The College Crowd Digs Me

A Man On The Moon by Andrew Chaikin (1994) Paperback, 685 pages      Space: The final frontier, as the mantra goes.  And going to the moon has been the greatest, boldest adventure we small humans have undertaken in our lifetime.   In A Man on the Moon ,  Andrew Chaikin   takes us along as we follow the Apollo Program from its inception in 1967.   From Apollo 1 to Apollo 17, the last mission, we are reminded of the tragedies and near-tragedies, as well as the amazing triumphs and accomplishments.  This almost reads like a novel.        We learn so much about the astronauts.  In many ways, the astronauts are a lot like us and yet nothing like us at all.  There's a fearlessness and bravery gene hidden inside each one of the astronauts that somehow allows them to rub shoulders with the shadows of death.  Savoring the risks and begging for the triple-dog dares.  We also learn how important mission ...

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Serial #1 Max Allan Collins, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ashley Wood Published January 1, 2003 Graphic Novel, 144 pages NO SPOILERS:       If you are familiar with the CSI TV show, the parlay within these pages will ring familiar, but it can sometimes be annoying.  Thankfully, the story keeps a good pace, and everything clicks and plays nicely with the mystery.  But Ripper stories, as you well know, have been done to death in all their various shades of blood splatter and knife slicings.  If you're cool with this overworked premise, you'll find this one is no worse for wear.   CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Serial  #1 (inside graphic novel)      Here we have a modern-day Jack the Ripper imitator reinacting the historic murders committed in the 1800s during a "Ripperologist" Convention.  It's kind of corny, and yet the pages hold court pretty well.  The artwork is fine, but it would have behoove...

Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer (1968) Paperback, 1291 pages NO SPOILERS:      Once An Eagle is a story that explores soldiering and the choices made in becoming a good soldier and leader.  And rank, fair or not, means almost everything.  And how the military can become an intoxicating lifestyle for some.  Just as interesting are the effects on the family.  Wives, in particular, must be skillful in weaving their way through the unwritten social rules within the military circle.  That's an interesting trip in and of itself.        Amid all this flibbety-floo, the book introduces two main characters, each with their own approach to leading men.  Each presented as the antithesis of the other.  Neither is completely right nor wrong.  However, our main protagonist, Sam Damon, is a leader we would all hope to follow as he rises through the ranks.  Damon's military journey takes him through the course of th...

The Sandman Overture (Deluxe Edition) by Neil Gaiman (writer), J.H.Williams III (artist)  DC Vertigo  2015 Hardcover, 224 pages NO SPOILERS:      When I was introduced to Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, it felt like I was almost getting a glimpse behind the curtain.  The mystical hidden machine.  The story was just too smart, too magical, too dangerous.  And still, to this day, I've yet to meet a more beautifully dysfunctional family than the Endless Family.  Dream and his six siblings...Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delight/Delirium are each a mind-blow and a conundrum.  The other characters that populate this epic telling are a puzzle, too.  The ten-volume graphic novel is this and much more.  Each panel meant to be read and relished.  Mythology dipped in sci-fi and heavily dusted from the brittle pages of ancient folklore.  It's all a mental treat. The Sandman Overture  (inside)   ...

From Hell by Alan Moore (writer) & Eddie Campbell (artist) Eddie Campbell Comics (1999) Softcover Graphic, 564 pages NO SPOILERS: Since 1888, five gruesome murders in London, maybe more, ascribed to the killer known as Jack the Ripper have remained unsolved.  To this day,  Ripperologists  all over the world, professional and amateur, have been trying to solve the mystery.  Plenty of theories have been laid out, but none have quite satisfied the unquenchable itch. From Hell is Alan Moore's attempt at offering into the pot his two cents in what is already an amalgam of ideas and theories.  And Moore  isn't just playing.  He has researched and heavily footnoted his claims to the "whodunit" quest and offers an interesting plausible if not possible explanation to this serial-killing puzzle.  And it's a good read. From Hell (inside) At over 500 pages,  Moore's  writing and  Eddie Campbell's  artwork are dark, grizzly, and fore...

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (2012) Softcover, 486 pages   NO SPOILERS:      Author Daniel O'Malley takes a familiar trope and turns it the fawk on its noggin.   In The Rook , we meet Myfanwy (pronounced Miff-un-ee) Thomas, a member of a clandestine government of "special" agents, who discovers she has amnesia via instructions she left for herself to read should this circumstance ever occur.  With this premise quickly laid out, Myfawny takes the reader on a thrilling adventure that is grossly graphic and totally unpredictable.  Like a Scully/Mulder/Jason Bourne hook-up, The Rook is one coffee-spitting idea after another.   The main characters, good and bad, are easy to take a shine to.  The bombardment of ideas and sticky situations are non-stop.  And the clever web of mysteries Myfanwy finds herself caught in is both dangerous and amusing.  For an author's debut, Daniel O'Malley takes it to the house.   I...

Fairy Tale   by Stephen King (2022) Hardbook, 599 pages NO SPOILERS: Fairy Tale is an homage of sorts to the fairy tales of old.  The tales that snuck horrific, disturbing acts of nastiness behind pictures of smiling faces.  But Fairy Tale is much more than this.  Stephen King delivers the goods in a piecemeal, meticulous fashion...taking his sweet, wonderful time setting up the details before embarking the reader on a familiar adventure of fantasmic proportions. And don't mistake meticulous and familiar for boring.  King brings to these pages what fairy tales of old seemed to always lack.  Well-developed characters.  We are given persons we can recognize.  And plenty of reasons to like, love, and empathize or dislike, hate, and despise.  And for reasons more than just being good or bad.  We have Charlie, a likable, talented high-schooler, and Mr Bowditch, the grouchy old man on the hill.  And his dog. (The dog exhibit...

Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book Two Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle Guy Davis (Illustrator) Vertigo (2016) Graphic softcover, 384 pages     It's the 1930s and Sandman is the wealthy, but unassuming, Wesley Dodds.  Dodds is a gentleman compelled to solve murders in the decadent streets of New York City.  His unique method of crime-chasing is by secretly donning a gas mask, carrying a sleeping gas gun, and slipping out during the late night hours to find answers.  As I have said in the past, the premise sounds big-time lame, but the writing and drawing pull you right in. The 2nd volume is stronger than its predecessor.  This graphic novel has a dark noir-ish vibe making everything seamy and perfect for the telling.  Pages are filled with glittery decadence and gritty, sleazy shadows.  And neither the violence nor sex is sugar-coated.  The stories are probably not meant for the innocent. Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book Two (inside) Surprisin...

Stinger Robert R. McCammon (1988) Paperback, 538 pages     NO SPOILERS: I wasn't exactly sure what this novel was going to be about.  I avoid reading the front and back blurbs beforehand so as not to give too much away.  Dig the surprise, I guess.  But I had a pretty good inkling this wasn't To Kill A Mockingbird .  Anyway, Stinger is a page-turning, treehouse kind of sci-fi/horror story.  A violent chase between one ET and another ET ends up in a little nowhere town in Texas.  A dying town where the days and nights are filled with a slow sweltering bucket of monotony.  And the town folk know everybody, but mostly just keep to themselves.  That is until an alien standoff hits the fan and the community needs to work out their own differences for the greater good.  There are multiple plots going on and a variety of town characters to meet and sift thru and this keeps everything on the edgier side.  The violence is bang and ...

Essential Uncanny X-Men, Vol. 1 (#1-24) Stan Lee (Writer), Jack Kirby (Artist) Marvel  (1999) (first published in 1963-66) Graphic softcover, 564 pages The Marvel Essential editions are well-known for faithfully reprinting collections of the early issues of famous comic book superheroes.  This one, of course, gathers the first 24 issues of the original X-Men series.  Fans of the silver age comics will enjoy the nostalgia and find most of the included stories entertaining. The X-Men are five teenage mutants, each with a unique skill, who attend a private school run by "Professor X."   The professor protects the X-men while helping the mutants develop their talents.  "Angel" has wings and flies.  "Beast" is extremely acrobatic and strong.  "Cyclops" has powerful laser eyes.  "Iceman" manipulates ice to his advantage.  And "Marvel Girl" is skilled in telekinesis.  This was the original X-Men team which would later evolv...

