Wesley Britton's Blog, page 33

Jacobs Brown announces new Kindle editions of Lost in Space series

Announcement

Irwin Allen's Lost in Space, Kindle available now.

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 28, 2017 /PR Newsletter - Jacobs Brown Media Group/ Jacobs Brown Press is pleased to announce all three volumes of Irwin Allen's Lost in Space, The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, are available in Kindle format now.

Lost in Space was the first primetime weekly series to take viewers into outer space’s strange new alien worlds – something the networks believed impossible on a TV budget and schedule. In these books you’ll be whisked back in time to the production offices, writers’ conferences, and sound-stages for the making of this iconic series. Included are hundreds of memos between Allen and his staff; production schedules; budgets; fan letters; more than 300 rare behind-the-scene images in each volume; and the TV ratings for every episode.

https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Allens-L...
https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Allens-L...
https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Allens-L...

The books are available in softcover, autographed by the author when purchased directly through the publisher: (Bundle and Save) http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com

To interview the author, or for additional information,
contact mailto:jacbosbrownpress@gmail.com

Book Review: Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 2, by Marc Cushman

Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 2
Marc Cushman
Publisher: Jacob Brown Media Group; 1 edition (November 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0692747567
ISBN-13: 978-0692747568
https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Allens-L...

Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton

I rather expected Volume 2 of Marc Cushman’s exhaustive history of Lost in Space would have to be much thinner and less engaging than Volume 1. After all, Vol. 1 included the pre-LIS careers of Irwin Allen and all the cast members as well as an in-depth look at Allen’s first TV sci fi series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. For Vol 2, what else could Cushman do other than review all the episodes produced in season 2 of LIS? Well, he could, and does, give us a very decent overview of Allen’s prematurely cancelled Time Tunnel that ran on ABC from fall 1966 to spring 1967.

In many ways, my expectations were spot on. But not completely. This is especially true of the early discussions which focus on the changes that came when the show was now produced in color. Over and over, we’re told how “pop art” the visuals became, perfectly timed to coincide with the psychedelic ‘60s. As Cushman looks at the first episodes of the 1966-1967 season, it doesn’t seem like most of the cast members were all that important, other than the break-out star, Jonathan Harris. As with season 1, he continued to be not only an actor but a major script re-writer as well.

In fact, cast member Marta Kristen, who played Judy Robinson, said the program became the Jonathan Harris show with his evil Dr. Zachery Smith taking up the lion’s share of the time along with Bob May inside the robot and Bill Mumy’s Will Robinson. Guy Williams and June Lockhart, who had been major TV stars in their past series (Zorro, Lassie) had only sporadic lines and duties. In addition, the program became, more and more, a comedic fantasy emphasizing monsters, special effects, outlandish props, and oddball guest stars. With the apparent exception of network president William Paley, whom Cushman says was embarrassed by shows like LIS, CBS liked the changes. Top executives preferred a lighter touch that appealed to younger viewers which made for a winning formula against ABC’s Batman.

I was surprised to see just how much competitiveness Allen felt with the newcomer to network TV sci fi, the more serious Star Trek. For much of that season, in terms of ratings, LIS was often the weekly winner. Writers who worked on both series felt freer when scripting for LIS as there were fewer restrictions on what they could create. I wasn’t aware of how much pioneer work took place in LIS, especially with filming those outer space visuals and creating those weird props.

For a time, I felt like I was reading nothing more than a very, very detailed episode guide, something only diehard fans would enjoy. As Cushman admits, “my books redefine `TMI’." True enough. Nonetheless, there’s a warm tone that runs through the production notes. It’s clear Cushman liked the series when it first aired and he likes it, perhaps even more so, now. There are frequent moments when Cushman takes the time to point to just what made a specific episode special or entertaining. He tells us the better stories had themes, as in the lessons children learned about topics like self-sacrifice, tolerance, lost innocence, or sexual equality. Such thematic material, of course, wasn’t present in many more fantastic episodes.

In the end, it will be the serious fans who’ll want this second volume in the LIS saga. I can well imagine many TV sci fi fans who would also like to skim a book about one of the pioneer series in the genre. Certainly, most libraries should shelve this series, especially if they specialize in popular culture, TV production, or media studies. It’s not a cover-to-cover read, but rather a readable reference work.

This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 26, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/hfkMM2

Part 4: (Coming Attractions) The Main Cast of Return to Alpha

By the time of Return to Alpha, Book 6 of the Beta-Earth Chronicles, the time has come for a new generation of Renbourns to take over the saga.

After all, it’s now 40 years after Malcolm Renbourn was drug from his home planet to Beta-Earth, and it’s also 20 years after Malcolm and five of his wives crossed the multi-verse again to come to Cerapin-Earth.

