TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Compulsory Games
Le Miroir
Raising the Wind
Residents Only
Hands in Glove
Wood
Laura
Just a Song at Twilight
Letters to the Postman
Marriage
No Time Is Passing
The Strangers
The Fully-Conducted Tour
A Disciple of Plato
The Coffin House

A few weeks ago, I featured Robert Aickman’s Painted Devils: Strange Stories (you can read my review here).

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Robert Aickman’s short story collection, Painted Devils (you can read what I had to say here). It took me a few weeks to find my copy of Aickman’s Compulsory Games, the New York Review of Books volume that collects some brilliant stories from Aickman’s previous books.

For readers unfamiliar with Robert Aickman’s work, Compulsory Games would be a great place to start. In her insightful Introduction, Victoria Nelson notes that Aickman himself characterized his fiction as “strange stories.” And, strange they are!

Take “Hand in Glove” for an example. Millicent has broken up with Nigel and Millicent’s odd friend, Winifred, takes Millicent for a picnic in a surreal country town. Aspects of loss and lies result and Millicent finds herself in a menacing situation. Or take the title story, “Compulsory Games,” where a man in a tired marriage nearly falls into an affair with a friend, only to be rebuffed near the point of consummation. From this point forward that he’s punished, not in any overt way, but through the slow withdrawal of his wife via that same friend, 

One of my favorite stories in this collection–which easily could have been titled The Best of Robert Aickman–is “Le Miroir” where a woman has an eerie attraction to a looking glass. If you’re in the mood for the unusual and offbeat, you’ll find it in Compulsory Games. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: Under the Skin by Victoria Nelson — vii

• Compulsory Games — 1
• Hand in Glove — 25
• Marriage — 51
• Le Miroir — 84
• No Time in Passing — 95
• Raising the Wind — 120
• Residents Only — 130
• Wood — 179
• The Strangers — 204
• The Coffin House — 253
• Letters to the Postman — 258
• Laura — 296
• The Fully-Conducted Tour — 306
• A Disciple of Plato — 313
• Just a Song at Twilight — 327

The new Criterion Collection version of Miller’s Crossing blends classic noir fiction with Joel and Ethan Coen’s trademark sparkling dialogue, off-beat characters, and violent action. Here’s a summary:

“Gabriel Byrne brings a wry gravitas to the role of Tom Reagan, the quick-thinking right-hand man to a powerful crime boss (Albert Finney). Tom’s unflappable cool is tested when he begins offering his services to a rival outfit—setting off a cascade of betrayals, reprisals, and increasingly berserk violence. The Hopperesque visuals of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, majestically elegiac score by Carter Burwell, and vivid supporting performances from John Turturro and Marcia Gay Harden come together in a slice of pulp perfection that crackles with sardonic wit while plumbing existential questions about free will and our own terrifying capacity for evil.”

Of course the real reason I bought Miller’s Crossing was the conversation between Megan Abbott and the Coen’s film noir and crime fiction. Great movie, great conversation! GRADE: A

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:

• 2K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, with new 5.1 surround soundtrack mix, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio
• New conversation between author Megan Abbott and the Coens about film noir and hard-boiled crime fiction
• New interview with actors Gabriel Byrne and John Turturro, moderated by Abbott
• Interviews from 1990 with Byrne, Turturro, and actors Marcia Gay Harden and Jon Polito
• New interviews with Sonnenfeld, composer Carter Burwell, music editor Todd Kasow, and production designer Dennis Gassner
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Glenn Kenny
  
  New cover illustration by Patrick Leger

“In the days and weeks after Election Day on November 3, the President was deserted by his aides and staff. The legal establishment, at least anyone in it with a promising career, abandoned him. His hapless band of co-conspirators are too lazy or too drunk or cynical to develop a credible strategy or execute one. It was a a shit show–ludicrous, inexplicable, cringeworthy, nuts, event for the people who felt most loyal to him. The election challenge never had a chance of success.” (p. xiv)

“[Sidney Powell] had been telling Giuliani and the team that the conspiracy ran even deeper: Trump’s landslide victory was upended by an international plot. Former Venezuelan present Hugo Chavez (dead since 2013), George Soros, the Clinton Foundation, and the Chinese had masterminded the plot to steal the election from [Trump]. Oh, and the voting software routed the realists through Germany, exposing the tabulation to nefarious elements there!” (p. 114)

“On Saturday, November 21, two days after Giuliani’s hair dye meltdown at the RNC press conference, U. S. Court District judge Matthew Brann, in Pennsylvania, denied the Trump effort to have millions of mail-in ballots thrown out because of small inconsistencies, from county to country, in the filing process. …[Judge Brann wrote] the claim, ‘like Frankenstein’s monster, has been haphazardly stitched together.'” (p. 124)

With Trump traipsing around the country praising Putin–“A genius!”–and positioning himself for a run for President in 2024, I thought it was instructive to read Michael Wolff’s Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency to revisit those dark days that culminated in the Attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The desperate efforts to overturn the Election, the failure to concede to Biden, the launching of the Big Lie (the Election was stolen!) strategy, and total lack of interest in the Pandemic punctuated the Lame Duck period until Biden’s Inauguration.

