tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271447662024-03-07T04:26:35.408-05:00Scifi MediaA look at the world of Science Fiction in Books, Movies, TV, and the web.Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.comBlogger529125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-28672073930560211902018-02-14T09:30:00.000-05:002018-02-14T09:30:36.097-05:00Cable #150, New Comic Content Wednesdays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ijwwDbuipB3_1awuUIIk5DwHKP_vVL5VtqhUvPhH3RZPumFGRIL4XzXFPxc9cJnqUMzQ5ll551G0fvNhru2B0eTn2UgKXYpo7BWMqcmC6RbxSJr7JGd9JgOazqwNwgne-Ih_/s1600/cable150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ijwwDbuipB3_1awuUIIk5DwHKP_vVL5VtqhUvPhH3RZPumFGRIL4XzXFPxc9cJnqUMzQ5ll551G0fvNhru2B0eTn2UgKXYpo7BWMqcmC6RbxSJr7JGd9JgOazqwNwgne-Ih_/s1600/cable150.jpg" /></a></div>
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Written by: Ed Brisson<br />
Artist: Jon Malin<br />
Publisher: Marvel Comics, December 2017<br />
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Back in the 90s he was in a very famous TV show, His name is Nathan Summers, don't act like you don't know. Apparently Cable is back, this is most likely tied to his upcoming appearance in a theater near you, but don't look a gift Horsman in the mouth, right. This is listed as #150 but they are picking up the numbering in a creative way. I believe this series starts at #147.<br />
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The lenticular cover almost made me leave it on the shelf. Thanks to #movetheneedle and youtuber Diversity in Comics to get me to look past the cover on this one. The art on the cover is fine, it is the lenticularness that messes it up. It doesn't quite work right with the shifting images. <br />
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You don't have to worry about any previous issues with this comic, you can jump into the story right here if you want. The story is simple: Cable is exploring a temporal anomaly. Yep, he is a time cop. It is well written and easy to follow. If you don't know about cable, there are a couple of pages at the end that breaks down who he is. <br />
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The artwork is great. This feels like one of those late 80's early 90's books with stylized art. I mean, Shatterstar looks like he could be torn directly from the pages of a Jim Lee book. I like how Cable's eyes are kept in shadow it does a lot to darken the bright comic panels and set the tone for the book. I also love the work on Selene. You immediately know that she is evil, but you really wouldn't mind being seduced by her. She might be a vampire of sorts, but you would totally take the chance. Come on Cable, take the chance. <br />
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Overall it was a good book. It flowed well, was not bogged down anywhere and looked great. If you enjoy the character of Cable or are just interested in the upcoming Deadpool movie, give it a shot and let me know what you think. If you have any recommendations for other titles, let me know in the comments. #movetheneedle<br />
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-43921078624994615612018-02-12T15:08:00.000-05:002018-02-12T15:08:42.520-05:00What happened between me and comics: a love story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You never forget your first love. For me it all started with the stack of old comics under the coffee table and Saturday mornings watching Spiderman and friends. Loved watching the reruns of Superfriends and Christeropher Reeves' Superman. The incredible Hulk was a family favorite. But these things were just puppy love.<br />
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X-Men on Fox changed my world. It was awesome. I didn't have a local comic shop but there was a drug store that had the spinny rack of comics. I would mow yards and collect cans in order to by my next months issues. I enjoyed my Uncanny X-men, but couldn't live without my Spider-man 2099 and Generation X. You see, these comics launched at that pivotal time when I was really getting into it. I was there from the beginning with these titles. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTHQtG14Oty9Y95VkQ3F3V-UTwWh_sSbx31SG7A07GaD07Vh9q02U2bGboWTLq2vw_gntLYTv89AyyH4FTL2wx55dXQ_HdCc9R6goeGIQuXjKIHJVhj95K8jUw-ySz5rNCzsT/s1600/spidey2099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGTHQtG14Oty9Y95VkQ3F3V-UTwWh_sSbx31SG7A07GaD07Vh9q02U2bGboWTLq2vw_gntLYTv89AyyH4FTL2wx55dXQ_HdCc9R6goeGIQuXjKIHJVhj95K8jUw-ySz5rNCzsT/s320/spidey2099.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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Peter David wrote Spider-man 2099 at the time and he really made the character similar yet distinct from the original spider-man. I later followed him over to his run on Supergirl. I don't think you can go wrong with a Peter David Story. Rick Leonardi's art was a perfect match and really popped off the page. His design has lasted through the years and is a huge factor in the staying power of the character twenty years after the comic was originally cancelled.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMYpDoBRwynnVFOBW23aHWCm9ruCAeQOKbMdxxeyI_p2CAG2LVn69Mp63fQGgudMn740tP3YaUvq_Rp2_qucpf-zp8ghl6AcH2PTVRPcjCBHQG1r6og2SlBibOuvd2aJOfqsP/s1600/genx1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMYpDoBRwynnVFOBW23aHWCm9ruCAeQOKbMdxxeyI_p2CAG2LVn69Mp63fQGgudMn740tP3YaUvq_Rp2_qucpf-zp8ghl6AcH2PTVRPcjCBHQG1r6og2SlBibOuvd2aJOfqsP/s320/genx1.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
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Generation X was built to play off of the popularity of the character Jubilee. She was an out front character in the animated series and Marvel thought she would do well in her own team. A pattern that they used successfully with Kitty Pryde/Illyana Rasputin in The New Mutants. Scott Lobdell and Chris Bachalo hit homeruns with this comic. I felt that it spoke to me and my generation in a way that Uncanny or adjectiveless x-men did not. <br />
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I got a job in high school and spent a majority of my check on comics, and I continued after high school to drop in every Wednesday for new comic book day. I had found local comic shops and could spend hours inside talking about my love for comics with the people that worked there and other customers. I subscribed to Wizard Magazine and read it from cover to cover. I learned so much about the history of comics. One of my college papers was on the comics code. <br />