So the return to Alpha is by four of Malcolm Renbourn’s children, two from Beta-Earth, two from Cerapin. It’s 40 years in our earth’s future which means the second generation of Renbourns come to a planet very different from the one their father knew.

This adventure is still in the works at BearManor Media where the editors are doing their magic with the text. Stay tuned for announcements about when Return to Alpha will become available as an eBook—

Return to Alpha Cast of Characters

Malcolm Renbourn II – The Betan son of his namesake and his mother, Sasperia Thorwaif Renbourn, the Ducei of Bercumel, a member of the ruling Mentala of the country of Alma.

His birth had come about under special circumstances. His mother was from a bloodline manipulated by the scientists of the Collective that had given her mutant enhancements that are both physical and mental in the hopes of defeating the genetic Plague-With-No-Name. Sasperia Thorwaif was able to throw huge boulders long distances and leap into trees. Mentally, she could remember everything she had ever heard.

When the Alman War erupted, Sasperia, now pregnant with her twins, Malcolm II and Gunnar, was imprisoned which is where her sons were born. The father’s plague-free Alpha genes, combined with Sasperia’s enhanced metabolism could “jump over” the diseased genes in Betans, resulting in a genetic ladder that could be given to all Beta mothers whose children would be free of the curse that had defined their world for as long as history had memory.

While an infant when it happened, Malcolm Renbourn II had long been praised as being one-half of the salvation of Beta-Earth. As his father had been taken to Cerapin-Earth when he was very young, Malcolm II had no personal memories of his father beyond the international legacy the Alpha-Man had left behind. Malcolm II too had the legacy of his mother’s mutant genetics and the more than likely destiny that he would one day take her seat in the Alman Mentala, a future responsibility he had dreaded since childhood.

Kalmeg Renbourn – Kalmeg is almost an exact duplicate of her mother, Kalma Salk Renbourn, a richly chocolate brown-skinned woman from the country of Balnakin on Beta-Earth. Kalmeg is equally dark, and shares her mother’s entrancing and distinctive golden-yellow eyes. Like her mother, and most all Balnakin women for that matter, Kalmeg is an intense personality who does not suffer fools gladly and despises anything she considers wasting time.

Unlike her half-brother, Malcolm Renbourn II, Kalmeg had lost both her birth-parents when she was but an infant. Kalma Renbourn had unhappily joined with her husband and four of her bond-sisters to go to Cerapin earth. So Kalmeg had been raised by the mothers who remained on Beta—Sasperia, Elena, Doret, and Jona—as well as some of her older half-sisters not to mention considerable affection and interest from her grand-parents and many of her mother’s family who were never strangers in her life.

A woman of many abilities, Kalmeg had always found it difficult to find a distinguishing role for herself in a tribe so large, so spread in its international reach, with such a powerful history on three continents. By going to Alpha-Earth on the spaceship “Merivurn,” she could show the same bravery as both her birth-parents. She could represent the dark-skinned bloodline of not only Tribe Renbourn, but Beta-Earth as a whole.

Olrei Renbourn – While born on Serapin-Earth, Olrei’s mother, Elsbeth Cawl Renbourn, had been one of the five Betan wives who had accompanied their husband on the second cross-versal jump from Beta to Serapin. Back on Beta, Elsbeth and her prophetess sister, Lorei, had been the first wives of Malcolm Renbourn, “The Alpha Man.” In the years to come, Elsbeth had born four Alpha-Beta heirs, children that tore at her heart when she and the other members of her family had to leave their rich and full lives behind to do the bidding of the often harsh deities.

Olrei was Elsbeth’s first child on Cerapin, and her origins were more than special. For while Olrei was still in her mother’s womb, Elsbeth sat at the bedside of her dying birth sister who was being transfigured into a spiritual entity in her final moments. Before her passing, Lorei touched Elsbeth and sent into her offspring Lorei’s powerful gift of prophecy. From her birth, her father always said Olrei’s face was that of an “old soul,” looking much wiser than her years.

Still, Olrei Renbourn was much like her warm, gentle, nurturing mother. While Elsbeth had always thought of herself as a simple, plain-faced farm girl, no one would call Olrei plain. She has a girlish, feminine, welcoming face that has a reddish hue. Her eyelashes are so long and thick, she can’t blink without seeming to be flirtatious even when flirting is the last thing on her mind. Her face matches her rounded, curvaceous figure that is another gift from her mother.

Malcolm Renbourn III – Born on Cerapin-Earth, the sixteen-year-old Malcolm Renbourn III is the first son of Malcolm Renbourn and Pidghe El, one half of the identical Cerapin sisters who became the last of Malcolm Renbourn’s wives. As his mother didn’t have the typical Cerapin characteristics of large lobes or protruding chins, Malcolm III also only bears subtle signs of his Cerapin bloodline. He has a comparatively flat forehead and a more Alphan-like chin than most of his species, but his skin is unusually gray-tinged with the Cerapin markings of colors all across his body. His face is filled with the confidence of youth, his lower lip pushed out as if he is challenging and daring the world to take him on.

Hamed El and Le – An identical pair of brothers from Cerapin-Earth, the Hameds are the pilots for the “Marivurn” spaceship, a craft especially designed to cross the multi-verse on the day when a window between the three universes open to such travel.

Each brother has the puffy forehead-lobes that cover the organs that permit them to not only share their thoughts, but also their physical sensations together at exactly the same times. The Hameds have the usual long, wolfish teeth of Cerapins and, most obviously of all, share the huge, protruding, squared jaws that would have made them look simian if they had any facial hair. Like most of their kind, they have hair only on the tops of their heads, but it is cropped so short, they look nearly bald.

Their bodies have natural markings on their otherwise grey skins, multi-colored splotches, streaks, and uneven stripes illustrating their limbs and torsos. Like all their kind, they have extremely large feet.

Without question, the Hameds are among the most courageous Cerapin pairs in their planet’s history. Because of the specialized operating systems of the “Merivurn,” only a pair could do all the coordinated steps necessary in the seconds it took to go from launch to ascent to the barrier-jump—the most painstaking and precise of all their calibrations—to descent to landing. On two planets—first, landing on Beta to collect two Renbourns, then on to Alpha. Only a pair with interconnected minds could move quickly enough. And volunteering to pilot the “Marivurn” meant the Hameds were going on a one-way voyage with no return home possible.

Two Important Alphans

Major Mary Carpenter – A former infiltrator in the Western Alliance on Alpha-Earth, Mary was transferred to the battleship Clinton of the Southern Union where she was tasked with interrogating the aliens from Beta and Serapin. When they are taken to the elaborate prison called The Citadel, Mary becomes their principal watcher.

Doubtful of most of the aliens’ claims, Mary finds her religious beliefs preclude her accepting the cosmic missions described by the Renbourns. Beautiful, intelligent, and trained in many military skills, Mary quickly catches the eye of Malcolm Renbourn II.

Akito Kawahara – A Japanese-American confined to The Citadel after his parents are convicted of spying for the Japanese. An electronics expert, Akito is enamored with Olrei Renbourn with whom he shares a blossoming romance.


 

Part 3: The Main Characters in The Third Earth: The Beta-Earth Chronicles, Book 5

The Third Earth, Book 5 of the Beta-Earth Chronicles, remains the most neglected volume in the series. To date, not a single review of the book has been posted since its publication last November.

That’s a serious shame as The Third Earth is such a different book from the previous four volumes. At the end of book 4, A Throne for an Alien, Malcolm Renbourn and five of his wives were forced to cross the multi-verse together to take on new missions on Cerapin-Earth. In The Third Earth, the six Renbourns must split up into pairs to follow different quests for most of the story. For the first time, the narrative isn’t revealed by alternating perspectives but rather a more traditional third person voice.

Of course, the most important changes, other than an entirely new setting with very different versions of humanity on this earth, are the transformations the Renbourns go through as described below. Cerapin is a planet dominated by pairs, and their characteristics are also described below. Any single-bodied humans, like four of the Renbourns, are considered defective mono-minds called “nams.” Championing Nams is but one of the quests the deities impose on the Renbourns.

So while most of the names below will be familiar from descriptions from the first four books, they need to be re-introduced here to showcase their changes.

Dr. Malcolm Eric Renbourn. In the transfer to Cerapin-Earth, Malcolm’s sight is restored and his biological clock is reset to make him 20 years younger, at least physically.

Elsbeth Caul Renbourn. Elsbeth is the only member of her family not to be transformed in the transfer other than to gain twenty-years of her biological clock reset. On Cerapin, Elsbeth births her daughter Olrei three years after the transfer, date unknown in Alphan or Betan calendars.

Lorei Caul Renbourn: In the transfer, Lorei splits her consciousness with Doret who remains on Beta-Earth. As a result, both Lorei and Doret are able to share their experiences across the multi-verse. Lorei finds a priestess of the single-bodied “Nams” in a pyramid hive where the two join forces to help end Nam indignities on Cerapin.

Jolbar Renbourn: In the transfer, the consciousness of Joline and the spirit-entity of Bar fuse into a new being, their shared body divided between their two Beta-selves. One half has the buttery locks of Joline and her finely shaped features; the other half has Bar’s pudgier features and one blue eye.

