Pythons used to be. After all, Idle has written comedy material since 1963 and his new book demonstrates just how comic one writer can be.
But if you're one of those who loved and enjoyed Monty Python without getting immersed in all the appreciations and analysis they've received over the years, than Eric Idle's new memoir is a real treat. And very revelatory. For example, one delight for me was learning about Idle's pre-Python work in British comedy we Yanks never saw. And the post Python projects like Spamalot and his many tours with John Clease.
It's still difficult for me to grasp that the heyday of Monty Python ran from 1969 to 1983 with occasional projects sprouting up from time to time thereafter. As my 14 year old grandson is a Monty Python junkie, you'd think they were still pumping out new material. Nope.
Of course, no one's life is all just their most celebrated achievements, so we learn much about Eric Idle's personal life in his breezy memoir. Poignant chapters discuss his painful growing-up years, his time at Cambridge, and his friendships with the likes of George Harrison and Robin Williams and their tragic ends. So this memoir isn't a laugh fest on every page and shouldn't have been.
Still, along the way, Idle gives us generous samplings of old skits like the "Eric the "half-A-Bee" song and repeated discussions of how his most famous song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," has been used and reused in all manner of both expected and unexpected places. I must agree with other reviewers who complain that some sections, especially in the latter half, are jammed thick with gratuitous name-dropping and overlong passages describing Idle's active social life, partying with the stars. In such patches, skimming might be the way to go.
Without question, if you can get this book in its Audible Audiobook format as read by the author, that's the way to do it. You can feel his style, hear him occasionally verge on breaking into laughter, hear him sing, and get the full Eric Idle treatment. And that's the reason you got this book to begin with, right?
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 14, 2019:
https://waa.ai/owcg
Eric Idle
Audible Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Random House Audio
Audible.com Release Date: October 2, 2018
ASIN:B07CX4LPPB
https://www.amazon.com/Always-Look-Br...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
As Eric Idle himself says in the introduction to his new memoir, over the years we've been given a deluge of histories, documentaries, and other memoirs about the careers of the six Monty Pythons. So can Idle's "sorta" autobiography give us anything new?
Not having read all the books Idle alluded to, I can't fairly answer that question. I suspect if you're one of those who have, in fact, read and seen everything related to the funniest comedy troupe of all time, I suspect you'd still enjoy a book that is as funny as the Pythons used to be. After all, Idle has written comedy material since 1963 and his new book demonstrates just how comic one writer can be.
But if you're one of those who loved and enjoyed Monty Python without getting immersed in all the appreciations and analysis they've received over the years, than Eric Idle's new memoir is a real treat. And very revelatory. For example, one delight for me was learning about Idle's pre-Python work in British comedy we Yanks never saw. And the post Python projects like Spamalot and his many tours with John Clease.
It's still difficult for me to grasp that the heyday of Monty Python ran from 1969 to 1983 with occasional projects sprouting up from time to time thereafter. As my 14 year old grandson is a Monty Python junkie, you'd think they were still pumping out new material. Nope.
Of course, no one's life is all just their most celebrated achievements, so we learn much about Eric Idle's personal life in his breezy memoir. Poignant chapters discuss his painful growing-up years, his time at Cambridge, and his friendships with the likes of George Harrison and Robin Williams and their tragic ends. So this memoir isn't a laugh fest on every page and shouldn't have been.
Still, along the way, Idle gives us generous samplings of old skits like the "Eric the "half-A-Bee" song and repeated discussions of how his most famous song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," has been used and reused in all manner of both expected and unexpected places. I must agree with other reviewers who complain that some sections, especially in the latter half, are jammed thick with gratuitous name-dropping and overlong passages describing Idle's active social life, partying with the stars. In such patches, skimming might be the way to go.
Without question, if you can get this book in its Audible Audiobook format as read by the author, that's the way to do it. You can feel his style, hear him occasionally verge on breaking into laughter, hear him sing, and get the full Eric Idle treatment. And that's the reason you got this book to begin with, right?
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 14, 2019:
https://waa.ai/owcg
February 9, 2019
Book Review: Guarding Gable: A Novel by Nat Segaloff
Guarding Gable: A Novel
Nat Segaloff
Paperback:264 pages
Publisher:BearManor Media (Jan. 10 2019)
ISBN-10:1629334065
ISBN-13:978-1629334066
https://www.amazon.com/Guarding-Gable...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
At first glance, it might seem an exploration of actor Clark Gable's World War II service in the Army Air Corps after the death of his beloved wife, Carole Lombard, might be best suited to a non-fiction treatment. Happily, author Nat Segaloff chose to write an imaginative memoir featuring Gable's years in uniform as told from the Point of View of the apparently fictional Alan Greenberg. Greenberg is a junior publicist assigned by MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer to make sure Gable doesn't get into any dangerous situations, especially since the death of his wife has left Gable in a suicidal mood. So we see a friendship between star and publicist grow as well as a love triangle between them and a British publicist named Mavis Roberts.
