Phil Giunta's Blog, page 67

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Two quick observations: J.J. Abrams’s talents are far better suited to Star Wars than to Star Trek, and I believe that Max Von Sydow stopped aging somewhere around 1993 (or has had some amazing work done).

And one quick opinion: I am SICK of the number of commercials and movie previews audience members are forced to endure before the feature film these days. I pulled down the bill of my baseball cap and took a nap through most of them.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been out for 10 days and yet at 1:30PM today, the only empty seats in the theatre were in the first two rows. Such is the enduring allure these films maintain going on three generations. George Lucas’s brainchild has long secured a foothold in our culture and I say this as a thirty-eight year fan and collector.

Overall, I enjoyed The Force Awakens. I have no complaints. All of the main characters were strong, the plot was well constructed (and, yes, partially derivative), the pacing and editing reminiscent of the original trilogy—much like the story itself with its unabashed resemblances to A New Hope and Return of the Jedi. I won’t hold that against it, however.

To see the heroes from my childhood back on screen in their iconic roles was a joy. Nothing new there. By now, expressing that sentiment has become a staple in almost every review written by a veteran fan. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) had the most screen time and it was equally satisfying to see the Millennium Falcon back in action.

Our new heroes do not disappoint, and each one contains an amalgam of different traits from Luke, Han, and Leia. The true protagonist, Rey (Daisy Ridley) possesses formidable piloting skills and a redoubtable ability to control the Force with no training whatsoever. I regret that the story did not allow for a more organic process for Rey, and the audience, to discover the latter. It seemed to just, well, happen. Perhaps I need to see the film again.

It was obvious from the trailers that Finn (John Boyega) was a deserter from the First Order (read: Empire wannabes) who eventually throws in with the Resistance led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Sounds similar to the life story of a certain Corellian smuggler (who is back to his old tricks at the beginning of The Force Awakens).

The first of the heroes to appear on screen, crack pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), was also the least developed, but instantly brought to mind former rebel pilots Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter from the original trilogy.

A friend of mine remarked in her review that Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) was little more than a volatile, immature juvenile with the demeanor of a spoiled prick whenever something went awry—and she was correct in her assessment. In that way, he channeled young Anakin in Episode II more so than the Darth Vader that was introduced to fans in 1977.

Kylo Ren is a child, not even fully trained in the Force, with just enough ability to inflate his ego and allow it to dominate him. He is not leadership material—at least not yet—and definitely not worthy of the title Sith Lord. His destructive outbursts clearly display a severe lack of discipline and self-control, all of which become quite apparent during his final confrontation with Rey.

Of course, it would not be a mainstream Star Wars flick without our beloved droids C-3PO and R2-D2, the latter having the least amount of screen time (for personal reasons), which allowed newcomer BB-8 to assume the role of the adorable chirping sidekick. Even C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) was minimized. To be honest, both classic droids were gratuitous to this chapter of the saga. Perhaps they, like Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), will return to more integral roles in the sequels.

I look forward to seeing The Force Awakens at least once more before it leaves the theatres.

 

Book Review: Classic Philip Jose Farmer 1964-1973

Unlike the first volume of Classic Philip Jose Farmer, this second collection is dominated by short stories, containing only one novella called “Riders of the Purple Wage”.  I was interested in reading this particular piece as it had been originally printed in Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions anthology. It’s a bizarre tale, typical of Farmer’s vivid and beautiful imagination.

A few centuries from now, the Earth’s population has expanded upward, living on numerous levels above the planet’s surface. Many citizens subsist on government handouts known as the purple wage. Artist Chib Winnegan has discovered a new medium combining painting and sculpture, much to the delight, and consternation, of two government certified art critics.

Guided and encouraged by the wisdom of his grandfather, an ornery old coot long thought dead by the government he ripped off for billions but who is hiding in Chib’s house, Chib is soon to unveil his latest masterpiece to a world dominated by catchphrases and sound bytes, to a society that has lost its humanity because humanity has lost its heart.

It was a fascinating and entertaining read that had me smiling and even laughing out loud at times.

Other favorites in this anthology included:

“The Shadow of Space”: After its engines are sabotaged by an insane passenger, a starship is hurled through space far beyond the speed of light until it bursts through a tear in the fabric of the known universe and finds itself in a strange and inexplicable dimension where the laws of physics do not apply.

“The Sliced-Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World”: The Earth’s population has exploded such that people are placed into stasis to awaken and live only one day per week. Tom Pym lived only on Tuesdays…until he fell in love with a Wednesday woman. Tom decides to apply for a transfer to Wednesday, but be careful what you wish for!

“Sketches Among The Ruins of My Mind”: An alien vessel appears in Earth orbit, causing the human race to travel backward in time by four days for every day calendar day forward, all the while retaining their memories. Each day, Mark Franham watches the events of his life in reverse—until his children and wife are gone. Will Earth’s greatest minds be able to stop this horrific process? If so, will it give Mark—and the rest of humanity—a chance to live their lives again and avoid the mistakes they made the first time?

“After King Kong Fell”: An elderly man regales his granddaughter with a whimsical tale of what truly happened after King Kong fell from the Empire State Building and how it affected his family.

 

Interstellar

Finally watched Interstellar last night. Quite an all-star cast with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Matt Damon, etc. Overall, I enjoyed it. Strong acting and story. Solid pacing, although one observation Evon and I made was the abrupt cut from Cooper agreeing to pilot the ship to the ship leaving Earth. No simulator training time? Yes, Cooper had been a pilot, but it seemed he was a farmer for quite some time afterward.

The concept of a fifth dimension, where gravity and time can be manipulated, was presented with captivating visuals. The exterior shots in space were reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Certainly the most unusual characters in the film were the cuboid robots TARS, CASE, and KIPP, and the various shapes into which they could transform for rapid movement or manual dexterity. They appeared clumsy at first glance, but continually amazed me throughout the film.

 

’72 Chevy Nova…My Final Goal for 2015

My final goal for 2015 has been completed. This 1972 Chevy Nova model kit was given to me by my buddy Kevin in March 2014. He had reunited with his HS sweetheart shortly before that. He explained that he’d taken her to their senior prom in a burgundy metallic ’72 Nova. As such, he asked me to build this model for him.

Due to writing projects, Microsoft exams, chairing a writing conference, job, home renovations, and general life issues, it took me nearly two years to complete, but complete it is as of today!

Although it isn’t a science fiction model kit, it was nice to return to a hobby that I was deeply dedicated to for so many years. Hopefully, I’ll have time in 2016 to build a few more SF kits…in between the writing projects, Microsoft exams, job, home improvements, etc., etc…

 

  

Holiday Gratitude: The Look Back and the View Ahead

This year marked my fifth as a published writer and my first experience as a con chair with the Write Stuff conference.
 
My first novel, Testing the Prisoner , was released in March 2010 and launched me on a fantastic journey. I followed up with By Your Side in 2013 and was honored to write for two volumes of the ReDeus anthology series from Crazy 8 Press. Between 2013 and 2014, I contributed to and edited Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, which saw an amazing launch at Shore Leave last summer. Along the way, I’ve met so many kind and supportive people, many of whom I’m happy to call friends today.
 
My duties as con chair, followed by my pursuit of my Microsoft certification, meant less writing productivity this year. However, I managed to complete three short stories and edit volume two of our Middle of Eternity anthology series, which I hope to see released in the summer of 2016. If all goes well, a paranormal novella will follow, this one detailing the “origin” story of Miranda Lorensen.
 
I’m awaiting responses from editors on two other short stories and I’m using downtime over the holidays to outline a SF novel that’s been percolating since 2012.
 
Thank you all for supporting small press and independent writers!
 
Have a wonderful and safe holiday. Here’s hoping for a successful and peaceful 2016 for everyone.

Book Review: Classic Philip Jose Farmer, Volume One

Very often in writing classes, students are challenged to create “elevator pitches”, challenging them to summarize the premise of a story in one or two sentences. When it comes to Philip Jose Farmer, good luck with that. It was a struggle even for me and I consider myself well practiced at it.

The Classic Philip José Farmer, 1952-1964 is my first exposure to Farmer’s work and if nothing else, it has instilled a respect for his unorthodox approach to storytelling. There is little one could call conventional about Farmer’s style and imagination. His worlds are replete with bizarre aliens and even more peculiar humans.

In the first of two anthologies published by Crown Classics, we are presented with three short stories and three novellas, albeit the final story could easily be classified as flash fiction.

In “Sail On! Sail On!”, we are given a glimpse into an alternate history of Columbus’s expedition across the Atlantic wherein a bibulous monk uses a mysterious device that sends ship to shore communications through the intervention of angels. When his messages are disrupted by signals from the moon, might it spell danger for their voyage?

An apathetic, fragile young man and his doting mother are the only survivors of a crashed ship. While exploring their alien surroundings, the boy is taken captive by an alien who becomes his surrogate “Mother” and protector.

In “The God Business”, a former college professor invents a libation called the Brew that liberates people from all inhibitions, elevating himself to godhood in the process. When two investigators are sent in to gather intelligence where military incursions previously failed, they find a strange destiny awaits.

“The Alley Man” claims to be last of the Neanderthals. Living in a trailer beside a garbage dump, he accepts payment from a local research scientist to allow her to study him in his daily routine—until a strange attraction overcomes her.

“My Sister’s Brother” tests the prejudices of the sole survivor of a Mars expedition when he stumbles across an attractive alien with a surprising sexuality.

A biologist provides a guided tour of a zoo that recreates specimens from various extinct species, including one that is considered “The King of Beasts”.

In “Mother” and “My Sister’s Brother” particularly, I found Farmer’s detailed descriptions of the aliens and their respective biologies remarkable. “The God Business” was my favorite of the collection. I look forward to volume two and then moving onto Farmer’s acclaimed Riverworld series.

Praise for Testing the Prisoner Audiobook!

Now, THIS, ladies and gentlemen, makes the holiday season much brighter! A listener review of the audio version of my first novel, Testing the Prisoner, on Podiobooks.com!

deBorah Says:

December 15th, 2015 at 1:43 pm

Testing the Prisoner was wonderful. I wish I would have read it before by your side. But the order of reading these books does not matter they stand on their own. I am waiting anxiously for your next book. You are a master.

Click here to listen to the audiobook! 

 

 

The Conclusion of “Water to Share”

The conclusion to my SF story, “Water to Share”, is available for your FREE listening pleasure on Prometheus Radio Theatre.

If you like this story, please consider purchasing the entire anthology, Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, from your favorite online bookseller in paperback or in the ebook format of your preference (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, etc). Thank you for your support!

Click here to listen to the conclusion.

 

Books at the Beach!

Shameless plug here, but if you’re headed to Rehoboth Beach for the holidays and looking for a great read or gifts for the readers on your list, stop into Browseabout Books on Rehoboth Avenue. Not only is it a fantastic shop, but they’re carrying a few of my titles. which makes them even cooler (at least in my book–yes, that was a bad pun).

 

“Water to Share” Part Two

The second audio installment of my science fiction tale, “Water to Share”, is now available for your free listening pleasure. This story is featured in the 2014 speculative fiction anthology, Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity, published by Firebringer Press.

Desperate to save his dying wife, an exiled scientist makes a discovery that could change the fate of a galaxy…

Click here to listen to Part Two!