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Then I got married and had kids. Goodbye comics. Then my kids learned to read and I introduced them to Bone and teen titans go (my little pony and Manga for the younger one). My kids know that Jean Grey is the Phoenix, that Kitty Pryde is Jewish, and that there is a Green Lantern that is a planet. They know that Wade Wilson is the more popular ripoff/satire of Slade Wilson. The have watched the entire run of the X-Men and seen every recent comic movie with the exception of Deadpool. <br />
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But, I have not been able to "get them into comics." The reason is that there aren't any stories or characters that speak to them. I have tried and the best success I have gotten is with G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel. I read it myself and enjoyed it until it got to the Civil War II storyline. We tried squirrel girl, nope, we tried Spider Gwen, nope. Silk, nope (this one was okay, I thought), we tried Captain Marvel (vol 1 is horrible, I don't know about the rest) , and recently we tried America (almost unreadable). <br />
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I guess comics will just be my thing, I am glad that my kids have an appreciation for some of the classic storylines, but sad that they never found their "me book" or "me character." The comics industry is struggling and this is why. My generation is still out there and we still love comics, but the characters that we love have been transformed into something else and pushed aside. I understand that this was an effort to get younger audiences on board. What happened was that my characters, as I loved them, disappeared and where replaced with characters that my <br />
children's generation just doesn't care about. So comics not only failed to get new readers, it lost a bunch of existing ones. In a panic, they started forcing events, because events got press and led to a temporary spike in sales at the expense of pissing off people that aren't already collecting every book. Then putting a $5 price tag on the things.<br />
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I want to still love comics, but at the current price point, I can't justify following more than one or two titles. A big crossover event where there are 12 books involved equates to $55 extra for however many months of the event. That is insane and just not going to happen. Comics is competing for my entertainment dollar and $55 is 5 months of Netflix or Hulu where I have a plethora of movies and entire TV series. I can get 8-9 paperbacks that provide many hours of enjoyment. I can get 5 months of moviepass that allows me to see one movie a day in theaters (including the newest comic book movie). For the monthly price an event comic will cost me, I can get Netflix, Hulu, Movie Pass, and some paperback novels. Comics doesn't stand a chance. <br />
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So I still want to support the industry but can't spend unlimited dollars on it. What can I do. How can we all help each other. Well we can #movetheneedle. If you buy and like a book, let people know on social media. Tag it with #movetheneedle so others know that they are getting something quality. I know this idea comes from my generation and currently points to books that people in my generation would like, but I have found with my children that great storylines with well developed characters destroy a generational divide. A lot of the comics I was bringing home to them hoping to gain their interests were not great and sometimes not good at all. I was shopping blind. #movetheneedle prevents that, and if you tag the comic companies it gives them a metric that they otherwise wouldn't see.<br />
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Comics readers will continue buying a comic for several months after it starts getting bad, but #movetheneedle will show them what the fans like in real time. "whao what happened to super-lad and dog-wonder, sales went down over the past six months, oh look at this, it stopped moving the needle in August. Isn't that when we started the planet under water storyline that is set to go on for the next year, maybe we should wrap that up." Or, the S-Men comic was doing great, but sales are down, we stopped moving the needle during the S-verse crossover that lasted 3 months, it looks like people just stopped reading when that happened and didn't come back, maybe these events are spiking short term sales, but hurting our long term sales. <br />
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-11171407302497310592017-10-17T10:54:00.000-04:002017-10-17T10:54:13.316-04:00Blade Runner 2049 spoiler free review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZydvLfj4vR86fg8MigVWiAT74jyAY813wnZNUYgZrSGP06ucblcXn5i430nUGbQqCvNbzt0xscVfLtMwnNtQI0g0oKyRTCXEG7aKn7L8SSdDv5sk8OIMHv1nlkbp29USq5cf/s1600/Blade-Runner-2049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZydvLfj4vR86fg8MigVWiAT74jyAY813wnZNUYgZrSGP06ucblcXn5i430nUGbQqCvNbzt0xscVfLtMwnNtQI0g0oKyRTCXEG7aKn7L8SSdDv5sk8OIMHv1nlkbp29USq5cf/s400/Blade-Runner-2049.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I fell asleep. In the theater, at 1pm, after a full nights sleep, I fell asleep. I have watched and enjoyed the original film. The original film was visually stunning and the first movie representation of cyberpunk that was ever filmed. </div>
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This movie was also very beautiful. Vast colorful landscapes of ruined cities or a metropolis. </div>
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I woke up, the music was loud and I feel it was meant to be unsettling. So when I fell asleep, I didn't stay asleep long before I was jolted awake. But I would eventually start to doze again. Maybe they did that on purpose. In test screenings people had to have been drifting off and the director just had the sound engineers pump up the volume in certain spots to get people paying attention again. </div>
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The story just wasn't captivating. Every aspect of it has been done before in a more fluid and coherent fashion. The visuals themselves aren't even groundbreaking, sure it is a beautiful movie but is that any different than Interstellar, Oblivion, After Earth (shudder). Without a compelling narrative, pretty isn't enough. I understood Ks motivations, but not the motivations of others that set him on his path. We are told that new replicants are needed in large numbers and a new way has to be devised to produce them more quickly almost in the same breath as the character orders replicants killed. The twist was obvious to me, not the reveal, but the twist. </div>
