Mark Martinez
Super Soldiers by Jason Inman is an appealing personal memoir and an entertaining guide to comic book characters. Mr. Inman introduces the reader to heroes and villains who have served in the US military, analyzes their behavior using his own military service as a guidepost, and provides context to understand their place in our pop culture. Whether you've been reading comics for years or have just started out, this book is worth your time. Well done, Mr. Inman!
Marc Cerasini authored this novelization of the film, screenplay by Paul W. S. Anderson and Shane Salerno. There are modest differences and similar inconsistentcies in the novel when compared to the movie. Lex and Scar seem to have a tighter bond in the novel and both use Alien body parts to arm and armor themselves. The movie was fun. The book is ok. Coming soon: the comic.
Published in paperback by Harper Entertainment.
Michael Jan Friedman takes up Ripley's tale following the events of Alien: Resurrection. Joined by Call, Johner, and Vreiss, Ripley takes on a mysterious organization whose agenda includes home delivery of Alien eggs. The books seems a little light. It's a setup for more stories to follow and I think it would have made a better comic mini-series than a novel.
Published in mass-market paperback by Dark Horse Books.
Xenomorphs gone wild! This one is slick with acid blood, oily white blood, flourescent green blood, and red blood. One more book in the trilogy.
A surprisingly interesting read. I knew nothing about Ms. Oliver except that she had guest starred on many television shows, including the first Star Trek pilot, “The Menagerie”. Reading this memoir, I felt like I could hear her voice, the voice of a fiercely independent, yet very human, individual. Highly recommended for Trekkies interested in Star Trek actors.
I didn't read this book straight through. I started by sampling chapters, finding out which were the most interesting or perhaps the most familiar, since my relationship with the Red Sox began in the seventies. The authors compare and contrast the two teams from a variety of perspectives. They look at the culture of the two cities, the two stadiums, the two iconic players, DiMaggio and Williams, and much more. I think this is good book for fans of either team or for any baseball fan. It's also a good reference for stats and quotes. Nice job.
I received “Condor: The Short Takes” for free from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. Before diving into this collection of short stories and novellas, I read “Six Days of the Condor”, Mr. Grady's debut novel, and the basis for the classic film “Three Days of the Condor” starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway. For a long time, I only knew Condor from the film, but Condor from the books is less assured and more ruthless. It's easy to see the cinematic appeal of the original tale. The stories in this collection are different, more intimate, and less straightforward. “Condor.net” is a reimagining of the original with the next generation of CIA spies and 21st century threats. I found it less interesting than the other tales in the collection which feature an older Condor, let out of the Company psychiatric asylum, taking on threats in the V (virtual world) and closer to home. Old man Condor lives life on the edge. But is he wrong about where this world is headed? I'm not sure.
Persephone Station is an entertaining riff on Kurasawa's Seven Samurai, set on a corporate planet that's home to a sentient indigenous species and barely habitable for humans. Hired to protect the natives from corporate mercenaries by Rosie, resident crime boss with a mysterious past, retired Marine Angel de la Reza and the women on her team must do the best thay can with limited resources, while sentient AGIs with an interest in the outcome, pursue their own agendas. If you're a fan of Seven Samurai or The Magnificent Seven, you'll enjoy Stina Leicht's forthcoming space opera.
I got a kick out of Mr. Merritt's epistolary tale of a hidden society managing world events to keep their secret safe. I listened to the audio version of the story with several narrators. Production quality is excellent and kept me interested in a story that leaps around the world with multiple points-of-view. I was a little shocked at the way the story ends. I had to take a moment to process events before continuing to the final chapter. Overall, an entertaining and enjoyable read. I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author for review.
Sort of a western fairy tale with nearly every western trope you can think of, packed into a few pages. A little dated.
Undersherriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman has her hands full when the investigation of an insurance agent's death leads close to home. While trying to piece together a puzzle, she also has to deal with the accidental death of a young woman with two children and two men who might be their father.
Set in fictional Posadas County, New Mexico, Steven F. Havill's mysteries are always a satisfying read. Mr. Havill's storytelling skills have made his characters old friends and I usually pick up his books and don't put them down until I'm done. Highly recommended.
Published by St. Martin's Minotaur in hardcover.
I keep buying Alien comics hoping for something new and original, but I keep encountering retreads.
The Orville comics have the same entertaining and clever flavor as the television series.
This graphic novel is a sequel to the film, set long after our alien friends tangled on Earth. In this tale, foolish humans repeat the mistakes of the past. Written by Mike Kennedy, pencils by Roger Robinson with Dustin Weaver, and inks by James Pascoe with Randy Emberlin. The small size of the book doesn't do the artwork justice.
Published in trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics.
An entertaining opening for a series. I can see time travel and alien space ships all rolled into one story arc, appealing to young readers. The edition I read was revised by the author, updating the story with real world events like the US landing on the moon.
How did I not know about this book? Carnivorous flies, created by a scientist at Los Alamos, feasting on Santa Fe Opera fans, the New Mexico Governor's family, lowriders, and cute little kids too. There was a whole lot of probing and throbbing going on, and not just among the flies. A masterpiece of schlock horror with a little sex and sci-fi thrown in for good measure.
Steven Blitz is having a tough day. He's defending a psychopathic serial killer whose trial starts on Monday and he needs to work on his opening statement. His wife, Laura, wants a divorce and is leaving him for another woman. He's been having terrible migraine headaches. Laura kicks him out of their house and on the way to his brother's home, he stops for gas and gets stabbed, bleeding out in the snow and the dark.
But other versions of Steven Blitz, “who've made different, better decisions than this version” of Steven Blitz made, are living happy lives right now, aren't they? AREN'T THEY?
In “The Next Time I Die”, Jason Starr successfully blends the humdrum, aggravating details of everyday life with alternate timelines in an entertaining showcase of suspenseful paranoia.
Don't overload a burger with toppings. Make sure you have a good pickle-lettuce ratio. And don't cook or smash all the juices out of the patty.