Pat Griffith's Blog, page 3
June 7, 2022
New Release- Fallout
The prequel to The DPA Declassified Files is out now on Amazon.
Only .99 until June 21st.
https://www.amazon.com/Fallout-Pat-Gr...
The greatest threat lies within . . .
Brendan Carlisle dreams a lot—strange, vivid dreams that seem almost like prophetic visions. Dreams that have a funny way of coming true.
But when Brendan and his friends embark on a mountain camping trip, he quickly finds himself at the center of a maelstrom he never saw coming. It begins with a harmless night of watching shooting stars. After they find fragments of a freshly fallen meteorite, though, something goes wrong.
Brendan has lost control of his physical body. Something else is controlling his actions, something lurking at the edges of his conscious mind. And he is not alone. His friends all feel the same. Their lives are no longer their own.
Pursued by FBI agents with their own interest in the meteorite, Brendan and his friends struggle to regain control from the alien entities that now possess them. But how can you fight back when your own body betrays you? And what do the entities seek to gain from his special ability?
All Brendan wants is to go home, to be with his friends, for life to go back to normal. But the hostile intruders might just change his mind about what normal means.
Only .99 until June 21st.
https://www.amazon.com/Fallout-Pat-Gr...
The greatest threat lies within . . .
Brendan Carlisle dreams a lot—strange, vivid dreams that seem almost like prophetic visions. Dreams that have a funny way of coming true.
But when Brendan and his friends embark on a mountain camping trip, he quickly finds himself at the center of a maelstrom he never saw coming. It begins with a harmless night of watching shooting stars. After they find fragments of a freshly fallen meteorite, though, something goes wrong.
Brendan has lost control of his physical body. Something else is controlling his actions, something lurking at the edges of his conscious mind. And he is not alone. His friends all feel the same. Their lives are no longer their own.
Pursued by FBI agents with their own interest in the meteorite, Brendan and his friends struggle to regain control from the alien entities that now possess them. But how can you fight back when your own body betrays you? And what do the entities seek to gain from his special ability?
All Brendan wants is to go home, to be with his friends, for life to go back to normal. But the hostile intruders might just change his mind about what normal means.
June 1, 2022
Fallout - 1st Review - 4 Stars!!!
This came from a review on Reedsy Discovery, a place for people to find new books.
~ ~ ~
Loved it! 😍An imaginative and highly original tale about first contact with incorporeal beings from another world some of which are already here....
Pat Griffith takes readers on an original and unexpected journey that begins in one place and then takes a direction I did not see coming. A group of high school aged friends spend an evening camped out in the woods for some stargazing and experience something none of them could have possibly expected. And then there's first contact as the real story kicks in.
'"The light around them dimmed, eliminating the shadows. The sun grew cold and the wind blew harder. As they looked up, gravitating toward each other, there was a mutual, unspoken question between them: What in the world was that?'"
The pace suddenly quickens as its apparent this fallen meteorite contains life that has a unique invisible ability to spilt and take over a human mind. This life even has a conscience and thought process even if it does find the human anatomy seemingly foreign. After hitching a ride on their nearest hosts the chase begins as the authorities are informed - the FBI who usually turn up to these things are on the case and then comes the realization that some of these beings were already here, hiding amongst us. The focus is on the human mind and how it can be altered or even intercepted to the point where they (the humans) are no longer in control.
Through the vessel of some wonderful description and heaps of originality we are taken on this ride of chase and hide adventure as these beings intercept and try to run. There are even those in authority who have succumbed to the effects of them. What they want is never really known but does it matter? Perhaps not because like all life, that's probably what they want, to live. There are brief shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with a less horror-esque tone and more of a focus on that corporeal life that silently takes on a human host.
For anyone looking to read an original sci-fi adventure about life from another planet that intercepts life on this one, this is definitely one for you!
REVIEWED BY - Lee Hall
~ ~ ~
Loved it! 😍An imaginative and highly original tale about first contact with incorporeal beings from another world some of which are already here....
Pat Griffith takes readers on an original and unexpected journey that begins in one place and then takes a direction I did not see coming. A group of high school aged friends spend an evening camped out in the woods for some stargazing and experience something none of them could have possibly expected. And then there's first contact as the real story kicks in.
'"The light around them dimmed, eliminating the shadows. The sun grew cold and the wind blew harder. As they looked up, gravitating toward each other, there was a mutual, unspoken question between them: What in the world was that?'"
The pace suddenly quickens as its apparent this fallen meteorite contains life that has a unique invisible ability to spilt and take over a human mind. This life even has a conscience and thought process even if it does find the human anatomy seemingly foreign. After hitching a ride on their nearest hosts the chase begins as the authorities are informed - the FBI who usually turn up to these things are on the case and then comes the realization that some of these beings were already here, hiding amongst us. The focus is on the human mind and how it can be altered or even intercepted to the point where they (the humans) are no longer in control.
Through the vessel of some wonderful description and heaps of originality we are taken on this ride of chase and hide adventure as these beings intercept and try to run. There are even those in authority who have succumbed to the effects of them. What they want is never really known but does it matter? Perhaps not because like all life, that's probably what they want, to live. There are brief shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with a less horror-esque tone and more of a focus on that corporeal life that silently takes on a human host.
For anyone looking to read an original sci-fi adventure about life from another planet that intercepts life on this one, this is definitely one for you!
REVIEWED BY - Lee Hall
May 22, 2022
ARC readers wanted
If you are looking for a new scifi book let me know. Fallout will be released June 7th. A first contact adventure. DM if you want a copy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The greatest threat lies within . . .
Brendan Carlisle dreams a lot—strange, vivid dreams that seem almost like prophetic visions. Dreams that have a funny way of coming true.
But when Brendan and his friends embark on a mountain camping trip, he quickly finds himself at the center of a maelstrom he never saw coming. It begins with a harmless night of watching shooting stars. After they find fragments of a freshly fallen meteorite, though, something goes wrong.
Brendan has lost control of his physical body. Something else is controlling his actions, something lurking at the edges of his conscious mind. And he is not alone. His friends all feel the same. Their lives are no longer their own.
Pursued by FBI agents with their own interest in the meteorite, Brendan and his friends struggle to regain control from the alien entities that now possess them. But how can you fight back when your own body betrays you? And what do the entities seek to gain from his special ability?
All Brendan wants is to go home, to be with his friends, for life to go back to normal. But the hostile intruders might just change his mind about what normal means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The greatest threat lies within . . .
Brendan Carlisle dreams a lot—strange, vivid dreams that seem almost like prophetic visions. Dreams that have a funny way of coming true.
But when Brendan and his friends embark on a mountain camping trip, he quickly finds himself at the center of a maelstrom he never saw coming. It begins with a harmless night of watching shooting stars. After they find fragments of a freshly fallen meteorite, though, something goes wrong.
Brendan has lost control of his physical body. Something else is controlling his actions, something lurking at the edges of his conscious mind. And he is not alone. His friends all feel the same. Their lives are no longer their own.
Pursued by FBI agents with their own interest in the meteorite, Brendan and his friends struggle to regain control from the alien entities that now possess them. But how can you fight back when your own body betrays you? And what do the entities seek to gain from his special ability?
All Brendan wants is to go home, to be with his friends, for life to go back to normal. But the hostile intruders might just change his mind about what normal means.
May 18, 2022
Story Time - Linchpin Re-write
The final book in my series, Iteration, will be out in August. In the meantime, I have been revisiting book 2, Linchpin. This is a refresher of an old scene. I will post another story to bridge the two books before the release of Iteration so keep an eye out for that.
Every time I read my own writing, even the published stuff, I find things I want to tweak or improve. I think most writers experience this. During the writing process, as you think through different scenes, you have to decide whose point of view to use. As a result, I sometimes end up with many versions of the same moment as I figure out who is the best person for the reader to see it through. In this case, I wanted to do a little bit of a re-write and while I was at it, also give a new POV. So this scene from Iteration is a little different than what is in the book. In the book it’s from Lysandra’s head, this is from Edward’s.
This scene is after Esben and Lysandra have been kidnapped and Lysandra wakes up in a hotel room with him. She is not happy about this but there is not much she can do about it. They start talking about ways to get out of the situation and Esben mentions that time when she and Brendan were trying to hone her telekinetics to pull Elbie out of people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Excuse me.” Lysandra rushed to the bathroom.
Edward leaned back against the stone railing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was still angry with him about her brother and he had to go and mention it. The guilt over Brendan's death had hung on him for months. She had every right to be angry with him. Didn't change the fact that she was all he thought about.
He heard the bathroom door open. Lysandra emerged, her cheeks pink from washing. She moved across the room with purpose, heading directly for him. Edward gripped the railing, bracing for another punch. As she came out into the sun, her gaze locked on to him. Without a word she threw her arms around his neck, her cheek against his. Edward froze, stunned and confused about this sudden change. Every thought in his head scrambled as she leaned into him. His heartbeat pounded in his jaw where she had hit him. Suddenly he was hot, very hot and it had nothing to do with the desert at his back.
“Put your arms around me.” She whispered.
Edward complied, circling her waist, lightly resting his arms on her hips, still trying to wrap his head around this moment. All too aware of the skin to skin contact of his forearms against her exposed midriff.
“Let’s get the bastard.” Her voice sent shivers down his spine. “The sooner we strike the better.”
Edward took a shaky breath. Now it made sense. This was a ploy to disguise their talk from any recording devices Xander may have around them. Disappointed, he nodded. “Do you really think you can do it?”
“I'm not sure.” She shifted against him. “That's where I need you.”
“Me?” He swallowed, his mouth was dry. The weight of her body against his, even as a ruse, brought every nerve in his body to full tingle mode. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her closer, or let his hands wander to other places.
“I need to practice. You're the only one here with an Elbie.”
“I. Can't.”
Her body went rigid. “It was your big idea.” She whispered curtly. Her arms slid from his neck and down his arms as she leaned back from him. Anger burned in her eyes, waiting for an explanation.
“Esben’s gone. I had to surrender him shortly after we got here.” There was no other way to put it. What Xander wanted with Esben, he had no idea.
Anger melted into shock, maybe even confusion. “Surrender? Why?”
Edward shook his head. Because Xander threatened to hurt you, if I didn't. If he told her that giving up Esben had been an easy choice given the alternative, would she believe him? “I’m just Edward right now.”
