Summer reading to me is Big Fat Books (500+ pages) and series that have been on my bookshelf for far too long. I’m going to start with a series called The Icarus Saga by prolific SF writer, Timothy Zahn (60 published novels and still going strong). It’s an odd series because Zahn wrote The Icarus Hunt in 1999 and then 20 years later, wrote six more novels in the series.

The Icarus Hunt is basically a chase novel. Starship pilot Jordon McKell is hired to deliver an unconventional craft to Earth. A crew of random hires join McKell in his travels, but at least one of them is a murderer. As the novel progresses, McKell learns what the secret of Icarus is and why so many groups and governments in the Galaxy want the ship he’s piloting.

I’m one of those guys that likes to read blurbs. Here’s one from The Icarus Plot (2022): “Take the espionage of John le Carre, the deduction of Sherlock Holmes, the twisty nature of The Sting, and you have The Icarus Plot.” (Upstream Reviews)

And the writer who wrote that blurb is right! Former bounty hunter Gregory Roarke and his partner Selene are hired by two men who claim they are searching for valuable planets. That turns out to be a ruse. What they are really seeking is a member of the Icarus crew from The Icarus Hunt. The Bad Guys are working for the Patth, aliens who monopolize The Talariac Drive which is fastest in the galaxy. But the Patth fear Icarus and its advanced technology threatens their hold on the interstellar trade. The Patth and their deadly minions are hunting for Icarus crew members so they can take control of Icarus and keep their power.

Roarke and Selene (who has super Olfactory powers) track down Tera, an Icarus crew member, but then double-cross the Patth. Little by little, Roarke and Selene learn the secrets of Icarus while being chased from planet to planet by the Patth who will stop at nothing to seize Icarus.

If you’re in the mood for fast-paced Summer Reading, I recommend The Icarus Saga. I’ll be reading the rest of the books in the series over the next few weeks. GRADE: B+ (for both)

THE ICARUS SAGA:

Icarus (Timothy Zahn)

• 1 The Icarus Plot (2022)
• 2 The Icarus Twin (2023)
• 3 The Icarus Job (2024)
• 4 The Icarus Changeling (2024)
• 5 The Icarus Needle (2024)
• 6 The Icarus Coda (2025)
• The Icarus Hunt (1999)

I was in the mood for some Eighties music and these two compilation CDs were handy. The 80s Party Playlist (2000) includes hits like “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and The Waves–which has made over $100 million by being featured in 300 TV commercials over the years. I’m a fan of “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone. And I’m sure most of remember “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles–the top selling song of 1986!

Hot Ladies of the 80s (1990) includes Taylor Dayne’s dance music hit, “Don’t Rush Me” and the infectious “Head to Toe” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.

Both CDs include songs that are seldom played on local Oldies radio. They sure jogged my memories! GRADES: The 80s Party Playlist: B; Hot Ladies of the 80s: B-

TRACKLIST:

We got the beat / The Go-Go’s (2:30)

Walking on sunshine / Katrina & the Waves (3:59)

Come on Eileen / Kevin Rowland & Dexy’s Midnight Runners (4:14)

Take on me / A-ha (3:49)

Karma chameleon / Culture Club (4:12)

Centerfold / J. Geils Band (3:38)

My Sharona / The Knack (4:54)

867-5309 /Jenny / Tommy Tutone (3:47)

Whip it / Devo (2:40)

Walk like an Egyptian / Bangles (3:22)

Everybody have fun tonight / Wang Chung (4:48)

Mony mony (live) / Billy Idol (4:08)

Rebel yell / Billy Idol (4:46)

Miss me blind / Culture Club (4:29)

Love stinks / J. Geils Band (3:37)

Good girls don’t / The Knack (3:09)

Do you want crying / Katrina & the Waves (3:33)

TRACK LIST:

COVER ARTWORK BY SAM KENNEDY

Am I tipping my hand when I say the best thing about Going Interstellar (2012) is the cover artwork? Going Interstellar presents a mixed bag of fiction and non-faction. The editor, Lee Johnson, writes that these stories could NOT use faster-than-light drives, no wormholes, no portals.

The result is that these stories all concern generational spaceships whose crews spend hundreds of. years in suspended animation pods. And, of course, stuff goes Wrong.

I was not that interested in the non-fiction articles included in Going Interstellar involving various propulsion systems.

My favorite two stories in this anthology were “LUCY” by Jack McDevitt and “THE BIG SHIP AND THE WISE OLD OWL” by Sarah A. Hoyt. Both stories involve mysteries. In “LUCY” a spaceship run by Artificial Intelligence is sent out to Deep Space–and disappears. Another spaceship run by another Artificial Intelligence–LUCY–is sent to find out what happened.

In “THE BIG SHIP AND THE WISE OLD OWL” Sarah A. Hoyt presents a generational spaceship that has been traveling for hundreds of years. But three young travelers question how the spaceship is run by those in charge and investigate some troubling anomalies.

Sadly, I found Going Interstellar very average. GRADE: C

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

FOREWORD By Lee Johnson — 1

INTRODUCTION — Lee Johnson & Jack McDevitt — 3

CHOICES By
Les Johnson — 7

A COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Ben Bova — 27

ANTIMATTER STARSHIPS
Dr. Gregory Matloff — 79

LUCY
Jack McDevitt — 103

LESSER BEINGS
Charles E. Gannon — 141

FUSION STARSHIPS
Dr. Gregory Matloff — 197

PROJECT ICARUS
Dr. Richard Obousy — 219

DESIGN FLAW
Louise Marley — 233

TWENTY LIGHTS TO THE LAND OF SNOW
Michael Bishop — 263

SOLAR AND BEAMED ENERGY SAILS
Les Johnson — 351

THE BIG SHIP AND THE WISE OLD OWL
Sarah A. Hoyt — 367

SIREN SONG
Mike Resnick — 407

X-Men ’97, Season 1 (you can read my review here) ended with a startling cliff-hanger. X-Men ’97, Season 2 focuses on the origins and motivations of En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse). Events transform him into one of the most compelling and multi-dimensional antagonists in Marvel’s television Universe! X-Men ’97, Season 2 ranks 100% on ROTTEN TOMATOES!

With a tight 30 minute format with 9 episodes, X-Men ’97, Season 2 delivers plenty of action and complicated plots. If you’re looking for some Summer TV escapism, this is it! GRADE: Incomplete but trending towards an A

The script to Enola Holmes 3, written by Jack Thorne, is an original story, not an adaptation of the book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer–a series which I like a lot (you can read my review of THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESSE here and THE CASE OF THE LEFT-HANDED LADY here). Enola is in Malta about to be married to Lord Tewkesbury when Sherlock goes missing leaving a major mystery to be solved.

I’ve seen Enola Holmes 1 ( you can read my review here) and Enola Holmes 2 (you can read my review here). I think it is a mistake to abandon Nancy Springer’s books as the basis of the TV series.

This latest movie features Millie Bobby Brown, reprising her role as the Enola Holmes, the sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The film also stars Louis Partridge (Lord Tewkesbury), Himesh Patel (Dr. Watson), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Mira Troy), Henry Cavill (Sherlock Holmes), and Helena Bonham Carter (Eudora Holmes–mother of Enola and Sherlock and Mycroft) appearing in supporting roles. The film is directed by Philip Barantini–making this the first film in the Enola Holmes TV series not directed by Harry Bradbeer.

Enola Holmes 3 has a Hallmark movie vibe as Enola searches for her missing brother and encounters danger and deception–and romance, of course. As you can see from the photo above, Enola is in her wedding dress on top of a stage coach ready to fire a shotgun. That sums up the essence of Enola Holmes 3. GRADE: B-

Stark House’s reprint of Talbot Mundy’s The Marriage of Meldrum Strange (1930) brings to a new generation of readers a novel both comic, calamitous, and complex. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that The Marriage of Meldrum Strange was first published in the October 10, 1923 issue of Adventure. Talbot Mundy was one of the premier adventure writers of that time in the league with H. Rider Haggard and Robert E. Howard.

