Outside, Gustavo Bodoni, Guardbridge Books, 2017
A ship from the human civilization on Tau Ceti II heads for Earth, intending to re-establish contact after a treaty-mandated gap of 500 years. Earth is deserted. There are no signs of an apocalypse, or mass graves. Where is everybody?
For the past 500 years, everyone on Earth has been permanently living in a virtual reality world. Free from disease and pain, their bodies are supposedly being taken care of in vast underground chambers. In VR-land, big problems are happening. A huge wall suddenly cuts Denver in half. Monsters are ravaging cities all over the world.
An interface is created, so that the visitors can communicate with the people of Earth, who are less than thrilled to see them. Rome, from the visitors, falls in love with Emily, from VR-land. She is involved in attempts to get the bottom of the computer problems, whatever they are. Are some mainframes about to crash, possibly snuffing out millions of "people"?
Rome asks Emily to return to Tau Ceti with the ship, which has been ordered to leave by an Earth that wants to stay in VR-land. First, they have to find her body. Are those millions of chambers still in nice, neat rows, maintained by an army of robots?
This is a first-rate piece of writing. The author, whose first language is not English, does an excellent job with the characters and storytelling. It is very much worth the reader's time.
Saturday, April 6, 2019
America: The Farewell Tour
America: The Farewell Tour, Chris Hedges, Simon & Schuster, 2018
"America's best days are still ahead." That's what politicians and business leaders are supposed to say. This book gives a very different view.
A chapter looks at one family's journey through the nightmare of opioid addiction. Another chapter gives a Very Detailed look inside the porn business. The Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City may still be officially open. The gaming tables are empty, and large numbers of the hotel rooms are unusable. Maintenance in the rooms that are used is a thing of the past, so a guest may have to deal with, for instance, leaky toilets or cockroaches.
Antifa and the alt-right are two different manifestations of the same phenomenon; people who are frustrated and feel left behind by global capitalism. The factory which provided a decent living for residents of a small Midwest town has closed, and moved to Mexico, leaving them with no alternatives, and no hope. The average minority resident of New York City is more than tired of being repeatedly stopped and frisked, or given a ticket for something like jaywalking, simply because a white cop feels like it.
People who are in prison will get paid a few cents for working, usually for some large corporation, if they get paid at all. Especially in private prisons, they will get financially gouged for everything else, including phone calls to their loved ones.
Donald Trump may have ridden this frustration to the White House, but that does not mean that he can do anything about it, until corporate control of America is eliminated. This is certainly not an optimistic book, but it is a very eye-opening book. It is highly recommended for all Americans.
"America's best days are still ahead." That's what politicians and business leaders are supposed to say. This book gives a very different view.
A chapter looks at one family's journey through the nightmare of opioid addiction. Another chapter gives a Very Detailed look inside the porn business. The Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City may still be officially open. The gaming tables are empty, and large numbers of the hotel rooms are unusable. Maintenance in the rooms that are used is a thing of the past, so a guest may have to deal with, for instance, leaky toilets or cockroaches.
Antifa and the alt-right are two different manifestations of the same phenomenon; people who are frustrated and feel left behind by global capitalism. The factory which provided a decent living for residents of a small Midwest town has closed, and moved to Mexico, leaving them with no alternatives, and no hope. The average minority resident of New York City is more than tired of being repeatedly stopped and frisked, or given a ticket for something like jaywalking, simply because a white cop feels like it.
People who are in prison will get paid a few cents for working, usually for some large corporation, if they get paid at all. Especially in private prisons, they will get financially gouged for everything else, including phone calls to their loved ones.
Donald Trump may have ridden this frustration to the White House, but that does not mean that he can do anything about it, until corporate control of America is eliminated. This is certainly not an optimistic book, but it is a very eye-opening book. It is highly recommended for all Americans.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Who is Jeb!!!
Who is Jeb!!! John Ellis "Jeb" Bush and His Horrendously Horrible Histories, Patrick Andendall, Fact Over Fiction Publishing, 2015
This book is all about Jeb!!! Bush (it's not Jeb, it's Jeb!!!), former Governor of Florida, and 2016 candidate for President. He seemed to be a shoo-in to get the nomination, until he actually started to campaign. This was also before Donald Trump "sucked all the air" out of the campaign.
