MBW, the HA, and I jaunted down to Monterrey for the New Year. Not to stay up until midnight and toast the changing of the calendar with champagne and fireworks, but to be in town for the 60th birthday party of my brother-in-law. It’s a short one-hour flight from San Antonio. Convenient. And the notorious… Continue reading Commencing the New Year in Monterrey
Tag: Cesar the Bravo
The 2025 Rearview Mirror
I hope yours were merry and bright, that your halls were decked, and that any lingering reindeer pellets on your roof have ceased to smell. 2025 was…memorable for MBW, the HA, and me. But this isn’t the appropriate venue to rehash house-sale travails, or gnash my teeth over financial hiccups. Instead, I will review my… Continue reading The 2025 Rearview Mirror
Sharpen Your Blade. The “Cesar the Bravo” Release Date is Upon You.
On November 12, Cesar the Bravo will be released into the general public. Sequester your wives and daughters, and hide the cooking wine. The book collects all the previously published short stories as well as a brand new novel-length adventure of Plenum’s toughest bravo, Cesar (“Chay-zar”, but go ahead and pronounce it however you like.)… Continue reading Sharpen Your Blade. The “Cesar the Bravo” Release Date is Upon You.
Farewell Orycon
I still have one panel left today. But I’m already bidding adieu to Orycon, the convention I’ve been attending off and on since the late 80s. It has been a good run. I’ve had a lot of fun. Now that I no longer live in the Pacific Northwest, attending has been rather inconvenient, yet worth… Continue reading Farewell Orycon
S.P.Q.R. IV The Temple of the Muses
I believe the John Maddox Roberts splurge has ended for a while with S.P.Q.R. IV: The Temple of the Muses. This is not because I’ve grown tired of his writing or the exploits of Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger. I’ve simply finished all of Roberts’ books ready to hand. This seems like a good spot… Continue reading S.P.Q.R. IV The Temple of the Muses
Jack Williamson’s “Darker Than You Think.” Indeed.
Darker Than You Think does live up to the title in a slow burn fashion. It follows the dawning realization of the protagonist — Will Barbee, hardbitten, alcoholic journalist — that dark forces, witchcraft, and horrific legends of the past are all based on a semi-human race of beings. And that he might in fact… Continue reading Jack Williamson’s “Darker Than You Think.” Indeed.
Back Home
I spent the last two weeks revisiting family and old friends in the Portland area. It was at times relaxing and at others hectic. But overall I enjoyed it. Now I’m back home. While it feels good to return, I’m still facing much of the work deriving from the recent move. Such is life: a… Continue reading Back Home
Michael Resnick’s “Pursuit on Ganymede.”
Once upon a time, Powell’s Books in Portland used to be a trove of used paperback treasures at prices a hungry college student could afford. Now when I happen to visit PDX (to see old friends, family, visit clients, etc.) I still stop in to browse. Gone are the days of bargain prices. But still… Continue reading Michael Resnick’s “Pursuit on Ganymede.”
ERB’s “The Lost Continent” and the Great War.
The Lost Continent (original title Beyond Thirty) is a short, pared-down action novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs first published in 1916, only four years after ERB’s breakout work, Tarzan. 1916 was, of course, smack in the middle of World War I, and the influence is clear. The story takes place in the 22nd century. Pan-America… Continue reading ERB’s “The Lost Continent” and the Great War.