Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: 21st Century Science Fiction Edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden

This is a good anthology.  It’s an effort to showcase the work of science fiction and fantasy writers who have made their mark on the field since the beginning of the 21st century, and for the most part it succeeds. … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On Rereading Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.

James Tiptree Jr. has been one of my favorite short story writers for over forty years.  Lest anyone get confused when I refer to the author as “she” or “her,” James Tiptree Jr. was a pseudonym for Alice Sheldon, a … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris

The five mentioned in the title are the five top directors working in Hollywood at the start of World War II:  Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens, and William Wyler.  When the war started, each of them cut … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

I had forgotten the joys of perusing books in libraries, but my present inability to afford to buy books has brought it back.  I’ve found a number of quality books I would have never thought of reading, among them this … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson

This is one of those rarities among books:  fascinating, well-written, and just the right length for what it sets out to do.  It tells the story of the creation of computers, programming, the transistor, the microchip, video games, the Internet, … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates

All of the stories in this book are dark; some are deep; only a few are lovely.  At first I thought the title was an original fabrication referring to the stories themselves, but in fact it is culled from the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris

This is the second volume of a trilogy on the life of Theodore Roosevelt, one of the most dynamic of U.S. presidents.  The first volume, “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt” deals with his youth, education, early years as a rancher … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Blackout by Connie Willis

I approach this review with trepidation.  I admire Connie Willis and her writing.  I have read several of her books and a lot of her short stories.  She has won more major awards in the speculative fiction genre than any … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Harry Harrison! Harry Harrison! A Memoir by Harry Harrison

I picked this book up by chance at the library because Harry Harrison was a science fiction writer and I thought there might be some interesting stories within about the world of science fiction writers and fans.  A word about … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Memoir, On Writing, Travel | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: The Samurai by Shusaku Endo

Last night I watched the movie “The Last Samurai” with Tom Cruise.  I have seen it several times.  I think it’s a great film and one of Tom Cruise’s best.  But if you are looking for the type of samurai … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment