The Eye of the Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say with this?

It's crazy. At least, it's crazy with naming, characters, wild action, snark, and increasingly depressing fighting situations. The cards are really stacked against the Crawlers. Literally, this time. Summoning decks are a big part of this volume, giving all you Magic players a treat.

I honestly can't say if this is some of my favorite LitRPG ever, but it definitely has its foot-licking charm. And then, there's Uzi Jesus. He's okay in my book.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So. A little more than half a century ago, we were already going to the moon, regularly.

The fact that Apollo 13 is commemorated by a near-tragedy, where a good portion of their spacecraft was blown away, back when their spacecraft were really nothing more than tin foil held together with duct tape, is not an indictment of poor planning, but of weight necessity and massive limitations. Indeed, a McGuiverism.

This is rather amazing. After all, this is true history. A time where pride and guts fed a whole nation's imagination, even if it was beset with small-time concerns politics, still filled us with imagination and ambition.

This non-fiction, far from being proof that we shouldn't have attempted it, is proof that when there is a will, there CAN be a way. And these three astronauts got home.

Remember that.

Almost 55 years ago, people could still be awed and amazed. Now, at least to me, I'm amazed we haven't torn ourselves to pieces. We need some serious ambition and pride in our lives. And I don't mean sacrificing a bunch of poor people to raise yet another rich-person's monument to hubris--but doing something truly amazing for ALL of us.

Of course, to do that, we need to make sure we're all healthy enough to put our hearts and minds into the project, but that's neither here nor there.

It was a different time.

But let's not forget that we MIGHT get back to the dream.





Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com


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Raising Allies by Sarah Lin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Growing stronger, still grousing about the nearly magic-less build of his game character, our necromantic lord finally gets to play with a lot more than his bones.

Honestly, it's an okay LitRPG. It has some humorous moments, mostly with in-party sniping and the infernal "boxes", but I did enjoy the undead developments.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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Transference by Ian Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading this, I'm very much sitting on the fence between admiring this story for all the old SFnal ideas it pulls forward to today's evils and being a tiny bit annoyed with the same.

The core SFnal detail reminds me a lot of old classics, be it Niven's body harvesting ghoulishness or Harrison's Make Room, Make Room (Soylent Green), or even a bit of B5 or Voyager, where illnesses can be transacted. You know, where the rich stay rich and the poor go ploop, only it's sickness transference.

In this respect, I guess I simply don't mind. The ideas are fun -- but they DO feel a bit heavy handed. Those who are wealthy in this world get away with everything. It's literally the call of Eat the Rich -- because they're absolutely doing it to all the rest.

Never mind the final point made in this book. Population pressures, et al., are old hat, even as they're ever more prevalent for us now than they've ever been before.

So, I'll just say that this is fun for what it is. I'd love to see readers appreciating these old ideas with fresh eyes again.

As for the real end of this -- I'm looking forward to seeing just how big this can really get.

Worth the read.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

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The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wendig has done it again.

He's quickly becoming my go-to for beyond-solid horrors. He's got great, complicated, messy characters, a discovery-till-you-puke vibe, and some serious growth for these guys. As teens, then messed-up adults, we've got a while IT vibe going on here that I absolutely love.

Friends, people. Growing up, growing apart, growing back together. That's what this one is about. I LOVED it.

Oh, and be forewarned, there's so much characterization going on here that I got lost in it. Wendig is usually pretty fantastic for this, but I truly got lost in these peeps. And, let's not forget, this IS a horror, but I've never seen a horror serve so much THERAPY as SK's IT as this.

Plus, let's be real, this one's a very Gen X kind of therapy. So, whatever. It is what it is. Muahahahahaha

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Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-Read.

It's Poirot. When reading Poirot, we all must use those little grey cells.

If you don't, then perhaps you ought to be one of those that go missing. You know... as a trick. Well, our treat, but mostly a trick.

Happy Halloween!




Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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Ghost Stories: Stephen Fry's Definitive Collection by Stephen Fry


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Easily one of my favorite stories of the spooky tradition. And yes, it IS superior to the movies, with the minor exception of a certain dog named Snoopy.



Lost Hearts by M.R. James

No matter the age, the old always seem to want to consume the young. :)



Was It an Illusion? By Amelia B. Edwards

I know this is a classic, having read it many times in many anthologies, but it still holds up for the most part. The whole seeing visions, uncovering secrets, is seriously old-school. Just like this tale.



The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is an old-time favorite for me. Robert Louis Stevenson really rocks a good story, novel, anything. Of course, when it comes to this particular profession, I LOVE the turnabout. :)


The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood

Little old ladies challenging a grown damn man to a battle of nerves. :) Muahahahaha



William Wilson by Edgar Allan Poe

I'm a big fan of the doppelganger story, so this was a (repeated) treat for me. No spoilers, but if you haven't heard of Poe yet... shame on you.


The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell

The mystery takes the front row seat on this one. It has decent atmosphere, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the others in this collection, but I have to admit that Poltergeist spoiled me.


The Judge’s House by Bram Stoker

Fantastically creepy. Don't be fooled with Bram Stoker. He ain't no one-hit wonder. That rope... so delicious. Don't -- or can't -- sleep on this one. :)



I admit it, I re-read all of these primarily because Fry read them to me. But after getting through them all again, I'm just as happy to revisit all these classics. Totally worth it.



Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to DM requests. I think it's about time I get some eyes on them.

Arctunn.com

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