Diane and I traveled into Buffalo to attend the Cheryl Strayed Babel event at a sold out Kleinhans Music Hall. Strayed spoke about her life and her books and her plans for the future.

Diane’s Book Club read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail back in 2012 and loved it. It’s the story of Cheryl Strayed–who never attempted a long hike before–walking the 1100-mile  Pacific Crest Trail in 1995 as a journey of self-discovery.  Strayed told the audience at Kleinhans that she was at the end of her rope when she decided to make this solo hike. Strayed’s journey begins in the Mojave Desert and she hikes through California and Oregon to the Bridge of the Gods into Washington. As you might suspect, Strayed learns a lot about long distance hiking the Hard Way.

Wild reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was the first selection for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0. By the time the book was published, actress Reese Witherspoon’s film company Pacific Standard had optioned Wild for film rights. Witherspoon portrayed Strayed in the 2014 film Wild, which was written by the novelist Nick Hornby and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.

Director Jean-Marc Vallee wanted Cheryl Strayed in a cameo for the movie. The scene he picked was when Witherspoon is dropped off at a seedy hotel at the beginning of her journey. Strayed is the driver of a pickup truck that gave Witherspoon a ride to the hotel. Vallee wanted Strayed to say, “Good Luck” as Witherspoon exited the pickup. Strayed got very nervous before the scene was filmed and was worried about saying her line. She asked Witherspoon for advice. Witherspoon turned to Strayed and said, “Don’t fuck it up!” GRADE: A

Have you ever wondered what a chimera is…and why it’s three times worst than most monsters? Or do you know what a murder hole is? Or how a castle works? And the best way to attack a castle?

The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium or Myth and Magic (1998) answers all those questions and many more. In his insightful Introduction, Terry Brooks discusses the methods of writing a fantasy novel. Here’s one of Brooks’s tips:

“I happen to favor rather strongly the practice of outlining a book before trying to write it, and I would recommend it to beginning writers, in particular for two reasons. First, it requires thinking the story through, which eliminates a lot of wasted time chasing bad ideas. Second, it profit a blueprint to which a writer can refer while working a a story over the course of months or even years.” (p. 3)

Another bit of advice Brooks provides comes from his editor (and friend), Lester del Rey: “…new ideas did not come along that often and that when they did, they came in disguise. It was better to take old, established ideas and turn the over and over in your mind until you found a new way to look at them. (p. 3)

My favorite chapter in The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference is Michael J. Varhola’s detailed “Anatomy of a Castle.” Varhola’s chapter includes all the facts necessary to write about castles: its fortifications, what castle life is like, and what happens during a siege.

I learned a lot about how to write fantasy fiction from this book. It’s packed with useful information both for the writer and the reader. Are you a fan of fantasy? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION by Terry Brooks — 1

Traditional fantasy cultures / Michael J. Varhola — 4

World cultures / Michael J. Varhola — 31

Magic / Allan Maurer and Renee Wright — 64

Witchcraft and pagan paths / Allan Maurer and Renee Wright — 101

Commerce, trade and law in contemporary fantasy / Sherrilyn Kenyon — 132

Fantasy races / Andrew P. Miller and Daniel Clark — 154

Creatures of myth and legend / Andrew P. Miller and Daniel Clark — 171

Dress and costume / Sherrilyn Kenyon — 191

Arms, armor and armies / Michael J. Varhola — 205

Anatomy of a castle / Michael J. Varhola — 235

INDEX — 263

I’ve been an Elton John and Bernie Taupin fan since I first heard “Your Song” on the radio in 1970. This tribute CD from 1991 has a broad range of groups and singers. I’m really amused by Kate Bush’s reggae version of “Rocket Man.” Joe Cocker had a minor hit with “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” I heard Tina Turner perform “The Bitch is Back” in concert. She had everyone on their feet!

I was a bit disappointed by Hall & Oates’s lethargic “Philadelphia Freedom.” But I did enjoy Oleta Adams’s soulful version of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.”

Are you an Elton John and Bernie Taupin fan? Do you have a favorite song? GRADE: A–

TRACK LIST:

David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer’s The Space Opera Renaissance, a 941 page mammoth volume from 2006, is divided into six sections. I’m going to review Section 1, “Redefined Writers,” for this week’s WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES and about once a month, I’ll review one of the other five sections.

Hartwell’s INTRODUCTION presents the history of the term “Space Opera”–credited to Wilson Tucker–and how that term morphed from a dismissive and snarky term to an actual respected sub-genre of Science Fiction.