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Overall, this movie makes the ultimate movie sin. It is boring. It might be an amazing film, but I am not a film person. I like movies. As a movie I enjoyed the Netflix original The Babysitter, that I had just watched prior to going to the theater, much more than Blade Runner. I realize they are different genres, but one entertained while the other put me to sleep. </div>
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Kids probably won't like it and it has sex scenes and shows bewbs. scfi violence. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-33428340953488847682017-05-22T14:42:00.000-04:002017-05-22T14:42:24.083-04:00The Best Scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHpRM5YPpcpay8i5kk_Wp2vcFOtMUDbJtusnEpdj6OQm0m_s5SR7c4G0uwQeYmXaZ3lUx47hpVemC5-a-Dek0Ze-C2yJZQ3IQa2MQLJ47Gb4f0ghM61D1oXQ_20UEHB-I5hjk/s1600/draxmantis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHpRM5YPpcpay8i5kk_Wp2vcFOtMUDbJtusnEpdj6OQm0m_s5SR7c4G0uwQeYmXaZ3lUx47hpVemC5-a-Dek0Ze-C2yJZQ3IQa2MQLJ47Gb4f0ghM61D1oXQ_20UEHB-I5hjk/s400/draxmantis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Drax looks out over the tranquil landscape and in an uncharacteristically calm manner states that it reminds him of taking his daughter to the lake. Mantis wanting to share this happy memory that can calm the usually boisterous Drax, reaches out and touches his arm. She then breaks down in tears. </div>
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Drax was being played as comic relief in this movie to the point that you had forgotten his back story and may have felt that he had too. It turns out that he hadn't and the revelation that such a happy memory is tinged with unbearable pain reveals a lot of depth about his character. He failed his family. They are dead because of him. He may carry himself as a bumbling idiot but he is driven to make amends for this failure. Maybe to even prevent it from happening to others. His boisterousness is possibly just him putting on a mask to hide the pain that he still feels inside. </div>
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It would have been so easy for this scene to have been cut. To leave Drax as just this lummox and comic relief. We know from this scene that Drax remembers and that he will protect his new family to prevent what happened to his old family. This scene says so much with very little dialog. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-62528149445194851752017-02-08T14:02:00.000-05:002017-02-08T14:02:00.218-05:00DC owes their TV success to Buffy <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images/c_fill,h_480,w_720/t_mp_quality/v64y558yysqrkg1g84yr/arrow-season-three-tv-show-review-team-arrow-406086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images-cdn.moviepilot.com/images/c_fill,h_480,w_720/t_mp_quality/v64y558yysqrkg1g84yr/arrow-season-three-tv-show-review-team-arrow-406086.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a>DC has had a pretty good success with their super hero TV shows in spite of underwhelming showings in the box office. How do they hit that teen-twenty-something market so effectively? Well they recreate Buffy in every show. </div>
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Buffy had her Scooby team. Every successful DC show has replicated this formula. It might not be obvious unless you watch the shows back to back to back though. After watching Smallville, Arrow, and The Flash, you can turn on Supergirl and wonder, "who is the character that is actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. </div>
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<a href="http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/smallville_featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/smallville_featured.jpg" height="107" width="320" /></a>"Oh, they just have a team dynamic and this is true of every show," you might say. Yes, to a degree. All of these shoes have the same characters mapped out. Hacker/science (admittedly, almost all of the Flash characters fall under this heading), comic relief, wise mentor, not quite good/evil character, and somewhere along the line another super friend to come to help when chips are down. This is exactly the Buffy formula, I think it might be the first time this formula is used on TV. It is a slight tweak to the actual Scooby gang (from Scooby-do). </div>
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<a href="http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-flash-cast-plaeyfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-flash-cast-plaeyfest.jpg" height="136" width="200" /></a>Other pieces of the formula include Monster of the week with big bad theme throughout season. Special circumstance that creates all the evil they are to fight/most villains have a common background/origin. </div>
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It really is a can't miss formula and only becomes obvious when you have three shows on one network using it at the same time under the banner of an expanded universe.</div>
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<a href="http://fdzeta.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/__x_4hPNu0Koo_UXS83BGCGjI_AAAAAAAANeI_qC2brf36Mlo_s1600_Buffy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fdzeta.com/data/MetaMirrorCache/__x_4hPNu0Koo_UXS83BGCGjI_AAAAAAAANeI_qC2brf36Mlo_s1600_Buffy.jpg" height="100" width="200" /></a>If you like the DC shows and have not seen Buffy, I suggest that you check it out. While the DC shows are arguably good, Buffy was great (for the most part) and really pretty revolutionary in some episodes. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-27264378172031096212015-07-28T09:21:00.000-04:002015-07-28T09:21:00.555-04:00Buffy Bumper Sticker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/my_child_is_a_slayer_at_sunnydale_elem_bumper_sticker-128397944029556934?rf=238690781605631730"><img alt="My Child is a Slayer , At Sunnydale elem Car Bumper Sticker" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/my_child_is_a_slayer_at_sunnydale_elem_bumper_sticker-r3fddaa435b9a4f8787fb6ded9d4c815b_v9wht_8byvr_325.jpg" style="border: 0;" /> </a> <br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/my_child_is_a_slayer_at_sunnydale_elem_bumper_sticker-128397944029556934?rf=238690781605631730">My Child is a Slayer , At Sunnydale elem Car Bumper Sticker</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/budd921*">budd921</a> <br />
View Sunnydale Bumper Stickers online at <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sunnydale+bumperstickers?rf=238690781605631730">zazzle</a> </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-28626116862837158942015-07-20T15:42:00.003-04:002015-07-22T09:09:10.768-04:00Ant-Man spoiler free movie review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Behold, in the year of our lord 2015 a hero will emerge that may at first go unnoticed because of his stature. Word will spread of his deeds and his renown will grow!<br />