Binary John Lange (Michael Crichton) (1972) Paperback, 240 pages NO SPOILERS: "Binary" is the perfect pageturner to help clean the reading palette between the last big novel you just put down and the next big commitment you're almost ready to dive into.  "Binary" is short, quick, and forgettable...and yet entertaining enough to warrant your time.  If this sounds like a back-handed recommendation, perhaps it is.  But it's still Michael Crichton after all.  And you know whatever he writes, under whatever pseudonym, is going to bring a well-researched and satisfying conclusion. The characters in this almost novella may be cardboard, but the story moves along like a determined freight.  Agent John Graves pushes things forward in this fast thriller that doesn't puss around in trying to unpuzzle an attack location.  And that's much appreciated.   No heavy background stories.  No poetry in motion.  Just foot to the pedal.  And it's fun....

The Terror by Dan Simmons (2007) Softback, 769 pages  NO SPOILERS: The Terror is an epic atmospheric horror that swallows the reader whole.  And the terror is as much about sailors from the 1800s surviving the bitter elements of the frozen Arctic sea and tundra as it is the terror of what could be lurking.  The uncompromising illnesses and matter-of-fact amputations are just par for the course.  Worse still is the despair from the hopeless isolation.  And then there's what we can't see. Dan Simmons creates monstrously descriptive historic fiction as if he had actually been put smack dab in the middle of this miserable freezing journey and not just a passive storyteller.  His writing is that good.  The Terror  is a slow burn which, in this case, only adds to the timeless claustrophobic void.  A wonderfully dark, miserable experience for sure…and recommended highly. "Breach Of Lease"  - Bloodrock / "Bloodrock " (1971) Good stuff. Casey Ch...

The Institute by Stephen King (2019) Hardcover, 561 pages NO SPOILERS: There are roughly 800,000 children that go missing every year.  Most are found.  One way or another.  But then there are a few that just vanish.  Stephen King finally whips up another “kids“ story.  The kind he writes so well.  The evil forces in this story are not some other-worldly clown.  This time the evilness lies behind the eyes of a few sadistic adults who run a mysterious building called…The Institute. The characters are well-written and the big reveal is a disturbing idea that gives cause to pause.  I loved the kids' interactions.  The way King tries to hide the children's scares and utter helplessness behind 12-year-old masked bravado is pretty spot on.  And you root and worry for the kids and hope for some comeuppance on all the bad people.  The unstable adults running the whacky-shack all seem to have an “it's a paycheck” attitude.  The kind yo...

The 6th Extinction by James Rollins (2014 ) Paperback, 567 pages NO SPOILERS: James Rollins is a beast when it comes to doing his research.  He collects the facts and joins them with plausible ideas and unlikely scenarios to create stories with uncomfortably believable plots.  And when I need some fast-paced, page-turning asskickery...I'll take all the Rollins you got. This time he dives into DNA and a newer subject...XNA and the strange concept of survival by extinction.  Scientists and biologists.  You can't take them anywhere.  Am I right?  There are three storylines, all connected, with various degrees of adrenaline kick that weave from one to the other.  And there are a handful of characters to latch on to.  The strongest one being a young female ranger who finds herself in the right place at the wrong time.    Rollins  does get a little science-jonesy at times breaking the reading spell.  He does his thing, and it's alwa...

Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One by Matt Wagner, Guy Davis Vertigo (2016 ) Graphic softcover, 323 pages Sandman is a crimefighter from the Golden Age of comics.  His only weapon is a sleeping-gas gun.  That might sound lame, but author Matt Wagner takes a crack at it by bringing us three stories filled with gritty helpings of pulp noir panache.  Wesley Dodds (aka Sandman) is a rather doughy character of average ability with a strong taste for righting wrongs.  Dodds is no Sherlock Holmes, but he does keep his eyes and ears open.  When he's off on a hunt, he becomes Sandman donning a clumsy gas mask and carrying his self-built weapon.  Solving crime in the 1930s.  And that's the setup. The other protagonist, and the more interesting, is Dian Belmont , the daughter of the DA.  Belmont is like a 20ish Nancy Drew who enjoys the nightlife and digging into a mystery herself.  And this all might sound lame, no way to get around it...but...

