Jonathan Strahan produced a couple dozen anthologies in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. The Book of Witches fits in with the run-up to Halloween.

My favorite story in The Book of Witches is Garth Nix’s “The Unexpected Excursion of the Murder Mystery Writing Witches”–Agatha, Dorothy, and Josephine–undertake a dangerous mission to capture a monster that has escaped its confinement.

I also enjoyed Premee Mohamed’s “So Spake the Mirrorwitch” where two witch hunters learn a harsh lesson. And Casandra Khaw’s “Met Swallow” weaves a satisfying spell on the reader.

The variety of stories in this anthology will appeal to just about every reader. If you’re looking for material to read around the Witching Hour, you might consider The Book of Witches. GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — xv

WHAT IS A WITCH? By Jonathan Strahan — xvii

Seed of power / Linda D. Addison — 1

What I remember of Oresha Moon Dragon Devshrata / P. Djèli Clark — 3

Catechism for thise who would find witches / Kathleen Jennings — 29

The luck thief / Tade Thompson — 45

Good spells / Ken Liu — 71

The liar / Darcie Little Badger — 95

Escape artists / Andrea Hairston — 117

The witch is not a monster / Alaya Dawn Johnson — 123

Met swallow / Cassandra Khaw — 149

The nine jars ofNukulu / Tobi Ogundiran — 165

In a cabin, in a wood / Kelly Robson — 181

What dreams may come / C. L. Clark — 203

She who makes the rain / Millie Ho — 223

As wayward sisters, hand in hand / Indrapramit Das — 225

Orphanage of the Last Breath / Saad Z. Hossain — 247

The unexpected excursion of the murder mystery writing witches / Garth Nix — 261

So spake the Mirrorwitch / Premee Mohamed — 281

Just a nudge / Maureen McHugh — 295

Her ravenous waters / Andrea Stewart — 317

Déja Vue / Tochi Onyebuchi — 335

BOTANICA: a song in four movements / Sheree Renée Thomas — 349

Through the woods, due west / Angela Slatter — 357

Nameless here for evermore / Fonda Lee — 373

Mask of the Nautilus / Sheree Renée Thomas — 383

Night riding / Usman T Malik — 391

Witchfires / E. Lily Yu — 409

The Academy of Oracular Magic / Miyuki Jane Pinckard — 423

The cost of doing business / Emily Y. Teng — 435

John Hollowback and the witch / Amal El-Mohtar — 453

About the Authors — 475

About Jonathan Strahan — 485

Michael Wolff, who wrote a biography of Rupert Murdoch, now records the decline and fall of Fox News. Murdoch hired Roger Ailes to design a very different cable news operation and Ailes succeeded. “News is a variety show,” he offered…”It’s sexy girls and outrageous men. …Don’t try to be subtle. This is America.” (p. 71)

Fox News became the highest rated cable TV channel built on conspiracy theories and lies. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Ailes created a toxic work environment. Ailes’s bragged to Wolff the secret of success at Fox New: “To get ahead, you have to give some head.” (p. 71)

It was no secret Rupert Murdoch hated Fox News, Ailes, and all the on-air personalties he hired: Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Kellyanne Conway, Baria Bartiromo, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Ainsley Earhardt. Murdoch loathed Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson even though they earned Murdoch millions.

But Murdoch and Fox News made a Faustian Bargain with Donald Trump. In 2016 Fox News broadcast dozens of Trump speeches giving Trump free advertising and persuading the Fox News audience to join Trump World. When Trump won the 2016 Election, Fox News doubled down on Trump’s agenda and cult of personality. But, when Trump lost in 2020, Fox News committed the Fatal Error of buying into the Big Lie that the Election was stolen. Supporting Trump’s lies about the Dominion election machines while internal documents clearly showed no one at Fox News actually believed the lies they were broadcasting led to the disastrous lawsuit brought by Dominion.

Initially, Murdoch thought the Dominion lawsuit might cost $50 million. Manageable. But as more evidence was revealed: “Every one of the key on-air faces of the network had been exposed in email conversations expressing obvious skepticism about the Trump camp’s claims that Dominion was part of a conspiracy to steal the election… The Trump claims were laughable, the people making them on his behalf demented, everyone understood.” (p. 205) Yeah for weeks, Fox News kept spreading Trump’s lies.