The Bush clan is extremely secretive, almost like a cult. The CIA has always been a part of George H.W. Bush's life (also known as "Poppy" or "Bush 41"). He started Zapata Petroleum in 1953. Is it simply coincidence that the Bay of Pigs operation was called "Operation Zapata" and that the base of operations was Bush's drilling-rig site on a remote island between Florida and Cuba? A 1963 FBI memo says that the day after the Kennedy assassination, the FBI briefed two individuals. A member of the Defense Intelligence Agency was one of them. The other person briefed was "George Bush of the Central Intelligence Agency".
The author looks at the history of the Bush family in the early 20th century. A number of American corporations, including Standard Oil, IBM and Coca-Cola, openly traded with Germany, and used German slave labor, while Hitler was taking over much of Europe. It also talks about the 1936 coup attempt here in America. (What coup attempt?) A group of industrialists wanted to turn America into a fascist state, like Germany or Italy. They asked Smedley Butler, a famous WWI General, to lead an army of half a million men to Washington. Instead, he blew the whistle to a Congressional committee.
Closer to the present, Jeb!!! is an intellectual lightweight, like his brother, W. Florida was about the only "blue" state to not take part in the expansion of Medicare, paid for by the federal government. Why? Florida has the second worst income discrepancy problem in America. Almost half of Florida's residents live below the federal poverty line, or otherwise have problems making ends meet. The book also looks at the Terry Schiavo case, Jeb!!! wanting to privatize Social Security, his total disinterest in foreign policy, his assertion that workers need to get more hours at work, or get a second (or third) job, and 200's Bush v. Gore fiasco. Did I forget to mention Skull and Bones, the secretive Yale society that is a central part of Bushworld?
This is a scathing book. The author makes no secret of his feelings toward what he calls the Stupidparty (he is not talking about the Democrats). This is a huge eye-opener that is highly recommended.
This book is all about Jeb!!! Bush (it's not Jeb, it's Jeb!!!), former Governor of Florida, and 2016 candidate for President. He seemed to be a shoo-in to get the nomination, until he actually started to campaign. This was also before Donald Trump "sucked all the air" out of the campaign.
The Bush clan is extremely secretive, almost like a cult. The CIA has always been a part of George H.W. Bush's life (also known as "Poppy" or "Bush 41"). He started Zapata Petroleum in 1953. Is it simply coincidence that the Bay of Pigs operation was called "Operation Zapata" and that the base of operations was Bush's drilling-rig site on a remote island between Florida and Cuba? A 1963 FBI memo says that the day after the Kennedy assassination, the FBI briefed two individuals. A member of the Defense Intelligence Agency was one of them. The other person briefed was "George Bush of the Central Intelligence Agency".
The author looks at the history of the Bush family in the early 20th century. A number of American corporations, including Standard Oil, IBM and Coca-Cola, openly traded with Germany, and used German slave labor, while Hitler was taking over much of Europe. It also talks about the 1936 coup attempt here in America. (What coup attempt?) A group of industrialists wanted to turn America into a fascist state, like Germany or Italy. They asked Smedley Butler, a famous WWI General, to lead an army of half a million men to Washington. Instead, he blew the whistle to a Congressional committee.
Closer to the present, Jeb!!! is an intellectual lightweight, like his brother, W. Florida was about the only "blue" state to not take part in the expansion of Medicare, paid for by the federal government. Why? Florida has the second worst income discrepancy problem in America. Almost half of Florida's residents live below the federal poverty line, or otherwise have problems making ends meet. The book also looks at the Terry Schiavo case, Jeb!!! wanting to privatize Social Security, his total disinterest in foreign policy, his assertion that workers need to get more hours at work, or get a second (or third) job, and 200's Bush v. Gore fiasco. Did I forget to mention Skull and Bones, the secretive Yale society that is a central part of Bushworld?
This is a scathing book. The author makes no secret of his feelings toward what he calls the Stupidparty (he is not talking about the Democrats). This is a huge eye-opener that is highly recommended.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Quantum Roots II
Quantum Roots II: Worm Holes, Kyle Keyes, CreateSpace, 2017
Present-day America is being menaced by a vigilante who looks like he just stepped out of a Western movie. Whenever someone is in trouble, whether it is an attempted rape, or someone getting beat up in a bar, he is there, with the black hat, the tin badge, and being a crack shot. He says his name is Leroy McCoy (a real person who lived in 1870's Dodge City). Could he be traveling by wormhole, to exactly the right place, or is the explanation much more down-to-earth?
The feds are hot on his trail. Alexis Grumman, head of the Department of Paranormal Affairs, and fellow agent (and boy-toy) Jeremy Wade are always one step behind. Can they stop him?
This one is really good, and pretty easy to understand. It's got some science fiction, some paranormal, some humor and a considerable amount of violence. It is the second in a series, but it stands on its own really well. Yes, this one is worth checking out.
Present-day America is being menaced by a vigilante who looks like he just stepped out of a Western movie. Whenever someone is in trouble, whether it is an attempted rape, or someone getting beat up in a bar, he is there, with the black hat, the tin badge, and being a crack shot. He says his name is Leroy McCoy (a real person who lived in 1870's Dodge City). Could he be traveling by wormhole, to exactly the right place, or is the explanation much more down-to-earth?
The feds are hot on his trail. Alexis Grumman, head of the Department of Paranormal Affairs, and fellow agent (and boy-toy) Jeremy Wade are always one step behind. Can they stop him?
This one is really good, and pretty easy to understand. It's got some science fiction, some paranormal, some humor and a considerable amount of violence. It is the second in a series, but it stands on its own really well. Yes, this one is worth checking out.
To Dream the Blackbane
To Dream the Blackbane: A Novel of the Anomaly, Richard J O'Brien, Between the Lines Publishing, 2018
This novel takes place on an altered present-day Earth. The Anomaly has opened portals between Earth and the faerie/paranormal realm. It also caused people to be fused with whatever animal or thing was closest to them at that moment. Pure humans, called pedigrees, have relegated fairy refugees and hybrids into ghettos.
Wolfgang Rex is a retired Chicago police detective who is part dog. He is now a private investigator who has been hired by a couple of vampires to retrieve an ancient scroll. At the same time, Charlotte. a pedigree woman, wants him to travel to very rural Louisiana to exorcise a headless demon from her house.
Of course, it is not that easy. Wolfgang falls for Charlotte, and the vampires demand results. They make it clear that failure to find the scroll is not an option. Can Wolfgang stay alive long enbough to find the scroll, while his friends are killed by the vampires? Do Charlotte and Wolfgang live happily ever after?
This one is a first-rate piece of writing. The author explains The Anomaly in the first few pages to instantly get the reader interested. The story is full of strange creatures, good world-building and some really good writing. Detective story fans will love this book.
This novel takes place on an altered present-day Earth. The Anomaly has opened portals between Earth and the faerie/paranormal realm. It also caused people to be fused with whatever animal or thing was closest to them at that moment. Pure humans, called pedigrees, have relegated fairy refugees and hybrids into ghettos.
Wolfgang Rex is a retired Chicago police detective who is part dog. He is now a private investigator who has been hired by a couple of vampires to retrieve an ancient scroll. At the same time, Charlotte. a pedigree woman, wants him to travel to very rural Louisiana to exorcise a headless demon from her house.
Of course, it is not that easy. Wolfgang falls for Charlotte, and the vampires demand results. They make it clear that failure to find the scroll is not an option. Can Wolfgang stay alive long enbough to find the scroll, while his friends are killed by the vampires? Do Charlotte and Wolfgang live happily ever after?
This one is a first-rate piece of writing. The author explains The Anomaly in the first few pages to instantly get the reader interested. The story is full of strange creatures, good world-building and some really good writing. Detective story fans will love this book.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Slower
Slower, Ted Shepherd, 2018, self-published
Emit is an average high school freshman who discovers, one day, that he has the ability to slow time. In the beginning, everything is cool. He pranks friends, and gets back at the school bullies. The power goes to his head.