As all the Renbourns are forced to split up and travel different paths on Cerapin, Jolbar is the only Renbourn wife to stay with Malcolm throughout all their adventures.

Kalnenia El and Le: In the transfer, Kalma and Alnenia become an identical pair looking much like normal Cerapin pairs. In their new bodies, each wife has the puffy forehead-lobes that cover the organs that permit them to not only share their thoughts, but also their physical sensations together simultaneously. They have the usual long, wolfish teeth of Cerapins and, most obviously of all, share the huge, protruding, squared jaws and wide feet. Their bodies have natural markings on their otherwise grey skins, multi-colored splotches, streaks, and uneven stripes illustrating their limbs and torsos.

Because of their transformation, the Kalnenias plead for Malcolm’s permission to end their marriage to bond with a male Cerapin pair, the Onab brothers. Malcolm does so and each ex-wife bears pairs of sons for the Onabs.

Pidghe El and Le: At first, the Pidghe pair are house servants assigned to Malcolm and Jolbar before they seduce Malcolm partially to fulfill their secret duties as spies but also to gain acceptance in the only household on their planet where a man appreciates their especially bright minds and mental possibilities, as well as their, on Cerapin, unusual facial features. Unlike most Cerapin pairs, the Pidghe girls don’t have puffy foreheads, long teeth, huge chins, or large feet. As a result, they are considered extremely ugly and deformed by their own kind but, in Malcolm’s opinion, considered rather cute.


To order your copy of The Third Earth, check out:
https://www.amazon.com/Third-Earth-Be...

Part 2: The Main Characters from the Beta-Earth Chronicles

Below is an annotated list that continues the introductions of the main characters in the Beta-Earth Chronicles, this time going over the characters introduced in books 2-4.

I must say, these are the books in the most need of your support. The Blind Alien remains the flagship book of the series, and the three ebooks described below have earned some very nice reviews at Amazon and Goodreads. Still, the readership isn’t nearly what I hoped for. At least, so far.

So, with any luck, these short ditties will whet your appetite to continue with the adventures of the Renbourn Tribe of Beta-Earth:

Introduced in book 2, The Blood of Balnakin:

Kalma Salk Renbourn. Birthed: 1695.34.3, Bergarten, Balnakin. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: Bergarten, Balnakin, 1730. Mother: Lius (son) 1733 (Island Bilan); Kalmeg (Four Corners, 1740).

Brown-skinned, gold-eyed Kalma was raised in a rich family that disapproved of blue-skin slavery in Balnakin. However, she was brought into the Renbourn tribe very much against her will. Her stubbornness melted when she accepted the reality she was prophesized to be the means for the healing between the Renbourns and the dark-skinned Balnakin people after the wrath following the Bergarten disaster. Her father, Lius Salk, became an important ally to her bond family. Trained in global commerce, she became the overseer of all Renbourn international accounts.

Oja Yenned Bolvair Renbourn (formerly the Dotesr Bolvair). Birthed: uncertain. Her personal history is very much a mystery and the subject of much speculation and investigation throughout the series.

While introduced in book 1 as marketing advisor to Joline Renbourn, Oja is bonded to Malcolm Renbourn legally in 1730 after the family is exiled to Kiript. As Oja is lesbian, she does not share a physical or loving relationship with Malcolm. At the time of their bonding, Oja thinks she is dying from the Body-That-Eats-Itself and wants to ensure her artificially-injected son, Pere, (born 1726) gains his true paternity and that her fortune will go to the family Oja has served so diligently. Her love remains with her longtime consort, the very timid Bli Swellard.

In book 3, Oja becomes one of the most notorious monsters in history when she deliberately infects the Prince of Alma with a fatal, sexually-transmitted disease before she drowns herself.

Introduced in book 3, When War Returns

Sasperia Thorwaife Renbourn, Ducai of Bercumel. Birth: 1715, Dellmire, Alma. Bonded to Renbourn Tribe in 1732 in an arranged marriage to give Malcolm a legitimate title, the Duce of Bilan, in the Alman Mentala. Mother: twin sons Gunmar and Malcolm Renbourn II, 1736, in captivity, Dellmire, Alma); Vlandrax (son, Dellmire, 1740)

Born to a mother with enhanced genetics, Sasperia’s metabolism gives her tremendous physical strength, superior memory, an overheated personality, and, at first, a resentment of mere mortals like the Renbourns. For much of book 3, Sasperia is an active enemy of the Renbourns, constantly inventing schemes to diminish their reputations and place herself in control over the family. By the final chapters of book 3, Sasperia has come to her senses and allies herself with the family as a bloody civil war erupts in Alma.