Fox News lost the Dominion law suit and had to pay $785 million dollars. Murdoch dumped Tucker Carlson. Then, Rupert Murdoch, 91 years-old, stepped down and named his son, Lachlan Murdoch, his successor. But it’s not hard to imagine the upcoming fight for control of the Murdoch Family Trust by Murdoch’s children–Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James–when Rupert Murdoch dies. If you’re interested in the dumpster fire that is Fox News, The Fall delivers all the sordidness in graphic detail. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction — xiii

Prologue 1: Keith Rupert Murdoch, 1931-202_ — 1

Prologue 2: Roger Ailes–Summer 2016 — 12

WINTER 2022

1. Rupert: In the Sun — 23
2. Tucker: February 24, 2022 — 31
3. Lachlan: Spearfishing — 42

SPRING

4. Hannity: The Funeral — 55

5. Laura: Ron DeSantis — 68

6. James: A Force for Good — 80

7. Tucker: The WASPS — 89

8. Elisabeth: The Daughter –100

SUMMER

9. Dominion: “Fuck Him”. — 115

10. Hannity: Give Them a Head — 128

11. Tucker: Ur-text — 137

12. Elisbeth: The Third Option — 152

13. Hannity: POTUS — 161

14. Suzanne Scott: The Second Floor — 171

15. Laura: The Brand — 181

AUTUMN

16: Lachlan: In Play — 193

17. Rupert: In Love — 203

18. The One-and-Only Channel: Ben Shapiro’s $110 Million — 211

19. James: The Sisters — 220

WINTER 2023

20. Rupert: Die, Trump, Die — 233

21. Tucker: Might He? Should He? — 242

22. Hannity: Indictment — 252

23. Trial: The Deal — 260

24. Tucker: The Last Supper — 270

25. The Talent: Carlson and Trump — 279

Epilogue: Ruper–Apres Moi — 288

Acknowledgements — 297

The Buffalo Bills flew to London, England to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a morning game. Kickoff is at 9:30 A.M. E.S.T. The Bills are 5 1/2 point favorites. The Jaguars played the Atlanta Falcons in London last week (and won 23-7). So the Jaguars are adapted to the English surroundings and the five-hour difference. The Bills arrived Friday morning and have only had a couple of days to deal with Jet Lag and London’s atmosphere. The playing time temperature will be 71 degrees. Here in Western NY, the temps are in the low 50s. How will your favorite NFL team do today?

Loki, Season 2 (6 episodes) picks up where Loki, Season 1 left off. The Timeline is in crisis and disaster approaches. Loki leaves the shadow of Thor and becomes a “variant” of the Norse trickster god held by the Time Variance Authority, or TVA, who controls Time…at least for now. The first series paired impeccable production design with a simple emotional narrative — especially once our primary Loki (Tom Hiddleston) met his match in his female counterpart Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), a relationship that opened questions of identity, free will and self-determination.

“Loki” Season 2, has seen some changes in personnel behind the scenes. Eric Martin takes over head writing duties from creator Michael Waldron, while sole director Kate Herron has passed the baton to a larger group led by collaborators Justin Benson and Aaron Morehead.  Based on watching Episode 1, this new lineup is inferior to the original group. This season introduces new MacGuffins like the Temporal Loom and characters like Ourobouros (Ke Huy Quan), a kind of cosmic IT guy tasked with keeping TVA equipment in shape.  While there’s a flurry of running around and shouting, the story and the situations seem static. I’ll keep watching (new episodes drop on Thursdays), but so far the uniqueness of the first season is Missing In Action. GRADE: Incomplete (but trending towards a C)

Ed Lacy’s Room to Swing won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1958. Room to Swing made history by featuring the first African-American detective in a mystery in the noir genre.

Ed Lacy created the character of Tousssaint Moore, college educated and a decorated war veteran, who finds his opportunities are limited because of his race. Moore works as a private detective in and around Harlem. When Moore is hired by the producers of a reality television program called You–Detective! his troubles multiply. Moore finds a man murdered and flees New York City when he’s framed for the killing.

Moore drives to a small Ohio town to investigate the murdered man’s past. As you might expect, Moore’s presence in a racist community draws police attention. While Moore uncovers clues, he’s constantly under hostile threat by the residents.

Room to Swing broke new ground in detective fiction in the United States and deserves the Edgar Award and all the accolades that go with it. GRADE: A

I consider the 1970s and 1980s the Golden Age of great TV theme music. The theme song to “Sesame Street” welcomed Patrick and Katie each morning back then. Then there are the iconic themes to “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Laverne And Shirley,” and “The Jeffersons.”

