I’m not sure all of these songs are “Huge #1 Hits!” but they certainly hit the top of the charts, some briefly. Perhaps the best selling song is Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” which found its way into Despicable Me 2 (2013) and sold like hot cakes. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” stayed on top of the charts for weeks. Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)” was in heavy rotation on our local Rock stations.

Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” was played constantly on our local radio stations. John Legend’s romantic “All of Me” received a lot of air play. Do you remember these #1 songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+

TRACK LIST:

The best part of Warriors of Blood and Dream is Dorian Valliejo’s cool cover. This anthology from 1995 includes Zen encounters with aliens, wrestlings with shapeshifters, magic and battles in twentieth-century China, trips from exercise rooms into other dimensions, and encounters with mystical masters. So, in effect, there’s something here for everybody interested in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Jujitsu, Kendo Aikido, T’ai Chi, and other martial arts.

My favorite story in Warriors of Blood and Dream is Joe R. Lansdale’s compelling “Master of Misery.” You can’t get more noirish than this!

If you’re looking for stories with plenty of battles, combat, one-on-one fights, and acrobatic engagements, Warriors of Blood and Dream delivers 15 perilous tales. GRADE: B-

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 1 · Introduction · Roger Zelazny · in
• 11 · Master of Misery · Joe R. Lansdale · nv *
• 44 · Eye of the Falcon · Gerald Hausman · ss *
• 61 · Listen · Joel Richards · ss *
• 75 · True Grits · Jack C. Haldeman, II · ss *
• 86 · Broadway Johnny · Walter Jon Williams · na *
• 169 · The Seventh Martial Art · Jane Lindskold · ss *
• 182 · Fearless · Dave Smeds · nv *
• 212 · Easy Living · Richard A. Lupoff · nv *
• 240 · Blood Duty · Michael A. Stackpole · ss *
• 245 · Doing the Angry Centipede · Karen Haber · ss *
• 259 · Guardian Angel · Victor Milán · nv *
• 286 · Shapeshifter Finals · Jeffrey A. Carver · nv *
• 314 · Heart of the Moment · Larry Segriff · ss *
• 330 · Sand Man · Steven Barnes · na *
• 420 · A Small Circle · Kazuaki Tanahashi · aw *

Screenwriters Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez with cast of voice actors capture the fun and excitement of the original Star Wars movie. Spread out across 4 entertaining episodes, Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy manages to stay within the confines of a compelling story, exploring a conflict between brothers Sig and Dev Greebling (voiced by The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Tony Revolori) who becomes Darth Devastator as a result of the Cornerstone–a powerful artifact that remixes the entire Star Wars Galaxy!

If you’re looking for a fun, exciting, and clever animated series, checkout Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy! GRADE: B+

“‘I have to say that each time I visit with you, I am left wanting to see you more,’ he wrote… I heard this sort of thing all the time, often in more ardent forms. The sentiment came from married men, single men, men who were divorced, men a few years or a few decades older than me, men who were wealthy, and men who were rich, men living under secret, crushing debt. Some cried over how much they felt for me, wrote me songs and poems, daydreamed aloud about marrying or impregnating me. I felt highly desired, and I was, verifiably, highly desired… I became a sex worker because I suspected, and hoped, it would be this way: a private, minor form of celebrity. An alternate version of myself.” (p. 4-5)

Charlotte Shane’s memoir details her career from her teenage years to her adult relationships. Shane had a difficult time with her father. At an early age, Shane was attracted to teenage boys. Later, in Graduate School, she decided to become a sex worker. The chronicle of her learning how the sex trade operated and developing her own style includes both her successes and her failures.

“I acquired and used real skills, sexual and otherwise, but whatever efforts I made were met more than halfway by clients’ loneliness and yearning and how they responded to youth. A craving for connection will fulfill itself by creating an appropriate object. I pared myself down for that fantasy and polished what was left behind, to accommodate whatever the client would bring to and place upon me. In truth, I wasn’t the woman. I was the pedestal.” (p. 84-85)

Shane didn’t fall for any of her clients (p. 124). After all, sex work is…well, work. But there is a Big Surprise at the end of An Honest Woman–at least it was surprising to me. This memoir takes you to places you have likely never been. GRADE: B+

The Buffalo Bills are resting after their dramatic win in Miami Thursday night. I still feel sad for Tua Tagovailoa and his potential career-ending concussion.

How will your favorite NFL perform today?