Introduced in book 4, A Throne for an Alien

Elena Richelo Renbourn, Liege of the United States of America. Born: 1719, Hitelec, the second daughter of Queen Moy of Hitalec. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: 1739. Mother: Tusgin Richelo Renbourn (son, born at Four Corners, USA, 1739); Moycolm (daughter, born Four Corners, 1741)

Destined to serve her older sister Bet when she ascended to the throne of Hitelec, the long-haired, long-limbed Elena was unexpectedly forced to make Bet abdicate as a result of the Queen’s attempt to kidnap Renbourn children in a scheme to force the Renbourns to support her irrational power grabs in the Gravsean region of Beta.
As a result, Bet Richelo is sent into exile and Malcolm Renbourn became the Consort-Liege to the Queen of a country Elena renamed the United States of America.

Jona Solem Renbourn, Born in jungles of Verashesh, 1715. Helprim introduced in book 3 but bonded to tribe in book 4 to give her artificially-injected children legitimacy: Yilmud (son, Island Bilan, 1732; Vera (daughter, Four Corners, 1741).

Jona is a highly skilled medical doctor schooled in genetic studies who came to the Renbourn family to supervise studies of the bi-planetary bloodlines of the Renbourn children. Known to have the most minimal of personalities, Jona bonds to Malcolm not in a love match, but rather as a way to bring her children into the Renbourn tribe.

Supporting Players in books 1-4:

Trustee-Hands

Mari and Sari Denoshih (allied to tribe, 1723, Hearthstone)

These twins joined the very young Renbourn tribe and stayed with them throughout all their travels and adventures.

Yil Rimudas and wives (Dona, Larikey, Hin), six children.

In 1725, the Rimudas family became help hands to the Renbourns at Hearthstone. Property managers in their home country of Kirip, the family expanded on these duties at the various Renbourn estates for the next 15 years.

Captain Kaj Ovideal and the crew of the "Barbara Blue" (1728)

When Malcolm Renbourn bought the “Barbara Blue” yacht, its longtime captain Kaj Ovideal and his crew (including three of his wives) signed on to stay with the ship’s new owners.

Noriah of the Willing-Horse (Samlon Blan, 1729), a Shadow-Kin from Rigel, Noriah joined the family as security chief before her murder in battle in book 4.

For the links to order any or all of these ebooks, check out—
https://drwesleybritton.com/books/

Introduceing the cast of characters in The Blind Alien

It’s been some time since I used my blog to plug my Beta-Earth Chronicles. To be fair, the first half of 2017 hasn’t been filled with much news other than the publication of the paperback edition of The Blind Alien.

In the coming months, I hope we will have a series of very cool announcements for you. For one thing, an artist is presently working on replacement covers for the Chronicles to upgrade the current rather weak reverse globe images. In addition, book 6, Return to Alpha, is at the publishers waiting for the editors to do their thing.

This week, I thought I’d share with you a detailed overview of the main cast of characters of all 6 books. Sometime, my webmaster will post the whole list at my website; until then, I’ve broken up the list for shorter, more blog-friendly content.

So below is a look at the main characters introduced in book 1, The Blind Alien:


Dr. Malcolm Eric Renbourn. Birthed: March 29, 1985, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Alpha-Earth. Beta birth year: 1690? Correlation to Beta moon and day: unknown. Doctorate in American History, Shippensburg State College, 2000. Captured and blinded in Bergarten Institute of the Science of the Species, 1720.

Thirty-five year old Dr. Malcolm Renbourn is an underemployed, impoverished history professor who considers himself a failure when he is captured in a cross-dimensional device that drags him from Alpha to Beta earth. Blinded in the capture, Malcolm is the subject of torturous experiments for months before he escapes to the country of Rhasvi.

In Rhasvi, Malcolm comes to understand the polygamous customs of Beta-Earth as he becomes the center of an increasingly important tribe. Because of his unique genetics, scientists of the powerful Collective wonder if his DNA might contain the cure to the ancient Plague-With-No-Name that kills three out of four male babies their first year.

Wanting to protect his family, Malcolm hopes his sharing of Alphan knowledge and products might keep the Collective from imprisoning the Renbourn tribe. For twenty years, this conflict will determine many of the Renbourn’s movements and actions.

Bar Tine Renbourn Sofig. Birthed: 1696.3.33, Archal, Balnakin. Property of the Country of Balnakin. Graduated: Wostra Stadsem for Literate Assistants, 1720. Freed and bonded to Renbourn tribe in Wellneee, Rhasvi, 1722. Mother: Becky (daughter) 1723 (birthed at Hearthstone, Rhasvi.) Divorced: Dellmire, Alma, 1727. Murdered: Dellmire, Alma, 1730 in book 2.