But it was action TV programs that really connected with me: the themes to “Miami Vice,” Baretta,” “Starsky and Hutch,” and “The A-Team.” That music really got my blood pumping! But my favorites are “Hill Street Blues,” “The Rockford Files,” and “S.W.A.T.” Do you remember these TV theme songs? Which ones are your favorites? GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

Early Morning Cartoons
1	Unknown Artist–	Sesame Street	0:59
2	Unknown Artist–	The Muppet Show	1:11
3	Unknown Artist–	The Alvin Show	1:05
4	Unknown Artist–	Speed Racer	1:11
5	Unknown Artist–	The Famous Adventures Of Mr. Magoo	0:47
6	Unknown Artist–	Inspector Gadget	1:15
7	Unknown Artist–	The Smurfs	1:03
8	Unknown Artist–	Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines	1:15
9	Unknown Artist–	Scooby-Doo	1:02
10	Unknown Artist–	Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids	1:04
11	Unknown Artist–	The Archies (“Everything’s Archie”)	1:01
12	Unknown Artist–	Josie And The Pussycats	1:02
13	Unknown Artist–	Dudley Do-Right	0:23
14	Unknown Artist–	Fractured Fairy Tales	0:24
		Sit-Coms
15	Gary Portnoy–	Cheers (“Where Everybody Knows Your Name”)	1:06
16	Unknown Artist–	The Bob Newhart Show (“Home To Emily”)	1:05
17	Joey Scarbury–	The Greatest American Hero (“Believe It Or Not”)	1:46
18	John Sebastian–	Welcome Back, Kotter (“Welcome Back”)	0:58
19	Unknown Artist–	Room 222	1:30
20	Unknown Artist–	WKRP In Cincinnati	0:44
21	Bob James–	Taxi (“Angela”)	1:05
22	Unknown Artist–	Barney Miller	0:48
23	Unknown Artist–	Three’s Company	1:01
24	Pratt And MacLain*–	Happy Days	1:16
25	Cyndi Grecco–	Laverne And Shirley (“Making Our Dreams Come True”)	1:19
26	Unknown Artist–	The Facts Of Life	0:53
27	Jim Gilstrap & Blinky Williams*–	Good Times	0:49
28	Unknown Artist–	One Day At A Time	0:53
29	Nell Carter–	Gimme A Break	0:54
30	Donny Hathaway–	Maude (“And Then There’s Maude”)	0:49
31	Ja’net DuBois & Oren Waters–	The Jeffersons (“Movin’ On Up”)	1:09
32	Carroll O’Connor & Jean Stapleton–	All In The Family (“Those Were The Days”)	0:46
33	Quincy Jones–	Sanford And Son (“The Streetbeater”)	0:56
		Prime Time Drama
34	Unknown Artist–	Dallas	1:14
35	Unknown Artist–	Dynasty	1:18
36	Unknown Artist–	Knots Landing	1:36
37	Unknown Artist–	L.A. Law	1:36
38	Unknown Artist–	St. Elsewhere	1:28
39	Unknown Artist–	Marcus Welby, M.D.	1:01
40	Unknown Artist–	M*A*S*H (“Suicide Is Painless”)	0:55
41	Unknown Artist–	The Waltons	1:03
42	Unknown Artist–	Little House On The Prarie	0:57
43	Unknown Artist–	Hart To Hart	1:20
44	Unknown Artist–	Charlie’s Angels	1:06
45	Unknown Artist–	Wonder Woman	1:37
46	Jack Jones–	Love Boat	1:37
47	Barry Manilow–	American Bandstand (“Bandstand Boogie”)	1:25
48	Unknown Artist–	Solid Gold	1:24
49	Unknown Artist–	Entertainment Tonight	1:29
		Late Night Action Adventure
50	Jan Hammer–	Miami Vice	1:02
51	Rhythm Heritage–	S.W.A.T.	1:14
52	Sammy Davis, Jr.*–	Baretta (“Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow”)	1:06
53	Unknown Artist–	The Streets Of San Francisco	1:07
54	Unknown Artist–	Barnaby Jones	0:54
55	Unknown Artist–	Starsky And Hutch (“Gotcha”)	1:15
56	Unknown Artist–	Rookies	1:02
57	Unknown Artist–	Kojak	0:51
58	Unknown Artist–	The A-Team	1:40
59	Unknown Artist–	The Name Of The Game	1:13
60	Unknown Artist–	Quincy, M.E.	1:03
61	Unknown Artist–	Hill Street Blues	1:18
62	Unknown Artist–	Simon & Simon	1:05
63	Unknown Artist–	Magnum, P.I.	1:02
64	Unknown Artist–	The Rockford Files	0:56
65	Unknown Artist–	NBC’s Saturday Night Live	1:15

I’ve read a number of ghost stories by M.R. James over the years in various anthologies. This collection brings many of his unique stories together in an excellent volume. David Morell provides a detailed and informative Introduction to James and his writings. This volume in The Haunted Library of Horror Classics includes a suggested reading list of more ghost stories, more information on M.R. James, and some info about the editors of the series.