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Saw Ant-Man this weekend. Let me tell you, it was great. I think I enjoyed it more than age of Ultron. It just hit the right note. I am not a huge Ant-Man comics fan. I did read the Scott Lang origin story and an issue where he gets a job working for Tony Stark. Classic Ant-Man was never really my thing, though. I worried about Marvel's ability to put up a hero that would be believable in a battle against super-powered opponents. I saw the movie because I trust Marvel. They have not abused that trust to this point. <br />
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This movie should have come out on Father's Day weekend as Fatherhood is a huge theme in this movie. It covers absent fathers, distant fathers, step fathers, father figures, and redemption. I think it handles the relationships pretty realistically, even in the context of and separated from realism, comic book universe. <br />
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The action was amazing. They really surprised me with how they handled the fight choreography and the use of Ant-Man's powers. They managed to make the combatants in the fight completely serious and still infuse humor into the fight scenes. In the climactic fight scene you don't get the Spider-man, I am not really taking this seriously, banter (that is fine for Spidey, it his thing). The characters are fighting and it feels like a fight, hate on one side, and a defensive attitude on the other, lightened up by secondary scenes and plays on setting. This created the perfect tone. <br />
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Go see this movie, heck, take your dad to see this movie, you both will enjoy it immensely. If you don't have a dad, take someone else's. My girls took me, and the movie was all the better for it. </div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-54215095339738134602015-07-19T10:51:00.000-04:002015-07-22T09:13:18.858-04:005 Best Scifi Books for People New to Scifi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Are you looking for a book to introduce yourself or someone you know to Sci-Fi? I have been asked to recommend books to first time Sci-Fi readers many times. Maybe the person already reads fantasy or is kind of into the YA dystopian scene. Maybe the person has never even considered scifi. Here is a list of books and the types of people you should introduce them to. <br />
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1.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812550706?creativeASIN=0812550706&linkCode=w00&linkId=V6XADYVBEAKOURFX&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=scifi05-20" target="_blank"> Ender's Game</a>- This is great for kids and adults. It is an amazing and brutal work. The downside of this recommendation is that some people are Orson Scott Cardaphobic. They refuse to recognize him as a person because of his beliefs. Don't recommend this book to those people. <br />
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553418025?creativeASIN=0553418025&linkCode=w00&linkId=4BZP3HUDRLW7TTQU&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=scifi05-20" target="_blank">The Martian</a>- Engineers will absolutely love it and so will most other people. This book is great for people that have never considered Sci-Fi before. The reason is that it is set in a plausible future with hard science throughout. You might have to tell them it was Sci-Fi after the fact. <br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038549081X?creativeASIN=038549081X&linkCode=w00&linkId=JBZKLEAYMTJWMC4W&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=scifi05-20" target="_blank">The Handmaid's Tale</a>- We all know people that think they are too smart for Sci-Fi. This book is smart and bleak. Intellectuals will love it for those reasons. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307387895?creativeASIN=0307387895&linkCode=w00&linkId=LJBXRSXQGE5OISJN&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=scifi05-20" target="_blank">The Road</a> can also be substituted here. Neither of these authors will even admit that the books are Sci-Fi so your too smart for Sci-Fi friends can feel safe in the knowledge that they have been reading speculative fiction. <br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/I-Robot-Book-1-ebook/dp/B000FC1PW0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437317145&sr=1-1&keywords=i+robot&pebp=1437317157681&perid=15C0D6A31FYJD58ZYSPM" target="_blank"> I, Robot</a>- This book is great for people with short attention spans or who don't necessarily want to read an entire book. Each story is independent but pulls you in more and more. I think this was my first introduction to literary Sci-Fi. My mom told me to read it. <br />
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5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ROOKIE-Galactic-Football-League-Book-ebook/dp/B004EHZUNW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437317323&sr=1-3&keywords=the+rookie&pebp=1437317347241&perid=0E9J823ADS4JF7CYMFRZ" target="_blank">The Rookie</a>- Know any sports fans? Just start talking to them about football and the future of the sport. Then you can tell them about a football book that takes place in the future with different alien races playing positions suited to their abilities. I bet they will find it interesting to hear about alien wide receivers that can leap 20 feet into the air to make the catch. <br />
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Got any other ideas about great introductions into Sci-Fi, let me know in the comments below!</div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-89780383586352882232014-03-20T17:18:00.002-04:002014-03-20T17:18:50.521-04:00Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15984359-guardians-of-the-galaxy" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers - Volume 1" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359614423m/15984359.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15984359-guardians-of-the-galaxy">Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers - Volume 1</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40988.Steve_Gerber">Steve Gerber</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/851934724">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow's Avengers reprints the original mini series and cameo appearances from other titles from the 70s.
