Tag Archives: adventure

Junk Food Dragon

wall

PHOTO PROMPT © Fleur Lind

Twelve-year-old Warren finally stumbled into the clearing. He was tired of Jean and Bobby complaining that the treasure map he took from the trunk in Grandpa’s basement was bogus.

“I told you we’d find it,” he said.

“Find what?” asked Jean panting. “It’s just a wall and a bunch of junk.”

“Wait,” cried Bobby. “A giant keyhole with dragons on either side.”

“Fake dragons,” Jean smirked.

The brick wall flexed like plastic and they heard a gigantic burp. Out popped an old bird fountain.

“Excuse me,” said the dragon’s voice from inside. “I ate too much junk food last night.”

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Writing Books To Encourage Boys To Read

a wobblegong and his boy

Cover image for my novel “A Wobblegong and His Boy”

There are already a ton of articles and essays out there commenting on the decline of boys and men reading. When I was a kid entering Junior High, my “gateway drugs” into science fiction and fantasy were Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series starting with A Princess of Mars. Then came along E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Skylark Series as well as Andre Norton’s The Time Traders and Galactic Derelict.

My reading interests exploded from that flashpoint and I’ve never stopped. Seriously, I’m over seventy-years-old now and I’ve always got at least one book going (library cards are a wonderful thing).

I’ve been very actively promoting my latest science fiction novel A Wobblegong and His Boy on my blog, substack, and social media (you may have noticed). When I heard that Raconteur Press was soliciting novels for their Boy’s Adventure Books series, I was very excited to submit something of my own. I’m gratified and humbled that they accepted my manuscript and as of right now while still on pre-order, my book is number one on Amazon’s list of New Releases in Children’s Space Exploration books. That’s fantastic.

However, as much as I’m thrilled to have another science fiction novel (this will be my second) hitting the virtual book stands, there’s something more important going on.

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Review of “Jurassic World: Rebirth” (2025)

rebirth

© James Pyles

In my last review, I mentioned getting two movies from the public library. The second was Jurassic World: Rebirth. I almost want to say “reboot” because we get a whole new cast of characters, most notably Scarlett Johansson playing the mercenary Zora Bennett.

The film takes place a few years after events in Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) starring another Marvel movie alum Chris Pratt as Owen Grady. Dinosaurs are now sharing the planet with all the other 21st century life forms including humans. However, due to changes in oxygen, temperature, and so on, most dinos are living in areas somewhere near the equator. That’s a convenient way to limit their exposure to people, but it was previously established that at least some dinosaurs can live in colder climates.

Well, this is entertainment.

Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t seen the film and want to be surprised, read no further. You have been warned.

The movie starts in 2008 in a dinosaur genetics lab on Île Saint-Hubert. In previous films, we’ve already seen that audiences got bored seeing the “same old dinosaurs,” so the big money people demanded that the scientists create ever more exciting (and more dangerous) hybrids. The lab has a stupid accident, dropping containment and all hell breaks loose.

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The Based Books for Male Readers is Live NOW!

based book sale

Image taken from the “Based Book Sale” substack.

The Based Books For Male Readers (I’m sure some women would enjoy them, too) is live starting today, Wednesday, July 30th through August 5th.

Tons and tons of digital books, all priced from 99 cents down to FREE are available for download from Amazon.

Here’s part of the blurb:

Whether you’re a father, a fighter, a builder, or just a man looking for stories that resonate with who you are and what you face, the Based Book Sale delivers. This is where you’ll find battle-tested wisdom, thrilling adventures, dangerous ideas, and the kind of timeless values that modern publishing tries to suppress. In a literary world flooded with sensitivity readers, diversity checklist characters, and sanitized stories, this sale is a direct challenge to the decline. We offer books that speak to masculine virtues, moral struggles, and heroic ideals.

All of the books are presented in a linear list, which means the substack page is really, really long. At the bottom, you may find your list is truncated, but there should be a button or link to expand the page so you can see every thing.

The sale is supposed to contain two of my books, but one has been left off. I’m looking into that.

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Summer Based Book Sale 2025 is Coming

based book sale

Image taken from the “Based Book Sale” substack.

Cool books are coming on sale for one week and you don’t want to miss out.

