Author Archives: george

WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #29: EXPANDED UNIVERSE By Robert A. Heinlein

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When I was a kid, Robert A. Heinlein was my favorite Science Fiction writer. I read his “Juvenile” SF novels in the 1950s. My favorite was Citizen of the Galaxy but I enjoyed them all. Later, in the early 1960s, I read Heinlein’s short stories and novelettes. His stories had “A Sense of Wonder” that made me excited about the Future.

But during the Sixties, other SF writers gained my attention: Keith Laumer, Poul Anderson, Clifford D. Simak, and Jack Vance. Also, Heinlein changed. I read Stranger in a Strange Land (1961) and came away confused. Reading Glory Road (1963) didn’t thrill me. I did like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966), but nothing Heinlein wrote after that book appealed to me. However, in 1980, Heinlein published his Expanded Universe, a mix of fiction and essays. It’s an odd book in many ways, but it does capture a scintilla of that Sense of Wonder that had been missing in Heinlein’s work for many years.

If you’re a Heinlein fan, you probably have Expanded Universe. But if you’re a casual SF fan and want to read the stories and thoughts of one of giants of Science Fiction, this is the book for you! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

NO SUDDEN MOVE [HBO Max]

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If you’re in the mood for a noirish movie set in Detroit in 1954 with a brilliant cast, Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move will dazzle you. Curt Goynes, a petty criminal with a dark past (played by Don Cheadle), is soon joined by Benicio Del Toro’s charmingly conniver, Ronald Russo. Both men are supervised by Kieran Culkin’s Charley. The thugs make a surprise visit to the suburbs, where an attractive couple and their two kids live in a pleasant brick house. It takes a minute to realize what the men are about to do to the family that can never be undone. And every time a new set of characters is introduced, the screenplay, by Ed Solomon (Men in Black), ups its ante of suspense…and surprise. 

 The finely tuned ensemble in “No Sudden Move” also includes Bill Duke, Ray Liotta, and Jon Hamm. As the plot unfolds, Goynes and Russo realize they’re involved in a complicated scheme that could be a monetary bonanza for them…if they play it right.

My favorite character in No Sudden Move is Julia Fox, wife of a gangster, who is having an affair with Russo. Frankie Shaw plays a secretary who yearns for change, but gets something else. Amy Seimetz, as the mother of the hostage family, questions her whole life-style as a result of events.

No Sudden Move is the best movie I’ve seen in 2021 so far. Highly recommended! GRADE: A

LAST BEST HOPE: AMERICA IN CRISIS AND RENEWAL By George Packer

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George Packer thinks the United States is in trouble and we better get our shit together quickly because the country is going down the tubes fast. Part of Packer’s analysis of our dire state of affairs centers around the divisions in America and who is winning…and who is losing.

“The financial crisis of 2008, and the Great Recession that followed, had a similar effect on the home front. The guilty parties were elites–bankers, traders, regulators, and policy-makers…. But those who did the suffering were lower down the class structure: middle-class Americans whose wealth was sunk in a house that lost half its value and a retirement fund that melted away; working-class America thrown into poverty by a pink slip. The economic collapse was triggered by fraud, but no financier was ever charged with a crime. A Wall Street trader told me that the crisis had been ‘a speed bump’ in his world.” (p. 107)

I agree with Packer’s analysis, but I’m not to sure of his “solutions.” In effect, Packer wants America to progress from a divided country into a unified one. The pathway includes more equity and equality. I’m dubious that the current political system will address these problems. They won’t deal with immigration, gun control, voting rights, or climate change. Why would Packers’s “elites” push for a more equal union? What do you think? GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:


Prologue — 3
Strange defeat — 13
Four Americas — 63
Equal America — 141
Equalizers — 165
Make America again — 187
Epilogue — 217
FURTHER READING — 221
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — 225

THE AMERICAN CLASSICS: A PERSONAL ESSAY BY Denis Donoghue

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Denis Donoghue, one of my favorite literary critics, died recently (1928-2021) and I thought I would honor him by reading (or rereading) some of his books that gave me pleasure over the years. I thought I would start with The American Classics (2005) which Donoghue wrote after teaching a graduate course called FIVE IN AMERICAN LITERATURE at New York University. To Donoghue’s surprise, he found that most of his students had very little exposure to these “classics.”