Few authors can come close to having the credentials to pull off this novel like Nat Segaloff. Writer/ producer/ journalist Segaloff has penned 16 books on Hollywood subjects, was a studio publicist himself, has written stage and audio-plays, not to mention co-authoring and co-producing TV and radio scripts, many with a sci-fi bent. And these are but a few of his career highlights.
Not surprisingly, Guarding Gable is full of Segaloff's awareness of how a star of Gable's magnitude would be treated in the 1940s by the studio, the military, and the public. On top of that, what was most impressive to me were the many scenes of Gable flying over the continent in various bombing missions despite orders to stay on the ground. The detail Segaloff provides about the huge planes and the fliers who manned them in the Army Air Corps gives the book a level of excitement and suspense it wouldn't have had if Gable had followed orders. Or if Segaloff had given us a nonfiction book reliant on material necessarily cited from research sources.
The depth of the relationships Segaloff paints is first rate, especially between Gable and Greenberg as the star of Gone With the Wind gains more and more respect for his "orderly." The romance between Greenberg and Roberts is far from a typical one and is also handled very deftly as the story progresses. The numerous supporting characters are vividly sketched and all entirely believable.
So who is the primary audience for this novel? Certainly Gable fans and enthusiasts of the 1940s era in Hollywood. So too World War II buffs interested in the Army Air Corps in Europe. But I'd go further and say anyone who enjoys a good story that is vivid, richly detailed, fast-paced, and illuminating should enjoy this one.
While I didn't get to hear it, I understand the audiobook for Guarding Gable is enhanced with sound effects and dialogue from the actual films Gable made during the war. Sounds like a fun way to go if audiobooks is your thing.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 9, 2019:
https://waa.ai/oclw
Nat Segaloff
Paperback:264 pages
Publisher:BearManor Media (Jan. 10 2019)
ISBN-10:1629334065
ISBN-13:978-1629334066
https://www.amazon.com/Guarding-Gable...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
At first glance, it might seem an exploration of actor Clark Gable's World War II service in the Army Air Corps after the death of his beloved wife, Carole Lombard, might be best suited to a non-fiction treatment. Happily, author Nat Segaloff chose to write an imaginative memoir featuring Gable's years in uniform as told from the Point of View of the apparently fictional Alan Greenberg. Greenberg is a junior publicist assigned by MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer to make sure Gable doesn't get into any dangerous situations, especially since the death of his wife has left Gable in a suicidal mood. So we see a friendship between star and publicist grow as well as a love triangle between them and a British publicist named Mavis Roberts.
Few authors can come close to having the credentials to pull off this novel like Nat Segaloff. Writer/ producer/ journalist Segaloff has penned 16 books on Hollywood subjects, was a studio publicist himself, has written stage and audio-plays, not to mention co-authoring and co-producing TV and radio scripts, many with a sci-fi bent. And these are but a few of his career highlights.
Not surprisingly, Guarding Gable is full of Segaloff's awareness of how a star of Gable's magnitude would be treated in the 1940s by the studio, the military, and the public. On top of that, what was most impressive to me were the many scenes of Gable flying over the continent in various bombing missions despite orders to stay on the ground. The detail Segaloff provides about the huge planes and the fliers who manned them in the Army Air Corps gives the book a level of excitement and suspense it wouldn't have had if Gable had followed orders. Or if Segaloff had given us a nonfiction book reliant on material necessarily cited from research sources.
The depth of the relationships Segaloff paints is first rate, especially between Gable and Greenberg as the star of Gone With the Wind gains more and more respect for his "orderly." The romance between Greenberg and Roberts is far from a typical one and is also handled very deftly as the story progresses. The numerous supporting characters are vividly sketched and all entirely believable.
So who is the primary audience for this novel? Certainly Gable fans and enthusiasts of the 1940s era in Hollywood. So too World War II buffs interested in the Army Air Corps in Europe. But I'd go further and say anyone who enjoys a good story that is vivid, richly detailed, fast-paced, and illuminating should enjoy this one.
While I didn't get to hear it, I understand the audiobook for Guarding Gable is enhanced with sound effects and dialogue from the actual films Gable made during the war. Sounds like a fun way to go if audiobooks is your thing.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 9, 2019:
https://waa.ai/oclw
February 5, 2019
Book Review: Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story by Herbie J. Pilato
MARY: THE MARY TYLER MOORE STORY
Herbie J Pilato
Paperback: 458 pages
Publisher: Jacobs Brown Press (January 25, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0999507850
ISBN-13: 978-0999507858
https://www.amazon.com/MARY-TYLER-MOO...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Mary isn't the first show biz bio I've read from Herbie J Pilato, a founder of the Classic TV Preservation Society. I first learned about the depth of Herbie's TV expertise when I read his 2007 The Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar man and the Bionic Woman Reconstructed. After that, he produced several adoring books about Bewitched star, Elizabeth Montgomery.
Now, Pilato has presented us with a in-depth, exhaustive bio of a star he clearly also adores, a star most of us out here in TV-Watcher land love as well. Mary Tyler Moore, and her more iconic roles like Laura Petrie and Mary Richards, certainly did turn the world on with her smile. If that number includes you, then this is a book for you.
