Patrick Kanouse's Blog, page 46

Leviathan Wakes: A Review

Here is another series that I am a tad bit behind on getting to, though not nearly so much as others. And let me tell you, I plan to be caught up with the Expanse series (a 2nd book, a novella, and a short story) and ready for Abaddon's Gate when it comes out in June this year.

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (a collaboration between Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) is a fantastic read, an

Old Man's War: A Review

Originally published in 2005, I just got around to reading John Scalzi's Old Man's War. So let's start off by saying I wish it had not taken me so long.

The opening paragraph of the book's description (which is a slight modification to the opening sentence, for the book is written in first person) sets the stage and is a fine hook: "John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he

Sample Chapter from Inspector Pierce Series

http://www.photos-public-domain.com/2...

I decided to put up Chapter 1 from The Shattered Bull, the first book in a planned series featuring Inspector Dreksul Pierce. This may not turn out to be the final version of the chapter, but what the heck, why not?



Go here to read Chapter 1. And if you feel like it, I'd love to know what you think. Just email me or comment here.

Battle Cry of Freedom: A Review

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read all of the Oxford History of the United States. Several volumes are highly regarded, so I started with them in chronological order. I found the first three of the series marvelous, particularly Robert Middlekauf's The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789.

In my last semester as a senior at Ball State University, the last final I took

World Building

ESO/L. Calçada/Public Domain

After reading Saladin Ahmed's essay at NPR about world building, I was reminded when I wrote the start of many novels in my youth. I spent hours crafting genealogies, maps, etc.

I'm not sure why I enjoyed it so much...why I enjoy it so much still. I love history, and I think it was simply enjoyable for me to spend lots of time creating my own histories, my own

Gone Girl: A Review

My wife and I have a reading list that we have been working our way through for a while. We add titles occasionally. I had heard about this one, but very tangentially. Gina hear very positive things, so she added it to our list.

I'm glad she did.

This review will be brief because one cannot really talk about this without revealing spoilers. The writing is masterful, depicting multiple

Zero Dark Thirty: A Review

What to make of Zero Dark Thirty? In a sea of exceptional movies, it is but one amongst several. In any other year, it might have been the clear favorite. An intense, masterful film, which carries a lot of the same understatement as The Hurt Locker. In short, the film chronicles the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The film begins with a black screen and audio (real audio) from emergency calls on

X-Files Inspired?

When I began my Inspector Pierce series, i knew from the beginning that The X-Files was a source of inspiration, specifically the mystery of how a crime as performed--the so-called monster of the week episodes. As I was writing the second book's draft, I realized that one of my characters is a bit like Deep Throat.

Other sources of inspiration are Fringe, Blade Runner, and noir in general,

Short Film Reviews

I usually end up with a long break during the holiday season. During this time, Gina and I often take the time to catch up on movies we missed out  on during the year or are still out in the theater. So here are brief reviews of the movies we watched during this holiday season.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: This was a funny, enjoyable film. The acting all around was excellent, though Tom

Silver Linings Playbook: A Review

I had heard about Silver Linings Playbook. Heard that Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were really good. But beyond that, I did not know much.

Usually during the Holiday season, Gina and I watch a lot of movies, and this one made the list. So we wandered off to see it. As we waited in the theater, Gina leaned over and said that in reviews she had read the reviewers could not decide if