Bad Moon Rising (The Sam McCain Mysteries Book 9) - Kindle edition by Ed Gorman. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Off the Grid
I'm posting this a day in advance because I'm off the grid today. Really. Things will continue as usual here, but I won't be responding to comments or e-mail. Can I really go a whole day with no Internet? I'll find out. I'll have my phone with me, but I won't have time to check things. I should be back online tomorrow if all goes well.
Uh-Oh
Matthew McConaughey's Brother 'Rooster' To Star In CNBC Investment Show: Deals are negotiated in a “clubhouse” setting where alcohol flows freely and a giant mounted bear looms in the background.
Friday, June 12, 2015
What Do You Mean, "We"? I Can.
We Still Can't Decide Whether To Put One Space After A Period Or Two
The typewriter in the middle gif is the same model as the IBM that I used for many years.
The typewriter in the middle gif is the same model as the IBM that I used for many years.
Penguin's Science Fiction Covers
AbeBooks: Penguin's Science Fiction: One of the many reasons Penguin has been so successful over the years involves its history of creating fantastic book covers. Penguin also boast a stellar track record in publishing meaningful titles, but let's be honest: the books look good. Even the iconic bands of color framing a white block that have come to define Penguin were a stroke of design genius, and are now quite widely fetishized on everything from notepads to luggage tags by booklovers worldwide.
Jim Ed Brown, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Longtime Grand Ole Opry member Jim Ed Brown has died. He was 81.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
FFB: Driving Blind -- Ray Bradbury
When I was a first reading SF, Ray Bradbury was one of my favorite writers. Collections like The October Country, The Illustrated Man, and The Martian Chronicles were about as good as it got, and Fahrenheit 451 was another great longer work. Then something happened. I don't know if Bradbury changed or I did, but the later stories didn't work for me. I still picked up some of the collections, but the magic wasn't there. This might explain why the paperback edition of Driving Blind has been sitting on my shelves unread for more than 15 years. The other day I picked it up and read some of the reviews quoted on the covers and inside them. The reviewers raved about how good these stories were. The one of the front cover is typical: "These stories are more sophisticated in their presentation, more intoxicatingly unputdownable, than anything he wrote in his prime." So I thought I'd give them a try. I did, and I wish I could say I agree with the reviewers, but I don't. The first story in the collection, "Night Train to Babylon," didn't work at all. I'm sure there's a sophisticated point, but I'm too dim to get it. "If MGM Is Killed, Who Gets the Lion" was a little better, but not much. "Hello, I Must Be Going" was a disappointment because while the story was a real story and was amusing, I knew exactly where it was going almost from the first page. "Remember Me" was okay, but certainly nothing special. And so on. I wanted to like the stories, and I kept reading them, but I found nothing to compare with the early work. "The Old Dog Lying in the Dust," set in Mexico in the past, comes closest, I think. "Mr. Pale" was okay. On the whole, though, I would have been better off rereading some of the older stories like "The Small Assassin" or "Kaleidoscope" or "The Veldt" or so many others. I miss the old days.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Dusty Rhodes, R. I. P.
Dusty Rhodes Dead At 69: WWE says Virgil Runnels, a former professional wrestler known by his fans as Dusty Rhodes, has died. He was 69.
Ron Moody, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: LONDON – British actor Ron Moody, best known for playing Fagin in the 1968 film "Oliver!" has died aged 91.
Ornette Coleman, R. I. P.
Flavorwire: Ornette Coleman, the composer and alto saxophonist widely recognized as the father of free jazz, passed away today in Manhattan this morning from cardiac arrest, NYT reports. He was 85.
Christopher Lee, R. I. P.
The Guardian: Sir Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93 after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.
The veteran actor, best known for a variety of films from Dracula to The Wicker Man through to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, according to sources.
The veteran actor, best known for a variety of films from Dracula to The Wicker Man through to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, according to sources.
Paul Bacon, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Paul Bacon, the influential designer known for creating radical, eye-catching book jackets for major literary works like Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” and Philip Roth’s “Portnoy’s Complaint,” died on Monday in Fishkill, N.Y. He was 91.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Robert Chartoff, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Robert Chartoff, the Oscar-winning movie producer behind the boxing classics "Rocky" and "Raging Bull," has died. He was 81.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Free for Kindle for a Limited Time
Amazon.com: The Last Praetorian (The Redemption Trilogy Book 1) eBook: Mike Smith: Kindle Store Commander Jonathan Radec is a man desperately trying to escape from the mistakes of his past. Now the owner of Vanguard Shipping, his primary concerns are trying to keep his ships flying and his crew alive. However, the shadowy Syndicate organisation has set their sights on the Commander and his business, having sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. To make matters worse, she’s become the target of his infatuation, much to the dismay of his ex-girlfriend. Recently elevated to President of the Confederation, she’s still very much in love with him and capable of making his life a living hell.
Surrounded by a galaxy beginning to tear itself apart, with enemies on all sides, he’s now also unwillingly tasked with trying to save the Confederation – for which he has little regard. Jon has little going in his favour, except a crew consisting of the elite of the old Imperial Navy, all of whom would fight to the death for him, and a past that possibly makes him one of the most dangerous men alive.
The Last Praetorian is a Science Fiction adventure/romance, which tries to answer the question: “Can you ever find redemption for the mistakes of your past?”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)