Last night, I dreamed several of my closest friends died. I’m at the point in life where I attend memorials with increasing frequency and weddings hardly at all, but the dream was not about that. It was about a Mother’s Day visit with family. We are not close. There are no bad feelings that I’mContinue reading “Mother’s Day: a Rant”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Review of “Harbour Street” by Ann Cleeves
Plot: Detective Joe Ashworth is on the Metro, bringing his daughter Jessie home from a school program. The train is crowded because of the holidays. Joe noticed a couple necking. A well-dressed elderly lady boards, and Joe wonders why someone with money didn’t take a taxi. Bad weather stops the train, and the passengers exitContinue reading “Review of “Harbour Street” by Ann Cleeves”
Review of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” 2022
This was a different sort of Saturday night pizza and bad movie fare for us. The dearly beloved took a recommendation from The Critical Drinker (more on him at a later date), who spoke highly of the flick. Plot: The opening scenes tell a fairy tale about a star that fell to earth, scorching aContinue reading “Review of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” 2022″
Spring Clean #5 Five More Books
This is my next donation of books and an achievement of sorts. I clear off my first shelf—at least for a little while. It will soon be full of books I have lying around the house. But savor the victory for the moment. History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran (2000) by Shirin EbadiContinue reading “Spring Clean #5 Five More Books”
Review of “Return of the Fly” (1959)
This is the black-and-white sequel to last week’s movie The Fly. We borrowed it too from our local library—and in the same collection, no less. Here, Philippe, the now-adult son of the unfortunate Andre Delambre from the first film, can’t leave well enough alone. Plot: The film opens with the funeral of Helene Delambre, theContinue reading “Review of “Return of the Fly” (1959)”
Review of “Contamination” (1980)
Plot: A cargo ship speeds toward New York Harbor. The crew is not aboard, although the life rafts remain. Half-eaten meals sit on tables. The log book reveals nothing. But the investigators find corpse after bloody corpse looking as if they’ve exploded from inside. Spilling out of boxes marked “café” (coffee) are what look likeContinue reading “Review of “Contamination” (1980)”
Review of “The Addams Family” (2019)
Saturday pizza and bad movie night turned up this gem. We’re saving Svengoolie for tomorrow night, fortified with a little red wine. Or vodka. Plot:Ghoulish, macabre Gomez and Morticia Addams (Oscar Isaac and Charlize Theron ) get run out of town by locals with torches on their wedding night. Gomez promises to find a homeContinue reading “Review of “The Addams Family” (2019)”
Review of “Some Form of Contact” by Marie Vibbert
Plot: Jody climbs up to the apartment roof, followed by Mick, the hottest guy in the apartment complex. Instead of paying attention to her, he sits down on an air conditioner housing and pulls out his phone. “This is the perfect place to watch invasion footage uninterrupted,” he tells her. The alien ships have appearedContinue reading “Review of “Some Form of Contact” by Marie Vibbert”
Review of “Kill Switch” by A. P. Howell
This is more of an essay. There isn’t a plot as such. The reader is told that what is referred to as a “kill switch” is more complicated than a single switch. What is referred to as a gene is more complicated than a single gene. “That’s the history of genetics right there. Applying chosenContinue reading “Review of “Kill Switch” by A. P. Howell”
Review of “On First Contacts and Second Chances” by Markus Lauerer
The story opens by telling the reader Earth’s first and only contact with an alien civilization has been a failure. This is not because of hostility. There was no threat to life as we know it, nor did an earth bug wipe the aliens out. We and the aliens, despite everyone’s best attempts, simply didn’tContinue reading “Review of “On First Contacts and Second Chances” by Markus Lauerer”
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 