I’ve been reading Caitlin Kiernan’s short stories for years. This Subterranean Press collection (552 pages!) from 2011 presents Kiernan’s work in chronological order. It’s fascinating to see how a writer develops and learns her craft. I think Kiernan hit her stride in “From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6” which is a harbinger of her later, better work. My favorite story in this collection is “Andromeda Among the Stones.” Kiernan’s best stories blend a sense of wonder with a sense of dread. I have Caitlin Kiernan’s Beneath an Oil-Dark Sea: The Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan, Volume Two on order. If you’re interested in reading one of the better contemporary SF and fantasy writers, this is the place to start. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Author’s Introduction
Part One (1993-1999)
Emptiness Spoke Eloquent [1993]
Two Worlds; and In Between [1994]
To This Water (Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1889) [1994]
Tears Seven Times Salt [1994]
Breakfast in the House of the Rising Sun (Murder Ballad No. 1) [1995]
Estate [1996]
Rats Live on No Evil Star [1997]
Salmagundi (New York City, 1981) [1998]
Postcards from the King of Tides [1997]
Giants in the Earth [1995]
Zelda Fitzgerald in Ballet Attire [1995-1999]
Part Two (2000-2004)
Spindleshanks (New Orleans, 1956) [2000]
The Road of Pins [2001]
Onion [2001]
In the Garden of Poisonous Flowers [2001]
Night Story 1973 (with Poppy Z. Brite) [2001]
From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6 [2002]
Andromeda Among the Stones [2002]
La Peau Verte [2003]
Riding the White Bull [2003]
Waycross [2003]
The Dead and the Moonstruck [2004]
The Daughter of the Four of Pentacles [2004]
The Dry Salvages [2004]
The Worm in My Mind’s Eye [2004]
Houses Under the Sea [2004]
Publication History

We’re hosting Thanksgiving again and expect from six to 10 people at our table. Patrick, Katie, Diane, me, my brother and his wife are certainties. But, we always take in a few “strays” as well. The 16-lb Plainville turkey will take up most of the room in our GE oven. Diane plans to offer both white potatoes and sweet potatoes. And green beans. Plus, dinner rolls. We needed more oven space.

We’ve listened to friends rave about their Breville Smart Oven Pro. Diane had some great coupons for Bed, Bath and Beyond so we checked out the Breville Smart Oven Pro and bought it. This unit features an interior oven light so we can keep an eye on what’s cooking.
10 pre-set cooking functions include: toast 6 slices, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, Warm, slow cook. Capacity: 6-slice toaster, 13″ pizza. Convection powered: an inbuilt fan that circulates the hot air within the oven. It speeds the cooking process by stripping away the cold air that surrounds the food. Non-stick cavity coating: the walls on the inside of the oven feature a non-stick coating for easy cleaning.

If you’re looking for the ultimate toaster oven, check out the Breville Smart Oven Pro! GRADE: A

Given the current political environment and the Buffalo Bills reverting to Normal (losing), I needed some laughs. This new Blu-ray edition of A Fish Called Wanda proved to be the perfect tonic! John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin make up the excellent cast. I first saw A Fish Called Wanda back in 1988 and its humor and cleverness stayed with me ever since. Kevin Kline won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the psychopathic Otto. If you’re looking for some diverting fun and frivolity, A Fish Called Wanda delivers. GRADE: A
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Commentary by writer and star John Cleese
Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive
Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray-Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen
John Cleese s Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton
Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume
Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film s locations hosted by Robert Powell
24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese
A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film’s original release
Gallery
Trivia track
Theatrical trailer
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman

David Litt’s story of going from his room at his parents’ house to working in the White House as a speech writer shows the power of persistence. Litt’s inspiring story tracks the Obama Administration, both the highs and the lows. I found Litt’s descriptions of how the Obama Administration worked fascinating reading. As twenty-somthing David Litt moves up the meritocracy, he finds himself writing important speeches for the President. I found the speech writing process interesting, too. There’s plenty of humor in Thanks, Obama. And a few moments when your eyes will tear up. If you’re fan of the former President, you’ll enjoy all the details of life in the White House. Do you miss Obama? GRADE: A
Table of Contents
A Note Regarding Facts ix
Introduction: Arugula on Air Force One 1
Part 1 Obamabot
1 The Rapture 11
2 How to Not Land a White House Job 27
3 Cleared to Work 47
4 The Corridors of Power 67
5 The Salmon in the Toilet 87
6 Is Obama Toast? 107
7 Going Eastwood 127
8 That First Real Taste of Blood 147
Part 2 Our (Teensy) Place in History
9 Hitler and Lips 167
10 Juice in Purgatory 187
11 The Holy War 207
12 In the Barrel 227
13 Bucket 247
14 The Big Rock Candy Mountain 269
15 The Finish Line 287
Epilogue: Squishing the Scorpion 297
Acks 309

The red-hot New Orleans Saints–the only NFL team with six straight wins this season–arrive to take on the Buffalo Bills in a chilly, windy New Era Stadium. Drew Brees has never thrown a touchdown pass in this stadium. This may change today. The Bills are still smarting from the wretched game they played on Thursday Night Football when the NY Jets dominated them. The Saints are the best team the Bills have faced this season. Will they be up for the challenge or will this game look a lot like the debacle against the Jets? We will find out within a few hours. How will your favorite NFL team do today?

“Rick Ollerman’s essays extend the tradtion of critics of crime fiction like Anthony Boucher and Jacques Barzun. His insights are as sharp as a stilletto.”
Yes, I wrote that blurb. You’ll find on the back cover of this book.
What makes Rick Ollerman’s Hardboiled, Noir and Gold Medals: Essays on Crime Fiction Writers From the ’50s Through the ’90s is Rick’s passion. From the very first page you discover Rick really loves these books! Many of these essays first appeared as introductions in various Stark House omnibuses. You’ll learn a lot about Peter Rabe, Donald Westlake, Ed Gorman, James Hadley Chase, Wade Miller, Charles Williams, Jada M. Davis, Andrew Coburn, Malcolm Braly, and Lionel White. If you’re a fan of crime fiction of the 1950s, especially Gold Medal writers, you’ll love Hardboiled, Noir and Gold Medals. And, if you love these books as much as I do, you’ll want to drop everything and read some of these wonderful writers!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
How Harlan Ellison Ruined My Life 8
Ed Gorman, Donald Westlake, Peter Rabe, and the Gateway Books 13
The Differential Peter Rabe: An Appreciation 23
How Jane Smiley Ruined a Book (and Lost a Reader For the Rest of Time) 34
Rene Brabazon Raymond: The Discovery of a Thriller Writer 38
Sexy Covers, or Buy the Covers, Stay for the Book or Buy the Book, Don’t Let the Covers Put You Off 49
The Minds of Peter Rabe 52
The Unsung 63
Criminal Friendship: The Work of Robert Wade and Bill Miller 66
Sense of Wonder 84
Paperback Wonder 87
Horror Books 93
In Pursuit of a Pleasant Oblivion 97
Untitled 104
On Writing Introductory Essays 105
Charles Williams: The Best Known Unknown Paperback Original 107
Noir and Bleu 142
Midnight Road: The Quiet Noir of Jada Davis 145
A Bit More Jada Davis 150
Jada M. Davis: The Forgotten Contender 151
Repeats and Covers 161
Ed Gorman, The One and Only 163
Cruising Down the Literary Strip with Ed Gorman 165
The Power of Words and Tears 193
About Andrew Coburn 196
Can Humor and Crime Really Co-exist? 201
Danny and Manny: The Series Characters of Peter Rabe 203
The End of Daniel Port 212
Too Big to be Forgotten? 219
They Really Can’t Win: The Start of W. R. Burnett’s “Urban Trilogy” 221
Untold Stories 233
aka James Hadley Chase 238
Paging Dr. Noir 247
City of Closed Doors–Do Your Own Time: Malcolm Braly 253
Bad Men 270
Crime a la White 273
And Now the End 292