Her eyes searched his and then went to the bruise still pulsing along his jaw. Seeing that he was not healing, her body relaxed ever so slightly into him, as she accepted the truth of his statement. “Esb– Edward, why didn't you say so before?”
The gentleness in her voice made him want to bury his face in her neck and just breathe. Forcing illicit thoughts from his mind he tried to put on a business posture. “It wasn't pertinent information until now.”
She looked away, her gaze distant with thought. “You're Elbie-free right now?”
“I am.” For the life of him, he could not read her, but he would keep his hands firmly on her hips for as long as she would let him.
“Are you sure?” A shrewd gleam came into her eyes as she looked up at him.
Edward laughed. “I’ve been a host for several years. I know the difference.” To date, this was the longest he and Esben had been separated since meeting.
“That’s why you're acting so weird.” She smirked.
“I’m behaving as I normally do.” His voice lacked conviction, even to himself. It had only been a couple of hours and he did feel weird. And overwhelmed. He wasn’t afraid for himself, but Xander had already threatened Lysandra once. The cycle of emotions he had been through in the last few hours was having a toll on him.
She continued to examine his face. Her scrutiny made him nervous. “What?” He asked.
With one hand splayed on his chest, she cupped his cheek with the other. Before he could register what was happening her lips were on his. Her tongue slid against his as her body pressed him against the railing. Not needing any explanation, he met her enthusiasm with his own. He balled the fabric of her sari in his hands to keep his hands in place. His whole body buzzed with adrenaline.
As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Lysandra broke contact, her breath hitched, her cheeks burned a deeper shade of pink.
Edward could barely think. “What was that for?” His head spun.
“A test.” She said flatly, leaning back from him.
Attempting to keep her as close as possible, he asked. “Did I pass?”
“It wasn't for you.” Her tone was still flat, but he could swear a smile tugged at the corner of her flushed lips.
Even in this disheveled state, she was ravishing. He leaned in for another kiss. He had to feel those lips again.
A loud knock from inside the room made them both freeze. The doors to the suite opened, and two of Xander’s men came in. Edward let her go and they stood side by side as the two guards stared at them. “Miss Carlisle. Please come with us.”
Lysandra looked over at him. Edward shook his head slightly. Nothing good could come from talking with Xander. And there was no way he was going to let her be alone with him.
Lysandra crossed her arms. “Do I have a choice?”
“No.”
“Love to.” She pulled away from Edward. He fell in step beside her.
One guard put his hand out and used his body to block Edward from Lysandra. “Mr. Hansen wants to see her alone.” The guard grimmly informed.
Edward drew himself up. “Absolutely not.”
“Your turn will come, Mr. Drake.” The other guard took Lysandra by the arm and pushed her toward the door.
A jolt of hot anger sliced through Edward as the man gripped Lysandra's arm and dragged her into the hallway. Edward moved to intervene. The guard next to him pulled back his jacket to reveal the gun beneath. Only a few hours ago such threats would have meant nothing to Edward, but without Esben to heal him, endangering himself would not help him or Lysandra. Clenching his fists, he took a step back.
Edward caught a glimpse of her face as the man closed the door between them. He needed to figure out what Lysandra was to Xander before he could come up with any solutions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From there, Lysandra goes to meet Xander and he lets her know what he wants. Anywho, I hope this has added a new layer of understanding. Thank you for reading!
Every time I read my own writing, even the published stuff, I find things I want to tweak or improve. I think most writers experience this. During the writing process, as you think through different scenes, you have to decide whose point of view to use. As a result, I sometimes end up with many versions of the same moment as I figure out who is the best person for the reader to see it through. In this case, I wanted to do a little bit of a re-write and while I was at it, also give a new POV. So this scene from Iteration is a little different than what is in the book. In the book it’s from Lysandra’s head, this is from Edward’s.
This scene is after Esben and Lysandra have been kidnapped and Lysandra wakes up in a hotel room with him. She is not happy about this but there is not much she can do about it. They start talking about ways to get out of the situation and Esben mentions that time when she and Brendan were trying to hone her telekinetics to pull Elbie out of people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Excuse me.” Lysandra rushed to the bathroom.
Edward leaned back against the stone railing. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was still angry with him about her brother and he had to go and mention it. The guilt over Brendan's death had hung on him for months. She had every right to be angry with him. Didn't change the fact that she was all he thought about.
He heard the bathroom door open. Lysandra emerged, her cheeks pink from washing. She moved across the room with purpose, heading directly for him. Edward gripped the railing, bracing for another punch. As she came out into the sun, her gaze locked on to him. Without a word she threw her arms around his neck, her cheek against his. Edward froze, stunned and confused about this sudden change. Every thought in his head scrambled as she leaned into him. His heartbeat pounded in his jaw where she had hit him. Suddenly he was hot, very hot and it had nothing to do with the desert at his back.
“Put your arms around me.” She whispered.
Edward complied, circling her waist, lightly resting his arms on her hips, still trying to wrap his head around this moment. All too aware of the skin to skin contact of his forearms against her exposed midriff.
“Let’s get the bastard.” Her voice sent shivers down his spine. “The sooner we strike the better.”
Edward took a shaky breath. Now it made sense. This was a ploy to disguise their talk from any recording devices Xander may have around them. Disappointed, he nodded. “Do you really think you can do it?”
“I'm not sure.” She shifted against him. “That's where I need you.”
“Me?” He swallowed, his mouth was dry. The weight of her body against his, even as a ruse, brought every nerve in his body to full tingle mode. It took every ounce of willpower not to pull her closer, or let his hands wander to other places.
“I need to practice. You're the only one here with an Elbie.”
“I. Can't.”
Her body went rigid. “It was your big idea.” She whispered curtly. Her arms slid from his neck and down his arms as she leaned back from him. Anger burned in her eyes, waiting for an explanation.
“Esben’s gone. I had to surrender him shortly after we got here.” There was no other way to put it. What Xander wanted with Esben, he had no idea.
Anger melted into shock, maybe even confusion. “Surrender? Why?”
Edward shook his head. Because Xander threatened to hurt you, if I didn't. If he told her that giving up Esben had been an easy choice given the alternative, would she believe him? “I’m just Edward right now.”
Her eyes searched his and then went to the bruise still pulsing along his jaw. Seeing that he was not healing, her body relaxed ever so slightly into him, as she accepted the truth of his statement. “Esb– Edward, why didn't you say so before?”
The gentleness in her voice made him want to bury his face in her neck and just breathe. Forcing illicit thoughts from his mind he tried to put on a business posture. “It wasn't pertinent information until now.”
She looked away, her gaze distant with thought. “You're Elbie-free right now?”
“I am.” For the life of him, he could not read her, but he would keep his hands firmly on her hips for as long as she would let him.
“Are you sure?” A shrewd gleam came into her eyes as she looked up at him.
Edward laughed. “I’ve been a host for several years. I know the difference.” To date, this was the longest he and Esben had been separated since meeting.
“That’s why you're acting so weird.” She smirked.
“I’m behaving as I normally do.” His voice lacked conviction, even to himself. It had only been a couple of hours and he did feel weird. And overwhelmed. He wasn’t afraid for himself, but Xander had already threatened Lysandra once. The cycle of emotions he had been through in the last few hours was having a toll on him.
She continued to examine his face. Her scrutiny made him nervous. “What?” He asked.
With one hand splayed on his chest, she cupped his cheek with the other. Before he could register what was happening her lips were on his. Her tongue slid against his as her body pressed him against the railing. Not needing any explanation, he met her enthusiasm with his own. He balled the fabric of her sari in his hands to keep his hands in place. His whole body buzzed with adrenaline.
As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Lysandra broke contact, her breath hitched, her cheeks burned a deeper shade of pink.
Edward could barely think. “What was that for?” His head spun.
“A test.” She said flatly, leaning back from him.
Attempting to keep her as close as possible, he asked. “Did I pass?”
“It wasn't for you.” Her tone was still flat, but he could swear a smile tugged at the corner of her flushed lips.
Even in this disheveled state, she was ravishing. He leaned in for another kiss. He had to feel those lips again.
A loud knock from inside the room made them both freeze. The doors to the suite opened, and two of Xander’s men came in. Edward let her go and they stood side by side as the two guards stared at them. “Miss Carlisle. Please come with us.”
Lysandra looked over at him. Edward shook his head slightly. Nothing good could come from talking with Xander. And there was no way he was going to let her be alone with him.
Lysandra crossed her arms. “Do I have a choice?”
“No.”
“Love to.” She pulled away from Edward. He fell in step beside her.
One guard put his hand out and used his body to block Edward from Lysandra. “Mr. Hansen wants to see her alone.” The guard grimmly informed.
Edward drew himself up. “Absolutely not.”
“Your turn will come, Mr. Drake.” The other guard took Lysandra by the arm and pushed her toward the door.
A jolt of hot anger sliced through Edward as the man gripped Lysandra's arm and dragged her into the hallway. Edward moved to intervene. The guard next to him pulled back his jacket to reveal the gun beneath. Only a few hours ago such threats would have meant nothing to Edward, but without Esben to heal him, endangering himself would not help him or Lysandra. Clenching his fists, he took a step back.
Edward caught a glimpse of her face as the man closed the door between them. He needed to figure out what Lysandra was to Xander before he could come up with any solutions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From there, Lysandra goes to meet Xander and he lets her know what he wants. Anywho, I hope this has added a new layer of understanding. Thank you for reading!
April 30, 2022
A Tale of Two Movies
I saw The Batman and Dune within a week of each other. The Batman was good. A little long for my sensibilities, but that's fine. There's a lot of chatter online about how this movie is a masterpiece for this reason or that. I didn't see any of that. It's a good take on the character but here's the thing, I've seen every Batman movie in the theater. And while I've enjoyed most of the them, do we really need more Batman movies?
I hadn't seen Dune when it first came out because a) the 1984 version made zero sense to me. b) I've never been able to get into the books. c) It has Tim Chalamet in the leading role (I can't stand that kid.) BUT all the online chatter with this one was about how it is a true cinematic experience. The cinematography paired with Hans Zimmer soundtrack make for a unique experience. So when the movie came back to the theater for the Oscars I made sure to get out and see it.
From the first second Dune opened I was instantly alienated. Even though the settings aren't necessarily foreign, the politics and the religion/beliefs are very "other." The creatures and costuming helped to make things feel foreign as well but ultimately it came down to the music. Many times I wasn't sure what was supposed to be music and what was something happening in the environment of the movie. (It reminded me of Arrival in the that way.)
I enjoyed both movies equally as far as story goes but Dune pulls ahead precisely because it felt like a new experience. There is nothing in The Batman that was surprising or new. Gotham is crime infested and only the troubled Bruce Wayne can fix it. Dune truly felt like I was transported to another reality and THAT is why I read books and go to movies.
There's a great video on YouTube with Hans Zimmer talking about how they made the music. If you like that kind of thing, I highly recommend it.
January 25, 2022
Book Review - Anyone by Charles Soule
[image error] “Inside a barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a scientist searching for an Alzheimer’s cure throws a switch—and finds herself mysteriously transported into her husband’s body. What begins as a botched experiment will change her life—and the world—forever…
Over two decades later, all across the planet, “flash” technology allows individuals the ability to transfer their consciousness into other bodies for specified periods, paid, registered and legal. Society has been utterly transformed by the process, from travel to warfare to entertainment; “Be anyone with Anyone” the tagline of the company offering this ultimate out-of-body experience. But beyond the reach of the law and government regulators is a sordid black market called the darkshare, where desperate “vessels” anonymously rent out their bodies, no questions asked for any purpose - sex, drugs, crime... or worse.
Anyone masterfully interweaves the present-day story of the discovery and development of the flash with the gritty tale of one woman’s crusade to put an end to the darkness it has brought to the world twenty-five years after its creation. Like Blade Runner crossed with Get Out, Charles Soule’s thought-provoking work of speculative fiction takes us to a world where identity, morality, and technology collide.”
~ ~ ~
I bought this book because I’m mad at Disney. The book I really wanted was “Star Wars: Light of the Jedi” by Charles Soule. It had good chatter from people I trust on social media and I’m interested in the galaxy far, far away outside of the bad choices of certain families. But as I said, I’m mad at Disney for their sloppy handling of the sequel trilogy and if I can avoid giving them money I will. But I don’t want to punish the author’s who work for Disney, it’s not their fault. So I will get Star Wars books at the library and buy those authors' independent books at my local bookstore. Anyone was the one book they had by Charles Soule.
I’ve read "Oracle Year" too, but I enjoyed "Anyone" a lot more.
"Anyone" is a great book. I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were relatable, likable, and well rendered. The pacing is fast. I read through this book at a casual pace but still finished it in less than a week. There are two timelines which makes it a little confusing toward the end for reasons I will not give away. But it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading and I trusted the story enough to keep going. Whatever confusion I experienced did not impact my overall understanding of the outcome of the story.
The future timeline is very cool. It’s different from our current reality but still familiar. Because of the body swapping premise, I was reminded of "Altered Carbon". "Altered Carbon" is set in the far future with lots of colonies on several other planets. It would be easy to believe that these two stories exist in the same universe. The flash tech in Anyone could be the precursor tech used in Altered Carbon.
Charles Soule is a fantastic writer. As a writer, I aspire to his ability to weave in characters descriptions and locations into the text without slowing the flow of the story. The only time I was bored was when they were talking about the science of the flash but those paragraphs are easy to skip. I was bummed when the book was over. While the story concluded exactly as it needed to, I enjoyed myself too much to leave so soon. It would be a lot of fun to see the world of Anyone expanded on either in more books or a TV show. “The possibilities are endless.”
Over two decades later, all across the planet, “flash” technology allows individuals the ability to transfer their consciousness into other bodies for specified periods, paid, registered and legal. Society has been utterly transformed by the process, from travel to warfare to entertainment; “Be anyone with Anyone” the tagline of the company offering this ultimate out-of-body experience. But beyond the reach of the law and government regulators is a sordid black market called the darkshare, where desperate “vessels” anonymously rent out their bodies, no questions asked for any purpose - sex, drugs, crime... or worse.
Anyone masterfully interweaves the present-day story of the discovery and development of the flash with the gritty tale of one woman’s crusade to put an end to the darkness it has brought to the world twenty-five years after its creation. Like Blade Runner crossed with Get Out, Charles Soule’s thought-provoking work of speculative fiction takes us to a world where identity, morality, and technology collide.”
~ ~ ~
I bought this book because I’m mad at Disney. The book I really wanted was “Star Wars: Light of the Jedi” by Charles Soule. It had good chatter from people I trust on social media and I’m interested in the galaxy far, far away outside of the bad choices of certain families. But as I said, I’m mad at Disney for their sloppy handling of the sequel trilogy and if I can avoid giving them money I will. But I don’t want to punish the author’s who work for Disney, it’s not their fault. So I will get Star Wars books at the library and buy those authors' independent books at my local bookstore. Anyone was the one book they had by Charles Soule.
I’ve read "Oracle Year" too, but I enjoyed "Anyone" a lot more.
"Anyone" is a great book. I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were relatable, likable, and well rendered. The pacing is fast. I read through this book at a casual pace but still finished it in less than a week. There are two timelines which makes it a little confusing toward the end for reasons I will not give away. But it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading and I trusted the story enough to keep going. Whatever confusion I experienced did not impact my overall understanding of the outcome of the story.
The future timeline is very cool. It’s different from our current reality but still familiar. Because of the body swapping premise, I was reminded of "Altered Carbon". "Altered Carbon" is set in the far future with lots of colonies on several other planets. It would be easy to believe that these two stories exist in the same universe. The flash tech in Anyone could be the precursor tech used in Altered Carbon.
Charles Soule is a fantastic writer. As a writer, I aspire to his ability to weave in characters descriptions and locations into the text without slowing the flow of the story. The only time I was bored was when they were talking about the science of the flash but those paragraphs are easy to skip. I was bummed when the book was over. While the story concluded exactly as it needed to, I enjoyed myself too much to leave so soon. It would be a lot of fun to see the world of Anyone expanded on either in more books or a TV show. “The possibilities are endless.”
January 5, 2022
Matrix Resurrections Review
1999 was an interesting year. It was a time when owning a computer was optional. I was in college, but for those teachers who actually asked for typed homework, I borrowed my roommates laptop. My first email address was forced upon me by my mom. (I was super annoyed by this request. What was I going to do with an electronic mailing address?) I had a TV but no cable and certainly no internet. One month to go until the release of The Phantom Menace.Enter, The Matrix. I had heard about it. It was being dubbed the new Johnny Mnemonic by the media. I had seen that movie and it was not a compliment. So I had no plans to watch The Matrix until. . .
A friend showed up one night and absolutely insisted a bunch of us go see the movie. Based on his enthusiasm alone, several of us begrudgingly agreed to go. Keep in mind, I have not seen a trailer. All I know at this point is that it had Keanu Reeves, is sci-fi, and David thinks it’s awesome. As soon as Trinity did her signature jump kick, my mind was racing. How did she do that? As she ran up and across the wall, my first thought was, she has to be a mutant. Or at least an enhanced human.
Little did I know.
Walking out of that movie, I was absolutely gob smacked. I felt different. The world has changed. I saw the movie five more times in the theater. It caused me to question reality. To reconsider what is possible despite my current experience. Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real.” (A statement backed by quantum physics, if I’m understanding the books I’ve read.) After watching The Matrix, I genuinely felt anything was possible. I still think that. The problem is, I’m too entrenched in reality as I know it to break free.
But I digress.
Matrix 1 had my attention from the start and for days afterward. Reloaded and Revolutions were disappointing for various reasons. There were parts I liked about each, but they could not recapture the wonder and possibilities the original had conjured. I suspect the difference between The Matrix and its sequels is that the first movie came out of a deep place from the Wachowskis, whereas the 2nd and 3rd movies exist because the studio wanted them.
Reloaded had too much telling and not enough showing. While Revolutions is a run of the mill sci-fi action movie. Nothing wrong with that, it simply did not have the same impact as the original.
Now we have the Matrix Resurrections.
The disappointment of the prequel trilogy taught to keep my enthusiasm in check, but I had hoped that this new iteration of the Matrix would be as impactful as the original. As a precaution, I didn’t watch any trailers after the first one. I wanted to see the movie with as little information as possible, just like the first time.
Twenty minutes in, I was bored. Nothing grabbed me. Not Neo’s mental distress or who these new people were in the opening scene. The explanations for how he and Trinity were alive or why the Matrix was rebuilt the way it was were not unique or interesting. The insane amount of mirroring to the original did not feel like a fresh take or reinterpretation. Honestly, I wanted the movie to succeed. I hoped the new movie would make me see the original in a new light, but it didn’t. In the end, it just felt like another studio money grab. Which is okay if you keep me entertained (looking at you Jurassic World) but it added nothing to the first movie and that is a bummer.
Both the original Matrix and Jurassic Park movies were so good and unique I didn’t need any sequels. All the sequels in both franchises diminish their awesomeness. Is Matrix Resurrections a terrible movie? It’s not great. But I know I love some really awful movies, so that is not enough to dismiss it. In the end the movie exists and if anyone likes it, that’s cool but for me, I’ll be watching The Matrix, trying to figure out how to free my mind.
October 7, 2021
John Scalzi
The best discoveries are the accidental ones.
While shopping at my local bookstore I saw "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi. I read the first couple of pages and was hooked. Read the the first chapter on my way home and was blown away. Finished that book in a couple of days. TBH it's short. I need to read it again. It's possible it could replace my current favorite space book, "Ender's Game"/"Speaker for the Dead" but let's not get ahead of ourselves. "Old Man's War" is a masterclass in character, action, and world building. I want to study this book.
I love Scalzi's snarky tone. Which I thought was indicative of the main character, John Perry. And it is, but it is the John Scalzi way of writing (and living if his Twitter account is any indication.) The Interdependency trilogy has the same tone all the way through it too. This style may get on some people's nerves but I love it. I really appreciate his direct writing style - and then there was an explosion. Could be boring, but it's all about timing. It avoids confusion and that is something to be appreciated.
I plan on writing more about the trilogy as well as "Old Man's War" but for now I wanted to put it out in the universe that I'm really enjoying my chance discovery. I'm off to get the follow up to "Old Man's War" which is called "The Ghost Brigades." Happy reading!
While shopping at my local bookstore I saw "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi. I read the first couple of pages and was hooked. Read the the first chapter on my way home and was blown away. Finished that book in a couple of days. TBH it's short. I need to read it again. It's possible it could replace my current favorite space book, "Ender's Game"/"Speaker for the Dead" but let's not get ahead of ourselves. "Old Man's War" is a masterclass in character, action, and world building. I want to study this book.
