Book Review of “Captain Video: The New Adventures” (2024)

Cover art for “The New Adventures of Captain Video” by Jason Russell

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When I saw that Jason Russell at Starry Eyed Press had written a new Captain Video book I was a little surprised. I guess I shouldn’t have been. After all, they were the ones who had asked me to write my Tom Corbett, Space Cadet serial (which, by the way, is picking up more traction on Kindle Vella).

I think Russell and Starry Eyed Press have their eye on reviving a lot of old science fiction television that is now in the public domain. That’ll be exciting. I can’t wait.

Curious, I picked up a virtual copy.

It’s a fast read, which is good. This could easily have been serialized on Kindle Vella as well, but it works as a small book, too.

I must admit to knowing next to nothing about the original Captain Video and His Video Rangers TV show (1949-1955).

According to the summary at Amazon:

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Kickstarter for “Zehlreg A. Grindstone’s Spectacular Western Oddity Emporium” Launches Tomorrow!

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Remember when I said that my western/horror short story “Blood Trail” was accepted for publication by End of the World Pubishing?

Well, the kickstarter starts tomorrow morning, Friday, May 31st!

According to the publisher, the final word count will be around 125K, which is huge. Also, reaching for the stars, they also want to raise enough for an audiobook as well.

Go to the Zehlreg A. Grindstone’s Spectacular Western Oddity Emporium kickstarter page. If necessary, create an account (I had to go through about a dozen captchas just to make mine).

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Revenge of the Geek Show

binks

PHOTO PROMPT © Mr. Binks

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Willard looked up from beneath the discarded canvas at the base of the ride. He heard the squeals of the happy rubes spinning and twisting, hoping they’d vomit.

The sound of tinny calliope music, the sickening smell of cotton candy, or someone gorging another cheap hotdog with mustard filled him with nothing but hate. Big Luther said he still got nostalgic, but his brain rotted long ago.

Will nodded to the others, each one in their hidden positions. Just at ten, when the crowds were wildest and the carny lights blotted out the stars of heaven, they’d begin the slaughter.

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Mime Fabriek

mime kitchen

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

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He was the only one who didn’t have a name. He was the one who had to choose the other names who were right for the job.

The inside cover of the folder said:

We encounter so many inspiring makers and performers, each one of them so rich in their work, so specific in their approach to a creation, so different from each other.

They were dancers, actors, mimes, each especially gifted. He scanned their photos and read their stories. Tonight, he would select five and then begin to mold them.

Soon, they would be ready to save the world.

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Review of “Exhalation: Stories” (2019) by Ted Chiang

chiang

© James Pyles

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I became aware of Ted Chiang‘s book Exhalation: Stories (2019) when it was recently promoted on Bookbub (I get an email from them daily). I was curious, so I looked the book up on Amazon.

First of all, 90% of its Amazon reviews are four and five stars. That’s pretty impressive.

Secondly, under “Editorial Reviews,” there’s a long, long list of quotes from professional reviewers giving the book high praise. Even former President Barack Obama said:

“A collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.”

Joyce Carol Oates of “The New Yorker” said:

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“The Last Oasis of Mars” to be Published in High Tower Magazine

pirates

Promotional art for “The Last Oasis of Mars.”

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My steampunk science fantasy short story “The Last Oasis of Mars” has been accepted for publication in the brand new periodical High Tower Magazine.

So far, the publication is entirely digital, so I don’t have any promo art from them. That’s why I posted some of my AI art (the story is 100% me) above for the visual.

“Oasis” is a callback to the “Barsoom” tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs as well as the pulp fiction of the early part of the 20th century. A lot of this was my introduction to science fiction and fantasy when I was a teen, so it’s near and dear to my heart.

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The Mad Priest of Melrose Abbey

tower

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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That it was a converted church made the former Abbot queasy, but the vane on the steeple didn’t look too much like the Christian symbol. After his humiliating defeat at Stains Castle, he needed a place to lie low.

The war had been going poorly lately, what with the arrival of those cursed lawful dragons. The demons and chaos dragons had predicted an easy victory when they attacked the mortal world, but hadn’t counted on all of the students in a world full of magic schools.

The vampire laid himself in his coffin and dreamed of the blood of nuns.

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Promoting “Galactic Treks” and “Our Legacy, The Stars: A Tom Corbett Adventure”

promo

Promotional image for my recent work.

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I used a recent Starry Eyed Press newsletter to craft the composite image you see above. I’m sure you can tell this is all about self-promotion. When you’re an indie author, you are also your own marketing department.

My novelette “The Aliens” is now published in the Starry Eyed Press anthology Galactic Treks: Short Stories. This is brand new and I’m one of five featured authors.

“The Aliens is an old school science fiction tale about a starship, the rise of a new and uncertain second officer, and after 200 years of space exploration, the very first contact with an intelligent, space traveling race. Will this signal disaster for humanity or a bold new step into the final frontier?

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Soshi’s Magic Teleporting Divorce Machine

sukkah

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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“A little early for Sukkot,” Brad chuckled to himself.

“Very funny.” Soshi winced at another of his jokes criticizing her Judaism. “We could use it as a sukkah, but it would make a nice outdoor playhouse for the kids.

“I don’t know.” He gazed upward. “It kind of looks like rain.”

“Just step inside and tell me what you think.”

Brad reluctantly walked into the center of the structure. Soshi quickly took a small remote out of her pocket and pressed the red button. Instantly, Brad was beamed into a different reality.

“Laugh your way out of that one, Brad.”

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Book Review of “The Pride of Chanur” (1982)

chanur

Cover art for C.J. Cherryh’s “The Pride of Chanur.”

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I finished C.J. Cherryh’s The Pride of Chanur a few days ago but am just now getting the time to write the review.

I remembered reading this back in the 1980s but didn’t recall the details (forty years is a long time). When I saw it on Bookbub, I was curious. There wasn’t a copy in my public library system so I bit the bullet and bought a digital copy from Amazon.

The story is set in a universe involving a species called the Hani. They’re cat-like, their space traveling freighters are captained and crewed by females, as the males aren’t suited to space travel, and their particular region of space is dominated by them and other races who trade with each other via a system of space stations in an alliance called “The Compact.”

The chief “baddy” in this tale are the Kif which are tall, thin, and hairless. They are also predatory, cunning, and devious.

While the ship “Pride of Chanur” is at Meetpoint station, a strange alien is seen to be skulking on the docks. It finally manages to slip by the Captain, Pyanfur Chanur, into her ship, but is wounded in the attempt.

Communication is a chore since the creature doesn’t speak a civilized language. It’s eventually discovered that this is an intelligent creature which had been a captive on a Kif ship and was trying to escape.

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