Saturday, July 26, 2014
Archaeology Update
Scientists to excavate Wyoming cave with trove of Ice Age fossils: (Reuters) – Scientists will begin excavation early next week of an ancient Wyoming sinkhole containing a rare bounty of fossil remains of prehistoric animals, such as mammoths and dire wolves, preserved in unusually good condition, researchers said on Thursday.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Armadillocon or Bust!
Judy and I haven't been to a convention for quite a while, but today we're heading for Austin and Armadillocon, an excellent regional SF con with a great list of guests. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and being on a few panels with them. Also to seeing our son and my sister and visiting with them. I've scheduled the usual features for the blog, along with some other stuff, but I won't be doing a lot of e-mail or responding to comments until Monday, when we'll be back home again. Behave yourselves.
Pelican Books: A Flock of Non-Fiction
Pelican Books: A Flock of Non-Fiction on AbeBooks: It’s clear that when it comes to publishing, Penguin Books have the right idea and are on top of their game. Just check out their famously beloved vintage paperback covers, or their fantastic series like the Great Food Series, or their brilliant designers like Coralie Bickford-Smith. Penguin always seems to keep the publishing world on its toes, bringing out more beautiful and unique books all the time. From the very beginning, when they set out to make books affordable and attractive, Penguin's finger has been on the pulse of the reader.
FFB: 500 Essential Cult Books: The Ultimate Guide -- Gina McKinnon with Steve Holland
I first read about this on Paul Bishop's blog years ago and promptly forgot about it (a forgotten book!). Then a few weeks ago Kent Morgan reminded me of it in a comment on a blog post about cult novels. I knew it was time to get myself a copy, which I did.So what's a cult book? By the definition offered here, it's one that inspires "fierce, unquestioning devotion." Also, "youth appeal," which means "texts that caught your imagination as a teenager or young adult, and which stay forever embedded in your brain." Can a cult book be a mainstream book? "Short answer, yes."
Works are arranged alphabetically in various sections, so you'll find some interesting juxtapositions, like The Woman in White and World War Z on the same page. Same for Fletch and The Forever War.
This is what I think of as "A George Kelley Book." 500 works are discussed. For each book there's a plot summary, a review, and some suggestions for further reading, along with full color photos of the covers. What's not to like? And if you're worried about expense, don't be. Copies can be found for as little as a penny on the Internet. Check it out.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
John D. MacDonald -- Born on this Date in 1916
John D. MacDonald - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916 – December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories, known for his thrillers.
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
AsiaOne YourHealth: Mutant worms generated at a lab at the University of Texas may provide a pathway to prevent people from becoming intoxicated after drinking alcohol, a study released on Wednesday said.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
I Miss the Old Days
News from The Associated Press: OLDEST GOLF MAGAZINE IN COUNTRY GOES ALL DIGITAL
Strangers -- Bill Pronzini
Bill Pronzini's formerly nameless detective was first named (I think) way back in 1978 in Twospot, a collaborative novel with Collin Wilcox, a forgotten writer worth rediscovery. I could be wrong about that, but that's the way I remember it. Which means that it was about 7 years after the first "Nameless" book that the name appeared (it's Bill, by the way). It's been 36 years, but some of us still think of him as "Nameless." Or maybe I'm just making all this up. Anyway, I read The Snatch, the first book in the series, when it came out in paperback in the early '70s, and here I am, still reading the series today. It's certainly one of the best p.i. series ever, and the latest entry is a good example of why.Over the years, Nameless has aged and gone through all sorts of things. He's an old guy now, but he's still as honest, as tough, as devoted to his job as ever. In Strangers, we have a classic situation, the stranger (that would be Nameless) rides into a little western town. He's there to help out an old friend (and lover) whose son has been accused of three rapes. His mother's convinced he's not guilty. Everyone else in town is convinced that he is, including the sheriff. Nobody likes it that Nameless is there. People insult him, key his car, shoot at him, and try other ways to get him to leave. He doesn't. He controls his temper (mostly) and goes about his investigation in his quiet, competent way. Pretty soon he's uncovered things that the local law has missed.
This is a pretty bleak novel to begin with, and just when things appear to be all wrapped up, Pronzini throws in several more twists, like little bombs going off, boom, boom, boom, and each one of them deepens the darkness. Forty-three years after The Snatch, MWA Gand Master Pronzini's still showing us how it's done. Check it out.
Robert Newhouse, R. I. P.
ESPN Dallas: Robert Newhouse, responsible for one of the most iconic plays in Dallas Cowboys history, died Tuesday after a long illness. He was 64.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee
And once again Texas leads the way.
Reports: Durst accused of urinating on candy
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Reports: Durst accused of urinating on candy
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Possible Interest
Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films: Matt Hurwitz, Sharon Gosling, Adam Newell: 9781783291977: Amazon.com: BooksThe perfect companion for Planets of the Apes(TM) fans tying in in with the release ofDawn of the Planet of the Apes, revealing the production photography and concept art behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes(TM) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes(TM).
If you're at all interested in motion capture and how these films were planned, this is the book for you. Good stuff.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee
WYFF Home: Police say the woman who bit a tow truck driver and smashed the windows out of her SUV during a repossession previously drove a vehicle off a tow truck while only wearing a towel.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Subversive French Crime Fiction
Flavorwire: The Subversive French Crime Fiction of Jean-Patrick Manchette
They Really Are Everywhere
Roaming 4-foot alligator caught by police in Sheboygan
Mention my name in Sheboygan
It's the greatest little town in the world
Just tell them you're an old friend of mine
And every door in town will have a big welcome sign
So mention my name in Sheboygan
And if you ever get in a jam
Just mention name, I said mention my name
But please don't them where I am
Hat tip to Gerard Saylor.
