Two Envelopes And A Phone > Recent Status Updates

Some surprises - good story.

Somehow, even though she mainly gets 3 star ratings from me (not always), she’s become a bit of an ‘old reliable’ because these Thrillers of hers include fascinating medical angles that are Science Fiction (as far as I know!). I expect at least one Peikoff to really wow me, one day; this one has the potential to do that. It’s hard to put down.

Okay! - So I’ve finally read ‘To Serve Man’, by Damon Knight!

So, I'll revisit this, which will complete my commitment to PR #s 76-80. I think I will continue with more re-reads of this series, taking them in random chunks. Likely going to go back to #s 71-75, but that's not definite.

Loving it.

So it turns out that the Jack Williamson book I was all gung-ho to read after Mr. Zero is a short story collection, so I'll save that for when I'm done with either Uncanny Gastronomic, or Scared Stiff. Instead - it's been a while since my last Peikoff, and the track record is good enough - and her premises strangely compelling enough - so I'll try this one, and maybe Baby X later on.

Life is sometimes peculiar; the day after I discovered that my favourite Batman villain, Mr. Freeze, was originally named Mr. Zero, I browse a Used bookstore and the only Wentworth they happened to have was called Mr. Zero. I would have bought it anyway, but the timing on that was bizarre. I doubt that any criminals in this book actually use a Cold Gun, but who knows…

I’m reading the first three Culture novels in reverse order - I jumped to Use of Weapons (3rd book) as my intro to the series, and am now reading the 2nd book. These are the only Culture books I own - bought a boxed set years ago - and my strange tactics when it comes to order are based on (a) hearing I can reading them in any order, (b) hearing Book 3 was terrific, (c) hearing Phlebas is not like later books.

Okay, much as I enjoyed revisiting #s 192-203, the real party is about to begin; because I absolutely love #s 204-214. First, I have Annuals to deal with - Annual # 12, which brings the Sphinx over from the Nova series, and Annual # 13 (which seems oddly placed…two Annuals set back-to-back in this Epic Collection?). I was a huge fan of Nova, but his series was canceled just as his plot lines collided with the FF.

Proto-SF…from 1666?! I need a peek at this.

Hitchens has become a bit of an "old reliable". Opening three chapters have pulled me right in.

Good first chapter, lots established and revved up. I haven't read too many Crime & Mystery books centred on the world of boxing - but of course I did read the Harry Kvist novels - Clinch, Down for the Count, Slugger- which featured a gay ex-boxer as the crime-solver; Swedish crime books set in the 1930s, I loved Down for the Count the most. Most great boxing films are not Crime-based, though there's Diggstown.