Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 104
March 30, 2019
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Just finished listening to "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury - the full cast audio adaptation that was written by Ray Bradbury and produced and performed by The Colonial Radio Theater on the Air - released by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Now as frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Goodreads, and other web pages know - I'm still fighting the ban Amazon placed on me for daring to call a book anti-Semitic months ago - it sometimes takes me a while to get around to listening to and/or reading. I originally bought "Something Wicket This Way Comes" from Amazon back on July 8, 2013 and I've just finished listening to it a few days ago. As you've probably guessed, with literally hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs, to read, watch, and/or listen to, sometimes it does take me a rather long while to get around to a book, CD, and/or DVD.
The Colonial Radio Theater on the Air players, under the always superb direction and leadership of the multi-talented Jerry Robbins, have with Ray Bradbury who wrote the script for this production, have created the absolutely most faithful adaptation of Ray Bradbury's haunting tale of childhood desires, adult longings and the manifestation of pure raw evil that tempts all those who come within its presence.
In "Something Wicked This way Comes," Bradbury shows how each generation in Greentown, Illinois is effected by the arrival of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show" - which visits the town about every 40 years -enough time for the memory of past visits to fade away in the realm of the town's collective conscience. The traveling carnival can make your deepest desire come true for a price - and soon Will Halloway and his best friend Jim Nightsade learn that discovering the secrets of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show comes with a price that not only may cost them their innocence, but also their very lives.
Jerry Robbins and The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air Players do their usual resounding job of bringing "Something Wicked This Way Comes" to outstandingly vivid life that immediately grips you and keeps your attention until the final scene has concluded.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Colo...
Now as frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Goodreads, and other web pages know - I'm still fighting the ban Amazon placed on me for daring to call a book anti-Semitic months ago - it sometimes takes me a while to get around to listening to and/or reading. I originally bought "Something Wicket This Way Comes" from Amazon back on July 8, 2013 and I've just finished listening to it a few days ago. As you've probably guessed, with literally hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs, to read, watch, and/or listen to, sometimes it does take me a rather long while to get around to a book, CD, and/or DVD.
The Colonial Radio Theater on the Air players, under the always superb direction and leadership of the multi-talented Jerry Robbins, have with Ray Bradbury who wrote the script for this production, have created the absolutely most faithful adaptation of Ray Bradbury's haunting tale of childhood desires, adult longings and the manifestation of pure raw evil that tempts all those who come within its presence.
In "Something Wicked This way Comes," Bradbury shows how each generation in Greentown, Illinois is effected by the arrival of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show" - which visits the town about every 40 years -enough time for the memory of past visits to fade away in the realm of the town's collective conscience. The traveling carnival can make your deepest desire come true for a price - and soon Will Halloway and his best friend Jim Nightsade learn that discovering the secrets of "Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show comes with a price that not only may cost them their innocence, but also their very lives.
Jerry Robbins and The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air Players do their usual resounding job of bringing "Something Wicked This Way Comes" to outstandingly vivid life that immediately grips you and keeps your attention until the final scene has concluded.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Colo...
March 29, 2019
Hystrerical Ancient Aliens
Just finished watching "Ancient Aliens - Season 11 - Volume 2" released by the History Channel.
One of the reason why I greatly enjoy watching "Ancient Aliens" is for it's ability to recycle and re-spin previous ideas from past seasons into something fresh and new and equally idiotic. Take the Great Pyramids of Egypt for example - they are supposed to be engines capable of transmitting vast amounts of energy along ley lines - and there is that rather curious void in the Great Pyramid - ancient alien visitors created it for some mysterious reason and oh yes, it's alleged to hold a mysterious throne. Now the tracing of a possible historic reason for the Easter Island Statues are explored, but using tour guides as your unimpeachable sources isn't such a good idea.
Great fun, and it's always amusing to see Giorgio A. Tsoukalos say "I'm not going to say aliens, but it's aliens."
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Aliens...
One of the reason why I greatly enjoy watching "Ancient Aliens" is for it's ability to recycle and re-spin previous ideas from past seasons into something fresh and new and equally idiotic. Take the Great Pyramids of Egypt for example - they are supposed to be engines capable of transmitting vast amounts of energy along ley lines - and there is that rather curious void in the Great Pyramid - ancient alien visitors created it for some mysterious reason and oh yes, it's alleged to hold a mysterious throne. Now the tracing of a possible historic reason for the Easter Island Statues are explored, but using tour guides as your unimpeachable sources isn't such a good idea.
