I was hoping for some actual history when I picked this up.. thinking it was a series that might move through Egyptian history, which I know very littI was hoping for some actual history when I picked this up.. thinking it was a series that might move through Egyptian history, which I know very little about.
I know enough to know they didn't have Criossants though,very silly. The author also decided to take a one off line in the Illad that they passed through Egypt on the way home and turned it into a court visit that lasted years... and included Homer himself (a bout 300 years before he was born, give or take).
So we don't have history, but maybe its a good story? nope. Apparently the entire 5 book story is just about Ramses.. this book is just his life before he was Pharaoh. And is the the most perfect person in the history of Earth. There are like 10 vignettes show how amazing he is at absolutely everything.. its repetitive, and not very interesting. By the end I was almost rooting for his annoying scheming older brother to win.
Hard pass on the rest of the series... glad I only got the one. ...more
I grabbed this off the shelf at the library on impulse after seeing a couple reviews for other books by the author. Sadly, it was misfiled as science I grabbed this off the shelf at the library on impulse after seeing a couple reviews for other books by the author. Sadly, it was misfiled as science fiction, when in fact it is three I guess you would call them essays, but the author.
The 1st is a review/prologue to a fictional book of statistics that seems to mostly exist to make fun of people's fascination with the Guinness book of World Records, which gave me some nostalglia vibes but wasn't particularly interesting.
Then 2nd one was much more interesting, about military power, where Lem very accurately predicts drones (he actually pictures them as mechanical insects, but the concept is the same). One wishes the current administration would get on board with that instead of spending a fortune on a new fighter plane that is already obsolete.
The final one is about aliens and if they exist or not... nothing to Earth shattering there. I probably would have been more interested overall if I knew more about the author and where he was coming from (other than just that it was the cold war era and the author is Polish).. not the best first book to read. ...more
No more Atlan i this one... instead we get a John Marshall and a 2nd gen Mutant corps telepath trying to steal immortality serum from the Aras for ThoNo more Atlan i this one... instead we get a John Marshall and a 2nd gen Mutant corps telepath trying to steal immortality serum from the Aras for Thora, while Perry mopes in Hellgate.. Now, I've got a few problems with this. Perry Rhodan is running an interplanetary empire.. he has time to use his special task force to essentially run to CVS for him? That's OK?
Also, we had a big long quest for Perry and co. to be immortal, but now the regular doctors can do it? The implications there.
It would have made alot more sense to just have them them go back to the Wanderer (or even just off camera) say Thora and Krest were exceptions.
On the plus side, MIcro-Man was a really good shock short. And in the scientifilms section, they were talking about series. The last one mentioned was Superman. The weird thing was, the author wrote it like it was just some generic SF concept and not the most known Superhero in the world, calling it 'based on a comic strip by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster'. I thought that was wild.
Also, the cover is awesome, but Pucky is not in the book at all. I think that's supposed to be a 'Frogh'.. which were security in the zoo, but those are described at 16 foot long snake like creatures, not two headed dragons.
speaking of 'Froghs'.. it seems the translators was feeling punny this book... it was extremely groan-worthy and threw me right out of the story.. I hope it doesn't continue. ...more
I had taken a little Perry break since the first big storyline ended last book, and then there's a time skip. I was looking forward to what was next, I had taken a little Perry break since the first big storyline ended last book, and then there's a time skip. I was looking forward to what was next, and this book didn't disappoint... as Atlan is introduced.
I know he's important based on looking up stuff and looking for the books, but I don't really know why, so this book (told first person from Atlan's point of view) introduces him. It seems he slept through the rise of the New Power (assuming nuclear holocaust was eminent) and woke up to discover that didn't actually happen.
At first, Atlan seems like a nice guy, but it because more clear he's up to no good, eventually stowing away on a ship with Perry and leading to a duel on the harsh planet of Hellgate. Very good intro and I'm looking forward to see what they do with him next!
One of the shock shorts was good too, 'Going Home' by Kris Neville.. a meloncoly spacer tale which was a nice change of pace. ...more
I know alot of people say the book is always better than the TV show/movie.... and others don't read so much and wait for said movie. For me, its offiI know alot of people say the book is always better than the TV show/movie.... and others don't read so much and wait for said movie. For me, its official... whatever I experience first is the one.
This is another example. I grabbed this after watching the most recent series of the show (Vienna Blood), and I have to say I liked the PBS version of Max and Oskar alot better than this one. The show version of Oskar is a tough, hard nosed cop that is dedicated to his job, and doesn't do much else (as many TV inspectors are). This book version show Oskar as a family man who likes to hang out with Max and sing and doesn't seem like he's all that good at his job. Max is pretty similar, and the addition of him actually chatting with Freud, instead of just being a fan of his work was fun, but Clara was also a big change... and not for the better.
I book is written pretty well, though there actually if anything is too much historical detail. The name dropping of musicians and artists moved from establishing the setting to a humble brag about the research done quickly.
And I have no doubt Tallis' Vienna is accurate and well done, but its just too much... perhaps that's more noticeable because I'm alot less familiar with Vienna than, say, New York, Boston or even London as a setting, but it left me feeling like I was missing something, but it was more than I was willing to look up.
Not a terrible book by any means, but overall I was disappointed....more
I don't remember where I came across this book, but I was pretty excited to read it... I've always considered the 70s a bit of a drug addled haze as fI don't remember where I came across this book, but I was pretty excited to read it... I've always considered the 70s a bit of a drug addled haze as far as baseball goes, and here was someone telling me how important they were... wow!
