Philip Roth’s Indignation (2008) is set in 1951. The Korean War is going badly. Logan Lerman plays Marcus Messner, an agitated only child of a Trenton, New Jersey butcher and his wife. Marcus, in a bizarre decision, decides to attend tiny Winesburg College in Ohio. Winesburg is a Baptist school and its religious requirements become part of the plot. Marcus meets the beautiful Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon) in his History class and falls for her. But Olivia has “issues.” Many writers from Philip Roth’s generation punish characters who engage in sex acts in their books. That should give you enough of a hint about what Indignation deals with. GRADE: B (for both book and movie)

After last Saturday’s 19-18 squeaker loss to the Colts, the Bills got more Bad News. Defensive end, Marcell Dareus, “forgot” to take a schedule NFL drug test so now he’s suspended for four games. Linebacker Manny Lawson is facing a one-game suspension for “domestic abuse.” Yet Rex Ryan assures Bills fans that “We’re right on track.” For what? DEADSPIN has a different opinion here. How is your team faring as the preseason winds down?

The Best of Amazing Stories: The 1940 Anthology features a great mix of tales by Ross Ricklynne, Raymond Z. Gallun, Don Wilcox, Ralph Milne Farley, and other forgotten writers. I remember reading some AMAZING STORIES pulps from the Forties as a kid. Great fun! This anthology shows all the 12 covers from the entire year of 1940 on the back cover. Nice feature! If you’re in the mood for some retro Science Fiction of World War II vintage, this package is perfect for you for a mere $12.99 on AMAZON! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Publisher’s Note
Introduction
“The Voyage That Lasted 600 Years” by Don Wilcox
“The Monster Out of Space” by Malcolm Jameson
“Truth is a Plague!” by David Wright O’Brien
“Paul Revere and the Time Machine” by A. W. Bernal
“The Living Mist” by Ralph Milne Farley
“The Day Time Stopped Moving” by Bradner Buckner
“The Mathematical Kid” by Ross Rocklynne
“The Strange Voyage of Dr. Penwing” by Riichard O. Lewis
“Three Wise Men of Space” by Donald Bern
“Sons of the Deluge” by Nelson S. Bond

Dystopian future, dragons, knights, zombies. These are just some of the elements of Guy Haley’s short novel, The Emperor’s Railroad: A Tale of the Dreaming Cities. TOR Books publishes a series of novels that average around 175 pages. Guy Haley’s first book in this series features a “knight” named Quinn who rescues a young woman and her 12-year-old son when their wagon breaks down. Quinn also saves them from a zombie attack. Haley provides a grim picture of a ruined world where 21st Century technology is gone. I liked the fact that Quinn carries two swords…and a pistol on his hip. If you’re looking for an adventure novel and a quick read, you’ll enjoy The Emperor’s Railroad. The second book in the series, The Ghoul King, just came out so I’ll be reading that book soon, too. GRADE: B

As BOUCHERCON looms in the weeks ahead, I decided to read Nick Mamatas’s I Am Providence, a snarky novel about a H. P. Lovecraft convention in Providence, Rhode Island. There’s a murder of one of the participants and then the face of the victim is cut off by the killer! Colleen Danzig, an aspiring horror waiter, attends the convention of Cthulhu fans in an attempt to network. But Colleen finds herself investigating this nasty murder and runs the risk of becoming the next victim. Mamatas makes fun of the typical Lovecraft fans with their crazy outfits with tentacles. And Mamatas cleverly crafts his plot with chapters inspired by Lovecraft’s stories. If you’re in the mood for a funny mystery novel, you might enjoy I Am Providence. GRADE: B-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. The Whisperer in Darkness
2. The Call of Cthulhu
3. The Outsider
4. Cool Air
5. The Think on the Doorstep
6. The Haunter of the Dark
7. The Terrible Old Man
8. The Unnamable
9. He
10. What the Moon Brings
11. The Tomb
12. The Festival
13. From Beyond
14. The Other Gods
15. The Evil Clergyman
16. The Colour Out of Space
17. Re-Animator