Great fun, and it's always amusing to see Giorgio A. Tsoukalos say "I'm not going to say aliens, but it's aliens."
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Aliens...
March 16, 2019
Death Note
Just finished watching "Death Note - The Complete Series" released by VIZ Media.
Now I'm about to make a confession that will probably utterly shock Zack and Barry - when Death Note first started airing on Adult Swim late on Saturday evenings, I didn't get the opportunity to watch the complete series from start to finish. So when I noticed that "Death Note - The Complete Series" was on sale at Best Buy for $19.95 and that I had a couple of $5 off certificates, I thought why not? For those who came in late, while I do have a 3D television, I do not subscribe to cable or any of the streaming services. If I'm interested in watching a television show and/or movie, I'll bet a blue-ray or regular DVD and watch it. I get my news free from the Internet from what I consider to be established, reputable news outlets.
"Death Note - The Complete Series" is based on the original manga series and centers around high school senior Light Yagami, a bored genius, who stumbles upon Ryuk - an equally bored Shinigami's - a God of Death's - Death Note, which is essentially a book that allows mortals and gods to write a person's name down, and when that happens, that person dies within 40 seconds of a heart attack.
At first Light thinks the Death Note is a joke, until he uses it in an attempt to save school children from an armed terrorist who has taken them hostage in their school. Light decides that with the power of the Death Note that he will become the God of the New World where is the God of Justice - in other words, a serial killer with the supernatural means to kill criminals and anyone else he sees as a threat to himself and his vision of a perfect world without crime.
Enter the mysterious "L" - a master detective who has tracked down the mysterious killer of criminals to Japan, and who soon narrows his list of suspects down to Light. What follows is an engaging cat-and-mouse game as Light and "L" match wits to unmask each other in a fight to the bitter end.
A thoroughly engrossing anime.
Strongly Recommended.
Four Stars because of deviations from the original manga.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Note-ani...
Now I'm about to make a confession that will probably utterly shock Zack and Barry - when Death Note first started airing on Adult Swim late on Saturday evenings, I didn't get the opportunity to watch the complete series from start to finish. So when I noticed that "Death Note - The Complete Series" was on sale at Best Buy for $19.95 and that I had a couple of $5 off certificates, I thought why not? For those who came in late, while I do have a 3D television, I do not subscribe to cable or any of the streaming services. If I'm interested in watching a television show and/or movie, I'll bet a blue-ray or regular DVD and watch it. I get my news free from the Internet from what I consider to be established, reputable news outlets.
"Death Note - The Complete Series" is based on the original manga series and centers around high school senior Light Yagami, a bored genius, who stumbles upon Ryuk - an equally bored Shinigami's - a God of Death's - Death Note, which is essentially a book that allows mortals and gods to write a person's name down, and when that happens, that person dies within 40 seconds of a heart attack.
At first Light thinks the Death Note is a joke, until he uses it in an attempt to save school children from an armed terrorist who has taken them hostage in their school. Light decides that with the power of the Death Note that he will become the God of the New World where is the God of Justice - in other words, a serial killer with the supernatural means to kill criminals and anyone else he sees as a threat to himself and his vision of a perfect world without crime.
Enter the mysterious "L" - a master detective who has tracked down the mysterious killer of criminals to Japan, and who soon narrows his list of suspects down to Light. What follows is an engaging cat-and-mouse game as Light and "L" match wits to unmask each other in a fight to the bitter end.
A thoroughly engrossing anime.
Strongly Recommended.
Four Stars because of deviations from the original manga.
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Note-ani...
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
Just finished listening to "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Fatal Matters" released by Radio Spirits.
While about nearly a dozen actors took on the role of America's Fabulous Free Lance Insurance Investigator Johnny Dollar, it was actor Bob Bailey, who first gained fame as free lance man of action George Valentine in the regional radio show "Let George Do It," who would go on to become the heart and soul of of one of radio's popular action adventure sleuths
Yet while Johnny Dollar has the unique, if not sad, historical distinction of being the last original aired show of Radio's Golden Age; it's interesting to note that it's the "rebooting" of the series that started back in 1948, and went on a year-long hiatus in 1954, which ended with Bob Bailey taking over the role of Johnny Dollar in 1955 in 15-minute episodes that aired every weekday until the show sadly shifted back to it's original 30-minute, once a week format. Many Johnny Dollar fans consider the week long episodes to be the best of the show, and I do agree. The 30-minute episodes feel like rushed affairs and fail to capture of the heart and soul, and even the good old fashioned sense of romantic fun that Bob Bailey had imbibed in the character.