Tom Harford argues that occasionally leaving our scripted lives and “changing things up” can trigger creativity, innovation, and increased productivity. And Harford provides plenty of examples to prove his point. I never knew that Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was improvised. And who knew that Rommel won many of his battles in World War II by ignoring orders and just making up battle plans as he went along. Sometimes being messy produces unique solutions to problems. I found Harford’s stories both compelling and inspirational. I’m going to try to be less rigid in my actions and thinking as a result. Are you messy or are you a neat-freak (or something in the middle)? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: “It was unplayable.” p. 1
1 Creativity: “You’re asking the blood in your brain to flow in another direction.” p. 7
Bowie, Eno, and Darwin: How Frustration and Distraction Help Us Solve Problems in Art, Science, and Life
2 Collaboration: “My brain is open!” p. 33
Paul Erdos and the Robbers Cave: Why Tidy Teams Have More Fun but Messy Teamwork Gets More Done
3 Workplaces: “Nobody cares what you do in there.” p. 61
Where Steve Jobs Went Wrong, and Why It’s Nobody Else’s Business Whether You Tidy Your Desk
4 Improvisation: “You ain’t got much lime to think, ’cause you in the chair from now on.”
Martin Luther King, the Help Desk, and the Unexpected Benefits of Letting Go of the Script
5 Winning: “What else matters but beating him?” p. 117
Bezos, Rommel, Trump: How to Use Mess as a Weapon in Business, Politics, and War
6 Incentives: “You wouldn’t need a large army. You’d need a small SWAT team.”
The Prime Minister and the Paramedic: The Pitfalls of Imposing Tidy Targets on a Messy World
7 Automation: “But what’s happening?” p. 177
Flight 447 and the Jennifer Unit: When Human Messiness Protects Us from Computerized Disaster
8 Resilience: “Everything had to be neat and orderly. No mess.” p. 205
Broken Windows. Stomach Ulcers, and the Dangerous Belief That Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness
9 Life: “Appointments are always a no-no, Planning ahead is a no-no.”
Franklin, Schwarzenegger, and the Genius Who Hacked OkCupid: Why We Should Value Mess in Our Inbox, Our Conversations, and Our Children’s Play
Acknowledgments p. 267
Notes p. 269
Index p. 287

Last week I flew to San Antonio to attend The World Fantasy Convention. I had a great time! I plan on attending next year’s Con in Baltimore. Here’s why:
THE GOOD:
1. Excellent panels like URBAN FANTASY and FANTASY IN TEXAS. My favorite panels featured Bill Crider, Joe R. Lansdale, and Scott Cupp.
2. Speaking of Bill Crider, Joe R. Lansdale, and Scott Cupp, we had a delicious meal at an authentic Mexican restaurant. Scott’s lovely wife Sandi and Joe’s talented daughter Kasey joined us. Great food and great conversation!
3. Unlike the Toronto BOUCHERCON, the book bag was high quality and full of wonderful books!
4. The Wyndham Hotel offered good conference rooms and amenities. Plenty of snacks!
5. Best Dealers’ Room I’ve seen in a long time!
6. The Book Cellar in the San Antonio Central Library (a short walk from the Wyndham Hotel) featured thousands of books, organized by genre and alphabetized. The day I was there, paperbacks were 2 for 25 cents, hardcovers were a buck a book! I bought as much as I could carry back to the hotel!
THE BAD:
1. Annoying people making lots of noise at 3 A.M.
2. The Wyndham bar charging $11 for a half glass (mostly ice) of sangria!
THE UGLY:
1. I was very impressed with San Antonio with its River Walk and Alamo. But each time I left the hotel, I saw packs of homeless people. Very sad.

All in all, The World Fantasy Convention was a fun experience. I highly recommend it! You can check out their website here.

Thor: Ragnakrok blends several MARVEL superheroes: The Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Stan Lee. Thor’s evil sister, Hela, returns from exile to conquer Asgard. Thor doesn’t stand a chance against his big sister, played brilliantly by Cate Blanchett. Thor finds himself on a junkyard planet ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who keeps the populous happy by offering gladiatorial games for their entertainment. Thor needs to escape and return to Asgard to stop Hela’s dark ambitions.

My favorite aspect of Thor: Ragnarok is its humor. In previous Thor movies, things were a little too serious for my taste. This new movie features plenty of fun. Thor gets into plenty of ludicrous situations. Tom Hiddleston returns as Loki. And, expect some surprises from the twisty plot. GRADE: A