I grew up reading ACE Doubles and D-497 (1961) was always a favorite because of the cool cover on Ray Cummings’s Wandl the Invader. Wandl the Invader is a sequel to Cumming’s Brigands of the Moon. A mysterious “Tenth Planet” enters the Solar System and our heroes, Haljan and his friend Snap, battle against the Forces of Evil. Wandl the Invader was serialized in Astounding Stories in 1932 so you can gauge the amount of pulp in the story (a lot!). “Keith Woodcott” is a pseudonym of Science Fiction writer, John Brunner. A Federation of Worlds threatens Earth as it prepares to launch it’s first starship. The Federation demands Earth send them a “representative” who would live among Federation members for year so they could determine whether Earth is worthy of becoming a member or not. The leaders of Earth come up with a clever strategy to fool the Federation: they use psychic technology to house six personalities in one body (two of the personalities are females, the other four are males). Each personality has its own scientific expertise. I Speak for Earth has a clever ending that forecasts some of John Brunner’s later SF. If you’re a fan of classic SF, here are two good examples.

Greg Van Eekhout California Bones reminds me of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden urban magic novels. What attracted to me to this book was the cover blurb: “A novel of magic, a heist, and the unexpected things that change your life.” I like magic and I like heists. They rarely go together so I figured I’d give California Bones a quick read. Daniel Blackland had a father skilled as a wizard of osteomancy (and ability to absorb power). Daniel’s father embeds powers in Daniel. Then the evil Heirarch (master wizard and leader of the Kingdom of Los Angeles) kills Daniel’s mother and father. Fast-forward a decade and Daniel is a troubled youth. He’s challenged by a local gangster named Otis to break into the Heirarch’s treasure vault. That’s the heist. Plenty of magic and plot-twists result. Greg Van Eekhout has written Young Adult novels before attempting California Bones so there’s a youthful feel to the characters and story. The characters are engaging and the action held my interest. I plan to read the next book in this series, Pacific Fire. GRADE: C+

By the time you read this, I’ll be flying to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit with friends at BOUCHERCON. I’ve never been to Raleigh so I’m looking forward to seeing a new city. I’ve attended about a dozen BOUCHERCONs. Sure, the free books, panels, and activities are fun. But I go to BOUCHERCON to visit with friends like Bill Crider, Jeff and Jackie Meyerson, Maggie Mason, Patti and Phil Abbott. I work ahead so I have blog posts for time I’ll be in Raleigh, but my responses to your comments might be a little sporadic. Next week, I’ll have my BOUCHERCON report for you.

Sicario is Spanish for “Hit Man.” Emily Blunt plays an FBI agent recruited by a team who battles drug cartels. This elite government task force is led by Josh Brolin’s character. Their mission is to aid in the escalating war against drugs on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. A quirky consultant played by Benicio Del Toro has the the team set out on a secret mission that forces Emily Blunt’s character to question everything about the drug war. This narco-thriller is intense. I just wish they gave Emily Blunt more to do at times other than to stand around and look pensive. GRADE: B+

Newsies is a musical version of the Disney movie from 1992. Jack Kelly (no relation) is a leader of a ragged group of boys who deliver newspapers in New York City. The story is set in 1899. Joseph Pulitzer cuts the amount of money the newsies will receive. This enrages Jack Kelly and he organizes a STRIKE. There’s a lot of singing and dancing in this high-energy production. The choreography is inventive and gymnastic. There’s a love story between Jack Kelly and a woman reporter. If you’re looking for an uptempo, energetic musical, Newsies fits the bill. GRADE: B

After the Bills spanked the Miami Dolophins 41-14 last week, Bills fans are jacked up about this game with the New York Giants. However, running back LeSean McCoy and wide recover Sammy Watkins could be sitting out with injuries. Eli Manning could be running for his life if the Bills defensive line shows up like they did against Andrew Luck and the Colts a few weeks ago. With the weird weather and a possible hurricane effect, this game might be played in torrential rain. How will your favorite team do today?

Ridley Scott’s movie based on Andy Weir’s book follows the Robinson Caruso on Mars template. Matt Damon’s character is accidentally marooned on the Red Planet. The book and movie both revel in the science of survival. On a planet where nothing grows, Damon grows potatoes (he’s a botanist!). Damon’s character takes his dire predicament in stride with confidence and humor. But disaster strikes again, and time is running out for the only man on Mars. The focus of the movie shifts to the NASA administrators and scientists who try to develop a plan to recover their stranded astronaut. I wish Ridley Scott had found something more for Kristen Wiig to do other than to stand around and look pensive. If you like movies like Apollo 13 you’ll love The Martian. Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover fill out the first-rate cast of The Martian. GRADE: A-

Hail, Hail, The Gang’s All Here (1971) is the 25th novel in the 87th Precinct series. By this time, McBain had his template for the series perfected and the cast of characters developed. I liked this mystery when I first read it decades ago, and liked it even more when I reread it for this post. McBain shows a “typical” day for the cops of the 87th Precinct. Meyer Meyer has to deal with a ghost. Parker gets shot.

This was our 28-year-old uninsulated garage door. Last winter, this old garage door froze on the inside! We knew we had to replace it.

This is our new insulated garage door (with its new garage door opener: very quiet!). And Diane went with “Sunrise” windows! More stimulating the Economy!

I live about 10 miles from where Joyce Carol Oates attended a one-room school house while she was growing up. There are other parallels. Joyce Carol Oates went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and so did I. Joyce Carol Oates had a friend who committed suicide (she writes about it in “An Unsolved Mystery: The Lost Friend) and so did I. This memoir reveals plenty about a very private person. I appreciated the essays on the books that affected Oates: Alice in Wonderland and Moby Dick. Growing up with few books in the house, Joyce Carol Oates read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe since her father had some of his books. I related to Oates in the exam for a Ph.D. at UW-Madison. I went through similar exams. All in all, this book shows how a poor little girl from Western New York grew up to become one of the most prolific and successful American writers. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Author’s Note
I
WE BEGIN
MOMMY & ME
HAPPY CHICKEN: 1942-1944
DISCOVERING ALICE
DISTRICT SCHOOL #7, NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW YORK
PIPER CUB
AFTER BLACK ROCK
SUNDAY DRIVE
FRED’S SIGNS
“THEY ALL JUST WENT AWAY”
“WHERE HAS GOD GONE”
HEADLIGHTS: THE FIRST DEATH
“THE BRUSH”
AN UNSOLVED MYSTERY: THE LOST FRIEND
“START YOUR OWN BUSINESS!”
THE LOST SISTER: AN ELEGY
NIGHTHAWK: RECOLLECTIONS OF A LOST TIME
II
DETROIT: 1962-1968
STORY INTO FILM
“WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” AND SMOOTH TALK
PHOTO SHOOT: WEST ELEVENTH STREET, NYC, MARCH 6, 1970
FOOD MYSTERIES
FACTS, VISIONS, MYSTERIES: MY FATHER FREDERIC OATES, NOVEMBER 1988
A LETTER TO MY MOTHER CAROLINA ON HER 78TH BIRTHDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1994
“WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND MY MOTHER DIDN’T WANT ME”
III
EXCERPT: TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER FREDERIC OATES, MAY 1999
THE LONG ROMANCE
MY MOTHER’S QUILTS

AFTERWORD