"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Fatal Matters" is a heady mix of five of the original week long 15-minute episodes which have been anthologized in other Radio Spirits Johnny Dollar Collections, as well as a solid mix of the 30-minute episodes featuring Bob Bailey in the titular role of Johnny Dollar - some of which also have been previously released by Radio Spirits in other Johnny Dollar Collections.
What makes this collection particularly intriguing is that in several of the 30 minute episodes - as in "The Five Down Matter" - actually breaks the Fourth Wall and talks directly to listeners admitting that he is a real life character who has a radio show based on his adventures - it's an unusual bit of surrealism and I couldn't help but wonder if there were people who thought that Johnny Dollar was an actual person and that they were writing to him for help.
My favorite episodes in this collection are: "The Laughing Matter," "The Indestructible Mike Matter," "The Collector's Matter," and "The Empty Threat Matter."
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
http://radiospirits.com/detailsv2.asp...
While about nearly a dozen actors took on the role of America's Fabulous Free Lance Insurance Investigator Johnny Dollar, it was actor Bob Bailey, who first gained fame as free lance man of action George Valentine in the regional radio show "Let George Do It," who would go on to become the heart and soul of of one of radio's popular action adventure sleuths
Yet while Johnny Dollar has the unique, if not sad, historical distinction of being the last original aired show of Radio's Golden Age; it's interesting to note that it's the "rebooting" of the series that started back in 1948, and went on a year-long hiatus in 1954, which ended with Bob Bailey taking over the role of Johnny Dollar in 1955 in 15-minute episodes that aired every weekday until the show sadly shifted back to it's original 30-minute, once a week format. Many Johnny Dollar fans consider the week long episodes to be the best of the show, and I do agree. The 30-minute episodes feel like rushed affairs and fail to capture of the heart and soul, and even the good old fashioned sense of romantic fun that Bob Bailey had imbibed in the character.
"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Fatal Matters" is a heady mix of five of the original week long 15-minute episodes which have been anthologized in other Radio Spirits Johnny Dollar Collections, as well as a solid mix of the 30-minute episodes featuring Bob Bailey in the titular role of Johnny Dollar - some of which also have been previously released by Radio Spirits in other Johnny Dollar Collections.
What makes this collection particularly intriguing is that in several of the 30 minute episodes - as in "The Five Down Matter" - actually breaks the Fourth Wall and talks directly to listeners admitting that he is a real life character who has a radio show based on his adventures - it's an unusual bit of surrealism and I couldn't help but wonder if there were people who thought that Johnny Dollar was an actual person and that they were writing to him for help.
My favorite episodes in this collection are: "The Laughing Matter," "The Indestructible Mike Matter," "The Collector's Matter," and "The Empty Threat Matter."
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
http://radiospirits.com/detailsv2.asp...
March 3, 2019
The Thomas Crown Affair
Just finished watching "The Thomas Crown Affair" released by 20th Century Fox.
Thomas Crown can be best described as a self-made billionaire who is so bored with the direction his life is going - upwards and upwards - that he needs a fresh and exciting challenge that defies social convention and makes him the undisputed kingpin. So, as played by Steve McQueen, he masterminds a successful bank robbery in broad daylight in front of dozens of reliable witnesses with the perfect, unbreakable alibi. Enter Vicky Anderson, played by Faye Dunaway, an insurance investigator with a high success rate due to her lack of moral scruples - she isn't above arranging the "kidnapping" of a young child to get information out of one of the men that Crown had hired for the robbery and using sex as a weapon to break down Crown's resolve. Yet who is playing who here? It's a question that makes "The Thomas Crown Affair" one of the more stylish new-wave psychological crime thrillers of the late 1960s - "The Thomas Crown Affair" was first released to the silver screen in 1968. Norman Jewison uses some innovative sequences that make the movie a must see for film students and film history buffs.
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
Thomas Crown can be best described as a self-made billionaire who is so bored with the direction his life is going - upwards and upwards - that he needs a fresh and exciting challenge that defies social convention and makes him the undisputed kingpin. So, as played by Steve McQueen, he masterminds a successful bank robbery in broad daylight in front of dozens of reliable witnesses with the perfect, unbreakable alibi. Enter Vicky Anderson, played by Faye Dunaway, an insurance investigator with a high success rate due to her lack of moral scruples - she isn't above arranging the "kidnapping" of a young child to get information out of one of the men that Crown had hired for the robbery and using sex as a weapon to break down Crown's resolve. Yet who is playing who here? It's a question that makes "The Thomas Crown Affair" one of the more stylish new-wave psychological crime thrillers of the late 1960s - "The Thomas Crown Affair" was first released to the silver screen in 1968. Norman Jewison uses some innovative sequences that make the movie a must see for film students and film history buffs.