Mention my name in Sheboygan
It's the greatest little town in the world
Just tell them you're an old friend of mine
And every door in town will have a big welcome sign
So mention my name in Sheboygan
And if you ever get in a jam
Just mention name, I said mention my name
But please don't them where I am
Hat tip to Gerard Saylor.
Overlooked Movies: Marlowe
James Garner's death last week was a sad occasion for me because I'd enjoyed his work over the years in so many movies and TV series. There's a lot of Garner in Sheriff Dan Rhodes, and Judy and I have always thought that Garner would've been perfect to play Rhodes in the movies at just about any time between the ages of 50 and 70. Back in 1969 Garner played another character that I thought he was right for, Philip Marlowe, in a movie based on Raymond Chandler's The Little Sister. Most people don't regard this as one of Chadler's better novels, but I like it a lot. Most people don't regard Marlowe as one of the better film adaptations of Chandler's work, so it won't surprise you to learn that I like it a lot, too.
The movie follows the plot of the novel fairly closely, and if you check out the trailer below, you can see that the toupee removal scene even looks a lot like it was lifted from the cover of the first paperback edition of the book. Stirling Silliphant wrote the script, and he lifted some of Marlowe's snappy patter from the book, too. However, the movie was given a contemporary setting, and it's very much a late '60s item. Maybe that's one reason I like it.
Garner's very good as Marlowe, and Carol O'Connor is dandy at the tough cop. Rita Moreno almost steals the picture. Bruce Lee shows up, as you can see in the trailer, but I didn't really think his part suited the movie. You might not agree. Anyway, it's a lot of fun, and Garner's performance foreshadows Jim Rockford in ways you'll recognize. Check it out.
UPDATE: The movie will be part of the TCM Garner marathon. I believe the time is 4 A.M. on 7/29 CDT. Check your local listings.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Thomas Berger, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Thomas Berger, the reclusive and bitingly satirical novelist who explored the myths of the American West in “Little Big Man” and the mores of 20th-century middle-class society in a shelf of other well-received books, died on July 13 in Nyack, N.Y. He was 89.
Keep Off Her Lawn . . .Mower!
And once again Texas leads the way.
Grandma fights off lawn mower thieves
Auto-start video.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Grandma fights off lawn mower thieves
Auto-start video.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Well Read, Then Dead -- Terrie Farley Moran
Upfront statement: It's true that Terrie Farley Moran has occasionally reviewed one of my books and said good things. It's also true that in Well Read, Then Dead, one of those books is mentioned by name, and my work is mentioned in a favorable way. So should I be reviewing this book? Sure. Why not? For the most part, I review only books I like. If I don't like 'em, I don't comment. You might be surprised at how many don't make it to the blog. But when I like one, I feel like I should go ahead and say something. So I will.The setting is Estero Island off the southwest coast of Florida, where two young women from Brooklyn, Sassy (short for Sassafras; her mother was a flower child) and Bridgy (short for, well, you know) have fled to open up their dream business, a combination cafe and bookstore. It's called the Read 'em and Eat. Things are going well. The cafe is filled with customers, and the bookstore is doing fine, too. The cover to the left shows one of the nice little reading nooks, where book clubs meet.
Things start to go wrong quickly, though. Manuel, the cook, falls in the kitchen and breaks his leg. A crisis, but one that can be averted by calling in Bridgy's aunt to cook. Then one of the regular customers and book club members is murdered. That's something you can't repair by calling an aunt. Sassy decides to look into the murder, with a little help from Bridgy and from Cady Stanton, a reporter for the local paper with whom Sassy is somewhat involved. Though not too involved to be mindful of the good looks of the new deputy assigned to the case.
Lots of Southern cooking, lots references to books and writers, and a whole community of readers and restaurant patrons. Excellent small-town southern setting, too. I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of murders there, and that's good news (for readers, not the victims). If you like a cozy now and then, this is a dandy.
New Poem at the 5-2
The Five-Two: Robert Cooperman
INCIDENT AT A POLLING PLACE, AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULING AGAINST THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Sunday, July 20, 2014
At home with Paris Hilton
Telegraph: Even the engraved name above her doorbell is designed to confuse: Princess Paris, it reads. "I am the closest thing to American royalty," she once said - to widespread ridicule. Bashing Paris Hilton is an international sport. And it is tempting to follow suit - but, underneath all the layers, there seems to be a kernel of something genuine.
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Skye McCole Bartusiak, R. I. P.
'Patriot' actress Skye McCole Bartusiak dead at 21 - CNN.com: (CNN) -- Actress Skye McCole Bartusiak, who played Mel Gibson's youngest daughter in "The Patriot," died Saturday at her home in Houston, her mother said Sunday. She was 21.
Free for Kindle For a Limited Time
Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Vol. II (Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles Series Book 2) - Kindle edition by Edward A. Grainger. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.: Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Vol. II continues to chronicle the tales of two unorthodox 19th century U.S. Marshals. With seven more adventures, this collection includes the novella "Origin of White Deer" where the outlaw marshal leaves his Arapaho home as a teen to find his roots in the lawless town of Cheyenne, Wyoming. These noir tales infuse the Western genre with a fresh perspective on topics like race relations and social justice while still delivering pulse-racing action in the tradition of Wanted: Dead or Alive and Gunsmoke.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Sleepwalking Thriller
Sleepwalking Murders: Sleepwalking Killers (Who Got Away with It)
James Garner, R. I. P.
ABC News: Actor James Garner, whose whimsical style in the 1950s TV Western "Maverick" led to a stellar career in TV and films such as "The Rockford Files" and his Oscar-nominated "Murphy's Romance," has died, police said. He was 86.
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