Back in the 1990s, publishers were keen on books that were “The Best of the 20th Century Blah-Blah-Blah” in various genres. Dozens of books of this type flooded the bookstores (remember them?) The Oxford University Press got into this market in 1994 with books like Tom Shippey’s The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories. Shippey’s choices hit all the right notes: H.P. Lovecraft rubs shoulders with Ray Bradbury and Poul Anderson. And examples of many of the classic fantasy characters found their way into this collection: Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, C. L. Moore’s Jirel of Jory, and Manley Wade Wellman’s Silver John. If you’re looking for a solid collection of classic fantasy stories, The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories delivers. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Demon Pope (1888), Richard Garnett
The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth (1908), Lord Dunsany
Through the Dragon Glass (1917), Abraham Merritt
The Nameless City (1921), H. P. Lovecraft
The Wind in the Portico (1928), John Buchan
The Tower of the Elephant (1933), Robert E. Howard
Xeethra (1934), Clark Ashton Smith
Jirel Meets Magic (1935), Catherine L. Moore
The Bleak Shore (1940), Fritz Leiber
Homecoming (1947), Ray Bradbury
See You Later (1949), Henry Kuttner
Liane the Wayfarer (1950), Jack Vance
The Desrick on Yandro (1952), Manly Wade Wellman
The Silken-Swift (1953), Theodore Sturgeon
Operation Afreet (1956), Poul Anderson
The Singular Events which Occurred in the Hovel on the Alley off of Eye Street (1962), Avram Davidson
The Sudden Wings (1962), Thomas Burnett Swann
Same Time, Same Place (1963), Mervyn Peake
Timothy (1966), Keith Roberts
The Kings of the Sea (1968), Sterling E. Lanier
Not Long Before the End (1969), Larry Niven
The Wager Lost by Winning (1970), John Brunner
Lila the Werewolf (1974), Peter S. Beagle
Johanna (1978), Jane Yolen
The Erl-King (1979), Angela Carter
Beyond the Dead Reef (1983), James Tiptree Jr.
Subworld (1983), Phyllis Einstein
Bite-Me-Not or Fleur de Fur (1984), Tanith Lee
The Night of White Bhairab (1984), Lucius Shepard
Thorn (1986), Robert Holdstock
Troll Bridge (1992), Terry Pratchett
Select Bibliography
Sources
Source Acknowledgements.

A Shadow All of Light reminds me of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories. These new tales are narrated by Falco, an ambitious young man who becomes an apprentice to master shadow thief Maestro Astolfo. Fred Chappell creates a world where shadows take on a life of their own. All the stories in this collection possess cunning and mystery. Just when you think you know what’s going on, Chappell will trick you with a clever plot twist. If you’re looking for marvelous stories full of wonder and wit, A Shadow All of Light will delight you. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“Thief of Shadows”
“The Diamond Shadow”
“Shadow of the Valley”
“Maze of Shadows”
“The Creeper Shadows”

The Science of Growth: How Facebook Beat Friendster–And How Nine Other Startups Left the Rest in the Dust explores why some companies succeed and grow to dominate their market while others fade and fail. The Chairman of my department asked me to teach a course in ENTREPRENEURSHIP in the upcoming Fall Semester so I figured The Science of Growth would provide some fresh material and insights for my lectures. Ammirati shows how decisions about growth are key to the survival and health of the organization. For example, White Castle had a winning business model a decade before McDonalds arrived in the fast food industry. But, White Castle was debt-adverse and grew slowly. McDonalds aggressively borrowed money and expanded quickly. Today, there are 31,000 McDonalds and only 500 White Castles. If you’re interested in the elements that help startups grow, this book provides plenty to think about. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Acknowledgments
Foreword: Richard Florida
1 Introduction
SECTION I PREREQUISITES FOR SCALING
2 Founder’s Core Vision
3 Scalable Ideas
4 Solves a Real Problem
5 An Excellent First Interaction
SECTION II CATALYSTS FOR ACCELERATING GROWTH
6 Double Trigger Events
7 Drafting off Platforms
8 Optimizing Algorithms
9 Viral Growth: Measuring and Optimizing
SECTION III ELEMENTS FOR SUSTAINED LONG-TERM GROWTH
10 Be Data Informed (Not Data Driven)
11 Financing Strategies
12 High-Performing Teams
13 A Culture of Discipline/Focus
14 Maximizing the Value of Network
15 Conclusion
Appendix: Company Overviews
Notes
Index

Lorene Scafaria wrote and directed The Meddler. Scafaria also wrote and directed Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Seeking a Frined for the End of the World. I mention this because what I’m about to criticize isn’t some rookie mistake. Scafaria should know better.
The Meddler begins with a mind-numbing half hour of filler. Susan Sarandon is a widow from New York City who has moved to Los Angeles to be near her narcissistic scriptwriter daughter. Scafaria’s script has Sarandon volunteering at a hospital, taking care of dogs, and spraying plants with water. The movie actually begins when Sarandon meets a retired cop played by J. K. Simmons who raises chickens and rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. For five brief minutes the movie screen was alive with two stars acting. Then Scafaria’s script sends Sarandon to New York City to watch her daughter’s TV pilot. Yawn. Finally, Sarandon flies back to California, there’s some nonsense with pregnancy tests, and the movie ends.

