Joseph Baneth Allen's Blog, page 94
September 18, 2021
Chariots Of The Gods?
Just finished reading "Chariots Of The Gods?" by Erich Von Daniken, released by G.P. Putman's Sons, first published back in 1969.
With all the hoopla over UAOs/UFOs stirred up by the release of videos by the United State's military showing some intriguing, yet unidentified images of what may be unknown technology, I decided to go back and re-read Von Daniken's still controversial book as part of my "Great Re-reading of Favorite Books from My Youth" project.
As with all books in this project, I obtained my reading copy from Chamblin's Book Mine here in Jacksonville, Florida, the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States.
"Chariots Of The Gods?" created a literary sensation when it was first published as NASA was enjoying great success with the first manned lunar landing. The UFO craze was popular, so when Von Daniken proposed a new way of looking at ancient artifacts, it caught the public's imagination.
Mom was able to obtain a copy of "Chariots Of The Gods?" at Ron-Cor, which was a combination book and hobby store in the New River Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She called bookstores in a 50-mile area to find a copy for several days and was able to get a copy put on hold for her when Ron-Cor received several copies in a shipment.
Note - When she tried to get a copy of "The Pentagon Papers" reserved for her at Ron-Cor, a clerk there made the mistake of cussing her out for wanting to buy that book. Mom did buy the book there and had a rather intensely polite conversation with owner about the phone manners of her employee.
Von Daniken is definitively a charmer. He sincerely believes in the cult of ancient aliens that he created and still presides over. He doesn't offer proof, he offers a faith in life beyond Earth. Still he does advance thinking outside of the box, but he fails in providing concrete evidence that aliens visited and influenced humanity in the past.
Recommended for the insight it can provide on how popular movements and notions can be spread and promoted despite the evidence suggesting otherwise.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Chariots-Gods-...
With all the hoopla over UAOs/UFOs stirred up by the release of videos by the United State's military showing some intriguing, yet unidentified images of what may be unknown technology, I decided to go back and re-read Von Daniken's still controversial book as part of my "Great Re-reading of Favorite Books from My Youth" project.
As with all books in this project, I obtained my reading copy from Chamblin's Book Mine here in Jacksonville, Florida, the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States.
"Chariots Of The Gods?" created a literary sensation when it was first published as NASA was enjoying great success with the first manned lunar landing. The UFO craze was popular, so when Von Daniken proposed a new way of looking at ancient artifacts, it caught the public's imagination.
Mom was able to obtain a copy of "Chariots Of The Gods?" at Ron-Cor, which was a combination book and hobby store in the New River Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She called bookstores in a 50-mile area to find a copy for several days and was able to get a copy put on hold for her when Ron-Cor received several copies in a shipment.
Note - When she tried to get a copy of "The Pentagon Papers" reserved for her at Ron-Cor, a clerk there made the mistake of cussing her out for wanting to buy that book. Mom did buy the book there and had a rather intensely polite conversation with owner about the phone manners of her employee.
Von Daniken is definitively a charmer. He sincerely believes in the cult of ancient aliens that he created and still presides over. He doesn't offer proof, he offers a faith in life beyond Earth. Still he does advance thinking outside of the box, but he fails in providing concrete evidence that aliens visited and influenced humanity in the past.
Recommended for the insight it can provide on how popular movements and notions can be spread and promoted despite the evidence suggesting otherwise.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Chariots-Gods-...
Chariots Of The Gods?
Just finished reading "Chariots Of The Gods?" by Erich Von Daniken, released by G.P. Putman's Sons, first published back in 1969.
With all the hoopla over UAOs/UFOs stirred up by the release of videos by the United State's military showing some intriguing, yet unidentified images of what may be unknown technology, I decided to go back and re-read Von Daniken's still controversial book as part of my "Great Re-reading of Favorite Books from My Youth" project.
As with all books in this project, I obtained my reading copy from Chamblin's Book Mine here in Jacksonville, Florida, the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States.
"Chariots Of The Gods?" created a literary sensation when it was first published as NASA was enjoying great success with the first manned lunar landing. The UFO craze was popular, so when Von Daniken proposed a new way of looking at ancient artifacts, it caught the public's imagination.
Mom was able to obtain a copy of "Chariots Of The Gods?" at Ron-Cor, which was a combination book and hobby store in the New River Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She called bookstores in a 50-mile area to find a copy for several days and was able to get a copy put on hold for her when Ron-Cor received several copies in a shipment.