Some SF critics have asserted that Edmond Hamilton was the writer that created the “Space Opera” genre. “The Star Stealers” (1929) makes a good case for Hamilton. A gigantic dark sun is threatening the Earth and the Solar System. “…their dark-star world, plunging on through empty space…would grasp this sun and carry it out with it into space. The sun’s planets, too, would be carried out, but these they planned to crash into the fires of the sun itself, to increase its size and splendor.” (p. 37). Hamilton obviously borrowed this scenario from his 1928 SF novel, Crashing Suns. A desperate group of Earthlings accept the challenge of stopping this approaching doom. GRADE: B+

“The Prince of Space” (1931) by Jack Williamson borrows from H. G. Wells’s classic, War of the Worlds. Aliens from Mars attack the Earth and only a stealth attack on Mars can prevent the Earth from devastating defeat. GRADE: B+

In David G. Hartwell’s Introduction to Leigh Brackett’s “Enchantress of Venus” (1949), Hartwell calls Brackett “The Queen of Space Opera.” Who can argue with that label on the woman who wrote the first draft of The Empire Strikes Back in 1978? Brackett wrote, “For fifteen years, from 1940 to 1955, when the magazine ceased publication, I had the happiest relationship possible for a writer with the editors of Planet Stories.” Planet Stories specialized in Space Opera. “Enchantress of Venus,” published 20 years after “The Star Stealers” and “The Prince of Space,” has added richness of character and setting with a large dollop of noir. GRADE: A

I first read “The Swordsman of Varnis” by Clive Jackson (aka, “Geoffrey Cobb) (1950) when it was reprinted in 1953 in Science Fiction Carnival, an anthology of comic SF stories edited by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds. It’s a silly trifle that captures the essence of Space Opera stories from that era. GRADE: B-

TO BE CONTINUED…

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I. Redefined Writers

• “The Star Stealers” by Edmond Hamilton — 21
• “The Prince of Space” by Jack Williamson — 45
• “Enchantress of Venus” by Leigh Brackett — 92
• “The Swordsman of Varnis” by Clive Jackson — 134

Diane and I were planning which Broadway shows to see in May and one of the contenders was the musical version of Death Becomes Her (1992). Although Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini, and Bruce Willis star in this Robert Zemeckis film, somehow we missed this 30 years ago. So we watched Death Becomes Her on Peacock.

Meryl Streep plays Madeline Ashton, an actress whose age signals the approaching end of her career. Ashton marries brilliant plastic surgeon Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis) after stealing him from her “friend” Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn).

After a decade, Helen writes a best selling self-help beauty book. Madeline, whose marriage to Ernest is as dead as her acting career, desperately makes a deal with the mysterious Lisle (Isabella Rossellini) to restore her youth. But Helen plots with Ernest to get revenge on Madeline and the plot veers off into silliness.

As you might have suspected, Diane and I decided to pass on the musical version of Death Becomes Her. GRADE: C+

Season 3 of The Wheel of Time–a fantasy series based on Robert Jordan’s books–returns with an opening battle royal between the Black Ajah and the Aes Sedai. In the aftermath, Rand–who could be the Dragon Reborn (decides to flee the Darkfriends–and the first three episodes (of 8) expand the storylines of magical forces fighting for control.

As executive producer and Moiraine actress Rosamund Pike cleverly says of the season, “I suppose you could say we’ve reinvented the wheel and taken ownership of the story in a new way.” As I mentioned in an earlier review of The Wheel of Time (you can read my review here), I’ll watch anything with Rosamund Pike in it. The production values of this new season have been increased. The magic is more magical, the fighting more powerful, and the treachery more cunning. If you’re in the mood for a TV series with action and excitement, you might want to give The Wheel of Time a try. GRADE: INCOMPLETE but trending towards an A-

The latest Stark House omnibus edition of Al Wheeler mysteries (#25, #26, #27) brings The Hellcat, The Lady is Transparent, and The Dumdum Murder–all published in 1962–back to readers who enjoy mirth, mayhem, and mystery.

The Hellcat challenges Al Wheeler to solve the case of a decapitated head that has been waiting–in the Morgue preserved in formaldehyde–for five years. Where is the rest of the body? What is the identity of the decapitated head? Wheeler has to deal with a rich, powerful family with plenty of secrets, two underworld hit-men–one of them blind–and alluring temptresses with hidden agendas. GRADE: A-

Al Wheeler confronts a locked room mystery in The Lady is Transparent. A man is murdered in a cursed room locked from the inside. The suspects in the house believe the victim was murdered by a ghost called The Gray Lady. Wheeler explores the cursed murder room and finds a tape recorder with a chilling message. Fitting the pieces together leads Wheeler to a deadly confrontation. GRADE: A

The Dumdum Murder opens with a corpse shot with a dumdum bullet. The corpse rests on the hood of an antique car in a garage. The residents of the house adjoining the garage are: the surviving half of a song-and-dance act, a sexy female contortionist, an Amazon woman wearing a leopard skin outfit, a sharpshooting illusionist, and an aging comic. There’s also a killer who has just been released from Alcatraz after a 30-year stay. Al Wheeler discovers the motive for the murder, but learns–almost too late–that he’s on the execution list! GRADE: B+

Whether it’s a decapitated head or a murderous ghost or a group of odd vaudevillians, Al Wheeler deals with the screwball murders, the glorious ladies, and the conniving killers in this triple treat!

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I decided to listen to some Irish songs. I’ve always enjoyed the Irish group, Celtic Woman. Diane and I attended one of their concerts and came away with their songs on our lips and joy in our hearts. I have many Celtic Woman CDs, but if you were to ask me which Celtic Woman CD to listen to, I’d recommend Decade.

Decade is basically a Greatest Hits set with 4 CDs full of Celtic Woman hits. Some are contemporary, many are traditional Irish songs, and some are classics. These CDs present the best works of the Celtic Woman group while celebrating 10 years of success.

Are you a fan of Irish music? Any favorites here? GRADE: A

TRACK LIST: