Audiobook Review - Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by

I love short stories and radio dramas! And I love stories that focus on concepts. And I love original stories that take a different angle on stories.

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a science fiction short story anthology. It is available as an eBook, audio book, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Today I Invented Time Travel. 3.5/5 This was a fun idea that needed more development.

End Game. 5/5 Video game addiction and its effects on society. Even without this twist, the story is really entertaining and fun.

November 8, 2016. 4/5 A look at people's inherent worth vs. the perception of their worth.


Horatio Breathed His Last. 4/5 An author and his creator. A story I've heard before, but well told.

Purgatory. 5/5 Suicide and alien abductions that don't go how you think they'll go.

Out of the Blue. 4/5 Reality is a giant computer simulation which explains why things that have happen happened.


Rose. 2/5 Miracle plant that can bring the dead back to life and a disappointing romance.

Red Parka. 4.5/5 A new take on psychics that can see the future. Fun story.

Mister Personality. 4/5 This is a story about AI. It takes a different twist on what it means to be human.

Christmas in Silver Peak. 4/5 This is a first contact story at Christmas. While the ending isn't original, I didn't expect that twist with this particular story.

The Bad

Dakō. 1/5 One person looks for a deceased loved one. The "twist" is obvious and been done too often.

Quick Fix. 2/5 Science opera engineering that had potential but didn't go far enough with it.

Tick Tick Tick. 2/5 Man gets a tick which transform him. Okay, unoriginal, and doesn't really go anywhere.

Bloop. 2/5 An alien contact gone wrong, almost as wrong as this story went. Clever approach.

Their DNA Was No Longer the Same. 2/5 This is an exploration of a recent discovery about time in space changing DNA.

The Last One. 2/5 The apocalypse and inborn talent that goes nowhere interesting.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out.

Overall

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a great science fiction short story anthology. I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out. This collection has more good than bad and covers a wide range of science fiction and science fantasy with several commenting on society. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

     

 

Magazine Review - Mystery Weekly Magazine (January 2020)

I love short stories and short story anthologies. When I bought my first Kindle, I purchased a ton of short stories and read them each night with such a thrill. But it's hard to find good short stories even though there are so many out there.

Mystery Weekly Magazine (January 2020) is a monthly mystery anthology of excellent crime and mystery stories that delve into the normal, the supernatural, and the science fiction realms. It is available as an eBook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Fast Forward. This is a science fiction story meets classic private eye story. It has a great concept, great characters, and moves at a great pace. 5 out of 5 eReaders.

The Beresford Case. This is a ghost story. While it isn't an original concept, it is very well told with nice characterization. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

When the Circus Almost Came to Town. This is a bank heist story with a slightly different twist. The characters are fairly interesting. The story is enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

Murder in the Workplace. This is a murder mystery that is mostly told in interviews. The story is enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. The solution isn't all that surprising. 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

Murderer Bill. This is a boogeyman story meets a coming of age story. The characters are interesting. The concept is pretty original. The twist at the end was different, and I'm not sure how much I liked it. The pacing and character development were great. 4 out of 5 eReaders.

The Bad

A Siege of Herons. This is a missing person story and was hard to get thru. 1 out of 5 eReaders.

Bare Billfold. Each issue has a "you solve it" mystery where a situation is set up and you have to figure out who the guilty party is. They're usually pretty short and not all that interesting. The solution is in the next issue. This one is an office place robbery. 3 out of 5 eReaders.

    

 

Book Review - Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka

I've been a huge Tezuka-sensei fan since I first picked up his science fiction trilogy (The Lost World, Metropolis, Next Word) and Astro Boy. He never ceases to amaze and impress with his wide range of genres and incredible amount of output.

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of comics book stories. It is available in paperback.

The Good

Miraculous Conception. This story felt like a classic science fiction story from the mid-20th Century. A human and a robot are isolated in space, get married, and miraculously have a child. The story examines the fallout of such an event. It wasn't a great story but was interesting.

A Clockwork Apple. This story was really enjoyable and had a lot of meat. It reminded me of the classic Tunnel at the End of the World. It is about a world that isn't what it seems to be and what happens to an individual who figures that out. The story took a unique spin on a familiar tale, and the execution was well done.

Night on the Bypass. This story involves a conversation between a cab driver and his passenger and the secrets they each have. Short, but really intriguing.

Sack. This was an interesting story about split personalities and medical conditions that can change a persons identity. Not a lot to the story, but an interesting concept.

The Bad

The Execution Ended at Three O'Clock. This was the fist story, but not a great start. It's a generic Nazi-like army killing Jew-like innocents. The only unique point was the secret formula and how it backfired on the main character, which was mildly interesting.

Yellow Dust. This story was very dark about a hostage situation that went very wrong.

Showtime with the Devil. This story is about political intrigue, assassination, and betrayal. It was pretty standard fare. Not a bad story, but not a particularly standout one either.

Homecoming. This is a revenge story about an STD from space. More bitter than clever.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

It's an anthology with more good than bad, so I can't complain.

Overall

Clockwork Apple by Osamu Tezuka is an anthology of dark short stories covering horror, war, crime, science fiction, and just plain weird. All the stories are well done (like most things Tekuza-sensei does) with some being more clever than others. There were some interesting twists on familiar stories that were enjoyable, but there were some that were pretty standard fare. I give this book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly

I love short stories, and I love Harry Bosch books, so how could I not pick this up!

Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly is an anthology of three crime mystery short stories in the Harry Bosch series. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Suicide Run. The first story is about a potential suicide of a girl who came to Hollywood to make it big but hadn't yet. The story is very strong and interesting, but it's the twist at the end that moves this into the realm of excellent.

One Dollar Jackpot. What makes this story stand out is the way Harry is able to catch the killer, the husband of a woman who is famous for high-stakes poker and was murdered the night she won a large jackpot.

The Bad

Cielo Azul. This wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't a great story. It involves a serial killer of younger victims on death row. Harry Bosch tries to get him to reveal the identity of one of his victims. He refuses and the story ends. The concept is different and I get the point the author is trying to make. I just wish there had been more to the story. Maybe making the investigation of the cases more involved and more interesting to make up for the mild ending.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the second story had contained more.

Overall

Suicide Run: Three Harry Bosch Stories by Michael Connelly contains two excellent short stories and one very good one. All involve murdered victims, but all differ in how the victim was murdered, why, who did it, how the story is told, and what the point of the story is. I give this book 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review - Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines

I am a huge lover of short stories, especially science fiction short stories. I buy and read a lot of anthologies, but find myself disappointed by a good number of stories in almost any collection (Edmond Hamilton collections being an exception). The two books I've read by Peter Clines were both excellent and original, so I thought I'd give his short fiction a whirl.

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories is a science fiction short story anthology by Peter Clines. It's an Audible original and exclusive.

The Good

Mulligan. This story involves time travel and changing history so different species become the dominant species told thru a police interrogation.

The End of the Experiment. This is a time travel story in England.

Flesh Trade. This is a monster story mixed with a slave trade.

The Apocrypha of Gamma 202. This is an android story that explores deity.

Dead Men Can't Complain. This is another zombie story about what life is like for the undead.

Forged. This is a very short story about magic and immortality.

Contraption. This is a story about the dangers of an addictive game.

The Not-Quite-As-Good

Bedtime Story. This story is a dark version of Superman showing what would happen if he decided to make everyone safe.

The Long, Deep Dream. This story is a detective story where the private eye finds out about a secret the whole world is controlled by.

Red Neck Romancy. This is very short horror story.

The Hat Box. This is a zombie story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More stories!!

Overall

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines is an incredible anthology of science fiction and horror stories, each taking an original angle on a tried-and-true troupe of the genres. Even though the stories are short, they don't feel rushed or cut short. Each feels fully realized and left me satisfied while wanting a sequel. Even the not-quite-as-good stories are well done. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review - Denslow's Illustrated Classics Volume 2: ABC Book, Humpty Dumpty, Jack and the Bean-stalk, Old Mother Hubbard, One Ring Circus, & Tom Thumb

I am a huge fan of the golden age of children's illustrated books, also known as toy books or gift books. The age began with Edward Leer and ended with WW Denslow and included such notable artists as Ernest Shepard (Winnie the Pooh), Walter Crane, Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, Howard Pyle, Caldecott, and so many more.

Denslow's Illustrated Classics Volume 2 is a collection of 6 classic children's storybooks by W.W. Denslow, the artist of The Wizard of Oz. It is available as one of those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Art. W.W. Denslow is a master artist. He took the best of design and illustration from Walter Crane and added his own touch. The drawings are fun, lively, and convey emotion.

Reproduction. The quality of reproductions is excellent. The illustrations are clear and the colors are mostly vibrant and correct.

The Bad

This is a print-on-demand title, so the colors are slightly different than if they had been printed on a traditional press, but the illustrations still look great.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I've got nothing.

Overall

Denslow's Illustrated Classics Volume 2 by W.W. Denslow is pure perfection. The illustrations are big and clear with nice colors. This is a print-on-demand title, so the colors are slightly different than if they had been printed on a traditional press, but the illustrations still look great. I give this book a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

    

Comic Book Review: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special

I love DC Comics characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern and more). I love the Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz, and more). Mixing the two in a comedic environment works really well. But pitting them against each other in serious, real-life stories? I was pretty doubtful, especially after reading a couple of other issues that didn't do much for me (Legion of Superheroes / Bugs Bunny and Lobo / Wylie E. Coyote team ups). But IGN.com called this issue a masterpiece, so I decided to give it a try.

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special is a crime thriller comic book. It's available in print and digitally.

The Good

Film Noir Feel. This story looks and reads like a classic film noir tale from either the days of classic pulp fiction in the 1930s or detective yarns of the 1940s and 50s, and yet it feels so fresh and modern. Not an easy trick.

Reimagined Looney Tunes. Many of the classic Looney Tune characters are reimagined as realistic humans from Bugs Bunny to Yosemite Sam. They have just enough of the physical characteristics, personality quirks, and classic catch phrases to be instantly recognizable (with one exception) and yet were totally believable as humans.

The Bad

Ending. After such a great build up, the reason behind the murder was pretty disappointing.

Comedic Backup Story. In other DC Comics/Looney Tunes team-ups, the comedic backup story was the best part of the comic, but this time it was pretty disappointing from a poorly drawn Batman to a pointless story that tried to parody one of the least funny classic cartoons.

Foghorn Leghorn. All of the other characters were spot on, but this one was so poorly conceived it took me three readings to figure out who this should have been. Putting characters in blackface almost never works, and this was an epic failure.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the ending had been as clever an original as the rest of the story, and I wish the backup feature had even a tenth of the imagination of the original story.

Overall

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special is an incredibly clever, well written reinvention of the classic Looney Tune characters as real life people but with enough of the physical and personality traits to make them instantly recognizable. The story is highly engaging up until the ending which is unfortunately a huge letdown. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review: Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines

I am a huge lover of short stories, especially science fiction short stories. I buy and read a lot of anthologies, but find myself disappointed by a good number of stories in almost any collection (Edmond Hamilton collections being an exception). The two books I've read by Peter Clines were both excellent and original, so I thought I'd give his short fiction a whirl.

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories is a science fiction short story anthology by Peter Clines. It's an Audible original and exclusive.

The Good

Original Approach. Peter Clines takes the common, overused troupes of the science fiction and horror genres and gives each one a unique twist. I've never seen stories quite like these, which was a refreshing change.

Variety. Each story deals with a different genre from time travel to zombies to superheroes to magic to dime novel detectives, and each is done so well.

Development. The stories are very short, and yet almost none of them feel short. The characters feel sufficiently realized and fleshed out. The stories almost all have a beginning, middle, and end (unlike a lot of short stories that are little more than a scene that leaves you hanging). The ideas and messages are all clear. At the end of each story (with the exception of two), I felt satisfied, and yet still wanting a sequel.

Ray Porter. What more can be said about Ray Porter than what I've already written in other reviews. He is a master of his craft and at the height of his powers.

The Bad

Two Bad Stories. Only two of the stories weren't excellent, and they weren't so awful I had to skip past them.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

More stories!!

Overall

Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories by Peter Clines is an incredible anthology of science fiction and horror stories, each taking an original angle on a tried-and-true troupe of the genres. Even though the stories are short, they don't feel rushed or cut short. Each feels fully realized and left me satisfied while wanting a sequel. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.