To greater and lesser degrees, most of us know quite a bit about the biography of Mary Tyler Moore, her career, her private life, her struggles, her successes and failures. There's so much in the public record, including the autobiographies Moore wrote.
What Herbie J. Palato has given us is a one-stop tome that covers everything one could ask for about Moore herself, her colleagues, her relationships, her misfires and triumphs, her self-consciousness and lack of self-esteem in terms of her looks, not to mention her causes like diabetes research and animal rights.
When an author devotes this much attention to a beloved subject, there can be some excesses in the text. In this case, there's a lot of repetition, notably the countless references to the importance of Ordinary People in Moore's career. There are numerous paragraphs summarizing the careers and roles of those Moore worked with at one time or another. Of course, this makes Mary an easy book to skim. But keep your eyes open to catch the streams of nuggets Pilato gives us. We get a portrait of a woman in 3-D, including her shortcomings, talents, work ethic, parental skills (or lack of them) and her insights an perspectives regarding her important and influential career. And surprises--I didn't know her animal rights activism extended to protecting lobsters. Books like these are also good for reviewing lesser known projects like talk show appearances, guest-starring and cameos on TV series, and public speaking. For the first time, I got the story to what happened to the short-lived1985 Mary series co-starring John Astin from Addams Family fame. I got the insider stories behind the sad attempts to reunite the Dick Van Dyke cast and especially the dreary Mary and Rhoda TV movie.
Naturally, you got to have some real interest in the biography of Mary Tyler Moore to want to dive into this very detailed and balanced tribute. Someone needed to write this book, and who better than Herbie J. Pilato. He knows how to do it.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 5, 2019:
https://waa.ai/oCZ1
Herbie J Pilato
Paperback: 458 pages
Publisher: Jacobs Brown Press (January 25, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0999507850
ISBN-13: 978-0999507858
https://www.amazon.com/MARY-TYLER-MOO...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Mary isn't the first show biz bio I've read from Herbie J Pilato, a founder of the Classic TV Preservation Society. I first learned about the depth of Herbie's TV expertise when I read his 2007 The Bionic Book: The Six Million Dollar man and the Bionic Woman Reconstructed. After that, he produced several adoring books about Bewitched star, Elizabeth Montgomery.
Now, Pilato has presented us with a in-depth, exhaustive bio of a star he clearly also adores, a star most of us out here in TV-Watcher land love as well. Mary Tyler Moore, and her more iconic roles like Laura Petrie and Mary Richards, certainly did turn the world on with her smile. If that number includes you, then this is a book for you.
To greater and lesser degrees, most of us know quite a bit about the biography of Mary Tyler Moore, her career, her private life, her struggles, her successes and failures. There's so much in the public record, including the autobiographies Moore wrote.
What Herbie J. Palato has given us is a one-stop tome that covers everything one could ask for about Moore herself, her colleagues, her relationships, her misfires and triumphs, her self-consciousness and lack of self-esteem in terms of her looks, not to mention her causes like diabetes research and animal rights.
When an author devotes this much attention to a beloved subject, there can be some excesses in the text. In this case, there's a lot of repetition, notably the countless references to the importance of Ordinary People in Moore's career. There are numerous paragraphs summarizing the careers and roles of those Moore worked with at one time or another. Of course, this makes Mary an easy book to skim. But keep your eyes open to catch the streams of nuggets Pilato gives us. We get a portrait of a woman in 3-D, including her shortcomings, talents, work ethic, parental skills (or lack of them) and her insights an perspectives regarding her important and influential career. And surprises--I didn't know her animal rights activism extended to protecting lobsters. Books like these are also good for reviewing lesser known projects like talk show appearances, guest-starring and cameos on TV series, and public speaking. For the first time, I got the story to what happened to the short-lived1985 Mary series co-starring John Astin from Addams Family fame. I got the insider stories behind the sad attempts to reunite the Dick Van Dyke cast and especially the dreary Mary and Rhoda TV movie.
Naturally, you got to have some real interest in the biography of Mary Tyler Moore to want to dive into this very detailed and balanced tribute. Someone needed to write this book, and who better than Herbie J. Pilato. He knows how to do it.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Feb. 5, 2019:
https://waa.ai/oCZ1
January 31, 2019
The Blind Alien part of big winter sale at BearManor Media!
From now (January 31, 2019) to next Friday (February 7, 2019) you can take 25% off any print book published by BearManor Media, and that includes Wes Britton's The Blind Alien! Just use the coupon code SALE25 at checkout!
http://www.bearmanormedia.com/the-bli...
http://www.bearmanormedia.com/the-bli...
January 26, 2019
Book Review: Rock Doc by Neil Ratner, M.D.
Rock Doc
Neil Ratner, MD
Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: Rock Doc Entertainment LLC; 1st edition (January 28, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1732379017
ISBN-13: 978-1732379015
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Doc-Neil-...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
I was intrigued when I read a blurb for Neil Ratner's new Rock Doc when I saw his memoir included stories about the professional careers of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Pink Floyd, Edgar Winter, and Rick Derringer during their various heydays in the 1970s. I wasn't disappointed. Roughly one-quarter of the book is Ratner's account of his years as a personal manager, tour manager, and production supervisor for those talented performers.
Then, Ratner's autobiography shifts gears as he describes how he left the happy rock and roll lifestyle to enter medicine and specialize as a pioneering anesthesiologist. After establishing the break-through idea of setting up anesthesiologist services in doctor's offices to reduce the need to use hospital operating rooms, Ratner described the day Michael Jackson walked into his office and Ratner's life forever changed.
After that, reader interest in the longest section of the book will depend on your interest in Michael Jackson. Ratner unfolds a long, warm, intimate relationship he and Jackson shared both professionally and personally for decades. The account is as revelatory as anything I've read on Jackson's complex life. Those much more familiar with his story might not find too much new other than Ratner's passages on his relationship with the singer. Personally, I was glad to learn so much about Jackson's, and Ratner's, relationship with Nelson Mandela and their many strong connections to South Africa.
The book takes another sharp turn when Ratner details his experiences with the legal system after he's convicted for insurance fraud. While I might have missed these chapters if I'd given up reading the Michael Jackson saga, I'd have missed a very positive, rather uplifting story of redemption and a growing spiritual depth Ratner acquired in prison. What he does after his incarceration is another surprising turn and an admirable one at that. Very admirable.
Since Rock Doc touches so many bases, the potential readership should include those interested in rock and pop history, medicine, Michael Jackson, Nelson Mandela and South Africa, not to mention all the transformative perspectives Ratner shares as he summarizes his more recent years. The memoir is told with a personal, often passionate tone that is candid enough to disarm all but the most cynical of readers.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Jan. 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/o9aM
Neil Ratner, MD
Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: Rock Doc Entertainment LLC; 1st edition (January 28, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1732379017
ISBN-13: 978-1732379015
https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Doc-Neil-...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
I was intrigued when I read a blurb for Neil Ratner's new Rock Doc when I saw his memoir included stories about the professional careers of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Pink Floyd, Edgar Winter, and Rick Derringer during their various heydays in the 1970s. I wasn't disappointed. Roughly one-quarter of the book is Ratner's account of his years as a personal manager, tour manager, and production supervisor for those talented performers.
Then, Ratner's autobiography shifts gears as he describes how he left the happy rock and roll lifestyle to enter medicine and specialize as a pioneering anesthesiologist. After establishing the break-through idea of setting up anesthesiologist services in doctor's offices to reduce the need to use hospital operating rooms, Ratner described the day Michael Jackson walked into his office and Ratner's life forever changed.
After that, reader interest in the longest section of the book will depend on your interest in Michael Jackson. Ratner unfolds a long, warm, intimate relationship he and Jackson shared both professionally and personally for decades. The account is as revelatory as anything I've read on Jackson's complex life. Those much more familiar with his story might not find too much new other than Ratner's passages on his relationship with the singer. Personally, I was glad to learn so much about Jackson's, and Ratner's, relationship with Nelson Mandela and their many strong connections to South Africa.
The book takes another sharp turn when Ratner details his experiences with the legal system after he's convicted for insurance fraud. While I might have missed these chapters if I'd given up reading the Michael Jackson saga, I'd have missed a very positive, rather uplifting story of redemption and a growing spiritual depth Ratner acquired in prison. What he does after his incarceration is another surprising turn and an admirable one at that. Very admirable.
Since Rock Doc touches so many bases, the potential readership should include those interested in rock and pop history, medicine, Michael Jackson, Nelson Mandela and South Africa, not to mention all the transformative perspectives Ratner shares as he summarizes his more recent years. The memoir is told with a personal, often passionate tone that is candid enough to disarm all but the most cynical of readers.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Jan. 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/o9aM
January 12, 2019
Book Review: The Quest by Karina Kantas
THE QUEST: Book two of Illusional Reality
Karina Kantas
Series: Illusional Reality (Book 2)
Paperback: 239 pages
Publisher: Asteri Press (December 31, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1912996049
ISBN-13: 978-1912996049
https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Illusion...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
While it first appeared in 2016, it was only last fall when I read Illusional Reality, volume one of Karina Kantas’s then in progress “duology.” Now, volume two, The Quest, is here and I’m more on target in terms of timing.
First, I freely admit I liked The Quest much more than its predecessor. It carries on the story of Princess Thya of the magical land called Tsinia. Like book one, the story opens with the princess living on our earth using the name Haty. This time around, she knows prophecy says her people will reach out for her again, asking her to return to their realm as their defender and protector. This time around, Haty/ Thya is also responsible for her son Alex, the result of a union with her forbidden lover, Alkazar, on the fantasy world. At the end of illusional Reality, Thya thinks Alkazar is dead. Now, Thya thinks her main sacrifice may be leaving Alex back on earth and taking the reluctant throne of her people without him.