I love Scalzi's snarky tone. Which I thought was indicative of the main character, John Perry. And it is, but it is the John Scalzi way of writing (and living if his Twitter account is any indication.) The Interdependency trilogy has the same tone all the way through it too. This style may get on some people's nerves but I love it. I really appreciate his direct writing style - and then there was an explosion. Could be boring, but it's all about timing. It avoids confusion and that is something to be appreciated.
I plan on writing more about the trilogy as well as "Old Man's War" but for now I wanted to put it out in the universe that I'm really enjoying my chance discovery. I'm off to get the follow up to "Old Man's War" which is called "The Ghost Brigades." Happy reading!
September 8, 2021
Book Review - Iron Council by China Miéville
I tried. I really did. After forcing myself through 200 pages, I couldn’t go on, unlike the characters of this book. I wanted to like this book. Honestly. I thought perhaps reading the synopsis on Wiki would help. If I knew where the story was going, maybe I could scrounge up the interest to keep going. It didn’t work. Of the three story lines we are following, only one of them I cared about, Ori. His story was the most familiar in the style of storytelling with the lush details and we are learning along with him. The middle storyline, Judah, I emphatically did not care about at all. Cutter, the first character we follow around, was confusing. The story starts with him in the middle of a forest and a rebellion with zero context. Most of the characters that we’re introduced to (with scant details to remember them by) are systematically killed off a third of the way through.
Iron Council is the 3rd book in the Bas-Lag trilogy, preceded by Perdido Street Station and The Scar. The only thing that ties these three books together is that they all take place on the same planet. The events of the three books are unrelated and you could read them in any order.
The first two books, Perdido Street Station and The Scar, were great. I really enjoyed them. The settings and aliens are vivid and the characters are infinitely interesting. The best attribute of these books is that they were totally unpredictable. I thought we were going to go one way and then the plots zig and zag, bringing the reader to unexpected places. The settings are layered with rich detail that I still remember even years later.
I didn’t get any of this from Iron Council. Because of my experience with the previous two entries, I was excited to see more of this world and mythology. It was work.I had to psyche myself up to read the next chapter. Some people may really gel with Miéville’s style of writing and get some genuine enjoyment from the third entry. If that was you, awesome. I highly recommend Perdido Street Station and The Scar for a good reality break. For the third book, I leave up to you to decide if you want to give it a chance or not.
June 14, 2021
Ranking the Star Wars Movies
Not that anyone asked but here you go, in case you were curious.
11) The Rise of Skywalker - a travesty
This movie is an insult to all the movies before it, including the prequels. The Sequel trilogy has led me to appreciate the Prequels simply because George Lucas at least had a complete story arc from beginning to end for multiple characters, something the Sequel trilogy is completely lacking.
Best thing - NONE
Worst thing - Rey Palpatine & Rey Skywalker (Why can’t Rey be like David S. Pumpkins?)
10) The Phantom Menace - the old worst SW movie
Three words, Jar Jar Binks. Starting Anakin as a little kid was a mistake. He could have been a teenager and still have the same beats.
Best thing - Qui Gon Gin, the original gray Jedi.
Worst thing - Besides JJB, the way too long pod race and midi-chlorians.
9/8) Attack of the Clones / Revenge of the Sith - I go back and forth on which one is worse. The dialogue throughout the prequels is some of the worst in cinema history but it’s especially noticeable in these two movies.
Clones
Best thing - Obi Wan’s detective storyline.
Worst thing - The forced love story.
Sith
Best thing - Order 66, extremely sad, but getting to see that part of the story we have known about for years was amazing. (The tie-in with the finale of Clone Wars series is also epic.)
Worst thing - Padme dying from a broken heart!? Showing us the twins was a mistake. Letting us think they had died with her would have left some cool reveals for the original trilogy.
7) Solo: A Star Wars Story - unnecessary
I did not need to know where Han got his name, gun, or best friend. Dryden Voss is a great villain and I liked the incorporation of Crimson Dawn and Darth Maul.
Best thing - Donald Glover as Lando.
Worst thing - L3’s free the robots thing.
6) The Last Jedi - mixed bag
The Kylo Ren/Rey stuff was a great way to show us new force stuff and give us some character depth for Kylo Ren. It was a nice idea for Rian Johnson to try and move SW away from it’s stale tropes but I hated everything with Finn and Poe.
Best thing - The throne room fight.
Worst thing - Making Poe an immature brat and shoving Finn off on some side quest.
5) A New Hope - too slow
To be fair most sci-fi movies from the 70s are painfully slow. The strong storyline that takes us along for Luke’s call to adventure is iconic.
Best thing - introducing one of the world’s best villains - Darth Vader.
Worst thing - pacing too slow.
4) Rogue One - Original trilogy feels
You could argue this story was as unnecessary as Solo but I like how it expands the universe with gray good guys (Cassian killing an ally) and stuff like the Guardian’s of the Whills. I’m a sucker for new planets too, Skarif and Jedha were great entries.
Best thing - unhinged Darth Vader.
Worst thing - killing off all the interesting new characters we just met.