Note - When she tried to get a copy of "The Pentagon Papers" reserved for her at Ron-Cor, a clerk there made the mistake of cussing her out for wanting to buy that book. Mom did buy the book there and had a rather intensely polite conversation with owner about the phone manners of her employee.
Von Daniken is definitively a charmer. He sincerely believes in the cult of ancient aliens that he created and still presides over. He doesn't offer proof, he offers a faith in life beyond Earth. Still he does advance thinking outside of the box, but he fails in providing concrete evidence that aliens visited and influenced humanity in the past.
Recommended for the insight it can provide on how popular movements and notions can be spread and promoted despite the evidence suggesting otherwise.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Chariots-Gods-...
With all the hoopla over UAOs/UFOs stirred up by the release of videos by the United State's military showing some intriguing, yet unidentified images of what may be unknown technology, I decided to go back and re-read Von Daniken's still controversial book as part of my "Great Re-reading of Favorite Books from My Youth" project.
As with all books in this project, I obtained my reading copy from Chamblin's Book Mine here in Jacksonville, Florida, the greatest bookstore in the Eastern United States.
"Chariots Of The Gods?" created a literary sensation when it was first published as NASA was enjoying great success with the first manned lunar landing. The UFO craze was popular, so when Von Daniken proposed a new way of looking at ancient artifacts, it caught the public's imagination.
Mom was able to obtain a copy of "Chariots Of The Gods?" at Ron-Cor, which was a combination book and hobby store in the New River Shopping Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She called bookstores in a 50-mile area to find a copy for several days and was able to get a copy put on hold for her when Ron-Cor received several copies in a shipment.
Note - When she tried to get a copy of "The Pentagon Papers" reserved for her at Ron-Cor, a clerk there made the mistake of cussing her out for wanting to buy that book. Mom did buy the book there and had a rather intensely polite conversation with owner about the phone manners of her employee.
Von Daniken is definitively a charmer. He sincerely believes in the cult of ancient aliens that he created and still presides over. He doesn't offer proof, he offers a faith in life beyond Earth. Still he does advance thinking outside of the box, but he fails in providing concrete evidence that aliens visited and influenced humanity in the past.
Recommended for the insight it can provide on how popular movements and notions can be spread and promoted despite the evidence suggesting otherwise.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Chariots-Gods-...
The Deviant's War
Just finished reading "The Deviant's War - The Homosexual vs The United States of America., published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux back in 2020.
Never underestimate the ability of a Jew to lead a decades-long legal fight to change how homosexuality was viewed in the United States. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik One was launched into orbit back in 1957, astronomer Frank Kameny tried to answer his country's call for scientists by applying for a job at NASA. He was turned down because he had been arrested, but not convicted of gay cruising, and as a result was deemed to high a security risk and mentally unstable to receive a security clearance. Now most gay men and women during this era would have given up on their dream and found something else to pursue. Kameny decided to do something unexpected, he decided to fight for his rights in an era when homosexuality was deemed a mental illness and he could be arrested and imprisoned, and even forced to under medical procedures to "cure" his homosexuality.
Cervini has written perhaps the definitive history on one man's struggle to change society for everyone.
Strongly Recommended for it's scope and insights.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Deviants-War-H...
Never underestimate the ability of a Jew to lead a decades-long legal fight to change how homosexuality was viewed in the United States. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik One was launched into orbit back in 1957, astronomer Frank Kameny tried to answer his country's call for scientists by applying for a job at NASA. He was turned down because he had been arrested, but not convicted of gay cruising, and as a result was deemed to high a security risk and mentally unstable to receive a security clearance. Now most gay men and women during this era would have given up on their dream and found something else to pursue. Kameny decided to do something unexpected, he decided to fight for his rights in an era when homosexuality was deemed a mental illness and he could be arrested and imprisoned, and even forced to under medical procedures to "cure" his homosexuality.
Cervini has written perhaps the definitive history on one man's struggle to change society for everyone.
Strongly Recommended for it's scope and insights.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Deviants-War-H...
The Enlightenment
Just finished reading "The Enlightenment - The Pursuit of Happiness 1680-1790" by Ritchie Robertson, published by Harper.
"The Enlightenment" is a rather curious hundred-ten year period in human history where society tried to embrace the growing field of professional science and the attempt to codify it into all aspects of human activity and life that had widespread implications in moving humanity forward.
Robertson, who just happens to be the Professor of German at Oxford University, a fellow of the British Academy, and a lead reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement, has written a comprehensive and sweeping history of such an important moment in human history.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-...
"The Enlightenment" is a rather curious hundred-ten year period in human history where society tried to embrace the growing field of professional science and the attempt to codify it into all aspects of human activity and life that had widespread implications in moving humanity forward.
Robertson, who just happens to be the Professor of German at Oxford University, a fellow of the British Academy, and a lead reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement, has written a comprehensive and sweeping history of such an important moment in human history.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-...
Ocean Meets Sky
Just finished reading "Ocean Meets Sky" by The Fan Brothers released by Simon & Schuster back in 2018.
While Finn is mourning the loss of his Grandfather, he decides to build a boat in order to search for the mythical place where the ocean meets the sky - a place his grandfather often told him about. He starts building the boat and soon is lifted by the tide off to the place where the ocean meets the sky which gives him the opportunity to say good by.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Meets-Sk...
While Finn is mourning the loss of his Grandfather, he decides to build a boat in order to search for the mythical place where the ocean meets the sky - a place his grandfather often told him about. He starts building the boat and soon is lifted by the tide off to the place where the ocean meets the sky which gives him the opportunity to say good by.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Meets-Sk...
The Scarecrow
Just finished reading "The Scarecrow" by Beth Ferry and illustrated by The Fan Brothers, released by Harper Collins.
When a baby crow falls out of it's nest, it's adopted and cared for by a lonely scarecrow, who then must face the heart break that every parent experiences when their child leaves the nest and the pure joy when their child returns home after seeing what the world has to offer.
With simple and lyrical prose in the style of a poem, Beth Ferry captures the essence of what family is and the illustrations by the Fan Brothers bring Ferry's tale to life in a masterful way.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Scarecrow-Beth...
When a baby crow falls out of it's nest, it's adopted and cared for by a lonely scarecrow, who then must face the heart break that every parent experiences when their child leaves the nest and the pure joy when their child returns home after seeing what the world has to offer.
With simple and lyrical prose in the style of a poem, Beth Ferry captures the essence of what family is and the illustrations by the Fan Brothers bring Ferry's tale to life in a masterful way.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Scarecrow-Beth...
September 16, 2021
The Horror In The Museum
Just finished listening to "The Horror In The Museum" by H.P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, adpated by as part of the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.
If memory serves me correctly, H.P. Lovecraft revised/ghost wrote five stories for Hazel Heald, who belonged to a writer's group and who was eventually introduced to H.P. Lovecraft at a dinner party.
Apart from the tales that Lovecraft ghosted for her, I'm not aware of any other stories of her's that were ever published. Again, I'm going by memory here, but I think Lovecraft had great disdain that he was doing a majority of the work on these "collaborations" with Heald. There is written correspondence between the two, but if you are seeking any signs of a romantic/sexual relationship between Heald and Lovecraft, you won't find it in those letters between them - more like employer and employee, though extremely detailed in typical Lovecraftian style.
Wax museums have long been part of the macabre that keeps us fearful at night - blame Hollywood and the late Vincent Price.
In "The Horror In The Museum," Lovecraft deftly wove his Cthulhu mythos into a story of two American entrepreneurs seeking an entertainment attraction over in England that they could bring back to the United States, and they think they found it in the bizarre wax museum - only the sculptor may be an insane madman who believes the horrifically wax sculpture of an imaginary elder god he created is real. And what follows is a descent into madness followed by a rather brilliant way to turn a profit by someone who sees the potential of marketing evil as entertainment.
GREAT scary fun and another great audio drama adaptation by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Dark Adventure Radio Theatre group!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.hplhs.org/darthim.php
If memory serves me correctly, H.P. Lovecraft revised/ghost wrote five stories for Hazel Heald, who belonged to a writer's group and who was eventually introduced to H.P. Lovecraft at a dinner party.
Apart from the tales that Lovecraft ghosted for her, I'm not aware of any other stories of her's that were ever published. Again, I'm going by memory here, but I think Lovecraft had great disdain that he was doing a majority of the work on these "collaborations" with Heald. There is written correspondence between the two, but if you are seeking any signs of a romantic/sexual relationship between Heald and Lovecraft, you won't find it in those letters between them - more like employer and employee, though extremely detailed in typical Lovecraftian style.
Wax museums have long been part of the macabre that keeps us fearful at night - blame Hollywood and the late Vincent Price.
In "The Horror In The Museum," Lovecraft deftly wove his Cthulhu mythos into a story of two American entrepreneurs seeking an entertainment attraction over in England that they could bring back to the United States, and they think they found it in the bizarre wax museum - only the sculptor may be an insane madman who believes the horrifically wax sculpture of an imaginary elder god he created is real. And what follows is a descent into madness followed by a rather brilliant way to turn a profit by someone who sees the potential of marketing evil as entertainment.
GREAT scary fun and another great audio drama adaptation by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Dark Adventure Radio Theatre group!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.hplhs.org/darthim.php
The Horror In The Museum
Just finished listening to "The Horror In The Museum" by H.P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, adpated by as part of the Dark Adventure Radio Theatre by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.
If memory serves me correctly, H.P. Lovecraft revised/ghost wrote five stories for Hazel Heald, who belonged to a writer's group and who was eventually introduced to H.P. Lovecraft at a dinner party.
Apart from the tales that Lovecraft ghosted for her, I'm not aware of any other stories of her's that were ever published. Again, I'm going by memory here, but I think Lovecraft had great disdain that he was doing a majority of the work on these "collaborations" with Heald. There is written correspondence between the two, but if you are seeking any signs of a romantic/sexual relationship between Heald and Lovecraft, you won't find it in those letters between them - more like employer and employee, though extremely detailed in typical Lovecraftian style.
Wax museums have long been part of the macabre that keeps us fearful at night - blame Hollywood and the late Vincent Price.
In "The Horror In The Museum," Lovecraft deftly wove his Cthulhu mythos into a story of two American entrepreneurs seeking an entertainment attraction over in England that they could bring back to the United States, and they think they found it in the bizarre wax museum - only the sculptor may be an insane madman who believes the horrifically wax sculpture of an imaginary elder god he created is real. And what follows is a descent into madness followed by a rather brilliant way to turn a profit by someone who sees the potential of marketing evil as entertainment.
GREAT scary fun and another great audio drama adaptation by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Dark Adventure Radio Theatre group!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.hplhs.org/darthim.php
If memory serves me correctly, H.P. Lovecraft revised/ghost wrote five stories for Hazel Heald, who belonged to a writer's group and who was eventually introduced to H.P. Lovecraft at a dinner party.
Apart from the tales that Lovecraft ghosted for her, I'm not aware of any other stories of her's that were ever published. Again, I'm going by memory here, but I think Lovecraft had great disdain that he was doing a majority of the work on these "collaborations" with Heald. There is written correspondence between the two, but if you are seeking any signs of a romantic/sexual relationship between Heald and Lovecraft, you won't find it in those letters between them - more like employer and employee, though extremely detailed in typical Lovecraftian style.
Wax museums have long been part of the macabre that keeps us fearful at night - blame Hollywood and the late Vincent Price.
In "The Horror In The Museum," Lovecraft deftly wove his Cthulhu mythos into a story of two American entrepreneurs seeking an entertainment attraction over in England that they could bring back to the United States, and they think they found it in the bizarre wax museum - only the sculptor may be an insane madman who believes the horrifically wax sculpture of an imaginary elder god he created is real. And what follows is a descent into madness followed by a rather brilliant way to turn a profit by someone who sees the potential of marketing evil as entertainment.
GREAT scary fun and another great audio drama adaptation by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's Dark Adventure Radio Theatre group!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.hplhs.org/darthim.php
September 6, 2021
Luca
Just finished watching "Luca" by PIXAR, released by Disney.
"Luca" is a great animated movie about discovering friendship and the world when you are young along with overcoming self-imposed fears and the prejudices of other people while obtaining the courage to seek your dreams while accepting yourself for who you are.
Though a PIXAR movie, "Luca" reminded me of the very best of Studio Gibli's traditionally animated movies with it's lush background and involving story of Luca, who like Ariel, wants more than life under the sea, but he doesn't know how to go about reaching the surface until an unlikely friend gives him the push he needs to start living and exploring the entire world around him.
And no, "Luca" is NOT a "gay" movie.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Luca-Feature-B...
"Luca" is a great animated movie about discovering friendship and the world when you are young along with overcoming self-imposed fears and the prejudices of other people while obtaining the courage to seek your dreams while accepting yourself for who you are.
Though a PIXAR movie, "Luca" reminded me of the very best of Studio Gibli's traditionally animated movies with it's lush background and involving story of Luca, who like Ariel, wants more than life under the sea, but he doesn't know how to go about reaching the surface until an unlikely friend gives him the push he needs to start living and exploring the entire world around him.
And no, "Luca" is NOT a "gay" movie.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
TEN STARS!
https://www.amazon.com/Luca-Feature-B...