I complained in my recent review of Money Monster that George Clooney and Julia Roberts were on-screen together for about one minute. In The Meddler Susan Sarandon and J. K. Simmons are on-screen together for maybe five minutes out of the 100 minutes of running time. Movies who waste their stars deserve to fail. The story in The Meddler should have been about Susan Sarandon and J. K. Simmons. Instead, we don’t get story, we get incidents: Sarandon gets into a car accident, Sarandon gets her car stolen, Sarandon eats some marijuana. Incidents are not stories. The actual story in this movie is five minutes long, the rest is filler. GRADE: C

Cyndi Lauper singing Country & Western classic songs. You have to admit it’s a strange idea. But, believe it or not, Cyndi Lauper manages to carry this High Concept off. My favorite song on this CD is “Hard Candy Christms” with the wonderful Alison Krauss helping Cyndi out. The only clunker is “Night Life” because Willie Nelson cannot sing anymore, but he tries (and fails) on this song. If you’re in the mood for something different, give Cowgirl Cyndi a try. I’m providing a sample below. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1. “Funnel of Love” Charlie McCoy · Kent Westbury 3:15
2. “Detour” (featuring Emmylou Harris) Paul Westmoreland 2:55
3. “Misty Blue” Bob Montgomery 3:19
4. “Walkin’ After Midnight” Alan Block · Don Hecht 2:16
5. “Heartaches by the Number” Harlan Howard 3:10
6. “The End of the World” Sylvia Dee · Arthur Kent 3:12
7. “Night Life” (featuring Willie Nelson) Walt Breeland · Paul Buskirk · Willie Nelson 2:58
8. “Begging to You” Marty Robbins 3:24
9. “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly” (featuring Vince Gill) Lola Jean Dillon · L.E. White 3:42
10. “I Fall to Pieces” Hank Cochran · Howard 3:00
11. “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” (featuring Jewel) Patsy Montana 3:13
12. “Hard Candy Christmas” (featuring Alison Krauss) Carol Hall 3:54

The first mutant on Earth, En Sabah Nur (aka, Apocalypse, played by Isaac Oscar), gets buried thousands of years ago but wakes up in the 1980s and all hell breaks loose. Apocalypse decides the world needs to be “cleansed” and recruits Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), and Angel (Ben Hardy) to help him destroy civilization. James McAvoy returns as Professor X, Jennifer Lawrence returns as Mystique (and doesn’t have enough to do in this movie). My favorite character in this movie is Quicksilver, played by Evan Peters, steals every scene he’s in with his fabulous super-speed. I love the speed effects in this movie! There’s plenty of incredible battles and catastrophic disasters. Great Summer popcorn movie! GRADE: B+

When I was reading GALAXY as a kid, I loved the covers and interior illustrations of Wally Wood. Later, I collected Wood’s comic book, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. I loved Wood’s artistic style and vision. Now, all the GALAXY artwork that Wally Wood drew has been collected in a wonderful volume by Roger Hill. This book includes nearly 200 covers and illustrations with Hill’s commentary. Wally Wood was an artist for Will Eisner’s The Spirit and MAD magazine. But I think some of Wally Wood’s finest artwork can be found between these two covers! If you love great SF illustrations, this new book is a must-buy!