Highly Recommended!
Five Stars!
February 10, 2019
"The Spider #81 - Judgement of the Damned"
Just finished listening to "The Spider #81 - Judgement of the Damned" released by Radio Archives.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of this outing of The Spider by Norvell W. Page - the master chronicler of The Master of Men is that Richard Wentworth/The Spider is shown to have once been compassionate enough to help a criminal go straight once he had served his prison sentence and paid his debt to society. While it's definitely not the first time The Spider had promised not to kill a criminal who was in the process of helping him, the criminal usually died in the end with little remorse shown by The Spider.
I suspect that while Norvell W. Page chaffed at the typewriter keyboard over having to eliminate The Spider's body count, he did find a way to thumb his nose at the self-appointed Literary Morality Police of the time by having the former criminal trying to go straight die a tragic death by Wentworth's gun that was used by an underling of the dreaded executioner known as Judge Torture.
Judge Torture's use of his victims' bodies served I suspect as a prelude/blue print to the Dexter novels decades later.
And also noteworthy in "Judgement of the Damned" is that Richard Wentworth is forced to contemplate and he feels more than a bit of remorse for killing a man in his great and ongoing service to humanity when the man's son comes a calling five years later to seek out and kill The Spider - the man who killed his father.
I may be wrong about this assumption, but I suspect that Norvell W. Page employed the use of a man determined to hunt down The Spider only to turn into a convert of The Spider's brand of unrelenting justice as another means to take a few well deserved swipes at the self-appointed Literary Morality Police.
Nick Santa Maria gives another outstanding and rousing performance as Richard Wentworth/The Spider, and nobody can match his ability of effortlessly catch accents of various regions of the country while giving each character a unique and distinct voice and personality.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
https://www.radioarchives.com/The_Spi...
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of this outing of The Spider by Norvell W. Page - the master chronicler of The Master of Men is that Richard Wentworth/The Spider is shown to have once been compassionate enough to help a criminal go straight once he had served his prison sentence and paid his debt to society. While it's definitely not the first time The Spider had promised not to kill a criminal who was in the process of helping him, the criminal usually died in the end with little remorse shown by The Spider.
I suspect that while Norvell W. Page chaffed at the typewriter keyboard over having to eliminate The Spider's body count, he did find a way to thumb his nose at the self-appointed Literary Morality Police of the time by having the former criminal trying to go straight die a tragic death by Wentworth's gun that was used by an underling of the dreaded executioner known as Judge Torture.
Judge Torture's use of his victims' bodies served I suspect as a prelude/blue print to the Dexter novels decades later.
And also noteworthy in "Judgement of the Damned" is that Richard Wentworth is forced to contemplate and he feels more than a bit of remorse for killing a man in his great and ongoing service to humanity when the man's son comes a calling five years later to seek out and kill The Spider - the man who killed his father.
I may be wrong about this assumption, but I suspect that Norvell W. Page employed the use of a man determined to hunt down The Spider only to turn into a convert of The Spider's brand of unrelenting justice as another means to take a few well deserved swipes at the self-appointed Literary Morality Police.
Nick Santa Maria gives another outstanding and rousing performance as Richard Wentworth/The Spider, and nobody can match his ability of effortlessly catch accents of various regions of the country while giving each character a unique and distinct voice and personality.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
https://www.radioarchives.com/The_Spi...
December 30, 2018
"The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Frontier Justice"
Just finished reading "The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Frontier Justice" edited by Matthew Baugh, released by Moonstone Books.
If I have to give voice to just one complaint about Moonstone Book's Lone Ranger and Tonto anthologies is that there and is, far too long a time period between each new anthology.
Once again "The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Frontier Justice" captures the heart and soul of the original radio program while exploring new aspects of The Lone Ranger's, Tonto's, and even Dan Reid's character. The novella, "The Death of the Lone Ranger" by Tim Lasiuta .examines what happens when Dan Reid takes up the mantle of The Lone Ranger after his uncle allegedly is killed by an outlaw gang. Tonto also grows and at one point is about to leave The Lone Ranger for a chance of acceptance that he never had. Even The Lone Ranger grows when he tells Tonto that the law is not always correct and that at times it may have to be set aside to do what's right.
