In a drear future – or, we may say, a drear past that never was – democracy in England died. England sank into a dull despotism. Its army and police almost vanished; its King was chosen out of alphabetical lists. “No one cared how: no one cared who. He was merely a universal secretary.” In…
Tag: reviews
Review: Power Elements of Character Development
What is it that makes a sympathetic hero, a compelling villain, a persuasive and realistic character? I can sum it up for you in one golden word. But you really should read the book for yourself. Power Elements of Character Development is the second book in the Power Elements of Fiction series, written by Rebecca…
Review: Rogue One
Rogue One needs no introduction, so I won’t make one. This review, however, requires an emphatic spoiler warning. So: spoilers SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILER ZONE. ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. Now to the review. Rogue One is Disney’s first half-step beyond the traditional Star Wars trilogies. It’s a Star Wars story rather than an…
Movie Review: Tarzan
The foundling raised by animals in the wilderness is an immemorial idea. A couple weeks ago I reviewed a movie about one of the most famous of these foundlings: Mowgli, raised by wolves in the jungle. Today I will review another movie, this one about another foundling of almost equal fame: Tarzan. Disney released its…
Review: Imbeciles
See if you can follow this chain of logic. Human defects – mental, physical, and moral – are carried through heredity. In order to eliminate these defects from the human race, the genes that cause them must be eliminated from the gene pool. In order to eliminate such bad genes, the carriers of those genes…
Movie Review: Peanuts
I am back! Where have I been? Well, that’s a long story. I will only say, for now, that with finals week behind me, I hope to be posting more often. And I will begin with this review of a movie I now regret not catching in theater. Who hasn’t seen it – Snoopy…
CSFF Blog Tour: The Shock of Night
Willet Dura has survived a great deal – war, years of pursuing criminals, and (most impressively) the Darkwater Forest. It all helps to explain his uncanny interest in death, but it doesn’t quite excuse it. As the king’s reeve, he is called to investigate murders in the royal city of Bunard; sometimes he arrives at…
Review: Point Horizon
Ever since his family left Virginia for Colorado, Tommy has been at loose ends and out of sorts. He left behind him in Virginia not only his Aunt Maggie, but the pictures she taught him to see and all of his dreams. In Colorado, everything seems dreary, or hostile – the barren plains, the dusty…
CSFF Blog Tour: The First Principle
Vivica Wilkins lived at the top. Her mother was governor, and about to become the president of the United Regions of North America. She had straight As, a personal bodyguard, money, social status, and awesome hacking skills. And then she got involved with a boy and lost all of it, except the hacking skills. This…
Review: Last Stand at Lighthouse Point
Frank Denton knows that he’s unlucky. So when it becomes gradually obvious that he has made more powerful enemies than he quite realized, and he’s about to lose his job, and he’s running out of money again … it only makes sense to leave. Drake Sanders knows he’s lucky. With a beautiful woman he’s ready…