2/5 (Bad)
Ok, I admit, I bought this book because of the gorgeous red/helium-breathing alien/humans toting spears cover… Sadly, there’s very little behind the cover besides a standard uninventive pulp-ish romp. Aldiss expends little effort and as result the work lacks an interesting society or an involving plot and all the action takes place in the slip-shop last few pages. Continue reading Book Review: Bow Down To Nul (variant title: The Interpreter), Brian W. Aldiss (1960)
8/10 (Very Good)
Atomic Cafe (1982) is a scathing documentary on the atomic age created from archival film from the 40s-early 60s. The scope of the material is extensive: military training films (often the most morbidly hilarious and poorly acted of the bunch), television news, various other government-produced propaganda films Continue reading A Film (documentary) Rumination: The Atomic Cafe, Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty (1982)
4.5/5 (Very Good)
I had not heard of the relatively unknown British sci-fi writer David G. Compton until I read a fantastic review by Ian Sales of Compton’s most famous novel, The Unsleeping Eye (1971) (his review and blog here). In my normal circuitous fashion, I decided to read a lesser-known work of Compton’s first, Synthajoy (1968). And, I was not disappointed, Continue reading Book Review: Synthajoy, D. G. Compton (1968)
4/5 (Good)
1968, Best Novel Hugo Award Nomination; 1968, Best Novel Nebula Award Nomination
Silverberg’s brooding, post-utopian, rumination has the makings of a great science fiction novel. This horrifically dark Continue reading Book Review: Thorns, Robert Silverberg (1967)
Oh the joys of amazon gift cards… And perusing dusty corners of local bookstores.
Here are my latest acquisitions.
1. Robert Silverberg’s World Inside (1971) (MY REVIEW HERE)
I’ve always enjoyed semi-dystopic works about the social ramifications of overpopulation (John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar is my all time favorite sci-fi novel). I wonder if Silverberg was inspired by Brunner’s work. I’ve yet to read a Silverberg novel and I’ve read that this is a pretty good effort. So, those factors contributed to my purchase.
2. Doris Piserchia’s Continue reading Update: Recent Science Fiction Acquisitions N. I
(Bruce Pennington’s cover for the 1971 edition)
3/5 (Average)
Fresh off reading Brian Aldiss’ wonderful Non-Stop I eagerly picked up a battered copy of The Dark Light-Years (1964) from a local bookstore. I was sorely disappointed. The Dark Light-Years is disjointed, Continue reading Book Review: The Dark Light-Years, Brian Aldiss (1964)
7/10 (Good)
Damn the Defiant! isn’t the best naval action film out there however it’s definitely an under appreciated good film. That said, I have a weakness for the subject matter since I grew up on C. S. Forester’s Hornblower and Alexander Kent’s Captain Bolitho books (i.e Napoleonic era valiant British officers fighting the evil Frenchies!). Thus, Continue reading A Film Rumination: Damn the Defiant! (variant title: H. M. S. Defiant), Lewis Gilbert (1962)
I found a few hilarious sci-fi themed adds from the 60s which I had to share (well, the second might be somewhat later)….
Continue reading Update: Hilarious 1960s/1950s sci-fi themed ads
Delphine Seyrig has always been my favorite French actress — this was mostly based on her icy, regal, and hauntingly beautiful role in Alain Resnais’ seemingly impenetrable masterpiece, The Last Continue reading A Film Rumination: Muriel, or The Time of Return, Alain Resnais (1963)