This is the best cover of Daniel Boyd’s books! And, Hamlet Among the Pirates may be the funniest of Boyd’s books! As most of you know, Daniel Boyd (aka, Dan Stumpf) is a Hamlet scholar so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a novel about Hamlet–and, of course, pirates–would finally appear.

Snarky Captain Jacobs Hooke, Master of the Dread Pirate Frigate DEBACLE, hopes to ransom the Melancholy Dane Prince, but circumstances intervene.

Here’s a heart-to-heart chat between Captain Hooke and Hamlet:

Hamlet announces: “I am to requite mine enemies, take the throne that is my birthright, reward loyal friends, and thence face myself unto Ophelia and e’en her brother Laertres, taking their just hatred and merciful love in equal measure, to such end as God will.”

Captain Hooke responds: “You mean to have it out with King Claudius and his armed guards, palace spies, a distraught woman and her umbrage brother, and no telling what all else? By yourself?”

“It is my duty and perforce my fate.”

“Perforce your kick in the arse,” I counseled gently, “You’ll get yourself quickly deceased with a plan like that.” (p. 121)

If your fictional tastes run to swordfights, sea battles, a ship full of strumpets, wacky literary allusions, and wild adventures, Hamlet Among the Pirates delivers that fun, frivolity, and foolery! GRADE: B+

If you’re in the mood for an eye-popping visual experience, check out The Art and Soul of Dune. I first read Frank Herbert’s Dune in 1965 and was completely blown away. Herbert created a planet of sand with the unique spice that allowed for interstellar travel. He also created competing Houses who lusted after power and wealth. Plenty of treachery in this book!

In his “Foreword,” director Denis Villeneuve reveals how his 2-part movie Dune got made and how many of his decisions affected his final vision. In their “Introduction,” Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson explain how their prequels and sequels explain details of Frank Herbert’s worlds.

The artwork is spectacular and there are plenty of inside information on the Dune movies. If you’re a fan of Dune, you need to check out this Dune eye-candy! GRADE: A

It’s hard to believe that Vegas would make the Buffalo Bills 1½ point favorites over the speedy Miami Dolphins after the Bills almost lost their Home Opener to the Arizona Cardinals, 34-28. Of course, the Dolphins had to come from behind to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-17.

The Dolphins might be distracted by their local Police putting Tyreek Hill in handcuffs for a speeding violation. The Bills are banged up: QB Josh Allen has a bone bruise on his left hand. Fortunately he throws with his right hand. I’m not a fan of these Thursday Night games, but hopefully the Bills can play with some energy.

I was a loyal reader of GALAXY back in the 1960s. I liked the mix of stories and Frederik Pohl’s abilities to attract the best Science Fiction writers of that era to send him their stories. The Ninth Galaxy Reader (1966) highlights Pohl’s editorial approach with a variety of stories. I liked the robot future presented in “How the Old World Died” by Harry Harrison.

Larry Niven’s “Wrong-Way Street” is a cunning Time Travel story. John Brunner’s “Wasted On the Young” has been a long-time favorite of mine.

The Ninth Galaxy Reader blends established writers with “new” writers from the Sixties. If you want to take a walk down Memory Lane, The Ninth Galaxy Reader will take you there. GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Introduction (The Ninth Galaxy Reader) – (1965) – essay by Frederik Pohl — v
• An Ancient Madness – (1964) – novelette by Damon Knight — 1
• The King of the Beasts – (1964) – short story by Philip José Farmer — 26
• The Watchers in the Glade – (1964) – novelette by Richard Wilson — 28
• Jungle Substitute – (1964) – novelette by Brian W. Aldiss — 64
• How the Old World Died – (1964) – short story by Harry Harrison — 93
• The Children of Night – (1964) – novelette by Frederik Pohl — 98
• To Avenge Man – (1964) – novelette by Lester del Rey — 139
• The Monster and the Maiden – (1964) – short story by Roger Zelazny — 182
• A Flask of Fine Arcturan – (1965) – short story by C. C. MacApp — 184
• Wrong-Way Street – (1965) – short story by Larry Niven — 193
• Wasted on the Young – (1965) – short story by John Brunner — 207
• Slow Tuesday Night – (1965) – short story by R. A. Lafferty — 220

Peggie Noonan, Republican speech writer for Bush and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, wrote the objectives Trump and Harris need to achieve in tonight’s debate: Trump has to prove he’s sane, Harris needs to show good faith.

Karl Rove, long-time Republican strategist, believes the winner of this Presidential Debate will win in November. Kamala Harris is the better debater…but will that matter?

In a recent poll, 91% of the people asked about the Presidential Debate said they would watch it. Are you going to watch the Debate?