After this setup, the story is very different from the plot of Illusional Reality. Thya remains a stubborn, willful, strong-minded—often to the extreme—heroine who sets out with a small company of companions to take on the dark forces of evil. Sound a bit like Tolkein’s Ring series? Part of their journey takes the party through a harsh desert populated by sandworms. Sound a bit like Frank Herbert’s Arrakis? Well, only for a few passages.
Happily for Thya, Alkazar wasn’t killed and joins her once again as the two head the quest encountering a series of vividly described obstacles, monsters, alien species, and Thya’s strange, double-edged powers that seem to wax and wane as she tries to control a dark side to them. In short, there’s a lot going on in the journey to save Thya’s people, a populace currently living in caves after being chased from their homes while their Princess lived peacefully in England.
Fortunately, readers don’t need to have read Illusional Reality to jump into and fully understand what’s going on in The Quest. In the first chapters of the fast-paced yarn, Kantas fully lays out what happened in her first book for new readers. More fantasy than sci-fi—by miles—The Quest should appeal to readers who like their settings and characters vividly described with well-developed flaws and motivations.
Readers who like strong female protagonist should especially like meeting the complex and often conflicted Princess Thya. In addition, The Quest seems a perfect YA novel as I often found myself thinking back to the L. Sprague De Camp and Andre Norton adventures I enjoyed when I was YA myself. Nothing profound here, nothing preachy. Lots of the fantasy tropes young readers enjoy these days with a nice layer of romance to boot.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Jan. 12, 2019:
https://waa.ai/ox0X
Karina Kantas
Series: Illusional Reality (Book 2)
Paperback: 239 pages
Publisher: Asteri Press (December 31, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1912996049
ISBN-13: 978-1912996049
https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Illusion...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
While it first appeared in 2016, it was only last fall when I read Illusional Reality, volume one of Karina Kantas’s then in progress “duology.” Now, volume two, The Quest, is here and I’m more on target in terms of timing.
First, I freely admit I liked The Quest much more than its predecessor. It carries on the story of Princess Thya of the magical land called Tsinia. Like book one, the story opens with the princess living on our earth using the name Haty. This time around, she knows prophecy says her people will reach out for her again, asking her to return to their realm as their defender and protector. This time around, Haty/ Thya is also responsible for her son Alex, the result of a union with her forbidden lover, Alkazar, on the fantasy world. At the end of illusional Reality, Thya thinks Alkazar is dead. Now, Thya thinks her main sacrifice may be leaving Alex back on earth and taking the reluctant throne of her people without him.
After this setup, the story is very different from the plot of Illusional Reality. Thya remains a stubborn, willful, strong-minded—often to the extreme—heroine who sets out with a small company of companions to take on the dark forces of evil. Sound a bit like Tolkein’s Ring series? Part of their journey takes the party through a harsh desert populated by sandworms. Sound a bit like Frank Herbert’s Arrakis? Well, only for a few passages.
Happily for Thya, Alkazar wasn’t killed and joins her once again as the two head the quest encountering a series of vividly described obstacles, monsters, alien species, and Thya’s strange, double-edged powers that seem to wax and wane as she tries to control a dark side to them. In short, there’s a lot going on in the journey to save Thya’s people, a populace currently living in caves after being chased from their homes while their Princess lived peacefully in England.
Fortunately, readers don’t need to have read Illusional Reality to jump into and fully understand what’s going on in The Quest. In the first chapters of the fast-paced yarn, Kantas fully lays out what happened in her first book for new readers. More fantasy than sci-fi—by miles—The Quest should appeal to readers who like their settings and characters vividly described with well-developed flaws and motivations.
Readers who like strong female protagonist should especially like meeting the complex and often conflicted Princess Thya. In addition, The Quest seems a perfect YA novel as I often found myself thinking back to the L. Sprague De Camp and Andre Norton adventures I enjoyed when I was YA myself. Nothing profound here, nothing preachy. Lots of the fantasy tropes young readers enjoy these days with a nice layer of romance to boot.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Jan. 12, 2019:
https://waa.ai/ox0X
December 28, 2018
Book Review: Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded by Jason Heller
Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded
Jason Heller
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Melville House; First Edition edition (June 5, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1612196977
ISBN-13: 978-1612196978
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Stars-...
Reviewed by : Dr. Wesley Britton
When I read a blurb describing Strange Stars, my first reaction was that Jason Heller had beaten me to the punch. I had long thought the connections between sci-fi flavored rock music and sci-fi films and books in the 1970s would make for an interesting critical analysis. I was right, except Heller was a much better critic to pull all the strings together than I would have been. By miles and miles.
The book’s title is a tad misleading if you assume David Bowie will be an important thread in the story. Yes, Heller bookends the decade with Bowie’s 1971 “Space Oddity” and its 1980 follow-up, “Ashes to Ashes.” Sure, Ziggy Stardust and The Man Who Fell to Earth aren’t neglected. And the book ends with Bowie’s 2018 death and the release of Black Star.