This is a fun if somewhat corny book. Corny, mostly because it is so dated. It was a huge mistake of having a character from the 70's/80's era in the far future as a member of the team. This original version of the team has several members, most are post human inhabitants of other planets in our solar system. While it is fun imagining what these people would be like, it really makes the invasion look implausible. These few guys that are so tough are the exact genetic makeup of everyone else on their respective planets. Yet the Badoon march in and take over only to be forced out by a very small group. Doesn't make sense. Not to mention that they fly around in a mock up of the Enterprise that they have named the Captain America. <br><br>This book is wordy. It is about 20 issues of some of the wordiest comics you will read. not that this is either good or bad, it is and you should just be expecting it. Not great, but not horrible either. There is some good writing tucked away in several issues and some interesting ideas that seldom ever seem to get fully explored. The art is on par with other titles of the time and some of it is rather striking.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-30217820415010576512014-03-18T13:23:00.002-04:002014-03-18T13:23:57.554-04:00A Canticle For Leibowittz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/164154.A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Canticle for Leibowitz (St. Leibowitz, #1)" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1329408540m/164154.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/164154.A_Canticle_for_Leibowitz">A Canticle for Leibowitz</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6025722.Walter_M_Miller_Jr_">Walter M. Miller Jr.</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/873765217">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book takes place in between the events that most books would actually be about. It basically follows a cloister of monks whose mission it is to protect knowledge. This covers a huge swath of time. It is probably the only science fiction story that I have ever read that paints the Catholic religion in a positive light. It is a very strange yet very compelling book. I took away a star because I felt that the third act was a bit weaker than the other two and it was a lot more abstract and left many questions unanswered. Amazing book though, highly recommended.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-628514588181438282013-12-20T11:43:00.001-05:002013-12-20T11:43:47.555-05:00Game of the Year 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A lot of people are giving this to GTA V, I have played it. it is fun, but the dialogue is really bad. Like, makes you wince, kind of bad. I really like The Last of Us. It is a zombie game but, then again, it isn't. The writing was good and the story pulls you in. I think that this wins for best game. Best cinematography would go to Tomb Raider. That game is beautiful. It is also very fun to play. Best RPG would have to go to NiNoKuni. Studio Ghibli doesn't let you down with this one and it is also the recipient of the best all ages award. Now I have not played all the games this year, so my subjective list my not match your subjective list. What do you think the best games of the year were? Why do you think my opinions are wrong? let me know in the comments. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-72426716201788235872013-11-12T13:43:00.002-05:002013-11-12T13:43:28.865-05:00Thor 2 spoiler free review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Took the family to see Thor this weekend and had a blast. My 9 and 12 year old love Thor because he is so pretty and when I made it known that I was going, they made it known that I wasn't going without them. <br /><br>
Script- Just trust them, the bad guys are trying to destroy the world or worlds. The how is very complicated science-magic. So, just go with it and have fun. It is a popcorn movie to be sure. Don't try to understand it. I said, STOP!<br /><br>
Acting- The acting was great, I mean you have serious hard hitting actors in this movie and that wasn't going to be a problem. Natalie Portman has way more chemistry with Thor than she did Vader. I just wondered if she told Thor that she wasn't at the battle of New York because she was having another man's baby at the time. I am sure it will come out in the sequel. Also a remarkable performance was put in by Kat Denning's boobs. <br /><br>
Overall- A fun popcorn movie. It wasn't The Avengers and I think it was better than the first Thor. The character is changing and becoming more heroic. They are writing him with a bit of depth. I would list it as fun for the whole family. Marvel has another winner here. Will DC ever respond. </div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-54627099049438565382013-10-22T16:03:00.000-04:002013-10-22T16:03:33.568-04:00I Am Legend- audiobook review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/547094.I_am_Legend_and_Other_Stories" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="I am Legend and Other Stories" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317791583m/547094.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/547094.I_am_Legend_and_Other_Stories">I am Legend and Other Stories</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8726.Richard_Matheson">Richard Matheson</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/506155756">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It is just as good the second time around. It has been a few years since I read the book the first time. This time I listened to the audio. The director of the audio book made some different interpretations of the I Am Legend story, but the reading was well done. The other stories, though, I couldn't get through due to the reading. I remember enjoying several of the stories previously, especially the Mad House one and the monster funeral, but there were funny voices and whatnot and It kind of ruined the mood. I would suggest reading instead of listening to this one.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-33133215707372131612013-10-09T10:39:00.000-04:002013-10-09T10:39:00.653-04:00Rocket Girl-comic review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Monday evening I recieved my copy of Rocket Girl numero uno in the mail. I had contributed to the kickstarter for this project and have been looking forward to it for the past few months. It is written by Brandon Montclare and art by Amy Reeder. This title is published on the Image imprint. <br />
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First off, the artwork is amazing. I really liked it. It was krisp, clean, and vibrant. For project updates they would release images from the book and they always looked like cover images. Every panel is done with that same quality. <br />