With the Russian-Ukraine War raging, historically high gas prices, Inflation out of control, and Republican states targeting LGBTQ students (“Don’t Say Gay!), things look bleak. Where do you think we’re headed? GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction xiii

Prologue: The Trial 1

1 Death Star 9

2 Election Night 43

3 New Votes 64

4 Rudy 92

5 What’s Black Is White 121

6 Where Now? 143

7 The Endgame 163

8 The Day Before 189

9 Morning, January 6 213

10 The Remainder Of The Day, January 6 229

11 Deplatformed 251

12 Redux 272

Epilogue: The Road To Mar-A-Lago 291

Acknowledgments 311

“A fruity, lightly spiced apple pie with a dollop of cream pairs nicely with this pear-inflected, softly sweet and vivaciously semi-sparkling Moscato d’Asti from the Piemontese producer Vietti. Produced from vineyards that are almost 40 years old, its low in alcohol (5%) but long on pleasure and very, very easy to drink.”

That’s the review in the Wall Street Journal that motivated me to buy a bottle of Vietti Moscato d’Asti. And, I totally agree with the reviewer! Vietti Moscato d’Asti is a softly sweet and vivaciously semi-sparkling white wine that’s simply delicious!

If you’re interested in other wine and dessert pairings, you can read the full review here. GRADE: A

I’m not a big fan of coffee table books, but this gorgeous volume celebrating Godine Press will grace my coffee table for years! A couple dozen Godine Press books sit on my shelves. I found Godine books wonderfully produced with unique cover artwork and quality materials.

The first Godine book I bought was in 1982. It was a quirky mystery by K. C. Constantine: The Man Who Liked Slow Tomatoes. I went on to purchase the next eight Mario Balzic mysteries Godine published. Balzic, chief of police in Rocksburg, Pennsylvania, investigates crimes in a small coal mining town in Western Pennsylvania. Why K. C. Constantine isn’t in the conversation with Michael Connelly and Laura Lippman and other top writers baffles me.

Edmund Wilson, George Orwell, Donald Hall, Iris Origo, Paul Horgan, William Gass, Will Cuppy, Ludwig Bemelmans, William Maxwell, Wright Morris, and Paula Fox are just some of the writers you’ll find between well designed and beautifully printed Godine covers. Are you a fan of Godine Books? Do you have a favorite? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction & Brief History of the Press — vii

1. Early Letterpress & Fine Printing — 1

2. Wood Cut & Wood Engraving — 10

3. Fiction — 17

4. Short Stories — 29

5. Literature in Translation — 36

6. Poetry — 43

7. Essay and Criticism — 58

8. Words, Language and Usage — 69

9. Biography & Autobiography — 73

10. History — 90

11. Photography — 105

12. Art — 124

13. Architecture — 135

14. Children’s Books — 147

15. Nautical & Maritime — 173

16. Music — 185

17. Gardening — 197

18. Cooking and Cuisine — 207

19. Typography — 213

20. Calligraphy — 231

21. Natural History — 239

22. Humor — 249

23. The Sporting Life — 253

24. Outliers & Other Works of Unclassifiable but Undeniable Genius — 257

Posters — 262

Ephemera — 264

Bindings — 265

Typographers, Calligraphers, & Designers — 266

Index — 267

Edward L. Ferman succeeds Avram Davidson as editor with this volume. My favorite story in this anthology is Fritz Leiber’s “Four Ghosts in Hamlet.” Perhaps the most famous story in The Best Fantasy and Science Fiction, 15th Series is Roger Zelazny’s “The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth” about a fishing expedition on Venus.

R. A. Lafferty’s “Hog-Belly Honey” presents his usual comic silliness. Zenna Henderson’s touching story of The People, “No Different Flesh,” begins with a flying baby and ends in hope. The Best Fantasy and Science Fiction, 15th Series shows Edward L. Ferman can assemble a quality anthology in the manner that Anthony Boucher and Avram Davidson did for years. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• xi • Introduction (The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: 15th Series) • (1966) • essay by Edward L. Ferman
• 1 • The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth • (1965) • novelette by Roger Zelazny
• 36 • Love Letter from Mars • (1965) • poem by John Ciardi
• 37 • Rake • [Ben Jolsen / Chameleon Corps] • (1965) • short story by Ron Goulart
• 48 •  Cartoon: “This is Willy, and this is Willy’s imaginary playmate.” • (1965) • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
• 49 • The History of Doctor Frost • (1965) • short story by Roderic C. Hodgins
• 64 • Four Ghosts in Hamlet • (1965) • novelette by Fritz Leiber
• 100 • Treat • (1964) • poem by Walter H. Kerr
• 101 • Keep Them Happy • (1965) • short story by Robert Rohrer
• 110 •  Cartoon: “Marsha, you’re tending to lead again! • (1965) • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
• 111 • A Murkle for Jesse • (1965) • short story by Gary Jennings
• 129 • Eyes Do More Than See • (1965) • short story by Isaac Asimov
• 133 •  Cartoon: no caption • (1965) • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
• 134 • The House the Blakeneys Built • (1965) • short story by Avram Davidson
• 146 • The Eight Billion • (1965) • short story by Richard Wilson
• 157 • Something Else • (1965) • short story by Robert J. Tilley
• 174 • Aunt Millicent at the Races • (1965) • short story by Len Guttridge
• 176 •  Cartoon: no caption [2] • (1965) • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
• 187 • Sea Bright • (1965) • short story by Hal R. Moore
• 200 • From Two Universes • (1964) • poem by Doris Pitkin Buck
• 201 • Hog-Belly Honey • (1965) • short story by R. A. Lafferty
• 210 •  Cartoon: “Harry!” • (1965) • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
• 211 • No Different Flesh • [The People] • (1965) • novelette by Zenna Henderson