Things get serious when he learns that there is someone else with the same ability. He learns that this other person was involved in several major historical moments. The other person says that he was forced to do these things; Emit learns later that his participation was a lot more voluntary. Emit is asked if he wants to help make the world a "better place" (according to whom?).The thought is very tempting. The final confrontation takes place in Washington DC, in the House Chamber, during the State of the Union address.
This is surprisingly good. It is very easy to read, and moves really well. It touches on things like neo-Nazis, the Kennedy assassination, Operation Paperclip and puts on the S&P 500 (betting that the entire stock market will go down). This is very much worth reading for teens and adults.
Emit is an average high school freshman who discovers, one day, that he has the ability to slow time. In the beginning, everything is cool. He pranks friends, and gets back at the school bullies. The power goes to his head.
Things get serious when he learns that there is someone else with the same ability. He learns that this other person was involved in several major historical moments. The other person says that he was forced to do these things; Emit learns later that his participation was a lot more voluntary. Emit is asked if he wants to help make the world a "better place" (according to whom?).The thought is very tempting. The final confrontation takes place in Washington DC, in the House Chamber, during the State of the Union address.
This is surprisingly good. It is very easy to read, and moves really well. It touches on things like neo-Nazis, the Kennedy assassination, Operation Paperclip and puts on the S&P 500 (betting that the entire stock market will go down). This is very much worth reading for teens and adults.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Chinatown
Chinatown (Ten Possible Endings - One Way Out Alive), Charles Hanna, Amazon Digital Services, 2018
For anyone who grew up with those Choose Your Own Adventure books, they have returned.
This one is about four friends (two married couples) who decide to visit San Francisco's Chinatown. Things go very badly for them. They experience underground tunnels that go on for miles, living stone beasts and a hole in the ground that actually does go to China. In one scenario, they are decapitated, and their heads are turned into shrunken heads. In another adventure, they are turned into human-sized piggy banks.
This is a short book, less than 100 pages, so it is a very fast read. It is also pretty macabre, so it is OK for teens and adults, but not recommended for smaller children. The actual writing is pretty good, so it is worth checking out.
For anyone who grew up with those Choose Your Own Adventure books, they have returned.
This one is about four friends (two married couples) who decide to visit San Francisco's Chinatown. Things go very badly for them. They experience underground tunnels that go on for miles, living stone beasts and a hole in the ground that actually does go to China. In one scenario, they are decapitated, and their heads are turned into shrunken heads. In another adventure, they are turned into human-sized piggy banks.
This is a short book, less than 100 pages, so it is a very fast read. It is also pretty macabre, so it is OK for teens and adults, but not recommended for smaller children. The actual writing is pretty good, so it is worth checking out.
Pastor of Paris
Pastor of Paris, Anil John, Amazon Digital Services, 2018
This is a collection of jokes, one-liners and short stories mostly about the subject of religion. This book also changes your perspective, it reduces your heart rate and blood pressure and helps the body fight infection.
Here are some examples. Consciousness: that annoying time between naps. Marriage is a three-ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering. A man doesn't know what happiness is until he is married. By then, it's too late. I keep trying to lose weight but it keeps finding me. What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah's Witness? Someone who goes around knocking on doors for no apparent reason.
How many Roman Catholics does it take to change a light bulb? None - they use candles. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Dear Lord, please protect me from your followers. The secret to a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and to have the two as close together as possible.
This is an excellent book. It is short and very easy to read. Humor is always a good thing, on some days in particular. This is very much worth reading, even for those who are not religious.
This is a collection of jokes, one-liners and short stories mostly about the subject of religion. This book also changes your perspective, it reduces your heart rate and blood pressure and helps the body fight infection.
Here are some examples. Consciousness: that annoying time between naps. Marriage is a three-ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering. A man doesn't know what happiness is until he is married. By then, it's too late. I keep trying to lose weight but it keeps finding me. What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah's Witness? Someone who goes around knocking on doors for no apparent reason.
