Lena’s Comments (group member since Nov 17, 2014)

Lena’s comments from the Spells, Space & Screams: Collections & Anthologies in Fantasy, Science Fiction, & Horror group.

“… good idea buried somewhere in this mess.”
Yes.

In his first collection, North American Lake Monsters, Nathan Ballingrud carved out a distinctly singular place in American fiction with his piercing and merciless portrayals of the monsters that haunt our lives—both real and imagined.

Now, in Wounds, Ballingrud follows up with an even more confounding, strange, and utterly entrancing collection of six stories, including one new novella. From the eerie dread descending upon a New Orleans dive bartender after a cell phone is left behind in a rollicking bar fight in “The Visible Filth” to the search for the map of hell in “The Butcher’s Table,” Ballingrud’s beautifully crafted stories are riveting in their quietly terrifying depictions of the murky line between the known and the unknown.

A valid question if they are in the same universe.

CSI is getting a reboot which is mainly exciting to me because I hope they will unlock all the previous seasons on prime to build demand. That was such a good show and I have not even seen the half of it.
https://youtu.be/NvqVG_7983c

Be fair, one was only an in-law. And he got to screw the crooked white guy with the deal!

Sometimes I fall behind too! Often actually, just check my “currently reading.” Lol.

You have a strong and empathic President in Jacinda Ardern.

I’m about halfway through and enjoying the story, even if it is grimm and strange. I enjoyed Ghost Story. I took a peek at the other books in the series and they did not seem to be a continuation. Why are they a series?

New Eternals Trailer: https://youtu.be/seGMK4QKumU

Next up, a book I have stared at for years in used bookstores - Koko, the 1989 World Fantasy Award Winner for Best Novel.

And the literary gem award goes to Flowers for Algernon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A true classic.

Waiting on a Bright Moon by JY Yang ★★★½☆
Rebellion brews in the colonies of a despotic empire. But even rebels face betrayal. The world-building was well done, if gruesome.

A Vector Alphabet of Interstellar Travel by Yoon Ha Lee ★★½☆☆
Story notes from the mind of Yoon Ha Lee, inventor of calendrical heresy.

Looks like we were all emotionally invested in the ship :)

The City, Born Great by N. K. Jemisin ★★☆☆☆
80% agenda
10% plight of the possibly underage gay hooker
10% Lovecraft
All sown together with artistic vagueness that was readable if not enjoyable.

Yes, it might have been better with proper audio.

The Best We Can by Carrie Vaughn ★★★☆☆
"The greatest discovery in all of human history and funding held it hostage.”
(view spoiler)[
Proof of extraterrestrial life has been found in an artificially created object orbiting Saturn! Yes, finally, proof. And what do we do about it? We argue - because that's pretty much all we can do because Saturn is incredibly far away. We've barely made it Mars!

The years of back and forth could drive you crazy. But worse is the reality that, even though something huge has changed, you still have to go to work the next day. (hide spoiler)]

This little story had its moments but it felt like the depressing interlude in a long science fiction novel before something does happen.

Still, it's likely accurate.

Six Months, Three Days by Charlie Jane Anders ★★☆☆☆
“They are both going to say some vicious things to each other in the next hour or so. They’ve already heard it all, in their heads.”

Man who sees a single possible future hooks up with a woman who sees many possible futures. Because couples need new things to fight about.

This was long, frustrating, and sad.


Damage by David D. Levine ★★★★½
Deftly cobbling bits of Star Wars and The Expanse, Levine takes the glory out of war. A remarkable story.

J. wrote: "🤦

'Dune' Sequel Will Switch Leads to Zendaya's Chani, Assuming We Get One

https://collider.com/dune-2-protagoni..."

As the second part is gathering a Fremen army to fight off the Harkonans, that could work. She was trained in a leadership position from birth and Paul unofficially marrying her was a good feudal way to gather troops.

Thanks for posting J.

Next is Flowers for Algernon the 1966 Nebula Award Winner for Best Novel - yes it was a tie that year.

It has been made into movies in different languages/culture. Twice in English, as Charly (1968) and Flowers for Algernon (TV Movie 2000). In France, there was Des fleurs pour Algernon (TV Movie 2006) and Des fleurs pour Algernon (TV Movie 2014). In Japan, Algernon ni Hanataba wo (TV Mini Series 2015‑ ).

Me too. How are you going?

I DNF’d at 72%.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If it had been properly labeled as a YA I would not have picked it up.

Boom!