The Heritage of Hastur
Just finished reading "The Heritage of Hastur" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, first published by DAW Books back in 1975.
Any of Marion Zimmer Bradley's literary works are now tainted by the acceptance that the late writer was a vile child rapist who not only raped her own daughter, Moria Greyland, but helped her husband rape underage boys as well, and even went as far as to try to legally adopt a boy who accused him of rape in an attempt to silence him. Bradley was disposed in a civil lawsuit and those depositions can be found online and are disgustingly graphic. Moria Greyland's descriptions of the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother are also available to read online.
Which begs the question, should any novel and/or short story by Marion Zimmer Bradley be read because of her rather sordid and vile personal history? While she was a champion for LGBTQ rights, she was also a rather brash, rude, and spiteful individual who was down right mean who had very little redeeming qualities.
A majority of her novels are still in print, and given her past crimes, and let's call them for what they were, they were sickening crimes against children, it's hard to justify reading a novel whose central plot point is about a young boy who suffers from sexual abuse from an older male authority figure. It's also disturbing that the abuser, Lord Dyan is given an out by legally adopting Danilo-Felix Syrtis as his legal son and heir. I have no doubt that Bradley was trying to create a fantasy where she wished to silence her husband's real life accuser.
"The Heritage of Hastur" is also controversial because there is legitimate double that Bradley wrote this novel, or at the very least that she only wrote some portions of this novel, and the rest of the book was written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Bradley wrote a rather interesting and odd introduction included in this edition that states that there are inconsistencies between this novel and other books in her Darkover series. If memory serves me correctly, "The Heritage of Hastur" was the first full length Darkover novel that Bradley "wrote" that clocked in over 300-pages. Bradley also had a rather interesting love-hate relationship with the science fiction universe she created.
My verdict: Marion Zimmer Bradley did write some of this novel and her rather disturbing and sick ideas about underage sexual relationships are evident throughout this novel while providing the story of Regis Hastur's youth and the reason for Lew Alton's exile from Darkover. As to who fully wrote it - that I do not know.
Diehard Darkover fans are divided over this novel.
As to a recommendation: Marion Zimmer Bradley is not the first writer to have been a vile person in life, so if you can get past what she did, it's an okay novel in her Darkover series that is a crucial corner stone in what follows in the series.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/HERITAGE-HASTU...
Any of Marion Zimmer Bradley's literary works are now tainted by the acceptance that the late writer was a vile child rapist who not only raped her own daughter, Moria Greyland, but helped her husband rape underage boys as well, and even went as far as to try to legally adopt a boy who accused him of rape in an attempt to silence him. Bradley was disposed in a civil lawsuit and those depositions can be found online and are disgustingly graphic. Moria Greyland's descriptions of the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother are also available to read online.
Which begs the question, should any novel and/or short story by Marion Zimmer Bradley be read because of her rather sordid and vile personal history? While she was a champion for LGBTQ rights, she was also a rather brash, rude, and spiteful individual who was down right mean who had very little redeeming qualities.
A majority of her novels are still in print, and given her past crimes, and let's call them for what they were, they were sickening crimes against children, it's hard to justify reading a novel whose central plot point is about a young boy who suffers from sexual abuse from an older male authority figure. It's also disturbing that the abuser, Lord Dyan is given an out by legally adopting Danilo-Felix Syrtis as his legal son and heir. I have no doubt that Bradley was trying to create a fantasy where she wished to silence her husband's real life accuser.
"The Heritage of Hastur" is also controversial because there is legitimate double that Bradley wrote this novel, or at the very least that she only wrote some portions of this novel, and the rest of the book was written by Jacqueline Lichtenberg. Bradley wrote a rather interesting and odd introduction included in this edition that states that there are inconsistencies between this novel and other books in her Darkover series. If memory serves me correctly, "The Heritage of Hastur" was the first full length Darkover novel that Bradley "wrote" that clocked in over 300-pages. Bradley also had a rather interesting love-hate relationship with the science fiction universe she created.
My verdict: Marion Zimmer Bradley did write some of this novel and her rather disturbing and sick ideas about underage sexual relationships are evident throughout this novel while providing the story of Regis Hastur's youth and the reason for Lew Alton's exile from Darkover. As to who fully wrote it - that I do not know.
Diehard Darkover fans are divided over this novel.
As to a recommendation: Marion Zimmer Bradley is not the first writer to have been a vile person in life, so if you can get past what she did, it's an okay novel in her Darkover series that is a crucial corner stone in what follows in the series.
Three Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/HERITAGE-HASTU...