My favorite story in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1905) is the famous horror story “The Ash-Tree.” A woman is accused of witchcraft and burned to death. The accuser, Sir Matthew Fell of Castringham Hall, is later found dead in a peculiar manner. The bedroom where he died is closed for decades until Sir Richard Fell, his grandson, decided to spend a night in the forbidding bedroom. The next morning Sir Richard’s body was found in bed, black and dead. The cause of death will surprise you!

M. R. James set a high standard for writing and this volume presents eight grand stories in the British traction of supernatural horror. Highly recommended! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION By David Morrell — xi

About David Morrell — xxiii

Preface — 1

Canon Alberic’s Scrap-Book — 3
Lost Hearts — 18
The Mezzotint — 30
The Ash-Tree — 44
Number 13 — 60
Count Magnus — 78
‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad’ — 93
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas — 117

About the Author, M. R. James — 138

Suggested Discussion Question for Classroom Use — 140

Suggest Further Reading of Fiction — 144

About the Series Editors — 148

Director Wes Anderson loves Roald Dahl’s fiction. Anderson produced a feature film with Fantastic Mr. Fox in 2009. Now, Wes Anderson has four short films based on Roald Dahl short stories on Netflix. The first one, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a gambler who learns to read cards and win millions of dollars in casinos (I thought I saw Cap’n Bob in the background).

The other three films are shorter: The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison. If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you’ll enjoy these. If you hate Wes Anderson’s work, you’ll skip these. GRADE: B (for all four)

“Symbolically, Putin’s most notorious crony, Evgeny Prigozhin, began his career as Putin’s personal chef. Prigozhin organized supples to the Russian military, a troll factory that churned out propaganda for Trump, and mercenary camps in Syria, Central, Africa, and Ukraine. Moving from the kitchens at home to military camps abroad was quick and easy for people like Prigozhin. Failing to pay taxes, flouting regulations and possessing unlimited resources, these princes of darkness preached and practiced a turbo-charged Machiavellian politics with the sole purpose of spreading their corrupt influence. They had no fear of the state because they were the state. Inept managers, they were efficient corrupters.” (p. 48)

Of course, none of us was surprised when a bomb aboard the plane Progozhin was on killed him (and 12 other passengers). Alexander Etkind’s slim little volume explores the essence of contemporary Russia. As Senator McCain once said, “Russia is a gas station pretending to be a country.”

Etkind shows how Russia’s dependence on oil rules most of Putin’s decision making.

“Ecologically, Russia was the fourth greatest polluter in the world; China topped the list but Russian emissions per capita were much higher. Russia’s ecological problems–smog in the capital and garbage in the countryside–stuck in the mind of anyone who had visited the country. Siberia had been extensively logged and ravaged by fires. Flaring gas torches and methane leaks create massive emissions.” (p. 20)

Russia is a dying country. Birthrates keep falling, the infrastructure deteriorates, the wealth goes to a small group of oligarchs who buy $100 million Yachts and party. A lot.

“The war forced hundreds of thousands of Russians, most of them young and educated urbanites, to leave the country. Expecting military mobilization and violence at home, they flew to Georgia, Armenia, Turkey or Kazakhstan–the countries that did not require visas. Most of them found themselves in a desperate situation, with no job, no money and no welfare support. Only the Kremlin applauded this displacement of the country’s young and productive subjects: the very same people who might take part in the acts of protests and resistance were removing themselves from the domestic scene. At this point, education, high culture and public life became mere nuisances for the Russian rulers.” (p. 62)

But as Etkind points out, this death spiral of Russian corruption makes Putin more dangerous. Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine both shows the ineffectiveness of the Russian military but also increases the chances Putin might resort to nuclear weapons. Russia Against Modernity presents an accurate picture of dangers we face. What do you think of Russia? GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — vi

Introduction — 1

Chapter 1. Modernity in the Age of Anthropocene — 3

Chapter 2. Petrostate — 24

Chapter 3. Parasitic governance — 40

Chapter 4. The So-Called Elite — 55

Chapter 5. The Public Sphere — 66

Chapter 6. Gender and Degeneration — 85

Chapter 7. Putin’s War — 102

Chapter 8. Defederating Russia — 121

Endnotes — 141

Index — 160