Henry Mancini is best known for his “Theme for Peter Gunn,” “Moon River,” and “The Theme for The Pink Panther.” So when I saw this orchestral CD of Pop Hits, I bought it immediately. I’m sure you’ll find most of these tunes familiar.

The CD ends with “Good Old Rock’N’Roll (Medley)” with eight songs mostly from the early days of Rock’N’Roll. If you’re in the mood for something very different, you might want to try these versions of well-known Pop songs. I’ve listened to this CD a couple of times since I acquired it and enjoyed what I heard. How many of these songs do you remember? GRADE: B+

TRACK LIST:

		1	Walk Like an Egyptian [Bangles] Liam Sternberg	Henry Mancini	4:41
		2	In the Air Tonight [Phil Collins]Phil Collins	Henry Mancini	05:15
		3	Thriller [Michael Jackson]Rod Temperton	Henry Mancini	04:21
		4	Every Breath You Take [the Police]Sting	Henry Mancini	03:54
		5	Material Girl [Madonna]Peter Brown / Robert Rans	Henry Mancini	04:09
		6	With or Without You [U2]Bono / Adam Clayton / The Edge / Larry Mullen, Jr.	Henry Mancini	04:58
		7	Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)Annie Lennox / Dave Stewart	Henry Mancini	04:03
		8	La Bamba [Los Lobos]Traditional	Henry Mancini	03:09
		9	On the Turning Away [Pink Floyd]David Gilmour / Anthony Moore	Henry Mancini	04:25
		10	It’s a Sin [Pet Shop Boys]Chris Lowe / Neil Tennant	Henry Mancini	04:05
		11	Imagine [John Lennon]John Lennon	Henry Mancini	03:47
		12	Good Old Rock’n’roll [Medley]	Henry Mancini	06:40
		13	Rock Around the Clock Jimmy DeKnight / Max Freedman	Henry Mancini
		14	Bye Bye Love Boudleaux Bryant / Felice Bryant	Henry Mancini
		15	Great Balls of Fire Otis Blackwell / Jack Hammer	Henry Mancini
		16	Proud Mary John Fogerty	Henry Mancini
		17	Bad, Bad Leroy Brown Jim Croce	Henry Mancini
		18	Blue Suede Shoes Carl Perkins	Henry Mancini
		19	Shake, Rattle & Roll Charles E. Calhoun	Henry Mancini
		20	Peggy Sue Jerry Allison / Buddy Holly / Norman Petty	Henry Mancini

“A bold collection of stories about sex that leaves you guessing who wrote what.” And, “27 Authors. 27 Stories. No Names Attached.” That’s the marketing concept behind Hillary Jordan and Clearly Lu-Lien Tan’s Anonymous Sex. Jordan and Tan approached a number of writers asking if they would send them stories that would be published anonymously with readers challenged to figure out which writer wrote which story. The project was stalled until the Pandemic hit and suddenly writers found time to participate.

So, who submitted stories that made the cut? Check out this list:

Featuring Robert Olen Butler, Catherine Chung, Trent Dalton, Heidi W. Durrow, Tony Eprile, Louise Erdrich, Jamie Ford, Julia Glass, Peter Godwin, Hillary Jordan, Rebecca Makkai, Valerie Martin, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Téa Obreht, Helen Oyeyemi, Mary-Louise Parker, Victoria Redel, Jason Reynolds, S.J. Rozan, Meredith Talusan, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Jeet Thayil, Paul Theroux, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Edmund White

What are these sex stories about? Here’s a brief sample:

* A married woman has a BDSM-tinged encounter at a work conference
* Two young boys on a sleepover feel the first stirrings of desire
* In an artificially generated afterlife, anything can be sexual if you want it to be
* A young widow on a sleeper train shelters a criminal in her carriage
* A bisexual woman cheats on her wife with a baker
* Anyone can hire a holographic gigolo in 2098 – but one client gets a lot closer than she’d intended
* Female friends, sharing a hotel room, give in to long-repressed feelings
* The Rapunzel myth is rewritten…

Clearly, Jordan and Tan tried to provide something for everybody. But, that wide net of stories also creates a problem: some of the stories may not engaged readers interested in a specific erotic scenario.

Each year since 1993, Literary Review has presented the annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award to the author it deems to have produced the worst description of a sex scene in a novel.  Too bad the stories in Anonymous Sex don’t qualify. GRADE: C-