Cool Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art

Love this Ninja Turtles art. 

100 Greatest Action Movie Punchlines

This a cool video with some very memorable lines, many from the 80's.  Be warned, the language is salty at times.  Enjoy. 

My favorite line has to be, "donuts don't wear alligator shoes."  Ha!

Book Preview: Where the Rock Splits the Sky

Dust jacket summary: The moon has been split, and the Visitors have Earth in their alien grip. But the captive planet? That's not her problem. Megan just wants to track down her missing dad...

The world stopped turning long before Megan was born. Ever since the Visitors split the moon and stilled the Earth, permanent sunset is all anyone has known. But now, riding her trusty steed Cisco, joined by her posse, Kelly and Luis, Megan is on the run from her Texas hometown, journeying across the vast, dystopic American West to hunt down her father. To find him, she must face the Zone, a notorious landscape where the laws of nature do not apply. The desert can play deadly tricks on the mind, and the quest will push Megan past her limits. But to solve the mystery of not just her missing father but of the paralyzed planet itself, she must survive it--and an alien showdown.

Praise for SIX DAYS

"A crackerjack adventure...Cass has a lovely, rich, narrative voice and is a feisty heroine...It's such a racketing good time..." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A wildly inventive, fast-paced, science-fiction adventure story complete with a strong female protagonist, creative language, and tender relationships between wonderful young adults caught up in terrible times. This is one terrific page-turning tale." -- VOYA

"The pace steadily increases to near breathlessness...Cass's narration is both gripping and authentic." -- BCCB

"Webb has created a complex and intriguing dystopia filled with devastation, clever devices, and lots of local color. The novel's rapid pacing will hook readers and keep them turning pages." -- BOOKLIST

Publication date: March 2014

Geek Elf on the Shelf

Our Elf on the Shelf, Belle, is doing some pretty geeky things this Holiday season. 

Book Review: The Force Unleashed

This book is based on the novelization of a video game by the same name and you can tell. Sean Williams is the author for this adventure. The basic premise is that a SuperJedi becomes a Sith apprentice and wrecks havoc on the Rebellion. The question is, if the SuperJedi are only apprentices then how do the Sith ever lose to a punk like Luke Skywalker?

A good premise. At certain parts of the story the characters represent life like beings instead of killing machines. The other positive things are the presence of Wookies and Jar Jar is never, ever mentioned. It does have a cool jacket cover.

Starkiller (the apprentice) is way too powerful in comparison with the other characters. He kills off Jedi Masters like they were droids and is able to move a crashing Star Destroyer with a flick of a finger. Starkiller goes on numerous missions that only pertain to the video game storyline and seams out place. Due to his superpowers, you never feel that Starkiller is in any danger.

Poorly executed novel. The video game designers were allowed way too much latitude in the Star Wars universe and it shows through due to much of the nonsense that happens in the novel. I wish the author would have deviated more from the video game storyline and allowed the story to breath. This is a wasted opportunity to breach the gap between the third and fourth movies. Skip it.

Cosplay at Elite Comics Day of the Dead celebration 2013

Elite Comics held their annually Day of the Dead celebration in October 2013.  My daughter went as Stephanie Brown's Robin.  The costume was designed and made by wife.  It was a fun day and met many cool people.

  

 

Book Review: Pandemonium

This is an impressive debut book from Daryl Gregory. The story centers around the main character, Del Pierce, and his pursuit to have his Demon exorcised. This novel reminded me of early Stephen King in which he gets you to like the main character and then messes with his life. This creates tension throughout the novel and makes you squirm when bad things happen. Mr. Gregory’s plotting is superb as the mystery to determine what is happening unfolds.

This is an inventive novel. The idea that a demon possession can happen randomly to any person at any time is cool. In addition, there are only certain Demon archetype’s such as The Painter, Kamikaze, The Captain, The Truth, etc. Each Demon has their own characteristics and their human host will perform as such. Mr. Gregory even possessed Philip K. Dick with a demon called Valis. Hilarious.