Stuff certainly did happen (the DH and free agency are the big ones) but the former only gets about 10 pages and the later is mostly small bits among other stories. There is no mention of the 1975 world series... Alex Johnson and Dave Kingman get more time than George Steinbrenner. The Red Sox aren't mentioned at all until a short chapter at the end of the book about the Bucky Dent game (the only single game discussed in the book). There is a weird digression talking about why Steve Garvey should be a Hall of Famer (which is funny in retrospect), and other than joking about Mickey Lolich's weight the TIgers are never mentioned.
Most of the author's good material is taken whole from other books.. he seems a fan of Marvin Miller and Bowie Kuhn, whose books are quoted liberally... and a fair bit from Ball Four as well.
As a writer, Preston tries to be funny and make alot of pop culture references, but Bill Simmons he is not. Perhaps if I read the book in 2005 it would have worked better.
The worst though, besides not delivering on the promise of describing the modern game emerging (instead each chapter is a separate random essay topic), he actually contradicts himself several times. He laments that fireballing pitchers of the 60s are lost, while saying that no relievers throw hard because all the hard throws are starters. He tries to make the point that a 5 man rotation is a new thing, when that is FAR from the case, and even sites some examples of how it wasn't.
He claims there were only 4 closers before the 70s, never mentioned the 2nd best one, Roy Face. and neglecting to mention John McGraw came up with the idea of a permanent reliever in 1911.
He also doesn't talk about the DH at all, other than mentioning it came into existance... that was a bit of a thing, no?
For Free agency, he talks about Curt Flood, then Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, but totally leaves out Catfish Hunter (only mentioning him in passing in the contest of the Charlie Finley chapter and mentioning he signed a big contract with the Yankees)
Some of the other big things, like Hank Aaron breaking the record, or the As exploits, felt directly lifted out of other books I've read, with no original material at all.
He spends a huge amount of time on fringe stories (which was a bit interesting, and the only stuff I didn't felt like I've reas elsewhere) but not in the context of telling the story of a decade.
To use one of the author's obscure references, this is the Vern Rapp of baseball books, you can move along. ...more
This was one that the cover grabbed me, not so much that it's good, more that it was and interesting riff on the really good Tarzan covers.
The story This was one that the cover grabbed me, not so much that it's good, more that it was and interesting riff on the really good Tarzan covers.
The story is pretty similarly a decent Tarzan knock off, though the framing story for Richard Blade, where he is a MI6 operative going through a portal to difference universes could accomodate any trend in 'Men's Adventure'.
This was was a bit more racy (there are 3 different sex scenes) than your usual Burroughs fare, but the story is pretty similar Richard Blade is the white savior helping the Zungans against their oppressors. The fight scenes are practically taken from Dynasty Warriors... Blade takes on 6, 8, 10 guys at once and always wins without a scratch... the one time he got captured it took 50 guys.
The back of the book advertises 4 other series, all of which sound exactly the same as the 1st one... The Executioner. If you don't mind a bit of period silliness its not a bad quick read. ...more
I had for a long time figured this was not really a good series since it was local and people liked it for that reason. But then this book jumped out I had for a long time figured this was not really a good series since it was local and people liked it for that reason. But then this book jumped out at me at a library book sale so I thought I'd give it a shot.
I liked it alot more that I liked the show (which I always thought was kinda boring when I was little and my parents watched it).. Spenser is a fun PI with alot of personality. Maybe a little too perfect, but this is only the 2nd book plenty of time for him to do dumb stuff later.
The case was pretty straight forward, and I figured it out right along with our hero. He did not have to be intentionally dumb for the plot to move, which was nice. I'm not quite familar enough with Boston to know if the geography was exactly right (in fact, it seemed a bit off at a couple points), but he got route 1 in Saugus right down to the old Hilltop sign and he definitely knew where the Common was, so I'll take it.
Sarah was also a really interesting love interest and hopefully she sticks around (I suspect she does since she's in the show). Once a make a little space on the to read shelf an ebay lot of a few Spenser books might be in my future....more
This is a book I probably should have read a long time ago... at this point I knew most of the stuff in it from various conversations in the Classics This is a book I probably should have read a long time ago... at this point I knew most of the stuff in it from various conversations in the Classics Comics Forum and other things online.
Howe puts together the history of Marvel in a fairly coherent, unbiased way, but it was a bit odd how the book progressed. There was really not alot on the early days, or Stan vs. Jack (though what was there was pretty nicely factual and unbiased)... but LOTS about Steve Gerber for some reason... if you didn't know anything about comics you'd think Howard the Duck was on par with the Avengers.
Howe randomly sprinkles in plots of the comics at weird times, too. But other times, things are never mentioned at all. He spend alot of time on the editors of the lines and how they annoyed the creative talent, but only a couple writers were worth mentioning, its clear Howe thinks the artists are more important. We get chapters devoted to the comings and going of Gerber, John Byrne, and Frank Miller.. but not a single mention of Mark Waid. Then other industry giants are only mentioned in passing... like George Perez (the exception to the rule of artists being important) and Kurt Busiek.
He also only VERY inconsistently mentioned what DC and the other competition are doing, at times when it would make sense. No mention of Crisis, even when talking about Byrne leaving Marvel to do Superman. No mention of Kingdom Come, only Marvels. (which was only of only 3 short Kurt Busiek call outs). I suspect that might have to do with the mix of people he interviewed for the book, but who can say for sure.
There was also very little mention of licensing, other then an off hand comment that Star Wars produced a well-timed cash infusion and Roy Thomas liked Conan.
The section on the 90s was all about the business/corporate stuff, which I knew little about, but still don't care about, but was definitely new information to me. I did find some irony in alot of the corporate executives from the 80s and 90s calling Marvel a 'mini-Disney'.
Overall, I'm glad I've finally read it so I don't have to wonder if I'm missing anything :)...more
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