I’ve been featuring songwriting duos from the Sixties in my last few Forgotten Music posts. I started with Goffin and King here, Mann and Weil here, and Greenwich and Barry here. But maybe my favorite songwriting duo is Hal David and Burt Bacharach. Songs like “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Any Day Now,” “Tower of Strength,” “Only Love Can Break a Heart,” “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With My Self,” and a dozen other hits became part of the soundtrack of the Sixties for me. Who can forget Joanie Sommers’s “Johnny Get Angry”? This 2-CD set costs $13.99 on AMAZAON and it’s packed with 60 songs. Lots of great listening here! What’s your favorite Hal David/Burt Bacharach song?
TRACK LIST:
Disc: 1
1. Don’t Make Me Over (Dionne Warwick)
2. Any Day Now (My Wild, Beautiful Bird) (Chuck Jackson)
3. Tower Of Strength (Gene McDaniels)
4. Baby It’s You (The Shirelles)
5. Only Love Can Break A Heart (Gene Pitney)
6. The Answer To Everything (Del Shannon)
7. Forgive Me (For Giving You Such A Bad Time) (Babs Tino)
8. My Heart Is An Open Book (Carl Dobkins Jr)
9. Mexican Divorce (The Drifters)
10. Make It Easy On Yourself (Jerry Butler)
11. You’re Telling Our Secrets (Dee Clark)
12. Crazy Time (Gene Vincent)
13. I Looked For You (Charlie Grace)
14. Sea Of Heartbreak (Don Gibson)
15. Johnny Get Angry (Joanie Sommers)
16. Dream Big (Sonny James)
17. Winter Warm (Gale Storm)
18. The Story Of My Life (Michael Holliday)
19. Sittin’ In A Tree House (Marty Robbins)
20. Loneliness Or Happiness (The Drifters)
21. Another Tear Falls (Gene McDaniels)
22. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (Tommy Hunt)
23. Anonymous Phone Call (Bobby Vee)
24. The Blob (The Five Blobs)
25. Two Hour Honeymoon (Paul Hampton)
26. Keep Away From Other Girls (Helen Shapiro)
27. I Smiled Yesterday (Dionne Warwick)
28. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home) (Etta James)
29. True Love Never Runs Smooth (Gene Pitney)
30. The Love Of A Boy (Timi Yuro)
Disc: 2
1. Please Stay (The Drifters)
2. Wishing And Hoping (Dionne Warwick)
3. Broken-Hearted Melody (Sarah Vaughan)
4. (You Don’t Have To Be) A Tower Of Strength (Gloria Lynne)
5. Donna Means Heartbreak (Gene Pitney)
6. It’s Love That Really Counts (The Shirelles)
7. This Empty Place (Dionne Warwick)
8. I Wake Up Crying (Del Shannon)
9. Don’t Envy Me (Joey Powers)
10. Boys Were Made For Girls (Everit Herter)
11. Feelin’ No Pain (Paul Evans)
12. Come Completely To Me (Steve Rossi)
13. Third Window From The Right (Dean Barlow)
14. Three Friends (Two Lovers) (The Turbans)
15. (There Goes) The Forgotten Man (Jimmy Radcliffe)
16. Someone Else’s Sweetheart (The Wanderers)
17. The Breaking Point (Chuck Jackson)
18. In Times Like These (Gene McDaniels)
19. Warm And Tender (Johnny Mathis)
20. Loving Is A Way Of Living (Steve Lawrence)
21. Magic Moments (Perry Como)
22. (It’s) Wonderful To Be Young (Cliff Richard)
23. Love In A Goldfish Bowl (Tommy Sands)
24. Don’t You Believe It (Andy Williams)
25. Out Of My Continental Mind (Lena Horne)
26. Faker Faker (The Eligibles)
27. Don’t Unless You Love Me (Paul Hampton)
28. Along Came Joe (Merv Griffin)
29. Take Me To Your Ladder (I’ll See Your Leader Later) (Buddy Clinton)
30. Three Wheels On My Wagon (Dick Van Dyke)

Rick Robinson recommended James Swain’s Funny Money as one of his Friday’s Forgotten Books posts. You can read Rick’s review here. I had some James Swain books on my shelves (surprise!) so I figured this is a good time to read one. The first book in the Tony Valentine series is Grift Snese from 2001. Valentine retired as a cop and began consulting on casino security. Nick, the owner of the Acropolis Casino in Vegas, hires Tony Valentine in investigate a player that has taken his casino for big money. Nick suspects a beautiful dealer. who he had a relationship with years ago, is involved. Valentine’s investigation finds a much bigger threat to the casino on the eve of a Heavyweight Boxing match. If you’re looking for a quick read in the Ocean’s Eleven mode, Grift Sense delivers. GRADE: B
THE TONY VALENTINE SERIES
Grift Sense, 2001 Hardback, 2005 Softback, Balantine Books, 336 pages, Softback ISBN 0-345-48035-X ISBN 978-0-345-48035-4
Funny Money, 2002 Hardback, 2007 Softback, Atria, 304 pages, ISBN 1-4165-7502-2 ISBN 978-1-4165-7502-3
Sucker Bet, 2003 Hardback, 2004 Softback, Fawcett, 336 pages, ISBN 0-345-46323-4 ISBN 978-0-345-46323-4
Loaded Dice, 2004 Hardback, 2005 Softback, Balantine Books, 320 pages, Softback ISBN 0-345-46327-7 ISBN 978-0-345-46327-2
Mr. Lucky, 2005 Hardback, 2007 Softback, Balantine Books, 432 pages, Softback ISBN 0-345-47545-3 ISBN 978-0-345-47545-9
Deadman’s Poker, 2006 Hardback, 2006 Softback, Fawcett, 384 pages, ISBN 0-345-47549-6 ISBN 978-0-345-47549-7
Deadman’s Bluff, 2006 Hardback, 2004 Softback, Fawcett, Page 384, ISBN 0-345-47551-8 ISBN 978-0-345-47551-0
Wild Card, 2010 eBook
Jackpot, 2010 eBook