Blonde-haired, blue-skinned, gentle-hearted Bar Tine was a Balnakin slave assigned to become Malcolm Renbourn’s first teacher of the Betan language of Alma. Ultimately, she sacrifices herself to help Malcolm escape to the free country of Rhasvi.

Imprisoned in an underground Balnakin Rehabilitation Center for many months, Bar is finally freed in exchange for a collection of Malcolm’s tissues containing his DNA. Joining the small Renbourn tribe in Rhasvi, Bar puts her artistic eye to good use as she helps put Malcolm’s Alphan stories into understandable form on Beta.

Then came the disaster in Bergarten, the largest city in Balnakin. Thousands of Balnakins died in an epic explosion that started in the laboratory that brought Malcolm from Alpha. Blaming herself and her fellow Renbourns for the catastrophe, Bar left the family, divorced Malcolm, and remarried a fellow artist named Wend Sofig.

A short time later, Bar was assassinated by an enraged Balnakin. after her murder, she became a disembodied spirit watching over the Renbourn tribe until her transformation in book five.

Lorei Caul Renbourn. Birthed: Near Rofvig, Rhasvi, 1690.13.2. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: Home of Centel Loes Teaub near Rofvig, Rhasvi, 1721. Mother: Loes (son) 1722; Morei (daughter) 1724 (both born at Hearthstone, Rhasvi); Denos (son) 1731 (Island Bilan).

Blind from birth, Lorei is blessed with gift of foreknowledge and a special connection with the goddess, Olos. Throughout her years as a Renbourn, the graceful, dignified farmgirl is an important leader in her family, her prophecies often determining decisions the tribe rarely likes as their circumstances become more and more complex and dangerous. Many prophecies are allegedly due to the will of Olos, who is often a very harsh deity.

Elsbeth Caul Renbourn. Birthed: near Rofvig, Rhasvi, 1692.5.65. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: (Same as her birth-sister, Lorei Caul). Mother: Bethmal (daughter) 1722; Malbet (son) 1724 (both birthed in Hearthstone); Holjo (daughter, born Samlon Blan, 1730); Dona (Island Bilan, 1732).

Curvaceous, plain-faced Elsbeth is an expert botanist who supervises the family’s large gardens at all their estates.

Joline Sonam Renbourn. Birthed: Icatah, Aufrei, 1699.11.43. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: Wellneee, Rhasvi, 1721. Mother: Jolcolm (son) 1723; Moline (son) 1725 (both born at Hearthstone); Qere (son) 1730 (Samlon Blan, near Maron, Kirip).

Raised among the cliff-dwellers in the ice country of Aufrei, like all her people, Joline is a head taller than most other Betans. Because of her physique and beauty, she becomes a displayer of Al-Beta garb, one of Malcolm’s businesses that help raises funds for the family. A noted poet, she ultimately becomes a valuable assistant to Malcolm when he becomes Duce of Alma.

Alnenia Ricipa Renbourn. Birthed: Deff, Rhasvi, 1698.2.33. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: Hearthstone, Rhasvi, 1723. Graduate: School Himmini, 1722. Mother: Sikas (son) 1727, Malnenia (daughter) 1730) (both born at Samlon Blan); Epidon (daughter, Island Bilan, 1733).

Unlike the rest of the Renbourn tribe at that time, the husky and thick-skinned Alnenia came from a prosperous and privileged family. She quickly became the manager of family accounts. Alnenia’s wealthy father, Sikas Ricipa, became an important advisor to Tribe Renbourn throughout the series.

Doret Galess Renbourn. Birthed: place unknown, probably near Atok, Rhasvi, 1699? Raised from birth at Abbool Hollow-Bone Ordinem. Bonded to Renbourn tribe: Samlon Blan, Maron, Kirip, 1726. Mother: Malet (daughter) 1730 (born at sea on "Barbara Blue") Colmet (daughter) 1732 (Island Bilan); Alean (daughter) 1736 (Four Corners, Hitelec).

The result of an unsanctioned scientific experiment, Doret is a dwarf who was abandoned by her parents and left in the care of a monastery, the Abbool Ordimem of Hollow-Bones. Raised to live her life centered on spiritual activities, Doret is surprised when Malcolm draws her into the Renbourn tribe.

Once she joins the family, Doret quickly becomes a partner with Lorei and the two constantly work on keeping the tribe centered on the divine mission they believe was ordained by the goddess, Olos.

Purchase The Blind Alien either as an e-book or in paperback at:
https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Alien-Be...

