I first read The Space Merchants as a serial in Galaxy around 1961. The Space Merchants is a 1952 science fiction novel by American Science Fiction writers Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth. Originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine as a serial entitled Gavy Planet, the novel was first published as a single volume in 1953, and has sold heavily ever since.
The Space Merchants was the first Science Fiction novel I had ever read that mixed business and sociological elements into a plot about the Future. I was astounded by the world C. M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl created where marketing ruled (even more than today!).
The Space Merchants deals satirically with a hyper-developed consumerism, seen through the eyes of an advertising executive. In 1984, Frederik Pohl published a sequel, The Merchants’ War. In 2012, The Space Merchants was included in the Library of America omnibus American Science Fiction: Four Classic Novels 1953–1956 (you can read my review here). Pohl revised the original novel in 2011 with added material and more contemporary references.
In 1955, Kornbluth and Pohl published another SF sociological novel, Gladiator-At-Law, that gave new meaning to “court battle.” I plan on rereading Gladiator-At-Law for a FFB in 2024. Sadly, the early death of Kornbluth brought an end to this fabulous SF team that produced so many great short stories and ground-breaking SF novels. If you haven’t read this SF classic, ask Santa to bring you a copy! GRADE: A
Although Diane owns over 100 Christmas CDs, somehow we add a couple more each Holiday Season. Amanda Shires For Christmas was recorded during a four-day heatwave in July 2021. According to Shires, the Nashville studio was decorated with sparkly decorations and the musicians wore Christmas hats to celebrate the spirit of a season.
I love Amanda Shires’ opening ballad ‘Magic Oooooooh’, where Shires trills: “It’s Christmas time in June”. This CD includes mostly original compositions (there are two covers, one with new lyrics). Some people say that Amanda Shires sounds a bit like Dolly Parton. Check out the video below and make your own judgement.
While Amanda Shires takes some risks with her Christmas songs, James Taylor plays it safe with A Christmas Album. Most of the songs are familiar favorites. Diane finds James Taylor’s voice soothing and pleasant, especially while we were decorating our Christmas Tree. If you’re looking for some agreeable Christmas music, here it is. What Christmas music are you listening to? GRADE: B (for both)
In his informative Introduction, Robert Silverberg tells how he and Randall Garrett became writing partners. “We worked and reworked each other’s manuscripts until they blended invisibly into a single style. Randall and I were, I suppose, science fiction’s odd couple, but we did get the work done, plenty of it, and I remain forever grateful to him for the way he accelerated my incipient carer. When we set up shop toghteter in the summer of 1955, I was a college student who had sold four or five stories and was struggling to get a start as a science-fiction writer. Thrieetn months later, thanks to his tutelage, I had dozens and dozens of stories in print and was voted the 1956 Hugo award as that year’s most promising new author.” (p. 13)
My favorite story in this Crippen and Landru collection from 2008 is the title story, “A Little Intelligence.” In the future, humans and an alien species are at war. A negotiation session is arranged to help stop the war. A group of aliens come to a religious site when Sister Mary Magdalene gets involved in the investigation when one of the aliens is murdered. Did a human commit the crime…or one of the other aliens. I enjoyed the mix of science fiction and crime detection.
Three of the stories in A Little Intelligence are pure detective stories taking place in the future and/or on other planets: “Deadly Decoy,” “The Slow and the Dead” and “A Little Intelligence.” The other stories mix SF elements with occasional crime elements. I wish Silverberg and Garrett had written more stories like these. GRADE: B+
Diane, my niece Elise, and I sat in the balcony while Patrick, Katie, and their friend Josephine danced on the floor of this interactive musical. Platforms moved the people on the floor around throughout the show. Other platforms carried the actors across the venue during the performance.
Here Lies Love is a musical with music by David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) and Fatboy Slim, and lyrics by Byrne. This biographical musical is based on Byrne’s and Slim’s concept music album based on Byrne’s research on the life of former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos. The musical’s score is described as “disco pop.”
The sold-out performance, full of flashing lights, archived photos and videos from the 1960s to the 1980s show the tragic story of the Philippine Government drifting into an autocratic regime ruled by Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Imelda grew up in poverty but found her way into the wealthy ruling class of the Philippines–she had a 1000 pairs of shoes!–and purged her poverty-stricken past.
Dancing, singing, impassioned speeches (quoted from the originals) prove to be a heady mix of music and corrupt politics. Many people around us cried as the tragedy unfolded. Here Lies Love crackles with energy and unique staging while telling a heart-breaking story. GRADE: C+
MUSICAL NUMBERS:
Musical numbers
“American Troglodyte” “Here Lies Love” “Child of the Philippines” “Opposite Attraction” “The Rose of Tacloban” “A Perfect Hand” “Eleven Days” “When She Passed By” “Sugartime Baby” “Walk Like a Woman” “Don’t You Agree? / Pretty Face” “Dancing Together” “The Fabulous One”
“Men Will Do Anything” “Star and Slave” “Poor Me” “Please Don’t” “Solano Avenue” “Riots and Bombs” “Order 1081” “Seven Years” “Gate 37” “Just Ask the Flowers” “Why Don’t You Love Me?” “God Draws Straight”
I confess: I only recognize about 30% of the songs Bob Havilla analyzes in 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s. But after reading Havilla’s book, I’m going to listen many of the songs he recommends.
60 Songs That Explain the ’90s is a companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify. This book takes readers through the greatest hits that define a weirdly undefinable decade and explores that decade’s nooks and crannies.
The 1990s were a chaotic and gritty and utterly magical time for musi. Havilla gives readers a guided tour of the confounding mix of genres and lifestyles and superstars: from grunge to hip-hop, from sumptuous R&B to rambunctious ska-punk, from Axl to Kurt to Missy to Santana to Tupac to Britney.
Since I just saw a Max Martin musical, & Juliet (you can read my review here), I thought I’d see what Bob Havilla had to say about Martin and his songs: “A Max Martin joint is never a Max Martin solo joint–often there’s a half-dozen other writers and producers in the mix, and the sheer number of people involved gives you some idea of how difficult it is to generate such simple pleasures. The resulting block-buster songs are less songs than equations, albeit luxurious equations that entail one pop star or another purring sexy-adjacent nonsense direct into your ears.” (p. 13-14)
In 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s you’ll find familiar songs and songs you never heard of (but should have according to Havilla). How many of these songs do you recognize? See any favorites here? GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction — ix
Chaos agents — 1
Celine Dion, “My Heart Will Go On”
Hole, “Doll Parts”
Madonna, “Vogue
Spice Girls, “Wannabe”
Backstreet Boys, “I Want It That Way”
Eminem, “My Name Is”
Beck, “Loser”
Master P. “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”
Prodigy, “Firestarter”
The Chicks, “Goodbye Earl”
Erykah Badu, “Tyrone”
Sellouts (or not) (or maybe) — 29
Metallica, “Enter Sandman”
Pantera, “Walk”
Temple of the Dog, “Hunger Strike”
Coolio, “Gangsta’s Paradise”
Ice Cube, “It Was a Good Day”
Reel Big Fish, “Sell Out”
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, “The Impression That I Get”
No Doubt, “Just a Girl”
Fugazi, “Merchandise”
Green Day, “Longview”
Women vs. “women in rock” — 53
The Sundays, “I Kicked a Boy”
The Cranberries, “Zombie”
Garbage, “Only Happy When It Rains”
PJ Harvey, “Man-Size”
Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know”
Tori Amos, “Cornflakes Girl”
The Breeders, “Cannonball”
TLC, “No Scrubs”
Sinead O’Conner, Nothing Compares 2 U”
Fiona Apple, “Criminal”
Sheryl Crow, “If It Makes You Happy”
Vivid geography, or, everybody hates a tourist — 79
The 6-6 Buffalo Bills, coming off their BYE Week, find their Playoff prospects fading with only five more games left on the schedule. Today’s opponent, 8-4 Kansas City Chiefs, could dash the Bills’ Playoff dreams with a win. It’s Crunch Time for the Bills in KC. The Chiefs are favored by 3 points.
The show tells the story of how three friends’ lives and friendship change over the course of 20 years. The plot focuses on Franklin Shepard, a talented composer of musicals who, over those 20 years, abandons his friends–Charlie Kringas, Shepard’s lyricist, and novelist Mary Flynn–and songwriting career to become a producer of Hollywood movies. Like the play on which it is based, the show’s story moves in reverse chronology, beginning in 1976 at the friends’ lowest moment and ending in 1957, at their youthful best.
Part of the success of this latest version of Merrily We Roll Along may be due to the cast. Franklin Shepard is played by Jonathan Groff (aka, King George in Hamilton), Charlie Kringes is played by Daniel Radcliffe (aka, Harry Potter), and Mary Flynn is played by Lindsay Mendez (she won the 2018 TonyAward for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a Broadway revival of Carousel).
I enjoyed Merrily We Roll Along but when I left the theater, I wasn’t humming any of the songs. GRADE: B
MUSICAL NUMBERS:
Act I Overture – Orchestra “Merrily We Roll Along” – Company “That Frank” – Franklin Shepard, Mary Flynn and Guests “First Transition” – Company “Old Friends” (Part I) – Mary and Charley Kringas “Like It Was” – Mary “Franklin Shepard, Inc. ” – Charley “Second Transition” – Company “Old Friends” (Part II) – Mary, Franklin and Charley “Growing Up” – Franklin and Gussie “Third Transition” – Company “Not a Day Goes By” – Beth “Now You Know” – Mary and Company
Act II Entr’acte – Orchestra “Act Two Opening” – Gussie “It’s a Hit” – Franklin, Charley, Mary, Joe and Beth “Fourth Transition” – Company “The Blob” – Gussie and Company “Growing Up” (Part II) – Gussie “Good Thing Going” – Charley “The Blob” (Part II) – Company “Fifth Transition” – Company “Bobby and Jackie and Jack ” – Charley, Beth, Franklin and Pianist “Not a Day Goes By” (Reprise) – Beth, Franklin and Mary “Sixth Transition” – Company “Opening Doors” – Franklin, Charley, Mary, Joe and Beth “Seventh Transition” – Franklin Shepard Jr., Beth and Mrs. Spencer “Our Time” – Franklin, Charley, Mary and CompanyExit Music – Orchestra
When I first read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, a drug-fueled odyssey, it blew my mind! I hadn’t read anything like it!
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1971 novel in the gonzo journalism style by Hunter S. Thompson. The story follows its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Doctor Gonzo, as they arrive in Las Vegas to chase the illusive American Dream through a drug-induced haze.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is Hunter S. Thompson’s most famous book and is noted for its lurid descriptions of illicit drug use. Hallucinations are everywhere! In addition to the warped Reality in this book, Thompson delivers a plenty of comedy.
Illustrated by Ralph Steadman, the novel first appeared as a two-part series in Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 before being published in book form in 1972. It was later adapted into a film of the same title in 1998 by director Terry Gilliam, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, who portrayed Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, respectively.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas hit me like a bolt of lightning back in 1971. I was familiar with Hunter S. Thompson’s writings in Rolling Stone, but nothing prepared me for the drug carnage in the pages of this novel. While high on almost every page of this book, Raoul Duke and Doctor Gonzo explore the state of America in the early Seventies and analyze the political and social actions of the 1960s. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas can be read for the comic situations, but there’s a serious side to this book, too. This is an American literary classic! Have you read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? GRADE: A
My favorite Broadway show of our Thanksgiving trip was & Juliet, a musical comedy. The premise is: what if Juliet didn’t die at the conclusion of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet? And this jukebox musical includes hits from Boy Bands and female pop singers. I enjoyed the way the songs were woven into the plot of Juliet traveling to Paris to discover her true self.
& Juliet features 30 songs by Max Martin and a rotating group of collaborators (officially credited as Max Martin and Friends), ranging from the 90s to today and including songs made popular by Robyn, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Pink, and more. The playbill includes a note that Max Martin has written more Number One hits than any other artist this century, and boldly claims: “He’s basically the Shakespeare of pop music.” At the very least his catalog is unquestionably impressive — and his songs make for a surprisingly entertaining jukebox musical.
I loved the music and I laughed at the comic scenes where Shakespeare looses control. If you’re in the mood for a fun musical with exuberance and energy, don’t miss & Juliet! I’m also listening to the & Juliet soundtrack constantly! How many of these 30 Max Martin songs are you familiar with? Check out the video below. GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
“Larger Than Life” – Backstreet Boys
Released in 1999, this song was originally recorded as a way for the Backstreet Boys to say ‘thank you’ for the unwavering support of their fans.
“I Want it That Way” – Backstreet Boys
One of the Backstreet Boys biggest hits, the 1999 song tells of a relationship that’s breaking apart with emotional and physical distance – ain’t nothing but a heartache!
“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears
Britney’s debut single “Baby One More Time” was released when Britney was just 16 years old. The song went to number 1 in 20 countries and turned Britney into an overnight success, rocketing her to stardom.
“Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely” – Backstreet Boys
A Backstreet Boys track tackling how to deal with loneliness, this Max Martin song reached number 3 in the UK charts.
“Domino” – Jessie J
One of the lead singles from Jessie J’s debut album “Who You Are”, the pulsating, dance-pop rhythm of “Domino” helped solidify the starlet’s career by reaching the top spot in the UK charts.
The blend of catchy lyrics and the high-energy musical accompaniment ensured the track stood out, with the song later nominated for best British single at the 2013 Brit Awards.
“Show Me Love” – Robyn
Released in 1997, ‘Show Me Love’ was Robyn’s first top 10 hit in the UK and was a lead single from her debut album. Other Robyn hits include “Dancing On My Own,” recently covered by Callum Scott.
“Blow” – Ke$ha
Released in February 2011, Ke$ha’s track describes people looking to have fun on a night out to a mix of electronic sounds. “Blow” plays during the main party scene in & Juliet. Look out for the chandelier!
“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” – Britney Spears
First heard on the airwaves in 2002, Britney Spears’s emotional ballad shares her feeling towards growing up and what it means to be independent with your own voice.
“Overprotected” – Britney Spears
In this 2001 track, Britney Spears sings about how she just wants to be herself without anyone else telling her what else to do. In & Juliet, Francois sings “Overprotected” as he feels frustrated by his family.
“Confident” – Demi Lovato
If you’re looking for a song that oozes self-empowerment and raising your spirits, Demi Lovato’s 2015 track has this in bucketloads. It’s upbeat and definitely packs a punch.
“Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry
Originally aimed to be a throwback song that captured the essence of what it meant to fall in love as a teenager, Katy Perry’s 2010 song reached number 2 in the UK charts.
“Break Free” – Ariana Grande
Just one of 30 songs to feature lyrics by Max Martin in 2014, “Break Free” was an instant pop hit for Ariana Grande and has sold just shy of 2 million copies. Fusing components of a chart-topping pop song with an electronic sounding tone, “Break Free” was remarked to be “too catchy to be generic”.
“Oops I Did It Again” – Britney Spears
Released in March 2000, “Oops!… I Did It Again” tells of a young woman who doesn’t want to get caught in the game of love, playing with her lover’s emotions instead.
“I Kissed a Girl” – Katy Perry
One of her earliest singles, “I Kissed a Girl” sent Katy Perry into superstardom, with people around the world listening to the track ensuring it topped the charts in 19 countries.
Released in 2008, the song initially appears as a sugary, sweet track, yet was scolded for its seemingly inappropriate lyrics and social commentary.
“It’s My Life” – Bon Jovi
Ever since it began to play on the radios in 2000, “It’s My Life” has become one of Bon Jovi’s biggest rock anthems, performed during the band’s last 10 tours. With a heart-thumping guitar and raspy vocals, the song attracted younger listeners to the band and ensured that Bon Jovi’s music would continue to be played to generations. “It’s My Life” is the final Act One song in & Juliet.
“Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding
The angelic-like tone of Goulding’s voice as she captures a woman’s desire to be with a man in “Love Me Like You Do” was loved by audiences ever since it was recorded for the 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The song was nominated for 13 awards including best original song at the Golden Globes and best pop solo performance at the Grammy Awards.
“Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson
The first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 song reached platinum certification in the UK. “Since U Been Gone” tells the story of a young woman who has recently left a relationship,
“Whataya Want From Me” – Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert’s song was originally recorded by Pink for her fifth studio album. Since recording “Whataya Want From Me,” Lambert now tours with Queen as their lead singer.
“Problem” – Ariana Grande
Featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on the 2014 track, the single has been sold and streamed over nine million times, making it one of the best-selling songs of all time.
“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd
Sending The Weeknd to the top of the charts around the world, “Can’t Feel My Face” is one of six songs by The Weeknd co-written by Martin. Uniting funk and pop sounds together, the track was likened to an early Michael Jackson song, and was subsequently nominated for record of the year at the 2016 Grammy Awards, losing out to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”.
“That’s The Way It Is” – Celine Dion
Released in 1999, ‘That’s The Way It Is’ was initially billed as the lead single from her greatest hits album of the same year, charting in the top ten around the world.
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” – Backstreet Boys
Released in 1997, this track only reached number 3 in the UK charts but has grown to become one of the band’s biggest hits. With a Michael Jackson inspired video based on Thriller to boot, the song was awarded best music video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.
“As Long As You Love Me” – Backstreet Boys
The band’s biggest-selling song in the UK, it was never meant to be a commercial single on the other side of the pond. With radio stations repeatedly playing the track, it became a major hit for MTV.
“It’s Gonna Be Me” – NSync
The turn-of-the-century pop hit ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ was first performed at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. The song tells the story of a man who expresses his faithfulness in a relationship. The word ‘me’ is used as a pun during the musical.
“Shape of My Heart” – Backstreet Boys
Although the music video stayed at the top of MTV video charts for months, ‘Shape of My Heart’ enjoyed equal commercial success on music charts, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for best pop performance.
“Stronger” Britney Spears
Britney Spears sings how her loneliness isn’t killing her anymore, and in & Juliet, Juliet finally finds her own strength. The 2000 track’s video was nominated for Best Music Video at the MTV Music Video Awards.
“Perfect” – Pink
Sang as ‘Perfect’ on the clean version of the track, the 2010 song encourages listeners to be accepting of everyone around them in an uplifting song.
“Roar” – Katy Perry
The lead song for Katy Perry’s 2013 album titled Prism, Roar is a track of self-empowerment, with Katy Perry in a jungle for the track’s music video. It was nominated for song of the year at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
One of the feel-good tracks of 2016, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” featured in the Trolls animated film in the same year. Bringing a disco sound into the modern day, audiences fell in love with the infectiously happy message behind the song and was one of the biggest-selling songs in 2016.
You might think that a horror collection about Christmas–a time of Comfort and Joy–might be a non-starter. But Ellen Datlow’s Christmas and Other Horrors features some creepy Christmas stories. Take Garth Nix’s “Last Drinks at Bondi Beach” for example. There’s a monstrous creature about to be unleashed…but there are complications. Richard Kadrey–of Sandman Slim fame–delivers a gruesome tale: “The Ghost of Christmases Past.” A woman wields a nail gun to secure her windows in the days leading up to Christmas to protect herself from the Ghost that murdered her young brother and now seeks to kill her. Once again, everything isn’t quite what it seems.
My favorite story in Christmas and Other Horrors is Jeffrey Ford’s “The Visitation.” In his Afterward to his story, Ford writes about finding a book in Ohio that listed various Christmas holiday rituals. One of these rituals concerned helping strangers at Christmastime because they might be Angels of Accord who test humans. “If you act with generosity toward them in their indigent disguise, they will shower you and your family with grace and wealth.” (p. 323) Of course, if you don’t extend help to the disguised Angel, the consequences will be dire. Which is pretty much Jeffrey Ford’s story.
Call me Old Fashioned, but I prefer more uplifting and inspiring stories this time of year. But, different strokes for different folks… GRADE: C+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Ellen Datlow — 7
The Importance of a Tidy Home/Christopher Golden — 9
The Ones He Takes/Benjamin Percy — 31
His Castle/Alma Katsu — 41
The Mawkin Field/Terry Dowling — 59
The Blessing of the Waters/Nick Mamatas — 83
Dry and Ready/Glen Hirshberg — 97
Last Drinks at Bondi Beach/Garth Nix — 131
Return to Bear Creek Lodge/Tananarive Due — 139
The Ghost of Christmases Past/Richard Kadrey — 169
