Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (based on Paul Gallico’s novel) is a movie about beautiful clothes and following your dreams. I’ve been a fan of Lesley Manville for many years. In this movie, Manville reminds me of Betty White at her sweetest.

Manville plays a cleaning woman, Ada Harris, in London in 1957 who falls in love with a Christian Dior dress one of her clients has in her closet. Through hard work and some luck, Mrs. Harris accumulates enough money for a trip to Paris and enough to buy a Christian Dior original.

Director Anthony Fabian features stunning scenes in Paris. Jenny Beavan recreates the Dior dresses of that era with eye-popping elegance.

Yes, there’s a bit of Pygmalion fantasy in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I prefer this version to the Angela Lansbury 1992 TV movie, Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris (which is the original title of Gallico’s 1958 novel). I think you will, too. GRADE: B

The Vinyl Detective and Nevada (along with friends Tinkler and Agatha) travel to Sweden on an assignment to acquire a rare demonic metal record. Events in Sweden begin with fun and frivolity as Tinkler falls in love with a stripper, but things turn dark when brutally disfigured corpses start to show up.

The group called the Storm Dream Troopers released a record titled Attack and Decay in two vinyl versions, one in audiophile format and one in regular vinyl format. The Catholic Church banned the album and had its followers in Sweden buy up all the copies to “protect” the public.

Now, years later, the rarity of Attack and Decay has pushed the prices of both vinyl versions into the High Price stratosphere.

While the Vinyl Detective discovers the secret behind the two versions, the killer is using the songs on Attack and Decay to orchestrate a series of murders. This sixth volume of the series presents a change of venue, new characters, and a very clever plot. The Vinyl Detectives series just keeps getting better and better! GRADE: A

THE VINYL DETECTIVE SERIES WITH LINKS:

http://georgekelley.org/the-vinyl-detective-written-in-dead-wax-by-andrew-cartmel/‎(opens in a new tab)

http://georgekelley.org/the-vinyl-detective-the-run-out-groove-by-andrew-cartmel/‎

Vaclav Smil is a professor at the University of Manitoba who loves to crunch numbers. Just about every statement Smil makes in How the World Really Works is backed up by hard data. For anyone who believes the U.S. or the EU can reverse climate change anytime soon…Smil has the numbers that show that’s not going to happen in this century.

For me, the most important chapter in How the World Really Works is Chapter 3 with Smil’s Four Pillars of Modern Civilization. Smil shows our economy and life-style relies on four elements: cement, steel, plastics, and ammonia. And, all of them promote climate change by producing green house gases.

Smil’s numbers project more cement, steel, plastics, and ammonia in our future. I could see where modern economies would use more cement and steel in our buildings and roads and bridges. I could see where plastics are essential to appliances and cars and planes and medical devices. But…ammonia? Well, without ammonia–and Smil’s numbers show massive amounts–we would starve. Ammonia is an essential substance for farming. Without fertilizers, our farm products would plummet! Smil writes: “Ammonia: The Gas That Feeds the World” (p. 79). I had no idea!

So without non-polluting substitutes for cement, steel, plastics, and ammonia…nothing will change. More carbon dioxide and other green house gases will cloud our skies and ratchet up the heat and pollution. There’s no easy way out of this dilemma. Unless we can find a way to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere–and store it safely–we are literally cooked. How the World Really Works lays it all out with documentation. Decision makers need to read this book and take action now! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Why Do We Need This Book? 1

1 Understanding Energy: Fuels and Electricity 13

2 Understanding Food Production: Eating Fossil Fuels 44

3 Understanding Our Material World: The Four Pillars of Modern Civilization 76

4 Understanding Globalization: Engines, Microchips, and Beyond 103

5 Understanding Risks: From Viruses to Diets to Solar Flares 134

6 Understanding the Environment: The Only Biosphere We Have 168

7 Understanding the Future: Between Apocalypse and Singularity 205

Appendix: Understanding Numbers: Orders of Magnitude 230

References and Notes 235

Acknowledgments 307

Index 309

I’ve been a subscriber to LOCUS: The Magazine of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field since the early 1970s. Charles N. Brown was the editor for decades and guided this initially mimeograph monthly newsletter to the slick magazine it is today. Sadly, Brown died in 2009 at the age of 72. The current editor, Liza Groen Trombi, started out her current editorial in the July 2022 issue of LOCUS this way: “I have been told I am not being direct enough about this, so here it is, out loud, or at least on paper. We are in trouble.”

LOCUS, like most print magazines, is in trouble because of paper shortages (and escalating costs for paper and printing), costs of distribution, and the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The July 2022 issue of LOCUS is #738. But the immediate situation for LOCUS is dire. I have sent my donation to LOCUSMAG.COM/DONATE. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to a Science Fiction institution that’s been around since 1968…but is now facing a difficult future full of problems and threats to its survival. Do you subscribe to any magazines?

It’s hard to believe I’ve done 700 of these Friday’s Forgotten Books posts since Patti Abbott invited me to join her online reviewing group back in 2009. You can read my first Friday’s Forgotten Books post here.

I’ve read (or reread) plenty of great books over the years to prepare for my weekly posts on Fridays. The benefit, of course, is the motivation to read books I’ve accumulated over the decades.

Take The Return of Solar Pons for example. The hardcover edition was first published in 1958 (when I was nine years old). The copy of The Return of Solar Pons is the paperback First Edition edition published by Pinnacle Books in 1975 which cost me $1.50 back then. August Derleth was a fan of Sherlock Holmes and created a clone of Sherlock that he called Solar Pons along with a companion named Parker who performed pretty much like Watson.

Derleth follows the pattern A. Conan Doyle used for his detective: introduce a crime, provide clues (and red herrings), and have the detective solve the baffling puzzle to the amazement of the Police. I enjoyed all the stories in The Return of Solar Pons especially “The Adventure of the “Triple Kent.” The “Triple” refers to the three women murdered in Kent. The Police are perplexed and call upon Solar Pons to help them solve the mystery. As with most of the Solar Pons stories, Pons sees patterns where the Police just see confusion. Pons also can solve crimes by knowing his History. In “The Adventure of the Lost Dutchman,” Pons’s research provides the keys to the solution.

If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you’ll enjoy these pastiches. And, I hope I’m around for another 700 Friday’s Forgotten Books posts! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction / by Edgar W. Smith — 1
The adventure of the lost Dutchman — 9
The adventure of the Devil’s footprints — 30
The adventure of the Dorrington inheritance — 52
The adventure of the “Triple Kent” — 76
The adventure of the Rydberg numbers — 94
The adventure of the Grice-Paterson curse — 119
The adventure of the Stone of Scone — 143
The adventure of the remarkable worm — 160
The adventure of the penny magenta — 177
The adventure of the trained cormorant — 192
The adventure of the Camberwell beauty — 211
The adventure of the little hangman — 238
The adventure of the Swedenborg signatures — 261

This 2-CD set from 1992 includes just 14 songs. Perhaps you remember MTV, the cable channel that changed the record industry by elevating the importance of music videos to promote artists and groups. And, when you have music videos, you must have MTV Video Music Awards. These songs won the Award, but some of these songs have faded into the mists of the Past. How many of you remember LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out”?

You would think SONY could have fit all of these songs on one CD, but 2-CD sets were popular in the 1990s so it might just be a marketing strategy. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B

TRACK LIST:

“Constant Hearses and Other Revolutionary Mysteries contains not one, but two of Edward D. Hoch’s beloved characters. First are the thirteen stories of Alexander Swift, who works for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Swift deals with many of the leaders of the Revolution, including George Washington, John Adams—and Benedict Arnold. All of the stories are contained in this collection.

The second character is the decidedly flamboyant Gideon Parrot, the Golden Age detective who uses his brain to solve the most baffling of crimes. All five of the stories are included in this collection.” (CRIPPEN & LANDRU)

This is the description you’ll find on the Crippen & Landru web site about their latest Edward D. Hoch collection, Constant Hearses and Other Revolutionary Mysteries (2022). I’ve read several Ed Hoch short story collections and loved them all! Check out the links below after the Table of Contents.

Constant Hearses and Other Revolutionary Mysteries start off with an Alexander Swift story, “The Hudson Chain,” where Swift, an aide to George Washington, is helping protect a massive chain across the Hudson River to protect Washington’s forts. However, there’s a spy working with the British forces intent on destroying the chain. Swift needs to take action to reveal the spy’s identity and save the chain. I was completely fooled! What a wonderful story!

I also loved “Lady of the Impossible” featuring a very different character, Gideon Parrot (pronounced “Poirot”), a blend of Agatha Christie’s detective and John Dickson Carr’s Gideon Fell. A radio star invites Gideon Parrot to her dinner party with several other guests and announces she will be murdered that evening. She locks herself in her bedroom and shows up dead in sunroom downstairs. How did the victim escape the locked room? Who among the guests is a murder? Gideon Parrot knows! Classic Golden Age detection!

If you’re looking for mind-bending mystery stories, Constant Hearses and Other Revolutionary Mysteries provides 18 puzzles to delight you! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction by Brian Skupin — 7

THE REVOLUTIONARY DETECTIONS OF ALEXANDER SWIFT

• The Hudson Chain — 10
• King George’s Gold — 27
• The Uninvited Guest –43
• Duel at Dawn — 60
• The Broken Chain — 72
• Vulture in the Mist — 85
• The Sword of Colonel Ledyard — 100
• St. John and the Dragon — 111
• Constant Hearses — 126
• The Orchard of Caged Birds — 141
• Paul Revere’s Bell — 155
• The Barber’s Toe — 171
• Swift Among the Pirates — 184

THE CLASSICAL DETECTIONS OF GIDEON PARROT

• Lady of the Impossible — 198
• The Man with Five Faces — 212
• The Flying Fiend — 225
• The Cat and Fiddle Murders — 238
• The Doom Balloons — 254

Sources — 269

http://georgekelley.org/wednesdays-short-stories-33-the-quests-of-simon-ark-by-edward-d-hoch/‎(opens in a new tab)

http://georgekelley.org/wednesdays-short-stories-31-funeral-in-the-fog-the-strange-mysties-of-simon-ark-by-edward-d-hoch/‎(opens in a new tab)

http://georgekelley.org/fridays-forgotten-books-522/‎(opens in a new tab)

http://georgekelley.org/fridays-forgotten-books-577-hochs-ladies-by-edward-d-hoch/‎(opens in a new tab)

http://georgekelley.org/forgotten-books-3/‎(opens in a new tab)

A group of vampires returns to FX and HULU for another season of madcap supernatural adventures. Nandor (Kayvan Novak) keeps his familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), around to clean up after all the messes. Guillermo puts up with this because he dreams of becoming a vampire himself.  Laszlo (Matt Berry) and his wife, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), add spice to the proceedings. This is undeath as usual on Staten Island.

The creative team at What We Do in the Shadows continues to perfect its horror-to-comedy transitions. Sequences begin with the same ominous atmosphere as the most suspenseful scenes of the most terrifying films, but pay off with a laugh rather than a scream, occasionally both or some combination.  What We Do in the Shadows has been picked up for two more seasons so we have plenty of silliness to look forward to. Are a fan of these vampires?

Becca Levy, Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, subtitled her new book, Breaking the Age Code, with How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & How Well You Live (2022).

Based on years of research, Becca Levy presents a compelling case that the way we view the Aging Process affects how long and well we will live. My favorite chapter in Breaking the Age Code is “Longevity Advantage of 7.5 Years.” “Age beliefs stole or added almost 8 years to lives, conferring an even better survival advantage than low cholesterol or low blood pressure (both of which added an extra four years of life) or low body mass index (one extra year) or avoiding smoking (three extra years).” (p. 93)

Having positive views of aging and a willingness to manage the aging process extended lives and improved mood and satisfaction. When I’m at the Pool, I’ve encountered many people who are bitter about aging. They resent the limitations it has forced on them: low energy, increased injuries, and increased pain.

Becca Levy shows how many of the problems with aging can be dealt with. Engagement allows you to live longer and happier while resentment and hostility cuts years off your life. Becca Levy believes we’re on the cusp of a revolution in dealing with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and reversing various aging conditions. Dozens of drugs are in clinical trials and should be available in a few years to help us out if we can just hang on.

I liked the optimism of Becca Levy’s Breaking the Age Code. Help with aging is on the way! How are you dealing with aging? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Ideas Bouncing Between the US and Japan 1

1 The Pictures in Our Head 9

2 Anatomy of a Senior Moment 25

3 Old and Fast 44

4 Brawny Brains: Genes Aren’t Destiny 58

5 Later-Life Mental Health Growth 73

6 Longevity Advantage of 7.5 Years 91

7 Stars Invisible by Day: Creativity and the Senses 110

8 Ageism: The Evil Octopus 130

9 Individual Age Liberation: How to Free Your Mind 155

10 Societal Age Liberation: A New Social Movement 172

Afterword: A Town Free of Ageism 192

Appendix 1 ABC Method to Bolster Positive Age Beliefs 205

Appendix 2 Ammunition to Debunk Negative Age Stereotypes 211

Appendix 3 A Gall to End Structural Ageism 215

Acknowledgments 227

Mickey Rowe, an autistic actor, relates the ups and downs of his acting career in Fearlessly Different. Mickey grows up learning the world is a minefield for autistic people. Yet, despite all the negativity, Mickey works to make his career goals happen. Finally, Mickey gets his Big Break:

“Much like when I received my autistic diagnosis, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time made me realize there really are other people like me out there in the world. It reminded me that I am not weird, or stupid, or bad, but just like Christopher I am powerful, and I can do whatever I want to do and accomplish the goals I want to accomplish. I read the book and knew I was not alone. I had a community. I had a people. I also knew that I needed to play this part. The show was going to be on Broadway next, in New York City. I lived in Seattle. I didn’t have an agent. But I did have three things: courage, imagination, and determination.” (p. 49)

And Mickey’s courage, imagination, and determination finally gets him the role of Christopher, an autistic character, in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Although Mickey achieves success, his personal life is a train-wreck. Mickey married a woman who became increasing psychotic and abused both Mickey and their children. After The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mickey still faced problems getting acting jobs because of casting directors discomfort with autistic actors. Here’s Mickey on misconceptions of autistic actors:

“They [the casting directors] often think an autistic person could never be a great actor, because we are too much like robots to convey powerful emotions onstage. This stems from the common and damaging misconception that people on the spectrum either don’t feel emotion or don’t have emotion. That’s simply not true. We feel emotions just like everyone else and can identify them within ourselves. What’s hard for us is correctly reading other people’s emotions.” (p. 97)

Reading about Mickey Rowe’s struggles broke my heart. Here is a struggling actor trying his best while almost everyone around him doubts his ability. Even more tragic is that after Mickey’s success in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time his career stalls. Another struggle ensues and Mickey’s efforts to success continue to be tested. But, if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Mickey Rowe. This is an inspiring story laced with sadness. GRADE: A