Meldrum Strange is a billionaire obsessed with Cottswold Ommony’s forest. Ommony concocts a devious plan to block Strange’s efforts to acquire the forest. The Marriage of Meldrum Strange is a mix of clever plotting and curious characters.

David Vineyard provides an insightful Introduction to Talbot Mundy. This Stark House edition includes a useful Bibliography of Talbot Mundy’s work. The Marriage of Meldrum Strange is a perfect Summer Reading book! GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

TALBOT MUNDY By David Vineyard — 7

1. “Well met!” — 10

2. “I’m thinking.” — 18

3. “Perhaps a hundred years from now——” — 29

4. As Esther to Ahasuerus — 38

5. “Sheep’s bones and no strynchine!” — 54

6. “C. O. to Z. P.” “Z. P. to C. O.” — 66

7. “A key to destiny.” — 73

8. “And now for the really difficult part!” — 85

9. “Tiger!” — 94

10. “Up to you, sir!” — 109

11. “Who eats crow, eh? Wait and see!” — 118

12. “Is everything ready?” — 128

13. “Watch! Watch! Be still!” (“AH-H-H!”) — 138

14. “Chullunder Ghose prays to all the Gods!” — 145

Talbot Mundy Bibliography (1876-1940) — 158

Over the years I’ve presented compilation CDs on Thursdays, I’ve noticed the ones with 1970s music seem to be the most popular. Fortunately, I have dozens of compilation CDs from the 1970s I haven’t listened to yet. Flashback! and Extreme 70s were two of them. I listened to them over the 4th of July weekend.

Flashback! from 1991 includes plenty of Name groups and singers. Classics like Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff” and Stephen Stills “Love the One You’re With” still sound great! Who can forget Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” or Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded”–songs that still get airplay on our Oldies radio staton today.

Extreme 70s from 2003 includes Name groups and singers, but many of them are second-tier. I still hear Looking Glass’s “Brandy” from time to time. Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” still gets played. Eddie Money is still making money with “Baby Hold On.”

Do you remember these Seventies songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: Flashback!: B+ Extreme 70s: B-

TRACK LIST:

TRACK LIST:

Remember the Weekly Reader Book Club? Back in the 1960s, our Reading Teacher would hand out a leaflet each month showing what books were available for purchase from the Weekly Reader Book Club. I and my classmates would make choices, bring in a few dollars–the prices per book were less than a dollar each–our Reading Teacher would send in the order, and a week later the books would arrive.

Worlds of Maybe, published by Thomas Nelson in 1970, also had a Weekly Reader Book Club edition (pictured above). Robert Silverberg is one of my favorite Science Fiction writers, but his skills as an editor are under appreciated. Worlds of Maybe is an anthology of seven parallel universe stories.

My favorite story is also the oldest story in Worlds of Maybe: Murray Leinster’s “Sidewise is Time.” Paul Anderson’s “Defend East” is one of his Time Patrol stories where a team finds themselves not only in a different time-line, but also in a parallel universe.

Isaac Asimov’s “Living Space” confronts the issue of who gets to own their own planet. “Sail On! Sail On!” is an early story of Philip Jose Farmer that hints at the disruption he would cause with future stories like his Riverworld series.

It might be difficult to find a copy of Worlds of Maybe, but the quality of the stories would make the effort worth it. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

9 · Introduction · Robert Silverberg — 9

15 · Sidewise in Time · Murray Leinster · na Astounding Jun 1934 — 15

96 · Sail On! Sail On! · Philip José Farmer · ss Startling Stories Dec 1952 — 96

121 · Slips Take Over · Miriam Allen deFord · ss F&SF Sep 1964 — 121

139 · All the Myriad Ways · Larry Niven · ss Galaxy Oct 1968 — 139

153 · Living Space · Isaac Asimov · ss Science Fiction Stories May 1956 — 152

173 · Translation Error · Robert Silverberg · nv Astounding Mar 1959 — 173

200 · Delenda Est [Manse Everard (Time Patrol)] · Poul Anderson · nv F&SF Dec 1955 — 200