“It turned out that none of the students had read all the books. Some of them had read one or two of them, but only in excerpts: two or three of the more agreeable chapters of Walden, the “Custom-House” introduction to The Scarlet Letter, a few anthology poems from Leaves of Grass. When I pressed the matter, I was allowed to think that Ayn Rand had a more palpable presence in their high schools than Whitman or Melville. The students did not dispute that the five books are somehow privileged in American culture, but so are the heads on Mount Rushmore; stared at rather than otherwise appreciated. I gathered from the students that the five books had little provenance in their own early education. To Kill a Mockingbird meant more to them.” (p. 2)

In High School English class, we read The Scarlet Letter. I didn’t like it (neither does Donoghue). We read selections from Walden and Leaves of Grass. We read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer but not The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

In the chapter on Whitman, Donoghue quotes the prickly critic Yvor Winters who wrote, “The doctrine of Emerson and Whitman, if really put into practice, should naturally lead to suicide.” It’s nuggets like this that made me want to read Denis Donoghue.

Have you read these American Classics? What do you think of them? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: After Emerson — 1
1. Emerson and “The American Scholar” — 23
2. Moby-Dick — 55
3. The Scarlet Letter — 101
4. Walden — 137
5. Leaves of Grass — 177
6. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — 217
Afterword — 251
Notes — 263
Acknowledgment — 281
Index — 283

FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOKS #646: DOUBLE DOWN By Max Allan Collins

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Hard Case Crime’s latest omnibus in their Nolan series includes Fly Paper (1981) the third novel in the Nolan series and Hush Money (1981) the fourth novel in the Nolan series. Max Allan Collins’s informative “Introduction” provides the backstory to these novels and their context in the Nolan series.

Fly Paper concerns the attempt by a desperate man to hijack a plane and hold it for ransom. The hijacker’s Bad Luck includes having Nolan, a professional thief and all-around hardass, on the plane. The hijacking scheme takes a surprising turn because of Nolan’s canny interference. GRADE: B

The second novel in Double Down is Hush Money. A Vietnam veteran returns from the war seeking vengeance on the local crime family who caused his father’s and mother’s death. The Chicago Family (aka, Mafia) approaches Nolan with a proposition: they would pay Nolan $100,000 to settle the dispute between the veteran assassin and the local crime family.

Nolan knows how to locate the assassin and has a bargaining chip to expedite the agreement. But the local crime family has other ideas in defiance of the Chicago Mob. Double-crosses abound!

Hush Money expands the character of Nolan. Yes, Nolan’s expertise as a thief helps his chances to avert more killings, but when the unexpected happens, Nolan knows how to deal with it. You can read my review of the first two Nolan novels here. If you’re a fan of caper novels and suspense, the Nolan series features action and surprising plots and plenty of thrills for your Summer enjoyment. GRADE: A-

THIS IS THE MOODY BLUES [2-CD Set]

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I discovered the Moody Blues back in 1967 with Days of Future Passed, a fusion of rock and classical music. For the time, Days of Future Passed was ground-breaking. The Moody Blues’ most successful singles include “Go Now“, “Nights in White Satin“, “Tuesday Afternoon“, “Question“, “Gemini Dream“, “The Voice” and “Your Wildest Dreams“. The Moody Blues sold 70 million albums worldwide, which includes 18 platinum and gold LPs. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Are you a fan of the Moody Blues? GRADE: A

Tracklist

A1QuestionWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward5:39
A2The ActorWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward4:11
A3The Word (Poem)Written-By – Graeme EdgeWritten-By – Graeme Edge0:51
A4Eyes Of A ChildWritten-By – John LodgeWritten-By – John Lodge2:34
A5Dear DiaryWritten-By – Ray ThomasWritten-By – Ray Thomas3:47
A6Legend Of A MindWritten-By – Ray ThomasWritten-By – Ray Thomas6:37
B1In The BeginningWritten-By – Graeme EdgeWritten-By – Graeme Edge2:06
B2Lovely To See YouWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward2:35
B3Never Comes The DayWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward4:39
B4Isn’t Life StrangeWritten-By – John LodgeWritten-By – John Lodge6:32
B5The Dream (Poem)Written-By – Graeme EdgeWritten-By – Graeme Edge0:52
B6Have You Heard? (Part One)Written-By – Mike PinderWritten-By – Mike Pinder1:23
B7The VoyageWritten-By – Mike PinderWritten-By – Mike Pinder4:08
B8Have You Heard? (Part Two)Written-By – Mike PinderWritten-By – Mike Pinder2:08
C1Ride My See SawWritten-By – John LodgeWritten-By – John Lodge3:32
C2Tuesday AfternoonWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward4:04
C3And The Tide Rushes InWritten-By – Ray ThomasWritten-By – Ray Thomas2:54
C4New HorizonsWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward5:06
C5A Simple GameWritten-By – Mike PinderWritten-By – Mike Pinder3:18
C6Watching And WaitingWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward4:21
D1I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)Written-By – John LodgeWritten-By – John Lodge4:11
D2For My LadyWritten-By – Ray ThomasWritten-By – Ray Thomas3:54
D3The Story In Your EyesWritten-By – Justin HaywardWritten-By – Justin Hayward2:45
D4Melancholy ManWritten-By – Mike PinderWritten-By – Mike Pinder5:05
D5Nights In White SatinArranged By – Peter Knight (5)Orchestra – The London Festival OrchestraWritten-By – Justin HaywardArranged By – Peter Knight (5)Orchestra – The London Festival OrchestraWritten-By – Justin Hayward4:33
D6Late LamentArranged By, Conductor – Peter Knight (5)Lyrics By – Graeme EdgeMusic By – Peter Knight (5)Orchestra – The London Festival OrchestraArranged By, Conductor – Peter Knight (5)Lyrics By – Graeme EdgeMusic By – Peter Knight (5)Orchestra – The London Festival Orchestra

WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #28: THE PRAGUE ORGY By Philip Roth

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I finally got around to reading Philip Roth’s The Prague Orgy after it sat on my shelves for decades. Roth generates mixed feelings in some readers and he certain does in me. The Prague Orgy is the epilogue to his trilogy Zuckerman Bound. The story follows Roth’s alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman, on a journey to Communist Prague in 1976. Zuckerman seeks to acquire the unpublished manuscripts of a Yiddish writer but the manuscripts are held by the writer’s ex-wife who hates her former husband and refuses to release them. Zuckerman’s delicate negotiations with the ex-wife are both humorous and tragic.

The Prague Orgy presents a series of journal entries by Zuckerman. Many of the entries show the frustration and demoralization of writers in a Communist society. My major quibble about The Prague Orgy–and much of Roth’s writings for that matter–is Roth’s negative portrayal of women. It’s clear that Roth was a bitter man. What do you think of Philip Roth? GRADE: C

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON [Disney+]

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Diane wanted to see Raya and The Last Dragon so we watched it on Disney+. A vaguely Southeast Asian country falls into chaos when the various tribes stop trusting each other and shatter the magic crystal that protects them from the Druun. The Druun look like swirling smoke and their touch turns humans (and dragons) into stone.

Raya is a warrior princess who searches for the Last Dragon (and the last hope of defeating the Druun). Another warrior princess, Namaari, seeks to stop Raya. So there are plenty of cartoon fights.

I had no trouble with the storyline, but the “theme” of this movie is you have to trust others. In my experience, trust needs to be earned. Not in Raya and The Last Dragon. Despite examples where trust is betrayed, the story insists on the characters trusting to Make Everything Better. Other than that quibble, I found Raya and The Last Dragon entertaining. Diane did, too. Are you a fan of Disney animated movies? Any favorites? GRADE: B

ROCK ME ON THE WATER: 1974-THE YEAR LOS ANGELES, TRANSFORMED MOVIES, MUSIC, TELEVISION, AND POLITICS By Ronald Brownstein

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Ronald Brownstein makes his argument for 1974 being a pivotal year early in Rock Me On the Water: “In film, 1974 saw the release of Chinatown, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, and the great Vietnam documentary Hearts and Minds; the filming of Nashville, Jaws, and Shampoo; and the completion of the first-draft screenplay for a space adventure called Star Wars. In television, the year brought together the transformative comedies All in the Family, M*A*S*H, and Mary Tyler Moore (along with the Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett shows) on a CBS Saturday schedule that has been called the greatest night in television history. That year, Joni Mitchell, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt all issued career-redefining albums on Geffen’s label, and Bob Dylan and the Band and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young mounted record-setting concert tours with him.” (p. 3)

Brownstein captures the tenor of the time perfectly. As he moves through 1974 month by month, he alternates his analysis of what was happening in film, music, and television.

My favorite chapter of Rock Me On the Water is “November Breakthrough.” For years Linda Ronstadt struggled to move from small clubs to larger venues. And, Ronstadt wasn’t happy with the quality of her earlier albums (or their paltry sales). Brownstein asserts that the change that turned Ronstadt’s career around was her selection of Peter Asher as producer of her classic Heart Like a Wheel album. Brownstein shows how each song on the album was included to produce a unique effect.

If you’re interested in all the creative energy of the early Seventies, Rock Me On the Water shows how the artists, performers, and decision-makers produced the incredible movies, TV, and music of that era. What were you doing in 1974? GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

Prologue: Magic Hour in Los Angeles 1

1 January Hollywood’s Fall and Rise 11

2 February The Republic of Rock and Roll 40

3 March The Greatest Night in Television History 76

4 April Already Gone 100

5 May The Ballad of Tom and Jane 131

6 June From Chinatown to Jerry Brown 165

7 July Hollywood’s Generational Tipping Point 196

8 August The Icarus of Los Angeles 229

9 September Three Roads to Revolution 258

10 October The (White) Boys’ Club 291

11 November Breakthrough 325

12 December Transitions 352

Acknowledgments 391

Notes 397

Index 429