But Heller probes a rich well of evidence demonstrating that the ‘70s was the decade when sci-fi began to be taken seriously in popular culture, its impact ignited by two films by Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. The Planet of the Apes also contributed to a growing interest in sci-fi and the phenomena of Star Trek was just beginning its widening cult status.
Sci-fi authors cited by many musicians as influences included Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, William Burroughs, Philip Dick, and Frank Herbert, among many, many others. To greater and lesser degrees, these writers influenced popular rock musicians like Paul Kantner’s Jefferson Starship (“Blows Against the Empire,”) David Crosby and The Byrds (“Mr. Spaceman,”) Elton John (“Rocket Man”), Black Sabbath (Iron Man”), and the psychedelic Pink Floyd. At the same time, futuristic electronic sounds and cover art helped define Progressive Rock groups like yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (“Tarkus.”)
Heller also explores cult favorites including the French Magma, Germany’s Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, Gary Neuman, Devo, as well as the often forgotten Hawkwind, Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, and the avant-garde jazz figure Sun Ra. And these are but the best known of the musical performers and groups Heller lists and describes in minute detail leaving no rare single or obscure album unturned.
Along the way, Heller discusses sci-fi lyrics, the burgeoning use of futuristic synth-sounds, new sub-genres like sci-fi-funk and Kraut-rock, concert events like 1979’s Futurama and the impact of films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Star Wars and Star Trek. Occasionally he layers in historical events that piqued public interest in space, futuristic technology, and dystopian predictions like the disappointing passing of Comet Kohoutek and the crash of Star Lab.
In his “Acknowledgements,” Heller credits one reader with keeping him from publishing an encyclopedia instead of a story. There are many, many passages where readers could be forgiven for feeling like they’re following long, encyclopedic entries, especially when Heller recites band name after band name, album title after album title. Such passages might inspire skimming along and there’s nothing wrong with that. Strange Stars can serve as a reference volume as well as an analysis of an amorphous genre, or at least a many-tentacled realm of popular culture. Strange Stars belongs in pretty much every public library and on the private shelves of both sci-fi and rock lovers.
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on Dec. 28, 2018:
https://waa.ai/ouMU
Jason Heller
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Melville House; First Edition edition (June 5, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1612196977
ISBN-13: 978-1612196978
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Stars-...
Reviewed by : Dr. Wesley Britton
When I read a blurb describing Strange Stars, my first reaction was that Jason Heller had beaten me to the punch. I had long thought the connections between sci-fi flavored rock music and sci-fi films and books in the 1970s would make for an interesting critical analysis. I was right, except Heller was a much better critic to pull all the strings together than I would have been. By miles and miles.
The book’s title is a tad misleading if you assume David Bowie will be an important thread in the story. Yes, Heller bookends the decade with Bowie’s 1971 “Space Oddity” and its 1980 follow-up, “Ashes to Ashes.” Sure, Ziggy Stardust and The Man Who Fell to Earth aren’t neglected. And the book ends with Bowie’s 2018 death and the release of Black Star.
But Heller probes a rich well of evidence demonstrating that the ‘70s was the decade when sci-fi began to be taken seriously in popular culture, its impact ignited by two films by Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange. The Planet of the Apes also contributed to a growing interest in sci-fi and the phenomena of Star Trek was just beginning its widening cult status.
Sci-fi authors cited by many musicians as influences included Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, William Burroughs, Philip Dick, and Frank Herbert, among many, many others. To greater and lesser degrees, these writers influenced popular rock musicians like Paul Kantner’s Jefferson Starship (“Blows Against the Empire,”) David Crosby and The Byrds (“Mr. Spaceman,”) Elton John (“Rocket Man”), Black Sabbath (Iron Man”), and the psychedelic Pink Floyd. At the same time, futuristic electronic sounds and cover art helped define Progressive Rock groups like yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (“Tarkus.”)
Heller also explores cult favorites including the French Magma, Germany’s Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, Gary Neuman, Devo, as well as the often forgotten Hawkwind, Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, and the avant-garde jazz figure Sun Ra. And these are but the best known of the musical performers and groups Heller lists and describes in minute detail leaving no rare single or obscure album unturned.
Along the way, Heller discusses sci-fi lyrics, the burgeoning use of futuristic synth-sounds, new sub-genres like sci-fi-funk and Kraut-rock, concert events like 1979’s Futurama and the impact of films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Star Wars and Star Trek. Occasionally he layers in historical events that piqued public interest in space, futuristic technology, and dystopian predictions like the disappointing passing of Comet Kohoutek and the crash of Star Lab.
In his “Acknowledgements,” Heller credits one reader with keeping him from publishing an encyclopedia instead of a story. There are many, many passages where readers could be forgiven for feeling like they’re following long, encyclopedic entries, especially when Heller recites band name after band name, album title after album title. Such passages might inspire skimming along and there’s nothing wrong with that. Strange Stars can serve as a reference volume as well as an analysis of an amorphous genre, or at least a many-tentacled realm of popular culture. Strange Stars belongs in pretty much every public library and on the private shelves of both sci-fi and rock lovers.
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on Dec. 28, 2018:
https://waa.ai/ouMU
December 23, 2018
Another New Review of Alpha Tales 2044!
Alpha Tales 2044: The Beta-Earth Chronicles
Wesley Britton
Print Length: 173 pages
Publisher: Alien Vision (December 9, 2018)
Publication Date: December 9, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07KJBSQG5
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Tales-20...
Reviewed by : Bobbi Chertok
5.0 out of 5 starsINTELLIGENT, HUMOROUS and EXCITING. BRAVO!
December 23, 2018
Dr. Wesley Britton's "Alpha Tales 2044: A Beta-Earth Chronicles Collection" gives new meaning to the word prequel. His characters spring back to life when their unique physical descriptions are revealed and their deeds and goals come into focus. Britton visits a fantasy world which shares the same problems as those on Earth. As they seek to cure a devastating virus, we aim to cure cancer. Years into climate change and confronting evil, Dr. Britton's heroes and heroines seek out ways to deal with the very same problems we have on Earth today. Intelligent, humorous and exciting. Bravo!
Wesley Britton
Print Length: 173 pages
Publisher: Alien Vision (December 9, 2018)
Publication Date: December 9, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07KJBSQG5
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Tales-20...
Reviewed by : Bobbi Chertok
5.0 out of 5 starsINTELLIGENT, HUMOROUS and EXCITING. BRAVO!
December 23, 2018
Dr. Wesley Britton's "Alpha Tales 2044: A Beta-Earth Chronicles Collection" gives new meaning to the word prequel. His characters spring back to life when their unique physical descriptions are revealed and their deeds and goals come into focus. Britton visits a fantasy world which shares the same problems as those on Earth. As they seek to cure a devastating virus, we aim to cure cancer. Years into climate change and confronting evil, Dr. Britton's heroes and heroines seek out ways to deal with the very same problems we have on Earth today. Intelligent, humorous and exciting. Bravo!
December 21, 2018
A New Review of Wes Britton's Alpha 2044
Alpha Tales 2044: A Beta-Earth Chronicles Collection
Wesley Britton
Print Length: 173 pages
Publisher: Alien Vision (December 9, 2018)
Publication Date: December 9, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07KJBSQG5
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Tales-20...
Reviewed by : Lisa Frankford O’Day
(Reprinted from Amazon with the author’s permission.)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful short story collection that will take you to unimagined places, each of them different, but all tied together by the Beta-Earth saga.
The first of the stories is taken right out of the Beta-Earth Chronicles; it stars one of my favorite characters, Sasperia. She and the Supreme Head of the Munchen Collective (love these titles!) save the world. And they do it with lots of adventure and excitement. And a bit of sadness.
Next is “The Fates of Evil Men”; this story takes us back to Alpha Earth – our earth – in a sort of dystopian virus plagued era. It is also full of twists and turns, and very unlike any other dystopian sort of story I’ve ever read. An excellent story with a surprising twist in the end, but still, not my favorite of this collection.
The next group of stories fill in some history of what happened to the earth, and some of the latest generation of the Renbourn’s trials and adventures. Followed by “Murder in the Canyon,” further fleshing out the family on this latter day earth. More trials for the family, and decisions made to, again, move on. Leading to “Sasquatch.” Which, in this version of Earth’s future, really exists. This is my favorite story of the whole collection.
I recommend anyone who likes science fiction, adventure, or even some romance, to try this collection – it is well written and fun to read!
This review will be reposted at the New Book Review blog on Dec. 23:
https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com...
Wesley Britton
Print Length: 173 pages
Publisher: Alien Vision (December 9, 2018)
Publication Date: December 9, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07KJBSQG5
https://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Tales-20...
Reviewed by : Lisa Frankford O’Day
(Reprinted from Amazon with the author’s permission.)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful short story collection that will take you to unimagined places, each of them different, but all tied together by the Beta-Earth saga.
The first of the stories is taken right out of the Beta-Earth Chronicles; it stars one of my favorite characters, Sasperia. She and the Supreme Head of the Munchen Collective (love these titles!) save the world. And they do it with lots of adventure and excitement. And a bit of sadness.
Next is “The Fates of Evil Men”; this story takes us back to Alpha Earth – our earth – in a sort of dystopian virus plagued era. It is also full of twists and turns, and very unlike any other dystopian sort of story I’ve ever read. An excellent story with a surprising twist in the end, but still, not my favorite of this collection.
The next group of stories fill in some history of what happened to the earth, and some of the latest generation of the Renbourn’s trials and adventures. Followed by “Murder in the Canyon,” further fleshing out the family on this latter day earth. More trials for the family, and decisions made to, again, move on. Leading to “Sasquatch.” Which, in this version of Earth’s future, really exists. This is my favorite story of the whole collection.
I recommend anyone who likes science fiction, adventure, or even some romance, to try this collection – it is well written and fun to read!
This review will be reposted at the New Book Review blog on Dec. 23:
https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com...
Sequart Releases Huge Book on Battlestar Galactica
Sequart is proud to announce the publication of Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica, edited by Rich Handley and Lou Tambone.
Glen A. Larson’s Battlestar Galactica only lasted for a single season, yet it earned its place among the most beloved science-fiction shows of all time. In 2003, Ronald D. Moore reimagined the story. This new take proved hugely popular, revitalizing the once-niche franchise. Moore’s Galactica successfully accomplished something few reboots of classic TV shows have ever managed to do: surpassing the original in scope and longevity. Like the Cylons, Galactica had evolved.
Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica, edited by Rich Handley and Lou Tambone, examines the entire mythos, both televised and published, from 40 different perspectives, just in time for the show’s 40th anniversary. This anthology features insightful, analytical essays about Galactica‘s history, penned by popular comic historians, novelists, bloggers, subject-matter experts, and franchise insiders, including Samuel Agro, Jim Beard, Corinna Bechko, Joseph F. Berenato, Joe Bongiorno, Jeffrey Carver, October Crifasi, Steven Czarnecki, Julian Darius, Joseph Dilworth Jr., Matthew J. Elliott, Kelli Fitzpatrick, James Frenkel, Sabrina Fried, Caroline Glucksman, Robert Greenberger, Rich Handley, Amy Imhoff, Brandon Jerwa, Robert Jeschonek, Fiona Moore, John Kenneth Muir, Alex Newborn, Peter Noble, Alan J. Porter, Tony Simmons, Paul Simpson, Robert Smith?, Alan Stevens, and Lou Tambone, with a painted cover by beloved Galactica artist Chris Scalf.
You say you want to know more about Battlestar Galactica? So say we all.
The book runs a massive 572 pages, making it the longest book in Sequart history!
Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica is available in printand on Kindle. (Just a reminder: you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle-formatted books; you can download a free Kindle reader for most computers, phones, and tablets.)
Find out more on the book’s official page or its Facebook page.
Reviewers may request a PDF of the book for review, and the book's editors are available for interviews. If interested, please send inquiries to sequart.mike@gmail.com
If you support Sequart's work, please consider pledging to our Patreon page.
Sequart Organization has promoted the study and legitimization of comic books and popular culture since 1996. Sequart has released dozens of books, 7 documentaries, and thousands of online articles.
ALSO FROM SEQUART
The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe, edited by Lou Tambone and Rich Handley, studies the Blade Runner movies, books, and comics.
A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato, studies the Star Wars movies and TV shows.
The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato, looks at Planet of the Apes comic books.
New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics, edited by Joseph F. Berenato, looks at the long history of Star Trek comic books.
Glen A. Larson’s Battlestar Galactica only lasted for a single season, yet it earned its place among the most beloved science-fiction shows of all time. In 2003, Ronald D. Moore reimagined the story. This new take proved hugely popular, revitalizing the once-niche franchise. Moore’s Galactica successfully accomplished something few reboots of classic TV shows have ever managed to do: surpassing the original in scope and longevity. Like the Cylons, Galactica had evolved.
Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica, edited by Rich Handley and Lou Tambone, examines the entire mythos, both televised and published, from 40 different perspectives, just in time for the show’s 40th anniversary. This anthology features insightful, analytical essays about Galactica‘s history, penned by popular comic historians, novelists, bloggers, subject-matter experts, and franchise insiders, including Samuel Agro, Jim Beard, Corinna Bechko, Joseph F. Berenato, Joe Bongiorno, Jeffrey Carver, October Crifasi, Steven Czarnecki, Julian Darius, Joseph Dilworth Jr., Matthew J. Elliott, Kelli Fitzpatrick, James Frenkel, Sabrina Fried, Caroline Glucksman, Robert Greenberger, Rich Handley, Amy Imhoff, Brandon Jerwa, Robert Jeschonek, Fiona Moore, John Kenneth Muir, Alex Newborn, Peter Noble, Alan J. Porter, Tony Simmons, Paul Simpson, Robert Smith?, Alan Stevens, and Lou Tambone, with a painted cover by beloved Galactica artist Chris Scalf.
You say you want to know more about Battlestar Galactica? So say we all.
The book runs a massive 572 pages, making it the longest book in Sequart history!
Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica is available in printand on Kindle. (Just a reminder: you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle-formatted books; you can download a free Kindle reader for most computers, phones, and tablets.)
Find out more on the book’s official page or its Facebook page.
Reviewers may request a PDF of the book for review, and the book's editors are available for interviews. If interested, please send inquiries to sequart.mike@gmail.com
If you support Sequart's work, please consider pledging to our Patreon page.
Sequart Organization has promoted the study and legitimization of comic books and popular culture since 1996. Sequart has released dozens of books, 7 documentaries, and thousands of online articles.
ALSO FROM SEQUART
The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe, edited by Lou Tambone and Rich Handley, studies the Blade Runner movies, books, and comics.
A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato, studies the Star Wars movies and TV shows.
The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes, edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato, looks at Planet of the Apes comic books.
New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics, edited by Joseph F. Berenato, looks at the long history of Star Trek comic books.
Wesley Britton's Blog
This just came in. My favorite two sentences of all time!
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
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