Sometimes the novel is a little abrupt and it is hard to figure out where you are in the story. This is minor irritation that may have more to do with the reader (me) than the author.

This is truly a unique novel that deserves to be read.

Book Review: 13 Bullets

13 Bullets is how I like my vampires. They are ruthless killers that are superhuman, cunning, with no regards towards human life and almost impossible kill. Essentially they are monsters. Not some love struck pretty boy who needs to sort out his feelings. Forget the wimpy two fangs thing; these vampires have an entire mouth full of sharp teeth. Kinda like Langoliers with bodies. Our heroes, fresh faced trooper Caxton and grizzled old veteran Arkeley must find a way to kill off the vampires before they turn the state of Pennsylvania into a ghost town.

This book is pure action. The vampires get more interesting towards the end of the book when David Wellington spends some time expounding upon their social order and personalities. But the true stars of the book are the main characters, Caxton and Arkeley. Arkeley has a vendetta against the vamps and will stop at nothing to put them down. Caxton is just trying to figure out what is going on and how to stay alive. David Wellington does excellent job of having the two play off each other.

The story tends to drag at times.

A different take on vampires (think I am Legend versus Twilight) keeps the story together and with non-stop action makes this novel an interesting read. But be warned, the gore level is pretty high.  I look forward to his other two installments in the series.

Co-Optitude takes on Secret of Mana

You need to watch this!!!! Over the last week I have been addicted to watching the show.  Felicia and Ryon Day play Secret of Mana and hilarity ensues.  It's like MST3K for gamers.  My favorite line is "You don't hop up and down on leg on the log".

  

Mass Effect 3: Official Launch Trailer

This trailer is a bit dated but still gets me pumped up. 

Book Review: The Adamantine Palace

This novel was definitely what I would call a “cover art purchase” as I was not aware that it was being released. While we were on our weekly Friday bookstore trip, I spotted The Adamantine Palace on an end cap display. The cover art was jaw dropping, an armored knight riding an armored dragon, I knew I had to read it. Because we all known that if the cover art is cool then the story will follow suit (insert sarcastic chuckle). Actually, for the most part, The Adamantine Palace is a solid debut novel by Stephen Deas with very little weaknesses but not quite a homerun either. This is first book in a planned series known as The Memory of Flames.

This first question the reader should have about The Adamantine Palace, does the story really center around dragons? The answer is a solid yes. Mr. Deas’ spin on this subject is that only the very wealthy and royalty are allowed to own dragons. There are only two types’ of dragons, hunting and war mounts. The hunting dragons are smaller and more agile than the powerful and bulky war mounts. The breeding of the dragons is closely monitored by the Alchemists to make sure that each and every dragon is drugged throughout its life. If a dragon is taken off the drug then they turn into a very dangerous animal bent on destruction of humankind.

One of the plot threads involves a rare all white dragon, called Snow, escaping its handlers thereby being free from the power of the Alchemist’s drugs. Slowly Snow begins to realize what captivity has meant to the dragons and the prison they have kept in for a very long time. But being a dragon, which means that they are also animals with bad tempers, Snow looks to seek revenge on all humans and especially the Alchemists.

The other more predominant plot thread is a political thriller. This is pretty much of a straightforward telling for the struggle to become the next Speaker of the Realms. The Speaker is a Queen or King who is nominated into that position and will serve the next ten years as the unchallenged ruler over the realms. The current Speaker, Hyram, has agreed to follow a past agreement and name Queen Shezira as the next Speaker. But there is plot by Prince Jehal and Queen Zafir to subvert this agreement that is pretty ingenious once it all comes at the end of the novel.

For me, the two best authors of being able to structure a taught, tension filled political type fantasy story are Brandon Sanderson and Ken Scholes. Mr. Deas is just a step behind in his story as I didn’t quite feel the tension as the layers of the story unfolded. When the final betrayal hit, it was only a minor surprise as it was foreshadowed all throughout the story. I felt that the story was missing a certain level of apprehension that is created when putting characters into bad situations.