Book Review: Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 1 by Marc Cushman

Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 1
Marc Cushman

Irwin Allen's Lost in Space: The Authorized Biography of a Classic Sci-Fi Series, Volume 1
Marc Cushman
Publisher: Jacob Brown Media Group; 1 edition (August 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0692750185
ISBN-13: 978-0692750186
https://www.amazon.com/Irwin-Allens-L...


This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July 19, 2017:
goo.gl/ywuyvA

Once again, media historian Marc Cushman pulls out his magnifying glass to explore a television classic just like he did with I Spy and his definitive three volume These Are the Voyages tomes on the original Star Trek.

Once again, Cushman doesn’t leave the smallest of stones unturned. He begins his exhaustive book by fleshing out the pre-Lost in Space career of producer/ director Irwin Allen, most notably his films released throughout the 1950s. One spotlighted film, naturally, is Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea which Allen re-imagined into his first sci fi television series. Of course, Cushman gives each of the main stars of Lost in Space the same in-depth treatment, as when he offers a detailed history of June Lockhart’s years on Lassie and an even more detailed review of Guy Williams tenure as Zorro, including the ratings numbers for the show’s run, comparing it to its competition on other networks.

Cushman demonstrates how workaholic Allen saw himself as a P.T. Barnum figure who offered escapist sci fi full of action and spectacle without the more cerebral tones of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, or Star Trek. Still, many of Lost in Space’s better episodes bordered on being morality tales or fables. When Cushman dives into his title subject, the minutia continues when he provides a day-by-day history of the show’s pre-production, filming, and post-production. He provides the contributions of each director, writer, and many of the guest stars. He shares the cost for each episode, including the overruns. He presents the often bizarre notes from network censors. It’s hard to believe that, in those days, the thought of two adults, even a married couple, showing more than casual affection on television could arouse fears in the CBS Standards and Practices office that children could be disturbed by any such displays. In fact, the Standards censors seemed preoccupied with anything and everything that might disturb a child.

Cushman provides no shortage of announcements and commentary culled from trade periodicals, especially Variety, and a wealth of reviews from national newspapers. Week by week, we see how Lost in Space fared against its competition during its first year, which was ABC’s The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Patty Duke Show and NBC’s The Virginian. That was until a little hit called Batman took over the Nelson family’s ABC time slot at 7:30 on Wednesdays.

But the book is far more than a compilation and synthesis of documents and figures. We also get insights into the creative process, as in showing how actor Jonathan Harris, who played evil Doctor Zachary Smith, helped altar and shape his dialogue in the show as well as adding a needed comic dimension to his character.

Clearly, only a diehard fan base will want to read this Authorized Biography from cover to cover. Other readers, such as TV sci fi fans or those curious about television history or production, would likely enjoy skimming through the sections that focus on discussions of their area of interest. All libraries should absolutely shelve this book. All readers should enjoy the bounty of photographs that, on their own, make the book worth the price of admission. And this is but volume one—the first of three.

Book Review: Hollywood Obscura: Death, Murder, and the Paranormal Aftermath by Brian Clune

Hollywood Obscura: Death, Murder, and the Paranormal Aftermath
Brian Clune
Publisher: Schiffer; 1 edition (August 28, 2017)
ISBN-10: 0764353543
ISBN-13: 978-0764353543
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Obsc...


In this short and fast-paced book, Brian Clune, co-founder and historian for Planet Paranormal Radio and Planet Paranormal Investigations, offers descriptions of 12 Hollywood deaths and their paranormal aftermaths from the 1930s to contemporary times. The victims include Thelma Todd, The Black Dahlia, “Bugsy” Siegel, George Reeves, Marilyn Monroe, Ramon Novarro, Natalie Wood, John Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, and other figures less famous but connected to Hollywood in one way or another.

The 12 short, hit-and-run biographies summarize the lives and careers of people who unexpectedly died due to murder, suicide, overdoses, accidents, or sometimes the cause of death is questionable and controversial. When a fatality is controversial, Clune presents the most prevalent theories but rarely tends to support one possibility over another. It does seem he believes Robert Kennedy was a viable suspect in the death of Marilyn Monroe. While he sketches out Robert Wagner’s known involvement in the drowning of Natalie Wood, Clune doesn’t come out and accuse the actor of, at the very least, negligent homicide.

What links each of these deaths is the ongoing sightings of the deceased’s spirits in or near places associated with them, most frequently where their deaths occurred. These descriptions are often as fleeting as the sightings themselves. None of the ghosts described are what experts call “intelligent hauntings” as there seems little effort in these spirits to try to communicate with anyone. Rather, most of the subjects are “residual hauntings,” the only paranormal term Clune explains. These hauntings are like tape loops where events in the deceased’s lives are repeated over and over. Sometimes, the psychic impressions are directly related to the subject’s death; sometimes, thy echo happier events from the past.

In many cases, the observed figures seem confused or bewildered. Clune tells us this might be due to the dead one’s inability to cross over or the spirit has something unresolved to deal with on our plane of existence. In a few cases, the deceased might move objects around. Mostly, they are seen in mirrors, sensed but not seen, or observed walking from one place to another.

Clune simply recites sightings or similar events he knows about with a minimum of editorializing. While most readers are going to learn little about paranormal experiences, many of us will learn about people we knew little or nothing about before. For example, I knew nothing about actress Thelma Todd, and I’m not convinced about one of Clune’s longest paranormal descriptions. That’s what he calls the “possible curse of Roland West's yacht, Joyita.” For one thing, Todd was found dead in her garage apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning. But conspiracy buffs suggest the volatile West might have killed Todd on his yacht and had her body moved to her garage. Thereafter, the Joyita had a series of major misfortunes over several decades and for a series of different owners. Perhaps the yacht was indeed haunted. Hard to figure why Todd’s possible revenge might have outlasted West so she could curse people she never knew.

Whatever the case, readers of Hollywood Obscura should come to the book with a skeptical eye. It’s a very short read and not likely to convince anyone of anything and I’m not sure it was supposed to. If you’re into Hollywood history or after-death experiences, this could be a fun and fast read.


This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on July17, 2017:
goo.gl/4DRnwh

Book Review: Space Tripping by Patrick Edwards

Space Tripping
Patrick Edwards
Publisher: Inkshares (March 7, 2017)
ISBN-10:194264521X
ISBN-13:978-1942645214
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Tripping...


Written for BookPleasures.com on July 17, 2017

Other than the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, I can’t think of many other books that start out more strangely than Space Tripping.

The tale opens when Chuck Higgins is standing by his truck and a drunken alien pilot, Jopp Wenslode, crash-lands on earth and tries to hijack the truck. In short order, the truck, Chuck, and Jopp are pulled skyward inside a huge alien spaceship. All this in less than three pages.

A bewildered Chuck finds himself forced to help Jopp work off a debt to the universe’s oldest corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. That or be eaten by aliens who don’t think much of human abilities. Chuck and Jopp are chased across the galaxy as Jopp has been assigned the task of transporting a mysterious and apparently valuable black case. What follows is something of a college guy’s sci fi fantasy. There are endless streams of flowing alcohol or similar beverages with equivalent kicks. Chuck is astonished to meet a species called the Griffins who believe earth humans have set the intergalactic standard for partying. Perhaps alluring police officer Rohi Kahpanova can best be described as Omni-sexual as she gets along with various genders and alien species, although we don’t see her, or anyone else for that matter, engaged in that sort of physical activity.

Despite claims made in the book’s publicity, I wouldn’t categorize this quirky tale as comedy. Most of the humor occurs in the bantering, very colloquial dialogue between Jopp and Chuck. There’s one element very reminiscent of the Stainless Steel Rat books, namely the constant stream of escapes from space pirates and interplanetary police.

Patrick Edwards gives us more than a fast-paced if very light read. He has a very descriptive eye, especially detailing the constantly shifting settings and the many types of aliens. Still, this isn’t a romp to take very seriously. It’s like an old-fashioned science fiction adventure story with no attempt to be believable or give readers some sort of social message. If you like your sci fi fun, Space Tripping should be down your alley. Oh yea, it’s just volume one of a new series. There’s a sample chapter from book two to whet your appetite.


This review was originally published at:
goo.gl/WK8cUg

Author response to my review of the Louis XVII book

Here’s a response to my review of Louis XVII Survived the Temple Prison: The DNA Proof from the author, Charles Louis de Bourbon;

Thank you for your words. You have the essence of the story but one item is very important to me as Wikipedia uses it wrongly, and an English book mentioned in Wikipedia started it.
Louis XVIII was dying and they wanted Louis XVII out of the way so they accused him of making and passing false money. The penalty if found guilty is 4 months. He was found not guilty. The one witness hung himself. The judge then jailed Louis XVII for three years for not producing a birth certificate. Be careful with Wikipedia-- every time I correct them, 10 people show up with the opposite view and majority wins.

Regards
Charles de Bourbon


For the record, I didn’t use Wikipedia for my review. I did forget one detail from Charles’ book, that about the jail sentence for Louis XVII not having a proper birth certificate. I certainly agree with Charles’ comments on Wikipedia. I’ve never fully trusted it.