My favorite stories in this collection are: "The Lake Spirit," "Ghost Flowers," "The Last Uprising," "Dead Man's Gold," and "Leap of Faith.."
There is a section titled "Encounters" which a brief vignettes of the many adventures of The Lone Ranger and Tonto - even one where The Lone Ranger lets a murderer escape by following the demands of the law - a murderer who saved Tonto's life.
Hopefully Moonstone Books will be publishing a third Lone Ranger and Tonto anthology next year. I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
If I have to give voice to just one complaint about Moonstone Book's Lone Ranger and Tonto anthologies is that there and is, far too long a time period between each new anthology.
Once again "The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Frontier Justice" captures the heart and soul of the original radio program while exploring new aspects of The Lone Ranger's, Tonto's, and even Dan Reid's character. The novella, "The Death of the Lone Ranger" by Tim Lasiuta .examines what happens when Dan Reid takes up the mantle of The Lone Ranger after his uncle allegedly is killed by an outlaw gang. Tonto also grows and at one point is about to leave The Lone Ranger for a chance of acceptance that he never had. Even The Lone Ranger grows when he tells Tonto that the law is not always correct and that at times it may have to be set aside to do what's right.
My favorite stories in this collection are: "The Lake Spirit," "Ghost Flowers," "The Last Uprising," "Dead Man's Gold," and "Leap of Faith.."
There is a section titled "Encounters" which a brief vignettes of the many adventures of The Lone Ranger and Tonto - even one where The Lone Ranger lets a murderer escape by following the demands of the law - a murderer who saved Tonto's life.
Hopefully Moonstone Books will be publishing a third Lone Ranger and Tonto anthology next year. I, for one, will be eagerly awaiting.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
Tale's End
Just finished "The Sky-Blue Wolves" by S.M. Stirling, published by ACE.
I've always looked upon books as woven into the memory and fabric of an individual's life. I remember buying "Island In The Sea of Time" - the first book in what would ultimately evolve into the Ember/Change series - when it was first released in a paperback back in the mid-90s when I was with Mom at Barnes & Noble here in Mandarin - an upper middle class suburb here in Jacksonville, Florida. I greatly enjoyed reading the originally trilogy and I was happy to discover S.M. Stirling continued the tale of the Ember/Change Universe in "Dies The Fire" - which I also bought at Barnes & Noble. Nowadays, I buy a majority of my books, audio drama cds and dvds from Amazon because it's more economical and my money goes further.
Deftly picking up where the last book, "The Sea Peoples" left off, we find Prince John and his very pregnant bride Pip are back in Montival and Crown Princess Orlaith and her friends, including the Japanese Empress Reiko are struggling to contain and defeat the great inter-dimensional behind the Yellow Raja. Yet in deft political maneuver , Orlaith is recalled to become crowned High Queen Regent of Montival because only a Wiccan Queen can marshal all the country's forces to lead an army overseas in order to defeat an evil that must be meet and killed on a different plane of existence. And at her Queenmaking, Orlaith must weave broken threads of the past together if she is to exist while giving comfort to her future unborn daughter.
A very satisfying and epic conclusion to one of alternative history's longest running sagas.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
I've always looked upon books as woven into the memory and fabric of an individual's life. I remember buying "Island In The Sea of Time" - the first book in what would ultimately evolve into the Ember/Change series - when it was first released in a paperback back in the mid-90s when I was with Mom at Barnes & Noble here in Mandarin - an upper middle class suburb here in Jacksonville, Florida. I greatly enjoyed reading the originally trilogy and I was happy to discover S.M. Stirling continued the tale of the Ember/Change Universe in "Dies The Fire" - which I also bought at Barnes & Noble. Nowadays, I buy a majority of my books, audio drama cds and dvds from Amazon because it's more economical and my money goes further.
Deftly picking up where the last book, "The Sea Peoples" left off, we find Prince John and his very pregnant bride Pip are back in Montival and Crown Princess Orlaith and her friends, including the Japanese Empress Reiko are struggling to contain and defeat the great inter-dimensional behind the Yellow Raja. Yet in deft political maneuver , Orlaith is recalled to become crowned High Queen Regent of Montival because only a Wiccan Queen can marshal all the country's forces to lead an army overseas in order to defeat an evil that must be meet and killed on a different plane of existence. And at her Queenmaking, Orlaith must weave broken threads of the past together if she is to exist while giving comfort to her future unborn daughter.
A very satisfying and epic conclusion to one of alternative history's longest running sagas.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
Remember "The Avatar" by Poul Anderson
Just finished reading "The Avatar" by Poul Anderson, published by Berkley Books back in October 1979.
As frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, and other websites know, I had have begun what I call my "Great Re-Reading Of Favorite Books When I Was Young Project" about two years ago.
"The Avatar" was another book that I had purchased at Michelle's Bookstore in Jacksonville, North Carolina when it was first released in paperback back in late 1979. What I particularly remember foremost about reading "The Avatar" is returning home from Camp Lejeune High School and Mom was informing Mr. Branch on the telephone that she had had finally enough of his stupidity and that the next time he ever called her about me reading a book; or anything else for that matter, that he could kiss his job goodbye. Apparently Mr. Branch objected to "The Avatar" because the cover showed a "naked" Betan [an alien] and he thought I was being disrespectful when I refused to hand the book over to him. Mr. Branch was foolish enough to engage Mom one more time at my high school graduation when he demanded that I shave off my mustache before graduating, but she told him off. I should have stuck to my guns and not bother attending the graduating ceremony and just pick up my high school diploma later, but Mom won out. [Memories and life experiences also impact the book one is reading at a given moment in time.]
I should point out that I never read in class unless we had free time and I always kept my books with me because Mr. Branch had at one time even confiscated "Knave of Dreams" by Andre Norton during one of his routine locker checks - funny how Mr. Branch never bothered to check the lockers of the popular drug using students - and Mom forced him to buy me a replacement copy because he had destroyed it. Do keep in mind that I was a boring straight A-student who never got sent to the principal's office or reprimanded by a teacher.
I obtained my reading copy of "The Avatar" from Chamblin's Bookmine here in Jacksonville, Florida - the greatest and perhaps largest independently owned bookstore on the East Coast.
In bold print with capital letters, the cover hails "The Avatar" as Poul Anderson's long awaited masterpiece - even going as far as highlighting his name is highly reflective red letters.
Even back then, I didn't hail "The Avatar" as Poul Anderson's masterpiece. While it does follow Anderson's typical themes of manipulative people in government seeking to limit the growth of humanity by setting limits on exploration and development of new technologies - in this case the use of the gates - t-machines - left behind by The Others who created them as a means to expand across the universe. So when the first human exploration star ship Emissary returns from it's mission eight years ahead of schedule with an alien aboard - the powers that be in government decide to protect humanity by forcibly confining the crew aboard an abandoned space station. Fortunately for the crew of the Emissary, Dan Brrodersen, a businessman and billionare on the sole human colony world of Demeter had planned for such an occurrence and he launches a daring rescue mission that forces his crew and those they rescued into escaping into uncharted space via a gate and the only way home for them is to find The Others; but to in order to return home one crew member must make a choice once her true nature is revealed.
What makes "The Avatar" decades ahead of William Gibson's "Neuromancer" is that Joelle is a woman who through the use of technology and childhood training, can interface with computers and directly access and process their input.
Also of note, is that "The Avatar" was the first novel I read that used f-bombs and advocated a freestyle bed hopping philosophy - which probably would have sent Mr. Branch even further off the deep end.
"The Avatar" is a straight forward adventure story that really doesn't tread any new ground for Poul Anderson as a writer - though he does make Fidelio's - the Betan - culture and civilization a Polygamous Matriarchy with strong hints of bisexuality.
So how to judge "The Avatar" after re-reading it. It' was not the story I had been expecting when I first read it back in 1979, yet it lingered in my memory, so it was a natural choice to select it as one of the books in my great re-reading project. Aside from perhaps being the lengthiest novel Anderson had written at the time, it really wasn't a masterpiece as it proclaimed itself to be. I suspect that Mr. Branch's idiotic and stupid antics impressed it on my mind more than Anderson himself.
Still, it is a good introduction to Poul Anderson if you never read any of his works before.
Recommended.
Three-and-a-half stars.
As frequent readers of my reviews here on Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, and other websites know, I had have begun what I call my "Great Re-Reading Of Favorite Books When I Was Young Project" about two years ago.