3) Return of the Jedi - a fantastic conclusion to an overall great trilogy
Vader’s redemption arc, action sequences, and pacing are all good. The final shot with everyone together leaves the viewer with a sense of a bright future ahead for everyone.
Best thing - Jeni Knight Luke Skywalker. His confidence is off the charts as well as his fashion choices.
Worst thing - Ewoks and the new Sy Snootles music video. It should have been the Battle of Kashyyyk, not Endor.
2) The Force Awakens - a promising re-start
I think it was smart to give us something familiar since the disappointment of Phantom Menace still lingers for many people. Having said that, it was a great idea to give us a bad guy who is the opposite of Vader while also aspiring to be him.
Best thing - Kylo Ren, the most interesting character in the SW universe (so far.)
Worst thing - Rehash of the Death Star.
1) The Empire Strikes Back - exciting & satisfying
This was the first movie I ever saw in the theater. The images that stuck in my brain were Darth Vader's black suit against white snow walls and Han being frozen in carbonite. The surprise appearance of Vader in cloud city was awesome. Much better pacing that the original. Great stakes for all the characters, not just Luke. One of the best lightsaber fights and the establishment of the now iconic Skywalker family line was earth shattering at the time.
Best thing - Luke and Vader’s interactions
Worst thing - If I have to pick something, the Battle of Hoth could have been shorter.
11) The Rise of Skywalker - a travesty
This movie is an insult to all the movies before it, including the prequels. The Sequel trilogy has led me to appreciate the Prequels simply because George Lucas at least had a complete story arc from beginning to end for multiple characters, something the Sequel trilogy is completely lacking.
Best thing - NONE
Worst thing - Rey Palpatine & Rey Skywalker (Why can’t Rey be like David S. Pumpkins?)
10) The Phantom Menace - the old worst SW movie
Three words, Jar Jar Binks. Starting Anakin as a little kid was a mistake. He could have been a teenager and still have the same beats.
Best thing - Qui Gon Gin, the original gray Jedi.
Worst thing - Besides JJB, the way too long pod race and midi-chlorians.
9/8) Attack of the Clones / Revenge of the Sith - I go back and forth on which one is worse. The dialogue throughout the prequels is some of the worst in cinema history but it’s especially noticeable in these two movies.
Clones
Best thing - Obi Wan’s detective storyline.
Worst thing - The forced love story.
Sith
Best thing - Order 66, extremely sad, but getting to see that part of the story we have known about for years was amazing. (The tie-in with the finale of Clone Wars series is also epic.)
Worst thing - Padme dying from a broken heart!? Showing us the twins was a mistake. Letting us think they had died with her would have left some cool reveals for the original trilogy.
7) Solo: A Star Wars Story - unnecessary
I did not need to know where Han got his name, gun, or best friend. Dryden Voss is a great villain and I liked the incorporation of Crimson Dawn and Darth Maul.
Best thing - Donald Glover as Lando.
Worst thing - L3’s free the robots thing.
6) The Last Jedi - mixed bag
The Kylo Ren/Rey stuff was a great way to show us new force stuff and give us some character depth for Kylo Ren. It was a nice idea for Rian Johnson to try and move SW away from it’s stale tropes but I hated everything with Finn and Poe.
Best thing - The throne room fight.
Worst thing - Making Poe an immature brat and shoving Finn off on some side quest.
5) A New Hope - too slow
To be fair most sci-fi movies from the 70s are painfully slow. The strong storyline that takes us along for Luke’s call to adventure is iconic.
Best thing - introducing one of the world’s best villains - Darth Vader.
Worst thing - pacing too slow.
4) Rogue One - Original trilogy feels
You could argue this story was as unnecessary as Solo but I like how it expands the universe with gray good guys (Cassian killing an ally) and stuff like the Guardian’s of the Whills. I’m a sucker for new planets too, Skarif and Jedha were great entries.
Best thing - unhinged Darth Vader.
Worst thing - killing off all the interesting new characters we just met.
3) Return of the Jedi - a fantastic conclusion to an overall great trilogy
Vader’s redemption arc, action sequences, and pacing are all good. The final shot with everyone together leaves the viewer with a sense of a bright future ahead for everyone.
Best thing - Jeni Knight Luke Skywalker. His confidence is off the charts as well as his fashion choices.
Worst thing - Ewoks and the new Sy Snootles music video. It should have been the Battle of Kashyyyk, not Endor.
2) The Force Awakens - a promising re-start
I think it was smart to give us something familiar since the disappointment of Phantom Menace still lingers for many people. Having said that, it was a great idea to give us a bad guy who is the opposite of Vader while also aspiring to be him.
Best thing - Kylo Ren, the most interesting character in the SW universe (so far.)
Worst thing - Rehash of the Death Star.
1) The Empire Strikes Back - exciting & satisfying
This was the first movie I ever saw in the theater. The images that stuck in my brain were Darth Vader's black suit against white snow walls and Han being frozen in carbonite. The surprise appearance of Vader in cloud city was awesome. Much better pacing that the original. Great stakes for all the characters, not just Luke. One of the best lightsaber fights and the establishment of the now iconic Skywalker family line was earth shattering at the time.
Best thing - Luke and Vader’s interactions
Worst thing - If I have to pick something, the Battle of Hoth could have been shorter.