Diane and her Book Club just finished reading All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani, a novel about Hollywood. Clark Gable plays a key role in the book during the filming of The Call of the Wild (1935). Diane and I had never seen The Call of the Wild so we acquired a copy and watched it. But, before we watched it, I read Jack London’s classic novel that the movie is based on. As you might remember, the book is narrated by Buck, the dog. The character Clark Gable plays in the movie doesn’t appear until halfway into the novel. The plot is concerns the Yukon gold rush. Everyone is looking for a lost gold mine. Twenty-one year old Loretta Young is luminous in The Call of the Wild. There’s some real chemistry between Gable and Young. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s worth viewing. GRADE; B+

Should we be more like Finland? Ann Partanem thinks we should. Partanen moved to the U.S. from Finland and went through cultural shock. In Finland, the government pays for all health care expenses. The government pays for College, too. Students also get a $600 per month stipend. Child care is subsidized. Crime rates are low. The elderly are supported by government aging programs. Poverty rates are very low. Ann Partanen makes a powerful argument for a better American lifestyle. I’d like to see some of the programs that obviously work in Finland tried out in the United States. What do you think? GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
In the land of the free: becoming American
The Nordic theory of love
Pippi Longstocking’s magic
Family values for real : strong individuals form a beautiful team
How children achieve : secrets for attaining educational success
Healthy body, healthy mind : how universal health care could set you free
Of us, by us, and for us : go ahead, ask what your country can do for you
The lands of opportunity : bringing back the American dream
Business as unusual : how to run a company in the twenty-first century
The pursuit of happiness : it’s time to rethink success.

Diane and I enjoy regional theater productions so we attended the performance of the Buffalo United Artists production at the Alleyway Theater in Buffalo. The play is set after the first performance of a new Broadway play, The Golden Egg. The characters include an leading actress with an ankle monitor, a director who is a kleptomaniac, a producer who knows more about stock options than drama, a Broadway actor who sold out to Hollywood, and a tormented playwright. As you can guess, there are a lot of comic situations with a sarcastic view of Broadway productions. Yet, despite all the mockery, Terrance McNally’s play does celebrate the love of theater and acting. If this funny play shows up in your neighborhood, I recommend you go see it and laugh. GRADE: A-

Buffalo Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan pronounced, “We have won the Off-Season.” No one around here knows what that means. Many Bills fans want Rex Ryan drug-tested. The prospects for the Real Season do not look good. Running Back Karlos Williams is suspended for four games because of a failed drug test. Rookie Running Back Jonathan Williams was arrested for drunk driving and will probably face NFL disciplinary charges. That forced the Bills to sign frequently injured Reggie Bush. Not good. What are the prospects for your favorite NFL team?

Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy’s Greatest Science Ficiton is a visual feast! Every page of this 578-page tome is packed with book covers, magazine covers, still photos from movies, and illustrations galore! The book is roughly chronological and shows the development of the genre through a combination of visuals and mini-essays on various SF topics. Published in 2014, this book slipped by me. I don’t recall any reviews online or in LOCUS. But I stumbled across Sci-Fi Chronicles by accident recently. If you’re a fan of Science Fiction magazines, SF novels, SF movies, comic books, and popular culture in general, you’ll find plenty to like between these pages! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword by Stephen Baxter
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Chapter 1: 1818-1925
Early Science Fiction: The Birth of a Genre
Chapter 2: 1920-50
The Days of Pulp: The “Golden Age” of Science Fiction
Chapter 3: 1950-70
The Era of the Atom: The Marvels and Perils of Science
Chapter 4: 1970-90
Dark Futures: Apocalypses and the War in Space
Chapter 5: 1990-Present
The Adventure Continues: Modern Science Fiction
Famous Spaceships
The Science Fiction Chronology
Genre Definitions
Contributors
Index
Picture Credits