"The Avatar" was another book that I had purchased at Michelle's Bookstore in Jacksonville, North Carolina when it was first released in paperback back in late 1979. What I particularly remember foremost about reading "The Avatar" is returning home from Camp Lejeune High School and Mom was informing Mr. Branch on the telephone that she had had finally enough of his stupidity and that the next time he ever called her about me reading a book; or anything else for that matter, that he could kiss his job goodbye. Apparently Mr. Branch objected to "The Avatar" because the cover showed a "naked" Betan [an alien] and he thought I was being disrespectful when I refused to hand the book over to him. Mr. Branch was foolish enough to engage Mom one more time at my high school graduation when he demanded that I shave off my mustache before graduating, but she told him off. I should have stuck to my guns and not bother attending the graduating ceremony and just pick up my high school diploma later, but Mom won out. [Memories and life experiences also impact the book one is reading at a given moment in time.]
I should point out that I never read in class unless we had free time and I always kept my books with me because Mr. Branch had at one time even confiscated "Knave of Dreams" by Andre Norton during one of his routine locker checks - funny how Mr. Branch never bothered to check the lockers of the popular drug using students - and Mom forced him to buy me a replacement copy because he had destroyed it. Do keep in mind that I was a boring straight A-student who never got sent to the principal's office or reprimanded by a teacher.
I obtained my reading copy of "The Avatar" from Chamblin's Bookmine here in Jacksonville, Florida - the greatest and perhaps largest independently owned bookstore on the East Coast.
In bold print with capital letters, the cover hails "The Avatar" as Poul Anderson's long awaited masterpiece - even going as far as highlighting his name is highly reflective red letters.
Even back then, I didn't hail "The Avatar" as Poul Anderson's masterpiece. While it does follow Anderson's typical themes of manipulative people in government seeking to limit the growth of humanity by setting limits on exploration and development of new technologies - in this case the use of the gates - t-machines - left behind by The Others who created them as a means to expand across the universe. So when the first human exploration star ship Emissary returns from it's mission eight years ahead of schedule with an alien aboard - the powers that be in government decide to protect humanity by forcibly confining the crew aboard an abandoned space station. Fortunately for the crew of the Emissary, Dan Brrodersen, a businessman and billionare on the sole human colony world of Demeter had planned for such an occurrence and he launches a daring rescue mission that forces his crew and those they rescued into escaping into uncharted space via a gate and the only way home for them is to find The Others; but to in order to return home one crew member must make a choice once her true nature is revealed.
What makes "The Avatar" decades ahead of William Gibson's "Neuromancer" is that Joelle is a woman who through the use of technology and childhood training, can interface with computers and directly access and process their input.
Also of note, is that "The Avatar" was the first novel I read that used f-bombs and advocated a freestyle bed hopping philosophy - which probably would have sent Mr. Branch even further off the deep end.
"The Avatar" is a straight forward adventure story that really doesn't tread any new ground for Poul Anderson as a writer - though he does make Fidelio's - the Betan - culture and civilization a Polygamous Matriarchy with strong hints of bisexuality.
So how to judge "The Avatar" after re-reading it. It' was not the story I had been expecting when I first read it back in 1979, yet it lingered in my memory, so it was a natural choice to select it as one of the books in my great re-reading project. Aside from perhaps being the lengthiest novel Anderson had written at the time, it really wasn't a masterpiece as it proclaimed itself to be. I suspect that Mr. Branch's idiotic and stupid antics impressed it on my mind more than Anderson himself.
Still, it is a good introduction to Poul Anderson if you never read any of his works before.
Recommended.
Three-and-a-half stars.
November 11, 2018
Classic Science Fiction Adventure by Star Trek's George Takei
Just finished reading "Mirror Friend Mirror Foe" by George Takei and Robert Asprin, published by Playboy Press back in December 1979.
For those who came in late, last year I decided to start what I have dubbed my "Great Re-Reading of My Favorite Books When I Was Younger Project." So far, I have re-read 27 books in this ongoing project.
Like all the previous books that I have re-read in this project, I first discovered "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" on the shelves on the New Science Fiction collection in Michelle's Bookstore in the Bryn Mar Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. I discovered my reading copy at the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States - Chamblins Bookmine here in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Mirror, Friend, Mirror Foe" has a rather intriguing backstory. It was, if I'm not mistaken, the first science fiction novel to be written by one of the cast members of the original Star Trek television series. And if I'm also remembering the article from the long defunct Star Log magazine, George Takei had his choice of science fiction authors to work from and he chose Robert Aspirin because Aspirin was .Filipino. Takei stated that he wanted to work with an Asian writer. Taking the next step, because people do love to make assumptions, Aspirin, to the best of my knowledge was heterosexual not gay and/or bisexual.
