S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 52

Television Review: The Americans

I have just watched the first season of The Americans on Blu-Ray from Netflix. And my first impression is that it is a very well-made program.

The Americans is about KGB spies in the United States in the eighties. They pose as a married couple (so much so they have children together) who work at a travel agency. But they spend most of their time trying to gather intelligence or turn people to spy for them. Keri Russell, who is always gorgeous, plays the woman and Matthew Ryes plays her "husband."

The show is interesting in that it has you rooting for the bad guys, sort of like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad did. You don't want these Soviet spies to get caught. But then again, you don't want them to succeed. Since it's set in the 80s, you know that they don't.

Their neighbor is an FBI agent who, ironically, is looking for Soviet spies. That adds a bit of tension. He also turns a Russian who works in the Soviet Embassy in D.C. That doesn't go exactly as he planned.

One thing I'm surprised about is how often they use sex to get what they want. But I suspect that's pretty accurate. It's also interesting to see the reactions of the spies to events. For example, when President Reagan was shot, they thought it might be a coup. At times you have to remind yourself that you're watching fiction, not a documentary.

One thing that does bother me is they talk about the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or "Star Wars") too early, in my opinion. Long before Reagan gave his speech about it, in any case.

The Americans is fast-paced, interesting, and often exciting. If you like watching the cat and mouse games of intelligence rivals (and apparently, I do), you'll enjoy this show.  Its final (and sixth) season starts March 28th. I'm really looking forward to watching all of it.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

Back to the thirty day blogging challenge that I'm doing over about thirty weeks (because I've skipped some).

Today's prompt is: "If you could have any super power, what would it be?"

Well, as I explained here, I'd really like to be able to fly. Like Superman. Up, up, and away!

I've never been a big fan of superheros (despite my watching the Netflix/Marvel series) and never been a fan of comics. But, boy, would I like to fly.

It's interesting. When I was a kid, I would dream about flying. It was like swimming through the air (and just as slow). But I could float in the air and move as if I was swimming under water. I would also swoop down toward the ground then fly upward at the last moment. I think I last had those dreams when I was in junior high school (what they now call "middle school"). So I would have been 12 or 13. And then I stopped having those dreams. I don't know why.

But I'd really like to be able to fly. When I was a kid I wanted to be a pilot. By my bad eyesight ruined that. Then it was no money, then it was no time. Now I have no motivation to learn the complexities of flying privately.

But if I were an eagle....

What superpower would you like to have. Comment below.

Alone

Lily Sleeping on My ArmBack to the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm doing over 30 (about) weeks.

The next prompt is "Weird things you do when alone."

Well, the reason I do them when I'm alone is because I want to keep them private. Seems logical.

When I'm alone, I talk to my son's cat, Lily. But I do that when I'm not alone, too. We discuss metaphysical subjects, like if a rattly ball is as fun as my iPhone earbuds to play with.

I google random stuff to see what comes up. This is sort of like when I was a kid and I read the encyclopedia for fun.

Probably the weirdest thing I do when I'm alone is writing. I know, I know, as Robert Heinlein said:

"Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards."

So those are the weird things I do when alone. How about you? Anything you'll admit to? Let me know in the comments below.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina is Over

The Speculative Fiction Cantina is finished. The company, Writestream Radio, that paid the bills has gone out of business. Last week's show was the last one.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina started on October 10, 2014. Since then we've done 177 episiodes, 165 of them live. I estimate we've had about 300 authors as guests. Hard numbers are difficult to come up with because occasionally guests wouldn't show up.

We had three special episodes. One with author/rocket scientist, one with an academic expert on science fiction, and one with a literary agent.

I even had a man who had written two books about how science fiction affected World War II.

It was usually a lot of fun, but every now and then guests would be talk too little or too much, have boring readings and/or read poorly. Or sometimes guests couldn't or wouldn't follow simple instructions.

While I'll miss the show, I won't miss the work it took to produce and host it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all my new free time.

If I Were an Animal

Time once again for the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm dong over (about) thirty weeks
(depending on how many I skip).

Today's prompt is: "If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?"

So years and years ago when I was in grade school in Idaho Falls, Idaho (Theresa Bunker Elementary) a teacher asked the same question. And I said, "An eagle." Some boy piped up, "That's not an animal, that's a bird." I replied, "Birds are animals." (Even then I was insufferable.) I was, of course, right.

So, what's my answer now, some 50 years or so later?

Same answer: an eagle. For two reasons.

One: I've never had good eyesight. Well, a short time (couple of years) after I got LASIK my eyesight was pretty good. Then it started deteriorating. Turns out I had Kerataconus (read more here). Since then, even though I underwent an experimental treatment to fix it, my eyesight has always been marginal.

Eagles are reputed to have excellent eyesight. I would love that.

Two: I want to fly. Not on a plane, but to fly like an eagle. I think that would be the most fun thing in the world. I envy birds that ability, especially the big ones such as eagles.

The one downside: eating raw mice and fish. I think I could get used to that.

So, I want to fly like an eagle.

What animal would you like to be? Tell me in the comments below.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Pamela K. Kinney and Judith D. Howell

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers Pamela K. Kinney and Judith D. Howell.
Pamela K. KinneyPamela K. Kinney

Pamela K. Kinney gave up long ago trying not to listen to the voices in her head and has written bestselling horror, fantasy. science fiction, poetry, and nonfiction ghost books ever since. Three of her nonfiction ghost books garnered Library of Virginia nominations. Her horror short story, “Bottled Spirits,” was runner up for the 2013 WSFA Small Press Award and is considered one of the seven best genre short fiction for that year. Her latest fiction is her first self-published venture, an urban fantasy novel, How the Vortex Changed My Life, that released September 2017.

Pamela's Books:


How the Vortex Changed My Life 

Paranormal Petersburg, Virginia, and the Tri-Cities Area (nonfiction)

"Silence" (short story in an anthology)

Pamela's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

Judith D. Howell
Judith D. Howell
Judith's Books:


Swamp Rites

Swamp Legacy

Swamp Inheritance (coming)

Judith's Links:

Facebook

From Today's Program: No Alien Megastructure Around Distant Star.

Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM PT, or in archive here.

RadCon Schedule

Starting tomorrow I will be at RadCon in Pasco, Washington. This science fiction and fantasy convention is the premier con in Central Washington. It might be the only con.

If they don't change my schedule (like they did last year), here are the panels I'll be on:

Friday:
The Miracle of Critique
5:45 - 6:45 PM
Room 2209

Avoid these Grammar Mistakes
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Room 2205

Saturday:
Alternate History and Social Justice/Injustice
12:45 - 1:45 PM
Room 2207

The Best Writing Advice I was Ever Given
3:15 - 4:15 PM
Room 2209

Book Signing
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Mercantile Table

Sunday:
To Outline or Not to Outline, That is the Question
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Room 2203

Come on down, I would love to see you there!

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with Diana Savastano and Dianna Gunn

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we welcome writers Diana Savastano and Dianna Gunn.
Diana Savastano

Diana SavastanoDiana Savastano is a former columnist, food writer, magazine editor, and publisher. She is the author of On the Breath of Angels; Winds of Pood, Under the Puddle; Winds of Pood: In the Blizzard; The Upside Down Inside Out Life of Maureen Kiernan; The Princess Who Loved to Swim; and The Marker, a murder mystery sprinkled with romance and paranormal activities. In addition to writing books, she is working with veteran entertainment advisers penning multiple script projects to bring her book characters to life on screen. She lives in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Diana's Books:


The Marker 

Winds of Pood Book 1 and Book 2 (Middle Grade)

The Princess Who Loved to Swim (Children's Chapter Book)

Diana's Links:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest


Dianna GunnDianna Gunn

Dianna Gunn is a freelance writer by day and a fantasy author by night. Her first YA fantasy novella, Keeper of the Dawn, was released through The Book Smugglers Publishing in April 2017. She also blogs about creativity, books and life at www.thedabbler.ca

Dianna's Book:

Keeper of the Dawn

Dianna's Links:

Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube

From today's program: Go Underground to Find Life on Mars, Some Scientists Say.

Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.

Somewhere I'd like to Move to.

Coeur d'AleneBack to the 30-day blogging challenge that I'm doing in about thirty weeks.

The next prompt is: "Your favorite OTP." I don't know what that means. I googled it. I still don't know what it means.

So the next prompt is "Talk about your siblings." I have an older sister and an older brother. That was easy.

So the next prompt is "Somewhere you'd like to move or visit."

I talked about places I'd like to visit here.

So what about places I'd like to live?

I've actually been thinking about moving. But to where is the problem. Washington State (where I live) is slowly turning into California (not the good things about California, either). So I thought about moving to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It's a beautiful place on a lovely lake (although real estate on the lake is very expensive). And it's not too far from Spokane so you'd have a near-by medium-sized city. And I wouldn't be far from family, most of whom live in Washington.

Another option was Sandpoint, Idaho. Again, a nice area on a nice lake. Farther from Spokane, however. But I suspect the real estate might be cheaper. Downside is, it gets a lot of snow in winter.

Then I looked into Idaho taxes and they are high, surprisingly high. I would pay a lot more in taxes if I lived there. And the weather in Northern Idaho is pretty harsh in the winter.

Because of winter, I thought about moving south of the 37th Parallel but that would mean California (yuck), Arizona (too dry), New Mexico (yuck), or Texas (I refuse to live east of there). But last year's hurricanes sort of ruled out southern Texas. I suppose there's Oklahoma, but A) yuck and B) tornadoes.

Texas has the advantage of low taxes (and no income taxes). Texas also has higher speed limits (they need them) up to 85 mph.

I have looked at Lubbock, Texas. It's north enough not to get hurricanes but there's still tornadoes. It's a medium sized city, about like Spokane, maybe a little bigger. Don't know if I could handle the lack of mountains. And my wife is totally against moving far away from our and her families.

So I've thought about living in the Spokane area. My wife complains that that is "even farther" from our oldest son. And that would still be in Washington and who knows what idiotic thing will pass as a ballot initiative next. Or get through the legislature. It's a conundrum.

Where would you like to live? Let me know in the comments below.

The Speculative Fiction Cantina with J.D. Horn and Larry Kilham

Today on the Speculative Fiction Cantina we are pleased to welcome writers J.D. Horn and Larry Kilham.
J.D. HornJ.D. Horn

J.D. Horn, the highly praised and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Witching Savannah series, now debuts a new contemporary fantasy series, Witches of New Orleans. A world traveler and student of French and Russian literature, Horn also has an MBA in international business and formerly held a career as a financial analyst before turning his talent to crafting chilling stories and unforgettable characters. His novels have received global attention and have been translated in more than half a dozen languages. Originally from Tennessee, he currently splits his time between San Francisco and Palm Springs with his spouse, Rich.

J.D.'s Books


The King of Bones and Ashes

Shivaree

"Witching Savannah Series"

J.D.'s Links

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Larry KilhamLarry Kilham

Larry Kilham is an award-winning author who has traveled extensively overseas for over twenty years. He worked in several large international companies and started and sold two high-tech ventures. He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Colorado and a M.S. in management from MIT. Larry has written books about creativity and invention, artificial intelligence and digital media, travel overseas, and four novels with an AI theme. He and his wife Betsy live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Larry's Books:


Free Will Odyssey 

Shades of Truth (nonfiction)

The Digital Rabbit Hole (nonfiction)

Larry's Links:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

From Today's Program: Lightning is a natural particle accelerator.


Listen to today's program at 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT or in archive here.