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The story was engaging but a little hard to follow sometimes as it divides itself between the future (2013) and the present (1986). The Future is a very futuristic and stylized 2013 with flying cars, jet packs, half Swedish/half Korean teenage girl police officers. DaYoung is sent back into 1986 to presumably stop her timeline from happening. Why? Well that isn't explained in the first issue. <br />
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Pretty good first issue, can't wait for #2.</div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-91916220541185688662013-10-08T09:48:00.000-04:002013-10-08T09:48:10.962-04:00Deep Space 9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been reading <a href="http://larptrek.com/">LARP Trek</a> and decided that I would watch DS9 to get in on the in jokes. I was a huge fan of Star Trek: TNG, but for some reason, I never really got into DS9. I remember being excited about the show, thinking Dax was hot and liking Bashir, but it wasn't appointment TV for me. So I caught a few episodes from season 1 and a random episode here and there. <br />
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DS9 is available on amazon as part of my prime account so I figured I would give it a go after becoming more interested in the show from the LARP trek comic. I also know people with the highest praise for the show, but I have to wonder what flavor of crack they are smoking. I pressume cherry. Season one is horrible (what I have watched so far). Seeing the wormhole and space station all I can think about is that I should watch Babylon 5 again. The acting is very weak, but event that is way above the writing. I understand that they are trying to make every episode charactercentric as a form of introduction but it is painfully obvious that is what they are doing and the solution to whatever problem is either a McGuffin or the problem solves itself(dropped storylines). The only good performances are from O'Brien and Dax. Sisko is painful to watch sometimes. <br />
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One of things I have picked up on is the premise of a higher power in the show. As a high school kid, when the show came out, I should have been able to pick up on it, but I don't remember. They absolutely hit you over the head with it. You have the orbs and the kai of course, but you also have the episode where O'Brien is chosen to be a prophet to deliver the village. I know that was technically an orb magic thing too, but...Then there is the hand of God opening the wormhole. Now as a kid, I thought that was a pretty cool and amazing piece of work. It really was great for a tv show at the time. It looks really, really bad now. <br />
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My conclusion at this point is that I will still try and watch the rest of the season and may give season 2 a shot, but LARP trek is actually coming off as more interesting and better written. I guess B5 had a rough first season as well, but it is very obvious that this was complete ripoff of B5 in a Star Trek universe. Even the religious themes, which B5 handles brilliantly, were copied. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-17218805558878563112013-10-03T16:33:00.000-04:002013-10-03T16:36:26.448-04:00Oblivian-Movie Review (2013)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wow, quite surprised by this movie. Wasn't really expecting much. I mean, I heard it was better than After Earth, but that doesn't really ring as an endorsement. Two scientologist step into the box office with post apocolyptic stories and Tom Cruise steps out as the box office winner. <br />
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This is a long movie, but it doesn't feel long. I looked at the clock towards the end and was stunned that I had already been sitting there for two hours. It isn't a Michael Bay film, so there isn't something exploding and/or giving you a seizure every five minutes. The amazingly beautiful sets and locations are given plenty of screen time for the viewer get lost in. <br />
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The plot, although a retread of some other movies felt fresh and approached differently. This movie requires your attention to watch it and get what is going on. My wife was preoccupied and had millions of questions at the end of the movie that I had to explain. <br />
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I thought it was great and if you love scifi movies, you will enjoy it. Someone on IMDB stated that millenials shouldn't watch it because they wont appreciate it and it won't keep their attention. Oddly there was no arguement from anyone in that thread. First time ever for an internet thread. I don't know if I agree, My 12.5 year old was enjoying it until she had to go to bed and she will likely finish it up on her own. But maybe my millenial isn't the typical millenial. <br />
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***Here there be spoilers*** So the movie stuck in my mind after watching it. I was still thinking about it the next morning. I came to the conclusion that Victoria's memory wasn't as impaired as Jack's. The way she looks at Jack's wife in the sleeping pod and then totally flirts with him as his navigator/co-pilot shows that there is jealousy. She also seems to recognize her when Jack brings her in. My theory is that she remembered more, but knew that she could never be with Jack any other way. Even in their current states the relationship was very onesided with Jack remaining distant. I thought this was communicated very well. Victoria was willing to live a lie and doom humanity as long as she got to be with Jack. What do you think? </div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-60194310975088357762013-09-24T13:15:00.001-04:002013-09-24T13:15:26.036-04:00The Lord of the Sands of Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6154327-the-lord-of-the-sands-of-time" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Lord of the Sands of Time" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348715383m/6154327.