Ironically, despite "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" being an instant bestseller-going into a second printing within the first month of it's release. its success may have resulted in Aspirin's financial problems with the IRS and his years-long prolonged writing drought - both of which was only resolved near the end of his life.
There were, again if I'm remembering Takei's interview in Star Log magazine correctly, supposed to be at least two sequels to "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" which were contracted and scheduled to be published by Playboy Press, but the projected series never materialized due in part I suspect to the twin demons of writer's block and IRS liens on the earnings from future solo novels that he might publish.[Sometimes the back story of how a novel came to be written can be just as intriguing as the book itself.]
I do suspect that the Ken Burns cover art was inspired by Takei's classic fencing scene as Sulu in the classic Star Trek episode "The Naked Now."
"Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" is the introductory adventure of Hosato - the latest in a long family line of secret Ninja family assassins - who makes a living in the star lanes by taking on contract killings for hire when he's not earning a living as a professional duelist. After his latest contracted duel is completed, Hosato accepts an assignment to Griinbecker's Planet where he is supposed to destroy a robot manufacturing plant for a rival manufacturer. Hosato soon discovers that a security program designed defense robots has gone haywire and that all of humanity is threatened. Hosato must reveal his secrets to not only survive but to guard humanity as well. And oh yes, he must also kill one of the two people he has come to care about Jame and Sasha, both who know his secrets.
On an aside note, re-reading this novel now years after George Takei came out of the closet, there are some scenes where Hosato's sexuality seems fluid. He does sleep with Sasha, but he also has a good friendship with Rick - granted it was a friendship that he initially started to help garner information for his sabotage mission.
So it would be interesting to see how, if Takei would, along with another writer, take up the next two novels that were projected for this series.
Now keep in mind that this is a fun book to read, not a great book to read, but it's still a great adventure.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
For those who came in late, last year I decided to start what I have dubbed my "Great Re-Reading of My Favorite Books When I Was Younger Project." So far, I have re-read 27 books in this ongoing project.
Like all the previous books that I have re-read in this project, I first discovered "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" on the shelves on the New Science Fiction collection in Michelle's Bookstore in the Bryn Mar Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. I discovered my reading copy at the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States - Chamblins Bookmine here in Jacksonville, Florida.
"Mirror, Friend, Mirror Foe" has a rather intriguing backstory. It was, if I'm not mistaken, the first science fiction novel to be written by one of the cast members of the original Star Trek television series. And if I'm also remembering the article from the long defunct Star Log magazine, George Takei had his choice of science fiction authors to work from and he chose Robert Aspirin because Aspirin was .Filipino. Takei stated that he wanted to work with an Asian writer. Taking the next step, because people do love to make assumptions, Aspirin, to the best of my knowledge was heterosexual not gay and/or bisexual.
Ironically, despite "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" being an instant bestseller-going into a second printing within the first month of it's release. its success may have resulted in Aspirin's financial problems with the IRS and his years-long prolonged writing drought - both of which was only resolved near the end of his life.
There were, again if I'm remembering Takei's interview in Star Log magazine correctly, supposed to be at least two sequels to "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" which were contracted and scheduled to be published by Playboy Press, but the projected series never materialized due in part I suspect to the twin demons of writer's block and IRS liens on the earnings from future solo novels that he might publish.[Sometimes the back story of how a novel came to be written can be just as intriguing as the book itself.]
I do suspect that the Ken Burns cover art was inspired by Takei's classic fencing scene as Sulu in the classic Star Trek episode "The Naked Now."
"Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe" is the introductory adventure of Hosato - the latest in a long family line of secret Ninja family assassins - who makes a living in the star lanes by taking on contract killings for hire when he's not earning a living as a professional duelist. After his latest contracted duel is completed, Hosato accepts an assignment to Griinbecker's Planet where he is supposed to destroy a robot manufacturing plant for a rival manufacturer. Hosato soon discovers that a security program designed defense robots has gone haywire and that all of humanity is threatened. Hosato must reveal his secrets to not only survive but to guard humanity as well. And oh yes, he must also kill one of the two people he has come to care about Jame and Sasha, both who know his secrets.
On an aside note, re-reading this novel now years after George Takei came out of the closet, there are some scenes where Hosato's sexuality seems fluid. He does sleep with Sasha, but he also has a good friendship with Rick - granted it was a friendship that he initially started to help garner information for his sabotage mission.
So it would be interesting to see how, if Takei would, along with another writer, take up the next two novels that were projected for this series.
Now keep in mind that this is a fun book to read, not a great book to read, but it's still a great adventure.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
FIVE STARS!