How many Roman Catholics does it take to change a light bulb? None - they use candles. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Dear Lord, please protect me from your followers. The secret to a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and to have the two as close together as possible.
This is an excellent book. It is short and very easy to read. Humor is always a good thing, on some days in particular. This is very much worth reading, even for those who are not religious.
Height of Day
Height of Day, Desmond Cory, Amazon Digital Services, 2018
Set in 1950's Central Africa, Johnny Fedora is part of British Intelligence. He has hired a boat to search for a near-mythical white ape. He runs into an archaeological expedition looking for some specific ruins. They are going in the same general direction, so they hitch a ride on Johnny's boat.
As the days go on, it becomes clear that the expedition is not looking for ruins. Johnny is not really looking for a white ape, either. The words "Fourth Reich" are used. Johnny's real mission is to recover a mysterious object, wanted by the Nazis and British Intelligence, regardless of the cost.
Things get interesting when members of the expedition start dying. Can Johnny discover the real purpose of the expedition, and keep himself from becoming the next victim?
This book hearkens back to the days, before technology, when an intelligence agent used his wits to survive. It is very easy to read, has plenty of blood, and is very much recommended for all fans of spy novels.
Set in 1950's Central Africa, Johnny Fedora is part of British Intelligence. He has hired a boat to search for a near-mythical white ape. He runs into an archaeological expedition looking for some specific ruins. They are going in the same general direction, so they hitch a ride on Johnny's boat.
As the days go on, it becomes clear that the expedition is not looking for ruins. Johnny is not really looking for a white ape, either. The words "Fourth Reich" are used. Johnny's real mission is to recover a mysterious object, wanted by the Nazis and British Intelligence, regardless of the cost.
Things get interesting when members of the expedition start dying. Can Johnny discover the real purpose of the expedition, and keep himself from becoming the next victim?
This book hearkens back to the days, before technology, when an intelligence agent used his wits to survive. It is very easy to read, has plenty of blood, and is very much recommended for all fans of spy novels.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Quality DNA
Quality DNA, Beth Martin, Beth Martin Books, 2017
Set in the near future, America's answer to climate change is to impose a strict one-child policy. Sterilization is mandatory, for men and women, after the birth of their first child.
Annette becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. Everyone's DNA is listed in the Genome Database. It gives Annette the name of a man who she never met, who died several years previously (frozen sperm does not last for several years). Irene is an investigator with the Seattle Social Department. More such anomalies cross her desk. This is not just a "glitch" in the system; something is very wrong. Just to make things more complicated, Jamie, Irene's wife, really wants to have a child (much more than does Irene). Finding a suitable sperm donor is easier said than done.
Focus shifts to a very off-the-grid group called the Alliance for Quality DNA, or AQD. It is almost a cult, and is run by Aidan, who is charismatic, but nuts. Irene goes undercover, with help from the FBI. They are concerned about terrorism, but Irene is on to the reason for the birth anomalies. Does she become an unintended guinea pig for whatever the AQD has planned?
Here is a really good piece of writing. It's gripping, it's plausible and it will certainly keep the reader's attention. This is very much worth checking out.
Set in the near future, America's answer to climate change is to impose a strict one-child policy. Sterilization is mandatory, for men and women, after the birth of their first child.
Annette becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. Everyone's DNA is listed in the Genome Database. It gives Annette the name of a man who she never met, who died several years previously (frozen sperm does not last for several years). Irene is an investigator with the Seattle Social Department. More such anomalies cross her desk. This is not just a "glitch" in the system; something is very wrong. Just to make things more complicated, Jamie, Irene's wife, really wants to have a child (much more than does Irene). Finding a suitable sperm donor is easier said than done.
Focus shifts to a very off-the-grid group called the Alliance for Quality DNA, or AQD. It is almost a cult, and is run by Aidan, who is charismatic, but nuts. Irene goes undercover, with help from the FBI. They are concerned about terrorism, but Irene is on to the reason for the birth anomalies. Does she become an unintended guinea pig for whatever the AQD has planned?