The 2025 edition of Summer Based Book Sale will run from July 30th to August 4th. This year the focus is “based books for men.”

All books featured on the sale will be priced from 99 cents down to FREE and available for download from Amazon onto your Kindle device (it’s possible some paperbacks will also be part of the sale).

I’ve known L. Jagi Lamplighter for some years now (online) and she’s responsible for publishing a number of my fantasy short stories in various anthologies including “The Price” in Fantastic Schools: Volume Six.

I responded to her “Do Men Read” survey on X/twitter and followed up by reading her Do Men Read? substack.

It’s often believed that men don’t read or don’t like to read, and because of that perception, bookstores don’t stock books for men thinking they wouldn’t sell.

The real problem is finding books that men want to read.

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Coming in December 2025…

far futures

Cover art for “Far Futures: Book Four”

My short story “Awash on Titan’s Shores” has been accepted into this anthology. Marketing won’t officially start until October for publication in December.

I haven’t even started editing the story with the publisher yet. All I’ll say is the anthology requires the story be set on or around Saturn’s moon Titan and military SciFi was acceptable.

Here’s a little taste:

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Book Review of “Turn Coat” (2009), a “Dresden Files” Novel

turn coat

© James Pyles

Last night I finished Jim Butcher’s 2009 novel Turn Coat, the 11th book in “The Dresden Files” series.

You’d think that in eleven books, Butcher would turn in a turkey now and then, but he is the gift that keeps on giving. That said, there’s always the danger things will start to get repetitive, especially as the reader becomes more familiar with the Dresden universe.

There is some of that, at least a little. After all (spoiler alert), the climax of this novel occurs on the same piece of magical real estate as the last one.

But there are surprises throughout.

Remember, I said spoiler alert.

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Review (and Commentary) of “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson

treasure island

Cover art for the novel “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

At the ripe old age of seventy (soon to be seventy-one), I don’t believe I’ve read Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island before. It first appeared in book form in 1883 and before that, was serialized in a children’s magazine from 1881 to 1882 under the title “Treasure Island or the Mutiny of the Hispaniola.”

“Children’s literature” indeed since it describes more than one murder in somewhat grisly detail as well as the threat of torture, hangings, alcoholism, and dismemberment.

Truth be told, I picked it up (figuratively speaking) because I’m interested in authoring a book for an open submission requesting adventure novels written specifically for boys. Not only that, but a boy (probably about age ten) must be an active participant in the story if not the main protagonist.

Stevenson’s classic novel was suggested as an inspiration. Since it is open domain, it’s a free download (available for purchase as well if you want all the bells and whistles) in a variety of formats.

Like other 19th century novels, it’s not written in a way that’s always easy for the modern reader. There are times when it rambles and winds its way toward its ultimate conclusion along several unlikely paths.

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“Our Legacy, The Stars: A Tom Corbett Adventure” Now Available as a Digital and Paperback Book

tom corbett

Cover art for my book “Our Legacy, The Stars: A Tom Corbett Adventure.”

It’s here!

Once a 16-part serial adventure on Kindle Vella, Our Legacy, The Stars: A Tom Corbett Adventure is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats (It might still take a couple of days for Amazon to actually link and stock the book in all markets).

Based on the 1950s television show Tom Corbett Space Cadet, the book is updated in terms of our modern understanding of science as well as more nuanced characterizations and plot.

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Retro Review of “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022)

love and thunder

© James Pyles

Strolling around the DVD section of my local public library yesterday, I decided to finally check out the 2022 movie Thor: Love and Thunder. It had the benefit of me not having to pay to see the film.

I have now joined the vast legion of people (online anyway) who’ve gone on record as hating, detesting, and loathing this movie. I almost shut off the DVD at the 12 minute mark and then again at 15. However, I forced myself to watch it just so I could render some sort of opinion.

The only Marvel movie I did stop watching at about a third of the way through was Eternals (2021). I even managed to make it all the way through The Marvels (2023) before totally panning it.

Honestly, if this is the best Director Taika Waititi can do, he can stop making films right now (alas, he hasn’t).

The story starts on a barren planet where a man Gorr (Christian Bale) and his young daughter (played by Chris Hemsworth’s daughter India Rose Hemsworth) are dying. Gorr prays to his god for deliverance which does not arrive. Instead, his daughter dies.

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