Any literally retelling has to contend with several points. The first is fidelity: Is this work true to the original, in spirit if not in letter? The second is style: Does this new version seek to violently break with the original in its stylistic choices, or is its aim to emulate? With Maria Dahvana Headley’s... Continue Reading →
I don’t know where to begin with this one, really I don’t.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxRaOQUz99A The first sci-fi novel I ever read by Robert A. Heinlein got me from the very first: If a man walks in dressed like a hick and acting as if he owned the place, he's a spaceman. It is a logical necessity. His profession makes him feel like boss of all creation; when he... Continue Reading →
Old science fiction! It can be endlessly entertaining in wholly unintentional ways—I owe linguistic drift alone for more than a few chuckles as I explored the very first novel awarded the Hugo for best sci-fi, all the way back in 1953. Despite certain antiquated notions, The Demolished Man made for exciting reading and I can see why it still holds a place in the science fictional canon.
I just came home* from a screening of Dune**--what better time to write down a few thoughts on it from a book reader's perspective? Frank Herbert's legacy is alive and thriving in the hands of Denis Villeneuve, who delivers the adaptation many of us could've only hoped for. Some of the most important scenes and... Continue Reading →
Hello! Now that we're at the close of September, it's time to look back at all the fun we've had over the summer! And if you know me, my fun is often limited to vast quantities of books. Like...so many books, bruh. I discuss most of the ones I read over the summer, in some... Continue Reading →
My fondness of Kurt Vonnegut knows no bounds. I've spoken about his best-known piece of fiction, and one of the finest anti-war books (along with Catch-22), Slaughterhouse-Five previously. I've read a few other of his novels, too: the Sirens of Titan immediately comes to mind as a wonky, entertaining--and somewhat unsettling--tale of a businessman and... Continue Reading →
A recent article in the April 29 edition of the New York Review of Books, "Editing Humanity's Future" by Natalie de Souza, awoke in me a very insistent interest in the topic of bioetics. Rather than begin with any of the books reviewed in de Souza's article, I took an interest in a considerably lighter... Continue Reading →
Welcome to Trope Check, what is either a one-off or a possible series, in which I examine how unique works of fiction deal with familiar tropes in fun, new, and exciting ways! #0. Play Catch-Up! If you're unfamiliar with the bloody brilliant 𝖕𝖎𝖊𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 🅐🅡🅣 that is Adrian Tchaikovsky's SHARDS OF EARTH, you should first... Continue Reading →
Howdy, folks! Wanted to let all of you know, my video review of the brilliant Adrian Tchaikovsky's latest novel, SHARDS OF EARTH, is now live! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/o8svYU0pIMI And as always, please do give me a thumbs up on YouTube - every little thing helps!
The Grimoire Reliquary 