The one main quibble I had with the story was the pacing. As with any debut novel it can be alittle erratic at times. For the first hundred pages the story is building nicely and the reader is introduced to all of the characters. The novel is getting into a good rhythm when it suddenly veers to the left. Out of the blue we are introduced to the dragon Snow and its struggle to become independent. It was a very jarring transition. All the characters that the story had been following previously are forgotten for the next fifty pages or so. Eventually the two stories are then melded together. From this point forward both of the stories have equal time and everything works out fine by the end.

The other quibble I had was that there was no map. For some reason I really like referring back to a map in fantasy stories in order to keep track of the action. This is not a fair criticism to the author or the book but I just like my maps. Probably goes back to my D&D days?

While not wholly original I did enjoy the symbiotic relationship between the humans and the dragons.  They form a sort of a horse-master type of relationship.  The humans do care for their beasts, but they still are beasts who can breathe fire.   There are enough fascinating elements in the story to build upon in future volumes.

The Adamantine Palace is an above average debut fantasy novel but not quite in the same level as The Warded Man or Lamentation. It is very solid story with no major missteps or gaffs but in the end, I did not get totally suck into the story. Mr. Deas has created a very interesting world with a subculture that involves dragons which should serve for some very fascinating sequels.

Mass Effect 3 team pic

Oh how I love thee Mass Effect 3.  Man, I cannot get enough of playing this game.  I really don't enjoy replaying video games over and over.  But Mass Effect 3 is a whole different monster.  I have replayed this game 4 or 5 times and it has yet to grow stale.  Personally, it is like revisiting an old friend or watching Star Wars again.

Anyway, I snapped picture of the team on my last play through. 

   

Book Review: Succession (The Risen Empire & The Killing of Worlds)

I have now read six books written by Scott Westerfeld (which include Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras) and in my opinion Mr. Westerfeld is very gifted writer. His writing is fluid and easy to follow whether he describing an action sequence or political intrigue. More importantly, he develops plots that are interesting and thought provoking. Mr. Westerfeld has the potential to become one of greats in sci-fi literature.

The Risen Empire & The Killing of Worlds were written before Scott Westerfeld published his two Young Adult series, Uglies & Midnighters, which he has become known for. I recommend picking up both books at the same time as the first book ends in a major cliffhanger. Trust me, I am saving you a trip back to bookstore.

This is a pitch perfect sci-fi book that never stumbles. The plot is always moving forward, never going sideways on meaningless side quests. The characters are diverse and interesting in their own unique aspect. Even though the story centers on land and space battles, Scott Westerfeld deftly handles the political situations that are equally exciting. The constant challenge to the Emperor’s absolute rule is the central theme as Mr. Westerfeld is essentially asking “is immortal life good for humankind?”

I wish the books were longer because I wanted the story to continue and to explore more of the universe created by Scott Westerfeld.

As the George Costanza once said, “I knew I had hit my high note so I thanked the crowd and I was gone”. Scott Westerfeld hits all high notes, knows when to cut the story and leaves you wanting more. Please, please, please consider writing a sequel.

Book Review - Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

I like to read these novels to get my Star Wars fix. I do not keep up with all of the ins and outs of the Star Wars EU (extended universe), particularly how the novels or comic books affect the Star Wars time line. I take each book on its own face and its own separate adventure. That being said, this is decent entry into the Star Wars universe and fairly enjoyable read.

The events of this story take place soon after Return of the Jedi. The Rebel Alliance has won but there are still a few hold outs that want to see the Empire return. All the major characters, Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, R2, Lando, etc., are present and well represented. Mr. Stover also introduces some new characters and reuses other characters that have only appeared in the EU. One of the new characters, Nick Rotsu, quickly became a favorite of mine.

Mr. Stover does a reasonable job of getting the voices right of the well known characters. Some do seem a little off, like Han making a joke after joke after joke. But, some of the humor is truly laugh out funny. Nick Rotsu’s constant bickering with Luke Skywalker had me continually chuckling.

The plot is decent and set up well. Cronal is an adequate bad guy since the major baddies, Darth Vader and Palpatine, are no longer around. Cornal’s version of the Dark is an interesting and different take of the Dark Side. Think of it as the Darkest of the Dark Side. His scheme to reconstitute the Empire is also plausible and much more interesting than the brute force method used in the movies.

I won’t go into too much detail but Mr. Stover’s constant making fun of the Luke and Han’s reputations via the holo-image thrillers adds a nice detail and especially made ending more satisfying. Read the book and you will know what I mean.

This is sad, but there was so much action that it became tiresome after awhile. After the rebel forces enter the system it is essentially one long running battle. That constitutes about 2/3rds of the book and I would have preferred a few breaks.

Overall this was an enjoyable and fun book. Recommended for any Star Wars fan a reader who enjoys a good sci-fi yarn.

Book Review - Horns by Joe Hill

Horns is Joe Hill’s follow up novel to Heart-Shaped Box. I was blown away by Heart-Shaped Box and I was highly anticipating the release of Horns. Overall this is a truly excellent novel. Mr. Hill did not suffer a sophomore slump with Horns and in fact, this novel demonstrates that Mr. Hill’s talent as writer is growing exponentially and he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

The story starts with an interesting concept. The main character, Ignatius “Ig” Perrish, wakes up one morning after a bender to discover horns growing from his forehead. Soon after everyone he runs into is telling him their deep dark secrets. This really sucks when your parents tell you that they no longer want you around or your priest tells you that he thinks you’re guilty of your girlfriend’s murder. Ig’s long time girlfriend was raped and murdered about a year prior to the beginning of the story. Everyone in the small town thinks Ig was responsible for her murder but there was not enough evidence for a conviction. Now Ig has the power to force people to tell him what really happened, unfortunately some secrets should stay buried.

In the end, Horns is a simple tale of revenge but very complex in its execution. But it is the characters that are the very heart of this novel as they are so well illustrated that they actually feel like friends and family. When they are in pain, the reader feels their pain. Some passages of this novel are absolutely brutal. By brutal I do not mean in violent way but in an emotional way. There is entire sequence where Ig is at a restaurant with his girlfriend, Merrin Williams, and she is breaking up with him. The conversation between the characters will cause a sinking feeling in your gut especially if you have ever been dumped from a long term relationship. Don’t get me wrong, there are some passages that are extremely violent but these sequences are the central part of story, not just for violence sake.

In the mist of the story Mr. Hill also sprinkles of humor, very dark humor though. Some of the secrets, especially the nun in Ig’s church, were just laugh out funny. The more wicked sense of humor you have the funnier this book will be.

The story does jump to the several other characters to provide insight and a background for their motivations. The first jump was a little jarring. Ig is running around town trying to figure out how the horns suddenly appeared when the story jumps backwards to when he was a kid. At first the story seems to have gone off the tracks a bit but once this part is completely finished, it adds another piece to the puzzle. I found nothing in is this story that is a waste or just put in just in order to fill pages.

Secondary to the novel itself, the story questions if the devil is actually the bad guy and the one who is morally corrupt. There are some thought provoking passages of what constitutes evil, the political hatchet man who uses his faith as a shield or the man turned into a devil that allows people to be their true selves. This is not the primary focus of the story but does provide some food for thought.

There are also a couple shout outs to his dad’s work that are just fun when you read them. I really like that he is embracing his legacy and is having fun with it.

The one quibble I had with the Audio version was Fred Berman’s narration. His voice was not quit right for this type of story. Mr. Berman’s voice has a Casey Kasem style about it that sounds like he is doing a “long distance dedication” at times. I really enjoyed Stephen Lang reading Heart-Shaped Box and was hoping he would have narrated Horns.

Horns is flat out one of the best books that I have read in 2010 and easily one of the best horror type books I read in a very long time. Mr. Hill is able to expertly capture the sweetness and brutally of life in equal measures. He is a writer that everyone needs to take notice of because he is writing some of the best fiction that is being published today.