© James Pyles
I finished Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novel Small Favor a week or more ago, but I’ve been so busy (largely with granddaughters) that I haven’t had time to write the review before now.
Just when I think everything that can happen to wizard Harry Dresden has happened, something new comes up.
PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot
“We came to take nuclear torpedoes from an old submarine, not hunt for ghosts.” Simon, in the pilot’s seat of the deep-sea submersible, sounded almost panicked rather than his usual assured self.
“I can’t help that,” yelled Cora at the hydrophones. The banging I hear from the inside of that sub is an SOS. Someone’s still alive in there.”
“That’s bloody impossible,” snarled Vic. He was working the manipulators trying to free the first torpedo. “We’re 10,000 feet deep and that sub sank 60 years ago.”
“Tell that to them,” Cora shrieked. Then the sea’s dead came for the pirates.
PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson
“What do you think, Dad?” Liz proudly showed off her university senior art project resting in a dorm courtyard.
“I’m not sure what to think,” Mike said. “What is it?”
“It’s symbolic of the constraints placed on reality and the illusion that if we were released from our cage, that we would be anything more than inert material.”
“Seems a little dark, Liz,” said Mike scratching his chin.
“We live in a dark world, Dad.”
“But why so grim? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”
“Dad, you grew up in a world of hope. That world is gone.”
Promotional image for the TV show “Andromeda”
I’ve been deciding which classic science fiction television series to start watching for quite a while now. However, it was a chance post on X/twitter that made me choose Andromeda, created from a concept developed by the late Gene (“Star Trek”) Roddenberry and starring Kevin Sorbo.
I made my decision when “Andromeda” was described as sharing a lot of the thematic “DNA” with a favorite show of mine Firefly.
The show ran from 2000 to 2005 which would make it seem pretty successful, but it didn’t attain anywhere near the notoriety, let alone the legend, that Roddenberry’s Star Trek achieved as a franchise.
I’ve only watched the first two episodes so far, but what I’ve seen shows promise, if also presents as flawed.
Keep in mind, two episodes isn’t enough to judge an entire series and “Star Trek’s” first season, although thoroughly enjoyable, was also greatly inconsistent.
Oh, this will be loaded with spoilers, so you have been warned.
PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox
“This will be fun, Grandpa,” said his youngest granddaughter. At fourteen, she was as full of silliness as when she was four.
“I’m seventy-one, not seventeen. What do I care for glow-in-the-dark strip and macramé parties?” the old man groused. “This is worse than Chuck E. Cheese.”
“Relax into it,” said his oldest grandson. “It won’t be so bad. Besides, the pizza here’s pretty good.”
“Well, maybe for a little bit,” Grandpa said.
“We have a surprise, Grandpa,” said one of the middle granddaughters.
Then they brought out the blond stripper in the glow-in-the-dark macramé.
“At my age?” he groaned.
© James Pyles
I just finished Starhyke: A Dark Future Past (2025) by A.S. Charly, published by Starry Eyed Press and I must say it doesn’t disappoint.
The novel is based on the 2009 British television/comedy Starhyke (Starhyke as in “hike”, “Star Trek.” Get it?).
I’d never heard of the television show before I became aware of the book, but it seemed like an interesting concept. The Amazon blurb for the TV show says:
In the year 3034 the human race has found a way to make itself emotionless and has taken over most of the galaxy, subduing or destroying any alien race it discovers. The last race to oppose the humans are the peaceable Reptids, who are determined to stop them at any cost.
Basically, in this galactic space opera, Earth people are the bad guys, having suppressed all of their emotions. the alien Reptids are fighting back, trying to give humans back their emotions with a virus so they’ll stop being so aggressive. Seems intriguing, but apparently, there’s a reason the show was cancelled after one season. Again, according to an Amazon review of the show:
Cover art for “Dames, Derringers and Detectives: Moggie Noir”
My hardboiled detective story “Last Wish of a Dead Man” is now available in the Raconteur Press anthology Dames, Derringers and Detectives: Moggie Noir in paperback and Kindle formats.
The blurb at Amazon says:
In this iteration, Moggie Noir is more than a framework, it’s a mewed.
I feel it is safe to say that we are most inspired by the creative expressions of authors who view genre notes for story calls as a guideline, and who then proceed to stretch the idea like Coney Island saltwater taffy. In this way, we have not been disappointed. The trick is to tug at the theme but still have the recognizable touches that tell the reader this is a noir story rather than a slapstick comedy or big fish story.
So, in this taffy-pulling spirit, we bring you our third Moggie Noir salvo, “Dames, Derringers, and Detectives.” This gritty set of tails will have you rooting for the good guys, hissing at some bad cats, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll see how true love can win in the end.
The publisher said guest editor Rita Beeman adored my story, which is very nice to hear.
In late 1940s San Francisco, private detective Margie Potter has developed a unique reputation in the afterlife. She solves the murders of ghost, sometimes without realizing it. In her first story “The Haunted Detective” featured in The Trench Coat Chronicles, Margie goes up against hardened gangsters to solve the murder of her best friend which occurred years ago and almost ends up as a ghost herself.
PHOTO PROMPT © Ken Arnopole
“Daddy, do you think Mommy’s okay?”
My six-year-old daughter asked me the question I didn’t want to answer.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” I said. We were watching the news on my phone. “Boise was outside the Yellowstone super volcano’s blast radius…”
“So, she’s alright?”
“Maybe. But the volcano will get everyone else.”
“What?”
“You know how the sky is always gray and we have to stay inside so we don’t breathe the ashes? That’s spreading around the world blocking the sun. Pretty soon, it’s going to be winter everywhere.
“Can we go home soon, Daddy? I’m don’t like Boston anymore.”
Promotional cover art for “Haunted Places” volume 2
It’s here!
The Haunted Places (universal link) anthology featuring my short story “Haunting Chloe” is now available!
Here’s a sample of my story:
© James Pyles
I expected Cosmic Convocation: A Space Opera Anthology published by Starry Eyed Press, to contain an uneven collection of stories and that’s exactly what I found. I won’t mention all of them (although I took notes for every single story), but here are some of the more mentionable works.
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