Night Film by Marisha Pessl (2013 ) Hardback, 599 pages NO SPOILERS: Even at 599 pages, I was slicing through this book like butter.  It was a really fast read for me.  I really enjoyed the writing.  Night Film is not exactly horror as it's often labeled, but it does have an unsettling creepiness about it that never leaves the reader at ease.  The daughter of a famous cult-followed horror director is found dead and her death is quickly ruled a suicide.  Our protagonist in this trippy tale is Scott McGath, an investigative journalist who has doubts about the cause of death and goes to work.  There is a good cast of supporting characters and plenty of twists and louies to keep you stretching your shoulders.  So many secrets.  The story moves in a spooky, off-kilter aura where nothing ever feels quite right...in an almost  David Lynch way.  And that makes for a lot of frustrating fun. To give the story an even more authentic flavor, t...

Based on a True Story by Norm Macdonald (2016 ) Paperback, 240 pages I remember watching Norm Macdonald on Larry King's internet show a while back and how I was smitten by his parlay.  It was a great conversation.  I picked up his book shortly after and I'm glad I did.  Based On A True Story  is a terrific memoir-ish book filled with whole truths and half-truths that rub close enough to honesty to pass muster.  Stories that are both sweet and funny, as well as bittersweet and funny.  And all while avoiding those paint-by-number bio-celeb book cliches on most shelves.  You know the ones I mean.  This one strikes the reader from angles seldom used and made for an enjoyable read front to back.  And I laughed a lot. But there's a surprising hint of sadness underneath some of his stories that accidentally slip out.  For the most part, Norm covers up the big hurts in silly exaggerations and wink-wink embellishments.  Maybe because that's...

Hunted Past Reason by Richard Matheson (2002) Paperback, 294 pages NO SPOILERS: I almost passed by this paperback until I noticed it was penned by Richard Matheson .  You know him, too.  Check out the wiki after this.  The man is a...LEGEND.  Anyway, "Hunted Past Reason" is a page-turning holy shit!  A novice of the woods joins up with a friend on a backpacking trip to gain some real hands-on knowledge for a new book he's planning to write.  But the fun trip quickly turns into a dark journey into creepy psychopath-land with action that is both psychologically and physically violent. "Hunted..." is an extremely mind-twisted cat and mouse game of survival.  There are a few brutal scenes that will definitely make the reader squirm and the internal dialogue of the protagonist keeps it all very real.  I suppose there might be a couple of choices made that seem a wee bit ill-advised, but I guess one had to be there, right?  The story idea is not ...

The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss (2008) Paperback, 548 pages NO SPOILERS: This is a David Liss historical fiction novel that takes place near the time Alexander Hamilton was establishing our country's first banking system.  There are great characters throughout...all very easy to visualize, but the story's main protagonists are  Ethan Saunders , a friend of Hamilton's and a mislabeled government spy, and Joan Maycott , who along with her husband, get scammed and bamboozled in a terrible land deal.  Both Ethan and Joan have their own paths to travel and the author uses each chapter to flip from one to the other in the telling.  In betwixt, there are nasty goings-on by a few greedy money manipulators who are misleading investors and a few rebels who seek revenge by plotting to disrupt the banking system.  There is plenty of delicious mystery and suspense.  And the violence in this era is what you might expect.  There are several humorous moments that f...

Neil Young's Greendale by Joshua Dysart Cliff Chiang (Illustrator), Neil Young (Adapted from) Vertigo (2010) Hardcover Graphic, 160 pages I really wanted to like this.  I hoped I would, anyway.  But Greendale is a bit of an octopus to read.  The story is based loosely on Neil Young's album of the same name released back in 2003.  The story follows a nature-girl named Sun Green as she tries to unravel her mysterious family's past while discovering just where she fits into the big picture.  And to grab some spice from the rack, there are some supernatural goings-on as well.  The artwork panels look really nice.  That would be  Cliff Chiang's  skillful doings.  But everything has a rushed "what to leave in, what to leave out" kind of vibe in the telling.  A lot of "i's" left to dot and backstories to connect in the limited amount of pages allowed.   Neil Young's Greendale (inside) Even Young prefaces his adaptation with a...