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6154327-the-lord-of-the-sands-of-time">The Lord of the Sands of Time</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2805352.Issui_Ogawa">Issui Ogawa</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/721893582">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Was this book written specifically for me. Time travel, alien race, robotic super creatures, artificial intelligence with sentience, feudal Japan, and the far future. Yeah, this was my kind of book. It also had a pretty good story of love and sacrifice. The only negative marks I could give it are due to some translation issues. I would say 99% of it is translated perfectly but that makes that 1% that isn't stick out like a sore thumb. <br /><br />It felt a lot like <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6255949.All_You_Need_Is_Kill" title="All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka">All You Need Is Kill</a>. If you like one of thes books, I think you will like them both.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-86340943582960799482013-09-18T10:30:00.000-04:002013-09-18T10:30:01.911-04:00Wolverine & Captain America (& Ms. Marvel, but she is a girl and doesn't deserve billing)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12613093-wolverine-captain-america" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Wolverine & Captain America" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344266429m/12613093.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12613093-wolverine-captain-america">Wolverine & Captain America</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12741.Tom_Derenick">Tom Derenick</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/719490379">1 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was a throw away plot with horrible art. My 9 and 12 year olds where even making fun of it. I mean look at that lady's poor baby. The artist also needs to think about consistancy. For example: One panel shows Wolverine taking fire from multiple different angles and the next panel shows the people shooting him were very close to each other. The panels also didn't tell the story very well, it jumps from action pose to action pose but a lot of the time you are left wondering how you got from one place to the next. I don't know who signed off on this or the leather jacket open at the top exposing wolverine's chest costume, but they need to work on quality control a bit more. <br /><br />Oh, and so the writer doesn't feel left out. Why on Earth would you send a very important myster chip from the X-Mansion to the Avenger's Mansion on foot, by forge, unescorted? Nevermind how anyone other than the X-men even knew of its existance and no one even knew what the thing did so why would they want to steal it. You think something is important and others are actively seaking it do you A.) fly it over in the blackbird, B.) Gather up whatever strong mutants you have lying around and have them take it over, likely using vehicles, or C.) Give it to the mutant whose ability is to understand technology and have him walk from Westchester to Manhattan. I mean forge could have built a car out of a discarded walkman and a roller skate; why the heck is he walking?
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-5777648596649880862013-09-17T10:04:00.000-04:002013-09-17T10:04:09.386-04:00The Historian's Tale -Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18309926-the-historian-s-tale" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Historian's Tale (Neworld Papers, #1)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1376325926m/18309926.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18309926-the-historian-s-tale">The Historian's Tale</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7144075.K_B_Shaw">K.B. Shaw</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/694615965">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received the book as a review copy. I am usually skeptical of self published works, but I have read an earlier novel of Shaw's as well as the short story that he expanded this novel into. So I knew he was capable of delivering a good story and he didn't let me down here. He does a pretty good job of creating this society with its strange rules. He shows some world building skill in the part of the book where they explore the basin, and I imagine/hope that would be further developed later in the series. There are a few weeknesses of this book. The middle part slows down as the characters discover and try to understand the technology that they have found. Not sure how you liven that section up, though. I would have also liked a bit more explanation from the chancilor. I understand the implementation of the sex scenes to differentiate Neworld culture from Earth culture, but it did seem a bit gratuitous, especially for a YA book. <br /><br />Overall, I enjoyed the book. I would love to see the solar map in a future book that shows the binary star and the planet's orbit around them and how it effects the cycles, but I realize, I may be in the minority on that part. It was a quick read, which was a welcome respite after a few of the more recent books that I have read (looking at you 2312 and Consider Phlebas). I would catagorize it more as teen than YA with a 14+ age range.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-14761115376448507142013-09-09T09:41:00.000-04:002013-09-09T09:41:00.371-04:00Mistborn-Book Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.Mistborn" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312038619m/68428.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.Mistborn">Mistborn: The Final Empire</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550.Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon Sanderson</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/657658708">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I don't like to read fantasy. There I said it. I think a majority of the books labeled fantasy are dreck or are blatent rip offs of the Lord of the Rings. Every once in a while something will come along and I will pick it up for whatever reason and be pleasently surprised (GoT, NotW, first couple of WoT). Add Mistborn to the list. It has the chosen one cliche that pretty much all fantasy has, but it kind of puts a spin on it. The story was completely original, as far as I know, with its use of alomancy and the other thing that Terrismen can do that looks just as hard to pronounce as it is to spell. I see that there are two sequels of increasing length, but the story in this book wraps itself up in a nice tight package with a little bow. I can see where the next book would come from but it isn't a you have to read the whole series after reading the first book. I might or I might not. I have heard this described as postapocolyptic high fantasy and I think that is an apt description. <br /><br />I would recommend this to people who like fantasy and even to people on the fense about it. It does take about 50-100 pages to really get into so be aware that it is a slow starter. I don't think it inclines itself more to women or men. Safe for kids that are okay with reading about violence. <br /><br />Should I read the second book?
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-83090059806095694752013-09-06T09:21:00.000-04:002013-09-06T09:21:13.465-04:00Weapon X<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/267792.Wolverine" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Wolverine: Weapon X" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1298522946m/267792.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/267792.Wolverine">Wolverine: Weapon X</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15086.Barry_Windsor_Smith">Barry Windsor-Smith</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/712965428">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is the adamantium origin story. It is kind of a sacred cow, but I just thought it pretty good. Wolverine spends most of the story in a tank and is actually never referred to as Wolverine in the story. What really detracts from the book is the layout. It is sometimes hard to tell which panels are supposed to be read first. Also, the dialague moves in a U shape in those panels. It took me a few panels to actually figure that out. The art was pretty good, but was somewhat inconsistant. One panel towards the front sticks out where Logan is in his car and he is just way too huge, unless it was a go cart. Logan himself seems to be the runt he is in some panels and hugely massive in others.
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-89867369686563688632013-08-20T10:19:00.001-04:002013-08-20T10:19:35.710-04:00SciFi Book Club<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/93184-scifi-book-club" target="_blank">The SciFi Book Club</a> is just finishing up discussion on Redshirts and will be discussing Consider Phlebus from Iain M. Banks in september. Head on over and sign up, if you haven't already and join in the discussion. </div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-16638847152332444492013-07-29T13:35:00.000-04:002013-07-29T13:36:14.464-04:00The Wolverine- Spoiler free movie review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hugh Jackman brought the Wolverine to the screen this weekend with his 5th film playing the character. I guess you could say 6th if you count his cameo in First Class. This take was much better than the last outing, X-Men origins: Wolverine. I know, how could it get worse? The good news is that the trailer is right; this is the Wolverine movie that fans have been waiting for. It isn't as light as Avengers and it isn't as dark as Dark Knight. It falls somewhere in the middle where I think it should. I can say that it was a more entertaining film than Man of Steel.
Acting: Jackman was able to make the character seem somewhat fresh. After all these outings, that is fairly remarkable. The Japanese cast were very good as well. I thought the portrayal of viper was a bit over the top, but everything about that character was over the top. It was a contrast to the more human wolverine and not a different mutant every scene.
The story borrows heavily from The Ronin storyline from the 80s, this is not a bad thing. It isn't 100% faithful, no where near, but you can tell they were trying and it was closer than anything else the Fox/X-Men franchise has put out. They even had the iconic image from the comics of Logan filled with arrows. The smaller scale fits the Wolverine character as a man that heals well and has claws can't really be expected to save the universe by his lonesome.
Thankfully, this one isn't a cameo filled extravaganza where you have to try and figure out how Emma Frost is Silver Fox's little sister that somehow is deaged from the first class movie. It did manage to surprise me in a few spots. The movie was a lot of fun and you should stay for the stinger. </div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-51588444398643843382013-06-25T11:24:00.001-04:002013-06-25T11:24:10.705-04:00Free book offer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span><strong>HELP US CELEBRATE </strong></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">the launch of our new YA science fiction series, </span><i><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Neworld Papers</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">by downloading the Kindle Book for <b><i>FREE on June 28th and 29th</i></b>.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">You don't need a Kindle device to read the book. You can read Kindle eBooks on most computers, tablets, and smart phones using the Kindle App.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">About <i>Neworld Papers</i></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">"The treason of these papers is not just in the actions they document, but in their very existence."</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">The people of Neworld have no concept of war, or murder, or even love. Theirs is a world without hunger or strife. Yet the world is a fiction — based on lies and omissions. Fallon is a young man with secret talents and the willingness to explore and learn. Pulled from a sheltered life, he becomes a chronicler of discoveries that challenge the very fabric of Neworld’s society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Is revealing the truth worth the disruption of a society?</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Neworld Papers</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"> has action, adventure, and romance grounded solidly in thought-provoking science fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Neworld Links</span></i></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Available on Amazon with preview at: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Neworld+Papers" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Neworld-Papers-Series-Historians-ebook/dp/B00DJG15VU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372092249&sr=8-1&keywords=Neworld+Papers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NeworldPapers" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/NeworldPapers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">goodReads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108950-neworld-papers-series-1" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108950-neworld-papers-series-1</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Twitter: @iPulpFiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Thanks,</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Keith Shaw</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">_______________________</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;">Publisher, <a href="http://ipulpfiction.com/" target="_blank">iPulpFiction.com</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27144766.post-4219924239899006772013-06-17T10:08:00.000-04:002013-06-17T10:08:38.280-04:002312<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="2312" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334784013m/11830394.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312">2312</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1858.Kim_Stanley_Robinson">Kim Stanley Robinson</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/611807941">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book was torture. Certain parts of it were great, but the rest of it falls flat, especially when you compare it to the good parts. I didn't really see any growth in the characters. The story is basically a mystery but it is very linear with no twists or false hunches. I kept expecting a surprise and got nothing. Maybe there was one in the epilogue, which I didn't even bother to read. <br />
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The book was a good world building exercise, but that was really all he did. He throws in some futuristic philosophies and technologies, but I found some of these a bit far fetched or not far fetched enough. The main plot point is said to be impossible in the text and it is never explained in the text how it isn't. It was infuriating. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/108125-budd">View all my reviews</a></div>
Buddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.com5