Here is a really good piece of writing. It's gripping, it's plausible and it will certainly keep the reader's attention. This is very much worth checking out.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
The Memory of Lost Dreams
The Memory of Lost Dreams, Davon M Custis, CreateSpace, 2016
Set several hundred years from now, this novel is about a young man named Malik. Leaving his village, He finds a huge cavern containing an abandoned city. It is full of leaning skyscrapers and debris all over the streets. He comes across a machine called REQUIEM, which transports him back to when this city, Imperia, was alive and full of people. He is also brainwashed to forget his life in the village; he has lived here for his entire life. Imperia, part of the People's Republic of Amerika, is a place of total government control of the people.
There is a good story here; this book just needs a trip to a professional editor to help get it out. Much of the writing is. . . overdone. The society-building is probably the best part of the story. In its present form, this book gets 3.5 to 4 stars.
Set several hundred years from now, this novel is about a young man named Malik. Leaving his village, He finds a huge cavern containing an abandoned city. It is full of leaning skyscrapers and debris all over the streets. He comes across a machine called REQUIEM, which transports him back to when this city, Imperia, was alive and full of people. He is also brainwashed to forget his life in the village; he has lived here for his entire life. Imperia, part of the People's Republic of Amerika, is a place of total government control of the people.
There is a good story here; this book just needs a trip to a professional editor to help get it out. Much of the writing is. . . overdone. The society-building is probably the best part of the story. In its present form, this book gets 3.5 to 4 stars.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Twilight's Last Glory
Twilight's Last Glory, Stephen C Perkins, Star Born Publishing LLC, 2018
This near-future novel is about the future of American football.
In the 2030's, football has gone global. The NFL has just merged with a world football league. It is worth hundreds of millions of dollars in TV revenuer, merchandising and season ticket sales to a sport that is totally corrupt.
Everyone is in on it: the referees, the media and some of the players. A man named Gigi Salerno controls all East Coast entertainment, including football, and Las Vegas, for an ultra-secret group called The Octagonal, based in London. Salerno is not totally cruel and heartless. Living in Boston, he has a soft spot for Michelle O'Hara, an old high school crush who has fallen a long way from her beauty queen days.
The book focuses on two teams, the New England Rebels and the London Lightning. The General Manager of the Rebels, Preston Billings, is a member of The Octagonal. Zachary, his son, is the team doctor. The Octagonal. which also controls the police, is looking for an excuse to impose martial law in America. How about to stop a race war started by a couple of popular football players (who know that they are acting for the media)? There is also a crusading sports writer who is starting to put it all together.
It had been previously decided, by The Octagonal, that the Rebels and the Lightning would play for the Summit Cup at Wembley Stadium in London. It is interesting to read British commentators attempting to call an American football game. Meantime, The Octagonal has decided that Salerno is now a liability.
This is a very good, but very dystopian, novel. All football fans should read it, if only to get an idea of the future of their sport.
This near-future novel is about the future of American football.
In the 2030's, football has gone global. The NFL has just merged with a world football league. It is worth hundreds of millions of dollars in TV revenuer, merchandising and season ticket sales to a sport that is totally corrupt.
Everyone is in on it: the referees, the media and some of the players. A man named Gigi Salerno controls all East Coast entertainment, including football, and Las Vegas, for an ultra-secret group called The Octagonal, based in London. Salerno is not totally cruel and heartless. Living in Boston, he has a soft spot for Michelle O'Hara, an old high school crush who has fallen a long way from her beauty queen days.
The book focuses on two teams, the New England Rebels and the London Lightning. The General Manager of the Rebels, Preston Billings, is a member of The Octagonal. Zachary, his son, is the team doctor. The Octagonal. which also controls the police, is looking for an excuse to impose martial law in America. How about to stop a race war started by a couple of popular football players (who know that they are acting for the media)? There is also a crusading sports writer who is starting to put it all together.
It had been previously decided, by The Octagonal, that the Rebels and the Lightning would play for the Summit Cup at Wembley Stadium in London. It is interesting to read British commentators attempting to call an American football game. Meantime, The Octagonal has decided that Salerno is now a liability.
This is a very good, but very dystopian, novel. All football fans should read it, if only to get an idea of the future of their sport.
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