Dave Higgins's Blog, page 2

Vituperations on a Theme

The year is 1453. With plague and human progress having shown vampires the weaknesses in their age-old ways of living, vampires from across Europe gather in Vienna to discuss whether to set common laws. The camera zooms in on a single vampire and… silence interspersed with brief snippets of a variety of songs. Tenebrae, the … Continue reading Vituperations on a Theme

Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes

Mendes blends inhuman creatures and the tropes of psychological thrillers with a potentially unreliable narrator, creating a novelette that can be read as a tale of body horror or a protagonist hallucinating alien threats. When Lexi discovered she couldn’t give Brandon the children he wanted, she broke off the engagement. However, when he invites her … Continue reading Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes

Space Escapades by J. Manfred Weichsel

Weichsel combines the tropes and aesthetics of classic space opera and sexploitation films with insights into the film industry, creating a tale that is both a satire of pulp adventure and an engaging romp. This is the third volume in Weichsel’s The Action Girls in… series. Precísed parts of previous plot possibly ahead. Following the … Continue reading Space Escapades by J. Manfred Weichsel

Down to Earth

I continue to feel the change of computer operating systems. Not as a mountain to be climbed but also not as a mountain that has been climbed. And so, both lacking the clear words for clouds that might contain mountains and liking writing poems, I wrote a poem. Lightning through warped glass Stories read from … Continue reading Down to Earth

Wayfarers Sanctuary by Talia Beckett

Beckett portrays the tabletop roleplaying staple of a party of adventurers as complex people in a consistent world, evoking the archetypes of fantasy gaming without sacrificing plot for mechanics. Note: The book was published under different author names at different times. This review uses the author name at the time the book was read. Caught … Continue reading Wayfarers Sanctuary by Talia Beckett

Pop Goes the Desktop

With support for Windows 10 ending next month and Windows 11 being neither something that will run on my main computer nor something I would actively seek to run on my main computer, I have been exploring options for a new operating system. After some extended research and experimentation over the last few weeks, I … Continue reading Pop Goes the Desktop

Change for the Better by Samantha Bryant

Bryant blends more-than-human feats with very-human dilemmas, creating engaging character-driven superhero thrills. This is the fifth book in Bryant’s Menopausal Superheroes series. Possible psychic revelations of past events ahead. When the Director reveals a plan to bolster the Unusual Cases Unit’s reputation by adding the first of several supposedly rehabilitated supervillains to the team, Leonel … Continue reading Change for the Better by Samantha Bryant

The Angles Were Immigrants

Thrill Switch by Tim Hawken

Hawkin riffs on modern social trends and the question of whether all human experience is an artefact of perception to create cyberpunk that remains true to both the theme of dehumanisation and the wrapping of fast-paced vibrant spectacle. Technological and software advancements have turned the internet into the Holos, interconnected virtual realities so real and … Continue reading Thrill Switch by Tim Hawken

Conspiracy of Vampires by Miranda Thorn

Thorn places the ability of vampires to control their victims front-and-centre, creating a paranormal romance where the female protagonist has cause to doubt her emotions rather than just her potential lover’s actions. Pagan Hall has spent her adult life hunting the worst of vampires in the hope of finding those responsible for her parents’ murder. … Continue reading Conspiracy of Vampires by Miranda Thorn